Hot Weather + Rainfall = Mosquito Breeding ground
Rainfall from what was Tropical Storm Beryl could lead to a mosquito infestation as we enter peak season for the pests.
Pests in the NewsMay 30, 2012
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Archive for May, 2012
May 30, 2012 – Arachnid Relatives
QUESTION:
What is the spider that looks like a scorpion?
ANSWER:
It may actually be the other way around, particularly since you are in Arizona. You may be referring to the Solpugid, also called a sun scorpion, wind scorpion, sun spider, or erroneously in the Middle East the camel spider. This last name came equipped with a fairy tale listing of the horrors of this beast in the Middle East, stating it was 3 feet long, could run 25 mph, and was eating soldiers. The reality is that the largest species probably get no longer than maybe 5 inches, and that is with their legs stretched out. In Arizona I myself have found one nearly 4 inches long with legs stretched out front and back, but the body is rarely longer than 2 inches.
The proper name for these relatives of scorpions is Solpugids, and they are non-venomous and in some cases even incapable of biting people. They are equipped with strong tearing mandibles and a very aggressive personality, and are highly efficient predators that will eat just about any other arthropod, and thus they are highly beneficial and should be preserved and enjoyed. A landscaped yard is better off with them than without them. They have the 4 pairs of legs of spiders and scorpions, but their palps (the equivalent of the claws on true scorpions) are very long and extend out in front, looking much like another pair of legs. So, in your case it may be a scorpion that looks a lot like a spider.
Pest QuestionsMay 30, 2012
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May 27, 2012 – A Need To Kill?
QUESTION:
How do I control Eleodes armata in Arizona? I do work for a pest control company but I am only advised to look at the labels. I have and have used numerous products claiming to control these beetles, but with little to no results. I would also like to know if the heat in Arizona would have much effect on the concentrated chemicals I carry in my service truck.
ANSWER:
I will be very honest with you and say that there is just no reason to kill these large black beetles. Eleodes armata is one of about 120 different species in this genus found in the western U.S., and particularly in the dry areas of the Southwest. They are in the family Tenebrionidae, which is generally called the Darkling Beetles, but these large, slow moving beetles are variously referred to as Pinacate Beetles, Clown Beetles, or more accurately “Stink Beetles” because of the foul-smelling oils they exude when they feel threatened. They are often encountered walking slowly over the ground and when disturbed they immediately raise their hind end and lower their head, coming almost into a complete head stand. They cannot fly and move slowly and are far more of an interesting curiosity than any possible pest problem. They should be left alone and enjoyed.
I understand that many of your customers want properties that are 100% free and clear of ANY kinds of “bugs”, but this really should not be our role in professional pest management. Attempting to use pesticides to kill every 6 or 8 legged creature on a property is unnecessary and an overuse of toxic materials, and it is only going to get us into trouble. Since these beetles pose no threat to people or to plants, feeding primarily as larvae on dead vegetation and seeds of weeds, they really are not “pests”. If for some reason they are managing to get into a home or garage then exclusion is the best approach to their management. If, for some reason, you absolutely had to treat for them you could use an insecticide labeled for “darkling” beetles, and there are many with this labeling. However, spraying for these beetles is very likely to have no success unless you managed to treat directly into whatever harborage it was occupying. Spraying generally over the ground in the hope of killing them when they wander about is not going to have any effect and should be avoided.
However, hopefully your better approach of educating customers to understand, tolerate, and appreciate many of the bugs in nature will be successful. A managed landscape really is better off with bugs living in it than with none, and in Arizona you certainly have plenty of interesting bugs that are going to wander in and out of yards. Keeping them out of the structures is a better goal than preventing their presence altogether. Thanks for understanding.
On heat and chemicals, I believe you are probably just fine carrying sealed containers of concentrates and baits in your vehicle, but you should make an effort to use them in a reasonable time, rather than carrying the same jug around for months. Heat definitely can work on the molecules of pesticides to degrade them, but within sealed containers their integrity should be okay for quite awhile. Your biggest problem is going to be with glue traps, and these could be carried in the cab or within a small cooler of some kind to keep them at least reasonably cooler until used. On the containers of liquids and baits and other pesticides you might even consider removing the containers from the vehicle for weekends or other extended intervals of non-use, and storing them instead in the company storage area which should be kept cooler all the time.
Pest QuestionsMay 29, 2012
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May 28, 2012 – Bugs On Rugs
QUESTION:
In checking out damage to oriental rugs I confirmed the customer’s suspicions. They were told by carpet cleaners that they should be treated first, if in fact it was carpet beetles. The rugs will be washed, not dry cleaned. Is this normal a procedure and would treating first actually help? It would seem the cleaning alone should solve the problem. If I were to treat would an adulticide plus an IGR be effective?
ANSWER:
Oriental rugs can be sensitive things to deal with. The concern with authentic rugs of this kind is that any chemicals you might apply could affect the dyes used on the rug to alter the color or appearance in some way. I think this was much more of a concern many years ago when many of our insecticides were EC’s that used solvents like xylene to get the active ingredient into solution, and then petroleum based diluents to dilute it to the strength of the concentrate. There also were issues in the 1980’s with some specific dyes in carpets dramatically changing color, and these were regular household carpets, not even exotic rugs. The named culprits in a couple of cases were active ingredients no longer in use inside structures. This also is the likely reason the carpet cleaning company chooses not to dry clean oriental rugs, as dry cleaning uses chemicals, and their effect on the colors in the rug would be an unknown.
In your question you do not actually state that you have found carpet beetles feeding on this rug, although by saying you confirmed the suspicions I guess that means you did find beetle evidence. I am not overly familiar with oriental rugs and the materials used in them, but is this a wool rug? If this is a more recent rug perhaps it is made from synthetic fibers that carpet beetles would not actually feed on. But, we’ll go with the idea that it is wool and there is feeding damage. Washing the rug in itself should kill and remove any beetles and larvae present on it. What might manage to get through the washing could be eggs that may be embedded in the fibers, and if the washing does not use really hot water the eggs could, I suppose, survive. The recommendation by the cleaners that the rug be treated first may just be their standard policy based on nothing more than it’s their standard policy, or it may be on the idea that you need to kill any bugs first. However, since it is only eggs that might survive the cleaning I suggest to you that the eggs are not going to be affected by your insecticide treatment either, so treating first is probably the cart before the horse.
More logical to me would be to have the carpet cleaned and dried and THEN you apply an insecticide to provide some protection from any additional larvae that appear. Your management of this issue should extend well beyond these rugs, as carpet beetles are very active and wander all over a structure to seek other food resources as well. You should do your best to ensure that there are no other infestations in food items in storage, decorative things on walls or tabletops, no wool clothing or other fabrics infested, etc. It wouldn’t do to eliminate the bugs on the carpets only to have them reinfested immediately, and you should structure any guarantees on this based on the fact that you cannot keep these beetles out of the home. I also don’t think you can do anything to provide any long term protection of the carpets, other than constant insecticide applications, which is not reasonable.
If you choose to treat use only water based sprays and I suggest using a wettable powder. The powders are most likely to have no other solvents or chemical diluents in them. It would be best to treat a very small area first and then wait a week to see if any change whatsoever occurs to the carpets’ appearance. Recognize too that whatever you apply to these carpets will likely be removed by an intensive washing, so no residual is going to exist following the washing and if you do not treat after the carpets are once again susceptible to beetle feeding. The IGR would probably be a good addition to whatever else you apply, and an IGR is more likely to last for many months. But, I agree with you that spraying ahead of time is of little value. Cleaning alone should remove all larva and perhaps the application of just an IGR afterward would provide some extended protection.
Pest QuestionsMay 28, 2012
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Philippine inspectors fail to find in bananas to China
Philippine quarantine inspectors did not find any in the bananas exported to China, according to Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala. The three pest management officers who were sent to Beijing to inspect the Philippine bananas that Chinese …
Pests in the NewsMay 27, 2012
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Boys Town Releases Tips on Protecting Kids from Insect Bites
Boys Town Pediatricians offer this advice for protecting your children from biting . 1. Do not use scented soaps, perfumes or hairsprays on child before going outdoors. 2. Make sure your child has long pants and long sleeves when …
Pests in the NewsMay 27, 2012
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Cockroaches Create Pest Control Conversation at Local School District – Two Rivers Tribune
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Cockroaches Create Pest Control Conversation at Local School District
Two Rivers Tribune By ALLIE HOSTLER, Two Rivers Tribune Humboldt Termite and Pest Control say the beetle-like bug wasn't nesting on the Hoopa Elementary School campus, but a few were spotted. The two-inch members of the blattidae insect family pose a serious threat to … |
Pests in the NewsMay 27, 2012
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USDA Provides Funding for Florida Pest & Disease Management – Southeast AgNet
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USDA Provides Funding for Florida Pest & Disease Management
Southeast AgNet Examples include: developing the Hungry Pests campaign–a targeted, nationwide invasive pest public awareness campaign. APHIS will offer funding to implement 29 projects in Florida. These projects will strengthen protections against agricultural … |
Pests in the NewsMay 27, 2012
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USDA Provides $332411 to Guam for Pest, Plant Disease Management – Pacific News Center
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USDA Provides $332411 to Guam for Pest, Plant Disease Management
Pacific News Center Guam – Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo has announced that the US Department of Agriculture has provided $332411 to Guam for plant health management and the prevention of pests and spread of plant diseases. This funding includes $221607 for coconut … UPDATE: Guam gets USDA funds to fight coconut rhinoceros beetle, biosecurity …Pacific Daily News |
Pests in the NewsMay 27, 2012
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USDA spends $6.7 million to fight invasive plants – MiamiHerald.com
 WTSP 10 News |
USDA spends $6.7 million to fight invasive plants
MiamiHerald.com US Department of Agriculture will spend $6.7 million to prevent the introduction and spread of plant pests that threaten Florida's agriculture and environment. Officials said several projects will help prevent invasive species from taking over. USDA spending money on Florida plantsWJXT Jacksonville |
Pests in the NewsMay 27, 2012
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