Archive for July, 2012

Tiny insects finding homes on trees in St. Tammany Parish more bark than bite – NOLA.com


NOLA.com

Tiny insects finding homes on trees in St. Tammany Parish more bark than bite
NOLA.com
Barklice showed up early this year due to a warm spring, and they should be gone by Labor Day.

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Pests in the NewsJuly 11, 2012

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Army worms coming back, but farmers can rest easy

When it comes to army worms in Western New York, there's bad news – and good news. The bad news first: They're coming back. In fact, a second infestation of the destructive pests is just getting under way, according to agriculture experts at Cornell Cooperative Extension Service in East Aurora.

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Pests in the NewsJuly 11, 2012

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Jul 11, 2012 – Have Carpenter Bees, Will Burrow

QUESTION:

I have a customer that has a new log home but is having trouble with carpenter bees. Is there any kind of preventive pest control for a log home?

ANSWER:

This can be difficult, and unfortunately chemical options are very limited and short lived. In the past there was pretty good success with the use of one of the microencapsulated pyrethroid products that could be applied generally over exterior surfaces during the period when the adult bees were actively seeking nesting sites. But, with the new pyrethroid labeling this kind of overall treatment on the exterior is no longer allowed, and spot applications only can be done, meaning you would have to pick and choose the places on that log home where you felt the bees were most likely to try to initiate their burrowing into the wood, and treat no more than a 2 square foot area around that point. This may still be somewhat helpful, as the bees may be most likely to look for some place where there is some kind of starting point for them, such as a knot hole, wide crack, or a seam between logs. 

Surface finishes such as paint, varnish, etc. will help to “discourage” carpenter bees, which would always prefer an unfinished surface, but this is no guarantee. Treatments with a borate product may be helpful but odds are they will not, as these bees are not eating the wood and borates are toxic only if ingested. There may be some slight ingestion as the bees nip off bits of wood and discard them, but I would not count on it, and some of the borate products are labeled only for use on unfinished wood products, so if this home’s exterior does have some finish coating over the logs you would not be able to use those borate products. 
Bottom line may be that since you cannot prevent the bees from getting to the wood and cannot cover the logs with any impermeable barrier you may have to try the spot treatments with a labeled insecticide such as a microencapsulated material. There don’t seem to be any non-pyrethroid replacements that offer the long residual and labeling for overall treatment. 

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Pest QuestionsJuly 11, 2012

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Home kills Mumbai siblings

Post-mortem reports of Rameez Chougle (26) and her brother Rehab (25) have revealed that they died due to aluminium phosphide poisoning. Mumbai: Toxic fumes killed a 26-year-old woman and her 25-year-old brother after the two forgot to take post- …

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Pests in the NewsJuly 10, 2012

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Jul 8, 2012 – A REALLY Sensitive Site

QUESTION:

I have been asked to recommend or spray for pests on medical marijuana plants. I know people
will be inhaling this by smoking the leaves. Is there a product or products that can be used without harm to the users?

ANSWER:

Well, I suppose I should have known this one was coming someday and been prepared with a snappy response. Personally, I think you absolutely should avoid any involvement here, but for some good reasons. If you do need to back out of it diplomatically you can offer that you are only permitted to use products that are labeled for the site, and I don’t know that I have ever seen “cannabis” on any insecticide labels. Perhaps there are some products out there, but it would be unusual. We can’t even lump this in with general labeling for use on “ornamental” plants, since this plant is being used for a specific purpose. This may be something you could discuss with your local agricultural folks to see if they can suggest a product that would be effective and legal. 

But, one or two things to keep in mind that have to do with your liability. Assuming this truly is “medical” marijuana being grown and sold legally, it will be used by people whose health may already be compromised in some way. Now, a “pesticide” has been added to the mix and any additional health consequences the users experience could point the finger at you, whether or not what you used had anything to do with it. You definitely would not want to use any material that has any residual to it, but only a short-lived contact active ingredient that could be capable of killing the targeted pest and then either removed by washing with water or degraded by itself. 
It also would be important to know what pest problems they are having, as some of these may be resolved without insecticides. Aphids, for example, can often be physically washed off a plant with a spray of water, and reinfestation takes awhile for them to accomplish. 
Now, a quick look does show the internet to be FULL of information on how to control various pest problems on marijuana, but I accept that the internet is not always going to present information that is legal or responsible, so if you choose to browse it do so with a critical mind. Recommendations for insect control center around “natural” plant-derived insecticides as well as insecticidal soap, but again this still could open you up for some liability if someone believes they were harmed by inhaling residues of even these natural materials. After all, we know very well that “natural” does not mean “safe” or “non-toxic”, and in fact many natural chemicals sit high on our lists of the most toxic substances (strychnine, nicotine). In fact, I am slightly amused by the recommendation on one site to use tobacco juice to control mites on marijuana. This seems to be the use of a known carcinogen on a product that later will be inhaled by users. 

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Pest QuestionsJuly 10, 2012

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Possum trapping and goals don’t match

A study by Landcare Research has found that trapping possums for their fur won’t reduce the numbers enough to meet and conservation goals. Researchers have been investigating the feasibility of marrying commercial possum harvesting with …

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Pests in the NewsJuly 09, 2012

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Schools now employ "integrated" plan to ward off

The mouse at Shasta Middle School had a thing for the nacho sauce mix in the school kitchen. The enterprising mammal would chew a hole in the 10-pound plastic bag, eat its fill and skedaddle, essentially ruining the remaining 9.99 pounds, which …

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Pests in the NewsJuly 09, 2012

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Bed bugs still a big pest for travelers – Nebraska Radio Network


KMAland

Bed bugs still a big pest for travelers
Nebraska Radio Network
The Association has identified bed bugs are the most difficult pest to control because they are hitch hikers and can easily move from one location to another. Henriksen says while professionals know how to effectively get rid of them but it is best not …
Bed bug prevention tipsKMAland

all 3 news articles »

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Pests in the NewsJuly 09, 2012

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Unregulated pest control problematic: Experts – Daily News & Analysis


Daily Mail

Unregulated pest control problematic: Experts
Daily News & Analysis
The deaths of Versova residents Rehab and Rameez Chougule on Thursday due to aluminium phosphide poisoning has brought the issue of pest control safety to the fore.
Home pest control goes wrong and kills siblings in MumbaiIndia Today
Pest control caused mysterious deaths of blogger, her brotherMumbai Mirror
'Aluminium phosphide not meant for residential use'Hindustan Times
Times of India –Indian Express –Mumbai Newsline
all 19 news articles »

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Pests in the NewsJuly 09, 2012

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Senator Schumer Waging War Against Armyworms – WKBW-TV

Senator Schumer Waging War Against Armyworms
WKBW-TV
Specifically, Schumer wrote to USDA Secretary Thomas Vilsack and asked that he also ensure that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) produce a report with an updated guidance for controlling the pest, which would be helpful to those …

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Pests in the NewsJuly 09, 2012

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