Well, we are coming to the final days of the year, and we still have a few bugs causing some problems.
1. Mosquitoes – After all the rains we had, the populations are enormous. They all want to drink your blood at the same time all day long. We have several species that are abundant now, and we need to make sure we are protected. Remember to remove standing water, wear long sleeves and spray yourself with the mosquito sprays – deet and others – for some protection. When you have outdoor activities, fog the area around the home, especially the bushes and plants, which are hiding places for mosquitoes, shortly before the activities begin. This will not last very long but should provide for a couple hours of lesser activity. Other means include some of the wick or heat-vaporizing materials that can be found in local stores. Remember, whatever you use, follow label directions, especially when it comes to applying these materials on children. Figure 1.
2. Sawflies – These are caterpillar-like insect larvae that are actually more closely related to wasps. These larvae can be identified by two facts: first, they have a leg on each segment of the abdomen, and second, they have one simple eye on each side of the head. They feed on a variety of plant materials but are found now primarily on pines. Where treatable, materials like pyrethrins or pyrethroids are very functional as well as Sevin, Malathion, Orthene and several related compounds available at local markets. Figure 2.
3. Mole crickets – We are seeing high populations of these insects in pastures. We have little to use on pastures these days for their control. One of the few materials is Malathion, which can be made into a bait (directions in the pest management guide) and spread at about 10 to 12 pounds to the acre. Where pastures have been completely eaten and the crickets are active, this might be a good time to try this. It is usually very effective in the spring when they first emerge and feed before mating starts. Another management tool is an application of parasitic nematodes. These can be applied through regular sprayers if the screen filters are removed to prevent clogging and allow the application to flow smoothly. High temperatures and lack of rainfall can sometimes be a problem with these, as they need moderate temperatures and adequate moisture to function. Figure 3.
4. Slugs and snails – Fall plants like pansies, snapdragons and others are having a problem with slugs and snails. We have had the good rains and now the moderate temperatures that help these populations to thrive, and we are planting something for them to feed on. Good indications of infestations are the slime trails on plants and walkways and the foliage of plants and the flowers being eaten and no pest found. A good way to check for them is to go out at night and look with a flashlight. They like well-mulched areas like flower beds and lawns where the grass is not raked. When found, you can treat with one of the slug and snail baits available on the market, or you can set up a beer trap. Sink a jar or plant saucer in the ground so the lip is flush with the mulch or soil. Fill the vessel half full of beer and add a couple of slices of banana. Then find a piece of wood that is an inch or so bigger all the way around the vessel. Get 4 long nails and hammer one all the way in in each corner. Now place the wood over the vessel and push it down to within a quarter inch of the lip of the container. This prevents water from getting in and diluting the bait if it rains or your dog or cat or some other animal from drinking it. Slugs and snails like tight areas and are attracted by the yeast odor and go into the beer. The alcohol will remove the slim from the body so the slugs cannot crawl out and will drown in the beer. Check your traps daily to prevent overflow with dead snails and slugs. Figure 4.
5. Buck moths – We are beginning to see the emergence of the buck moth adults. These black and white moths are responsible for the black stinging caterpillars in the spring. The number you see in your area or neighborhood will give you an indication of the potential problem with these caterpillars in the spring. There are no sprays for control of the adults, but sometimes you can practice your tennis swing or you can do like one gentleman did last year and tell your children or grandchildren you’ll pay them so much for each one they kill and bring to you. Just watch how much you pay for each one, it cost the gentleman several dollars, as he said 50 cents each. Figure 5.
6. Pink hibiscus mealybug – This invasive pest has found us, and we are trying to keep it in one area, Jefferson and Orleans parishes. Several pieces of information on the web will give you pictures and all the information you will need to detect it. If you find something you think is the PHM, contact your local county agent and bring him a sample to ship to me. The Department of Agriculture and Forestry in conjunction with APHIS and the LSU AgCenter are releasing parasites to manage this pest. Releases in other areas have been able to obtain 95-98 % control. Please do not spray plants in the release areas (see map on web) as that will remove the parasites before they have any effect on the mealybugs. If any treatments are made, they should be done through the use of systemic materials and applied to the soil around the plants and not directly to the plants. Remember, we are the best transporters of scale and other pest. Be careful when you purchase plant material, particularly when they are from out of state. If you do bring something in and find a problem on it, do not just discard it. Give it to the county agent for identification. http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/environment/insects/scales/
7. IPM – Many of us are concerned about the overuse of pesticides. Now is one of the times when each of us can do something that will help to reduce the need to spray. Each year we have problems with several caterpillars, especially the eastern and forest tent caterpillars. Now that the leaves are falling from many trees, we can check for the egg clusters they have lain on the trees and remove and destroy them. (see picture). Check the all reachable branches of trees that have been infested and take them off. In your garden area if you do not have a fall garden or when it is over, remove all the plant material and turn your ground over several times between then and planting the spring crops. This will remove most soil insects like grubs, mole crickets and weeds and several larvae that feed on the weeds or their roots. When you see large numbers of lady beetles, place them in a small ice cream container with some lightly damp straw and place them in your refrigerator. About 80% will survive the winter there and can be released in the spring when you begin to see aphids or thrip or mites. This fall if you spray Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) for worm control, you can collect the worms that begin to turn slimy, limp and black and place them in a small jar with just enough milk to cover them. Then in the spring or later this fall when you have another caterpillar infestation, take these worms out, add the same amount of water, and let them sit out on the counter for 24 hours. Then, when your wife or husband is not looking, put this in the blender with a little more water and blend and use this to spray the caterpillars. This concentration will be about 10 times as strong as the original Bt you sprayed on the original infestation and just as safe and more economical. Figures 6 and 7.
Till next month,
Dale
[Image: Feeding mosquito]
[Image: sawfly characters]
[Image: flushed mole crickets]
[Image: Comparison of slugs and snails]
| [Image: Adult buck moth and eggs]
[Image: Insects that can be managed with off season programs]
[Image: Larvae infected with Bt.]
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