A variety of pest problems have developed the past month, and homeowners need a “heads up.”
1. Spiders: At this time of year with crops being harvested and gardens closing down, these hunters are moving to better feeding locations, like your porch or window. The once-thriving populations of insects they feed on are shutting down for the winter, and the few that are still around are being attracted to the lights around your home or business. This make for a big confrontation with the homeowners. They fear all spiders will bite and create a problem when in fact, all spiders are beneficial, catching and feeding on many insects that become snared in their webs. Most will not bite unless handled or grabbed, and then in most cases the bite only resembles a mosquito bite with a little swelling and itching. To be sure of the situation, it is best to try to catch the spider when it bites and have it identified to provide piece of mind. The spiders in the windows or out-of-the-way places are fun to watch as they spin or repair their webs and catch and wrap up insects. To prevent them from coming indoors with you, make sure your door has a good sweep that allows for a good seal on the threshold that assists assist not only in preventing spiders and other pests from coming in doors but it also helps to control heating and cooling losses during the year. The same is true for properly sealed windows. Figure 1.
2. Cigarette/drugstore beetles: A common pest in homes, these little beetles are an aggravation to the homeowner. They are a pest of most dry foods, dog food, flour, dry milk, macaroni, cereals, spices, beans, tobacco, yeast, seeds, fish or meat meal, leather and silk. Life cycles are similar – egg, larva, pupa and adult – but vary in time required to develop. Always check the dates on dry products and be sure they are not expired. The closer to the expiration date, the greater the probability for the product to have an infestation that can spread to other products once in the pantry. Once a pantry is infested, all the dry products must be checked and infested material discarded. Remove all products from storage the area and treat with recommended pyrethroids, and once the area is dry, replace the products. When treating, it is important to treat all cracks and crevices along walls and shelves. Figure 2.
3. Indian meal moths: These moths are about 5/8 to 3/4 inch from wing tip to wing tip. The front third of the wing is pale gray and the outer 2/3 a reddish brown with a coppery luster. The adults lay their eggs on the host material and the larvae begin feeding at emergence. The larvae spin a silken webbing that can be found throughout the infested material. They like grain, grain products, dried fruits, seeds, nuts, crackers, biscuits, chocolate, candies, dried red peppers, dog food and bird seed. Like the cigarette beetle, remove all infested products and treat with a parathyroid, especially along the cracks and crevices. Figure 3.
4. Thrips: These little insects are usually a pest of the plant materials. But when infested plant are brought indoors, the population can explode, They will get on us and cause itching and scratching. They are small and feed on the plants with a rasping mouthpart that causes a stippling winding pattern on the foliage. As the population grows, the stippling coalesces and the foliage gets a bronzed or yellowish appearance. This can cause the plant to stop growing or to shed its foliage,e making the plants unthrifty. Where populations exist, put plants outdoors on a warm day and treat with Spinosad, Orthene or Malathion to control the population. Spinosad-treated material can be returned to the house once the material dries. Orthene- and Malathion-treated plants should be left out until the odor from the application dissipates – about 3 three days.
5. Roaches: Roaches have a great night life. They scurry about wherever they can find a morsel of food left out or dropped at the last meal and not cleaned up. Open trash cans and cluttered counters are a favorite nightspot. Unemptied drain pans under the refrigerator or standing water in the sink with floating food or open candy bags or desserts on the table all attract roaches. Mainly we find the German roach indoors and the American or Smokey brown outside. But with the cool weather and attractive food sources indoors, many will squeeze through the doors with no or incorrectly attached door sweeps and set up housekeeping. Check the sweeps on your doors. Just because you cleaned up will not prevent them from coming inside to avoid the climate change. They like the warmth as well. Avoid bringing in cardboard boxes and storing them. Take things out and discard them because this is a favorite place for roaches to deposit their egg cases. Next thing you know, the new family is scurrying around the house in search of something to eat. Where roaches are seen, use pheromone monitor traps to find out where they are, and then use one of the bait traps or squeeze baits to manage them. These are safe to use and can be put out of reach of children and pets. And you have no drift or lingering spray to be concerned about. Where sprays are used, use the monitor traps to find out where they are, then treat only those areas. Using the baits and monitors along with the door sweeps can effectively mange indoor roach populations and keep the outside roaches outside. Figure 5.
6. Plants indoors: This time of year when the weather changes, many of us pick up out outdoor plants and bring them inside. There are several checks we need to make for potential insect problems that we do not want to bring indoors. The primary two pests include fire ants and termites. The potting soil or the plants themselves can be an attractant for termites particularly if the plants are on the ground. Many times a termite colony will spread into the potted system and become established. If one does not check the pots for their presence we could be bringing a pest that could move from the pot into the home. When the plants are picked up check the area beneath the pots and disturb the soil a couple of inches deep and look for these potential visitors. Fire ants and other species can establish colonies in the potted plants very easily. The soil structure is loose and a favorite of many ants. They could be attracted to the plants because of other insect infestations such as white flies, scales or aphids. All of these insects produce honeydew which is an excellent food source for the ants. Check the plants before bringing indoors and where honeydew or sooty mold are found manage the pest problem before going inside to reduce the sticky honeydew from floors and furniture and the sooty mold growth. This will help manage the ant situation as well. Once treatment is made keep the plants outdoors for a few days to reduce any odors from the treatments.
7. Slugs and snails: This wet and humid weather we are having is excellent for these pests. Many of us are planting pansies and other flowers and these are excellent food sources for the slugs and snails. The mulch we put around them makes excellent bedding material for them to hide in during the day and feed at night. There are several means of managing this population. Beer traps have proven effective but in some cases are time consuming. There are several baits like Mesurol and Methaldehyde and one that contains boric acid called Niban. All means are functional and the boric acid material is extremely safe. If using one of the other products please read and follow label directions as they have a limited use range depending on where you have the problem. Figure 6.
8. Silverfish/firebrats: These two very similar looking pests are found in homes and are often brought in from infested areas in books or cardboard. Both are carrot or teardrop shaped with three long hairs attached to the end of the abdomen. There is no metamorphosis as the immature look like the adults except they cannot reproduce. Silverfish are silvery n color and prefer temperatures between 72 -80 degrees while the firebrat is mottled in color and prefers temperature over 90 degrees. Food source re slightly different as silverfish like proteins over carbohydrates and will feed on paper and paste, dried beef and dead or injured insects and can survive for several weeks without food or water. Firebrats feed on both proteins and carbohydrates and will attack things like rolled oats, dried beef linen, silks, rayon and bond paper. Both are night roamers and hide in cracks and crevices during the day. The normal habitat for the silverfish is any room of the house, while the firebrat prefers hotter areas the attic, boiler rooms, around fire places, hot water heaters, and pipes and around ovens. Management should be directed to borders of rooms and cracks and crevices where they hide during the day. Figure 7.
9. Mosquitoes: These pests are not just limited to the summer. With the rains we have had recently they populations should be very high until reduced by the cold weather. Remember to remove all standing water systems around the home and work areas to help reduce populations. Potted plants with saucers are a convenient and often overlooked breeding ground for mosquitoes. Where problems occur contact your local mosquito district office for treatment. If not available the homeowner can fog the area around the home prior to parties or gatherings but residual is limited to just a few hours. Mosquito traps work but placement is critical. When using repellents be sure to read the label and apply properly to prevent injury or irritation to eyes. There is a world of products on the market check the labels before you buy one to make sure it meets your needs. Figure 8.
10. Brown recluse: this spider is probably the most feared in the state although we have two other that can be just as bad. The characteristic color and markings of the spider are the best identifying characters. The venom is a necrotoxin and can affect the person in one of three ways. The bite may swell and redden and turn hard and that’s all, it may cause a series of blisters or it could create a large open ulcerated wound that could take surgery to address. Whenever bitten by a spider be sure to try and bring to spider to the doctor for identification, this can save you a lot of worry and needless treatment. These spiders like secluded areas and are night movers. Hunters come in contact with them through their stored hunting clothes. They pull them out of the storage area and slip them on without checking or washing first. Once on they feel something crawling on them and slap or try to mash it and that’s when they are bitten. Be safe; wash stored clothing before putting on. Figure 9.
11. Bed bugs: they get their name from the association of biting people while they are in bed asleep. These night feeding pests are very mobile and quick. Stop at a hotel /motel where they are and put your luggage down, they will crawl in and go home with you. Bed bugs come out of the crack and crevices or from between the bedding, along the walls, behind pictures, in the phones by the bed or in the bed frame at night and will feed on you. They require a blood meal for reproduction. When stopping for the night one can check the bedding for blood spots and signs of an infestation, if found I would checkout and go a little further down the road. One can collect and bring home specimens from the movies, the train, bus, airplane or boats. The other notable sign of an infestation is an obnoxiously sweet odor. Figure 10.
Until next Month
Dale
[Image: sipders at home.]
[Image: Stored products pests.]
[Image: pest of stored grains and dry products.]
[Image: thrips and damage]
[Image: Three roach pests.] | [Image: slimy pests.]
[Image: silver fish and firebrat]
[Image: Blood sucker]
[Image: poisonus spiders]
[Image: another blood sucker] |