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.