Pest Control Alerts

Can You Identify Formosan Subterranean Termites?

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The Formosan Subterranean Termite in Georgia

Taken from this website

The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, is native to China, was accidentally introduced into the southern U.S., and has since been found in nine southern states. Since 1993, several dozen infestation sites have been found in Georgia.
Formosan termite inspectionThe Formosan termite is most commonly imported into Georgia by movement of termite-infested railroad crossties. As railroad companies replace crossties, some of the used ones are sold and re-used to build retaining walls and other landscape features. Some of the used crossties are infested with Formosan termites. The termites survive transport and become established in previously un-infested areas when the crossties are installed.Formosan termites remain extremely rare in Georgia, and the presence of railroad crossties in the landscape in no way implies the presence of the termite on one’s property.
Termite Control Technicians and Homeowners Should Learn to Recognize the Formosan Subterranean Termite

It is important that termite control professionals and homeowners be able to differentiate between Formosan subterranean termites and Georgia’s more common native subterranean termites. The primary differences in the two types of termites are in the size, color, and behavior of the swarmers and soldiers.Click on the following link to view a PDF file of the publication Identifying the Formosan Subterranean Termite.
Swarmers 

Formosan termite swarmers are larger than native subterranean termite swarmers, measuring about one-half to five-eighths of an inch from tip of head to tip of wings, and the body is caramel-colored (native termite swarmers are black). Formosan termite wings are hairy, while native termite wings are not hairy.In Georgia, Formosan termites swarm at night in May and June and are attracted to lights, whereas native subterranean termites typically swarm during the day and are not attracted to lights.
Formosan termite soldierSoldiers

Formosan termite soldiers exude a white, glue-like secretion from the top of their head when disturbed.Most notably, however, Formosan termite soldiers make up as much as 15-25% of the termites in a colony compared with just 1-3% in a native subterranean termite colony. Formosan termite soldiers are also aggressive, and will often attempt to bite ones finger tip if challenged.
Formosan termites in cross tieMud Tubes on Crossties 

During swarm season (May and June in Georgia) Formosan termites often build extensive mud tubing on crosstie walls. Unfortunately, these mud tubes are washed away with the first rain.

 
To Confirm a Formosan Termite Discovery if you are a termite control professional or a homeowner and you think you have found a Formosan termite, we can confirm the termites’ identification. Please collect swarmers and/or soldiers (do not send workers), place them in a small, airtight vial filled with rubbing alcohol, and take the vial to your nearest county extension office, or contact Dr. Daniel R. Suiter on the UGA Griffin Campus at 770-233.6114.

 

Safety Checklists for New Landscape Employees

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Ellen Bauske, Rolando Orellana, and Alfredo Martinez­-Espinoza

Safety pub 1These checklists can be used to introduce new landscape workers to safe work practices. They ensure that job training includes safety instruction. Before new employees start their first assignment, supervisors should discuss the items covered in the following checklists. Safe use of equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) should be demonstrated as the supervisor reviews the checklists. Pictures associated with each item reinforce the safety message for employees.

These checklists are based on the book Safety for Hispanic Landscape Workers which has been approved by OSHA for use in safety training. They are designed to help companies reduce incidents, stay in compliance and create a culture of safety.

Pest Professional Pop Quiz

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Image taken from publication - Management of Pest Insects in and Around the Home
Image taken from publication “Management of Pest Insects in and Around the Home”

Drain flies (Psychodidae: Psychoda spp.): Also referred to as moth flies.

Taken from Management of Pest Insects in and Around the Home

 

Oblong or oval, appears moth-like, and is about 3/16 inch, wings fuzzy. Larvae up to 3/8 inch.

Habits: Commonly found in bathrooms (breeds in scum in drains, showers, overflows, toilet bowls, etc.). Adults rest motionless on walls until disturbed, and then fly well. Need wet conditions to breed. When toilets have gone un-flushed for an extended period, moth flies may lay eggs in the toilet tank, and larvae can be found there. When the toilet is finally flushed, larvae can make their way into the toilet bowl, where they are discovered.

Interventions: Clean the inside of the drain of all scum and detritus using a mild cleanser and a bristled brush. Never pour insecticides into drain. Pouring bleach into drains is not effective. Make certain that the water trap in the drain line (especially common in less frequently used sinks) is filled – if the water trap dries out, flies and other pests that live in the drain lines will be able to enter the building. To help determine whether a particular drain is infested, place a clear cup,
inverted, over the drain. If flies emerge from the drain, they will be trapped by the cup, and can be seen.

Might Be Confused With: fungus gnats, humpbacked flies, fruit flies, and small moths.

El Nino may impact weather this summer

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Original article taken from May Peanut Pointers and can be found here

The warm pool of water in the equatorial Pacific Ocean continues to move eastward, increasing chances for an El Nino to develop later this summer into fall.  In winter, El Nino causes wet and cool conditions in south Georgia as the subtropical jet stream shifts right over the state, bringing clouds and plentiful precipitation with it.  El Nino impacts in summer are more subtle and the summer weather patterns tend to be dominated by local storms rather than large-scale weather patterns.

However, we know that Atlantic hurricanes are less likely in El Nino autumns, which could be good news for farmers trying to get into their fields in fall to harvest peanuts, since with fewer storms we may experience drier conditions.   By comparison, tropical activity in the eastern Pacific Ocean is enhanced.  And sure enough, there is already some unsettled weather occurring there which might turn into the earliest eastern Pacific named storm ever if it pulls itself together.

Meanwhile, the wet spring, coupled with recurring cold fronts, have kept soil conditions far from ideal for planting.  With the warm and sunny weather this past week, however, farmers should be taking advantage of better conditions to get out into the fields and get things done.

Looking ahead, warmer and wetter than usual conditions are predicted to return May 12-16, with near normal conditions May 16-20.  As a whole, May is expected to be near normal in temperature and precipitation, and the summer has an increased chance of warmer than normal temperatures based on long-term trends.  There is no skill in predicting summer rainfall this year and there are equal chances for near, above and below normal precipitation.

(Reprinted from Peanut Pointers newsletter for May)

GCIA Ensures Landscape Pros’ Access to Certified Turfgrass

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gcia logoBilly Skaggs, GCIA Seed Certification Program Manager

Here in Georgia, the Georgia Crop Improvement Association (GCIA) ensures turfgrass professionals can purchase high quality seed and turfgrass sod which are free of noxious weeds, genetically pure, and guaranteed to germinate. GCIA is a non-profit organization, operating as an agent for the University of Georgia.

Certified seed and turfgrass are produced and increased under a limited generation concept that is supervised by GCIA. There are three classes of certified seed and turfgrass:

  • Foundation material which is produced from breeder stock
  • Registered material produced from foundation stock
  • Certified material produced from registered stock.

Each generation increase is field inspected by GCIA.

Turfgrass certification is the only quality control offered for protection of the sod buyer, as state and federal laws do not address vegetatively produced crops. Our turfgrass members produce “blue tag” certified sod which is field-inspected at least three times yearly by knowledgeable inspectors. Each inspector is trained to recognize off-type plants, other crops, noxious and objectionable weeds, which can create unsightly and costly problems in turf.

When only the best will do, many landscape architects specify Georgia certified “blue tag” turfgrass on their projects. When ordering sod or bidding jobs, be sure to specify Georgia Crop Improvement Association “blue tag” certified grass. The blue certificate assures you that the grass provided by your grower has met a rigorous set of inspection criteria designed to promote high quality, true to variety, and weed free turfgrass.

For more information, visit www.certifiedseed.org. And remember, Certified Sod Doesn’t Cost – It Pays!

 

 

 

Easy web site to plot climate trends

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Article retrieved from CASE

CASE image 1The National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) is the official Federal archive of weather and climate data for the US, and they have data for many other countries as well.  One of their most useful tools is their new “Climate at a Glance” web site, which allows you to plot trends in climate variables like temperature, precipitation, and drought indices for any part of the US.  The web site includes a link to a map of climate divisions for the US so you can pick your region.

Here is the website address:  http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/time-series/us

Helpful UGA publications on ant control

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Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ant from pub
Black carpenter ants (≈3/8 up to ≈5/8 inch) are dull black and their abdomens are covered with fine, yellowish hairs. They are most common inland in central and northern Georgia.

Daniel R. Suiter and Brian T. Forschler, UGA Department of Entomology

Carpenter ants are pests for several reasons. First, they are considered mild wood-destroying organisms because they chew wood to create nest sites. They do not eat wood (as do termites), but excavate it with their strong, serrated mandibles to create random galleries where they nest. Second, because of their abundance and large size carpenter ants can be a nuisance when they forage in and around the home. Read the entire publication on Carpenter Ants

Also see Biology and Management of Carpenter Ants

 

Argentine ants form strong foraging trails.
Argentine ants form strong foraging trails.

Argentine Ants

Daniel R. Suiter and Brian T. Forschler, UGA Department of Entomology

Argentine ants are one of the most common nuisance insect pests in the southeastern United States and in California. Worker ants are light brown and about three-sixteenths of an inch long.

A mature colony of Argentine ants can consist of a million or more worker ants and hundreds of queens. Argentine ants form large colonies that consist of numerous nest sites that encompass large foraging areas (often multiple properties). Ants may travel hundreds of feet from nest sites to feeding sites and other nest sites on well-organized foraging trails (Figure 2). Argentine ant trails have been measured in excess of 350 feet in Georgia. Read more on Argentine Ant Control

Pest Management Popquiz

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Taken from the publication Stored Product Pests in the Home by Daniel R. Suiter, Michael D. Toews, and Lisa M. Ames, UGA Department of Entomology

Indianmeal moth

The Indianmeal moth (approximately 1/2 inch long) is the most common stored product pest found in homes, where it commonly infests cereal and other grain-based foods.
The Indianmeal moth (approximately 1/2 inch long) is the most common stored product pest found in homes, where it commonly infests cereal and other grain-based foods.

The Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella, is the most common stored product pest in homes, where it infests bird seed, breakfast cereals, and other consumables. Indianmeal moths are most commonly found infesting food items in kitchen cupboards, but adults may be found throughout the home because they are excellent fliers and readily disperse from the food item they are infesting. Adults may be found well-away from the larval food source.

Adult Indianmeal moths are distinctive in appearance. Their wings are bi-colored, and alternate between beige and copper (Figure 1). Moths are most active at dusk, when they can be seen (indoors) flying while searching for mates and food. During the day, moths can be found resting motionless on walls and ceilings, often near their larval food source. Adults are shortlived and do not feed.

Indianmeal moth larvae, just before they pupate, are approximately 5/8 inch long, cylindrical, and dirty-white to a faint pink or green color (Figure 1B). Larvae produce visible silk webbing in the items they infest (Figure 1C) and generally pupate close to the items they are infesting. Just prior to pupation, larvae crawl away from their feeding site to pupate at the intersection of a ceiling and wall or similar seam within the cupboard, including spaces between walls and shelves and in the tight folds of packaging. Another favorite pupation site is between the corrugations of cardboard boxes. When looking for Indianmeal moths, inspectors should look between a product’s cardboard box and liner by lifting the liner out of the box.

See this information in the original publication here.

Indianmeal moth larvae (approximately 5/8 inch long and dirty-white to pink to greenish colored) often crawl away from feeding sites before they pupate.
Figure 1 B Indianmeal moth larvae (approximately 5/8 inch long and dirty-white to pink to greenish colored) often crawl away from feeding sites before they pupate.
A telltale sign of Indianmeal moth infestation is the presence of silk webbing produced by larvae.
Figure 1 C A telltale sign of Indianmeal moth infestation is the presence of silk webbing produced by larvae.

Landscape Popquiz!

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Spot anthracnose on dogwood

Jean Williams-Woodward, UGA Plant Pathologist

Spot anthracnose of dogwoodSpot anthracnose of dogwood, not to be confused with the lethal canker disease, dogwood anthracnose, is common on flowering dogwoods in the Spring. Spot anthracnose, caused by the fungus, Elsinoe corni, causes small, circular, reddish spots on the bracts and leaves. Severe infection can cause leaf and bract distortion.

Spot anthracnose is mostly an aesthetic disease. It will not kill the trees or significantly affect tree growth. Once spots are seen, it is too late to manage the disease with fungicides. Fungicides are generally not needed nor recommended unless in nurseries where tree’s aesthetics can affect sales. Fungicides needed to be applied at bud break to reduce infection and disease development.

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