Archive for March, 2012

Connecticut Lawmakers’ Bill Mandates Expensive Bed Bug Treatment, BedBugControl911.com Offers Less Costly Solution

To help the ‘ victims cut down on expenses, BedBugControl911.com suggested that a pesticide exempt bed bug spray must be used. In response to the fast spread of bed bug infestation, Connecticut lawmakers drafted a bill to decrease its occurrence.

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Pests in the NewsMarch 16, 2012

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Ag inspectors seize tangerines to keep out of region

TURLOCK, Mar 14, 2012 (The Modesto Bee – McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) — Inspectors from the Stanislaus County Department of Agriculture confiscated tangerines from sellers at the Turlock Sales Yard on Tuesday. Inspectors …

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Pests in the NewsMarch 16, 2012

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Mar 14, 2012 – Enemies of Ants

QUESTION:

What insect lays or injects eggs into ants?

ANSWER:

The insect that you may be thinking of is a tiny fly in the family Phoridae. We deal with phorid flies all the time, as nuisance flies that breed inside structures wherever they can find wet, decaying organic material, such as in a filthy drain or under a slab where plumbing has broken. But, consistent with the amazing diversity of the insect world, some species of Phorid flies are parasites on other insects, and several species pick on the Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA). 

The female flies hover over active, above ground RIFA until they decide on a specific victim, and then the fly darts down and in a fraction of a second she uses here harpoon-like ovipositor to jam an egg into the ant. This momentarily stuns the ant, but it recovers and joins its group. The larva of the fly then develops for about 10 days in the thorax of the ant, which still is active in its colony, and then the fly larva moves into the ant’s head, kills the ant, and causes its head to fall off. The ant’s head is such a hard capsule that the fly pupa within is protected. Now that the ant is dead and in pieces other ant workers in the colony will remove it and toss it outside on the garbage heap, where the fly within is able to emerge as the adult fly without being exposed to ants within the colony. 
RIFA workers are well aware of these phorid flies, and when ants above ground detect the flies hovering over them it disrupts their normal foraging behavior so badly that they may pile on top of one another to escape the flies. This in turn may reduce the amount of food being returned to the RIFA colony and ultimately weaken that colony substantially. Phorid flies are being released as part of a biological control program for RIFA. While they do impact RIFA colonies the flies are not at this time considered to be so effective that they will eradicate or even substantially reduce the numbers of the ants. 
Another parasite of ants was recently discovered in tropical rainforests in Central and South America, and this is a nematode that manages to infect many species of ants. The effect on the ant that has the nematodes living inside is to develop an enlarged and bright red abdomen, which appears to resemble a ripe fruit. This resemblance then appears to attract birds that feed on the ants in the belief they are eating fruit. The nematodes are later excreted in the feces of the birds and once again ingested by ants that feed on the materials in the bird feces. This remarkable cycle of parasite, and, bird, and ant again was only recognized in 2005, so once again we find there is so much still to be discovered in the insect world. 
In North America we also know of many different kinds of insects that feed on the larvae of ants, but in a very sneaky way. They manage to live within the ant colony itself, somehow giving off pheromones that cause the ants to believe that this predator within is just one of their own, and the predator is not harmed and even may be fed by worker ants. Some of these predatory insects include tiny butterfly larvae and various kinds of beetles. 

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Pest QuestionsMarch 16, 2012

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An integrated pest management program for coffee berry borer in Colombia

The coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari), is considered one of the most serious in coffee plantations worldwide. Infestations of this small beetle are difficult to combat; most of the insect’s lifecycle is completed inside …

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Pests in the NewsMarch 15, 2012

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Southern Comfort Brings Insect Invasion

WYFF 4.com Unusually warm temperatures are bringing and rodents out earlier than usual across the Southeast. Marvin Ledgerwood, a retiree from Ohio living in Greenville County, is experiencing it firsthand. “Nobody told us about the pests down here.

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Pests in the NewsMarch 15, 2012

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Rodent control returns to Erie County – WIVB


WGRZ-TV

Rodent control returns to Erie County
WIVB
Erie County Rodent Control is back. County Executive Mark Poloncarz reinstated the program on Wednesday. Its staff will include eight pest control workers. Funding for the program was eliminated in the 2011 county budget. "The question that I'm asked …
Workers aim to reduce rat populationBuffalo News
Rodent control program returnsTonawanda News

all 4 news articles »

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Pests in the NewsMarch 15, 2012

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Increased government funding for pest control in Saskatchewan – Prairie Post

Increased government funding for pest control in Saskatchewan
Prairie Post
"These pests can be a significant economic liability for our hardworking farmers and can cause damage to farmland," said Ritz. "This funding will ensure the continuation of successful programming to mitigate pest damage and help prevent financial …

and more »

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Pests in the NewsMarch 15, 2012

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Predacious mites fight 3 eggplant pests as well as an insecticide – TheGrower

Predacious mites fight 3 eggplant pests as well as an insecticide
TheGrower
Amblyseius swirskii feeds on all three pests but does best on whiteflies and broadmites. It also will control thrips. Both mites can survive on pollen when live prey is not available. Both are commercially available and come packed in bran together …

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Pests in the NewsMarch 15, 2012

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Rat baiting program to begin Thursday

Erie County will resume its rat baiting program Thursday. County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz said today his administration has brought back six pest control workers and a clerk assigned to the county Health Department's rodent program.

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Pests in the NewsMarch 15, 2012

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Mar 15, 2012 – One Group of Many Kinds

QUESTION:

What is a carpet beetle as opposed to the Varied carpet beetle?

ANSWER:

Carpet beetles are a group of small beetles in the family Dermestidae, and the ones that we call “carpet” beetles are usually in the genus Anthrenus. Within this genus there are a few species that have been given specific common names, and among these are the Varied and the Furniture carpet beetles. So, the Varied Carpet Beetle is just one species in this group, and the Latin name for it is Anthrenus verbasci. It is distinguished from the similar Furniture carpet beetle by taking a very close look at the back end where the wing covers come together. On the Varied the two wings join in a smooth transition whereas on the Furniture there is a small indented area at that junction, which we call a “V-shaped” notch. 

You can also tell the larvae apart very easily, and the larvae of all of these beetles are similar in appearance with their bodies densely covered with long brown hairs. On the Varied the back end (posterior) is much wider than the front, while on the Furniture the front end is much wider. On the Varied there also are several tufts of lighter colored hairs at the back end, and when the larvae is disturbed or poked it raises those tufts into the air a bit. Whether this is meant to just make it look a little larger or whether it results in the larvae giving off some bad odor I am not sure, but clearly it is a defensive behavior. 
It’s not all that important to identify the exact species of carpet beetle, since all of the Anthrenus feed on pretty much the same things. However, what they feed on varies considerably, and it may be animal materials or grain-based foods, such as dry pet foods or baked materials. The animal materials may be feathers, hair or hair products (wool, felt), or dead insect accumulations in the window sills. These beetles are part of Mother Nature’s recycling crew. By the way, they do not feed only on “carpets”, and in fact with wool carpets rare these days it is equally unlikely that a carpet is the source of the problem in a  home. Your inspection needs to determine what the source of the beetles is and that source must be eliminated or dealt with before you spray any insecticides. 

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Pest QuestionsMarch 15, 2012

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