March of the Millipedes!

Due to the cold weather, we might notice another animal crawling indoors, a millipede. The adult millipedes overwinter in protected areas, so we may see them inside structures, such as greenhouses or homes. Millipedes in Texas are typically brownish in color, but can vary from red to yellow to orange. Their bodies are rounded in shape and they have four legs per body segment. Most species are less than ½ inches in length, but the species in west Texas can be up to 4 inches in length. Another characteristic of millipedes is they curl into a spiral to protect themselves when disturbed.

In the spring, the millipedes become active and the females of some species will lay eggs in the soil, while other species will give birth to living young. The immature millipedes are smaller in size with fewer legs compared to the adults. Additional segments are produced after each molt, so the millipede grows in size. Millipedes usually develop into adulthood within 21 to 25 weeks.

Millipedes feed primarily on decaying organic matter so they are generally not regarded as a pest. However if there are large numbers of millipedes, they may attack roots and leaves of seedling plants. Millipedes, such as the garden millipede, can become a pest in the greenhouse and damage crops with their chewing mouthparts. If a structure becomes infested, then control measures are usually necessary.

In addition, millipedes can excrete an irritating fluid that can irritate eyes, blister the skin or cause allergic reactions to sensitive people so control measures may be needed.

Some Control Options:

Non- Chemical Controls:

Remove areas that provide harborage such as trash piles, rocks, boards, leaf piles, compost piles. If flower beds are mulched against structures, occasionally turn the mulch to allow it to dry out. Check around doors, windows and pipe penetrations for any points of access and then seal any accessible areas that may allow millipedes to crawl indoors.

Chemical Controls:

Perimeter sprays around the foundation of a structure may prevent millipedes from moving indoors. Some products such as those containing deltamethrin, permethrin, bifenthrin or cypermethrin as active ingredients can be used. If treatment inside structures is necessary, all cracks and crevices should be treated. Products such as those containing lambda-cyhalothrin, cypermethrin, permethrin, bifenthrin, or d-limonene can be used.

Photo of a millipede, (Diplopoda). Photo by Bart Drees, Professor and Extension Entomologist, Texas A&M University.

Inviting Thrips Indoors

As the cooler weather approaches, we will begin to move our potted plants indoors. One insect that may go undetected are western flower thrips. These insects are very tiny (almost microscopic) but can be a nuisance since their mouthparts are able to penetrate into human skin, causing a prickly sensation.

Female thrips lay eggs inside plant leaf tissue, using a serrated ovipositor to cut through the plant tissue. This allows the eggs and larvae to be well protected from insecticides and natural enemies. The immature thrips will feed on the plant tissue until it falls to the ground to pupate. Thrips undergo a prepupal and pupal stage before becoming an adult.
Thrips have rasping-sucking mouthparts that allow them to cut open epidermal cells to release the cell contents that are then ingested. This causes the cells to collapse due to absence of its contents. Their feeding also causes discoloration and deformities of leaves and petals.
As thrips feed, they inject salvia into the plant tissue which allows viruses to be transmitted, such as Tomato Spot Wilt Virus and Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus.

Some Control Options:

Cultural Control Tactics:

1) Dispose of weeds, trash or debris to reduce the thrips population, since these areas may serve as overwintering sites for thrips.
2) Avoid planting thrips susceptible plants in areas close to wheat or rye fields. Wheat and rye are both good overwintering sites for some thrips species that can move over to feed on landscape plants.
3) Discard infested plant materials to avoid infesting other plants.

Biological Control Tactics:

Some natural enemies of thrips include the adult minute pirate bug (Orius sp.), which attacks both immature and adult thrips; Neoseiulus spp. predatory mites, which attacks the first instar thrips and the soil-dwelling predacious mite, Hypoaspsis spp., which attacks the prepupal and pupal stages of thrips in the soil. Also Beauveria bassiana, a fungus, is sold in biopesticide products and is effective at controlling thrips.

Some Chemical Control Tactics:

Some chemical control options include products containing abamectin,, chlorfenapyr, chlorpyrifos, dimethoate, fenoxycarb, methiocarb, novaluron, pyridalyl, and spinosad applied as foliar sprays or systemic products containing such chemicals as imidacloprid or acephate.

Aggregating Lady Beetles

This is a simple case of a “good” guy gone “bad!” The Multi-Colored Asian Lady Beetle is an introduced insect species from Asia that is used to control landscape insect pests in the United States. They have now established themselves in many areas of the U.S., where they reduce populations of aphids and scale insects. However, this lady beetle likes to congregate in large numbers around buildings when they overwinter. This causes them to sometimes move indoors into living areas. These beetles exude a yellowish liquid when disturbed (reflux bleeding), which can stain fabric and can cause skin irritation. They can also bite, which causes a welt to form on the skin!
Exclusion practices should be used to prevent these ladybeetles from entering the structure. All cracks and crevices, such as around windows, doors, air conditioners, and utility pipes should be sealed in late summer and fall. If beetles are spotted inside the home, then a vacuum should be used to remove them. Remember to dispose of the vacuum bag outside, so the beetles do not escape and re-invade the structure.













Multicolored Asian Ladybeetle. Photo by Mike Merchant, Professor and Extension Entomologist, Texas A&M University.

Spiders in Texas

As winter weather approaches, spiders are sure to come inside the home. Spiders are closely related to ticks and scorpions, all belonging to the Class Arachnida. Most spiders are small and considered harmless to humans. In fact, they are beneficial to our environment by controlling insect populations. However there are two groups in Texas that are considered harmful to humans, the black widows and the recluse spiders.
As a warning, all spiders will bite if provoked. Also many people are very afraid of spiders, a condition called arachnophobia.

Dangerous Spiders:

Recluse Spiders

There are five species found in Texas, but only two species are considered dangerous. Their color varies from orange-yellow to dark brown and they are the about the size of a quarter. Their most distinguishing characteristic is the eye pattern and the violin marking on the top side of its first body region, the cephalothroax. These spiders have six eyes arranged in three pairs, forming a semi-circle. The eyes also form the base of the violin shape that extends to its abdomen.
Recluse spiders are shy and will hide during the day. They are most active at night, so people are usually bitten at night. Recluse spiders are usually found in garages, wood piles, cluttered attics, closets bathrooms, bedrooms, and under furniture.
The recluse spiders’ bite may cause effects immediately or be delayed, depending upon the amount of venom injected. The bite usually causes a stinging sensation followed by intense pain. Within 24 to 36 hours, fever, chills, nausea, weakness, and joint pain may result from the bite. The bite will also produce a blister surrounded by a swollen area. The venom kills the skin tissue, which gradually sloughs away until medical attention is sought.

Widow Spiders

There are four species of widow spiders that exist in Texas. Their color varies from brown to black, but all have a marking consisting of two united triangles that can be red, yellow or orange in color. This hourglass marking is found on the underside of their abdomen. The females are 1 ½ inches in length and have eight eyes in two rows, which is a common eye pattern for spiders. Females in a few species of widow spiders will eat the males after mating, which gives this group its name.
They usually live in protected areas around houses and may live in garages, basements, furniture, shrubbery, rain spouts, gas and electric meters and in other undisturbed areas. They spin coarse irregular webs that expand as the spider matures.
The widow’s bite may initially feel like a pin prick that leaves a swollen area with two red spots in the middle. The pain usually becomes worse, causing high temperatures, tremors, nausea, vomiting, leg cramps, perspiration, loss of muscle tone and rise in blood pressure and even death. However, death results in less than 5% of the people bitten by a widow spider.

Photo of black widow spiders. Photo from Texas A&M University, Department of Entomology.

Other Common Spiders:

Tarantulas

These are large, hairy spiders that vary in color from brown to black. Adults are usually more than 3 inches in length. They tend to spend the day in hidden areas or under rocks and hunt at night feeding on crickets, caterpillars, and other insects. Since they are spiders, they can bite; however, their toxin is not considered harmful to most people. Also they possess hairs that can penetrate the skin, which cause irritation.

Wolf Spiders

These spiders vary in color from brown to black and some have longitudinal stripes running along their bodies. Wolf spiders are large and can be seen at night under lights. They frequently enter homes and in landscapes, but their toxin is not considered harmful to humans.

Southern House Spider

These spiders sometimes are confused with recluse spiders, but they are larger than recluse spiders. Also they are dark brown in color, have eight eyes all in one cluster, and lack the violin marking. Southern house spiders have distinctive webs that radiate from a central mass that is located in a hole or crevice. These spiders are most commonly found in old barns and in undisturbed areas within human structures. However, their toxin is considered harmless.

Spider Bites

To relieve swelling, apply an ice pack or alcohol directly to the bite. If a severe allergic reaction occurs, a doctor should be consulted immediately. It is always helpful to take the spider along to the doctor/hospital for positive identification.

Some Control Options for Spiders

Non-Chemical Control:

Seal cracks using caulk, weather stripping, and screens to prevent spider entry into the home. Make sure that all stored boxes are taped and sealed to prevent spiders from entering. Also, vacuum webs throughout homes. Since some spiders lay their eggs within the webs, vacuuming will prevent these eggs from hatching.

Chemical Controls:
Only use products labeled for spider control or in areas where spiders are found. These products can contain such chemicals as permethrin, deltamethrin, or bifenthrin. Outside spray or dust under roof eaves, porches, and window ledges. Inside spray around windows, door frames, baseboards and in attics and other places of storage. Some spiders are hard to control, so it is best to contact a pest control professional.

Following the Field Crickets

As we walk outside in the evening, a new sound might greet us. This new sound might be a male cricket’s mating song, which is a high-pitched sound produced by the male cricket rubbing his front wings together to attract a female.
Adult field crickets are ½ to 1 ¼ inches long, black in color and have a stout body. They develop through simple metamorphosis with an egg, nymph and adult stage. The female cricket will deposit eggs into the soil. The eggs hatch into nymphs, which gain wings every time they molt. Several generations of crickets are produced every year.
Crickets feed on all organic matter, including decaying plant material and fungi. Since crickets breakdown plant materials, they are considered beneficial by renewing soil minerals. They are also a food source for many animals such as spiders, ground beetles, birds, lizards and small rodents.
Crickets are normally found outdoors, living under rocks, logs or in any crack or crevice. Since they live next to our homes, their song can become an irritant to homeowners. Also, they can enter our homes through such areas as doors and windows.

Some Control Options:

Some Non-chemical Suggestions:

1) Caulk or seal cracks and gaps that are found in the foundation, around doors, windows, and garage doors.
2) Trim weeds and tall grass growing near the foundation.
3) Remove firewood, rotting wood, boxes, bricks, stones and other objects from around the structure, in order to reduce the number of harborage areas.
4) For crickets found inside the home, vacuum or sweep up and discard them.

Some Chemical Control Suggestions:

If a severe infestation exists, there are granular products that can be used for control, such as those containing hydramethylnon. There are also chemicals that can be sprayed outdoors to provide a barrier around homes, such as pyrethrins or bifenthrin. There are also products that can be applied indoors and outdoors in cracks and crevices, such as those containing boric acid.

A field cricket, Gryllus sp. (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Photo by Dr. Bart Drees, Professor and Extension Entomologist, Texas A&M University.

Be On The Lookout For Fall Webworms!

The fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury), is usually noticed when the light gray silk webs are discovered on trees in late summer and early fall. They are considered pests of shade and ornamental trees in urban areas, attacking more than 88 plants, when they enclose leaves and small branches with their webs. Four generations occur in the south Texas, with 2 to 3 generations occurring in northern Texas. The last generation in the fall is usually the most damaging.
The caterpillars build webs soon after hatching and they will remain inside the web consuming the tender parts of the leaves. If the caterpillars eat all of the leaves within the web, then new foliage will be enclosed within the webbing. The caterpillars are 1 inch in length, pale yellow or green in color, and covered with white and black tufts of long hair. The caterpillars will molt 6 or 7 times before dropping to the ground to pupate. The pupae overwinter and the adult moths emerge the following spring.

Some Control Options:

Some Non-Chemical Control Options:
1)Small webs can be removed by pruning and destroying the infested portions of branches.
2)A stick or pole can be used to snag individual webs to allow natural enemies such as yellow jackets, paper wasps, birds, and predatory stink bugs to consume the webworms.
3)Bacillus thuringiensis, B.t,. is effective against fall webworms if it is applied when the caterpillars are small. It is better to apply after the eggs hatch and the web is not so dense. Also spray surrounding leaves, since the B.t. coated leaves will also be eaten by the caterpillars.

Some Chemical Control Options:

Chemicals should be applied after eggs hatch, since they are most effective on young caterpillars. Insecticides such as those containing spinosad and tebufenozide as active ingredients can be used. Multiple applications may need to be applied as generations occur.

Fall webworms, Hyphantria cunea (Drury) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae), web on pecan. Photo by Bart Drees, Professor and Extension Entomologist, Texas A&M University.

Maggots In Our World!

Maggots are some of our great decomposers in the world. This weekend I was pleasantly surprised to find house fly maggots doing a great job of decomposing a rabbit in our backyard. Eventhough my husband did not seem to share my enthusiasm, it was wonderful to see them doing such a great job. Within two days, they completely ate all the flesh. Now, we are left with bones and hair.

We Found More Phorid Flies in Red River County!

Last Friday we were pleasantly surprised to find the phorid fly, Pseudacteon curvatus, on four traps in Red River County! This phorid fly is a natural enemy of the fire ant and was released in this county in October 2007.

The female fly will lay approximately 30-35 eggs within the thorax of individual fire ant workers. The fly eggs hatch and complete their developmental cycle within the fire ant worker's head. It is a great visual! Since the release last year, this fly has overwintered and established itself in this far northern county of Texas.

This project is in conjunction with USDA-APHIS. For more information, please visit: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/video/vnr/phorid.htm

Field Crickets

As we walk outside in the evening, a new sound might greet us. This new sound will be the male cricket’s mating song, which is a high-pitched sound produced by the male cricket rubbing its front wings together to attract a female. Their song can become an irritant to homeowners, since they live next to structures. Field crickets are normally an outdoor insect, usually found under rocks, logs or in any crack or crevice. However, they can sometimes enter our homes through doors and windows.
Crickets develop through simple metamorphosis, with an egg, nymph and adult stage. The female cricket will deposit eggs into the soil. Adult field crickets are ½ to 1 ¼ inches in length, black in color, and have a stout body. Several generations of crickets are produced every year.
Crickets feed on all organic matter, including decaying plant material and fungi. Since crickets breakdown plant materials, they are considered beneficial by renewing soil minerals. They are also a food source for many animals such as spiders, ground beetles, birds, lizards and small rodents.

Some Control Options:

Non-Chemical Suggestions:
1) Caulk or seal cracks and gaps that are found in the foundation, around doors, windows, and garage doors to prevent crickets from entering structures.
2) Trim weeds and tall grass growing near the foundation.
3) Remove firewood, brush, rotting wood, boxes, bricks, stones and other objects from around the structure, in order to reduce the number of harborage areas.
4) For crickets found inside the home, vacuum or sweep up and then discard them.

Chemical Control Suggestions:

If a severe infestation exists, there are granular products that can be used for control, such as those containing hydramethylnon. There are also chemicals that can be sprayed outdoors to provide a barrier around homes, such as those containing pyrethrins or bifenthrin. There are also products that can be applied in indoor and outdoor cracks and crevices, such as those containing boric acid.














A field cricket, Gryllus spp. (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Photo by Dr. Bart Drees, Professor and Extension Entomologist, Texas A&M University.

Another Ant Abounds

The dark rover ant, Brachymyrmex patagonicus, is causing great concern in many areas of Texas this year. This ant is believed to be native to South America, but it has now relocated and established itself in the southern United States. Outside rover ants may be seen running up and down on blades of grass, chairs, fence posts or any other objects in the yard very quickly.

The female swarmer ants (the winged ants) are 3/16 inches in length and brown in color. These swarmers will take flight just after dusk and are attracted to lights. The female swarmers are usually noticed the next day when a large number are floating in swimming pools. Their enlarged abdomen will appear to be striped. The male swarmers are very small compared to the female swarmers and some reports state that the males can fit through the tiny openings in mosquito screen. The worker ants can be more troublesome, since they can be found in a variety of indoor sites. These worker ants are 1/16 inches in length and are dark brown or reddish brown in color. For identification purposes, Brachymyrmex patagonicus have one node and 9 segmented antennae.

Rover ants are honeydew feeders, feeding on secretions from aphids, scales and other sap-feeding insects. Rover ants are commonly found in woods and other natural settings, as well as around buildings. Outside they will tend to nest in soil, mulch or other decaying wood. In buildings, they prefer areas with high moisture so they are usually found in bathrooms or where leaks occur in the plumbing.

Some Control Options:
The dark rover ant has a single queen within a colony but there can be many colonies in an area. This makes a large infestation within a building very hard to control.

Some Non-Chemical Control Options:
1) Find and seal small holes or cracks.
2) Treat nearby trees and shrubs to decrease the amount of sap feeding insects such as aphids and scales. This will reduce the amount of honeydew that can be consumed by the rover ants.
3) Prune limbs of trees and shrubs so that they do not touch the buildings. This will prevent easy access into the buildings.

Some Chemical Control Options:
Control can be found using a combination of baits and sprays. Some insecticidal sprays that can be used involve a combination of active ingredients such as those containing a pyrethroid and a neonicotinoid. Gel and liquid baits are also suggested to be used outdoors and indoors. This is a persistent ant so patience is needed for successful control.

Photo of rover ant swarmer. Photo by Micheal Merchant, Extension Entomologist and Professor, Texas AgriLife Extension, Texas A&M University System.

Remember to Treat for Fire Ants This Fall

Even though we have been experiencing high temperatures, fire ants are unfortunately still in the area. They can live deep within the soil so their mounds may not always be visible. Since they are a medically important insect pest, control measures should be taken in some cases to decrease their populations.
Before treating for fire ants, one must first survey the area to determine the number of mounds, if possible. If less than 5 mounds are present in a quarter acre plot, then it is advised to treat the individual mounds. Treating individual mounds is the fastest way to get rid of the fire ant mounds, but it is more labor intensive and more costly to apply when compared to the broadcast baits.
If more than 5 mounds are present, then treatment should be broadcasted over the entire area. A fire ant bait or contact insecticide may be used. Fire ant baits are made up of defatted corn grit covered with insecticide and soybean oil. Before broadcasting the fire ant bait, foraging activity should be evaluated. In order to test for foraging activity, place a potato chip or hot dog next to the mound. If fire ants find the chip or hot dog within fifteen minutes, then it is an appropriate time to broadcast the fire ant bait. Fire ants will typically actively forage when the soil surface temperature is between 70 and 90° F. The delivery process of fire ant baits into the colony is so effective, that the amount of insecticide applied in an area is significantly reduced. Fire ant baits should never be watered into the soil and they should not be used if they smell rancid. Contact insecticides can also be broadcasted over the entire area and these need to be watered into the soil. One contact insecticide containing fipronil can be used for fire ant control and will usually provide 9 to 12 months control.
Both fire ant baits and contact insecticides can be broadcast using a hand-held spreader for small areas or a Herd Seeder can be mounted onto a truck or ATV for larger areas.
Before applying any type of pesticide, always be sure to read and follow the pesticide label. Also, never use harmful toxins, such as gasoline to control fire ants. These products are illegal and dangerous. In addition, never leave insecticide baits on streets or walkways after application, in order to avoid unnecessary entrance into the water supply.

For more information, please visit the fire ant webpage at http://fireant.tamu.edu/.

Red imported fire ant lifestages. Photo by Dr. Bart Drees, Professor and Extension Entomologist, Texas A&M University.

Irritating Fleas Jumping Around

The most common type of flea is the cat flea. However, there are a number of other flea species which occur in Texas, including the dog flea, Ctenocephalides canis (Curtis), and the oriental rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis (Rothschild). All of these fleas are around 1/8 inches in length, dark brown in color and have a wingless flattened body. Mated female fleas lay eggs that are white and round, after consuming host blood. Eggs fall to the ground in the area where the host spends time and rests. Whitish, legless larvae hatch from eggs in 2 to 3 weeks. The larvae develop in 9 to 15 days under optimum conditions. Fully developed larvae will then pupate by spinning a cocoon of silk that becomes covered with soil particles and debris. This protects the pupa and makes them hard to detect. The pupal stage lasts from 7 days up to a year before adults emerge. Under optimum temperature and humidity conditions, fleas can complete their lifecycle from egg to adult in 30 to 75 days.
Adult mouthparts are modified for piercing and sucking blood and they can bite repeatedly. Not only are flea bites irritating due to an itchy reaction, but they can also transmit diseases such as murine typhus.
Sometimes buildings can become infested with fleas even when there are no pets around. Other animals such as bats, roof rats, squirrels, raccoons, and wild dogs and cats commonly have fleas and may bring them within structures. The building should be inspected and all openings should be sealed so wildlife can not enter.

Non-Chemical Control Suggestions:

Change pet bedding regularly and vacuum thoroughly. Vacuum under furniture, cushions, chairs, beds, and along walls. Make sure to discard vacuum cleaner bags at least once a week, since fleas can continue to develop inside vacuum cleaner bags.

Some Chemical Control Suggestions:

Treat your pets. One suggestion is to use a product containing an insect growth regulator that are available as sprays, spot-ons, pills or food additives. Insect growth regulators work by disrupting the normal development of flea eggs and larvae. With all products, read and follow label directions carefully. Products designed for use on adult dogs should not be used on puppies or cats, unless specified on the label.

Treating homes. The pet’s living area should be treated at the same time that the pet is treated. This will hopefully kill immature and newly emerging fleas and will prevent re-infestation of the pet. Citrus sprays containing d-limonene is one suggestion that can be applied to rugs, carpeting and pet bedding. Also, insect growth regulators such as methoprene and pyriproxyfen can be used indoors. Methoprene is unstable in sunlight so it is an effective indoor treatment. However pyriproxyfen sprays, can be applied both indoors and outdoors. Outdoors, treat areas where pets spend most of their time, such as bedding areas or under shade trees.

Remember to inspect your pet for fleas regularly and carefully follow the label directions on the insecticide products.

Photo of a cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis (Bouche) (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae),
larva, pupa, adult and pupal case (bottom).
Photo by Bart Drees, Professor and Extension Entomologist, Texas A&M University.

Crouching Chinch Bugs

As we walk onto our lawns this summer, we might come across browning, dying patches of turfgrass due to chinch bugs. The southern chinch bug, Blissus insularis, is one of the most damaging insects to St. Augustine grass in Texas. Even though these insects are only 1/5 inches in length, they can cause damage to large area s of turfgrass.

Chinch bugs develop through incomplete metamorphosis with an egg, nymph and adult stage. The nymphal stage appears orange-red in color with a pale white band across the third part of their bodies (the abdomen). As they molt, the nymphs will change in color from orange-red to black and develop wings. The adult chinch bugs have black bodies with fully developed white wings that contain black triangular markings on the outer margins. The entire life cycle from egg to adult can occur in about 7 to 8 weeks, so more than one generation can occur in a year.
St. Augustine grass is the primary host of the southern chinch bug, but they can also attack bermudagrass, bahiagrass and zoysiagrass. Both nymphs and adults remove sap from the base of plants and inject a toxic substance that prevents transportation of water within the plant. Damage appears as irregular patches of dead or stunted grass surrounded by a halo of yellowing, dying grass. Damage can develop rapidly, especially during hot, dry weather.

One way to detect chinch bug infestations is to use an open-ended can immersed in the soil filled with water. The water causes the chinch bugs to float to the top of the can. The can should be placed in different locations within the damaged grass, totaling a square foot sample area. If 20 to 25 chinch bugs are found in random samples equaling a square foot, then control is needed. Also when infestations exist, chinch bugs may be seen walking on leaves or adjacent sidewalks on hot days.

Some Control Suggestions:

Non-Chemical Control Options:

1) Keeping thatch to a minimum will reduce protective breeding areas for chinch bugs. Lawn aeration and top-dressing, such as compost, can also reduce thatch.
2) Too little or too much water also can cause chinch bug problems. Over-watering results in saturated, oxygen-deprived soils which contain few microbes needed to decompose thatch. Dry lawns should be watered immediately when edges of grass blades begin to curl or if the grass does not spring back quickly when stepped on.
3) Keep beneficial insects in the lawn such as big-eyed bugs (Geocoris spp.) and minute pirate bugs (Xylocoris spp.).

Chemical Control Options:

A variety of liquid and granular insecticides are available to control chinch bugs. Granular insecticides can be applied with a standard fertilizer spreader and should be watered in with 1/4 inch of water to activate the insecticide. Liquid sprays are usually applied using a hose-end sprayer, so be sure to spray back and forth across the same area to ensure the entire area is treated.

If chinch bugs are in an isolated area of the lawn, spot treatments can be used. The off-colored turf and all surrounding infested areas should be treated. Spot treatments can minimize the impact of insecticides on beneficials and help avoid environmental contamination.
Products containing such chemicals as acephate, imidacloprid, lambda-cyhalothrin, bifenthrin and permethrin can be used to control chinch bugs.

Photo: Chinch bugs, Blissus spp. (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae), nymphs and adults. Photo by Bart Drees, Professor and Extension Entomologist, Texas A&M University.

Pestering Cicada Killers

During the warmest days of summer, we will be joined by a rather large insect, known as the cicada killer. Cicada killers are active during late July and August, coinciding with the appearance of cicadas which they sting and paralyze. Cicadas are large insects that “sing” in the trees during late summer. The female cicada killer will search tree trunks and lower limbs for cicadas, which she will sting and drag back into her burrow.

The female cicada killers usually dig burrows in areas that are sandy, bare, and exposed to full sunlight. They prefer to nest in areas of little vegetation, compared to thick areas of turf. Each female captures at least one cicada (some collect two or three) and a single egg is laid in the cicada before being sealed off. Even though an area may contain many burrows, female cicada killers are solitary. This means that each female constructs a burrow and captures her own cicadas to serve as food for her developing young.

The cicada killer develop through complete metamorphosis, with four life stages: egg, larva, pupae and adult. In two to three days, the eggs will hatch. Depending on the number of cicadas in its burrow, the cicada killer larvae can feed for 4 to 10 days. Then the larvae will pupate and the adults will emerge from July to August. This insect only has one generation a year.

Adult cicada killers feed on flower nectar and sap. The female wasps are non-aggressive and rarely sting unless touched or disturbed. Male cicada killers are usually aggressive and tend to defend nesting sites. However males lack a stinger, so they are harmless.

Some Control Options

Non-Chemical Control Options:
1) Apply fertilizers and water turfgrass to promote growth.
2) Also place mulch in flowerbeds and around shrubs to cover sandy soil to help reduce cicada populations.

Chemical Control Options:
Control is usually not recommended, since this is considered a beneficial insect. However these wasps can become a problem in high traffic areas around homes and in commercial areas such as around swimming pools, flower beds, and golf course greens.

If control is necessary, first the nests should be located during the daylight hours, while the female is foraging. Then at night or before dawn, sprinkle a round 1 tablespoon of carbaryl dust into the burrow and then close the entrance of the burrow. Other suggestions for spray treatments that are labeled for wasp control include acephate, allethrin, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, permethrin, and resmethrin. Repeat treatments may be needed for two to three weeks as new wasps move into the area.

Cicada killer, Sphecius speciosus (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). Photo by Bart Drees, Professor and Extension Entomologist, Texas A&M University.