First mosquito of the season

Posted on by
yellow fever mosquito

Before it’s old news, I wanted to make it official.  It’s Aedes (AID ees) season again in north Texas.  Last weekend I spotted my first Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquitoes) of the season.  So from now until November, get used to having these pesky mosquitoes around.

Alex Wild, curator of the insect museum at the University of Texas in Austin (the OTHER Texas University) tweeted his first Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquito) of the season a month ago.  Since then I’ve been tempting my local backyard mosquito population with my succulent, winter-white legs while doing yard work, to see when my first mosquito of the year would appear. Until last Saturday, there were no takers.

Generally the Aedes season in the Dallas area starts in mid- to late-April.  So this week’s mosquitoes were right on schedule.  Numbers generally peak in June, but remain high through October.

Ae albopictus by Susan Ellis bugwood.org

Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, along with its cousin the yellow fever mosquito, may be a Zika virus carrier this summer. Though markings on the thorax are different, both species have a dark body with white bands on the legs.

Despite my nerdy entomologist status, I’m not happy to see the return of these mosquitoes.  For one thing, they are especially annoying biters.  Their bites are itchy and their behavior is sneaky! One colleague recently referred to them as “ninja mosquitoes”.  They slip in, take a quick meal, and slip out before you notice anything amiss.  Three minutes later you’re itching like crazy. There’s little chance for revenge by slapping, because they’re so skittish and so fast–they’re usually gone before you know it. And no time or place is safe from these blood suckers.  Both are daytime and evening biters, and both will readily come indoors.

Perhaps the worst thing about Aedes is their potential as disease carriers.  Until now, neither mosquito was considered important health-wise in the U.S. Despite its ominous name, the yellow fever mosquito hasn’t had any yellow fever virus to transmit in the U.S. for many years (due to aggressive mosquito control measures and a vaccine). Neither was thought to be a significant vector of West Nile virus or the other encephalitid diseases that occasionally pop up in our country.

The arrival to the New World of chikungunya virus in 2013 and Zika in 2015 changes all that. The yellow fever mosquito, previously an important carrier of dengue fever, is almost certainly now also the principal vector (carrier) of both of these diseases in Latin America.  While dengue fever occasionally flares up in south Texas and Florida, it’s never really gotten established this side of the Rio Grande.  Even the easily-spread chikungunya virus has not found a home here.

Zika may be different. It’s highly contagious, and its health implications are more significant than chikungunya.  Scientists also think that the Asian tiger mosquito may be competent to spread Zika in the U.S. This is especially alarming because of the tiger mosquito’s more northerly range and greater numerical abundance here.  What’s not in question is that both mosquitoes are here in abundance, and stand ready to assume the role of disease carrier should the disease and right conditions come along.

These Aedes mosquitoes are not difficult to recognize.  Both are small and fast for mosquitoes.  Their entire body is covered with dark or black scales, but they have distinct white markings on the mouth parts, thorax and legs.  If you see a small black mosquito with distinct white rings around the joints on the legs, you are probably looking at one of these two mosquitoes.

It’s difficult to completely eliminate the breeding sites of these mosquitoes because they take advantage of many small water reservoirs.  The adult females are what are called “skip ovipositors”, meaning that they lay only a few eggs in any given breeding container, then move on to another site.  This type of behavior makes these mosquitoes more difficult to control through breeding site elimination because when one site is eliminated, they move on in search of another.

I can testify as to the difficulty of eliminating breeding sites.  I keep a close eye on any standing water in my backyard, but we still have high numbers of tiger mosquitoes in our yard every summer.  Although these mosquitoes do not travel far from their breeding sites, they could easily be coming from a neighbor’s yard not as well patrolled as mine.  Also, despite my diligence, I still continually find new spots with standing water after a rain. As in the memorable line from Jurassic Park, “Life (nature) will not be contained… [it] always finds a way.”

So if you’ve ignored the many warnings to wear mosquito repellent in recent years, and think you’re immune to diseases like Zika or West Nile virus, you might want to reconsider.  We don’t know whether, or how bad, Zika will be in the U.S. this summer; but it has the potential to pop up anywhere, without warning.  So far the only cases in Texas have been with travelers, or via sexual transmission, but the mosquito season is just getting started and Texas is a high risk state.

So keep those white legs covered, or else well protected with repellent, as you venture out in the garden this summer.  Let’s not let this be the summer of Zika.

Zika Virus: What you need to know

Posted on by
zika risk map

What is chikungunya and should I care?

Last December I wrote about bracing for a new mosquito-borne disease called Zika.  Since then, evidence of a connection between Zika virus and two scary health conditions called Guillian-Barré syndrome and microcephaly has grown.

Although there are still no known cases of Zika being acquired from mosquitoes locally, from within the U.S., there is a real possibility that Zika virus could reach Texas this summer.  If so, these issues will become as important to the average stay-at-home Texan, as it is to those folks who are willing to brave the traveler warnings and visit Zika-infested areas of Latin America this year.

Public health officials feel that the most likely scenario, if Zika does enter Texas, is that there will be small “pockets” of locally acquired human cases that start from infectious travelers returning from the summer Olympics in Brazil, or from other travel to the Caribbean (think cruises!) or any of the infected Central and South American countries.  If this happens it will lead to intense concern, especially among families of women of child bearing age.  Risk will be highest during the warmest months of the year, May to October.

The National Center for Atmospheric Research recently developed a map of areas with the highest potential risk of locally acquiring the virus. The map is based on international traffic and how common the primary mosquito carrier of Zika is in the various cities.  In Texas the highest risk cities include Houston and Dallas, Brownsville and San Antonio.

Many U.S. cities face potential risk in summer of low, moderate, or high populations of the mosquito species that transmits Zika virus (colored circles). The mosquito has been observed in parts of the United States (shaded portion of map) and can establish populations in additional cities because of favorable summertime meteorological conditions. In addition, Zika risk may be elevated in cities with more air travelers arriving from Latin America and the Caribbean (larger circles). For a high-resolution map, click here or on the image. (Image based on data mapped by Olga Wilhelmi, NCAR GIS program. This image is freely available for media & nonprofit use.)

NCAR estimate of risk for locally acquired Zika virus in the U.S. Colors represent the likelihood of Aedes aegypti being present, the mosquito species that transmits Zika virus. The mosquito has been observed in parts of the United States (shaded portion of map) and can establish populations in additional cities because of favorable summertime meteorological conditions. Circle size relates to the number of air travelers arriving from Latin America and the Caribbean. Based on data mapped by Olga Wilhelmi, NCAR GIS program (Image freely available for media & nonprofit use).

Texas AgriLife Extension recently published a new fact sheet titled “What Texans Need to Know About Zika Virus”. There are many good links to additional information through this fact sheet, so if you have any interest in the subject, this is a must read.

In addition, there are two new AgriLife website on Zika including the Preventing Zika site,  and the ZIKA 360 site  put out by the Texas A&M Health Science Center. These are excellent resources, and include text, videos and infographics.

Lastly, don’t forget the interactive Mosquito Safari website. It’s a great resource for people who to learn about the different kinds of mosquitoes, what kinds of places mosquitoes breed around the home, and how to control mosquitoes.

Controlling fire ants in sensitive areas

Posted on by
fire ant

fire ant carrying food USDA1148021Among the common questions I receive about fire ants include questions on how to control them within vegetable gardens, compost bins and (increasingly) chicken coops.

My favorite tool for fire ant control is use of fire ant bait broadcast over the entire home lawn and landscape.  This is an inexpensive and environmentally friendly way to keep fire ants away.  To learn more about this, check out the Texas Two-Step Method factsheet.  However, the most commonly available baits do not allow direct use in vegetable gardens or many areas with livestock. I suppose the EPA is concerned about baits falling into vegetables, like lettuce, and being directly consumed by people or livestock.  Fortunately, there is a simple alternative.

In most cases the simplest way to get fire ants out of a small- to medium-sized garden, compost bin or chicken coop is to apply a fast acting fire ant bait around the outside perimeter of the site.  This should be a legal application for all fire ant baits (check your label to be sure), and since fire ants do not pay much attention to garden edges or fences, the inside ants will readily pick up bait from the surrounding ground.  Yes, the bait does end up inside the garden or livestock area anyway, but only inside the fire ant nests, where there is no risk of it being picked up by chickens or contaminating leafy vegetables.

For larger gardens or crop and pasture land where perimeter treatments might be less effective, several fire ant baits may be used.  Spinosad and abamectin-containing baits generally allow garden application (e.g., Clinch®, Fertilome® Come and Get It, and Payback®).  In addition, Extinguish® (but not Extinguish Plus) fire ant bait containing methoprene has a label that allows use on cropland, pastures and rangeland.  Extinguish® is an excellent long-term control option, especially in larger sites; but it is too slow for most gardeners, requiring approximately two months for maximum control. Avoid applying any of these baits to areas where poultry or other fowl are actively foraging.

In addition to baits, mounds can be treated directly with any of several mound drenches labeled for use in gardens.  The eXtension website contains recommendations for a two-step (bait and mound treatment) approach to fire ant control in both conventional and organic vegetable gardens.

Alternatively, ant colonies inside a vegetable garden, chicken coop or compost bin can sometimes be successfully removed with a shovel and a straight-sided 5 gallon bucket. To keep the fire ants from climbing the shovel handle or escaping the bucket, liberally dust both shovel handle and bucket insides with talcum powder.  The talc will keep fire ants in for a short while.  Shovel quickly and go deep to attempt to remove the queen(s).  Once the nest is contained in the bucket, it can be dispatched by flooding with soapy water. Or you can surreptitiously dispose of it in the backyard of a pesky neighbor (just kidding).

Appreciation to Dr. Paul Nester (Texas A&M AgriLife) for supplying some of the information used in this post.

New books on bees

Posted on by
solitary bee on flower

IMG_1465If bookstores are any indication, it seems bees are getting lots of love these days.  Lots of new resources and references are available on bees.  So I thought I would share a few of the resources that I know of that might be of interest to any of you looking to expand your knowledge of these important  insects.

Good luck with your garden season this year. And remember that planting a wide variety of nectar and pollen plants that bloom throughout the spring, summer and fall is the best way to preserve pollinators for Texas.

Crane flies, not mosquitoes

Posted on by
crane fly xtra close up
The long-legged crane flies are one of the early insect harbingers of spring.

The long-legged crane flies are one of our early harbingers of spring. Like all flies, crane flies have only two functional wings–though the remnants of the second set of wings, borne by most insects, are visible here as small knobby structures behind the flying wings.

While concern about mosquitoes floats over the digital airwaves this month, annual flying hosts of crane flies quietly fill the real air over cities and fields throughout Texas.  Crane flies are most apparent each year in our state during the late winter/early spring.  I think of them as one of the first signs that spring is nearly upon us.

The common name “mosquito hawk” is sometimes given to these flies; however the name usually comes with the belief that these clumsy, long-legged insects are predators, perhaps on mosquitoes.  Nothing could be further from the truth. Crane flies are among the gentlest of insects. Some are nectar feeders, sipping sweet sugars from plants and possibly helping out a little with pollination in the process. Other species lack mouth parts entirely. Instead, the adults live out their short lives relying on fat reserves built up during their underground larval stage.

crane fly2

Adult crane flies are most commonly found in low, leafy vegetation around streams and lakes. But at certain times of year they are common in urban areas around houses and doorways.

Crane fly larvae are rarely seen by all but the most dedicated (nerdy?) naturalists.  These long, legless, worm-like creatures may be found in many types of moist soil, sandy areas along streams, rotting vegetation, mosses, or even feeding on organic matter in the nests of birds and mammals.  Very few are considered pests, though the European leatherjacket can be a pest of turfgrass in Europe and some parts of the U.S. (not Texas).

Many people see crane flies and perhaps think that the mosquitoes are coming out larger and earlier every year.  But crane flies are generally active before our pest mosquitoes. Crane flies can be distinguished from mosquitoes by their larger size; but also by their wings, which lack the scales found on mosquito wings.

As for their place in nature?  They are undoubtedly greatly appreciated by hungry birds at this time of year, as well as smaller mammals, fish, spiders and predatory insects.

Enjoy crane flies while they last.  And keep in mind that as adults, these flies only have love on their tiny minds.  The sole purpose of the adult crane fly is to mate and, for the females, to lay eggs for next spring’s crop of flies.  Crane flies are harmless to handle, so the next time one makes its way indoors, simply cup it gently to release outdoors.  Think of it as a romantic gesture.

 

Changing retail market affects scale treatment options

Posted on by
crape myrtle bark scale
The crapemyrtle bark scale can be controlled with two over-the-counter insecticides; but the names and availability of these products are constantly changing.

The crapemyrtle bark scale can be controlled with two over-the-counter insecticides; but the names and availability of these products are constantly changing.

In my Master Gardener classes one of the most confusing aspects of learning insecticides is common vs. trade names.  It’s actually not too different from retail and common names of over-the-counter drugs.  Tylenol® is one well known trade name for the active ingredient with the common name acetaminophen.  There are many other trade names for products that contain the same active ingredient, including Anacin® and Excedrin®, to name just two.

In the same way, insecticides have common and trade names.  Acephate is the common name for an insecticide often labeled Orthene®.  Carbaryl is the common name for an insecticide often sold under the Sevin® trade name.

Most extension fact sheets and websites refer to pesticides by their common names.  We do this so as to not imply endorsement of any particular brand, and because there are often too many trade names to list them all.  Unfortunately, few people take the time to read the common names in fine print on the active ingredients list of labels.  Instead, most of us look for the big trade name splashed in colorful fonts across the front of the neatly shelved bottles at the garden center.

Our dependence on trade names is a little dangerous when it comes to selecting a product that we know will work consistently, and do just what we want it to do.  This came home to me this morning when a caller was having difficulty finding two insecticides that we are recommending for control of the new crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS) pest affecting many landscapes.

Our recommended insecticides for suppression of this scale pest include imidacloprid and dinotefuran.  These are two systemic insecticides in the neonicotinoid class of insecticides.  Currently they are the most effective insecticides for CMBS that we have for the consumer market.  They are best applied as a drench to the soil around infested trees.  The past few years they have been sold under the trade names of Bayer Advanced Garden® Tree & Shrub Insect Control and Greenlight Safari®.  No longer.

If you are looking for either of these active ingredients today, you may have to go online, and will likely be sold under different trade names.  For example, the former Bayer Advanced Garden® product is no longer listed on the Bayer website, except as a combination formulation with a fertilizer.  It is now called Bayer Advanced Garden® 12 Month Tree and Shrub Protect and Feed, and includes another active ingredient called clothianidin (a related product that also controls scale).  You can still find imidacloprid in its original version under different trade names such as Monterey Once-a-Year Insect Control®, Merit® and Prime Source Imidacloprid 2F Select™, among other products online.

The retail formulator Greenlight has recently been bought by Scotts’ Brands, and dinotefuran is no longer sold by that manufacturer.  This means that consumers may have to look harder online for formulations with this active ingredient. A few that I found after a quick search included Venom Insecticide, Zylam, and Safari 20 SG. Unfortunately, the problem with these formulations is that they are in larger containers that may cost over $100, a price that most consumers will balk at.

Part of the problem is that many modern insecticides are increasingly specialized. This leads manufacturers to chase larger markets by creating combo products that include ingredients that might not be needed by all consumers (such as combination fertilizer+insecticide formulations).  It can also lead to manufacturers dropping useful insecticides because they don’t kill enough different kinds of pests to reach a big customer base.

The growth of online pesticide retailers may help out the consumer looking for less common insecticides.  I find myself going to the online DIY pest control shops frequently looking for information about retail availability of insecticides, and for copies of labels.  Though I am a little wary about insecticides being sold online without the buyer having the chance to first talk to a knowledgeable sales person, I applaud most of these online retailers for making product labels accessible to the shopper.  I have a harder time finding labels with some manufacturer websites than I do with most of the DIY sites.

If you do choose to purchase an insecticide online, please read the label first. The label will tell you whether you can use the pesticide in the site you have in mind, whether it will control your pest, and what the environmental and health safety issues are.  Also make sure that the product can be used in your state.  If you can’t find a label on the site, it might be best to shop elsewhere.

If I had my way, trade names for insecticides would be short and easy to remember, and wouldn’t change every year.  But I guess that’s part of the marketing game, and it probably won’t go away tomorrow.  As it is, all the changes are enough to give anyone a headache.  I think I’ll go take a Tylenol®.

Lyme disease ticks in Texas

Posted on by
Deer tick adult - USDA
Adult deer ticks are small, only about 3 mm long.

Adult deer ticks are small, only about 3 mm long.  Photo courtesy USDA/ARS.

The good news is that the number of Lyme disease cases appears to be low and even declining in Texas.  The bad news is that the tick that carries Lyme disease is well established in Texas and its range appears to be expanding.

Even though we don’t hear as much about it here in Texas, Lyme disease is the most common insect-transmitted disease in the U.S.–even more than west Nile virus.  Caused by a bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, and carried by infected black-legged ticks, Lyme can be a chronic debilitating disease of humans.  Initial symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and skin rash.  Left undiagnosed and untreated, the disease can spread to the heart, joints and the nervous system.

By far the greatest number of Lyme disease cases, over 20,000 a year, are seen in the upper midwest and northeastern states.  But Texas sees dozens of cases every year, mostly within the Golden Triangle region between Houston, Dallas and Austin.  Some of these cases occur in individuals who have been bitten by ticks outside the state, but many infections occur when people come in contact with a tick here in Texas.

The black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis, is thought to be the principal vector of Lyme disease in Texas. The adult is active during the fall and winter, and nymphs are active in spring and summer. Both nymphs and adults are capable of transmitting the bacterium to humans.

Doctors are concerned about rising number of cases in some parts of the country, and a geographical expansion of the area where Lyme disease occurs.  A new study by CDC researchers showing an expansion in the range of the tick might explain the spread of the disease.

2015 distribution of blacklegged ticks in the U.S. Red and blue counties show the current range of the eastern blacklegged tick and green counties show the range of the western species of tick.

2015 distribution of two species of blacklegged ticks in the U.S. Red and blue counties show the current range of the eastern blacklegged tick and green counties show the range of the western species of tick.  (Eisen et al. 2016).  Red and dark green shaded counties are where 6 or more ticks have been recorded in a year, and the tick is considered established.

Researchers have now found blacklegged ticks in 49% of all U.S. counties spread across 43 states. This represents an increase of almost 45% from 1998, when tick distribution was last mapped.  The status of nine Texas counties changed from “previously unreported” or simply “reported”, to a higher status of “reported” or “established” (six or more ticks or two or more life stages collected in a year).  The tick has now been reported from 71 (28%) out of the 254 Texas counties.

So what to make of all this? We know that Texas has the Lyme disease carrying tick, and that a few to dozens of people contract the disease from outdoor activity in Texas every year.  And these numbers are likely underestimates, because Lyme disease is less frequently tested for here than in parts of the country where it is known better and more common.  We also know that the ticks that carry Lyme disease are doing well enough to be showing up in more, rather than fewer, counties every year.

This research reminds me that any time I venture outdoors I need to be aware of ticks and the possibility of bringing home a tick or an infection (Lyme disease is only one of several tick-borne diseases found in the state).  We should all use tick repellent and inspect ourselves and our companions for ticks when venturing outdoors.

Permethrin-containing sprays applied to clothing are the most effective repellents for ticks, though skin applied repellents can also help.  Learn how to remove a tick by grasping close to the head with tweezers or protected fingers to pull straight out.  The sooner a tick is removed the less chance for disease transmission. The CDC advises to avoid folklore remedies such as “painting” the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin. Your goal is to remove the tick as quickly as possible–not waiting for it to detach.  Also, heat and suffocants, like grease, may actually stimulate the tick to salivate, increasing your potential for infection.

Although chances of infection with a tick-borne disease in Texas are relatively low, should you experience a rash, fever, headache, joint or muscle pains, or swollen lymph nodes within 30 days after being bitten by a tick, tell your doctor .  Knowing that a tick might have been involved will provide her with information she needs to properly diagnose the problem.

Ten top pests that can hurt your home

Posted on by
termite swarmers with wings
IMG_0209b

Subterranean termite swarmers emerge during the day, usually in the spring month. Every homeowner should recognize this insect.

In a recent paper, researchers from North Carolina State University tried to estimate how many species of insect-like critters (arthropods) could be found in homes.  They intensively searched 50 North Carolina houses and looked for as many different kinds of living and dead arthropods as they could find. Altogether they identified 579 different species from 304 different families.  In fact, out of the 554 rooms scoured for the research, only 5 rooms had no detectable arthropods at all (I bet they didn’t look hard enough).

It shouldn’t come as much surprise to any biologist that insects and their relatives are so successful at invading our homes.  After all, arthropods are the most diverse and successful organisms on the planet. Indeed, some animals have evolved along with humans, actually becoming specialists at living off our cast off treasures.  What should be surprising is that we still know so little about our roommates.

So in the spirit of getting to know our “roomies” better, I thought it might be fun to gather a Top Ten list of insects (and others) that can affect the value of our homes.  Yes, I said affect the value of your home!  In fact, I think this list should be required reading for any new home owner.  Here we go:

  • Termites cause over $5 billion of damage to property in the U.S. each year, according to the National Pest Management Association.  And damage by termites is typically not covered by homeowner’s insurance.  Termite control is not for amateurs. A professional can help you identify the species you are fighting and use an effective control to protect your home.  Luckily, tools for termite control have improved and gotten safer over the years. So if you find termites in your home, there’s no good excuse to not call a termite expert.
  • Powderpost beetles in the subfamily Lyctinae can be a major headache, especially for new homeowners in Texas and throughout the South.  Lyctid beetles attack hardwood only, so will not destroy a home; but they can infest molding, flooring, cabinets, doors, and other hardwood furniture.  Look for small (1/32 to 1/16 inch diameter) round holes in wood.  Active infestations are recognized by the presence of very fine sawdust coming from the holes. Powderpost beetles can affect the sale-ability and price of your home and they are reportable on state wood destroying insect reports required for home loans in most states.  Most lyctid beetle infestations occur in new homes (1-5 years old) that have been built with infested wood.  Removing infested wood is usually the most economical solution.
  • Carpenter ants are major structural pests in some parts of the country, especially the Pacific Northwest. While they don’t eat wood, the well-muscled jaws of carpenter ants are fully capable of hollowing out solid pine or fir lumber to make nest galleries. This is not so true in Texas, where our species tend to avoid the hard work of boring into wood, and content themselves living in void areas inside hollow doors, behind insulation and in softer styrofoam insulation panels.  Nevertheless, carpenter ants are considered wood destroyers in most states and are reportable on real estate transactions.  And even our mild, southern carpenter ants can be quite a nuisance when they forage indoors looking for water and sweets.
  • Rats and mice.  Yes, I know they’re not insects, but rats and mice in your home are some of the most unhealthy and damaging pests around.  Ignore these little critters at your own peril.  It’s estimated that a single cute little house mouse leaves behind 3,000 microdroplets of urine a day.  This urine, which contains a host of bacteria and viruses, ends up wherever the mice travel: kitchen counters, floors, silverware drawers and food cupboards.  Their larger rat cousins, the roof and Norway rats, also leave behind feces and urine with pathogens capable of spreading salmonella, murine typhus and other maladies.  Even worse for your home, rats will damage and contaminate insulation and chew on attic wiring.  They may have been cute in Ratatouillee, and you have to admire their resourcefulness, but believe me when I say you don’t want these guys in your home.  While rodenticides can be effective, they often result in animals dying in the attic or walls or other undesirable location.  Use snap traps for limited infestations.
  • Squirrels can also be incredibly destructive to your home.  They chew holes in siding and soffits, they start families in your attic, they even damage trees in your yard.  And together with rats and mice, these rodents are thought to be the cause of up to 25% of all mystery fires–fires for which the cause cannot be determined with certainty.  If you hear the rapid pitter-patter of footsteps in your attic, especially during the day, chances are you have squirrels.  Exclusion and one-way doors installed by a professional are effective ways of dealing with squirrels that make their way indoors.
  • Honey bees are great outdoors, in a hive, kept by a beekeeper; but they become an expensive house wrecker when allowed indoors.  Within a few days of finding their way indoors, a bee colony of 30,000 bees can build a several pound hive.  As the hive continues to grow, it becomes a sizeable mass of wax, honey, and propolis.  If killed by insecticide, a dead hive will leak fermenting honey and melted wax (the bees normally keep wax from melting in hot environments), and dead bees.  It will also attract insect scavengers, moths, and rodents.  A significant part of the cost of bee extermination is removal of the nest. Make sure whoever you hire has experience and knows what they are doing.  BTW, you may be able to get someone to extract the bees alive; but this isn’t always practical and it usually costs you more. Wild honey bees are not endangered in any way, so you shouldn’t feel guilty about exterminating a wild bee nest where it’s not wanted.
  • Indoor ants may not physically damage your home, but they reduce the pleasure of living there. Knowing what kind of ant you have is an important step in control. Some ants live mostly outside, and some ants are finicky about what baits they will feed on. So find someone who can identify your ants, or use this online guide for Texas ants.  It’s generally a good idea to avoid the use of sprays against ants, at least indoors.  Baits are a safer and more effective option for most ants.  Liquid ant baits are more effective than solid bait pellets inside plastic stations.  Place bait containers out of reach of children and wherever ants are seen.  Don’t spray around the bait stations because sprays are often repellent. You want the ants to come to the bait and carry it home to share with their sisters.
  • Fire ants are a major pest in the southern U.S.  Besides reducing the aesthetic and recreational value of your home, fire ants can damage transformer boxes, air conditioning and other electrical relay switches, causing power outages.  The good news is that fire ants are not that difficult to control.  Use the Texas Two-Step method outside your home to reduce fire ant colonies and reduce the risk of damage.
  • German cockroaches in the home are both repugnant and unhealthy.  Research has shown that children growing up in homes with German cockroaches are more likely to suffer from allergies and asthma.  Their feces and shed skins are allergenic and can carry pathogens.  German cockroaches require a vigorous cleanup effort, and careful use of baits.  If you do these two things right, sprays are not usually needed for good cockroach control.  For more information, see our free publication on cockroaches.
  • Bed bugs reduce the attractiveness and livability of any home.  While bed bugs are not known to carry disease, their presence is highly undesirable and causes soiling of bedding, home and furniture. I recently spoke to a prospective buyer of a very expensive home who was considering backing out of the deal because she found out the previous owner had had bed bugs.  Fortunately, the owner had hired a good company with experienced staff who did all the right things, and had records showing that the problem had been taken care of.  If you are unfortunate enough to have bed bugs, I encourage you to hire a good professional. Additional suggestions and information about control can be found here.

All Bugs Good and Bad webinar series

Posted on by
Bumblebees on aster

If part of your new year resolutions was to take charge of your life (and enhance your knowledge base about insects!) have we got a deal for you.  This year the eXtension group (pronounced EE-extension) is offering a new series of webinars on insect-related topics that you can take advantage of from the comfort of your easy chair or desk or wherever you log on.

For gardeners topics will include fruit and vegetable insect control, fire ants, bee protection, proper fertilization and even snakes!  For homeowners and apartment dwellers, webinars will cover cockroach and rodent control.  The cool thing about these seminars is that they are offered by different experts from all over the country, so each class is a unique learning experience.

So resolve to get off the couch (at least to get your computer) and login to really useful information. It’s time to take charge of pests before they take charge of you.

For more information, go to the eXtension page for the All Bugs Good and Bad Webinar Series.

Rodents in attics

Posted on by
squirrel eating nut

There are few household maintenance issues as alarming or frustrating as hearing rodent footsteps in the ceiling or attic.  This happened to me earlier this year in my home, and recently my wife’s office has been hearing the pitter-patter of tiny feet above the ceiling tiles at their place of work.

At my home the culprit turned out to be a squirrel that had loosened mortar on the roof/siding interface on my roof.  A 1/2 inch gap is all that a squirrel needs to get into an attic.  In my wife’s office the most likely culprits are roof rats based on where the noises are coming from.  Squirrels are especially destructive through their chewing activities, sometimes opening large holes in soffits and fascia, and chewing on wires inside the structure.

IMG_0191

A professionally installed one-way door for squirrels. The squirrel can get out, but can’t get back in.

Squirrel control generally requires installing a one-way door or repeater trap on the roof where squirrels are gaining entry. There are no toxic baits labeled for squirrels, nor should baiting ever be attempted for these animals.  Because of the challenges of gaining access to the roof, and knowing how best to set traps and doors in a variety of odd situations, and the complication that comes with squirrels and their babies, it’s best to hire a professional. Personally I know my limits when it comes to scurrying around roofs, and my roof is too steep for me to get around safely. I hired a professional to install a one-way door at the suspected entry point and problem solved.

Roof rats are quite common in our urban communities in east Texas and throughout the south. They are not a problem to be ignored.  Rats can cause significant problems in attics where they contaminate stored items and may chew on wiring with the potential to start a fire.

Should you experience a roof rat infestation in your home, the first step is to inspect and seal the most likely entry points.  Too many people ignore this step, and end up failing to eliminate their problem. For most homes the most likely entry points include gaps around the garage door, venting and flashing on the roof, and ground-level gaps under and around siding.  If you have an older home with a crawl space, there may be numerous possible entry points under the home.

A roof rat can enter a home through a gap under a door as narrow as 1/2 inch, or a hole the size of a quarter.  So rodent proofing should be thorough.  Depending on the site, holes and gaps can be filled with cement, low expansion-expanding foam (careful not to use too much) and brass or stainless steel wool (an excellent, non-staining product that is even easier to use is called Xcluder).  If you’re not up to climbing your roof, you might want to employ a pest control professional for the pest proofing step.

rat-juvenile in trap

Snap traps are fast and humane. Suitable baits for roof rats include seeds, fruit, chocolate, peanut butter, and even cotton balls (for nesting material). This rat gained access to the home through an attic.

Controlling the rodents inside your home is the second step. The two basic control options include snap traps or bait.  Snap traps are fast and humane (compared to glue boards), but they require some skill in setting and must be checked often (daily is best) to remove the dead rats (if this isn’t your cup of tea, hire a professional).  The most common mistake with snap traps is not putting out enough traps.  If you think you have one rat in your attic, you probably have more.  A good rule of thumb is to triple the number of traps that you think you need, and keep them freshly baited.

In an attic, place snap traps wherever you find droppings, and usually along rafters or next to stored boxes.  Because access to most attics is limited to central areas of the attic, trapping usually is also restricted to a small portion of the attic.  For this reason, sometimes pre-baiting (putting unset traps out with food) for several days to a week might be desirable to acclimate the rats to coming to these central locations, that they might otherwise avoid.

Rodenticides are my second choice for rodent control because of the potential for dead rats in inaccessible areas and the (usually very low) chance for secondary poisoning of pets or predatory birds.  Usually produced as solid blocks with wax to make them weather resistant, baits can be an effective tool, especially when there are more than just a few rodents.  In my opinion, the big disadvantage of baiting is that the rats can die anywhere in the house (don’t believe anyone who tells you baits “make the rats thirsty and they go outside to die”).  And this inevitably leads to dead animal smells and sometimes, indoor fly infestations.

Baits should always be secured within a bait station or on a wire so that they can be retrieved later, when control is achieved.  Baits thrown into the corners of an attic, and which are not eaten, can create a stored product pest infestation later.  Most rodent baits sold today in the U.S. are required to be secured in a child-resistant bait station, and can only be used in or around a structure.  Place bait stations in areas where droppings are found, or near suspected rodent entry points.

Rodent control can be challenging, and whole books can and have been written about rodent control around homes. If you are not sure what kind of rodent might be infesting your attic, or not sure you’re up to doing the dirty work of rodent control, don’t hesitate to hire an experienced professional. For more information about roof rats and their control, click here.  And for information about tree squirrels in and around homes, click here.