What is the relationship between WNV infection and mosquito control programs?

November 30, 2015July 21, 2014 by Willie Chance

Answer: This study indicated that people in areas with no mosquito control program had a tenfold greater risk of WNV than those in areas where mosquitoes were controlled.

Read the entire article Using Mosquito Surveillance Data taken from the April 10, 2014 issue of Dideebycha, newsletter of the Georgia Mosquito Control Association

Mosquito surveillance is an important component of any mosquito control program. Where arboviral diseases occur, mosquito testing is an equally important component of an arboviral surveillance program. Arboviral encephalitis can be prevented in two major ways: personal protective measures to reduce contact with mosquitoes and public health measures to reduce the population of infected mosquitoes in the environment (mosquito control). Analysis of surveillance data provides information about the timing of arboviral transmission and the risk to the public, which can trigger county-level educational programs to help reduce risk.

A study comparing two mosquito control districts showed that the program with the most mosquito surveillance and best documented larviciding and adulticiding operations had the fewest number of WNV cases. This study indicated that people in areas with no mosquito control program had a tenfold greater risk of WNV than those in areas where mosquitoes were controlled.

Southern House Mosquito, Pest and Diseases Image Library, Bugwood.org

What are the roadblocks to arboviral surveillance in Georgia? We really do not have enough data to do good predictive calculating, particularly at the State level. Predicting where and when WNV outbreaks will occur is difficult, especially in areas with endemic transmission, which is what occurs in Georgia. Most of our sentinel data do not match up with our case data, as counties doing mosquito surveillance are not necessarily the same counties where human cases are occurring. Culex quinquefasciatus (Southern house mosquito), our primary WNV vector, are not evenly distributed, so neither is risk of human cases. However, we do not have sufficient surveillance to know where risk is occurring, and maintaining mosquito monitoring systems is costly even though it is essential according to the CDC.

Where data are available, the best predictor of risk is the Vector Index, the minimum infection rate (MIR) times the number of mosquitoes per trap night (abundance), which provides 2-4 weeks lead time in advance of human cases. Where adequate surveillance is maintained, this gives sufficient lead time to implement adult mosquito control efforts, which have demonstrated success in reducing human risk, resulting in fewer WNV cases (Carney, 2008).

Reference: Carney, R.M., Husted, S., Jean, C., Glaser, C., & Kramer, V. (2008). Efficacy of aerial spraying of mosquito adulticide in reducing incidence of West Nile Virus, California, 2005. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 14(5), 747–754.

New Graphic Helps Consumers Make Informed Choices About Insect Repellents

November 30, 2015July 21, 2014 by Willie Chance

Posted July 17, 2014 on the IPM in the South blog from the Southern Region IPM Center

The EPA unveiled a new graphic that will be available to appear on insect repellent product labels. The graphic will show consumers how many hours a product will repel mosquitoes and ticks when used as directed.

The EPA’s new graphic will do for bug repellents what SPF labeling did for sunscreens. This new graphic will help parents, hikers and the general public better protect themselves and their families from serious health threats caused by mosquitoes and ticks that carry debilitating diseases. Incidence of these diseases is on the rise. The CDC estimates that there are nearly 300,000 cases of Lyme disease in the United States each year. Effective insect repellents can protect against serious mosquito- and tick-borne diseases.

The EPA is accepting applications from manufacturers that wish to add the graphic to their repellent product labels. The public could see the graphic on products early next year.

GDA and SPCC announce new guidance and policies

November 30, 2015July 20, 2014 by Willie Chance

TO ALL GEORGIA STRUCTURAL PEST CONTROL LICENSEES, INTERESTED PERSONS AND PARTIES:

The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) and Georgia Structural Pest Control Commission (SPCC) announce new guidance and policy to assist the industry with compliance with the current rules of the Georgia Structural Pest Control Act. The compliance fact sheets are posted under guidance policies on the SPCC webpage.

New Guidance Fact Sheets

14-02 Pesticide Use Record Compliance

14-04 WDO Contracts

14-08 Under-floor ventilation

14-09 Official Waiver

14-10 Official Georgia Wood Infestation Inspection Report

The new 2014 rules and compliance timeline are posted on the Laws & Regulations webpage.

From the Georgia Structural Pest Control Commission

City Heat Boosts Tree-Killing Scale Insect Populations

November 30, 2015July 20, 2014 by Willie Chance

A red maple branch heavily infested with gloomy scales (identified by the small bumps covering the bark).

From Entomology Today

Big cities with large expanses of concrete, asphalt, and buildings are usually warmer than the suburbs or countrysides that surround them, a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect. Now new research from North Carolina State University shows that these urban heat islands increase the number of young produced by the gloomy scale insect — a significant tree pest — by 300 percent, which in turn leads to 200 times more adult gloomy scales on urban trees.

Read the original article here

First Chikungunya case acquired in the United States reported in Florida

November 30, 2015July 19, 2014 by Willie Chance

Seven months after the mosquito-borne virus chikungunya was recognized in the Western Hemisphere, the first locally acquired case of the disease has surfaced in the continental United States. The case was reported today in Florida in a male who had not recently traveled outside the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working closely with the Florida Department of Health to investigate how the patient contracted the virus; CDC will also monitor for additional locally acquired U.S. cases in the coming weeks and months.

Read entire article here.

Can we use the behavior of these ants to better control them?

November 30, 2015July 17, 2014 by Willie Chance

Ants engage in a social behavior known as trophallaxis, or food sharing, during which food (including bait) is distributed among nestmates.

Information on using bait formulations for insect control. Taken from the publication Insecticide Basics for the Pest Management Professional

Daniel R. Suiter, UGA Department of Entomology & Michael E. Scharf, UFL Department of Entomology and Nematology

See the rest of the publication at Insecticide Basics for the Pest Management Professional

Bait Formulations. Baits must be eaten by the target pest — typically rodents, termites, ants, cockroaches, and other miscellaneous pests (Figure 2). Baits are comprised of an active
ingredient incorporated into a palatable, if not preferred, food source. Bait products usually contain inert ingredients (e.g., preservatives, thickeners, gels, and fillers) intended to stabilize and enhance the shelf life and palatability of the bait. Logically, it is important that bait ingredients (actives and inerts) not be a deterrent to feeding.

Baits are most commonly formulated as ready-to-use liquids, gels, pastes, granules, dusts,
stations, pellets, and blocks. Depending on the product’s label, baits can be used both indoors
and outdoors, are generally target-specific, and are considered environmentally-friendly
because only small amounts of active ingredient are delivered, usually from a point source.
Because baits must be eaten, it is important to keep them away from non-target organisms.

To facilitate bait consumption:

Neither the active ingredient nor any other part of the bait should be a feeding deterrent.
The food source should be palatable (perhaps even preferred) by the target pest.

In addition, for social insect pests (especially ants) it is important that the active ingredient be slow acting. Ants and termites share food with their colony mates in a social behavior known as trophallaxis (Figure 1). Trophallaxis results in active ingredient distribution throughout social insect colonies. It is, therefore, important that the active ingredient be slow acting over a range of concentrations in order to provide sufficient time for toxicant distribution among nestmates. Fast-acting active ingredients or excessively high concentrations of the active ingredient may too quickly impair a social insect’s ability to engage in trophallaxis, thereby rendering the bait less effective.

See the rest of this publication at Insecticide Basics for the Pest Management Professional

UGA Webinar Series Now Offers 2 Hours of Credit!

November 30, 2015July 14, 2014 by Willie Chance

Dan Suiter, UGA Department of Entomology

The Urban & Structural IPM program at the University of Georgia started a webinar series this year for pest management professionals. Go to www.gabugs.uga.edu to learn more, including upcoming dates, speakers, and topics. Our series now provides CCU/CEU credit in GA, AL, FL, NC, SC, and TN.

We are announcing the doubling of credit for our series, from 1 to 2 hours. Webinars from this point forward will begin at 8:00 AM and finish at 10:00 AM, while providing 2 CEUs for attendees.

Our next webinar is August 20, 2014 from 8:00 to 10:00 AM. Dr. Brian Forschler will discuss the Biology and Management of Subterranean Termites, and Dr. Dan Suiter will talk about Demystifying Wood-eating Beetles. GA operators will receive 2 hours of WDO credit.

Should you have a question about this or any other upcoming webinar, don’t hesitate to contact me at 770-233-6114 or dsuiter@uga.edu. Alternatively, visit our website at www.gabugs.uga.edu.

Recognize this large wasp found in landscapes now?

November 30, 2015July 14, 2014 by Willie Chance

Cicada Killer Wasps

Nancy Hinkle, UGA Extension Entomologist

Cicada killer - Jessica Lawrence, NC State Entomology Department, Bugwood.org — Cicada killer – Jessica Lawrence, NC State Entomology Department, Bugwood.org

The cicada killer wasp is the largest wasp in Georgia. The cicada killer wasp is almost two inches long. Although intimidating in appearance, these wasps are not something we humans have to worry about. Cicadas, on the other hand, should be very afraid. Cicada killer wasp adults feed on nectar but use paralyzed cicadas to feed their young.

Female cicada killers are hard to provoke to sting. The female uses her stinger to paralyze her prey (cicadas) rather than in self defense. The female’s attention is focused on providing food for her babies, so she poses little threat to humans.

Cicada killers prefer to nest in sandy open sunlit areas. As the female digs, she kicks out soil that forms a semicircle around the burrow opening. She burrows six to ten inches into the ground, prepares a chamber, catches a cicada to fill the chamber, lays an egg on the cicada, and seals the chamber. She may do this over a dozen times in one burrow.

Cicada killer - Ronald F. Billings, Texas Forest Service, Bugwood.org — Cicada killer – Ronald F. Billings, Texas Forest Service, Bugwood.org

When a female finds a cicada, she paralyzes it with her stinger, straddles it, and attempts to fly with it to her burrow. Because the cicada typically weighs more than she does, these flights are usually hops, with more dragging than gliding.

The egg hatches in a few days and the larva feeds on the paralyzed cicada until nothing is left but a shell. Then the wasp larva pupates within the burrow, remaining there until the next spring.

Males cannot sting; their only defense is intimidation. They patrol the nesting area, trying to divert attention away from the female, allowing her to provision her nest with cicadas. Meanwhile the male is using threatening tactics to distract potential predators. He may even dive bomb perceived threats. Since the males do not have stingers, they are completely harmless. They must rely on bluff, bluster, and bravado to protect their families.

Because cicada egg laying can be damaging to trees and shrubs, cicada killer wasps are very beneficial, providing free biological control. However, homeowners who do not want these wasps around can modify their lawn to be unappealing. A thick healthy turf with no bare spots will exclude cicada killer wasps. If turf is thin in nesting areas, identify turf problems that make the turf weak and correct them.

Cicada killer wasps will be active for only a few weeks and will be gone by mid-August in most of Georgia. If someone is bothered by these wasps, late July and early August would be a good time to take their vacation.

For more on cicada killer wasps, see these articles:

Giant wasps not after humans

Killer wasps swarm in August

Chikungunya Virus is Expected to Become Established in the U.S.

November 30, 2015July 12, 2014 by Willie Chance

Reprinted from Entomology Today – Read the entire article here.

About six months ago, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control issued a travel warning for people visiting islands in the Caribbean because chikungunya virus had been detected on the island of St. Martin. This was the first time it had been detected in the Americas.

Now, in addition to the islands, health authorities are preparing for the virus to infect people in the U.S. itself.

“It’s not a matter of if, but when,” Dr. James Crowe, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University, recently said to USA Today.

According to the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), “it is virtually certain” that the virus will become established in the U.S. According to Paul Etkind, senior director for infectious diseases at NACCHO, “Local health departments should expect to see more of these cases as travel to the Caribbean for business and pleasure purposes increases over time. In addition, hundreds of thousands of soccer fans, many from the United States, are expected to travel to Brazil in July for the World Cup. The opportunities for introduction of the virus via infected fans returning from the games will be many.”

UGA publication provides basic insecticide info for pest management professionals

November 30, 2015July 11, 2014 by Willie Chance

Pesticide Definitions taken from

Insecticide Basics for the Pest Management Professional

Dr. Daniel R. Suiter, University of Georgia Department of Entomology and

Dr. Michael E. Scharf, University of Florida Department of Entomology and Nematology

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines a pesticide as “any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest.” For the purpose of this bulletin, we subscribe to a more stringent definition of a pesticide as “any chemical or mixture of chemicals intended to destroy any pest.”

Active ingredient. The chemical substance(s) responsible for achieving a product’s desired effect.

Technical grade active ingredient. The chemical substance(s) (pesticide) in its pure, raw form (usually 95% to 100% active ingredient) prior to being formulated into a product.

Inert ingredient. Inert ingredients are biologically inactive (i.e., they typically have no pesticidal properties) chemicals that are mixed with active ingredients in order to produce an end-use, for-sale product. Some commonly used types of inert ingredients and their function include:

Emulsifiers. Allow petroleum-soluble (but water insoluble) active ingredients to evenly disperse in water.
Diluents and Carriers. Are meant to dilute the amount of active ingredient in a formulation and to carry it to its intended target. Often the same material serves as both diluent and carrier. For example, talc is an inert ingredient in many dust formulations. Only a small part of the dust formulation is insecticidal. The remainder is inert talc that not only dilutes the active ingredient but also serves to carry it to its intended target. In liquid spray formulations, water is both a diluent and carrier. In granular formulations, the inert granule on which the pesticide is absorbed is the carrier.
Stickers. Allow active ingredients to stick or adhere to the treated surface.
Wetting agents (e.g., spreaders, dispersants, penetrants). An inert chemical that is added to water to increase spreading and/or penetration by eliminating or reducing surface tension. For example, a drop of water will “bead” on wax paper, but when a spreader/dispersant is added the water droplet spreads evenly over the wax paper. Wetting agents are used in wettable powder formulations to allow the powder to evenly mix with water.

Solution. A liquid and all the chemicals that are dissolved in the liquid. For example, sugar or salt dissolve completely when placed in water to make a “sugar solution” or “salt solution”. In this example, water is called the solvent and the sugar/salt called the solute. When a chemical is soluble in a liquid, it forms a solution and cannot separate.Suspension. A liquid that contains solid particles that are not dissolved. Over time, the solid particles will settle to the bottom of the container. Many liquid spray formulations (wettable powders, suspendable concentrates, and microencapsulates) are suspensions in water, and will settle to the bottom of the sprayer if not agitated. Suspensions should be shaken, or agitated, often to resuspend the product in the water.

Contact toxicants are chemicals that penetrate the target organism on contact. For example, liquid sprays are usually effective only after an insect crawls on the treated surface and contacts the residual deposit.

Oral toxicants are chemicals that act after having been ingested by the target organism. For example, bait products kill only after an insect consumes the bait containing the active ingredient.

Fumigants are chemical gasses. They act after an insect breathes them.

See the entire publication here!

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