MADISON – Researchers released Asian Wasps into Emerald Ash Borer ‘hot spots’ this week, hoping the tiny insects will feed on the destructive beetle’s eggs and larvae. The Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive insect responsible for killing millions of trees, has …
Pests in the NewsJune 12, 2011
No Comment
Summer is the season for camping, hiking and other family outdoor sports. Before you hit the trails, protect yourself from biting insects, especially ticks. Ticks carry Lyme disease, North America’s fastest growing vector-driven disease. Lyme disease is …
Pests in the NewsJune 12, 2011
No Comment
 PCT Magazine |
NPMA Holds First Ever National Canine Conference
PCT Magazine Editor's note: On June 1-3, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) hosted the first ever National Canine Conference in Philadelphia. Michael Goldman, president of Purity Pest Control and Common Scents Solution, Thornhill, Ontario, Canada, … |
Pests in the NewsJune 12, 2011
No Comment
|
Irritating pests expected to flourish over the summer
KFDA Lady Bug Services owner, Brad Turner describes the pest as the ultimate hitchhiker. He tells NewsChannel 10, the number of Amarillo homes he's treated has drastically jumped over the last months. He shares a tip with NewsChannel 10, you can take to … |
Pests in the NewsJune 12, 2011
No Comment
Globe and Mail |
Raccoons, rabbits and rats: Pest control proves a pesky problem
Globe and Mail Whether it's the furtive scavenging of raccoons in Toronto or the stench of angry skunks in Vancouver, every city, province, territory and country can claim a pest that defies eradication. In Toronto's battle between human and beast, Nguyen Dong was … |
Pests in the NewsJune 12, 2011
No Comment
Forestry Commission News |
Strategy launched to tackle pest and disease threats to Britain's trees
Forestry Commission News A new strategy for protecting Britain's trees and forests from pests and diseases was launched today. This is an interim strategy, pending an integrated cross-government approach to biosecurity following the current EU review of its plant health regime … |
Pests in the NewsJune 12, 2011
No Comment
|
Army of rats 'the size of possums' invade Goodna
NEWS.com.au Ipswich City Council plans to unleash a force of fox-terriers and pest control council workers to stop the pests next week. Goodna residents have complained rats "the size of possums" were nesting in their homes because of the cooler weather. … |
Pests in the NewsJune 12, 2011
No Comment
|
Which insect repellants are safe for kids?
Charlotte Observer Q. Is insect repellant that contains DEET safe for children? I have heard conflicting information. Are there any natural alternatives that are safe and effective? An insect that bites such as a tick, mosquito or flea is more than just a nuisance. … |
Pests in the NewsJune 12, 2011
No Comment
QUESTION:
Which action threshold for roach control requires fast, extensive, and sometimes costly control measures?
ANSWER:
I may not entirely understand your question Ryan, but I am assuming you are asking about what level of an infestation could be considered a serious enough problem to require extra effort. We may refer to the “threshold level” for any pest as that level of a problem that now warrants spending time eliminating the pest, rather than leaving it alone and suffering minor damage. This is okay if we are dealing with white grubs in a lawn or aphids on the roses. A low level of these pests will cause such minor damage that it would cost more to initiate a control program with pesticides than just to leave the pests alone and put up with really minor problems.
Cockroaches may be a little different, as that single cockroach in someone’s soup in a restaurant is one roach too many, and the management of the restaurant could suffer serious economic problems if that roach causes a lawsuit or their restaurant to be closed by the health department. I don’t know if this then says that the Threshold Level for cockroaches is 1 roach, but if a restaurant finds a single cockroach I think this should cause them to begin a roach control program, even if it is only an intensive inspection to determine what the level of the problem is there. To find one or two cockroaches (German) and ignore it hoping it will go away on its own would be foolish, and with their breeding potential a couple of roaches could result in dozens of roaches in a couple of weeks, or hundreds of roaches in just a few months. Just to play with numbers, but recognizing that the reality is that this could not normally happen, if a single female German cockroach carrying an egg capsule were brought into a filthy account, and all of the offspring bred at their full potential for a year and survived the whole time, the result could be something like 63 million cockroaches at the end of a year.
Because of this potential perhaps the Action Threshold for the German roach should be that single cockroach, especially knowing that if you have seen one there probably are many more hiding somewhere that are not visible, but which are sneaking out at night to forage and contaminate things. We could even say the same thing for an apartment – if you know there is one German roach there would it be good policy to ignore it, or better to jump in at that time with monitoring and inspecting to determine if this is a loner or just the tip of the iceberg. For that matter, commercial accounts like restaurants would be foolish to not have a pest control service full time, at least monitoring and inspecting on a regular basis so that any incoming roaches could be discovered as soon as possible and eliminated before they are a full blow infestation that is now causing serious health problems or concerns.
In the apartment we know that allergies and asthma are major concerns for people living with roaches, so keeping them out completely should be the goal. The sooner you can get started eradicating the small population the sooner it will be accomplished and the smaller the health concerns the roaches could create. The bigger the population the more time that will be needed to remove them and the more materials you will have to use to do so.
Pest QuestionsJune 12, 2011
No Comment
QUESTION:
Summer is gone but all the little biting, flying
insects are still here in Rio de Janeiro. It’s very hard to identify the species, but I have a thought that we’re dealing with small flies and biting midges. Can you give me some insights on these pests and is there a specific protocol to control them? What else can be done about these unwelcome guys?
ANSWER:
It would be difficult for me to tell you with certainty what these little insects are Marcus, but tiny biting flies would be common in warm and humid areas such as yours, and the biting midges called No-see-ums could be a common culprit. Many of the species of these blood feeders in the family Ceratopogonidae are very small, but they make up for their size with an impressive and painful bite. Since you are way down in Brazil this is truly just my guess, but other than mosquitoes these no-see-ums would be a popular choice, and they often will be very common along coastal areas. There is another family of biting flies that also are very small and these are called Sand Flies in the family Psychodidae. This family also includes our common “drain” flies, but unlike the harmless drain flies their cousins the sand flies (genus Phlebotomus) do bite and suck blood.
Biting midges are difficult to deal with, and primarily because of their widespread potential breeding sites. Effective fly management relies heavily on dealing with the source, and with mosquitoes this is possible because they breed as larvae in standing water, which can either be drained or treated in many cases. Biting midges live their larval lives in just about any wet situations, so even wet soils and accumulations of decaying plant material on the soil serve as settings where the larvae can live in comfort. Obviously this makes them hard to treat, as you cannot go around spraying pesticides on every square foot of damp soil, and even if you could you would have to treat repeatedly to have any effect. Sand flies will breed in similar situations, but the no-see-ums are a bit more diverse, also using semi-aquatic habitats or even dampness on old logs.
In tropical areas the breeding and adult fly activity is year round. Females lay batches of 30 to 100 eggs, these hatch in a few days, and depending on the species of fly new adult flies emerge in anywhere from 3 to 10 weeks. The eggs are placed directly onto the substrate the fly larvae will live in. As do all flies they have complete metamorphosis. Adult fly activity is highest at dawn and at dusk, but may have some activity throughout the day, especially if it is cloudy and warm. Adult flies often stay fairly close to the breeding habitats if food is available to them, and they are not overly picky about the kind of blood, feeding on birds, reptiles, amphibians, and other mammals too.
One interesting control being tested is a PVC fenceline that emits carbon dioxide and octanol attractant, the same things used to draw mosquitoes to traps. Flies are attracted to these signals and are then trapped and killed. This is being tested in Florida. Chemical controls are limited, particularly for the larvae, since widespread spraying of damp locations is not feasible. If you can identify specific aquatic habitats you can treat with larvacides such as bacteria or IGR’s, but treating wet soils is not practical. If some event is to be held outdoors you can fog shortly before the event, cutting down the number of adult flies present in the immediate area for a period long enough, hopefully, to give relief. The active ingredients in space sprays dissipate rapidly though, and would need to be repeated frequently. There also are “barrier” treatments with residual insecticides that could be applied to thick shrubbery, hoping to kill resting adult flies that may be hiding there. These could last several weeks.
In tropical environments I wouldn’t make any promises to a customer about actually eliminating biting midges. The best you can hope for, given that the breeding habitats remain, is to reduce the problem. Since the flies continue to breed throughout the year control measures would need to be done continually as well. You should inspect the property carefully, and recommend to the customer any changes they should make in watering, to eliminate excessive damp locations and standing water. Potted plants should be allowed to dry, catch basins emptied, rain gutters kept from filling, etc., and these efforts will at least reduce production of the flies on their property. Otherwise, a very difficult pest to control.
Pest QuestionsJune 11, 2011
No Comment
