Archive for October, 2012

Maine Gardener: Extension unleashes Green Bug on pesky pests – Press Herald

Maine Gardener: Extension unleashes Green Bug on pesky pests
Press Herald
"It's an amazing thing," said James Dill, a pest management specialist with the extension, "but from 1995 to 2007, the use of lawn pesticides in Maine has gone from 800,000 pounds a year to 6.2 million pounds. There is really no need for that kind of …

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Pests in the NewsOctober 24, 2012

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Drought and Insects Caused Those Brown Yard Patches – NBC4i.com

Drought and Insects Caused Those Brown Yard Patches
NBC4i.com
RSS Text Size Print Share This. Home / news /. Drought And Insects Caused Those Brown Yard Patches. Video Preview. Bringing Back Your Lawn (Added: October 20, 2012). For some area residents, an abundance of rain hasn't repaired the damage of a hot …

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Pests in the NewsOctober 24, 2012

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Oct 22, 2012 – Down (In) The Drain

QUESTION:

How do you effectively control drain flies?


ANSWER:

Drain flies are one of our annoying “small” flies, and like so much of fly management it is necessary to find the source. The good news is that you are not yet dealing with Phorid flies, as these little things are even more annoying and have many more possible breeding sources that may be within a structure. Drain flies will normally refer to little flies in the family Psychodidae, and they also are called moth flies because they resemble tiny gray moths with their wings and body covered with gray scales. The common kinds found indoors are in the genus Psychoda, and they may be found flying around toilets in restrooms or wet areas in other parts of the structure. When they land they rest with the wings held flat over the abdomen in what is called a “Delta winged” position. 

These flies sometimes breed in huge numbers around sewage treatment plants where there are settling ponds filled with organic matter. They can be a problem in water cooling towers where algae builds up and provides the wet habitat needed for the larvae. Within a structure the most common place to find their needs of wet surfaces with a buildup of organic crud will be within drains, and thus their common name. But, they could breed in many other places, so in a restaurant or food plant where floors are washed regularly there may be a buildup of wet sludge in crevices and gaps around the floors. They may find a constant wet area and the resulting presence of slime under equipment that leaks water, under A/C units, under the fridge, or even outside in the landscape or within the catch pans under potted plants. Any micro-habitat that retains water and grows organic sludge is a potential breeding site for their larvae, and this is the essence of control of these flies. You must find the source and eliminate it, or more adult flies will continue to come from it. 
These kinds of sources should be viewed as sanitation problems, so in a sense the presence of flies such as drain or phorid flies is a signal that some unsanitary condition exists, and this presents an opportunity for the PMP to show his expertise. We know what kinds of places may offer this micro-habitat and we inspect until we find it. Then we can eliminate that problem and fortunately have many excellent products to use. Our industry has taken on this role in the past 15+ years and Univar carries many different cleaning materials, many for drains and others for equipment or surfaces. Most of these can be called “bio-cleaners” because the active ingredients are natural, as bacteria that feed on the organic crud or enzymes that dissolve it. One of our major manufacturers of them is Rockwell Labs, for instance, with their Invade product line. This includes large blocks that can be placed into grease traps of restaurants to feed on the buildup of grease that also produces phorids and drain flies. 
So, start with a flashlight and a very careful inspection of the structure, perhaps beginning in the area where the flies are most often seen, and look for any place where water drains or sits to see if it remains wet and offers the buildup of organic slime. Then use the appropriate cleaning product to remove that buildup and offer this as a regular service to this account. Removing it once will not keep it clean if the other conditions don’t change and water continues to flow there. Of course, if it’s a leak that should be repaired that’s another issue, but regular service and cleaning with biological cleaners is a very good add-on service. Don’t focus on the adult flies. You can easily kill these with vacuuming or a light mist of pyrethrum once the source is dealt with. 

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Pest QuestionsOctober 24, 2012

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Oct 21, 2012 – Enticing Squirrels

QUESTION:

what is the best bait to put in a trap to catch squirrels?

ANSWER:

I am going to assume you are referring to tree squirrels rather than ground squirrels. A few things are important here, and the first is to be certain of the legal status of tree squirrels in your area, and in particular what species of tree squirrel you are dealing with, as some of the species may have protected status and cannot be harmed or molested. If they are “depredating” (causing unacceptable problems) then you can kill or trap them, but this may require a special license of permit. In addition, most states prohibit relocating trapped animals. It may be illegal for you to trap tree squirrels and take them somewhere else to release them, as this may be stressful or harmful to the animals or it may just relocate a problem onto someone else’s property. So, contact your local wildlife agency first to be certain you are doing what is allowed. 

Tree squirrels feed on a wide variety of materials, including nuts, seeds, fruit, and even the soft bark of trees. Grey squirrels are well known for doing massive damage by stripping the bark off of large and small branches and narrow trunks of trees. Havahart / Woodstream suggest that they can be enticed into live traps using many bait products, including nuts, apples, sunflower seeds, peanut butter mixed with oatmeal, or popcorn. In nature acorns may make up a large part of their diet, but if acorns already are available it is less likely they will be interested in any that you place inside a trap. 

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Pest QuestionsOctober 24, 2012

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Oct 20, 2012 – Drywoods Local Treating

QUESTION:

I have found Drywood Termite frass at four different locations around the exterior perimeter of a home with wood siding. Would the proper treatment be to drill near the kickout holes and inject Premise? I am asking because the label tells me that this should not be the only means of treatment. I am unsure what other types of treatments are needed. Thank you for your advice.

ANSWER:

Well, I briefly looked over a few of the Premise labels and admit I did not find the precaution you mention regarding not using the Premise local treatment as the only treatment. But, labels are extensive, so it could be on there somewhere, but I wonder if you might have been reading that with respect to local wood treatment for Subterranean termites and not drywoods. That would certainly stand to reason, as the presence of subs tells us that there must be some pathway from the soil to the wood that needs to be addressed, and treating only the small area where the subterranean termites are noticed is not likely to control that much larger problem. 

For drywoods it’s also possible that a label advises that some additional treatment should be considered, but with the small colonies of drywoods and their tendency to stay only within the wood of the structure it also is possible to eliminate that colony by injecting the wood and getting the insecticide into their active galleries. Premise Foam may be a good choice here as the foam expands and pushes further into the tunnels, offering a greater chance of treating more of the surfaces. 
However, the nature of drywood termites also is to have relatively small colonies, although even with subterranean termites research has shown that multiple colonies of these termites may be feeding on the wood of a single structure, and eliminating one of them would not necessarily affect the others if those others do not also come into contact with the active ingredient. But, the small drywood colony in a small area of wood – perhaps only a single 2×4 wall stud – may be only 1 of many separate colonies of drywoods in the same structure, and killing one or two colonies could leave behind other colonies that remain alive and well. This is the benefit of whole house treatments, such as fumigation, where you know that every cubic inch of wood throughout that structure has been treated and all termites are dead. Perhaps this is the intent of the statement you refer to, that considering treatment such as fumigation may be a more certain way to eradicate all termites. 

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Pest QuestionsOctober 24, 2012

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Wasps could help farmers fight pests and protect crops

A new type of wasp that could save the farming industry millions of pounds has been discovered by scientists in Hull. Wasps are normally known for their nasty sting but now they could be used to kill tiny pests that destroy food crops.

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Pests in the NewsOctober 23, 2012

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UF Study Reveals Bed Bug Feeding Patterns – PCT Magazine

UF Study Reveals Bed Bug Feeding Patterns
PCT Magazine
Brother Mobile Solutions introduces the the PocketJet 673, a full-page, direct thermal mobile printing solution. Daimer Steam Cleaner HEPA Vacs Kill Bed Bugs. Daimer Industries is now offering powerful steam cleaner machines to the pest control industry.

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Pests in the NewsOctober 23, 2012

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Meeting to address pest management in Wisconsin – Chippewa Herald

Meeting to address pest management in Wisconsin
Chippewa Herald
The annual Pest Management Update meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at the Eagles Club in Lake Hallie, with registration beginning at 9:30 a.m. University of Wisconsin-Extension specialists in weed science, plant pathology …

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Pests in the NewsOctober 23, 2012

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Oct 23, 2012 – One Visit Rat Control?

QUESTION:

What is the protocol on rodent control, such as follow up, removing the trophies, & resetting traps? I have been getting calls on this from customers saying that the company they used just set 2-4 snap traps in a subarea or attic and did not call or come back to check the traps. Then the customer starts smelling the trophy. These companies are not informing the customer about entry points and I do not see that they are doing deep inspections, as I do, in order to find and eliminate entry points. On one of the last jobs I did I even found trapped rats being consumed by other rats. Should these other companies be obligated to do what I believe regulatory agencies require? Customers I serviced say they had to call them back to complete their job. Thanks for your views.

ANSWER:

In every industry there will be companies that will do the bare minimum, and if they can get away with this bare minimum then that works for them. But, in rodent management the bare minimum should include removal of trapped rodents, and this likely is going to be written in the regulations of many states for licensed pest control technicians. It also is an issue with respect to “humane treatment” of any animal, and whether we like it or not we have to deal with unwanted rodents in as humane a manner as possible. This means that kill traps need to be inspected routinely and in a timely manner so that partially captured rodents do not suffer. I understand very well that many people don’t care how a rat or mouse dies as long as it dies, but vocal animal rights groups do care and they can press their cause if they believe our industry is acting in a cruel manner. 

So, blunt answer, YES, certainly a technician should return to an account where traps have been set and inspect those traps and remove and dispose of trapped rodents. If it were the use of rodent baits, nearly all rodenticide Labels have statements instructing that dead or ill rodents must be removed, making it mandatory for us to do so. I also recognize that for a technician to return to a customer’s home or business costs time and money, and a lot of homeowners may not be willing to pay another $100 each time that technician has to return to check a few traps, but this is the reality of rodent control. If traps are set and animals are captured and killed, the aftermath is going to be a rotting carcass that creates an intolerable smell and breeds blow flies. This is particularly so with rats and their larger body mass. In particular, if the customer is not made aware of these likely problems he is going to be very upset when they occur, particularly when maggots start dropping out of the kitchen ceiling and landing on the dinner plates. This is the stuff of lawsuits, bad publicity, and a bad reputation for our industry.
I believe you are right on track David. Traps must be inspected, and initially should probably be checked the next day to remove dead rodents or deal with those caught but still alive. It would be very unsettling for the customer to hear a rodent struggling with a trap on its body and thumping around in the attic all night long. Your careful inspection of the infestation may reveal damaged wires or PVC piping that needs to be repaired before worse problems occur in that structure. You may find accumulations of rat feces that need to be removed to eliminate this health issue. You may find a lot of other things that result from rats and mice living inside structures that need to be addressed for the health and safety of the customer. 
And, “if nothing changes nothing changes”, and if these rodents found their way inside others will follow, and if the entry points continue to exist then the customer is going to continue to have a rodent problem sometime in the future. Taking pot shots at the rodents AFTER they get inside is inappropriate. Exclusion is a major part of structural rodent management, so absolutely the customer needs to be educated right at the start to understand what needs to be done to give them the best long term satisfaction. 

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Pest QuestionsOctober 23, 2012

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A mighty mouse population keeps exterminators busy – Eagle-Tribune

A mighty mouse population keeps exterminators busy
Eagle-Tribune
But this year, Larry Johnson, owner of Absolute Pest Management in Derry, said he's seeing about 40 percent more calls for mouse trouble than previous years. ?We're getting a lot more people that are getting mouse problems,? Johnson said. ?Usually …

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Pests in the NewsOctober 20, 2012

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