by Mary Salinas | Nov 9, 2015
Are you plagued with mosquitoes in your yard? Does it seem like you have a greater infestation than your neighbors? There may be some solutions to solve the problem other than using pesticides that negatively impact beneficial insects in your landscape.
Asian tiger mosquito. Photo credit: Susan Ellis, Bugwood.org.
Mosquitoes are not only annoying, they can transmit serious diseases such as: eastern equine encephalitis, dengue fever, dog or cat heartworm, chikungunya, malaria, St. Louis encephalitis and west Nile virus.
Let’s first explore what kind of environment in your landscape and around your home is friendly to the proliferation of mosquitos. Adult mosquitoes lay their eggs on or very near water that is still or stagnant. That is because the larvae live in the water but have to come to the surface regularly to breeze. The small delicate larvae need the water surface to be still in order to surface and breathe. Water that is continually moving or flowing inhibits mosquito populations.
Look around your home and landscape for these possible sites of still water that can be excellent mosquito breeding grounds:
- bird baths
- potted plant saucers
- pet dishes
- old tires
- ponds
- roof gutters
- tarps over boats or recreational vehicles
- rain barrels (screen mesh over the opening will prevent females from laying their eggs)
- bromeliads (they hold water in their central cup or leaf axils)
- any other structure that will hold even a small amount of water (I even had them on a heating mat in a greenhouse that had very shallow puddles of water!)
Mosquito larvae. Photo credit: Ari Farajollahi, Bugwood.org.
You may want to rid yourself of some of these sources of standing water or empty them every three to four days. What if you have bromeliads, a pond or some other standing water and you want to keep them and yet control mosquitoes? There is an environmentally responsible solution. Some bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. israelensis or Bacillus sphaericus, only infects mosquitoes and other close relatives like gnats and blackflies and is harmless to all other organisms. Look for products on the market that contain this bacteria.
For more information:
UF/IFAS Mosquito Information Website
Biological Control of Mosquitoes
by Roy Carter | May 26, 2015
The proverbial picnic scene aside, ants are pests all of us have to deal with from time to time. Both inside and outside our homes, they feed on and contaminate our food, they build ugly mounds on our lawns, and some ants can inflict painful bites or stings.
Several species of ants are found in Florida. The most common can be grouped into three categories: House-infesting ants, yard infesting ants, and carpenter ants. In this article we’ll talk about ant biology and behavior and how to control them.
Florida Carpenter Ants. Photo credit: UF/IFAS.
Ants have a life cycle similar to many other insects. They go from egg, to larva, to pupa, to adult. Eggs are almost microscopic in size and hatch into soft legless larvae. The pupa resembles the adult ant, except it is soft, uncolored and immobile. It can take from six weeks to two months from egg to adult.
Ants are social insects. They live in colonies much like bees do. Most colonies have a queen ant, male ants, and worker or female ants. Colonies are started by queens, whose primary function is reproduction. The queen may live for many years and is usually replaced by a daughter queen. Males are produced in very old or large colonies, and their sole function is to mate with the unfertilized female, after which, they die. Worker ants construct, repair and defend the nest, provide food for the colony, and take care of the young ants.
Most ants are omnivorous, which means they will eat anything, through some do have specialized food habits. Ants locate food by random searching; when one ant finds food, she informs the other workers in the colony. The exact method of communication is unknown, but in some cases, ants can leave scent trails that other ants can follow to the food source.
Because ants are attracted to any type of food or food particles, your best bet to controlling ants inside your home is to keep it very clean. Store food in airtight containers. Never substitute insecticides for inadequate housekeeping.
The key to eliminating ants is locating and destroying the colony. Sometimes this can be a real problem, because ants are very adaptable. Outdoor nesting species can sometime nest indoors and vice versa, depending, on the food supply.
To find the ant colony, you have to watch the movement of the ants very closely. Outdoors, many ants are easy to locate, because they deposit earth on the soil surface, and form ant hills. But some outdoor ants build nests under house foundations, in decaying logs, and tree trunks. These can be difficult to locate indoors. Ants may nest in walls, behind baseboards, in cracks, and in decaying wood.
Spray, dusts, granules, and baits can be useful in controlling ants. When using these products, treat baseboards, door and window frames, and cracks and crevices between walls and flooring. Treat all areas where ants appear to have trails. If the nest is located, apply an insecticide to the nest according to the pesticide label.
For more information:
Ants
Fire Ants
Carpenter Ants
by Eddie Powell | May 8, 2015
Florida soft scale. Photo credit: UF/IFAS.
Scale insects are one of the most serious problems homeowners face on ornamentals this time of year. The most common are armored scale, soft scale, and mealybugs. They cause damage by sucking plant fluids from the leaves, stems, and sometimes roots. Some species feed on the underside of the leaves which can appear as yellowing spots or chlorotic lesions. Heavy infestations can cause extensive leaf yellowing, premature leaf drop, branch dieback, and plant death.
The life cycle starts when the eggs are laid beneath a waxy covering or beneath the adult female. After the eggs hatch two to three weeks later, the nymphs (crawlers) move around the plant until they find a suitable feeding site. Crawlers then insert their straw-like mouthparts into the plant and begin to feed and grow. The male often develops wings and flies to locate a mate.
Armored scale nymphs. Photo: UF/IFAS.
Armored scale is distinct from other types of scales because they secrete a waxy covering over their body that is not attached to the body. The scale lives and feeds under this covering ranging 1/16 to 1/8 inch in size. They can be any color or shape, depending on the species. Armored scale does not produce honeydew.
Armored scale. Photo credit: UF/IFAS.
Soft scale also secretes a waxy covering but it is attached to the bodies. Soft scales vary in color, size, and shape. They are circular shaped and range from 1/8 to ½ inch in diameter. Because they consume so much plant sap, they excrete a lot of sugary liquid called honeydew. Honeydew is the sticky liquid found on the leaves.
Mealybugs. Photo credit: UF/IFAS.
Mealybugs are soft bodied insects that are often covered with cottony white filaments. They are 1/8 inch in size and feed on all parts of plants. Injured plants have discolored, wilted, and deformed foliage.
Sooty mold is caused when mealybugs and soft scales excrete large amounts of honeydew which provides an excellent medium for the growth of the black fungus. Sooty mold is not only unattractive; it slows down the growth of the plant as it interferes with photosynthesis. Over time, with the control of the insect population, the sooty mold will weather away. Ants can also play a big factor in controlling sooty mold as they will feed on the honeydew.
Sooty mold. Photo credit: UF/IFAS.
To control scale and mealybugs, avoid over-fertilizing and monitor your plants often. If the infestation becomes over-bearing, spray a fine mist of Horticultural Oil on the foliage. Avoid spraying in the summer heat because of damaging foliage. Other chemicals that can be used if necessary are Sevin dust and Malathion.
by Larry Williams | Apr 20, 2015
Mole cricket tunnels. Credit: N. Leppla, UF/IFAS
Many people treat their lawn with an insecticide when they see mole crickets in the spring or at the first sign of a brown area in their lawn. What they don’t understand is the biology of this pest.
Mole crickets spend the winter as adults in the soil. As temperatures warm in late February and March, adult mole crickets emerge and begin to mate. Male mole crickets construct a chamber in the soil and chirp to attract female crickets. Attracted females fly to the males. After mating, males die and females fly to a suitable area for egg laying. Mated females begin tunneling and laying eggs in the tunnels. They lay about four clutches of eggs in different areas, averaging 35 eggs per clutch. Female crickets die shortly after laying their eggs.
Use of insecticides during early spring is not recommended because:
- adult mole crickets are not easily killed
- they cause minimal lawn damage during the mating and egg laying process, and,
- reinfestation from subsequent flights is likely.
The best time to treat for mole crickets is during mid-June through July. This will be when eggs have hatched but before the nymphs (immature mole crickets) are large enough to do much damage. Proper timing of the insecticide application is very important to achieve control.
Mole cricket nymphs. Credit: J. Castner, UF/IFAS
If you are not sure if mole crickets are present, you can find out with a soap solution. Mix 1½ fluid ounces of a lemon scented liquid dishwashing soap in two gallons of water in a sprinkling can or bucket. Pour the soapy water over an area approximately four square feet and count the number of mole crickets that emerge. If they are present, it only takes several minutes for mole crickets to crawl to the surface after the soap treatment. Repeat the process around the yard where you suspect mole cricket problems. If you flush an average of two to four crickets per site, treat the lawn with an insecticide. Follow up with spot treatments if any crickets escape the first insecticide treatment. But don’t treat at all if there is no evidence of mole cricket activity.
There are a number of products for mole cricket control in home lawns. Look for insecticides that contain the following active ingredients: bifenthrin, carbaryl, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, imidacloprid , lambda-cyhalothrin or permethrin.
Before using any product for mole cricket control first identify the problem as mole cricket damage by using the soap flush technique. Then choose an insecticide that lists mole crickets on its label. And finally, read the container carefully for use directions, application techniques, irrigation requirements and precautions.
by Beth Bolles | Jan 13, 2015
The Chinese privet, Ligustrum sinense, is a plant that is well known to many people as a great nuisance in the landscape. It is also a Florida noxious weed because of its invasive nature.
Originally grown as an ornamental that formed a hedge and tolerated poor conditions, the Chinese privet has now spread to natural areas and grows easily on disturbed soils. Plants are full of white fragrant flowers in the spring with abundant small black fruit forming late summer and remaining into the winter. Seeds are easily spread by wildlife to new areas but new plants can also grow from roots.
Privet may be best identified when it is in bloom.
Chinese privet easily forms a thicket, shading areas and impacting the growth of native plants. Homeowners can identify any plants growing on their property and work to manage Chinese privet when plants are not in seed. If you need assistance in identification, contact your local Extension office or view pictures online.
Even though homeowners will not find Ligustrum sinense in the nursery, cultivars of this plant may be found. One newer selection is ‘Sunshine’. This is a reportedly sterile cultivar that grows much smaller and has yellow foliage. Homeowners who choose to install ‘Sunshine’ may still need to be cautious since there has not been extensive research in Florida to verify that it will not become a future issue.
