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Apple Moth Warning For Another Central Coast County
KIONrightnow.com Additional traps are in place throughout the same area to see if there are any more of the invasive pests. The moth is known to destroy plants and crops. It's also been spotted in parts of Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. … |
Pests in the NewsAugust 10, 2011
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 TheStreet.com |
How to Deal With Stink Bugs
TheStreet.com Henrikson says pest professionals generally treat for stink bugs in midsummer to midfall because that's when they are most likely to come into homes looking for warmth. "In other months the treatments would be less effective, as the pests wouldn't be … Stink bug infestation: US braces itself for plague of pest with unbearable smellDaily Mail Stink bugs plague homeowners, farmers and theyre in WashingtonSeattle Post Intelligencer (blog) The Scoop on Stink Bugs: Plow & Hearth Has New Stink Bug TrapPR Web (press release) |
Pests in the NewsAugust 10, 2011
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Visitors to the state’s Forest Resource Education Center (FREC) in Jackson Township can learn about five insects that kill trees and what to do if they see these pests, through a new, interactive exhibit, part of the center’s interpretive trail. read more
Pests in the NewsAugust 10, 2011
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QUESTION:
My local courthouse has a heavy infestation of roaches in the ceiling. The building is 10,000 square feet and has a drop ceiling with the wiring and plumbing in the ceiling. There is access to the ceiling but not enough room to walk in. The spraying of the ground floors are not doing the trick. Should I try fogging the ceiling? Any suggestions?
ANSWER:
It would seem to me that these roaches must be leaving that drop ceiling to find food, as there really wouldn’t (shouldn’t ?) be anything up there that is very tasty or nutritious for them. I’m assuming these must be German roaches, but if they are not then you should make the positive ID so that any oddities in their life style could be figured out. Even German roaches would much rather live closer to moisture sources, and a drop ceiling would be an odd place for them if they don’t seem to be anywhere else. Perhaps these are Brown Banded roaches?
A drop ceiling would not be considered to be a good “void” with respect to treating with dusts. Even if you used an inorganic dust like diatomaceous earth or silica gel I’d be concerned that dust could begin to sift down into the court room itself. However, if the dust could be applied as lightly as is suggested, meaning such a light layer that you can barely see it on the surface afterward, this might still be one option. Another could be the use of bait products, and again you’d prefer something that would not fall out if any of the ceiling panels is removed and tilted. Baits could be used within stations or gel baits might be placed.
But, I hate to suggest that all you do is treat the drop ceiling area, as this means that somehow the root of the problem is not being addressed. It should be determined just where these roaches are coming from, and this could lead you to a source that could then be treated effectively as well as putting a stop to any new entry of the roaches. If all you do is to treat then you may end up having to do it indefinitely, and this is not what you want. If these are larger roaches like American roaches then they could be entering from the exterior, and treating the exterior and doing exclusion could be helpful. If they are Germans then they must be going to other places to find food, and you can work to control them at those places. Germans need moisture, so is there a moisture source for them up in the ceiling area?
Fogging would kill a bunch of roaches, but fogging normally is relegated to pyrethrum products, and these leave no residual effect. You kill what bugs are exposed at that time and those in hiding are not affected, continuing the problem. Perhaps place insect glue traps in various locations in the ceiling to see if you can narrow down where they may be concentrated, and focus on that location more. A courthouse should not have any good food resources available for roaches unless there also is a kitchen, and if there is a kitchen I sure would expect the roaches to be more common there than in that dry drop ceiling.
Pest QuestionsAugust 10, 2011
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LAGUNA WOODS, Calif. (AP) — Reacting to recent coyote attacks on small dogs, Laguna Woods is changing its gun law to allow pest control experts to shoot coyotes. The Orange County Register reports that the City Council approved the changes on Thursday …
Pests in the NewsAugust 09, 2011
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The Pennsylvania Integrated Pest Management (PA IPM) Program and The Poison Control Center based at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia are joining forces to educate Philadelphians about the importance of EPA’s new law on rodent control products.
Pests in the NewsAugust 09, 2011
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Thousands of the winged, six-legged invaders from Asia inhabit Leskey’s West Virginia lab, as specimens trapped in a jar and as pests flying and crawling around. The insect is aptly named for its self-defense mechanism — a pungent odor that some liken …
Pests in the NewsAugust 09, 2011
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Insect samples Send undamaged (live or dead) insects in a crush-proof container such as a pill bottle or film canister with the top taped on. Mail them in a padded envelope or box with a brief note explaining where you found the insects. Do not tape …
Pests in the NewsAugust 09, 2011
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QUESTION:
Presently fogging is being done for mosquitoes and flies, but this doesn’t seem to be that effective. What else can we do to eliminate this problem? What is the difference between a Mist Blower and a Fogger, and how effective are they? Is it safe to fog for mosquitoes at a hotel when it is occupied with guests?
ANSWER:
It is probably only a matter of semantics when you hear of a mist blower versus a fogger, but nearly all mechanical “foggers” emit droplets in the ULV range of 5-20 microns, meaning a very tiny droplet that stays airborne for awhile and drifts well with any wind. A “mist” blower may refer to a fogger that emits larger droplets, which is normally the basis for referring to it as a mist rather than a ULV fog. Again, this may just be how a product is named, but the larger droplets of a mist will settle to the ground or other surfaces more quickly and thus not be carried as far by any breeze. Generally speaking, when you are hoping to achieve a kill of adult mosquitoes the ability for the droplets to drift awhile to contact more air space and more surfaces is an advantage. It simply covers more area and stays in the air longer to give the potential to contact more flying insects.
Mists and fogs are effective at knocking down adult mosquitoes that are present at that moment, but no residual effect is left behind. The pyrethrum used in foggers is essentially contact only, no residual, and while it does give definite relief from biting mosquitoes it will not prevent new adult mosquitoes from re-entering the area shortly after. However, it does give that reduction of the biting adult insects, so it has some benefit. Combine this with barrier treatments where you spray foliage and other surfaces where the adult mosquitoes will spend time resting and you get a much longer effect in reduction of the insects.
Is it “safe” to fog while guests are present? Well, this is a really good question, and my answer would be that you should take every step necessary to fog ONLY when no one is present who will be contacted by the fog. Even though pyrethrum is a natural material and has no no residual and has a relatively low toxicity, it still is a TOXIC material, and to many people this means it would be an unacceptable thing to be exposed to. There are people who either are sensitive to pyrethrum or believe they are, and if they were walking outside when a cloud of pesticide passed by them all sorts of bad things could occur. Pyrethrum also has a very noticeable odor, and even this could result in complaints from guests that they were feeling ill, so I suggest that the applications be done only when guests are not outside in the area of the treatment. You also need to be aware of wind direction and speed to ensure the fog goes where you want it to go.
Pest QuestionsAugust 09, 2011
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The City Housing Authority isn’t making the grade when it comes to maintenance, repairs and safety, a new survey of residents found. The snapshot of living conditions emerged in a survey by community groups of 1,500 residents at 71 public housing …
Pests in the NewsAugust 08, 2011
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