Agents:
The bug situation is gradually slowing down outside, but it could pick up indoors if clients are not careful!
1. Sawflies – Several areas of the state – primarily northern – have found late-season populations of sawflies in pine trees. The loblolly pine sawfly and others are feeding en masse on the trees. These are usually dirty white in color with greenish brown stripes and a brown head. They will feed in clusters on the needles on the trees, but only where numbers are very dense should any spraying be done. They should finish feeding shortly and fall to the ground to pupate. This is the stage when several small rodents and birds feed on them. Where populations require spraying, the same materials that manage caterpillars will do an effective job on them. In small trees, less damage is acceptable and sprays are necessary to manage them and protect the trees. If reachable, they may be shaken from the tree and stepped on, or branches may be clipped and discarded. Do not cut the main terminal stem. Figure 1.
2. Firewood Pests – With the onset of cool nights, many people have stoked the fireplace. Remember that the firewood stored outdoors all year for these cozy moments can be the home for several insects. Sometimes bees and wasps will use this wood as a resting place for the winter, and once in the warmth of the house will think spring has come early and emerge and fly about. The big problem here is that they can and will sting if annoyed. Be careful. Spiders also will nest in woodpiles and will come out and roam the confines of their newly acquired domicile. They too can bite, and some may be poisonous. Occasionally fire ants will nest in woodpiles because of excessive rains; they do not like excessive water, either. Check the wood as you gather it from the stack and be sure not to carry in these invaders. They sting and will set up housekeeping in the walls of your home and forage throughout the house. Termites also will nest in cut wood, and bringing them in can be the worst of all. The more common insects that hitchhike into your home with firewood are the wood borers. Long horned beetles and flat headed borers are attracted to wood when it is cut or damaged. The cut and split woodpile is an ideal place to bring up their next generation. The adults are attracted to the wood and lay their eggs. The larvae hatch out and bore under the bark and into the wood. They develop all season and are in the late larval or pupal stage when the weather turns cool. At this time they normally stop development and hibernate until spring. However, when they are brought into the warm home and stored until you use the wood, they complete development and emerge. Many housewives have been scared not only by the beetle flying around the house but also by the thought of it infesting their homes. None of these beetles is going to infest the home. Once emerged, they are looking for a way out, and many will collect near windows or light fixtures. The best management of all of these pests is to keep the firewood outside and cool until you need it to start or keep the fire blazing and warm your home. Figures 2 and 3.
3. Moving Plants – Many of us have beautiful plants that we bring in for the winter. They are in pots of various sizes, and we do not want to lose them. These pots are ideal places for several insect pests. Many of the potting soils we use contain cellulose, and termites feed on cellulose. Colonies can begin in these pots and feed on the cellulose in the potting material as well as on the plants themselves. It is particularly possible when the pots are sitting on the ground with direct contact with the soil. Fire ants will nest in flower pots because the soil is usually light and easily moved to build nests. Flower pots are ideal sites for several other arthropod and related pests. Earwigs, snails, millipedes, centipedes, sow bugs, spiders and a world of small flies called fungus gnats will live and feed in potting material. Plants act as hosts for insects like scales, whiteflies, thrips and mites. Scales and whiteflies are piercing, sucking feeders on the plants. They continuously extract plant sap and sugars and excrete the excess. This excess is a clear sticky fluid that we call honeydew which is an excellent medium for the development of sooty mold. The same black, scaly material that grows on the plants outdoors can grow and develop on your walls, furniture and floors indoors. Check your plants. Sometimes the scales or whiteflies outdoors are managed by predators and parasites, but once indoors, you have removed the beneficial predators and the pest is free to develop unmanaged by these good insects. Other than the honeydew, watch or check plants for wax filaments, or tufts of wax or white masses that could easily be egg sacs with hundreds or thousands of potential pests. Mites and thrips can cause the foliage of plants to become stippled or mottled – like azaleas when lace bugs feed on them. Spider mites can produce webbing which can be easily observed. These webs can seriously injure plants and reduce or stop development. Check your plants carefully and be observant of irregularities in plant growth and color. Where needed, treat your plants before you bring them indoors. It will save a lot of time and trouble. Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7.
4. Pantry Pests – This is the time of year when we have an increase in the little insects that invade our stored products like cake mixes, hot chocolate, flour, spices, macaroni, biscuit mix, dried beans, dry pet foods and many others. You may encounter Indian meal moths, drug store beetles, cigarette beetles, Mediterranean flour moths, dermestid beetles, flour beetles, saw toothed grain beetle, Angoumois grain moth and others. To effectively manage these pests, check the expiration dates on packages before you buy them at the store. Many people do not realize that all of these products at one time or another find their way into large warehouses where they are susceptible to infestation from any of these pests. When stored in these warehouses for a long period, these products are very susceptible to infestation. That’s why checking the expiration dates will help lessen the possibility of bringing infested material into your home. These dates tell how fresh a product is, and the fresher the better. None of us wants any extra “protein” in our food. Look at packages when you purchase them. Do not buy a package that is broken or leaking. For packages with clear wrapping, examine them and move things around to be sure nothing is “walking around.” You can help the grocer do a better job by reporting these to him. He definitely does not want to have infested material on his shelves, but occasionally something gets through. These insects also like sweets and will infest candy bars for the chocolate, nuts or other foods in them. In short, look before you eat. Just because it’s wrapped does not mean insects are not there. This is particularly true with candy bars that you have stored for a longtime. Insects will find them in your home just as easily as they do in the stores. One way to keep insects out is to store products in air-tight containers or in the refrigerator or only buy what will be used in a moderate time period. Figures 8, 9 and 10.
[Image: Sawflies]
[Image: Red headed borers]
[Image: Pine sawyers]
[Image: Pyriform scale]
[Image: Household scale] | [Image: Mites on minature rose]
[Image: thrips]
[Image: grain moth]
[Image: grain beetle]
[Image: dermestid] |