Health Department warns residents about control of rodents and other pests. Rats are destructive pests that can spread disease, contaminate food, and destroy property. Those rodents that survived the flood often relocate to new areas in search of food, water, and shelter. As the rodents settle into new areas, they will build colonies and reproduce. As the populations grow and resettle, people …
Pests in the NewsSeptember 20, 2011
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Don't let insurance gaps let termites take a bite from your wallet
Sun-Sentinel But there may be another problem threatening your property and pocketbook as much as wood-eating pests – an insurance policy that doesn't cover damage caused by them. Most Florida homeowners know the damage termites can do to their property. … |
Pests in the NewsSeptember 20, 2011
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As temperatures cool, stink bugs start seeking shelter
Baltimore Sun Farmers did more spraying for stink bugs this season after Maryland and six other states won approval from the US Environmental Protection Agency in June to use dinotefuran — a common pesticide approved for use against other crop pests — on stink … Stink Bug Season Is Here: Now Is The Time to Take Steps To Prevent These Bugs …PR Web (press release) Ag Today: Foundation built for dealing with stink bugsCarroll County Times |
Pests in the NewsSeptember 20, 2011
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 msnbc.com |
Giant snails invade Miami
Detroit Free Press The siblings had tired of the pests, who love cool, dark spots, thrive in limestone, concrete and cement, and are drawn to recycling boxes, compost heaps and cat food. Standing on the corner of Southwest 28th Street and 34th Avenue on Thursday, … Destructive Giant African Land Snails Spotted in FloridaFirst Coast News 'It's us against the snails': Miami fights back against invasion by (very slow …Daily Mail Miami Officials Battle Invasion of Giant African SnailsNewser |
Pests in the NewsSeptember 20, 2011
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QUESTION:
How do I control nematodes in a customer’s lawn? Is there a chemical available for use?
ANSWER:
Nematodes are one of the toughest adversaries in turf, and because of this it is extremely important to verify that they actually are there and are the problem. A soil sample should be taken to a qualified soil analysis lab, perhaps at your local University, to positively identify the presence of nematodes. The best time to sample is during the warm months, as populations of these pests are much lower when the soil temperature is below 60 degrees. The damage from nematodes will look very much like the damage from a number of fungus problems on turf, so the correct diagnosis will help to determine the path to choose for management. These “worms” are microscopic and too small to be visible to the naked eye, so lab-verification is necessary.
According to a number of university resources on nematodes there are very, very few effective products for use after the turf is already established. Nemacur (fenamiphos) is one of the few remaining materials, and even this may be hard to come by since it is a fairly toxic organophosphate that may be phasing out of existence. This is particularly so for home lawns, as essentially ALL uses of organophosphates have been banned by the EPA for residential use.
It would be good to provide your customer with information on turf types that are resistant to nematodes and if nematodes are truly the problem in this lawn then complete removal and replacement with a resistant variety may be the best answer. Prior to a lawn being set in place the soil may be treated with some fumigant or other technique that would kill any nematodes in the soil, but these treatments could also kill turf, so PRE-planting is limited.
Pest QuestionsSeptember 20, 2011
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QUESTION:
We have a 6 unit apartment that has a flea infestation. The source seems to be a dirt floor in the basement where the tenants use the washer and dryers kept there, so they are carrying the fleas into their apartments. What method of treatment and/or product would you recommend for this? Thanks for your help.
ANSWER:
You would think that flea control would be a cut and dry process. Bathe the dog, vacuum and spray the home. But, some of the worst flea problems I have seen were in homes or apartments where there were no pets, and in at least two of these the source was traced to the soil in the crawlspace below where some wild animals (raccoons maybe? feral cats?) must have taken up residence at some point in time and for some length of time to have seeded it with so many eggs. A third one was traced to landscaped areas outside the apartment where feral cats were living under thick shrubbery.
So, hopefully my little introduction gave us some hints about where to begin, and that is with determining the source of the problem and eliminating it, meaning eliminating the presence of the animals that have brought these fleas in the first place. Actually, I suppose the program should begin with ensuring they actually have fleas, as the tenants may have made this decision based on one or some of them feeling they were being “bitten”. I never pays to take the word of the customer as to what pest they have or where it is occurring, and if YOU yourself have not yet inspected this complex, visually seen the fleas, and determined that the basement is the source, then you should take this step.
Once you know for certain that the basement is the epicenter then you need to determine what warm blooded animal(s) are coming in there and bringing in the flea eggs that began this problem. And, if nothing is done to prevent these animals from continuing to inhabit this area then anything you do today will not stop the problem from continuing to occur in the future. Exclusion must be performed to ensure no more animals can get into the basement, and of course you must decide what animals these are. Do the tenants themselves have cats or dogs that go there, in which case these animals need to be treated for fleas and preferably kept out of the basement in the future. Is it feral cats that need to be dealt with in the proper manner, or wildlife like opossum or raccoons that might be trapped and dealt with accordingly. But, somehow something is entering, and this should be stopped by closing off all possible entry points. If the tenants or the manager are unwilling to cooperate in this then your hands are tied and they need to understand the future implications.
If you are certain the real source of the fleas is the basement and not one of the apartments then all you need to do in the apartments would be to apply a contact product like pyrethrum to kill any adult fleas present. Without pets there should be no egg production and no blood-fecal pellets for the larvae to eat. However, it would be prudent to make certain this is the case, as one or more of the tenants could very well have pets that are infested with fleas, and these apartments could be the actual production. I sure must sound suspicious, but I have no problem believing that a tenant wants to pass the blame onto something else when he might really know his pet is a flea factory. Again, don’t take their word for all of this but insist that you be allowed to inspect the units and place glue traps there to monitor for the presence of fleas. There could be some surprises.
But, back again to the IF the source is the basement then you could treat this with the usual lineup – an IGR to affect existing eggs and larvae, a residual insecticide to kill adult fleas now and in the next week or two, and perhaps a pyrethrum added in to give the quick knockdown of adult fleas. There are so darned many products labeled for fleas that I hate to start naming names, but you can view the entire and very long list on PestWeb in the Product Documents resource – go to the tab Products by Target Pest. If you treat the soil areas still ensure no one goes back in until the soil and surfaces are dry. If this is a big issue with the tenants you might go with one of the aerosol products like Precor 2000 or Ultracide. These contain both residual and IGR, and Ultracide also tosses in pyrethrin while Precor has synergized phenothrin, so with either you get knockdown, residual, and IGR as well as almost instant drying.
Pest QuestionsSeptember 19, 2011
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 Maui Now |
Pest Management Expert to Speak to Landscape Association
Maui Now On September 20, the Maui Association of Landscape Professionals (MALP) is hosting a free presentation by University of Hawaii at Hilo Entomologist Arnold H. Hara, Ph.D. Dr. Hara will discuss the various options of insect control such … |
Pests in the NewsSeptember 18, 2011
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abc7.com |
Asian Tiger Mosquito Infestation Found in California Neighborhood
ThirdAge The discovery was made after an El Monte woman called pest control workers to report that tiny mosquitoes were biting her in the middle of the day. According to the Times, the woman's complaint raised suspicion because common mosquitoes typically … Potentially dangerous species of Asian mosquito discovered in El MontePasadena Star-News Asian Tiger Mosquito Spotted in Southern CaliforniaABC News (blog) Dangerous Asian tiger mosquito discovered in San Gabriel Valley89.3 KPCC The Rafu Shimpo –KTLA all 54 news articles » |
Pests in the NewsSeptember 18, 2011
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CTV.ca |
Three cases of bed bugs found in Carleton University residence
Ottawa Citizen According to Orkin PCO Canada, the country's largest pest control company, bed bugs are becoming an increasing problem, especially at university residences. Three cases of bed bugs were found in a … How-To Video Offers Tips to Select a Pest Management Company for Bed Bug …PR Web (press release) Students say bedbugs in university dormsCBC.ca Seminar aims to keep bed bugs from bitingVictoria Advocate Tristatehomepage.com –News Talk 610 CKTB –French Tribune all 23 news articles » |
Pests in the NewsSeptember 18, 2011
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Ash borer traps show movement of pest in Rantoul
Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette Elizabeth Burns, a plant health safeguarding specialist with the US Department of Agriculture, said earlier this week that 29 of the destructive, invasive pests were found in traps the USDA placed in Rantoul. The 12 traps, which were put in place in … |
Pests in the NewsSeptember 18, 2011
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