Integrated Pest Management June 2000 BERRY FIELDS AND LAWNS - Bumblebees and yellow jackets build their nests in cavities in the soil, especially in soils that are not disturbed often. Bumblebees are large, buzzing, furry, black and yellow bees with a severe sting. Yellow jackets are smaller wasps which are banded with yellow on a black or brown color with severe stings. People should be careful when picking fruit, berries or walking in their lawns to help prevent disturbance of bee and/or yellow jacket nests. Wasp sprays with jet spray capabilities directed at the nest opening should control them. CHRISTMAS TREES - Tortoise scales are infesting our Virginia pines. Adult females are large (1/4-inch) mottled brown or gray bumps on the stems. There may be 3 to 4 generations per year. They produce a tremendous amount of honeydew resulting in sooty mold. Generally only a small portion (less than 10%) of the planting is infested at any given time. Timing and coverage of an insecticide is very important when controlling scales. Coincide your application with the emergence of mobile crawlers. Use label rates of acephate (Orthene), chlorpyrifos (Dursban) or malathion. Wet inner branches and main trunk to run off. Repeat application in 10-14 days. GARDENS - Flea beetles are attacking most plants grown in gardens. They are small, striped or black beetles. They are found on leaves and jump readily when touched or approached. They emerge in the spring to mate and lay eggs on the leaves or roots of plants. Damage is caused by adults feeding on leaves. This damage is most severe in seedling stages. Sevin, thiodan, diazinon, malathion or methoxychlor will control them. Check label for crop use and precautions. GREENHOUSES - According to EPA a pesticide label must specify greenhouse use in order for the product to be applied in a greenhouse. The question of whether pesticides need to specify greenhouses as a site in order for a product to be applied to a particular crop within the greenhouse has been confusing for years. It is illegal to apply a pesticide in greenhouses unless it states greenhouse use on the label. HOUSEHOLD - Brown recluse spiders live in nature under rocks, loose bark, tree trunks, and in all types of ground litter. In homes, they tend to locate in corners of rooms, under furniture and other objects, in floor and wall crevices, and in piles of old shoes or clothes. Females usually lay their eggs during May, June and July. Eggs hatch in about 30 days. Thorough, careful inspection and clean up will help to locate and destroy egg sacks. Humans are generally bitten only by accident, especially when a spider becomes trapped in bedding or clothing. Dursban, diazinon or malathion should control spiders inside or outside the house. A product called Tempo from Bayer Corporation is very effective on spiders. LAWNS - Chiggers (red bugs) can be a problem on lawns, but tend to be most numerous in areas of tall vegetation. The larval stages of chiggers feed on people, animals and birds. They usually feed on humans where clothing fits tightly, such as around waistbands. Intense scratching of the bites can break the skin and allow infection to develop. Ointments recommended by a pharmacist should relieve irritated areas. Mowing of infested lawns will help reduce chigger numbers. Sevin, Dursban and diazinon should control heavily infested lawns. Chinch bugs usually give us more problems in St. Augustine grass. Adults and nymphs suck sap from roots, stems and leaves of plants and generally feed primarily where the sun is shining on grass. Several materials are recommended for their control including sevimol or dursban. A second application may be necessary ten days later. Most effective results are obtained when an entire community treats rather than one or two homeowners if St. Augustine grass is the predominant lawn grass. Pavement ants are those ants most often seen making their nests in the cracks of sidewalks. They may also infest inside homes and will feed on almost any of our food items. They may also become pests in gardens by removing seeds and damaging seedlings to obtain sap. Label rates of carbaryl (Sevin), diazinon (Spectracide) or acephate (Orthene) will control them. Read and observe label precautions carefully. LIVESTOCK - Ticks are attacking our livestock including cattle, horses and ponies. The same species of ticks attack all of them. They attach themselves to any part of the body; therefore, good coverage with a pesticide is essential. Coumaphos (Co-Ral) is labeled for use on most livestock for tick control. Other materials as malathion or permethrin are recommended with special precautions. See individual labels. Other materials are also available. Horse flies and deer flies are blood feeders that use sharp blade-like mouthparts to slash their skin. They then feed on pool of blood that well up at the site. These flies inflict painful bites and can make life miserable for horses and cattle but control is difficult. In addition, some can serve as disease vectors. The larval stages of these flies live in moist, shaded areas in the soil. Areas along creeks, ponds and wetlands provide excellent breeding sites, which are too diffuse and environmentally sensitive to treat with insecticides. Adults spend only a small amount of time on animals so they may not receive a lethal dose of any insecticide that is applied. Frequent applications of pyrethrins or pyrethroid insecticides (2 to 4 day intervals) during the peak of the season may provide some reduction in attack by these strong fliers. These flies prefer sunny areas so allowing animals access to shade or barns can give the means of escaping attack.   MUSCADINES - Grape root borer trapping results indicate our control for this pest should occur around July 20. The only current labeled insecticide is Lorsban 4 EC applied to the ground surface around the base of the plant. See label for rates and precautions.   ORNAMENTALS - Bagworms overwinter as eggs inside last season's bags. Eggs are hatching, and small larvae feed on evergreens, maple, rose, willow and many other shrubs. An insecticide as Bacillus thuringiensis, diazinon, orthene or sevin should be applied when small larvae have produced bags that are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long, or at first signs of damage to shrubs. Read label precautions carefully.   Lace bugs are attacking our azaleas and other ornamentals. The small, brownish to black insects are about 1/2 inch long with lacelike wings. They puncture the underside of leaves and suck sap from the plants. The leaves develop brown to black splotches with damage similar to spider mite injury. Control this pest with label rates of malathion or orthene. White flies are building up in many of our shrubs. These are small moth-like insects covered with white, waxy, powder. They are four-winged flies with immature stages resembling miniature scale insects. They feed only on leaves, almost always on the undersides. They suck sap from the plant and excrete large amounts of honeydew. Sooty mold usually develops on the honeydew giving the leaves a blackish appearance. Control them with label rates of malathion, orthene, diazinon or a summer-weight oil. Several applications will be needed at 4 to 5 day intervals. PEACH TREES - Peach tree borers attack peach tree trunks near or below ground level and up to 18 inches above the ground. Their damage results in a jelly-like substance and frass where they tunneled into the tree trunk. They overwinter in the worm or larval stage under the trunk bark close to the crowd. The white worms with brown heads burrow into the trunk causing deadened areas in the bark, which weakens the tree, and in many cases, causes death of the tree. The adult of this insect generally first appears in July as a blue-black moth with clear wings, with an orange cross-band on the abdomen. They seem to be attracted to trees which previously have been infested by the borer or to those to which some mechanical injury has occurred. There is usually one generation per year. When applied properly and at the correct time, trunk sprays give effective borer control. Thiodan (endosulfan) and Lorsban are recommended insecticides. Begin applications at petal-fall covering all scaffold branches and main trunk as well as the area of soil immediately around the trunk base. Early ripening varieties may be sprayed immediately after harvest, making 2 to 3 applications at 3 to 4 week intervals using thiodan spray. Observe restrictions for insecticides you choose to use. POULTRY HOUSES - House flies in poultry houses are a major problem for our poultry producers. Management of manure so it is not conducive to fly breeding is the most effective means of control. Dry manure management is practiced by many and can be effective when manure moisture content is 30% or less. Chemical control should be considered as supplementary to sanitation land management measures aimed at preventing fly breeding. Several pyrethrins (Atroban, ectiban or Permectrin) are recommended for fly control as well as dichlorvos. Feed-through larvicides are available for use in caged layers. Read labels carefully. SPRAYING INSECTICIDES - Just because your neighbor is spraying his garden or field is not reason for you to spray yours. The only way for you to know when you should spray an insecticide is to scout or inspect your field and evaluate your findings. Anything else is a blind guess. If none to only a few pests are found, it may be best to do nothing. Many times we have fields sprayed that do not need to be, and there are fields not being sprayed that need to be treated. Use all devices available to you to make good economic and biological decisions. STORED GRAINS - Grain bins should be cleaned thoroughly and then treated with protective insecticides to control insects emerging from their hiding places. Malathion (premium grade) used for this purpose in metal bins should remain effective for 4 to 8 weeks at 80oF. In wooden bins, malathion may remain effective for up to 6 months. Methoxychlor may also be used. Reldan is effective 9 to 18 months. Insecticides, formulations, concentrations and rates of application approved for this and other uses are subject to change. Always follow label directions for current recommendations. TICKS - High populations of ticks are present this year. Control them inside houses with diazinon, dursban or dichlorvos. Around and outside houses, control them with sevin, malathion or dursban. Keep in mind the American dog tick is a carrier of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The median age person to get this fever is only 15 years old, ranging from 3 to 67 years, with about 62% of the people under age 20 years. WASPS AND HORNETS - Wasp and hornet activity is underway. Fertilized queens have spent the winter in protected sites and are beginning to establish their nests. Yellow jackets (1/2") are bright yellow and black. They build flat paper nests that are enclosed in paper envelopes. The nest sites are usually in the ground or other hidden locations. Hornets have spindle-shaped abdomens tipped with a strong stinger. Bald-faced hornets (3/4") are marked with black and white. They tend to nest in trees and buildings. Giant hornets (1 1/8") are brown and yellow. They may nest in trees, wall voids, or in the ground. Paper wasps have abdomens that are tapered at either end. They build flat, open nests under eaves or other sheltered locations. The only effective means of dealing with wasp and hornet problems is to treat the nest, if practical. Pyrethrin or resmethrin sprays work well when applied directly into the nest. Treat at night to get all the inhabitants and wear protective clothing. J. Pat Harris Extension Entomologist