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Dayton, OH 45405

A new discovery about mosquitoes reveals why vampires will never exist io9 Wolbachia is a bacteria that preys on insects. It is not carried by the type of mosquito that carries the malaria parasite. Scientists guessed that it might be fatal to this type of mosquito, and infected them with two different strains of Wolbachia, … Wolbachia bacteria kill mosquito that spreads malaria!BioScholar News all 5 news articles »

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QUESTION:

What is a water carrier agent?

ANSWER:

Most of our pesticide applications today are made by mixing some concentrate material with a large volume of water to dilute it to the concentration recommended for application. The water is now the “carrier” for that pesticide concentrate, so we refer to it as the water carrier.

Now, there are some things about plain old water that many pesticides do not like, and we should be aware of them. These are the pH of the water (is it acidic, alkaline, or neutral?), salt content, and mineral content, which also may equate to “hardness” of the water. There are materials we can add to a tank to correct these inherent conditions in the water so that the pesticide works better, and these additives are called “agents”. They may be a buffer to correct the pH or something to “soften” the water to remove minerals such as calcium carbonate and calcium bicarbonate.

This is an area you should be aware of for the water you use in your region. Over time ground water tends to become alkaline due to leaching of minerals in the soil or leaching of organic breakdown products from the surface. In general highly alkaline water is not good for pesticides, and this was a particular problem back when we relied on organophosphate and carbamate insecticides. These molecules degraded pretty quickly in alkaline water in a process known simply as Alkaline Hydrolysis, and we could counter the effect by adding a buffer to bring the pH to a more acid level. Simply mixing these insecticides in a tank of water and then leaving it over the weekend could result in a significant loss of the actual pesticide active ingredient, so that on Monday morning when you finally used the tank mix it might no longer kill the bugs.

Hardness in water also can seriously affect pesticides by causing the minerals to bind with the pesticide molecules and fall out of solution as insoluble salts. This could result in a sludge at the bottom of the tank composed of the minerals in the water and the active ingredient that you thought was mixed properly in the tank solution. This is particularly a problem with some herbicides, including glyphosate and 2,4-D. This points out why just assuming you can fill your tank with water and add the pesticide concentrate may not always be good policy. You need to be aware of the chemical makeup of the water you use. Where I grew up and where I worked in pest management for a couple of years the water was commonly ground water, and it had an extremely high mineral content. If you didn’t quickly dry your car after washing it you would have thought it had snowed on the car, from the layer of white mineral material left there once the water evaporated.

So, a water carrier agent is simply an additive mixed with your pesticide spray tank mixture to counteract some negative features in that water carrier that comes through the garden hose.

View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.

QUESTION:

What are the new laws for rodenticides in bait stations for June 2011?


ANSWER:

This potentially is an important change for the PMP, and it is called the Rodenticide Risk Mitigation Decision (RRMD) from the EPA, scheduled to take effect on June 4, 2011, so less than one month away. The biggest effect we will see as professional users of rodent baits is that from that date on the manufacturers will need to relabel their products, including a statement that the bait must be within a tamper resistant station when used outdoors, and this station MUST be within 50 feet of a structure. Fences are NOT considered structures, so baiting a fenceline or some other perimeter of a property with the affected baits will be history.

Another change on rodenticide labels for products for roof and norway rats and house mice is that the label will state “Only” for these rodents, eliminating any vague suggestions that they could be used for other rodent species. This EPA decision addresses all of the current active ingredients used in rodenticides except for a couple of the “natural” actives. It includes all the anticoagulants as well as zinc phosphide, bromethalin, and cholecalciferol. Another change you will see once existing inventories are depleted in our warehouses (and new labeled material is brought in) will be the quantity you must purchase. For professional users the minimum package size for First Generation anticoagulants and Acute toxicants (warfarin, diphacinone, chlorophacinone, bromethalin, cholecalciferol, zinc phosphide) will be 4 lbs. The minimum package size for Second Generation anticoagulants (brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, difethialone) will be 16 lb containers. And liquid bait will no longer be allowed for residential use or outdoors.

The retail market will see a bigger change, as consumers have more restrictions. One of the biggest will be that they no longer will be able to buy those Second Generation active ingredients. They no longer will be able to buy pelleted baits, but only paraffin blocks. Package size is restricted to 1 lb. or less and must be sold already within a bait station or with a bait station included.

For professionals we will still have access to all the same bait forms and actives, and it will be the size sold that you notice first. Pay VERY close attention to the labels on the packages that you are purchasing, for you can continue to use your product as labeled. But, on June 4 manufacturers can no longer ship old labeled material, so the new labels will start hitting our warehouses after that. Look on the websites for Bell Labs and LiphaTech and Eaton for summaries of this and updates.

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COLUMBUS, Ga. — Authorities say an Orkin pest control manager is credited with helping to save lives when he saw fire slicing through the roof of a Georgia home. The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer reports that Jeffrey Dancy was making his rounds exterminating …

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COSHOCTON — Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week is May 22 to 28, and residents are reminded to use only local firewood. Pests such as the emerald ash borer can hide in firewood and infest areas to which that firewood is transported. In Ohio, the EAB has been …

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The purpose of the workshop is to update participants on the strategies in IRM; to promote IRM strategies to prevent the development of the resistant strains of major insect pests on cabbage and eggplant; to bring together crop pest specialists and discuss …

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Actually, the pests are not the direct cause of the house fire in Cincinnati. It was the bed bug treatment executed by an exterminator using a heater. Nonetheless, the root of the tragedy is the presence of the fast-moving, blood-sucking bugs. According to …

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STAFF and pupils at a school in Ashford are furious after vandals attacked their beehives. The insects were on site at The Echelford Primary School, in Park Road, for four years. School beekeeper Ruth Davies made a routine check on the hive on Saturday …

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FRANKLIN, Ala. — Deep in a hollow in the Red Hills, the forest pulses with the swelling thrum of a million voices. At first, the source of the loud humming sound is invisible. But stand still for a moment and stare at the tree limbs overhead. Before long …

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Pest control benefits huge Gisborne Herald The benefits of pest control to native wildlife are indisputable. A recent study by Landcare Research showed that introduced predators are responsible for the loss of more than 25 million native bird eggs and chicks each year. …

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