Archive for July, 2012

How to deter ants: Green methods, advice from the pros – OregonLive.com


OregonLive.com

How to deter ants: Green methods, advice from the pros
OregonLive.com
When it comes to small black ants, for example, Witten might walk around the house and look for the insects' pathways, feeding sources and nests, before applying Termidor in a 1-inch perimeter around a home. Termidor contains an active ingredient

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Insect stings can pose real danger – Ct Post

Insect stings can pose real danger
Ct Post
The recent attack by a swarm of yellowjackets on a group of children in Stamford reminds us to be aware of the dangers of insect stings. Most insect stings have only short-lived symptoms, such as redness and swelling followed by pain and itching

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Insect Invasion Making S. Floridian’s Skin Crawl – CBS Local


CBS Local

Insect Invasion Making S. Floridian's Skin Crawl
CBS Local
Dr. Rudy Scheffrahn of the University of Florida's Research and Education Center in Davie explained that the rainy season starting the beginning of May has meant a longer period of insect activity. ?Rain and warm weather promotes plant growth and most

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Mouse trouble in Norfolk resort

PEST control bosses have revealed that mice are the biggest nuisance in the Great Yarmouth borough.

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Jul 27, 2012 – Mound, Thatch, or Field – Same Ant

QUESTION:

I have a problem with black mound ants at a school in Central NY. Could you please let me know the best choice of product and application methods? I have heard that you are to dig up the mound and place granules and mix it up few times and apply more granules. This is the first time I have dealt with mound ants.


ANSWER:

Mound ants are also referring to as Thatch, Thatching, or just Field ants, and most of them are in the genus Formica. They are large ants superficially similar to carpenter ants but with a distinct dip in the top of the thorax, whereas carpenter ants  have a thorax that is evenly rounded over the top. Thatch ants cannot sting, but they can bite, and once they create a little bite wound may spritz some formic acid onto that point to cause a stinging sensation. They almost always confine their activities to the outdoors and natural foods, in particular honeydew. These ants are well aware of where that honeydew comes from and they fiercely protect aphids from other insects that might eat or parasitize the aphids. Doing so they also keep away other pesky insects that feed on honeydew, such as yellow jackets and other wasps and ants. 

They turn the soil to create their colony, and in so doing create the large above-ground mounds that we notice. These may continue to be there and to enlarge for years, and if someone were to inadvertently stand on the mound he would immediately be attacked by the biting ants. A mound nest on a school property could become a liability for the school, so eliminating this nest is appropriate. Otherwise, since they so rarely enter structures the ants can normally just be left alone as beneficial parts of the local environment. 
Treating the mound itself is the correct treatment, generally using either a dust or a spray of contact insecticide and disturbing the surface pretty thoroughly so that you treat the whole mound and into it somewhat. A shovel or rake can be used to turn the surface over as the treatment is being done, taking care not to allow the ants to get up beneath your pants and onto your legs. You might rig up plastic bags as “leggings” around the bottom of your pants and even around the handle of whatever you use to mess with the mound to prevent the ants from climbing onto your hands. 
Keep in mind the state regulations on pesticide use on school properties, and be sure to stay within them. This likely means advance notice of this “emergency” treatment to many parents and posting the site prior to and following the treatment. Since you are not using the pesticide, in this situation, within any kind of enclosed station you would need to follow the regulations in place. 

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Tip: Avoiding Bed Bug Scams

Watch out for bed bug scams. CBS News interviewed a woman attending a bed bug summit (I’m not kidding) in Chicago with Chicago experts who asked whether she’d be taking home bed bugs from her hotel room and was assured she would. She …

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Bugs like it hot: Record heat kicks insects into high gear

Across the country, as a result of record heat, from grasshoppers to crickets and ants to bees are arriving earlier and in greater numbers than usual, entomologists at HomeTeam Pest Defense say. “We’re seeing an increase in a lot of …

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New Paint Wipes Out Infestation in a Village

Deliverance came in an unlikely form: On that August day, her home was slathered with a high-tech paint that kills disease-carrying like the kissing bug. Over the past decade, approximately 7,000 houses in the Chaco region have been …

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California clamps down on pesticide applications – Western Farm Press

California clamps down on pesticide applications
Western Farm Press
Department of Pesticide Regulation Director Brian R. Leahy announced that tomorrow new restrictions will take effect to limit where structural pest control businesses can apply pesticides in an effort to protect water quality in urban areas. ?These are

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Kudzu bug found in Miss.; pests ‘bug’ both farmers and homeowners in Southeast – The Republic

Kudzu bug found in Miss.; pests 'bug' both farmers and homeowners in Southeast
The Republic
JACKSON, Miss. ? The kudzu bug has been found in Montgomery and Warren counties in Mississippi. Scientists say the bug not only feeds on kudzu but also can be potentially damaging to soybeans and other legumes. Entomologist Angus Catchot says the

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