Insect Updates - Page 16 of 32 - Insects in the City

Update on new scale pest of crape myrtle

Posted on April 3, 2014 by p-porter

Texans (and many other southerners) love their crape myrtles! And why not? It’s one of the few trees that bear colorful flower displays through much of the summer, come in a variety of stunning colors, is easy to grow, and until now has been relatively pest free. Unfortunately, the pest-free reputation is changing with the advent of a new exotic scale pest.

An urban lan scape planting of crape myrtles in Beijiing, China. The black trunks are evidence of a heavy infestation of crape myrtle bark scales.

Several years ago I wrote about a new scale pest of crape myrtle. At that time we speculated that it was a newly introduced species of Eriocccid scale from Asia called crape myrtle bark scale (CMBS). Today, thanks to help from researchers from the University of Arkansas and the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection service, we are a little closer to confirming those suspicions. Molecular and microscopic examinations are pointing to an exotic origin for this new scale.

Dr. Mengmeng Gu, Extension Horticulture specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife, had a chance to see these scales in their native Asian environment in a trip to China last year. The messy crape myrtles she saw there stimulated her interest in learning more about the scale here in Texas. As a result, she and I cooperated with the University of Arkansas to put out new Texas and Arkansas fact sheets on this pest this year.

Crape myrtle bark scale is a small white scale that bleeds pink when crushed. They can be found on the trunks branches and twigs of crape myrtle (Photo by Erfan Vafaie).

The year 2013 was a busy one for CMBS. Thanks in part to Dr. Gu’s network of horticulture colleagues, the scale was reported last year for the first time from sites in Arkansas, Louisiana, and the Memphis area of Tennessee. In addition, the scale now appears to be established outside the Dallas/Fort Worth area (where it was first found) in Tyler, Longview, and College Station, Texas, as well as in Ardmore, OK.

Chances are that, if you live in the South, you will eventually experience this pest. If you are interested in learning more about CMBS, Dr. Gu asked me to talk about this pest yesterday in a Webinar now posted on YouTube. In the webinar I discuss the appearance and damage caused by CMBS, how it is spread, and what is known about control. Control recommendations are also listed in my previous post as well as the fact sheets mentioned above.

If you encounter this scale in areas outside those listed here, I would be interested in knowing about it. We hope to eventually have a website where sightings can be more easily reported.

Bee protests are cute, but…

Posted on March 21, 2014 by p-porter

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W5PQbitoS4#t=115[/youtube]A recent protest by organic activists outside a Chicago Home Depot highlighted the current debate over pesticides and bees. It also reminded me that no one wants to go on record as being “against the bees”. Check out the video above.

Let’s face it. Despite their sometimes dangerous side, bees rank relatively high on most people’s list of favorite insects. After all, bees are a sure sign of spring (much needed this year). And they make honey for goodness sake. And, as the beekeeping industry keeps reminding us, a significant portion of agriculture depends on bees (honey bees especially) for pollination services.

The protesters in the above video are protesting the retail sale of “bee-killing” insecticides called neonicotinoids. They represent groups demanding that these insecticides not be sold, and that stores begin selling only nursery plants that have not been treated with these insecticides.

Briefly, the controversy comes down to recent studies suggesting that neonicotinoids may be more toxic to bees than previously thought. In light of growing concerns about declines in honey bee colony health from colony collapse disorder (CCD), some bee defenders have concluded that neonicotinoids are the principal cause, and want their use sharply curtailed or even eliminated (see my post on this subject from last year). Hence the protest.

If neonicotinoids comprised a minor group of obscure insecticides, this might be a minor issue. But neonicotinoids are the biggest selling class of insecticides worldwide. In other words, neonicotinoids are big money. But more important than that (from my perspective anyway), neonicotinoids today play a major role in pest management for pest control, agriculture and the ornamental plant protection industries. They serve as a group of highly effective insecticides with low risk to people and birds, which can be applied systemically to the soil. So the stakes surrounding the issue are quite high.

Of course, media-friendly protests serve a purpose of raising awareness, but they are not very good for serious debate of an issue. And in this case the issues are complex and still partly unsettled scientifically.

As I pointed out last year, bee experts are mostly in agreement that colony collapse disorder in honey bees is not as simple as using “bad” pesticides. In fact pesticides may have little to do with bee declines in some areas. Australia may be instructive in this regard. Australia uses neonicotinoid insecticides like the rest of the world, but Australian honey bees are not in decline. A new Australian government report out this month confirms as much, and concludes that take as a whole, neonicotinoid use has led to an “overall reduction in the risks to the agricultural environment from the application of insecticides.” (In an interesting side note, Australia does not have the bee parasite called varroa mite, which some researchers now think may be intricately associated with CCD, perhaps as a vector of some viruses that some researchers believe are closely associated with the syndrome.)

Sound complicated? It is. And that’s the point. The environmental impact of using a neonicotinoid in your backyard or around the house may be less than the protesters would have us think. And most researchers would agree that the risk to pollinators from planting a nursery grown plant with neonicotinoid residues in your garden is negligible.

If you choose to use any insecticide in your garden, you can do it safely. Just read and follow the label directions, especially those cautions about bees. Don’t spray any plant with any insecticide when bees are present. And time your sprays for the evening, after bees have gone to bed. Only use pesticides when you need them, and then just on those plants that have a problem.

If everyone followed these simple rules, we probably wouldn’t be talking about this issue. After all, no one really wants to be against the bees.

Butterfly talks in Austin

Posted on February 28, 2014 by p-porter

Monarchs resting in a hackberry tree on their way south to Mexico in fall.

I normally don’t post every entomology related event I learn about in Texas; however this notice from Mike Quinn, President of the Austin Butterfly Forum, is intriguing enough to pass on.

If you live in the Austin area, or are fanatical enough to travel for butterflies, the Austin Butterfly Forum would like to announce a pair of back-to-back stellar meetings and field trips next month. For the first time ever, all the remaining principal folks involved in the discovery of the monarch’s overwintering grounds, Catalina Aguado, John Christian, Bill Calvert and Lincoln Brower, will get together to discuss their extraordinary experiences of events that unfolded over the course of several winters in the mid-1970’s. Lincoln Brower will give a second lecture the following evening on “The Grand Saga of the Monarch Butterfly Research.”

There will also be two associated butterfly field trips to meet the speakers in informal settings. More details can be found at: http://www.austinbutterflies.org/ All events will be held at, or start at, the Zilker Botanical Gardens, 2200 Barton Spring Road. All events are free to ABF members. Non-members will be charged $5 for field trips and $10 for meetings. Parking fees also apply to all for field trips. ABF membership is $20 annually per household payable to Doris Hill, ABF Treasurer, 1605 Broadmoor, Austin, TX 78723

I am sure these will be top notch lectures and once in a lifetime opportunities to meet with pioneers of butterfly research and insect conservation. If I lived in Austin, I would surely participate.

Upcoming webinars on garden and pest control topics

Posted on February 28, 2014 by p-porter

Dr. Mengmeng Gu is Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Horticulture at Texas A&M University and is producing a series of webinars this spring on topics for both professional and amateur gardeners. I think some of these will be of interest to many of the subscribers to Insect Updates.

According to Gu, the seminars are “designed to be no longer than 30 minutes and give you a quick insight look at some of the progress, issues, and problems that we are facing today in the green industry.” Earlier this month, Dr. Jim Robbins from Arkansas Cooperative Extension talked about the use of drones (Really?!) in the nursery production industry. Coming up include talks on coping with the new basil downy mildew disease (Dr. Kevin Ong), the quickly spreading problem with crape myrtle bark scale (yours truly), new plant material being tested at the LSU AgCenter in Hammond (Dr. Allen Owings), and update on Rose Rosette Disease (Dr. Kevin Ong).

To see descriptions of each of the webinars, and find links to register, go to http://greenviion.wordpress.com/webinars/

Webinars provide a great opportunity to learn about new things from the convenience of your own computer. If you’ve never attended a webinar, they are live on-line classes taught by one or more instructors. No special software is usually required as long as you have an Internet connection and working speakers on your computer. The other nice thing about webinars is that if you miss the live presentation, you can still go back and view the recording later, at your convenience.

So check the schedule out, and thanks to Dr. Gu for putting these programs together.

Dallas zoo invents peanut butter jellyfish

Posted on February 10, 2014 by p-porter

It’s true that jellyfish are not insects, but I couldn’t pass up sending this tasty news morsel to Insects in the City readers. My own local (Dallas) zoo recently conducted an experiment that began partly as attempt to find an economical and sustainable food source for captive gelatinous invertebrates. In the process it appears that zoo staff have created the first-known “Peanut Butter and Jellyfish.”

According to the article at GrindTV.com, P. Zelda Montoya and Barrett L. Christie of the Dallas Zoo proved that “scientists are not all left-brain thinkers; they can be highly imaginative and witty”. Their experiment entailed feeding tiny aquarium moon jellies peanut butter. Not only did the jellies gobble up the tasty treat, they changed color and grew faster than normal.

According to the article, “Throughout this period it was noted that jellies that had recently fed, displayed a distinct brownish hue owing to their high degree of peanutbutterocity.” Deep Sea News observed that as a consequence “They became little peanut butter jelly cups.”

For my part I will report that in the world of biology, jellyfish are Cnidarians (nettle-like organisms), among the earliest forms of animal life. While the 10,000 different kinds of jellyfish make up only a fraction of the diversity of animal life, they have been a successful group. They appear to have been around for about 580 million years, compared to around 400 million years for the oldest known insect.

It’s stories like this that remind me of my youthful desire to work in a zoo. Congratulations to Dallas Zoo staff for their apparent insatiable curiosity and ability to make us smile at the idea of peanut butter and jellyfish. And thanks to entomologist Tim Brys at the Dallas Zoo for bringing this to my attention.

Carpenter ant season is now

Posted on January 23, 2014 by p-porter

Male (left) and female carpenter ant swarmers. Note the pinched waist that distinguishes these insects from termites.

Many social insects periodically do something called “swarming”. Swarming occurs when reproductively mature, but unmated, kings and queens leave the nest to mate. These mating couples are winged and are referred to as alates, or swarmers. The earliest swarmers to emerge in the winter are carpenter ants.

This week my youngest daughter, home for the weekend for a visit, informed her entomologist dad that the upstairs shower was covered with large ants. A quick inspection confirmed that we were being invaded by carpenter ants. A few years ago we remodeled this particular shower, tearing out sheet rock and insulation and encountered carpenter ants living in the surrounding walls. We throughly cleaned out what we could and sprayed the walls down with a residual insecticide before reinstalling insulation and more water-resistant Hardyboard® in the new shower stall. Apparently they are back.

Carpenter ants are relatively large for ants, 1/4 to 1/2 inch-long. They may come in different colors, but are usually red or black, or a mixture of the two colors (see pictures). They may or may not have wings. In my home I only spotted the wingless worker ants, but I suspect the swarmers will show up soon. Dozens, even hundreds of swarmers may emerge from an indoor carpenter ant nest.

In some parts of the U.S. carpenter ants are important wood-destroying pests–not something that any homeowner wants to see in their house. But here in Texas our carpenter ants are a little less threatening. They certainly can be a nuisance through their presence, and for the little piles of debris they often deposit on windowsills and floor near their nests. But they do not do significant damage to 2×4 studs or other structural wood.

Unfortunately, carpenter ants are always difficult to treat and eliminate completely from the home. For my part I plan to inject an insecticide into the gap in the shower grouting from which they obviously emerged, reseal the grout and not lose much sleep over the incident.

If you discover carpenter ants in your home, look for the hole where they are emerging. This may or may not mark the exact location of the nest, but it will be close. For most people, calling a professional is the best option for control. If you choose to try the DIY route, you can either seal up the hole and do nothing, or attempt to treat the hole with an aerosol insecticide labeled for use indoors against ants and then seal the hole. You may be fortunate, and eliminate the colony in this way, or you may eventually have to resort to professional assistance. In any case, doing nothing to the ants will not likely result in any serious damage to the home…just some nuisance ants emerging from time to time.

For more information about these ants, see publication E-2001 on carpenter ants, or the publication on swarming insects indoors, Ent-2012.

Care with bed bug insecticide

Posted on January 21, 2014 by p-porter

A 1970 Shell No-Pest strip ad and a current version of the plastic resin insecticide formulation still sold in stores.

With the growing incidence of bed bugs being found in homes and apartments, the potential for pesticide misuse is up. Evidence of the potential for harm came out last week in a report from the Centers for Disease Control’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (By the way, I’m absolutely sure that with its current title this periodical will never make Amazon.com’s Best Sellers in Magazines List).

The study reports on acute illnesses associated with dichlorvos is the active ingredient in no-pest strips. If you’ve been around awhile like me, you may remember the old “Shell No-Pest Strips” commonly advertised on television. Same product 50 years later.

The insecticide dichlorvos looked like it might have seen the last of its days a few years back, at least partly because of its acute toxicity to humans. It’s a holdover from the era of the old organophosphate insecticides (Dursban and diazinon, etc.) which are now off the market for a variety of reasons. But dichlorvos has a unique property: its relatively high volatility makes it useful as a fumigant. And thanks to its effectiveness against bed bugs, dichlorvos now appears to be staging a comeback.

It just so happens that the dichlorvos in no-pest strips kills bed bugs, even those that are resistant to most new insecticides. But it can also hurt you if it’s not used carefully as described in the label. The CDC study reports on 31 acute DDVP pest strip–related illness cases recorded from seven U.S. states and Canada from 2000 to 2013 (more cases undoubtedly occurred that were not part of this study). Most of the illnesses resulted from using the product in commonly occupied living areas (e.g., kitchens and bedrooms), in violation of label directions. According to the report, “Although 26 of the 31 cases involved mild health effects of short duration, five persons had moderate health effects.”

The report concludes that in order to prevent dichlorvos-related illnesses, everyone should be educated on correct use of pest strips, and how to control insect pests using safer pest control methods. I agree and will use the opportunity to remind anyone who’s listening that no one should ever use a pesticide without first reading and following the label directions exactly.

Some key label points to remember about no-pest strips containing dichlorvos:

These strips are not for areas where you live or eat. They are ideal for use homes that sit vacant for four or more months, like a vacation home. But in an occupied home strips may only be used in closets, wardrobes and cupboards, storage units, garages, attics or crawl spaces. The rule of thumb is that these strips may only be used in areas occupied by people for less than four hours a day. If you use in a cabin or vacation home, and come back to stay overnight within four months of placing the unit, take the strip outside while you are there.
Do not over-apply. One 65 gm strip 900-1,200 cubic feet. Need some math help? According to the label, one unit will treat a 10 ft x 13 ft room with an 8 ft ceiling for up to 4 months. A typical 6′ by 12′ by 8′ walk-in closet would be too small for one strip (only 575 cubic feet), and would be an over-application.
Do not use in kitchens or food prep or storage areas where unwrapped food may be exposed. Kitchen utensils should never be allowed to contact the strips.
Pets and children should not play or sleep where strips are in use.

According to the CDC report, most of the illnesses (65%) reported in the CDC paper occurred when exposures exceeded four hours per day. Illnesses included neurological, respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms.

This is not to say these products don’t have a use. When my daughter discovered bed bugs in her bedroom and closet a couple of years ago, we used a dichlorvos strip in her closet, carefully following label directions. It gave her peace of mind, and probably killed a few nasty bed bugs. But make no mistake–this insecticide should be used with care.

Of course the rule about reading the dichlorvos label applies to all home insecticides. In another CDC report, injuries and illnesses related to use of total release foggers (“bug bombs”) were studied. Over a five year period, 466 injuries were documented. Fire hazards are one of the risks of using too many bug bombs in a home.

Insecticide labels are not only written for your safety, they are also legal documents. When you don’t follow the label directions (including the application rates, or where you use a pesticide) you could be stuck with a fine (or worse) for violating federal and state pesticide laws. The label is written for your benefit, to allow you to use a product safely and effectively. Let’s all take a few minutes to read and follow the label before using any pesticide.

Rubbing alcohol not a good solution for bed bugs

Posted on January 2, 2014 by p-porter

Improper application by a homeowner of an insecticide dust to a mattress and pillows. Dusts are designed for light application to crevices and voids, out of contact with people.

Improper application of an insecticide dust to a mattress and pillows by a non-professional. Dusts are designed for light application to crevices and voids, out of reach of people.

The quest for home remedies for bed bugs appears to be never-ending. However, in the latest revelations from researchers, it seems that very few home insecticides are worth the time or trouble when battling bed bugs. That’s not to say that some of these products won’t kill some bed bugs, but the ideal product for killing bed bugs just isn’t out there, experts say.

A recent article in Science News gloomily summarizes some of the most current information about DIY bed bug control, based on papers presented on bed bugs at last month’s annual conference of the Entomological Society of America in Austin, TX.

It turns out that rubbing alcohol, bug bombs and other products just don’t work that well. And some products, like ultrasonic repellers, are completely ineffective. Rubbing alcohol only killed about half of the bed bugs that were sprayed directly in one test, and bed bugs confined in a plastic bag for seven days with mothballs (a much higher exposure than you would expect in a clothes closet or storage chest) had about the same survival rate.

After attending another recent bed bug meeting, I noticed that the effectiveness of diatomaceous earth (d.e.) is being hotly debated as well. Over the years, pest management professionals have reported success with d.e. as part of a integrated approach to bed bug control. And DIYers have also embraced d.e. as a safe, effective and readily available bed bug treatment. However, d.e. is not really designed for broadcast use, and few non-professionals apply it correctly (see image). To liven the debate, one recent field study conducted by professionals found that it provided only marginal results when used by itself, without supporting sprays or other treatments. Such field studies are much more difficult to conduct, but provide a better estimate of how a product performs in real life compared to laboratory tests.

Why the conflicting results? No one knows for sure. But d.e. is an abrasive that scrapes away some of the protective waxes that keep bed bugs from desiccating in the dry indoor environments of homes. The effectiveness or ineffectiveness of d.e. may have something to do with the source or form of the diatomaceous earth (the various d.e. products are mined from different geological deposits and thus may vary in abrasiveness), or it may have to do with the environmental humidity or availability of food. Many insects can compensate for water leakage by taking in more water from feeding. Perhaps bed bugs in the field are able to compensate for moisture loss by taking in more moisture through blood feeding. Not a pleasant thought.

So what can the average person do when faced with a bed bug problem? Professional help, in my opinion, is still the best option for a bed bug infestation of any magnitude. But many folks, for a variety of reasons, don’t have access to good professional help. If that’s your case, it’s still possible to battle bed bugs. I’ve tried to lay out some DIY options in my fact sheet on this topic; but keep in mind that there is still no magic bullet for bed bug control.

Dogged persistence, thoroughness and a some knowledge about bed bugs is the best medicine for DIYers.

Ladybug ladybug

Posted on December 2, 2013 by p-porter

The seven-spot lady beetle is the most common lady beetle in Europe. After repeated introductions to the U.S. it can now be found in backyards throughout the U.S. Photo by M. Merchant.

Certainly one of the most beloved of all insects is the ladybug, or more correctly, lady beetle. And a new citizen science web project may be just the thing for adults and kids with an interest in lady beetles or cameras or both.

The Lost Ladybug project started because of concerns about dwindling numbers of one kind of lady beetle, the nine-spotted lady beetle, in New York state. It appears to have evolved into a bigger project where people from any part of the country can participate. Find a lady beetle? Photograph it and document the site, time and date of picture. Then upload the information and contribute to science!

What a great way to have fun and do something worthwhile. In addition to recording your observation, visitors can view and print posters of different kinds of lady beetles, read interesting lady beetle facts and (teachers) can download lady beetle lesson plans. Scientists will benefit from the photographic record, which should allow more up-to-date range records for common and rare species. Perhaps most important, over time the project may allow scientists to document changes in range or distribution or abundance of different species. The scientists are especially interested in rare lady beetles in out of the way locations, like state parks or little trodden trails. But any site will do. The thing is, you never know what’s going to happen when thousands of people are looking and clicking.

For anyone who thought a lady beetle is just a lady beetle, think again. There are over 450 different species of lady beetles in North America, over 5,000 worldwide. They come in all sizes and color patterns, feeding mostly on aphids and scale insects–two important pests for farmers and gardeners.

Lady beetles are true beetles in the Order Coleoptera, not “bugs” in the Order Hemiptera. Beetles have chewing mouth parts, go through a complete metamorphosis, and have the first pair of wings hardened to protect the body and the hind wings. Bugs have sucking mouth parts, go through gradual metamorphosis, and have the first pair of wing partly hard and part transparent.

Nevertheless, despite the science, the name ladybug is likely to persist. After all,

Lady beetle, Lady beetle… Fly away home!

…it just doesn’t have the same ring.

Homeless insects and energy audits

Posted on November 18, 2013 by p-porter

Pachypsylla adults (about 1/8-inch long) are commonly found at this time of year indoors, around windows.

The small size of hackberry nipple-gall makers allows them to enter homes through window screens .

When cold weather comes knocking, it should be no surprise that hundreds, or even thousands, of insects may be waiting for you to open the door this fall. It’s not like you can really blame them. They are just temporarily homeless critters looking for a warm place to spend the winter.

I was staying at a hotel this week in Austin for the Entomological Society of America’s annual meeting, and on my 23rd floor window I looked out and saw dozens of hackberry nipple-gall maker insects on the outside. These tiny insects seek shelter in homes every fall and, to judge by the recent calls I’ve been receiving, are very common again this year. Belonging to a family of insects called psyllids (SILL ids), nipple-gall makers emerge from galls in hackberry trees in the fall. They are small enough to get around windows and doors, or to get through any of the myriad tiny exterior openings every house contains.

Paper wasps commonly seek shelter in homes following the first freeze.

Other insects that enter Texas homes in the fall include paper wasps, box elder and red shouldered bugs, and a host of little seed bugs. Paper wasps are paper nest-making wasps that are common in rural and urban areas alike. They make the umbrella-shaped nests that hang from eaves or tree branches. During the summer months, when paper wasps are building and maintaining their nests, they will actively defend their nests from intruders. But during the late fall and winter months, after nests have been abandoned, paper wasps are quite docile. Paper wasps usually enter buildings through gaps in siding or through roof vents in search for a warm place to spend the winter.

Box elder bugs may enter homes by the hundreds after feeding on box elder or maple seeds.

Box elder bugs and red shouldered bugs are some of the more colorful fall invaders. Usually red and black, these medium-sized insects get into home through some of the same entries as paper wasps and psyllids. They are mostly harmless, though they may put off a faint odor when crushed.

An Environmental Solution

Believe it or not, one of the best ways to prepare for this fall invasion is not an insecticide, but some general house repair. Even better, these little bugs might even save you money if you use them as an excuse to get that energy audit you’ve been putting off. An energy audit will help you locate poorly sealed windows and doors, and can tell you where some of those outdoor, energy-wasting leaks are. We had one done on our home a couple of winters ago, and it was well worth it. We had, we were told, many small leaks, that if put together, would add up to a 2.5 foot square hole in the side of our house. Ouch. And some of those leaks, you can bet, will be found by bugs! For more information on energy audits in Texas, check out this site.

Insects in the City

The best in science-based, pest management solutions from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service