Archive for May, 2012

New pests threatening Ohio’s hemlock trees – WKSU News


WKSU News

New pests threatening Ohio's hemlock trees
WKSU News
He's worried the pest may spread throughout Ohio and wipe out all the hemlocks. "From an aesthetic standpoint, you would be losing a species that has withstood generations, millenia, here in Ohio." To try to slow the spread of the pest, …

and more »

View complete article

Pests in the NewsMay 08, 2012

No Comment

So that’s why they were so bad-tempered: Fleas were an INCH-long when … – Daily Mail


Daily Mail

So that's why they were so bad-tempered: Fleas were an INCH-long when …
Daily Mail
'These were insects much larger than modern fleas and from the size of their proboscis we can tell they would have been mean,' said George Poinar, Jr., a professor emeritus of zoology at Oregon State University, who wrote a commentary on this find in …
Giant fleas had bite like a needleStuff.co.nz
The Dinosaurs' Nemeses: Giant, Jurassic FleasNPR
Giant Flea-Like Pests Put the Bite on DinosaursScientific American

all 36 news articles »

View complete article

Pests in the NewsMay 08, 2012

No Comment

May 8, 2012 – Florida – Where Livin’ Is Easy – For Pests

QUESTION:

What are the big tree frogs in Florida called?

ANSWER:

I suspect you are referring to the introduced pest species called the Cuban Tree Frog – Osteopilus septentrionalis – which is considered to be the largest species of tree frog now living in North America. It can grow as long as nearly 6 inches and will eat just about anything it can shove in its mouth. It has been introduced from its native region in the Caribbean, and now also inhabits many of the Caribbean Islands, Oahu, and Florida and into southern Georgia. It also is commonly sold as a pet in stores, even while being recognized as a serious threat to the natural environment in Florida when it either gets loose or is deliberately released by people who grow tired of owning them. As if the Burmese Python wasn’t bad enough. 

Poor Florida. Your warm, tropical climate is wonderful to live in for people as well as the many exotic invaders that come from tropical parts of the world. Too often these originate as “pets” sold in stores or illegally, and once the cute baby animal grows too large to be cute any longer it is released, which absolutely devastates the native animals that are now either competing with this new invader or simply eaten by it. You have African Giant Toads, Green Iguanas, Burmese Pythons, and Coqui Toads, all of which appear to be there to stay. 
While we may think that any tree frog is a good tree frog, given that it eats lots of bugs, bringing a dominant newcomer into a stable environment can really upset things. These large tree frogs will out-compete other tree frogs for available food. They will eat other species of frogs, baby birds in nests, small snakes, and the threatened species of land snails. It is now illegal to bring these frogs into Hawaii, and doing so will incur a hefty fine and jail time. 

View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.

Pest QuestionsMay 08, 2012

No Comment

May 5, 2012 – Just Don’t Have The Legs For It

QUESTION:

Do ticks jump?

ANSWER:

Well, the world of arthropods is so diverse and amazing that it wouldn’t be a surprise to me to find that somewhere tucked away on the island of Madagascar or deep in the rainforests of New Guinea there is some oddball tick that can jump 2 feet into the air. But, here in North America our ticks are pretty much relegated to walking everywhere, and slowly at that. All of our species have relatively short and very thin legs, lacking any muscles needed to allow them to leap off of a surface. 

However, given the success of ticks as a group of animals it is obvious that jumping has not been necessary. They detect their food source by the combination of heat and carbon dioxide as well as movement, and they are very sensitive to vibrations that indicate an animal nearby. Mature ticks climb up onto vegetation to await the passing animal, and once they feel something nearby they raise their front legs into the air in a position referred to as “questing”, ready to latch onto any animal that brushes against them as it moves past. This animal, of course, could also be humans. Ticks also can live for many months without feeding, so patience is another trick in their bag that ensures their survival until food comes along. 
Let’s feel at least somewhat fortunate that all we have to put up with in this country is ticks and our other parasites. In the rain forests of southern Asia there are land leeches that behave much as our ticks do. They live on land and foliage and manage to squirm their way to warm blooded animals that they detect  nearby, and they too are sensitive to vibrations on the ground that signal the approach of prey, at which point they raise up, ready to attach to whatever touches them. They also inch their way along the ground to get to people who are sitting or sleeping on the ground. 

View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.

Pest QuestionsMay 07, 2012

No Comment

May 6, 2012 – Choices For Roaches

QUESTION:

I have used Advion, Maxforce, and other gel baits unsuccessfully trying to get rid of German cockroaches in apartment settings. What would you recommend for use in kitchens by specific product name and type? The residents have done a good job of getting rid of trash and cleaning up, but still are disturbed over seeing even one or two of this roach. I am open even to roach bait stations, but need product specifics.

ANSWER:

I may end up disappointing you somewhat by avoiding too many product names. I really do believe that the ones you mention are excellent bait products for the German roach, although it never hurts to offer other choices just to see what these particular roaches will accept. This has been the advice from some of our industry consultants – offer a variety. Since you do not indicate that you have done any other kinds of insecticide applications, this may be one avenue to explore. German cockroaches can still be pretty tenacious insects, and using the various kinds of formulations available can offer the best results. This includes dusts in wall voids and other enclosed voids, such as inorganics like MotherEarth Dust or Drione, or contact synthetics like Tempo, DeltaDust, etc. It also includes the use of liquid or aerosol products within cracks and crevices, and the choices there are too numerous to start naming names, but frankly they all will work. The key is to get the roach and the active ingredient together for a long enough period that the roach can absorb the chemical. 

It sounds like you have done a really good job to this point, if all the tenants are now seeing is the occasional single roach. Expecting 100% eradication of roaches in large apartment complexes can be difficult. There will always be a few tenants that cooperate less in removing all food opportunities for the roaches. Obviously if roaches are still living in the apartments they are finding something to eat, but the amount of food needed to support a cockroach is not very much, so a few spills under the fridge or stove or food left overnight in open garbage containers will be sufficient. It may be education that helps the tenants understand that a single roach is not an infestation. You can make liberal use of insect glue traps to help monitor the apartments and to capture the occasional roach. Place these under kitchen sinks, under the fridge, etc., where the roaches will most likely be wandering. 
You might also consider placing a granular bait such as Maxforce, Avert, Advance, or Intice into wall voids, using one of the small hand puffer dusters for it. Since German roaches love wall voids this is a great place for this bait. If you are looking for another gel bait choice consider Alpine Roach Gel, as there has been excellent feedback on the acceptance. 
With the roaches at this low level of activity now it could be a great time to spend your energy in these apartments doing exclusion work. Every crevice and hole that you manage to close permanently with caulking becomes one less place the roaches can hide, leaving you with less harborage points to be concerned with. 

View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.

Pest QuestionsMay 06, 2012

No Comment

Results seen in fight to save trees from in Smokies

GATLINBURG (WATE) – Millions of visitors come each year to see the beauty of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but that kill trees have moved in. Making sure the park stays how it is has become the mission for national park employees Jesse …

View complete article

Pests in the NewsMay 05, 2012

No Comment

After mild winters in many areas, mosquitoes returning in force – MiamiHerald.com

After mild winters in many areas, mosquitoes returning in force
MiamiHerald.com
Pest control companies, including Orkinand Northwest Exterminating, have already seen their call volume in places like Atlanta go up as much as 40 percent this April compared to last year. For Northwest, this year marked the first time it sprayed for …

and more »

View complete article

Pests in the NewsMay 05, 2012

No Comment

Controlling flies on pastured cattle – CattleNetwork.com

Controlling flies on pastured cattle
CattleNetwork.com
The horn fly, Haematobia irritans (L.) is one on the most important blood feeding pests of pastured cattle in the United States. Losses in the United States have been estimated at about $800 million annually. When horn fly numbers are high, …

View complete article

Pests in the NewsMay 05, 2012

No Comment

May 3, 2012 – A Small Step for Rats

QUESTION:

I have a Food industry customer where I have 100+ bait stations installed outside. We regularly install the station anchored on a concrete block that measures 15″ x 15″ x 2″ and weighs about 30 pounds. My customer is questioning that this type of anchoring system will deter the rodent and push him to go around the concrete block and not enter the station, rather than climb those 2″ from the ground to the station entrance. In tropical setting like we have here in Costa Rica I believe that setting the station this way will prevent humidity, protect the station from being moved, and also helps keep it clean inside. How can I overcome my customer´s objections.


ANSWER:

It can sometimes be difficult to change the mind of someone who strongly believes he is correct, but rest assured that you have a good authority on your side. At a recent National Pest Management Conference Dr. Robert Corrigan spoke on various topics regarding rodent control. He mad specific mention to exactly what you are asking, and his studies showed that rodents – both rats and mice – are not deterred whatsoever by having to step up or even jump up to enter a rodent station. In fact, he has stated that The House Mouse, upon encountering a bait station, will commonly hop up onto the top of the station and urinate on it, thus marking that station with chemical messages present in the urine. For other rodents this urine is like reading someone’s Twitter page – it is packed with personal information about that previous rodent and the population in general. 

So please continue to feel comfortable using the concrete blocks as your securing devices. This helps to keep you legal and in compliance with the product labels that require securing to the surface as one aspect of a tamper-resistant station. If these slight increases in the height of the station were actually a problem for rodents we would not be seeing major manufactures, like Bell and LiphaTech, coming out with stations that include the heavy base or plastic molds just for holding paving blocks under their stations. 
Another comment that Dr. Corrigan made that is of interest, and which may be important for you with this food industry account, concerns the question of whether or not bait stations around a structure are so attractive that they bring rodents to that structure that otherwise might not have been a problem. His studies indicate that this is not the case. The rodents do not detect the bait from very far away, so rats and mice in surrounding areas are only going to find the bait when they get very close to the station anyhow or when they get inside. The rodent also perceives that station as a hiding place – a secure cubbyhole that it can get into for a moment while it is investigating a new surrounding. We realize that rats and mice are subject to being preyed upon by other animals, and they know it. They instinctively forage in fear of being eaten, so any available opening will quickly be investigated. Once inside the station, if bait is found, they also begin to feed. They are opportunistic feeders and must get close to recognize it as food. 

View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.

Pest QuestionsMay 05, 2012

No Comment

Agri office monitoring , diseases

THE Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) in Negros Oriental has deployed 391 Bantay Peste Scouts (BPS) to monitor the possible influx of that may damage crops in the province. PAO information officer Nitz Bangay said there is a possibility that army …

View complete article

Pests in the NewsMay 04, 2012

No Comment

« Older Entries Newer Entries »