Time to treat for fire ants!

Red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren, are an invasive species that has infested over 300 million acres in the southern United States. On average, Americans spend over $6 billion a year on medical bills, repairing damage to electrical wiring and purchasing insecticides for treatment of fire ants. For these reasons, the use of chemicals is needed to manage their populations, in order to allow the native ant species back into the landscape.
Fire ant baits, drenches, dusts and contact insecticides may be applied to control fire ants. It is advised to treat the individual fire ant mounds directly if less than 5 mounds are found within a 1/4 acre or less than 20 mounds within 1 acre, since this is not considered an infestation. However, if more than 5 mounds are present within a 1/4 acre or 20 mounds within an acre, then a fire ant bait or contact insecticide should be broadcasted over the entire infested area. Fire ant baits are made up of defatted corn grit covered with insecticide and soybean oil. The delivery process of baits into the colony is so effective, that the amount of insecticide applied within an area is significantly reduced. Before broadcasting the fire ant bait, foraging activity should be assessed, by placing a potato chip or hot dog next to the mound. If fire ants find the chip or hot dog within twenty minutes, then it is a suitable time to broadcast the bait. Fire ants will typically actively forage when the soil surface temperature is between 70 and 90° F, which is between May and September. Fire ant baits should never be watered into the soil and they should not be applied if they smell rancid. On the other hand, contact insecticides can also be broadcasted over the entire infested area and need to be watered into the soil. Control using contact insecticides generally lasts for 6 to 12 months, depending on the active ingredient within the insecticide.
Both fire ant baits and contact insecticides can be broadcasted using a hand-held spreader for small areas or a Herd Seeder can be mounted onto a truck or ATV for larger areas.
For more information, please visit the fire ant webpage at http://fireant.tamu.edu.


Photo of fire ant workers. Photo by Bart Drees, Professor and Extension Entomologist, Texas A&M University.

Mining the Leaf

Moving plants indoors during the winter allows for excellent breeding conditions for many insects. One of these flying insects a leafminer agromyzid fly in the genus Liriomyza. Liriomyza leafminers can be found on numerous outdoor plants, including chrysanthemums, asters, zinnias, marigolds, daisies, eggplant, carrot, potato, garden peas, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and pepper plants.
Adult leafminers are 1/16 inches in length with grayish-black bodies and yellow markings. The female flies insert their eggs into the leaves. The eggs hatch usually in 2 days into 1/16 inch larvae. These whitish-yellow larvae cause plant damage, by tunneling through the leaf tissue. As the larvae mature, the tunnel or mine gets larger in size. After 7 or 8 days, the last larval stage emerges from the leaf to pupate in the soil. The adult fly will emerge usually in 7 to 11 days. The lifecycle from egg to adult may last all year, if the leafminer is in a controlled environment.
The white tunnel that appears on the leaf is both unappealing to the eye and can cause leaf drop in some instances. Leaf mines reduce the value of the crop and they can reduce the photosynthetic ability of the plant. If large populations exist, they have the potential to retard growth of young plants and lower fruit yield.

Some Control Options

Some Cultural Control Options:

1) Prune off and dispose of infested leaves and branches.
2) Properly irrigate and fertilize plants to ensure healthy plants.
3) Plant cultivars that are more tolerant to leafminer attack.
4) Cover the soil with plastic to prevent larvae from pupating.

Some Chemical Control Options:

Organics sprays such as horticultural oil, neem and spinosad can be used to control leafminers. Also systemic insecticides such as acephate and imidacloprid can be used to control leafminers.


Photo of leafminer adult, Liriomyza sp. Photo by: Texas AgriLife Extension, Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University.

Attack of the Aphids

Aphids are small, soft-bodied winged or wingless insects about 1/25 to 1/8 inches in length, with relatively long legs and antennae. Aphids can vary in color from black, green, yellow to even pink. Some aphids lay eggs, while others give birth to live young that can mature in as little as 7 to 8 days. Aphids have piercing-sucking mouthparts that remove phloem from the plant, causing distortions in young leaves and stunting new growth. They can also feed on flower buds, which cause deformities.
Since aphids feed on phloem they excrete honeydew, which is a shiny, sticky waste product that collects onto lower lying leaves. Once deposited, the honeydew is a nice food source for sooty mold which will begin to grow on the underlying foliage. Sooty mold will inhibit photosynthesis, so its growth can potentially cause severe harm to the plants.

Some Control Options

Some Non-Chemical Control Options: Conserve beneficial insects, such as spiders, praying mantids, assassin bugs, lacewings, ladybird beetle larvae and adults and parasitic wasps in outdoor landscapes. Also spraying water streams is effective to dislodge aphids from plants.
Some Chemical Control Options: Insecticidal soaps and oils can be used to control aphids and are considered low impact insecticides. Other foliar insecticides containing such active ingredients as permethrin, cyfluthrin, carbaryl, deltamethrin, pyrethrins and tebufenozide or systemic insecticides such as those containing imidacloprid or acephate can also be used.

Photo of crape myrtle aphids, Tinocallis kahawaluokalani (Kirkaldy) (Homoptera: Aphididae. Photo by Bart Drees, Professor and Extension Entomologist, Texas A&M University.

Be On The Lookout For Crane Flies

Now is the time when we begin to see nuisance crane flies enter into buildings. Sometimes these flies are called “mosquito hawks” but unlike mosquitoes, these adult flies do not feed. These flies are large in size with long legs and they are only alive long enough to mate and lay more eggs for the next generation. Even though crane flies are not medically important, they are a nuisance when they enter homes and other buildings in large numbers.
The larvae of crane flies are gray in color and cylindrical in shape. These larvae are usually found in layers of decomposing leaves or in compost piles from December to January. The larvae of the crane fly have chewing mouthparts and feed on organic matter. They are beneficial, since they are decomposers.
Usually no control is needed since the adults are only here for a couple of weeks out of the year. Just remember to keep doors and windows closed as much as possible to prevent them from entering buildings!

Photo of a crane fly (Diptera: Tipulidae). Photo by Bart Drees, Professor and Extension Entomologist, Texas A&M University.

Subterranean Termite Swarming Season Begins

There are two subterranean termite genera that cause most of the structural damage in Texas. One genus, Reticulitermes, may become more noticeable as the reproductives begin swarming during the day in the months of February through May. Subterranean termites live in colonies underground, in order to avoid sunshine and outside air. They are social insects and have a caste system consisting of workers, soldiers, and reproductives. Each caste member within a termite colony has distinct physical and behavioral characteristics. The workers build shelter tubes or mud tubes from tiny pieces of soil, wood, and debris that are glued together using secretions and fecal material. Termites tend to have an extensive tunneling systems underground that allows them to carry food resources back into the colony.
Termites feed on any cellulose material, such as roots, paper, and cardboard. They are important to our ecosystem, since they decompose cellulose. However, subterranean termites become economic pests when they invade human dwellings and structures. Termite damage may be detected by the presence of mud tubes, damaged wood, and the swarming of winged reproductive termites. Termite damage may also be apparent on door frames or window sills or dead termites might be visible along window sills or baseboards.

Some Preventative Practices:
1) Stumps, scrap wood, grade stakes, foam boards, cardboard boxes, and newspapers found around structures should be removed.
2) Firewood, landscape timbers, and compost piles should not be stored around foundations of structures.
3) Minimize moist areas by grading the soil and installing gutters to allow water to drain away from the building.
4) Do not allow shrubs, vines, tall grasses and other dense vegetation to grow against structures. Thick vegetation makes it hard to inspect for termite activity and these plants tend to trap moisture.
5) Use mulch sparingly and do not allow the mulch to contact wood siding or framing of the doors and windows around structures.

Some Chemical Approaches to Termite Control:
If termites are found around structures some measures can be taken, such as applying liquid termiticides and/or installing baiting systems. When soil termiticides are applied, they provide a continuous chemical barrier around the structure. Termiticides should be applied in such areas as under slabs, by drilling and injecting vertically through the slab, or treating horizontally through the foundation from the exterior. There are both repellent and non-repellant liquid termiticides that can be applied around structures. The termites attempting to tunnel into the chemically treated area will either be killed or repelled, which will prevent them from entering the structure. Termite baiting systems can also be installed around structures and in conducive conditions within the area. The stations will initially contain a piece of untreated wood until termite activity is detected. Once termite activity is observed, then the untreated wood is replaced with a plastic tube containing a termiticide within a cellulose matrix. The worker termites feed on the cellulose matrix and then exchange this material with other members of the colony. This results in death of the colony members.

A winged reproductive termite, Reticulitermes spp. (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Photo by J. Hamer, Texas A&M University.

Bed Bug Registry

Bed bugs are increasingly becoming a problem within homes, apartments, hotels, motel, dormitories and shelters. The common adult bed bugs, Cimex lectularius, are about 3/16 inches in length, reddish-brown in color, wingless and flattened. Female bed bugs lay their eggs in secluded areas and can deposit 1 or more eggs per day (hundreds during a lifetime). The eggs are tiny and are usually hard to see without magnification. Bed bugs usually complete their lifecycle from egg to adult in a month.
Bed bugs prefer feeding on humans, but they will also bite other warm-blooded animals, such as dogs, cats, birds and rodents. Bed bugs are active mainly at night so they feed at night. Bed bugs tend to feed on any skin exposed while sleeping, such as the face, neck, shoulders, arms and legs. Engorgement takes about three to 10minutes. Symptoms after being bitten vary. Many people develop an itchy red welt or localized swelling within a day after the bite, while other people have little or no reaction.
The welts and itching are often attributed to fleas or mosquitoes, so infestations may go a long time unnoticed. However, the likelihood of bed bug infestations increases if the affected individual has been traveling or has acquired used beds or furnishings before symptoms started to appear. Confirmation requires finding and identifying the bugs themselves, which often requires the help of a professional.
A common concern with bed bugs is whether they transmit diseases. Although bed bugs can harbor pathogens in and on their bodies, transmission to humans is considered unlikely. Even though they are not known to carry diseases, bed bugs can severely reduce quality of life by causing discomfort, sleeplessness and embarrassment.
Bed bugs are challenging insect pests to control, since they hide in small spaces. However, experienced companies know where to look for bed bugs. Assistance is required for treatment, so excess clutter should be removed. In some cases, infested mattresses and box springs will also need to be discarded. Since bed bugs can disperse throughout a building, it also may be necessary to inspect adjoining rooms and apartments.
There is now a Bedbug Registry (http://bedbugregistry.com)to give travelers and renters a way to post bed bug sightings and find out information about encounters from past guests at apartments, hotels and motels. No one is confirming these sightings so just beware.

Prevention of Larger Animals Entering Homes This Season

As we approach into colder weather, wild animals may move closer to or into our homes. They are ultimately in search of warmth and may invade under homes or in attics. It is always easier to prevent invasion than to remove them. This makes EXCLUSION the key to the prevention of wildlife invaders. Exclusion is the best way to prevent entry. Remember that rats and mice can fit through holes as small as ¼ inch in diameter, so be sure to seal all areas where sunlight can be seen. Exclusion can be accomplished by using steel mesh in the attic to close off possible entry points. The steel mesh can be stapled or nailed around whirly birds, vents and other openings in the attic. Weep holes and cracks and crevices can be sealed using steel wool. If the outside brick is light colored, then non-rust copper steel can be used. Both steel wool and steel mesh can be found at hardware stores. Trees should also be trimmed away from structures. When tree limbs are touching houses, it becomes a perfect bridge for the animals to enter homes.
Also proper sanitation is important to prevent animals from approaching homes. All food containers should be cleaned and properly contained in closed bins, in order to avoid animals entering garbage or recycle containers. Bird seed and other food items should be stored in a sealed container. Clothes, blankets and fleece should also be stored in sealed container, in order to avoid rats and other animals nesting in the materials.
If wild animals are living in or near your home, you must first figure out what animal it is before control should be taken. Mice and rats can be trapped using sticky or snap traps. These traps should be placed perpendicular to the wall, in areas where you see droppings, gnawing, urine stains, or scratch marks.
Call the city or wildlife department if larger animals are believed to be living in homes/structures. Most departments will donate a live cage trap for a period of time and most cities will pick up the trapped animals when they are caged.