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The Pest Monitor

Volume 6, Number 4

November 1998

There is no workman, whatsoever he be,
That may both work well and hastily. Chaucer

 

Quiz Answered

 

Click here for image.

    The picture which I used for the last quiz question was to dark for you too really get a good feel for what was happening. It showed a mouse which had been trapped but not removed from the trap. As a result, carpet beetles had eaten the fur and skin. Once the beetles finished eating this material, it is a good possibility that they could move to other items in the home which could serve as a food source. This might include furs or clothing made from wool.

    The point which I was trying to make was, "don't create another pest problem while dealing with the initial problem." Timely service of traps will prevent this from happening.

 

The History of Pest Control

 

    Late last year the University of Florida (in Chemically Speaking) ran a summary of important events which had occurred in the field of pest control. The article listed some 45 dates, and the first 15 events in this summary are as follows (the others will be included next year):

2500 BC: The first records of insecticide use. The Sumerians were using sulphur compounds to control insects and mites.

1500 BC: The first descriptions of cultural controls, especially manipulation of planting dates to deter pests.

1200 BC: Botanical insecticides were used for seed treatments and as fungicides in China. The Chinese were also using mercury and arsenical compounds to control body lice.

950 BC: The first descriptions of burning as a cultural control method.

200 BC: The Roman, Cato the Censor, advocated oil sprays for pest control.

13 BC: The first rat-proof grainary was built by the Roman architect Marcus Pollio.

300 AD: The first record of the use of biological controls, specifically predatory ants in citrus orchards in China. Colonies of the predatory ants, Oecophylla smaragdina, were set up in citrus groves with bamboo bridges to move between trees to control caterpillar and beetle pests.

400 AD: A chemistry practitioner recommends a root application of white arsenic when transplanting rice to protect against insect pests.

1000-1300 AD: The date growers in Arabia seasonally transported cultures of predatory ants from neaby mountains to oases for the purpose of controlling phytophagous ants that attack date palm.

1476: In Berne, Switzerland, cutworms were taken to court, pronounced guilty, excommunicated by the Archbishop, and then banished.

1485: The High Vicar of Valence commanded caterpillars to appear before him. He gave them a defense council and finally condemned them to leave the area.

    Most of this summary centers around food production; however, I think it shows that people were aware of the problems created by insects, mites as well as other pests. It also shows the some people did not have a very good concept of pest control, i.e. Archbishop taking cutworms to court. More of these in the next issue.

 

Truth in Advertising

   The California's Executive Office of the Department of Consumer Affairs Structural Pest Control Board has announced that the state has won a false advertising suit against a Nevada pest control company operating in California. The Nevada company was sued by California in 1996 for making untrue and/or misleading statements about their services. Some of the complaints were (1) the company claimed that its Electro-Gun, treatment system (which uses electrical current) is as effective as, or better than, fumigation or other termite treatment methods; (2) that their system was a total or whole-building termite treatment method; and (3) the company claimed that with the Electro-Gun chemical treatments were not used or necessary but routinely used chemical pesticides in conjunction with the electrical treatment. The judgment will require the company to change its advertising and make additional disclosures to consumers regarding the types of pest control services the company offers. PRNewswire August 1998.

    The above is an example of what the Federal Trade Commission probably had in mind when it started its investigations.

Aren't Natural Products Great

 

    Remember the CBS "60" Minutes report on "lar and the subsequent alarm which this generated when, during the story, it was reported that "lar was the Amost potent cancer causing agent in our food supply!" The evidence against Alar was that one of its metabolites may have caused tumors when fed in huge doses to mice. However, similar doses produced no ill effects in rats. Studies today show that organic apple juice often contains up to 137 naturally occurring volatile chemicals, of which five have been tested. Two of the five have been found to be carcinogens in laboratory animals. Another chemical, alcohol, is also a known human carcinogen. Similarly, in a cup of coffee there are 17 carcinogens that can affect rodents. A statement appearing in Science Magazine in 1990 said that "one cup of coffee contains 10 milligrams of known (natural) rodent carcinogens, about equivalent in weight to the potentially carcinogenic synthetic pesticide residues one eats in a year." It has been estimated that 99.99 percent of all pesticides, by weight, are generated naturally. The New York Times, via Chemically Speaking, Univ. Fla

    If this information is true, why does it not get the same attention as the Alar story or any other pesticide related story? Some possibilities:

This is not as sensational as a pesticide story in which the material is "man-made." With man-made products, the reports can make the producer/user or the manufacture out as the "bad guys" and the "bad guys" are out to pollute the world for their own benefit.

In some cases, the "press" has its own agenda and if information is available which does not fit their agenda then they simply ignore this information. More about this in the next issue.

    I think that this points out that reporting is not as balanced as it could be. So continue to practice good sound pesticide safety when you are about the business of pest control.

 

Chemical Combinations

 

    As reported by the Georgia News Service, a total of 10 workers had to go to the hospital and some 300 AT&T workers were removed from their offices by fire department officials. These events (supposedly) resulted from a combination of pesticide and carpet cleaner applications. According to a AT&T spokesperson, the building had been sprayed four times during the month for bugs. Evidently this brought about complaints about odors because a carpet cleaning service was brought in to get rid of insecticide odor. Paramedics believe the pesticide residues mixed with fumes from the carpet cleaning solution to create the noxious fumes.

    My question is "why was the building sprayed four times in one month?" This sounds something like a "mystery bug" complaint and management had the building sprayed in response to "something is biting me." The combination of materials could conceivably have caused a reaction. If the active ingredients were known, then I am sure a chemist could come up with a plausible explanation. This is probably an isolated incident, but I would be hesitant to treat if I could not find an active pest infestation.

    Irregardless of the circumstances, the pest control company will probably receive the major blame for this incident.

 

Formosan Termite Website

 

    The United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service has recently started an Internet site relating to the Formosan subterranean termite. This site contains photos, video clips, technical information and frequently asked questions. The address for this site is http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/fullstop. The information is rather general in scope, but it is something that one might want to monitor over time.

 

Rodent Bait Changes?

 

    EPA has requested manufacturers of rodenticides baits to add dyes and bittering agents to the materials as a means of identifying these products if they are accidentally ingested or improperly handled. Nearly 300 formulated products will be affected by these changes. EPA is also developing committees for the purposes of developing other ideas that may further reduce the risk of exposure to rodenticides. The Agency is know accepting nominations for individuals to participate on these committees. For more information, call 703-308-8173.

 

Quiz

 

    I have two questions for the coming newsletter. (1) Identify the smoky brown cockroach in the below photograph and explain how you would control this pest? (2) Review the differences between the eastern subterranean and Formosan subterranean termites?

I hope the picture prints light enough that you can see the important areas.  Click here for image.

    Look forward to seeing each of you at the annual meeting of Mississippi Pest Control Association. The dates are January 14 and 15, 1999. Wishing each of you a joyous CHRISTmas and a Happy and Successful new year.

 

James H. Jarratt
Entomologist
Mississippi State University
662-325-2085
e-mail jjarratt@entomology.msstate.edu


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