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· Yellow Jackets/Hornets
· Fall 2004
· Winter 2004
· Spring 2004
· Summer 2004
· Rodents
· Insects
. Fleas
. Carpenter Ants
How Pest Survive Winter
Insects have developed many clever ways to survive winter, so even though you can't see some kinds now, they'll be back when the ~ -weather warms in spring you can bet on it!
Many pests that survive the winter outdoors choose a spot where they will be less exposed to cold temperatures and drying winds. They might crawl into cracks in homes or under bark, hide under piles of leaves, or burrow into the soil or under the edges of sidewalks, rocks or boards. All these places offer excellent protection against adverse winter conditions.
Many insects go into a state of diapause (a type of sleep or slowdown of their body systems) as winter begins. In this arrested state they are able to survive weather conditions that would normally kill them.
Some pests survive the winter only as eggs or pupae, both of which are more weather-resistant than most adult pests.
Carpenter ants and many other pests produce glycerol in their bodies, a type of natural anti-freeze that allows them to survive freezing temperatures. Ants also tend to move their colonies deeper into the ground where it's warmer, and they cluster together to stay warmer on cold days.
Pests that can spend the entire year indoors, like cockroaches and stored product pests, continue right through the winter, though they may be less active and stop reproducing if it stays cool indoors.
Fabric Pests Alert!
watch out! Fine clothes and expensive carpets are being damaged now more than in recent years. There are several reasons for this.
1. Before the mid 1950's, clothes moth and carpet beetle problems were a fact of life for most households. Then, from the mid-50's to the mid-70's, it became standard practice for sheep farmers to dip their sheep in Aldrin or Dieldrin (both relatives of DDT) to protect them from a certain fly that burrows under the sheep's skin. What no one realized at the time is that by dipping the sheep, the farmers very effectively moth proofed the wool as well. Now that these products aren't used any longer, clothes moths and carpet beetles are making a slow comeback.
2. People today pay less attention to proper storage of clothing from one season to the next.
3. Natural fibers (wool and silk) coming back into favor, either used alone or mixed with synthetic fabrics. Natural fibers including wool, silk, leather and fur are the materials fabric pests eat the most, because they contain keratin which the pests are able to digest and use for nutrients.
If you have these pests, call us and we'll treat for them before they cause more damage. Also, always clean and properly store items containing natural materials. Cleaning is particular1y important because fabric pests survive much better on fabrics with stains of food, perspiration or urine. Finally, remove accumulations of lint and animal hair in cracks, crevices, and under baseboards.
Fake Cows Attract Flies
One of Africa's most harmful pests is the deadly tsetse fly, which infects humans with sleeping sickness and cattle with Nagana, the name for sleeping sickness in cattle.
Thanks to fake cows that attract the tsetse fly, parts of Africa are now free of this pest. The artificial cows smell like real cows, but are impregnated with insecticides that kill the flies when they land on them.
These cows are so effective, that only four are needed in a square kilometer to control the flies. There are now 60,000 of the fake cows in use in Zimbabwe alone.
What is Apiphobia?
Fear of bees. There are about 500 different kinds of named human phobias, including arachnaphobia (spiders), musophobia (mice), and ophidiophobia (snakes), to name just a few. Phobias are real and are not the same thing as a simple dislike or feeling "grossed out" by something. The truly phobic person experiences sweating, a racing heart, difficulty breathing, or a panicky feeling. In the U.S. about 50 million people suffer from some kind of phobia.
West Nile Virus Spreading Fast
The Centers for Disease Control is warning that West Nile Virus has spread
farther and faster in 2001 than in past years. In 1999 it was confined to just the New York metropolitan area. It has now spread to 20 states from Florida to Maine, and west to Michigan, Illinois, and Missouri. Experts say it will continue to spread and possibly reach California by early next year .
Mosquitoes can transmit the virus to people they bite. A Georgia woman died last year from the virus, and residents of several other east coast states fell ill from the disease but recovered. The virus causes an inflammation of the brain.
Your Questions Answered
Q. "How far north will fire ants 9O?"
A. A new study that takes local climate information into account predicts that red imported fire ants will spread much further than their current range. Ultimately, they will become established up to 100 miles north of their current range in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee with stable populations infesting coastal Virginia, western Texas, and portions of New Mexico and Arizona. In the West they will spread as far north as Oregon. Spotty infestations will occur in Washington, Nevada, and Utah, as well as Delaware
and Maryland.
Red imported fire ants arrived in the United States in the 193O's, and now infest all or ,parts
of 13 states. They are expected to expand their range by about 5% each year. They are more aggressive than black imported fire ants, which arrived here in 1918. A super hybrid between the red and black fire ant was discovered in the mid-198O's, and is
also spreading.
Migrating Birds Spread Ticks
Scientists recently confirmed unfortunately birds do carry and spread ticks to new areas, and that often those ticks are carrying disease-causing organisms. They were able to collect nine species of ticks from 33 species of passerine birds (these are the songbirds or perching birds). Some of these birds migrate from as far south as South America, then redistribute the disease-causing ticks where they migrate to throughout North America.
In another study, researchers found that about 7% of the birds examined carried ticks, and that over half of these ticks were Infected with microorganisms that cause disease in humans, including Lyme disease, human granulocytic enrlichiosis (HGE), and human monocytic enrlichiosis (HME).
Pest Trivia
CHALLENGE YOURSELF AND FRIENDS WITH THESE!
1. In ancient China, especially the Song dynasty (960-1278 A.D.), what sport enjoyed the same popularity as professional football enjoys today?
2. What disease recently killed a pet shop employee?
3. How long does it take for soft food to pass through the gut of a cockroach?
4. In a total nuclear war, is it true that cockroaches will be the only survivors?
ANSWERS TO TRIVIA!
1. Cricket fighting.
2. Rat bite fever, an infection contracted when the worker cut his finger on a rat cage. The bacteria is present in the saliva of all rats. Most cases of the infection can be treated with the proper antibiotics.
3. 48 hours.
4. Actually, cockroaches are much more susceptible to exposure to radiation than many other insects. Scientists have tested fruit flies and grain borers, for instance, and found that cockroaches are relative wimps compared to the amount of radiation these insects can stand.
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