Archive for the ‘Pest Questions’ Category

Sep 1, 2012 – Now You Have Them, Now You Don’t

QUESTION:

What are the flying insects that lose their wings and come in the hundreds?

ANSWER:

We have two choices here, but one that is more likely, and that is termites. Back to them in a moment. The other possibility is ants, as most ants have “swarming” flights of winged males and females. These are fertile ants that leave their colonies for the mating flight, and following this event the males all die and the female ants lose their wings and begin new colonies. 

However, far more dramatic will be the swarming flights of termites, and all kinds do this – drywoods, dampwoods, and subterranean. Where dampwood termites exist these are often amazing events, as they swarm shortly after the sun goes down and many or all of the colonies in an area will swarm at the same time. Hundreds of these large termites come out of every colony and take flight, and they are not strong fliers, so it is more of the appearance of hundreds of thousands of fluttering insects all around you. Subterranean termites do this as well, usually in late morning to early afternoon and often triggered by some rain event followed by sunshine. This combination of the proper temperature, water, and light intensity tell the termites that things are appropriate for their mating swarms to be successful and for the newly mated females to be able to find a new place to establish a colony. 
Sometime shortly after they swarm from their parent colony all of these termites will lose all 4 wings, which quickly snap off at a weakened line near their thorax. They may even reach back and use their mandibles to remove a wing that seems to be stubborn, but once they are again safely within a cavity in the soil there would be no use for their wings and these long appendages would just be in the way. Again, here, the dramatic ones are the dampwood termites. Since they swarm when it is getting darker they often come to exterior lights around homes, and when many hundreds of them gather like this in one location the result may be a layer of thousands of their wings on the patio or deck or front porch. 
The time of day when the swarming takes place can be indicative of the kind of termite – dampwoods and Formosans swarm in the evenings and come to lights. Other subterranean termites and drywoods swarm mid day. If the wings are found on the ground or patio outside then it does not necessarily indicate an infestation of the structure. But, if they are found on the inside, perhaps in window sills, there is a good chance they emerged from points inside the structure and the termites are infesting structural wood. A close look at the wings and the patterns of veins on them will easily distinguish termite wings from ants. And, another careful examination will distinguish the specific kind of termite based on the color, pattern of veins, and presence of hairs along the margin of the wing. 

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Pest QuestionsSeptember 01, 2012

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Aug 29, 2012 – Bop The Bee?

QUESTION:

I’m having a problem with sand bees in a play pen. I have tried different products to get rid of them but nothing works. I even advised the customer to change all the sand in the play pen and that didn’t even work. There are dozens of bee holes in the sand and his grand kids can not use the sand box. Is there any product that I can use that will get rid of the bees and be safe for the kids? Any help that you can give me will be greatly appreciated by the family. Thank you

ANSWER:

This situation presents several interesting problems that I intend to ramble on about endlessly. First is the issue of “treating” sand boxes with any kind of insecticide. This is generally a very touchy thing to do, even if the reality is that many insecticide choices would not pose any risk to the children who play there. The second reality is that the parents of these children might firmly believe that some future health problem of those children is tied to their exposure to what you applied, so if at all possible it is a better idea to avoid applying any kinds of pesticides directly to the places where children spend this much time. If something is required discuss it with the client and suggest the use of some of the “natural”, plant-derived products that they may be more comfortable with. 

A second issue is with regard to these bees themselves. There are many kinds of solitary bees and wasps that burrow in sandy soils and other soils to prepare chambers for their offspring to develop in. The wasps are all predators that gather caterpillars, crickets, spiders, and other unwanted bugs and leave them as food for their larvae. The bees will be pollinators that gather pollen and nectar and prepare it as a food cache for their larvae. ALL of these insects are highly beneficial, and a landscape and a natural environment are far better off with them than without them. 
Along with this is the fact that as “solitary” bees and wasps they are not creating a colony and therefore have no instinct to rush out to defend that colony. The likelihood of being stung by any of these insects is extremely low, and would happen only if the adult female wasp or bee felt directly threatened, such as being caught within clothing or captured in a hand and now possibly stinging in an effort to escape. The children who are using this sand box could probably play there with these bees whirling around them with little concern of being stung. 
Now, that’s a wonderful lesson on Nature that probably means nothing to this customer, who is still going to fear that his grandchildren will be stung. After all, these female bees do have stingers and are capable of stinging. But……..maybe explaining all of this will give them a better appreciation for the bees and their benefit and for a short period of time they may be willing to avoid this sandy area until the bees complete their work and are gone. This is a very seasonal, short term phenomenon. We should at least make the effort to educate homeowners to understand the bugs around them so that we can preserve those that need to stay alive. 
The bees are attracted to this sandy area because it is easy to dig in. If the sand were completely dry the bees might move on, as tunnels would collapse as they dig. You might cover the sand with dark plastic for awhile and physically prevent the bees from working there. You could treat each individual hole with an insecticide, preferably in the evening when the adult bees may be resting in them. But, spraying over the whole area with an insecticide would probably have minimal effect and could become that worry for the parents later on that their children had been “exposed” to a poison. 
Try the education route first to see if they are responsive to learning some fun facts about bugs, and perhaps begin to enjoy the bees rather than fear them. 

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Pest QuestionsAugust 31, 2012

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Aug 30, 2012 – Take The Fight To The Source

QUESTION:

What is the best method for treating carpet beetles?

ANSWER:

The presence of carpet beetles wandering around inside a structure suggests that you have a source someplace inside where the larvae are contentedly munching on their chosen foods, and these foods often are materials that we meant for our own use or consumption and did not plan to share with the beetles. Carpet beetles are one of Nature’s main recyclers, and they feed not only on animal fibers and things made from them (hair, feathers, skin, wool, felt) but also on most grain-based dry food products. I myself played the part of Carpet Beetle Rancher for awhile as a large population of them fed for months on a large dog “biscuit” that had fallen where I did not see it. I have seen infestations of them coming from rodent baits left too long in attics. They manage to find wool sweaters, socks, and other clothing stored in boxes or other hidden places, including within cedar-lined chests that people believe will keep them out. They feed on decorations with feathers, on felt pads under lamps, etc. These are very, very efficient insects. 

The adults feed on pollen and other materials on flowers, so they are not the damaging stage. But, they will fly into homes and eventually find suitable materials for their larvae to feed on, and this is your challenge. Rather than focusing on killing the wandering beetles or larvae that become visible in the home, you need to seek out the source and deal with it at that level. Any old insecticide is capable of killing these insects, but the larvae are feeding on something that most likely is hidden away and will not be contacted by anything you spray in the air or along baseboards. You and your customer need to work together to start going through all the kitchen cupboards to see if any dried food products are infested, through the closets and other clothing storage areas to see if the beetles are on woolen products there, and even check out decorative items in vases and on walls. You might be surprised to find susceptible materials being used for decoration. Turn over everything sitting on tables and shelves to see if there are felt pads underneath. 
You should get up into the attic and into the crawlspace if there is one to see what might be there. This could be rodent baits left in place, dead birds or other animals, or even personal materials stored there and forgotten. Despite their name “carpet” beetles rarely feed on carpets any longer as wool carpets are pretty rare. But, don’t overlook that possibility and do question the customer about this. Consider the use of pheromone traps specific for carpet beetles to see if you can narrow the search by finding larger numbers of the adult beetles in certain locations. 
But, try to avoid any applications of insecticides until you are able to focus those applications where they will do some good. Even when you find the source it should be cleaned up, disposed of, laundered, or whatever is appropriate to eliminate the larvae feeding on it, and then the area vacuumed thoroughly and perhaps treated lightly to eliminate hidden larvae. 

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Pest QuestionsAugust 30, 2012

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Aug 27, 2012 – If You Can’t Stand the Fumes……

QUESTION:

Is fumigation one of the best methods to eliminate bed bugs in a multi unit structure?


ANSWER:

Fumigation with a product like Vikane definitely is a good way to ensure that all bugs and their eggs are dead and done for. However, the drawback to a whole-structure fumigation is going to be cost, as the process requires a lot of people and time and an expensive product, and some customers may balk at this and prefer to go with the standard methods of treating each room with chemical or non-chemical techniques. For a multi-unit complex this cost could be even higher depending on who has to pay for lodging for all of the tenants who are displaced during the fumigation process, which could be 2 days or longer. 

To me, the benefit of fumigation, if it is done properly, is that the whole process is over with in just a couple of days with the complete confidence that there are NO live bugs or eggs remaining in that entire structure. With standard treatments of insecticides, steaming, local heat treatment, freezing, etc., most companies plan on making at least one or two return trips to monitor, perhaps re-treat, etc., as there is no 100% assurance that all bugs and eggs were contacted and killed on the first effort. This also requires a lot of cooperation from the diverse kinds of tenants, and this becomes difficult. 
Dealing with bed bugs in apartments is a huge challenge, and apartment complex management should have a policy and protocol in place for monitoring for them and for preventing them from getting into their apartments in the first place. All tenants need to buy into this program and be educated on these parasites, on how they manage to move from place to place, and the steps that each of them can take to prevent bringing bed bugs home with them and into their own unit. This kind of training might be one add-on service a PMP can bring to an apartment customer, whether it is an evening session where tenants attend and learn or at the minimum some fact sheets and lists of preventive steps that a tenant can follow. One interesting idea that some apartments have implemented is FREE clothes dryers in the laundry facility, and letting all tenants know that anything taken on a vacation or business trip that can be run through a hot dryer cycle immediately upon return should be handled in that way. Making the dryers free encourages the tenants to take advantage of this means for killing hitchhiking bugs. 

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Pest QuestionsAugust 29, 2012

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Aug 28, 2012 – Horse "Flies" Weren’t Bad Enough

QUESTION:

I’ve been treating a 3-sided shelter that houses horses and the horse owners are complaining about wasps stinging the horses. I’ve dusted the voids and sprayed around the shelter with Transport Mikron, which seems to help for a few days and then the problem begins again. Any suggestions? Would some type of repellent work better? I know I’m killing the existing wasps, but within a matter of days there are more! I’m sure they are attracted by the manure.

ANSWER:

Two things would be important here – determining what kind of wasps these are and then finding their nests. So far it appears you are only attacking the adult wasps, and this is going to be as you have discovered, and be very short lived. You kill some adult wasps that may land on the insecticide you have applied to surfaces, but the source of the problem is going untouched. Generally speaking, wasp control is fairly cut and dry if you are able to find the nest itself. Of course, this depends on whether these wasps are social wasps like yellowjackets or paper wasps or if they are solitary wasps like mud daubers or ground nesting wasps. The solitary wasps would be highly unlikely to sting people or horses, so if these animals truly are being stung then you likely have some colonies of paper wasps or yellowjackets in the area. You really do need to make the careful inspection to find those nests and then treat them directly to kill the queen, the workers in the nest, and then the larvae by removing the nest and disposing of it if possible. 

Even social wasps do not sting unless directly provoked or if someone or something gets too close to their colony, so this could suggest that the nests are very nearby and the horses are simply walking too close to them. In a simple structure like you picture there I am not sure what kinds of voids would exist, but yellowjackets in particular are known to create their nests within structural voids. If this is the case you can treat the opening where the workers are entering and exiting using a contact insecticide, and a dust may be most effective, and hope to kill the workers as they pass over that dust. 
If you are able to find exposed nests, which is more normal for the paper / umbrella wasps, these should be treated directly using a “jet” spray aerosol. The horses should be moved out of the local area while any of this is being done, partly to avoid any exposure to the insecticides but also to avoid additional stings by angry wasps that are agitated by the insecticide. Treating any nests is best done in early evening when it is most likely that the worker wasps will be back on or near the nest. Be sure to wear the proper protective clothing to avoid being stung yourself. 

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Pest QuestionsAugust 28, 2012

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Aug 25, 2012 – Moles Got The Munchies

QUESTION:

I noticed several bait pellets with zinc phosphide listed for moles. I thought moles primarily ate worms and grubs. How does this bait work on moles if their normal diet doesn’t include this type of food?

ANSWER:

You are correct that a couple of pelleted baits do have moles on their labels, but these generally have been fairly ineffective against these carnivores / insectivores. Moles will eat some small amount of plant material in addition to their primary diet of meat, and perhaps it was this slight deviation that caused them to take an interest in pelleted grain-based baits. But, without a doubt, at this time the superior bait for moles appears to be Talpirid, those soft worm-shaped baits that are extremely attractive and palatable to moles and which contain bromethalin as the active ingredient. This single-feeding active works quickly and requires a single bait “worm” to be lethal. 

I can tell you from personal experience that Talpirid is wonderful. I had my own marauding mole in my yard a year ago and I gave it over a month to leave on its own, which it chose not to do. In that month it circled my entire yard twice, disrupting neat gravel pathways with its large surface tunnels, pushing bedding plants and even large flagstones up out of the ground, and here and there created a large pile of dirt as it cleared its tunnels. I finally decided it had to go and a local PMP placed Talpirid in several of the freshest surface tunnels. I never saw another sign of this mole and have managed to get the appearance of my nicely landscaped yard back to normal. 
Where grubs (beetle larvae) are plentiful this may be the major diet of moles, and for this we can thank them for the benefit they provide. In California earthworms are going to be the most abundant “meat” in the ground, so that becomes their primary diet, and obviously they are not so beneficial if they are eating up our earthworms. I was a bit surprised when I looked into moles a bit more and found that some species, such as the common Townsend Mole in the West, can be very large – up to 8 inches in length – which is why they are powerful enough to cause so much damage. 
Trapping is another popular option for mole management, but even experts tell us that this can be very time consuming and thus expensive for the customer. A single mole may result in over $100 of your time to set traps, recheck the traps, remove dead moles, reset sprung traps, etc. The benefit of trapping is the non-toxic nature of it and the assurance that a trapped mole is definitely removed from that property. 

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Pest QuestionsAugust 27, 2012

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Aug 26, 2012 – If You Can’t Stand The Heat…….

QUESTION:

Can bedbugs be treated by heat method alone?


ANSWER:

Almost 10 years ago, and shortly after The Common Bed Bug starting making its comeback in the U.S., our industry researchers quickly began new studies on this creature. What they found is that heat is The Enemy of the bed bug, and some numbers they offered from their lab studies were these. 104 degrees for 24 hours kills all bugs and eggs, 113 degrees for 1 hour, or 175 degrees (a clothes dryer) takes only 5 minutes to kill all bugs and their eggs. For that clothes dryer, though, they suggested running things that can stand it for at least 30 minutes and if washing is to be done it is effective on a hot water cycle of 120 degrees. 

Conversely, COLD will also kill bed bugs and this is why we have a freezing technique available using a portable unit. The key, though, is to make that temperature change suddenly so that the bugs do not have the opportunity to move away to cooler (or warmer) locations. Obviously, in a dryer they are a captive audience and are doomed, but in a room where they may be inside a dresser, mattress, or the wall voids they may be able quickly to move to a place that is more comfortable. We are advised that placing things in black plastic bags and leaving them out in the sun may not be completely successful, because the bugs can move down to the bottom under everything where they find cooler temperatures. 
So, yes, heating alone “can” be completely successful if you can ensure that the lethal temperature is established for the required length of time in ALL places where the bugs may hide. This is difficult. At a recent NPMA conference a major company that does whole-room heat treatments, with a high degree of success, stated that they do not rely on just the heat. They also thoroughly vacuum the room, use steam, use localized heat treatments of items, and dust into voids with residual contact insecticides. They recognize what a powerful adversary this bed bug is. 
Steam is ideal for some uses, such as along crevices on mattresses where you may prefer not to apply insecticides. Steam also instantly kills eggs, and since eggs are glued onto the surface and cannot move away they are perfect candidates for this treatment. There now are a number of portable chambers available where large items can be moved and the chamber heated for several hours to ensure the time/temperature factor is reached. There are even smaller heat chambers that can be used for smaller items, and the Univ. of Florida has instructions for building a “Heat Box” that can be assembled right in a home or apartment, filled with furniture and then heated with the appropriate portable devices. 
So, yes, heat is an excellent tool for killing bed bugs if its limitations are kept in mind. For heating entire structures it may be difficult to achieve the proper heat in many locations and maintain it, and monitoring devices should be placed in those locations to ensure you are not leaving live bugs or eggs behind. 

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Pest QuestionsAugust 26, 2012

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Aug 23, 2012 – Termite Alternatives

QUESTION:

What is your opinion on short-wave treatments for termites?

ANSWER:

By short-wave I assume you are referring to Microwave treatments, and this seems to be gaining in popularity. As we lose fumigants or have restrictions placed on the use of fumigants as well as having a greater demand from consumers for non-chemical options for termite control I see a lot of these alternative treatments coming along. And, as each year goes by these new tools become more and more refined and user-friendly for our industry, along with (hopefully) the cost going down as competition and better manufacturing allow it. 

There is no doubt that the use of microwaves kills insects, but for termites it is really effective only for drywood termites. I tend to put my greatest faith in the opinions of unbiased experts, which really means the University researchers who test these devices using a proper protocol to establish realistic results and conclusions. A lot of termite companies are now using microwave technology, but my cynicism tells me that sometimes this use does not necessarily mean effectiveness. The University of California has tested microwaves for drywood termites and one conclusion they offered was that it typically gave from 89-98% control of the termites in a structure. That seems like a lot, but leaving 5-10% of the termites behind, perhaps alive and well, means that the problem still exists. 
The limitations several University websites offer are these. Some locations in any structure are going to be very difficult to access, and getting the microwaves to those locations at a level high enough to heat up that wood to a lethal level may be nearly impossible. Within hidden areas there may be heat “sinks” that prevent the temperature within the wood from getting to the lethal level. Depending on the power level of the device there is a chance that some surface damage may occur. And, since the microwaves are going to heat up only the wood where the device is directed it is treating only small sections at any one time. This is okay if the entire infestation is located in that small area of wood, but as we know, drywood termites have small colonies, and numerous separate colonies could exist within a structure. If they are not all detected and treated, killing one of them and leaving others that were unknown at the time of treatment leads to continued termite presence. 
But, just like other local treatments that might replace the use of insecticides or fumigants, microwaves have a place. Not only are they effective when used properly but they offer the choice of an alternative to toxins for those customers who prefer it. 

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Pest QuestionsAugust 25, 2012

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Aug 24, 2012 – Wasps Over Water

QUESTION:

I have a client who has a well head infested with Polistes dominulus wasps. The nest was
exposed when I removed the metal cover and it is sitting on the wiring at the top of the tube. Any pesticides used here would likely drip down into the water supply 20 feet below. Any suggestions on how to treat this and with what product? Dusts and liquid sprays seem
dangerous and I don’t want to get sued for a well contamination claim.

ANSWER:

Since you are able to carefully remove the cover and expose the nest I see two options. Both would require that you be wearing the appropriate protective clothing of “bee” hood,  bee gloves, bee suit or some other thick clothing that prohibits the wasps from getting under it and to your skin. Regardless of whether you treat the nest chemically or non-chemically, getting that close to a nest of stinging wasps calls for protecting yourself. 

Polistes dominulus is the European Paper Wasp, and these imported problems really like making their nests in just such a location – small cavities. We find them in bird houses and bird feeders, mail boxes, porch lights, piping outdoors, and here in California under the edges of Spanish tiles on roofs. Their nests may often be smaller than those of the native paper wasps that they seem to be displacing in the U.S. and they are not terribly aggressive, but having them around structures still poses that threat of stings. 
If you can approach this at dusk there is a good chance that all of the adult wasps are going to be on or near the nest, and while wearing your protective clothing you could physically remove the nest for disposal. The problem I see with this is that just removing the nest does not do anything to kill all the adult wasps, so the problem could easily start again, so on to option two. 
I think insecticides are called for, but how to ensure nothing ends up in the water below. Since I cannot properly picture the situation is it possible for you to remove this cover and move it slightly away from over the well tube? If so you then could treat the nest with a directed aerosol wasp “freeze” that would instantly kill all adult wasps. Again, do this late in the day when the wasps are most likely to be back on that area. You could use a product like EcoExempt Jet Wasp and Hornet which contains plant-based active ingredients of rosemary oil and hexa-hydroxyl, which you still wouldn’t want dripping down into the well but which could dry quickly before replacing the cover. 
If this well sits adjacent to the structure you might also look at the label of Termidor SC to see if you could use this product at that point. It is labeled now for paper wasps and can be applied to points where the wasps “enter” the structure including up to 1 foot away from the foundation. Termidor is working very well to kill social wasps that have hidden nests, but removing the nest physically is always a good idea. If the cover cannot be moved away for treatment is it possible for you to cover the tube leading down into the well first so that you then can spray the nest but prohibit any insecticide from dripping down into the well? If you can and then use one of the very short-lived plant derived products like pyrethrum or the EcoExempt product the active ingredients should break down very rapidly to prevent any chance of their being present later. 
And , always discuss these options with the customer so they understand the nature of the materials you intend to use. 

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Pest QuestionsAugust 24, 2012

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Aug 21, 2012 – Parasites and Products

QUESTION:

What is the industry using for the control of Fleas and ticks.

ANSWER:

Fleas and Ticks are really two very different problems with very different measures for control, so I will abbreviate my answers here to keep it concise. For fleas it must be kept in mind that preparation by the customer is extremely important, as is follow up work on their part. For preparation they must clear the entire floor of everything to give you access to it for your treatment. This clearing ahead of time also prepares them for the very thorough vacuuming that is absolutely necessary if you expect to control the problem indoors. And, following your first application the customer should vacuum again every day or two, using a strong vacuum over every square inch of the carpet if possible. This will “stimulate” many flea pupae to hatch to the adult stage which otherwise might remain in the pupa stage for weeks or months, keeping the problem in place. 

Your choice of products also depends on the setting. Some of the aerosol products, such as Precor 2000, might be the best choice for an office, where people cannot afford to vacate for the entire day. Once applied, with the adulticide and IGR together in the mix, it will dry within minutes or less and allow people back into the treated area more quickly. For a residence a liquid concentrate may be better, along with the IGR, and the labeling becomes important, for very few products allow you to treat the entire carpet. Dragnet SFR remains one of those few, so check the label carefully to be certain you are applying the material in accordance with what is allowed. Pyrethroids like permethrin do work well both indoors and outdoors for fleas as long as the area is prepared properly first. For the IGR both methoprene and nylar products are excellent. 
Tick management is tough once they are established indoors, but pyrethroids should also be excellent for them. In particular you might consider a microencapsulated product that is going to extend the residual and perhaps more easily adhere to the tick that crawls over a treated surface. Since the female tick that is fully engorged may seclude herself in any crevice available and then deposit several thousand eggs into that hidden place, you need something that may be capable of intercepting these new “seed” ticks once they hatch and emerge and go looking for a blood host. 
Tick management should rely heavily on cooperation and education of the customer. They need to understand the importance of daily inspection of pets that are active outdoors where ticks are prevalent, and the proper way to remove embedded ticks. They also can use insecticidal shampoos on the pets to kill ticks as well as some of the collars or on-animal drops that also can kill ticks early. Outdoors is where the ticks are coming from, so keeping grassy areas mowed short, keeping pets from wandering into tall grass or thick brush, and treating outdoors with a labeled pyrethroid also are part of the overall program. 

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Pest QuestionsAugust 23, 2012

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