Archive for June, 2012

Jun 14, 2012 – Springtail Solutions

QUESTION:

I have a potential client who has an infestation of Springtails. This client had used the services of another pest control company but they were unsuccessful in removing the problem.
I read the labels of several of the products that I have in my arsenal but was unable to specifically find Springtails listed on any of those labels. Can you recommend a treatment to eliminate an infestation of Springtails?



ANSWER:

There actually are quite a few products labeled specifically for springtails and you can find this list on PestWeb in our Product Documents resource. Just select the tab “Products by Target Pest” and then “Springtails”. You then can view each label to see if it meets your needs.

Springtails feed on tiny bits of algae, molds, fungi, and decaying plant materials, all of which suggests that a moist setting is necessary, and this is exactly the case. A dry micro-habitat will not support springtails, so control needs to revolve around controlling the moisture that must be present. Sometimes this will be in unsuspected places when the springtails are indoors, such as a crawlspace below or landscaping outside. These insects are quite mobile and may move from where they are breeding and living to other places where they are seen. For crawlspaces some added ventilation may be needed to help dry things out. For landscape it may be caused by excessive mulch or thick vegetation too close to the structure. Daily watering of landscape keeps things wet, so altering this schedule to allow the soil to dry will help. Moving things up off the soil or the concrete patio will help to dry out the surfaces and discourage the insects. 
They often find interior moisture sources too, and potted plants indoors are common sources for springtails. This may be remedied by covering the soil with a thick layer of moss or, even better, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings. Worse, the moisture source could be within walls or under floors if there is a leak in the plumbing, and this could be investigated as well. Perhaps it is exposed leaks under sinks, and these could be repaired easily. But, every resource you read on controlling springtails emphasizes the need to reduce moisture that is providing the food and conditions necessary for these insects to survive. They are easily killed with insecticides, but would continue to re-invade if there is a hidden source for them. 

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Pest QuestionsJune 16, 2012

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Jun 15, 2012 – Seek out the Source

QUESTION:

What are the best IPM methods to deal with a moderate to heavy infestation of Red and confused flour beetles in a warehouse?

ANSWER:

In a word, the IPM for food pests in just about any setting is “seek out the source”. Stored food pests do their damage for the most part as the larvae, and these are going to be within the infested food or package. Until you discover that infested material you are not going to have much success using insecticides to try to kill them, other than a complete fumigation. Since these flour beetles usually feed on materials already processed into baking materials or end-use foods you may not even want that infested food to be used further, and it might need to be disposed of. Selling it or using it further with dead bugs in it may be undesirable. 

You may be able to narrow the search for the infested materials using pheromone traps, and there are hanging traps and floor traps designed to catch the adults, since Confused flour beetles cannot fly. You can advise the customer on future prevention with suggestions on stock rotation and sanitation. The sooner food products can be moved in and out of the warehouse the less chance the beetles have to get into them and complete a generation. Spills and other food debris around the warehouse can support the beetles, and in warehouses where food dust is present this could even be accumulations on girders and other above-floor level surfaces. 
But, if there is a current infestation this needs to be found and disposed of quickly. These beetles are very general feeders on any processed foods. Whole grains and seeds are not as likely to be fed upon but even these cannot be ignored.

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Pest QuestionsJune 15, 2012

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Invasive plants and : USDA lists websites to learn about giant African snail, citrus and flowers

“Aggressive public education efforts at the national and state level to create awareness of these serious threats. Here is a list of the states where quarantines related to citrus and diseases are in place: Texas — Federal quarantine …

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Pests in the NewsJune 14, 2012

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Central Life Sciences Introduces Mosquito Drop 2012 Program To Arm Communities … – MarketWatch (press release)

Central Life Sciences Introduces Mosquito Drop 2012 Program To Arm Communities …
MarketWatch (press release)
As inventors of insect growth regulator technology more than 35 years ago, the founders of Central Life Sciences pioneered biorational pest control: using the insect's chemistry as a means to reduce pest populations. For information about Central Life …

and more »

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Pests in the NewsJune 14, 2012

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More Snakes Sightings In Charlotte – FOX Charlotte

More Snakes Sightings In Charlotte
FOX Charlotte
They crawled in the dryer exhaust vent and went into someone's dryer," said Rick Seifert, owner of The Pest Control Authority. The pest control authority gets about eight to 10 snake calls a day. Seifert says that's more than they've seen in 30 years.

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Pests in the NewsJune 14, 2012

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Pests on the rise in East Texas – KETK

Pests on the rise in East Texas
KETK
Dr. Laura Cauthen is a local veterinarian, and an influx of pest has her attention. "I think because we didn't have much a winter this year, the fleas are the worst we've ever seen." She say's she's run into so many animals looking for a little relief, …

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Pests in the NewsJune 14, 2012

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New disease, insects threaten Virginia soybeans – Southeast Farm Press

New disease, insects threaten Virginia soybeans
Southeast Farm Press
? A new disease to Virginia, soybean vein necrosis virus (SVNV), has spread into soybean fields and may cause a problem for growers in the 2012 season. ? This year Virginia soybean growers will likely see kudzu bugs in large numbers.

and more »

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Pests in the NewsJune 14, 2012

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Jun 12, 2012 – Water and Pesticides

QUESTION:

How much effect does the pH of the mixing water have on the efficacy of Bifen 7.9 and what is the ideal water pH for mixing with Bifen 7.9?


ANSWER:

It is probably a good idea to know in general what the quality is of the water used to dilute pesticide concentrates, and for that matter even the pH of the soils and other surfaces you apply the sprays to. Water that is high in alkalinity (a high pH) is more likely to affect chemical molecules than one that is slightly on the acid side (lower in pH). If my basic chemistry knowledge is still correct the scale of pH runs from 0 to 14, with 0 being extraordinarily acidic and 14 being terribly alkaline (also called “basic”) and with 7 right in the middle as neutral. Plain, clean water is supposed to be right around 7.0, but when minerals are in the water it moves toward the basic side, and we call it “hard” water. That results in all the white deposits on cars after washing them if the water is from underground supplies. Water softeners remove those minerals so they do not build up inside pipes or the tubing of things like a coffee maker. 

What is preferred is a pH just slightly on the acid side, but each jump of one number is a 10-fold change in the acidity or alkalinity, so water with a pH of 9 would be 10 times more alkaline than water with pH 8. A simple swimming pool test kit should be sufficient for testing the waters you use in your tanks. 

The effect of pH, and in particular alkalinity, was much more of a concern with our old Organophosphates and Carbamates than it is with the current Synthetic Pyrethroids. Whatever the chemical reason for it, the OP and Carbamate molecules were really affected by alkalinity and tended to break apart. One vendor rep for a carbaryl product told us once that adjusting the pH down from alkaline to acidic could extend the life of the product on foliage from 1 day to nearly 60 days. Now, that could be pretty optimistic, but it at least demonstrates the huge benefit of using slightly acidic water for those classes of pesticides. The pyrethroids do not seem to be nearly as susceptible to alkalinity and it really has not been an issue pushed by the manufacturers of these products, but I suspect it would still pay to test the pH and keep things close to neutral at least. 
Adjusting the pH is simple, and Univar ES sells a number of “buffering agents” that will bring the pH down, as well as some other general surfactants that include a buffering agent. These can be added to the tank when you mix the products for use. We also know that some surfaces may have a high pH, such as concrete or stucco or sheetrock, although paints may cover these to reduce the alkalinity of the actual surface you treat. But, unfinished surfaces might have an effect to more quickly break apart pesticide molecules and reduce the residual effect. 

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Pest QuestionsJune 14, 2012

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Jun 13, 2012 – Pyrethroids On The Cruise Ships

QUESTION:

How will the new 2012 pyrethroid label requirements affect pest control done on board large ships? Can pyrethroids still be used on open decks?

ANSWER:

I would say the answer will be no, pyrethroids would not be allowed for use on exterior decking that would be exposed to rainfall or washing that could then allow that product to enter the water around the ship. The new pyrethroid wording states that it is intended for use of pyrethroids on “man-made structures”, and certainly ships and other kinds of boats or “vessels” would be man made structures. So, without offering too many specific kinds of structures we have to assume the new restrictions would include ships. 

The best way to look at this is probably to observe where the material is being applied, and whether or not that surface will be subject to rainfall or irrigation or some other manner of water getting on it that is then likely to run off that surface. The EPA does distinguish between “impervious” surfaces such as decks and driveways versus surfaces such as lawns or soils where the spray treatment will be able to be absorbed and to stay put. Further, if that soil or turf is already saturated with water and is on any slope then it is likely the added water of a pesticide spray will run off the surface and end up in a gutter or creek. I’d swear you could fish for salmon in some of the gutters around my city where sprinklers are aimed poorly or operate for so long that the water is simply flowing off the landscape and into the gutter and then quickly into the local creeks. 

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Pest QuestionsJune 13, 2012

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Bedbug battle is not for freelancers – The News-Press

Bedbug battle is not for freelancers
The News-Press
When Willis told co-workers there were bugs in her home, they recommended “some guy named Chuck,” who was a pest control man, Willis said. Willis contacted Chuck, who told her he worked for a pest control company and did jobs on the side, …

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Pests in the NewsJune 12, 2012

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