Managing Household and Structural Pests O˜cal Instructor · 2014-06-03 · get enough points...

Chapter 24

Managing Household and

Structural Pests Learning Objectives1. Identify characteristics of common

household and structural pests

2. Identify the damage caused by common household and structural pests

3. List the steps for managing household and structural pests

4. Explain different methods of non-chemical of pest management

5. Explain the behavior and life cycle of a pest can influence the management of that pest

O�cal TMG

InstructorCopy

Tennessee Master Gardener Handbook 628

Household pests are unwanted, detri-mental organisms. Insects, or “bugs,” are what most people think of as

household pests. However, other organisms such as spiders, scorpions, centipedes, mil-lipedes, ticks, sowbugs, pillbugs, mites, rats, mice, snakes, bats, squirrels, birds, molds and fungi may also enter structures and become household pests. In Tennessee, at least one of about 40 common pests is found in every home at any one time or another. Even the most conscientious person cannot always avoid an occasional pest infestation.

Under optimal conditions, large popula-tions of an insect, rodent or other pest can oc-cur in the yard, home, farm or neighborhood. Large numbers of a pest species can develop in trees, stumps, flower beds, mulch, leaf litter, garbage, wood piles, ditch banks, animal car-casses, stored products, spilled materials, sewer lines and other sites. Pests come to a home or other structure because they are attracted by the light, warm air, moisture, food and odors. To a pest, an attractive odor can be from a dead bird, a rodent, an insect, a nest, a soured mop or spilled materials. Pests enter homes

and structures through openings in the walls or floors, around pipes or cracks, or under doors or windows. Pests seeking shelter may build nests or hibernate within the walls, attic or living quarters of a home. Basically, most household pests will seek shelter in the dark cavities in walls or crawl spaces.

Managing PestsTo prevent pest problems in the home, pests need to be managed. Luckily, many pests are easy to manage. Limiting access to food, water and shelter may result in effective pest management. Management devices such as vacuums and traps are also helpful. Pesticides can also be used. Pesticides are most beneficial when exposure to humans, their property and the environment is reduced. For more informa-tion on using pesticides, see Chapter 22, Con-trolling Pests Safely. Integrated Pest Manage-ment, or IPM, can also be an effective method of controlling pests. For more information on IPM, see the Tip Box below and Chapter 21, Integrated Pest Management Strategies for Landscape and Garden.

Managing Household and Structural Pests

Steps of Integrated Pest Management

Prevent pests: Remove the pest’s access to food, water and shelter through sanitation and exclusion.

▪ Food: Clean spills and crumbs, use garbage cans with tight-fitting lids, train pets to eat food within 10 minutes, date food being placed in storage and use older food first, empty garbage cans at least twice a week, and store outside cans away from the home

▪ Water and moisture: Fix leaky plumbing or dripping faucets, ensure water from downspouts and foundation drains moves away from the home, and adequately ventilate crawlspaces and attics

▪ Exclusion: Walk around the perimeter of structures to determine possible pest entry points and add door sweeps or weather stripping to sliding glass doors and windows that are poorly sealed. Caulk openings in win-dow frames, repair holes in screens, seal cracks and holes in the foundation, screen vent openings in foundation walls and attic, seal voids around pipes with steel wool or copper gauze and expandable foam, etc.

Monitor and inspect for pests: Determine the need for pest management. Always identify a pest and/or damage before initiating management procedures.

Choose the least hazardous approach: Vacuums with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters can prevent allergens from becoming air-borne. If pesticides are needed, use the least hazardous pesticide that is still effective.

Target pesticides to the pest: Pesticides, such as baits, insect growth regulators (IGRs) or dusts, applied into voids, cracks or crevices where the pest is found will reduce exposure to non-target organisms.


Inspecting and MonitoringPest identification allows for a better un-derstanding of that pest’s preferred food and habit. This will help determine the best management strategy. If pests are found, there are many different management methods. A flashlight and screwdriver are usually sufficient

to inspect a structure. During an inspection, look for the following:

▪ Actual pests ▪ Signs of pest activity

▫ Rodent hair ▫ Feces and urine-urine will fluoresce

under a black light ▫ Tracks ▫ Rub marks ▫ Signs of gnawing and digging ▫ Webbing

▪ Food and water sources ▪ Possible nesting or resting sites ▪ Conditions favorable to in-

sects and rodents

Figure 1. Pet Food

B.

Space under outside door

Figure 2. Sealing Gaps around DoorsA.

Garage door

Figure 3. Seal HolesSeal holes in the foundation and around plumbing, conduit and wires.

Figure 4.Mulches next to the foundation provide habitat and food for many occasional invaders.


▫ Warm temperatures (75-85° F) ▫ Condensation ▫ Moist wood ▫ Humid atmosphere ▫ Cracks or crevices ▫ Plumbing leaks ▫ Spilled materials ▫ Food left overnight in pet feeding

dishesMonitoring devices such as glue boards and

pheromone traps can be useful to detect insects that may have been previously overlooked. Glue boards are very effective in detecting the presence of cockroaches, brown recluse spiders and rodents. These should be placed near edges of walls or cabinets near possible shelter, food or water. Pheromone traps are available for most household insects.

IdentificationAfter the pest is caught, it must be identified. Drawings or images of many pest species are found throughout this chapter as well as in Chapter 6, Entomology. Additionally, a list of resources regarding pest identification is located in the back of this chapter. If it is not possible to identify the specimen with available resources, it can be taken to the local county Extension agent.

Once the pest has been identified, it can be determined where it lives, what it prefers to

feed on, if it can cause structural damage, if it is a health threat or if it is just a nuisance. This information can then be used to determine the most effective management technique.

Landscaping, Construction and Maintenance PracticesLandscaping, construction and maintenance practices can influence pest populations and pest entry into structures. To minimize house-hold pest populations due to these practices, the following techniques can be employed:

▪ Trim branches away from build-ings to prevent ants, roof rats and squirrels from gaining access

▪ Keep a 12- to 18-inch-wide bare zone around the base of the structure to decrease termite, millipede, cricket, sow-bug, pillbug and clover mite populations

▪ Do not place mulch over termiticide-treated soil next to the foundation, this can give termites access to the structure without contacting the termiticide

▪ Use landscaping materials such as concrete or vinyl in place of wood be-cause they will not degrade as quickly as wood and will not provide food for termites and shelter for other critters

▪ Do not let wood from the struc-ture contact the soil

▪ Remove form boards, construction stakes and scrap lumber from construction sites

▪ Support wood posts on a concrete base ▪ Repair plumbing leaks and leaks in roofs

and around windows as quickly as pos-sible because termites and other pests are attracted to moisture (Figure 5)

▪ Clean leaves and debris from gutters ▪ Down spouts should empty

into drainpipes to conduct wa-ter away from the structure

▪ Remove debris such as firewood, boards and other clutter from the base of buildings because it can harbor pests such as large cockroaches, carpenter ants, wood-boring beetles and termites. Also, removing the debris will discour-age rodents from nesting; this in turn could reduce snake and tick problems

IPM in School and in Childcare Areas

Any person applying pesticides in a school is required to have a pesticide ap-plicators license or to be under the direct supervision of a person licensed to apply pesticides. Therefore, teachers or other occupants cannot bring or use pesticides inside schools unless they are under the supervision of a licensed operator. Permission by the officially designated IPM coordinator may also be required. Students, staff and parents should have access to a logbook that contains pesti-cide application records and other pest management services and information, including copies of labels and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) used at each school.


▪ Reduce existing insect popula-tions around or under structures to decrease the presence of predators such as centipedes and scorpions

Contacting a Professional Pest Management CompanyTo control some pests, it may be necessary to hire a professional. Professionals have the knowledge and training to apply appropriate pesticides needed to rid the home or structure of certain pests. Quite often, professional pest management technicians have access to more effective active ingredients, formulations and equipment than the homeowner. Additionally, the professional is not only trained in the life cycles, habits and preferences of pests, but also in the safest and best techniques to control them.

In Tennessee, pest management technicians must either pass a test before they can apply pesticides or work under the direct observation of a licensed operator. Additionally, techni-cians should carry a commercial pesticide applicator certification card verifying they are approved by the Tennessee Department

of Agriculture and attend training sessions to obtain points to keep that card. If they do not get enough points within 3 years, they have to take another test. Also, if they are charging a fee, they must work for a licensed operator and the charter number of their employer’s business must appear on their truck.

Figure 5. Repair Plumbing LeaksLighting

Many insects are active at night and are attracted to lights. Sodium vapor lights are much less attractive to in-sects. Therefore, using yellow bug lights or sodium vapor lights near doorways, driveways and sidewalks will discourage insect pests. Also, using mercury vapor or incandescent lights around the perim-eter of the property will lure insects away from buildings.

When to Ask for Professional Help

Instances in which a professional may be preferred include:

▪ When treating for termites, because special equipment and training are needed

▪ When treating for other wood-de-stroying insects and organisms

▪ If the pest is found in a difficult-to-reach location and requires treat-ment with special equipment

▪ If there are concerns about pesti-cide exposure during mixing and application

▪ If there is not enough time to do it yourself

▪ If several attempts have failed to management the pest

Professionals need your help to man-age pests too. Please perform all the sanitation and exclusion practices they recommend.


Pests On or Near FoodCockroaches, ants and flies are some of the most common pests found on or near food in buildings. Successful suppression of these pests is based on understanding their habits so that management methods can be directed to susceptible life stages. General descriptions of these pests are included in the following sec-tion along with drawings of some of the more common species. For more complete informa-tion on identifying cockroaches, ants or flies, refer to some of the resources listed in the resource section at the end of this chapter.

AntsAs a group, ants are the most difficult house-hold pests to manage. In a recent survey, pest management technicians indicated ants were the main reason for callbacks. Management efforts by people unfamiliar with ants can worsen the problem.

BehaviorAnts are social insects. Their nests or colonies can be found indoors and out, although some species have preferred nesting sites. A nest contains one or more queen ants laying eggs and being cared for by worker ants. Worker ants, which are often sterile or non-reproduc-tive female ants, tend to the queen and brood and forage for food. Foraging ants can invade households from colonies living outdoors.

Nests often can be located by follow-ing trails of foraging ants. Indoors, ants nest

almost anywhere. Killing foraging ants rarely solves an ant problem in the home or structure because the colony remains unaffected.

During certain times of the year, many spe-cies produce reproductives. These are winged male and female ants that leave the nest to find a mate and establish new colonies. Mat-ing flights often occur on a warm day after a rain. When winged ants swarm in the home or structure, their colony is likely to be located somewhere inside. Although ants are not closely related to termites, the winged form of these two insects are often confused. Winged ants can be distinguished from termites by several characteristics, see Figure 6.

Ants form new colonies by having a mat-ing flight or from budding. Most colonies are started by a newly mated, winged female reproductive, called the queen ant. After find-ing a suitable nesting site, the queen loses her wings and begins laying eggs, which hatch into legless, grub-like larvae. The queen feeds the larvae as they develop through several stages. They molt and grow between each stage. Afterward, they form pupae and soon emerge as adult ants. Once worker ants have developed, the queen no longer cares for the brood.

Some ant colonies have more than one queen, and mating may occur within the nest without swarming. These ants form new colo-nies by budding. This occurs when workers, the brood and often one or more queen ants leave the nest and move to a new location. Fre-quently, entire colonies move from one nesting site to another almost overnight. Particularly during very wet or abnormally hot and dry weather, ant colonies whose nesting areas are flooded or lack food and water often migrate indoors.

Foraging workers of some ant species estab-lish temporary chemical, or pheromone, trails that help other ants find food and water. Ants are recruited to a resource quickly and in high numbers. Liquid food is brought back to the colony and fed communally among the other members of the colony, including the queen(s) and brood, in a process called trophallaxis. Baiting to control ants takes advantage of these foragers to bring the toxin-laced food to the usually inaccessible colonies.

Ants can be a nuisance as well as a health threat. Worker ants foraging for food and wa-ter become a concern when they infest food or

Figure 6. A Winged Ant and a Winged Termite


other items in the home or structure. Although most ants consume a wide variety of foods, certain species prefer some types of foods. Some even change their preferences over time. Species of ants that sting, such as imported fire ants, can endanger young children, confined pets and bedridden people. Pharaoh ants can carry disease-causing organisms on their exo-skeleton. Therefore, these ants pose a problem in hospitals and healthcare facilities.

ManagementOutlined below is a general strategy for managing ants that nest or visit indoors. A successful management program is based upon accurate identification, sanitation, pest-proof-ing, monitoring and inspection. If the ants are entering from the outdoors, pest-proofing may be all that is needed. Additionally, if the nest is easily located, then it can be treated directly. However, if more than one nest is present or if the nest cannot be found, baiting is important. Although pest-proofing provides a more permanent barrier, outdoor repellent pesticidal barriers may be used as a supple-ment when nests are only found outdoors. New slow-acting, non-repellent insecticides are also available to professionals for ant management.

IdentificationMake sure a pest ant is properly identified before starting a management program. Ants have different food preferences and different behaviors that will directly impact the ef-ficiency of a pest ant management program. Improper identification is at least partially responsible for the ant management problems experienced today. See Table 1 for common structure-invading ants found in Tennessee.

Ants are small and can be difficult to identify. A hand lens is often needed and a mi-croscope with at least 30x magnification is pre-ferred. Specimens can also be brought to the local Extension agent for identification. Most identification keys are written for the major worker ants, so bring specimens of the largest, wingless ants. Also, ants often have different odors associated with them. Before a specimen is submitted for identification, give it a squeeze -as long as it does not have a stinger- and add the description of the emitted odor to the specimen form. See Table 1. Quick reference guide to ant identification and management.

Collecting Ants for Identification

▪ Place a small dab of honey or jelly in the center of an index card

▪ Place the card where recent ant activity has been seen- always place the card against the edges of the surface, never in the middle

▪ Allow ants to find the food source and recruit other workers. If index cards are placed outdoors, it is best to check the cards within 30 to 45 minutes. Cards left outdoors for a longer period of time may allow other ants to displace the pest ant

▪ Once ants are present on the index card, put the card into a plastic bag and place in the freezer, the cold temperatures will slow the ants down

▪ Squeeze a few frozen ants before preserving them in alcohol and add the odor description to the speci-men identification form

▪ Tap the frozen ants into a vial con-taining alcohol, rubbing alcohol is okay, and submit for identification

Pharaoh Ants

With Pharaoh ants, all the feeding stag-es of the brood must be affected, as well as the queens and workers. Baits do not affect pupae since they do not feed. This may be the reason for a small number of workers present after baiting.

Research has shown that insect growth regulators, such as methoprene, are ef-fective against Pharaoh ants. Workers are usually not affected and therefore, the bait is well distributed throughout the colony. Queens fed these baits fail to produce viable eggs and larval develop-ment is terminated. Insect growth regu-lators take longer to gain control, but are very effective when dealing with large structures, such as hospitals, with exten-sive infestations.


SanitationAnt problems occur in homes and structures primarily because food, water and favorable nesting sites are available. Therefore, eliminate food and moisture sources that could compete with ant bait. Also, use a mild detergent to wipe ant trails and to remove the trail phero-mone, but do not interfere with foraging trails when ants are trailing to a bait.

Pest-ProofingIt is important to remove access to nesting sites and conditions conducive to nesting and entry. Most ants prefer to nest in outdoor soil or wood, but homes offer many favorable nest sites for certain ants. Cracks and holes in brick veneer, wall voids and structural wood close to heat and moisture sources are commonly used. To pest-proof:

▪ Locate the entry point into the structure and seal these areas to prevent future occurrences

▪ Check potted plants and firewood for ants before bringing them indoors

▪ Check plants for ants before purchasing ▪ Keep branches, vines and other

vegetation from coming in con-tact with the home or structure because ants can use them to gain access to the home or structure

▪ Pull mulch, a common nest site, 12 to 18 inches away from the founda-tion of the home or structure

Monitoring, Inspection and Nest LocationBecause many nests can occur in a structure, it is important to locate all nests or areas of foraging activity. Monitoring will find small, isolated colonies that may otherwise be over-looked and that could re-infest in the future. A successful method of monitoring is to smear honey on index cards and place them around the home, in windowsills and near indoor and outdoor water and food sources. Once all areas of foraging activity are located, they can be treated.

Although monitoring, inspection, sanita-tion and exclusion practices take time and effort, they eliminate undirected, ineffective insecticide spraying indoors. Baiting and ant

elimination by nest treatment is more efficient if these practices are used.

BaitsEffective bait formulations contain slow-acting pesticides that are collected by foraging worker ants and brought back to the colony where the pesticide is fed to other ants, the queen(s) and the brood. Baits exploit the forager caste, causing them to introduce the toxicant into a previously inaccessible nest. Because the toxicant works slowly, it is not associated with death by the colony; therefore, it is continually fed upon.

Some ants are fickle, especially Pharaoh ants, and are reported to switch feeding prefer-ences. Therefore, prior to placing baits, try a taste test by offering several different baits and seeing which is most attractive to the pest ant.

If ants are still present several weeks after the initial baiting, then monitoring and sub-sequent baiting should be performed again. Liquid baits may be consumed quickly and may need to be replenished often. In storage areas, several bait stations should be placed where they are likely to be encountered by ants introduced from stored materials.

Direct Nest TreatmentIf nests are indoors and can be located, treat them with an insecticide registered for this use. However, be aware that many times a foraging trail disappears into the wall and that it may not lead to the nest. Dust formulations are preferred for treating nests indoors because they do not stain, generally give longer residual control than sprays and will fill a void. Apply dusts sparingly in thin, even layers in the ant nest area.

If nests are located outdoors, an individual mound treatment such as baits, drenches, granules, dusts, aerosols or excavation, a broadcast bait or a surface application can be used. Mounds should not be disturbed prior to treatment.

Barrier Treatments Around the Home or Structure

When ants invade from the outdoors, pest-proofing is a more permanent solution to prevent outdoor-nesting ants from entering the home or structure. Pest-proofing can be supplemented with a chemical barrier if the


Table 1. Quick reference guide to ant identification and management. Information on sanitation, pest-proofing, monitoring and mapping, essential components for an ant management program, can be found in the text prior to this table.

Pest Pest identification Behavior/Damage Management

Odorous house ant, Tapinoma sessile

Nodes on waist: one, very flat, barely noticeable node hidden by the gaster Gaster tip: no circular opening Worker size: 1/8-inch Odor when crushed: a disagreeable, rotten-coconut-like or a banana-like odor Color: brown to black

Foraging: They often avoid other species at a bait even if they arrived first. Outdoors: feed on live & dead insects, and honeydew from aphids. Indoors: feed on sweets and other household foods and often trail to water. Nest Sites: shallow nests in shady, moist areas such as mulch, pine straw, stones, logs, etc and bee hives. Indoors, nests in wall voids near pipes and heaters, bathtraps, termite-damaged wood, beneath carpets and toilets. Moves indoors during periods of heavy rain. Move nests often. Many nests may occur around structures. Life cycle: This species establishes multiple queen colonies. Male odorous house ants collected from lights from the end of May through the end of June.

In general, this ant prefers sweet baits. Program 1 for warm, dry weather: Apply nonrepellent insecticide to foundation base, active trails and potential entry points in conjunction with outdoor liquid baits placed in landscape just beyond spray zone. Program 2: Treat activity indoors with dust, spray or bait and combine with nonrepellent insecticide to foundation base. Replenish baits as needed.

Argentine ant, Linepithema humile

Nodes on waist: one Gaster tip: no circular opening Worker size: 1/8-inch Odor when crushed: disagreeable, rotten-coconut-like or a banana-like odor mixed with faint musty or a dirty foot odor Color: light to dark brown

Foraging: honeydew from aphids, nectar, fruit tree buds, ripened fruit; indoor, sweets, eggs and meats Nest Sites: nest outdoors in mulch and soil, along pine tree roots and into the tree, rocks, etc. Many nests may occur around structures. Life cycle: Many queens in colonies and thus enormous number of individuals because nearby budded colonies are not aggressive toward one another. Colonies bud.

Argentine ants are not widespread in TN, but localized pockets occur in Knoxville, Chattanooga and other areas. See odorous house ants for management guidelines.

Yellow or Citronella ant Acanthomyops spp.

Nodes on waist: one Gaster tip: circular opening Worker size: relatively large, about 3/16 inch Odor when crushed: lemon or citronella Color: yellow to yellow-red

Foraging: Honeydew from subterranean sucking insects; tend these insects; seldom seen foraging during daylight hours; may be found in termite stations Nest Sites: underground, under slabs Life cycle: Yellow ants may swarm in early spring, but when a colony is under heated slab, winter swarms may occur. Termite scares are often caused when they push soil out of basement cracks.

Cracks should be sealed to prevent future entry. Not a common pest.

Allegheny mound ant, Formica sp.

Nodes on waist: one Gaster tip: circular opening Worker size: relatively large, 1/8- to 1/4- inch Shape of thorax: uneven (distinguishes it from carpenter ants) Color: head and thorax red, abdomen and legs dark

Foraging: feeds on living and dead insects, honeydew. Usually not found indoors, but maybe seen around patios and porches. Excellent predator of insects. Nest Sites: large mounds (which causes some confusion with fire ants) often located at interface of woods and fields Life cycle: multiple queen colonies; one colony may have several connected mounds. Reproduce through mating flights in late spring/summer.

Granular ant baits (not baits with oils as attractant), or drench or other individual mound treatments.




Black field ant, Formica sp.

Nodes on waist: one Gaster tip: circular opening Worker size: relatively large, 3/8-inch Shape of thorax: uneven (distinguishes it from carpenter ants) Color: black to very dark brown

Foraging: wide variety including living and dead insects; honeydew; usually not indoors Nest Sites: large mounds that only reach grass height which causes some confusion with fire ants; also under rocks, landscape timbers, firewood, etc. Life cycle: mating flights in spring/summer

Granular ant baits (not baits with oils as attractant), or drench or other individual mound treatments.

Carpenter ants, Camponotus sp.

Nodes on waist: one Gaster tip: circular opening Worker size: relatively large, 1/8- to 5/8- inch Shape of thorax: evenly rounded Color: black, black and red, golden, etc. different for each species

Foraging: most occurs at night, living and dead insects; honeydew Nest Sites: firewood, moisture damaged wood, insulation, trees, fences, etc. Life cycle: Mating flights resulting in single-queen colonies in TN

Locate nest and treat, bait where activity is found, or apply a nonrepellent to foundation base and where ants are entering. See Chapter 10 in this manual for more details.

Crazy ants, Paratrechina sp.

Nodes on waist: one Gaster tip: circular opening Worker size: 1/8- inch Shape of thorax: uneven Color: usually dark Other: first antennal segment long, sometimes twice as long as head, legs long; fast-moving

Foraging: insects, grease sweets, soda, honeydew, seeds; may forage long distances up to 100 ft. Nest Sites: opportunistic nesters in cracks and crevice in moist or dry environments such as soil under logs, stones, timbers, trash, etc. Life cycle: multiple queens; reproduce through budding and mating flights

They are omnivorous, but difficult to attract to ant baits. Correct conducive conditions, locate and treat colonies and use a perimeter treatment to keep subsequent colonies form entering.

False honey ant or winter ant, Prenolepis imparis

Nodes on waist: one Gaster tip: circular opening Worker size: 1/8 - inch Shape of thorax: figure-eight shaped when viewed from above Color: red-brown to black with red; gaster darker than head and alitrunk

Foraging: most obvious in cooler times of the year; forages from 40 to 65 F; feed on sweets, meats, insects and honeydew which expands the abdomen into a heart shape which may cause confusion with acrobat ants Nest Sites: nests in soil or under objects in dark or shaded areas such as woodlands Life cycle: mating flights

Locate colony and inject mound or try a liquid sweet bait.

Little black ant, Monomorium minimum and other spp.

Nodes on waist: two Gaster tip: sting Worker size: 1/16 - inch Antennae: 12-segmented antennae with a three-segmented club Color: black

Foraging: insects, honeydew produced by sucking insects such as aphids, sweets, meats, bread, grease, oils, vegetables and fruits. Nest Sites: in soil, under logs, stones, indoors in rotten wood, woodwork or masonry Life cycle: Reproduction occurs through mating flights and possibly “budding”

Common pest found around homes in Tennessee. Bait indoors. Nests often located outdoors. If so, apply an individual mound treatment including baits.




Pharaoh ant, also called “sugar ants” or “piss ants,” Monomorium pharaonis

Nodes on waist: two Gaster tip: sting Worker size: 1/16 - inch Antennae: 12-segmented antennae with a three-segmented club Color: yellow or orange with the end of the abdomen darkened

Pharaoh ants are considered pests because they:1) are a nuisance by their mere presence; 2) can enter sterile packages, wound dressings, intravenous solutions and tubing; 3) have the potential to carry disease-causing organisms such as Salmonella, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Clostridium and Pseudomonas; and 4) can short electrical equipment such as computers. Foraging: insects, honeydew produced by sucking insects such as aphids, sweets, meats, bread, grease, oils, vegetables and fruits. Nest Sites: nests rarely found outdoors; however, almost any indoor crack and crevice close to sources of warmth and water (interior wall voids, between the paper of the insulation and the interior surface [walls, ceiling and attics], areas under or behind window sills, toilets, sinks, switch plates, lights and voids in aluminum window and door frames).Life cycle: These ants do not swarm. Colonies multiply by “budding,” in which a large part of an existing colony migrates, carrying brood to a new nesting site. Hundreds of queens and 10,000 - 100,000s workers may be present.

Because Pharaoh ant colonies are hidden and can occur in virtually any crack or crevice, baiting is the best way to get an insecticide back to the colony. Give a test taste of all baits. Prebait entire structure with honey and natural peanut butter. Place a bait wherever ants are found.

Black imported fire ant, Solenopsis richteri, Hybrid, Solenopsis invicta x Solenopsis richteri, Red imported Fire ant, Solenopsis invicta

Nodes on waist: two Gaster tip: sting Worker size: 1/8 to 1/4 inch. Queen ants 3/8 inch and lose their wings after mating. Antennae: 10-segmented antennae with a two-segmented club Color: reddish brown to dark brown

Foraging: most foraging occurs between 70 and 90F. They feed on insects, other invertebrates, nectar, oils, seeds, and dead animals. Nest Sites: Mounds up to 2 ft. high are built in open areas although they occasionally nest indoors and in such structures as utility housings and tree trunks. Currently 34 southern TN counties quarantined. Life cycle: Only single queen colonies have been found in TN. Mating flights occur on a warm day after a rain. Brood and queen move within the mound in response to temperature.

In general, use the two-step method. Broadcast a bait and seven to 10 days later treat mounds in high traffic areas with an individual mound treatment. Several publications (SP419, The Two Step Method: Managing Fire Ants Around Homes and Neighborhoods; B-6043, Managing Fire Ants in Urban Areas; and B-6076 Managing Red Imported Fire Ants in Agriculture) are available from your local county Extension agent. Treating in the landscape may require category 3 certification.

Pavement ant, Tetramorium caespitum

Nodes on waist: two Gaster tip: sting Worker size: 1/8 - inch Shape of thorax: a small pair of spines on the propodeum, narrow, parallel furrows in the head and thorax Color: brown to black

Foraging: meat, grease, dead insects, seeds and sweets Nest Sites: soil beneath stones, pavement or slabs; indoors in walls, under floors or in insulation. Life cycle: Swarms from outside nests occur in the spring, but may occur continuously if the nest is located indoors.

Baiting is effective for this ant. If repeated swarming occurs indoors, it may be necessary to inject an insecticidal dust into the wall void from where the winged forms emerge. The winged forms may not feed before a flight, so baits would not be effective for them.




Acrobat ant, Crematogaster spp.

Nodes on waist: two-segmented waist that is attached to the top of the gaster; hold their heart-shaped abdomen up over their bodies. Gaster tip: sting Worker size: about 1/8 inch Shape of thorax: spines on the thorax Color: varies

Foraging: honeydew produced by aphids and proteins Nest Sites: under stones, in stumps or dead wood, and occasionally indoors in insulation board, roofing, damp wood and wood previously infested by ants or termites. Life cycle: single queen colonies formed by mating flights

Nest location is especially important if the nest is indoors. Check moist areas. If necessary, a dust or aerosol can be injected into the nest. Pest-proofing will keep outdoor nesting individuals from entering.

Big-headed ants, Pheidole spp.

Nodes on waist: two Gaster tip: sting Worker size: Two sizes of workers. Major worker ants have a relatively large head compared to their bodies. Antennae: 12-segmented antennae with a three-segmented club Shape of thorax: spines on the thorax Color: yellowish-red to reddish-brown

Foraging: live and dead insects, seeds and honeydew outdoors and greasy food sources and sweets indoors. Nest Sites: in soil under rocks, logs, firewood, timbers, mulch or grass Life cycle: single or multiple queens; swarms or budding

Correct conducive conditions, locate and treat colonies, otherwise bait, and use a perimeter treatment to keep subsequent colonies form entering.


physical exclusion methods are not as effec-tive as needed. Barrier treatments can greatly reduce or eliminate ant invasion into the home or structure. New non-repellent insecticides are slow-acting and may allow the pesticide to be transferred to other colony members.

Do not routinely treat the entire premises for ants. Ants are generally beneficial in our landscapes as they scavenge for food and prey on other potential pests such as various cater-pillars and chinch bugs. Some ants even collect and feed on weed seeds.

CockroachesCockroaches are among the most common insect pests found inside buildings. They are especially troublesome where food is prepared and sanitation is lacking. Cockroaches may contaminate food, kitchen utensils and other items, and they leave an unpleasant odor. Because cockroaches move freely from filth to food, they can transfer microorganisms that cause food poisoning and other illnesses. Many people are also allergic to cockroach’s excrement and cast-off skin. While cock-roaches thrive where sanitation is poor, even the cleanliest home or restaurant can become infested.

Small cockroaches enter buildings through produce boxes, beverage cartons or grocery bags. Larger cockroaches gain entry through cracks and openings around windows, doors and pipe penetration. They can also gain entry through sewer and drain lines.

Cockroaches are flat, brownish, fast-running insects with long, slender anten-nae. They have three life stages: egg, nymph and adult (Figure 7). The female cockroach produces small, brown, bean-shaped egg cases called oothecae. Oothecae are deposited in out-of-the-way places. Several nymphs emerge from each egg case. Nymphs resemble adults except that they are smaller and wingless. The nymphs gradually become larger and inhabit the same places as the adults. Cockroaches are prolific breeders. One indigenous cockroach species, the German cockroach, is capable of producing several thousand offspring in less than a year.

Cockroaches are most active at night. Dur-ing the day, cockroaches generally remain hid-den in small cracks and other dark, secluded areas that provide warmth and humidity. At night, they leave their hiding places and search

for food. Cockroaches feed on a wide variety of foods and will eat anything consumed by people. They also feed on materials such as glue, hair, soap, fabrics and filth. Cockroaches readily migrate from one room to another along plumbing and electrical lines and through cracks and openings within walls.

Types of CockroachesThere are more than 50 species of cockroaches in the United States, but only a few infest structures in Tennessee. Determining which type of cockroach is present is essential for determining effective management efforts. The descriptions provided in Table 2 will help identify common cockroach species.

Cockroach ManagementCockroach management is based upon inspec-tion, monitoring, sanitation, exclusion, chemi-cal management and further evaluation.

Inspection/MonitoringSince cockroaches may be hiding in many places, a thorough inspection is essential to locate as many of these areas as possible. An inspection mirror for inspecting underneath, above and behind construction elements; a bright flashlight; and a set of tools to access equipment and other potential hiding places are essential for conducting a cockroach in-spection. Look for living and dead cockroach-es, cast skins, egg capsules and droppings. All of these things will aid in identification. The use of a flushing agent, such as pyrethrins or forced air, irritates or flushes cockroaches into the open. A systematic way to inspect these facilities is to begin at a door or corner and inspect one 3- to 5-foot-wide zone extending from the floor to the ceiling. Continue doing this around the entire perimeter of each room inspecting sinks, ovens, dishwashers, cabinets and any wall-mounted fixtures or equipment.

Sticky traps and glue boards are useful tools for pinpointing areas where cockroaches may be hiding. These monitoring traps should be placed beneath sinks or behind refrigerators and positioned flush against walls, corners or at the junction of two or more construction el-ements. When foraging for food, cockroaches prefer to travel along edges and corners where two surfaces meet, rather than in the open.


SanitationCockroaches are best managed using a combi-nation of techniques. Because roaches flourish where food, moisture and shelter are readily available, sanitation is important in prevent-ing problems. Effective sanitation techniques include the following:

▪ Vacuum all cracks and crevices to remove debris and food because when cockroaches are abundant, vacuuming is the first step in remov-ing large numbers of cockroaches

▪ Crumbs, spills, grease and other food debris should be cleaned

▪ Unwashed dishes, kitchen uten-sils and pet food should not be al-lowed to sit out overnight

▪ Loose food should be stored in tight-fitting containers

▪ Garbage, cardboard boxes and paper bags should not be allowed to accumulate

▪ Items in food storage areas should be removed from cardboard boxes, placed in pest-proof containers and stored off the floor on stainless steel racks

▪ Moisture leaks should be repaired and floor drains routinely sanitized

ExclusionAnother element of cockroach management is exclusion, also known as pest-proofing. Seal-ing cracks, crevices and other openings likely to harbor cockroaches eliminates the need to repeatedly treat these areas with insecti-cides. It is also a good idea to caulk or plug any openings where plumbing pipes or wires pass through walls or floors. This is especially useful in apartments to reduce migration of cockroaches between adjoining units. If cockroaches are migrating into a building from outdoors, seal cracks and other openings to the outside.

Chemical ManagementAlthough good sanitation and exclusion are important, insecticides are usually required to eliminate an existing cockroach problem. An emphasis should be placed on finding and treating cockroach harborages, rather than treating along baseboards, wall coverings and other exposed surfaces. Besides being more effective, direct placement of insecticides into cracks and other locations that cockroaches may be living ensures that residues will not contaminate food or food preparation surfaces or be contacted by children or pets.

Baits are the most widely used formulation for managing cockroaches. Cockroaches locate and feed on the bait and crawl away to die,

Useful Facts about Cockroaches

Cockroaches have been around for a long time, more than 300 million years. In nature, cockroaches scavenge and re-cycle nutrients, thus providing an impor-tant link in the food chain.

Allergy to cockroaches is one of the most common allergies to asthmat-ics. Cockroach allergens come from the body, cast skin, egg cases and feces. Symptoms include wheezing, runny nose, watery eyes, skin rashes and bron-chial asthma.Figure 7. Cockroach Life Cycle


usually within a few days. Bait carried back to the nesting area also kills other roaches after being expelled in the sputum and feces. Some baits come prepackaged with the insecticide and food attractant confined within a plastic, child-resistant container; others are formulated as pastes, dusts, granules or gels. Because baits must be ingested to be effective, they must be placed within a few feet of where cockroaches are likely to be living.

Residual insecticides may be formulated and applied as liquid or aerosol sprays, dusts, granules or baits. Liquids and aerosols are typically used for injection into cracks and crevices; whereas, dust formulations are used primarily for treating wall voids and hollow spaces beneath cabinets and appliances.

Non-residual insecticides are those products applied to obtain control of cockroaches only during the time of treatment. Pyrethrin or res-methrin is often used in conjunction with re-sidual products to locate and flush out hidden infestations of cockroaches. They can also pro-vide rapid, although short-lived, knockdown of cockroaches present at the time of application. Non-residual insecticides are usually applied with aerosol or ultra low volume (ULV) equip-ment and directed into areas suspected of har-boring cockroaches. Indiscriminate dispersal of non-residual insecticides into the air, such as fogging or space treatment, should normally be avoided because it will only disperse and drive cockroaches deeper into wall voids and other protected locations.

Because cockroaches are typically found in areas where food is prepared, served or stored, special care must be taken not to contaminate food, dishes, cooking utensils or food prepa-ration surfaces with insecticides. Thus, it is important to use only materials that are labeled for use in food-preparation areas, and before treatment, either remove or place these items in plastic bags or cover them with polyethylene sheeting. Additionally, before treatment, it is essential that all insecticide labels be read in their entirety. Some products can only be used in non-food areas, such as garbage rooms and mop closets, where foods are never processed, prepared, served or stored. Other insecticides can only be applied into cracks and crevices to limit potential contact with food or food preparation surfaces. As with any insecticide application, the label is the best guide.

Monitor and EvaluateUse glue boards and visual inspections to help determine if treatment is necessary. After a cockroach management program begins, evaluate the effectiveness of the methods. If populations persist, reevaluate the situation. Look for other sources of infestations, make sure that all possible entryways are blocked, be certain that food and water sources are eliminated as much as possible, and continue sealing and eliminating hiding places. Also, if necessary, repeat insecticide applications. However, if insecticides appear to be less effec-tive, resistance may be occurring. Resistance may be a result of indiscriminate application and overuse of insecticides.

Once cockroach populations are man-aged, continue monitoring with glue boards or sticky traps to check for reinfestation. To avoid encouraging a new infestation, maintain sanitation and exclusion techniques. If severe reinfestation occurs, consider having the areas modified or remodeled to reduce the amount of suitable cockroach habitat.

See Table 2. Quick reference to cockroach-es.

FliesFlies, especially in large numbers, can be very annoying and seriously interfere with work and recreational activities. For centuries, flies have had a significant impact on human health and welfare because of their ability to spread disease. Most fly species have evolved to feed and breed in decaying organic matter includ-ing garbage, sewage, dead animals or manure. Flies have a great potential for spreading disease organisms because they show little preference when selecting feeding sites. They will just as readily feed on dog droppings as they will potato salad.

Flies are well equipped to transmit bacteria and other disease-producing organisms. Most are highly mobile and their bodies are covered with thousands of tiny hairs. Flies have pads on the bottom of their feet that aid in the mechanical pickup and transfer of pathogenic organisms. Many species, such as the house-fly, also have mouthparts for lapping up and ingesting liquid foods. As the housefly feeds, it regurgitates digestive enzymes and bacteria onto the food surface.


Fly Life CycleAll flies have four stages in their develop-ment: egg, larva, pupa and adult. The habitat that the adult female chooses to lay her eggs differs depending upon species (Table 3). Optimum larval development requires that the breeding medium be moist, but not wet. Many flies of public health significance lay their eggs in moist, decaying organic matter; human garbage and waste; manure of domestic animals; or decaying vegetation. After the eggs hatch, the larvae -called maggots- feed upon organic material, eventually transforming into the pupal stage from which they later emerge as adults. The development rate varies among species and is greatly influenced by tempera-ture. Under ideal conditions, development can be completed in as little as one week. Con-sidering that a single adult fly can lay several hundred eggs, the potential for a serious fly infestation is enormous. Some flies disperse many miles from their original breeding site. However, more often, the breeding area is nearby, such as a pile of manure-soaked straw,

a rotting potato beneath a cabinet or a poorly maintained dumpster behind a restaurant.

See Table 3. Important filth flies of urban environments.

Fly Management: SanitationSanitation is the single most important step in managing flies. Even small amounts of garbage or waste can support hundreds of developing flies. Fermenting organic matter under food preparation equipment, a neglected floor mop or a seldom cleaned floor drain can support a serious infestation of flies. Thus, to effectively manage flies, efforts must be made to find and eliminate the breeding source; otherwise, the problem is likely to continue regardless of the management methods attempted. Promptly removing waste ensures that if flies do begin breeding in the garbage, they will be removed before a new generation reaches the adult stage. Some other good sanitation practices include keep garbage cans and dumpsters clean and tightly covered.

Open sewage pits and wastes from canner-ies, feed mills and meat packing houses are sources of heavy fly breeding and can cause more problems in nearby residential areas. Adequate disposal methods should be avail-able at the plant, or holding facilities should be available so that wastes can periodically be transported to a sanitary landfill.

ExclusionAnother very important method of preventing fly problems in buildings is exclusion. Exte-rior doors and windows should be properly screened and kept closed whenever practical. Plastic strip curtains and air doors can be used to deny fly access in some situations.

TrapsOnce flies are inside a building, light traps can be used to capture winged adults. These traps usually employ ultraviolet (UV) light as an attractant and kill either by electrocution or entrapment on replaceable, glue-covered cardboard inserts. In order for these traps to be effective, they must be properly positioned along routes of fly entry and movement. They must also be installed at the proper height, which is ideally about 5 feet off the floor, and away from windows and other competing light sources. The glow of a light trap should not be visible from outside; otherwise, the trap will

Tips for Using Baits to Manage House-Infesting Ants

▪ Use fresh product and follow direc-tions carefully. Be sure to use the correct number of bait stations or materials to treat the infestation

▪ Make bait more effective by remov-ing or covering other food sources that compete with the baits attrac-tiveness

▪ Baits can be contaminated during handling. Never let hands that have touched cigarettes touch bait sta-tions because the odor is repellent. Wear gloves when applying baits

▪ Before and during baiting efforts, avoid using surface applications of long-acting contact insecticides -of-ten applied to manage cockroaches or to ant trails- that would prevent foraging worker ants from being able to reach the bait station

▪ Be patient for the baits to work. It may take at least 3 to 4 weeks to eliminate some colonies


Tabl

e 2.

Qui

ck re

fere

nce

guid

e to

coc

kroa

ches

iden

tific

atio

n an

d m

anag

emen

t.

Pest

Pest

iden

tific

atio

n/Li

fe C

ycle

Beha

vior

/Dam

age

Com

men

ts

Ger

man

coc

kroa

ch

Blat

tella

ger

man

ica

Size

: adu

lts a

re 1

/2 in

ch to

5/8

inch

Colo

r: ad

ults

are

ligh

t bro

wn

with

two

dark

str

ipes

ru

nnin

g le

ngth

wis

e al

ong

the

pron

otum

or s

hiel

d-lik

e ar

ea b

ehin

d th

e he

ad. T

he n

ymph

s ar

e sm

alle

r and

dar

ker

with

a ta

n st

ripe

dow

n th

e m

iddl

e of

the

back

. Eg

g ca

se: c

arrie

d un

til 2

4 ho

urs

befo

re h

atch

; usu

ally

co

ntai

ns b

etw

een

30 a

nd 4

0 eg

gsA

dult

long

evit

y: a

bout

180

day

sLi

fe c

ycle

: Ger

man

coc

kroa

ches

repr

oduc

e ve

ry ra

pidl

y w

hich

is o

ne re

ason

con

trol

can

be

diffi

cult.

At 7

6F,

deve

lopm

ent f

rom

egg

to a

dult

may

rang

e fr

om 3

6 to

21

5 da

ys w

ith a

n av

erag

e of

103

day

s. A

sin

gle

mat

ed

fem

ale

can

prod

uce

4 to

5 e

gg c

ases

and

an

infe

stat

ion

of

seve

ral t

hous

and

new

roac

hes.

Fora

ging

sit

es: k

itche

ns, b

athr

oom

s, an

d ea

ting

area

s. T

hey

ofte

n tr

avel

bet

wee

n ro

oms

or a

djoi

ning

ap

artm

ents

alo

ng u

tility

pip

es a

nd w

ires,

and

with

in w

all

void

s.H

arbo

rage

sit

es: P

refe

rred

hid

ing

plac

es in

clud

e cr

acks

and

cre

vice

s un

der s

inks

and

toile

ts; b

enea

th

refr

iger

ator

s, ic

e m

achi

nes,

dish

was

hers

, and

sto

ves;

ne

xt to

tras

h co

ntai

ners

; and

insi

de c

abin

ets

and

pant

ries.

Ger

man

coc

kroa

ches

als

o co

ngre

gate

in c

lock

s, m

icro

wav

e ov

ens,

and

othe

r ele

ctro

nic

equi

pmen

t. W

hen

popu

latio

ns a

re la

rge

or fo

od is

sca

rce,

they

can

be

foun

d in

bed

room

s, cl

oset

s an

d ot

her n

onfo

od a

reas

.

This

by

far t

he

mos

t com

mon

and

im

port

ant c

ockr

oach

sp

ecie

s fr

om th

e st

andp

oint

of p

ublic

he

alth

.

Brow

n-ba

nded

co

ckro

ach

Supe

lla lo

ngip

alpa

Am

eric

an co

ckro

ach

Perip

lane

ta a

mer

ican

a

Size

:1/2

inch

Colo

r: lig

ht b

row

n tw

o tr

ansv

erse

yel

low

ban

ds a

cros

s th

e ba

se o

f the

win

gs.

Egg

case

: pea

-siz

ed e

gg c

apsu

les

(10-

18 e

ggs)

glu

ed to

hi

dden

sur

face

s, su

ch a

s th

e un

ders

ides

of d

ress

ers

and

tabl

es; 7

0 da

ys to

hat

ch.

Food

/for

agin

g: fe

ed o

n st

arch

y m

ater

ials

and

may

be

foun

d an

ywhe

re in

a b

uild

ing.

H

arbo

rage

sit

es:

does

not

requ

ire th

e cl

ose

asso

ciat

ion

with

moi

stur

e, c

hara

cter

istic

of t

he G

erm

an c

ockr

oach

, an

d is

mor

e of

ten

foun

d in

hom

es a

nd a

part

men

ts th

an

in re

stau

rant

s an

d ot

her c

omm

erci

al fo

od-h

andl

ing

esta

blis

hmen

ts. I

n ho

mes

, bro

wn-

band

ed c

ockr

oach

es

are

com

mon

ly fo

und

in ro

oms

othe

r tha

n th

e ki

tche

n an

d ba

thro

om. P

refe

rred

loca

tions

incl

ude

uppe

r are

as

of c

eilin

gs, w

alls

, cab

inet

s, an

d cl

oset

s; b

ehin

d pi

ctur

e fr

ames

and

wal

l dec

orat

ions

; and

ben

eath

or i

nsid

e fu

rnitu

re.

Far l

ess

com

mon

th

an th

e G

erm

an

cock

roac

h, b

ut c

an b

e a

prob

lem

in h

omes

. Co

rrec

t ide

ntifi

catio

n is

impo

rtan

t bec

ause

it

has

mar

kedl

y di

ffere

nt h

idin

g pl

aces

an

d ha

bits

from

the

Ger

man

coc

kroa

ch.

Am

eric

an c

ockr

oach

Perip

lane

ta a

mer

ican

aSi

ze: a

dult

abou

t 1 1

/2 in

ches

Colo

r: re

ddis

h br

own

to b

row

n, w

ith a

pal

e ye

llow

ban

d ar

ound

the

edge

of t

he s

hiel

d be

hind

the

head

. Adu

lts

have

wel

l-dev

elop

ed w

ings

, but

sel

dom

fly.

Cer

ci lo

ng

and

poin

ted.

Nym

phs

are

smal

ler a

nd la

ck w

ings

, but

are

ot

herw

ise

sim

ilar t

o th

e ad

ults

. Li

fe c

ycle

: The

dev

elop

men

tal r

ate

of th

e A

mer

ican

co

ckro

ach

is m

uch

slow

er th

an th

e G

erm

an c

ockr

oach

, us

ually

requ

iring

mor

e th

an a

yea

r fro

m e

gg to

adu

lt.Eg

g ca

se: A

bout

15

eggs

per

cap

sule

; egg

cas

e de

posi

ted

on o

r nea

r foo

d; h

atch

es in

abo

ut 6

0 da

ys.

Food

/for

agin

g si

tes:

sw

eet,

star

chy

and

othe

r org

anic

m

ater

ial

Har

bora

ge s

ites

: Am

eric

an c

ockr

oach

es p

refe

r war

m,

dark

, and

moi

st a

reas

. The

y ar

e of

ten

foun

d ne

stin

g in

flo

or d

rain

s, su

mp

pum

ps, p

ipe

chas

es, a

nd la

undr

y ar

eas

in b

asem

ents

and

cra

wl s

pace

s. Th

ey a

lso

freq

uent

boi

ler

room

s, st

eam

hea

t tun

nels

, and

sew

ers.

Dur

ing

war

mer

m

onth

s, th

is c

ockr

oach

may

be

foun

d ou

tdoo

rs a

nd

arou

nd o

utbu

ildin

gs a

nd w

oodp

iles.

Larg

est c

ockr

oach

fo

und

in Te

nnes

see.


Tabl

e 2.

Qui

ck re

fere

nce

guid

e to

coc

kroa

ches

iden

tific

atio

n an

d m

anag

emen

t.

Pest

Pest

iden

tific

atio

n/Li

fe C

ycle

Beha

vior

/Dam

age

Com

men

ts

Smok

ybro

wn

cock

roac

hPe

ripla

neta

fulig

inos

a

Size

: adu

lt ab

out 1

to1

1/2

inch

esCo

lor:

unifo

rm, v

ery

dark

bro

wn

to b

lack

; hea

d sh

ield

is a

so

lid, d

ark

colo

r.Li

fe c

ycle

: The

dev

elop

men

tal r

ate

of th

e sm

okyb

row

n co

ckro

ach

is m

uch

slow

er th

an th

e G

erm

an c

ockr

oach

, us

ually

requ

iring

abo

ut a

yea

r or m

ore

from

egg

to a

dult.

Egg

case

: Abo

ut 2

4 eg

gs p

er c

apsu

le; d

epos

ited

on

surf

aces

and

cam

oufla

ged

with

deb

ris fr

om e

nviro

nmen

t

Fora

ging

sit

es: N

ot a

par

ticul

arly

mob

ile s

peci

es, t

ends

to

retu

rn to

pre

ferr

ed h

arbo

rage

. Har

bora

ge s

ites:

in

moi

st, w

arm

and

dar

k pl

aces

like

tree

hole

s, m

ulch

es,

soffi

ts in

att

ics

with

poo

r ven

tilat

ion.

Nee

d ac

cess

to

wat

er e

very

thre

e da

ys o

r so.

Prim

arily

an

outd

oor p

est,

but w

hen

foun

d in

door

s ch

eck

loca

tions

with

a s

tabl

e re

lativ

e hu

mid

ity s

uch

as a

ttic

s.

Indo

or a

nd o

utdo

or

pest

icid

e ap

plic

atio

ns

ofte

n ne

eded

to

achi

eve

long

-ter

m

cont

rol.

Ori

enta

l coc

kroa

ch

Blat

ta o

rient

alis

Size

: 1 -

1 1

/4 in

ch. F

emal

es h

ave

very

sho

rt w

ing

pads

; m

ales

hav

e w

ings

that

abo

ut h

alf t

he a

bdom

en, b

ut

neve

r exc

eed

end

of a

bdom

enCo

lor:

shin

y bl

ack

or d

ark

brow

n,

Life

cyc

le: T

he e

ntire

life

cyc

le m

ay re

quire

one

to tw

o ye

ars.

Egg

case

: dep

osite

d in

moi

st p

lace

s; 1

2-16

egg

s/ca

se;

take

s ab

out 6

0 da

ys to

hat

ch.

Food

/for

agin

g si

tes:

dec

ayin

g or

gani

c m

atte

rH

arbo

rage

site

s: T

he O

rient

al c

ockr

oach

is o

ne o

f the

fil

thie

st c

ockr

oach

spe

cies

bec

ause

it c

omm

only

infe

sts

cool

, dar

k, d

amp

plac

es (e

.g.,

sew

ers

and

base

men

ts),

feed

ing

on g

arba

ge, h

uman

was

te, a

nd d

ecay

ing

orga

nic

mat

ter.

The

nym

phs

and

adul

ts a

re c

ompa

rativ

ely

slow

-m

ovin

g an

d ar

e ge

nera

lly fo

und

at g

roun

d le

vel.

They

of

ten

are

foun

d liv

ing

in fl

oor d

rain

s an

d su

mp

pum

ps.

Dur

ing

war

mer

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attract insects into the building when door-ways are open.

Bottle or jar traps are also useful for captur-ing adult flies. Bottle traps are especially useful for trapping fruit flies and phorid flies, also known as humpback flies, once the breeding source is eliminated. Potential breeding sites for these tiny flies include rotting fruits or veg-etables, spillage in trashcans or recycling bins, unsanitized floor drains, and food-soiled mops or cleaning rags.

Chemical ManagementIf sanitation, exclusion and trapping methods are not successful in managing the flies, then insecticides should be considered. However, regardless of how effective a treatment may ap-pear, unless the breeding source and/or point of entry into a structure is located and elimi-nated, the problem will continue. Moreover, because flies reproduce rapidly, they quickly develop resistance to most insecticides. There are two types of insecticide treatments that are used in fly management: non-residual sprays and residual sprays.

Non-Residual (Contact) SpraysTemporary management of adult flies can be achieved by applying synergized pyrethrins or short-residual synthetic pyrethroids such as resmethrin. While these insecticides quickly knock down adult flies, they provide no lasting effect and do not manage developing larvae. Application can be made with aerosol-type dispensers, ultra low volume (ULV) sprayers or fog-generating equipment. For optimum results indoors, the precise amount of material per cubic area specified on the label should be applied. When performing space treatments, the applicator should wear goggles and a respirator. He or she should also ensure that no people are present, and that any food, utensils or food preparation surfaces are covered and/or washed before reusing.

Residual SpraysResidual insecticides are sometimes useful in fly management, but only as a supplement to other methods already mentioned. Treatments should be applied as coarse, low-pressure sprays that are confined to surfaces where flies rest and are likely to absorb a lethal dose. These surfaces include areas around dumpsters and sun-exposed exterior walls adjacent to a doorway.

Parasitic, Biting and Stinging ArthropodsArthropods that bite or sting to defend them-selves or those that feed on the blood of people or domestic animals are serious, and some-times dangerous, pests. Bites or stings may result in localized, painful itching and swell-ing that, if scratched, may lead to a bacterial infection. Some arthropods transmit disease organisms through the wounds they cause. Some stinging and blood-feeding pests inject venoms capable of causing allergic reactions that can be fatal. Arthropods that feed on the blood of people and their pets include fleas, ticks, bed bugs, mosquitoes and some mites. Biting or stinging arthropods include wasps, hornets, yellowjackets and spiders.

FleasThe cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis (Figure 8), is the most common flea found on cats and dogs in Tennessee. These fleas are about 1/16 of an inch long and are reddish-brown. The body is flattened from the sides with backward pro-jecting spines so they can easily walk through animal hair. Parts of the legs are enlarged for jumping. This allows an adult flea to jump almost 200 times its height.

Flea bites are irritating, and they can also transmit several disease organisms to hu-mans. The organisms that cause plague and flea-borne typhus are transmitted to humans by fleas that have fed on infected rodents. Fortunately, these two diseases are seldom encountered in Tennessee. Cat fleas, however, are a medical concern because they are able to transmit dog tapeworm, Dipylidium caninum.

Fleas are obligate ectoparasites. This means that they must stay on or close to a host to survive. Cat flea hosts include cats, dogs, opossums, foxes, rats and other urban animals. Although adult fleas prefer to feed on dogs,

Fly Trap Jars

A simple jar trap for fruit or phorid flies can be made by placing a paper funnel into a jar, which is then baited with a few ounces of cider vinegar as an attractant.


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cats or other small animals, they will attack humans when pets are not available. Cat fleas do not develop very well on human blood and a population will soon die out if no preferred hosts are present.

Life CycleLike flies, fleas have an egg, larval, pupal and adult stage (Figure 8). Flea eggs, which are white, oval and 1/50 of an inch long, are laid on the pet. However, they soon roll off because the eggs lack any spines that would hold them to the pet’s hair. This explains why most fleas are found where the pet rests.

Adult flea feces, which contain partially digested blood, also drop off the pet. This partially digested fecal blood is seen as dark specks when a flea-infested animal is combed. After hatching from eggs, flea larvae feed on the partially digested blood and on other or-

ganic matter found in a house or yard. Larvae are usually hidden deep in carpet fibers, under furniture cushions and in other protected spots.

The small, white, wormlike larvae complete development and spin a pupal cocoon. Materi-als such as carpet fibers or grains of soil, which are present in the larval environment, are in-corporated into the cocoon. This camouflages the pupa and protects it from predators. Larvae are the most susceptible stage to drying. The cocoon is highly resistant to drying and insecticide penetration. Development contin-ues inside the cocoon where the pre-emergent adult can wait several weeks for a stimulus, which causes it to emerge. Such stimuli can in-clude pressure, vibration or heat, indicating the presence of a host. The female feed with their sucking mouthparts and mate on the host. Adults live from 4 to 25 or more days. During this time, a female may lay between 158 to at least 420 eggs.

Flea Management: VacuumingOne method of managing fleas is to vacuum them. Vacuuming areas frequented by pets provides many benefits to those stricken with fleas. Some of these benefits are:

▪ Removal of about 60 percent of the flea eggs and 27 percent of the larvae

▪ Removal of larval foods such as organic matter and fecal blood

▪ Stimulation of the adults to emerge from their cocoons. If not collected with the vacuum, the newly emerged adults will be exposed to insecticide applications

▪ Straightening of the carpet fibers so that if an insecticide is applied, it will penetrate to the carpet

After vacuuming, immediately dispose of the vacuum cleaner in an outside garbage can with a tight-fitting lid. Additionally, steam cleaning will kill most of the fleas.

Figure 8 A. Cat Flea Life Cycle

Figure 8 B. Cat Flea Life Cycle


Flea Management: Chemical Management

The following measures should be performed on the same day to maximize flea management success:

▪ Ensure the pet is treated. Adult fleas spend most of their life on the animal, not in the carpet

▪ Vacuum infested areas twice a week and prior to treatment. This will remove eggs, larvae, adults and organic matter

▪ Treat pet resting areas indoors and clean or remove pet bedding. A com-bination of an insect growth regula-tor and an adulticide may be the most efficient formulation to use

▪ Mow grass, keep weeds down and trim shrubs to expose flea eggs and larvae to lethal desiccation. If fleas are surviving outdoors, apply an ap-proved insecticide to infested areas

TicksTicks are external parasites of mammals, birds and reptiles that feed only on the blood of their hosts. They can be distinguished from insects and spiders because the head, thorax and abdomen are fused into a single, saclike body region. The nymphs and adults have four pairs of jointed legs and no antennae. Ticks are found walking on or attached to their hosts or in areas frequented by their hosts. These

areas include woodlands, weedy or brushy areas, lawns, dog kennels, and dog runs. Ticks frequently wait for a host on vegetation along trails and paths traveled by people or animals.

Life CycleAll of the common ticks of Tennessee have four life stages: egg, larva, nymph and adult (Figure 9). Each of the stages, other than the egg, requires a separate animal host to com-plete its development. All together, the life cycle of a tick may be 2 or 3 years long. Adult, engorged females can grow to be more than one-half inch.

Kinds of TicksThe American dog tick (Dermacentor variabi-lis) is a dark brown tick that can be identified by the randomly arranged silver streaks on the back of both the male and female (Figure 10). The immature stages feed primarily on rodents, rabbits, opossums, raccoons, etc., but never on humans. Adults are found on larger animals such as dogs, cattle and humans.

The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) is a reddish brown tick that is slightly smaller than the American dog tick. These ticks have long, large snouts and both sexes have pale markings on their backs. The adult female has a conspicuous white spot on the middle of her back that gives this species its common name. Unlike the American dog tick, all stages of this species will readily attack people. Adults and nymphs are present and searching for hosts as soon as the weather becomes warm in the spring. They decrease in numbers as the summer progresses and are less frequently encountered after early September. The larvae, known as seed ticks, are encountered in masses on vegetation and may result in hundreds of individual bites on one person. Wounds left by attachment of all stages result in discolored itchy spots that may take 2 weeks to heal. Larval masses are encountered from late July until a killing frost in the fall, but occur most frequently in August and September. Only those individuals that find a host and feed suc-cessfully will pass on to the next stage.

The brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguin-eus) is uniformly dark reddish-brown, and it is similar in appearance to the American dog tick. However, it is smaller and does not have any light-colored markings on the back. This tick is known to attack dogs and other ani-

Figure 9. Tick Life Cycle


mals, but rarely humans. It is usually found in-side buildings where dogs live, such as houses, dog kennels and runs, but may sometimes be found on porches, in backyards or other shel-tered places frequented by dogs. It is usually found in the spring and summer.

Diseases Transmitted by Ticks in Tennessee

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is character-ized by fever, headaches, muscle aches, malaise and a rash that starts on the hands and feet. The American dog tick transmits the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) organism in Tennessee. This tick attaches to humans most frequently in the spring and early summer. Fortunately, even in areas with high rates of RMSF, only 3 to 5 percent of adult ticks carry the organism. Results of a Tennessee survey indicate that American dog ticks are well distributed throughout the state.

Human Monocytic Ehrlichiosis, or HME, is a new disease. It is likely transmitted by the lone star tick. HME has many of the same symptoms as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, but it usually does not cause spots or a rash.

The organism that causes Lyme disease is transmitted by Ixodes scapularis, a tick that is rarely encountered in Tennessee. Lyme disease symptoms may include a characteristic bull’s-eye rash as well as fever, malaise, fatigue, headache, muscle aches and joint aches. Lyme disease is most often encountered in the New England states, the upper Midwest, mid-At-lantic states and California. For more informa-

tion and updates on Lyme disease in Ten-nessee, visit the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Lyme disease webpage. The address is listed in the resources section at the bottom of this chapter.

Removal of TicksThe only effective way to remove a tick at-tached to a person is with a pair of tweezers. Grasp the head region of the tick as close to the skin as possible. Apply firm, steady pres-sure to remove the embedded mouthparts. Treat as any other type of skin wound. Do not crush the removed ticks with either fingers or thumbnails. Do not attempt to remove ticks with nail polish, alcohol or lighted cigarettes.

Management of TicksOverall, a tick management program should include:

▪ Avoidance of infested areas ▪ Applying repellent before enter-

ing environments that harbor ticks ▪ Inspecting for ticks ▪ Modifying the environment so that

it is less conducive to tick survival ▪ If necessary, applying pesticides to

pets and areas frequented by pets ▪ Hiring a professional to apply pesti-

cides in the landscape beyond a bar-rier treatment of the structure

Nonchemical methods for reducing tick prob-lems include:

▪ Mowing the lawn and managing weeds ▪ Removing debris, wood piles or clut-

ter from around the house to dis-courage rodents from nesting

▪ Repairing entry points into the house to discourage pos-sible tick hosts from entering

▪ Sealing cracks and crevices, both indoors and out, to reduce hiding places for ticks

▪ Inspecting and cleaning pets and their bedding frequently. If bedding is in-fested, it should be cleaned or destroyed

Indoor treatment is needed if a pet is infested with brown dog ticks, although this is relatively rare. Brown dog ticks will feed on the pet and drop off to molt in the many cracks

Figure 10. Ticks

Top to Bottom:

American Dog Tick,

Brown Dog Tick and

Lone Star Tick


and crevices available in the home. These ticks are difficult to manage because they can survive several months without another blood meal. If brown dog ticks are found, frequently inspect and remove them from pets. It is also necessary to vacuum rugs, floor, furniture, baseboards and behind furniture. Insecticidal spray or dusts should be applied to cracks and crevices, such as along baseboards and mold-ing, around door and window frames, under-neath furniture, beneath the edges of carpet-ing, behind loose wallpaper, and in other tight spots.

Bed BugsThere are several species of bed bugs, all of which are parasites of warm-blooded animals. Until recently, the common bed bug, whose preferred host is humans, was rarely encoun-tered, presumably because of improvements in sanitation. However, bed bugs are becoming more common. Related species, such as the bat bug and the bird bug, prefer to feed on bats, birds and other wild hosts, but will also feed on humans if the opportunity arises or if the preferred host dies or leaves the roost. Adult bed bugs are about ¼ inch long and reddish brown, with oval, flattened bodies (Figure 11). Bed bugs prefer to hide in cracks and crevices during the daytime and come out to feed on the host’s blood at night, usually while the host is sleeping. Infestations are usually detected by the welts and irritation caused by the bites and the fecal smears and blood spots visible on pillowcases, sheets and mattresses. Heavy infestations of bed bugs are also accompanied by a distinct odor.

Management of Bed BugsTo manage bed bugs, caulk or otherwise repair all cracks and spaces behind baseboards and other areas of the house. Treat infested areas with a crack-and-crevice or void application of a dust or liquid insecticide registered for this purpose. Treat crevices of bed frames, base-boards, under edges of wall-to-wall carpeting, other wall/floor material interfaces, closets, wood paneling, the backside of wall-mounted items, behind mounted lights and ceiling fan fixtures, and other places that may harbor bed bugs. Avoid spray runoff if applying liquid insecticides onto surfaces and into cracks. Do not apply liquids to electrical components. Multi-dwelling structures and hotels require frequent inspections and perhaps repeated applications. If the infestation is localized in an apartment building or hotel, treat all units connected to the infested area.

Because of the safety risk involved with treating mattresses, sofas or other furniture that people contact, alternative methods may be employed. Research has suggested that steam cleaning and applying an insecticidal dust to suspected crevice and void harborages can be very effective in managing bed bug populations. A low-vapor, high-temperature (220 degrees F) steam applied to seams, tufts, button holes, crevices and folds of mattresses, box springs, sofas, love seats, chairs, and other similar furniture should kill all eggs, nymphs and adult bed bugs contacted. Vacuuming with a crevice tool along edges of the beds, mattresses, etc. can also help reduce bed bug populations.

MosquitoesMosquitoes have done more harm to human health and well-being than any other insect group. They are the only natural carriers of organisms that cause debilitating diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, dengue and several types of viral encephalitis. Mosquitoes can also transmit filarial diseases, which are caused by parasitic worms, to humans and animals. The viral encephalitides and dog heartworm are the only diseases that are a perennial threat in Tennessee. The mosquito’s annoying biting habits often make it a nuisance around the home, and in parks and other recreational areas. Fortunately, most mosquito species feed on animals other than humans. However,

Figure 11. Bed Bug


some of these species can be pests of pets and farm animals.

County Mosquito Control Programs

Unfortunately, county health and other de-partmental personnel often receive pressure from their clientele, and hence their admin-istrative supervisors, to initiate a mosquito management program based on adulticides as the sole management component; this is usually ineffective. Fortunately, there are some management strategies that have proven to be effective. These strategies are discussed in the mosquito management section below.

Mosquito Management by Homeowners

While the chances of Tennesseans contracting West Nile Virus and other mosquito-borne vi-ruses are slight, mosquitoes are still a nuisance and can reduce people’s participation in out-door activities. Unfortunately, there is no easy solution for controlling mosquitos. Most con-tainer mosquitoes (Figure 12) only fly a block or so, but some temporary pool breeders may fly 15 to 20 miles. Many species of mosquitoes are active only at night, although some bite during the daytime. When they are not active, adult mosquitoes tend to seek protection in quiet areas with high humidity. Resting sites for adult mosquitoes include shrubs, wooded areas and similar dense vegetation, drainage ditches, sewers or under the eaves of buildings.

Countless products will claim ease of use and effectiveness for killing or deterring mosquitoes, but few have appreciable value in lessening the annoyance and incidence of bites. Unlike most insects encountered around homes, mosquitoes are pervasive outdoor pests and there are limits to what can be done to minimize their abundance. Options for home-owners are listed below.

Larval ManagementThe most effective way to manage mosquitoes is to eliminate larval sites and/or standing wa-ter. Mosquitoes need quiet, non-flowing water for their development. The larvae and pupae are confined to water. Eliminating sources of standing water, such as swamps and ditches, may require a community-wide effort and will require permits from Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA). Nonetheless, homeowners can take steps to prevent mosqui-toes from breeding on their property:

▪ Dispose of old tires, buckets, alu-minum cans, plastic sheeting or other refuse that can hold water

▪ Empty accumulated water from trash-cans, boats, wheelbarrows, pet dishes and flowerpot bottoms, and if pos-sible, turn them over when not in use

▪ Clean debris from rain gutters and unclog obstructed down spouts-clogged or damaged rain gutters are one of the most overlooked mos-quito breeding sites around homes

Certifications needed for a Mosquito Abatement Program

If county personnel have the funding needed to conduct a com-plete mosquito abatement program, either of the following certi-fications or licenses is needed:

▪ Category 8 certification-To apply pesticides for mosquito management on public lands and waters

▪ If the county would like to hire someone to perform this duty, the commercial applicator needs to be certified in Category 8 and working under the supervision of someone licensed in PHM (Public Health Control - Mosquito), only a small number of professionals are licensed in PHM in Ten-nessee

Figure 12. Aedes albopictus, the Asian Tiger Mosquito


▪ Change water in birdbaths and wad-ing pools at least once a week, and keep swimming pools clean, chlori-nated or covered when not in use

▪ Aerate ornamental pools and stock them with mosquito-eating fish

▪ Fill or drain ditches, swampy areas and other soil depressions, and remove, drain or fill tree holes and stumps with mortar or sand to prevent water accumulation

▪ Eliminate standing water and seepage around animal watering troughs, cisterns and septic tanks- be sure cistern screens are intact and access covers fit tightly

▪ Water landscape and, when possible, allow water to drain before adding more

▪ Before modifying any wetlands, con-tact your local TWRA representative

Use of a mosquito larvicide may be ben-eficial when it is impractical to eliminate a breeding site. Larvicides are insecticides used to manage immature mosquitoes before they have a chance to develop into biting adults. Larval mosquitoes are confined to water, mak-ing them easier to locate than the adults. Most larvicides sold to homeowners contain either the ingredient methoprene or the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti). Neither active ingredient is harmful to fish, water-fowl, pets or humans when used according to label directions. Homeowners can purchase mosquito larvicides at hardware, discount and some pet stores.

Another method of larval management is using LarvaSonicTM. While preparing for a science project, a young boy named Michael Nyber discovered LarvaSonicTM. LarvaSonicTM

kills larvae by transmitting sound into water. This causes the mosquito larval air bladder to absorb the energy, which causes a rupture in the membrane. The rupture then causes bubble(s) to form that injure internal organs and cause immediate death of the larva.

Adult ManagementAdult mosquitoes prefer to rest in moist, quiet, shaded areas such as dense vegetation during the daytime. Consequently, homeown-ers should remove tall weeds and overgrown vegetation from their yards. To further reduce intolerable levels of adult mosquitoes, insec-ticides can be applied to shrubs, hedges and

other shaded areas, such as under decks and along foundations. Some lawn and garden insecticides containing pyrethroids are effec-tive at management, but they will need to be periodically reapplied. Homeowners may wish to enlist the services of a professional pest management firm to manage adult mosquitoes.

ExclusionMosquitoes can be kept out of homes by se-curely screening windows, doors and porches. The occasional mosquito found indoors can be eliminated with a fly swatter. Aerosol-type insecticides labeled for mosquitoes, gnats and other flying insects seldom provide much relief at the dosages applied by homeowners.

Topically Applied RepellentsRepellents will help prevent mosquito bites when outdoors. The most effective mosquito repellents contain the active ingredient diethyl toluamide (DEET). Higher percentages of DEET in the ingredients provide longer pro-tection. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Environmental Health has recently updated their recommendation for use of DEET products on children, citing: Insect repellents containing DEET (N,N-di-ethyl-m-toluamide, also known as N,N-dieth-yl-3-methylbenzamide) with a concentration of 10% appear to be as safe as products with a concentration of 30% when used according to the directions on the product labels.

On April 22, 2005 the CDC added pi-caridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus as recom-mended mosquito repellents. When applying any type of mosquito repellant, always read and follow the directions on the container. Mosquito repellent should not be applied to the hands of young children, and treated skin should be washed with soap and water after returning indoors.

Other Management PossibilitiesMany consumer products claim to attract, re-pel, capture or kill mosquitoes. Electrocuting devices, or “bug zappers,” use ultraviolet light as an attractant and are generally ineffective in reducing outdoor populations of mosquitoes and their biting activity. Studies indicate that mosquitoes make up only a tiny percentage of the insects captured in such traps. The ma-jority are moths, beetles and other harmless night-flying insects.


Other types of mosquito traps utilize carbon dioxide, warmth, light and vari-ous chemicals as attractants. These products claim to capture tremendous numbers of adult mosquitoes and can be quite expensive. The effectiveness of mosquito traps for reducing the number of mosquito bites in an area is a bit controversial due to the numerous variables involved with the utilization of mosquito traps. These variables include, but are not limited to, the trap itself, the location of the trap, the sea-son, the species of mosquito and the proximity of the mosquitoes to the trap. Additionally, some people believe that while they do capture a lot of mosquitoes, mosquito traps also attract more mosquitoes to the area.

Citronella oil is another popular choice for mosquito management, and it does have mos-quito-repelling properties. For maximum ef-fect, multiple candles should be placed within a few feet of where people are sitting. Thus, a single candle located at the center or edge of a picnic blanket probably will not provide much benefit other than atmosphere.

Bats and certain types of birds, such as purple martins, are often cited as effective natural agents for managing outdoor mosqui-

toes. Conservation groups and nature maga-zines often suggest building bat and bird-houses on one’s property to promote nesting and to protect against mosquitoes. Although insectivorous bats and birds do eat mosquitoes, they make up only a very small portion of their natural diet. Much like the mechanical “bug zappers,” bats and birds capture all manner of other flying insects also. Therefore, efforts to colonize and conserve these animals should not be done with the primary intent of dimin-ishing biting mosquitoes.

Parasitic MitesParasitic mites (Figure 13) that occasionally infest buildings are usually associated with wild or domestic birds or rodents. Bird and rodent mites are normally about the size of a period at the end of a sentence and live on the host or in their nests. When the animal dies or abandons the nest, these mites will migrate to other areas of the structure. Other mites that may attack people are chiggers and human itch mites, which are also known as scabies.

Management of Parasitic MitesThe first step in managing bird or rodent mites is to remove the host animals and their nesting sites. Bird mites may move out of a nest after birds have fledged. Often, the nests will be found in the attic, around the eaves and rafters, in the gutters, or in the chimney. After nests are removed, the areas adjacent to the nest should be sprayed or dusted with a residual insecticide. Space or ULV treatments with non-residual materials, such as synergized pyrethrins, can be used in conjunction with re-sidual sprays. A vacuum cleaner or moistened cloth can be used to eliminate mites crawling on open surfaces.

Wasps, Hornets and YellowjacketsWasp, hornet and yellowjacket stings are a serious health threat to humans and animals. Hundreds of people in the United States die each year from allergic reactions to the venom of these insects. Although the workers forag-ing away from the nest are seldom aggressive, nests should be eliminated with great care and in manners discussed below. Folk remedies, such as dousing nests with gasoline or a garden

Figure 13. Chigger, Scabies and Bird or Rodent Mite

From Left to Right: Chigger, Scabies and Bird or Rodent Mite.

Mosquito-Repellent Plants

Mosquito-repellent plants such as garlic and other oft-advertised botanical prod-ucts, are generally ineffective at deter-ring mosquitoes.


hose, seldom work. In fact, these methods can be dangerous and result in multiple stings.

Types of Wasps and Management TechniquesPaper WaspsPaper wasps, as well as hornets and yellow-jackets, construct nests of a paper-like mate-rial containing finely chewed wood fragments and salivary secretions of the wasps. Paper wasps typically build their umbrella-shaped

nests under eaves and ledges. These brownish wasps are not as aggressive as yellowjackets or hornets and can be eliminated rather easily with an aerosol wasp and hornet spray. After treatment, wait a day to ensure that the colony is destroyed, then scrape or knock down the nest. This will prevent secondary problems with carpet beetles and other insects.

Hornets and Yellowjackets.Hornets are far more difficult and dangerous to manage than paper wasps. The European hornet, Vespa cabro, is the only true hornet in Tennessee. Bald-faced hornet nests resemble a large, grey, bloated football, which typically is attached to a tree, bush or side of a building. European hornets build a brown carbon nest. Hornet nests may contain thousands of adult wasps, which are extremely aggressive when disturbed. The nests are often located out of reach.

Yellowjackets (Figure 14) are often consid-ered the most dangerous stinging insects in the United States. They tend to be unpredictable and usually will sting if the nest is disturbed. Yellowjackets form annual colonies in Tennes-see. Fall-mated queens overwinter under bark and in other sheltered locations. In the spring, the queens emerge and construct a small paper nest in which they lay their eggs. The queen feeds the larvae and in about a month, the larvae emerge as sterile adult females called workers. The newly emerged workers assume all nest activities except egg laying. Thereafter, the colony grows rapidly, containing up to 4,000 workers by the end of the summer. New males and queens are produced in late summer to early fall. After mating, the colony dies off and the newly fertilized queens seek out shel-tered sites for overwintering. Abandoned nests are not reused and soon disintegrate. Yellow-jacket nests are often located underground in old rodent burrows, beneath rocks or landscape timbers, in walls, in attics, in crawlspaces, and behind the siding of buildings.

Treat bald-faced hornet and yellowjacket nests in the spring and at night when most wasps are within the nest and the colony is less active. A full wasp suit, sealed at the wrists, ankles and collar, should be worn. Apply an aerosol-type wasp and hornet spray or dust formulation directly into the nest opening. Hornet nests have a single opening, usually toward the bottom, where the hornets enter

Wasps, Hornets and Yellowjackets

Wasps, hornets and yellowjackets are more dangerous and unpredictable than honeybees.

Figure 14. Adult Yellowjacket

Figure 15. Black Widow Adult Female

Black widow adult female with red hourglass mark on the un-derside of the abdomen. Immatures and males may have red dots on the upper abdomen


and exit. It is critical that the paper envelope of the nest is not broken during treatment. If this occurs, the irritated wasps will scatter in all directions, causing even greater prob-lems. Following treatment, wait at least a day before removing the nest to ensure that all of the wasps are killed. If hornets continue to be observed, the application may need to be repeated. European hornets are active at night and are attracted to lights. The best time to treat these colonies is just before sunrise, but while it is still dark. If the nest is located away from frequently used areas, another option is to wait and do nothing. In Tennessee, wasp, hornet and yellowjacket colonies die naturally after the weather turns cold and the paper car-ton disintegrates over the winter months. Only fall-mated queens survive the winter.

Foraging YellowjacketsLate in the year, feeding preferences shift in favor of available sources of sugar including fruits, ice cream, soft drinks, beer or other sweets. The persistent foraging of yellowjackets at picnics and other outdoor activities produces many calls from homeowners and businesses wanting to know what can be done to allevi-ate the problem. If nests can not be found and treated, minimize attractive food sources. Several ways to minimize attractive food sources are:

▪ When eating outdoors, keep food and beverages covered

▪ Clean up spills and leftovers promptly ▪ Equip trashcans with tight-fitting,

preferably self-closing, lids ▪ Whenever possible, locate trash cans

and dumpsters away from serving tables, loading dock doors and other entrances

▪ Equip trashcans with a plastic liner- empty and clean them frequently

▪ Maintain high levels of sanita-tion earlier in the summer- this will make areas less attractive to yel-lowjackets later in the year

Combined with sanitation, avoidance is the best strategy for managing yellowjacks. People should resist the temptation to swat at yellowjackets and be careful when drinking from beverage cans that may contain foraging individuals.

Although only of marginal benefit, traps are available that catch impressive numbers of yellowjackets when properly baited and positioned. Business establishments such as outdoor cafes may find these traps worthwhile when used with other approaches. In addition, Braunschweiger liverwurst spread combined with jelly has been an effective attractant.

Allergic ReactionsWasp, hornet and yellowjacket stings can be life-threatening to persons who are allergic to the venom. People who develop hives, dif-ficulty breathing or swallowing, wheezing, or similar symptoms of allergic reaction should seek medical attention immediately after being stung. Itching, pain and localized swelling can be somewhat reduced with antihistamines and a cold compress.

SpidersMany different kinds of spiders live in and around buildings. Some, such as garden and cellar spiders, construct webs to help entrap their prey. Others, including the wolf spiders, are free-roaming and make no webs. Most spiders are harmless and, in fact, are beneficial because they prey upon flies, crickets and other insects. Spiders will generally not attempt to bite humans unless held or accidentally trapped. Moreover, the majority of spiders have fangs too small or too weak to puncture human skin. Of the hundreds of species found in Tennessee, the black widow and brown recluse are considered the most dangerous. Fortunately, they have markings that can be used to distinguish them from other non-threatening species.

Types of Dangerous SpidersBlack Widow SpiderOf the spiders capable of inflicting a poison-ous bite, black widows are the most notori-ous. The female is about 2-inches-long, shiny, black and usually has a red hourglass mark on the underside of the abdomen (Figure 15). In some varieties, the hourglass mark may be reduced to two separate spots. Spiderlings and male spiders are smaller than females and have several red dots on the upper side of the abdomen.

Black widow spiders belong to the cobweb spider family and spin loosely organized trap


webs. The webs are usually found outdoors under objects such as rocks and ground trash. They may also be found under an overhanging embankment. Black widow spiders are timid and will only bite in response to being injured. People are usually bitten when they reach under furniture or lift objects under which a spider is hiding.

Black widow venom is a nerve toxin and its effects are rapid. The victim suffers painful rigidity of the abdomen and usually a tightness of the chest. Blood pressure and body tempera-ture may rise, and sweating, localized swelling and a feeling of nausea may occur. In about 5 percent of the bite cases, the victim may go into convulsions in 14 to 32 hours and may die if not given medical attention. First aid for black widow spider bites involves cleans-ing the wound and applying ice packs to slow absorption of the venom. Victims should seek medical attention promptly. An anti-venom is also available for severe cases.

Management of Black WidowsRemove trash, old boxes, piles of lumber, old rubble piles and other unwanted items from under or around houses and outbuildings. Do not go barefoot or handle firewood without gloves. Install screens on doors and windows to prevent entry. Seal or caulk cracks and crevices where spiders can enter the house. Wash off the outside of the house or building, especially around window wells and other un-disturbed places where webs are built. Spiders

are fragile and easily damaged, so sweeping with a stiff broom, or web-removing device such as the WebsterTM will remove webbing and usually kill the spiders.

Because black widow spiders spend most of the time in or on webbing, thorough applica-tions of insecticides that contact spiders in their webs cause a quick reduction in popula-tion. Residual crack-and-crevice sprays applied where spiders can hide and enter buildings are also helpful. Outdoors, spray around the perimeter of buildings using formulations that will not damage plants and treat under patios and decks if the house is of pier-and-beam construction.

Brown RecluseThe brown recluse spider (Figure 16) is one of the most feared and poisonous spiders in Tennessee. It can be found in every county in Tennessee, with the possible exception of a few extreme eastern counties. Most reported bites occur when putting on old clothing in which the spider is hiding or when rolling over on a spider in bed. The brown recluse spider lives up to its name. Most people living in proximity to the spider will never see it, nor be bitten by it.

The brown recluse, Loxosceles reclusa, is a medium-sized spider. The adult body ranges from 1/8 to under 1/4 inch. The legs span an area roughly the size of a quarter to a half-dol-lar. The color of the brown recluse varies from a light yellowish brown to a dark reddish or chocolate brown, but most are light to medium brown. The second pair of legs is longer than the remaining pairs in both sexes. A violin-shaped marking is present on the carapace, which is the top part of the body directly above the legs. Three pairs of eyes are arranged in a semicircle. Since most other spiders have eight eyes, this feature alone can eliminate many specimens suspected of being a brown recluse spider.

Brown recluse spiders prefer sheltered areas with low moisture levels. They have been found under loose bark, in hollow logs and under stones. In homes, they tend to prefer darkened storage areas in closets, garages, basements, attics, cupboards and other seldom disturbed and sheltered places.

Brown recluse spiders feed on a variety of insects and other arthropods. The spider is alerted to the presence of prey by web vibra-

Figure 16. Brown Recluse Spider

Brown recluse spider with a fiddle-shaped marking on the ceph-alothorax and a second pair of legs longer than the other.Inset: 3 Pairs of eyes in a semicircular arrangement


tions caused by passing prey and may forage short distances from the web at night.

Often initially painless, the bite wound starts with a central pimple and produces an irregular red reaction in 6 to 12 hours. This reaction is followed by blister formation and/or skin death. The resultant skin ulcer heals slowly and may require skin grafts or flaps to reconstruct the defect. Case reports of blood abnormalities, kidney failure or death have been reported.

ManagementSanitationBecause the brown recluse spider can live for months without food or water, eliminating the insects on which the spider feeds is not an effective means of management. However, removing the preferred habitat can reduce population numbers drastically.

MonitoringUse monitoring traps, often called sticky traps or mouse-control glue boards, throughout the home to determine the location and abundance of spiders. Monitoring traps also help reduce brown recluse spider populations. Traps should be placed along walls or other edges in areas

such as behind toilets, under sinks and bath-tubs, under pieces of furniture, on closet floors, on closet shelves, on exposed sill plates, in crawl spaces and basements, near stored items in garages and attics-especially around boxes, near openings of light fixtures, and around vents in attics. Do not skimp on monitoring traps. They can be fairly inexpensive, so use plenty throughout the structure.

Insecticide ApplicationsPrior to insecticide applications, vacuum ex-posed spiders and their webs. In addition, pay special attention to:

▪ Cracks and voids: Because brown recluse spiders are secretive, insecticide applications are best made to the places where they may be hiding. These areas include cracks and voids in enclosed areas. Cracks and voids are best treated with dusts that last along time and will coat the surface of the crack or void.

▪ Spot treatments: Spot treatments of liquid residual insecticides to areas where spiders may crawl are most effective when combined with crack-and-void treatment. Using only spot treatments will usually result in poor control.

▪ Space treatments: Although space treat-ments with pyrethrins or resmethrins are effective against flying insects, when used for brown recluse management they may flush the spiders from their hid-ing places and onto surfaces that have been treated with residual insecticides.

▪ Exterior treatments: Removing harbor-age sites will reduce spider populations outdoors. Cracks in exterior walls should be treated with an insecticidal dust as mentioned above and then sealed. A great deal of effort is needed to effec-tively manage brown recluse spiders. Treatments applied for control will probably make the spiders more active. Therefore, it is imperative that dwellers be advised on strategies to avoid bites.

Avoiding Bites

Most bites occur when the spider is pressed against the skin inside clothing or when rolled on in bed. To minimize bites in homes where brown recluse spi-ders are present:

▪ Store clothing in sealed plastic bags or storage boxes

▪ Store shoes in plastic shoeboxes ▪ Shake clothing and shoes before

wearing ▪ Move beds away from walls or

curtains ▪ Place glue boards under bedposts ▪ Remove bed skirts from box springs ▪ Do not use bedspreads that touch

or come close to the floor ▪ Inspect bedding before climbing

into bed


Fabric PestsFabric pests include insects that feed on natu-ral fibers, synthetics and animal by-products. They damage clothing, upholstery, carpeting, draperies and other fabrics. Some of these pests are able to digest the animal protein, keratin, and therefore, feed on hides, furs, hair, feathers, animal horns, preserved insects

and other museum specimens. Several fabric pests are also important stored-product pests. These include black carpet beetles, silverfish and firebrats.

Four orders of insects have species consid-ered to be fabric pests: the Coleoptera (carpet beetles), the Lepidoptera (clothes and webbing moths), the Thysanura (silverfish and bristle-tails), and the Orthoptera (crickets). Carpet beetles and clothes moths are discussed here.

Carpet BeetlesCarpet beetles feed on animal and plant sub-stances such as wool, fur, feathers, hair, hides, horns, silk and bone, as well as on cereals, cake mixes, red pepper, rye meal and flour. Other substances that carpet beetles feed on include powdered milk, dog and cat food, leather, bookbindings, dead insects, cotton, linen, and rayon when stained with spilled food or animal excreta. The larvae cause the damage. Adult beetles fly readily and may feed outdoors on flower pollen. The two most common species of carpet beetles, the black carpet beetle and the varied carpet beetle, found in Tennessee are discussed here.

IdentificationAdult black carpet beetles (Figure 17) are oval and shiny black with brownish legs. They vary in body length from 1/8 to 3/16 inch. Lar-vae are golden to dark brown and are about 2-inches-long, with the body resembling an elongated carrot or cigar with a long brush of bristles at the tail end.

Adult varied carpet beetles are about 1/10 to 1/8 inch long and are nearly round (Figure 18). The top body surface is usually gray with a mixture of white, brown and yellow scales and irregular black crossbands. The bottom surface has long, gray-yellow scales. Larvae are about ¼ inch long and are light to dark brown. The body is wider and broader at the rear than the front.

Life Cycle and HabitsAll carpet beetles pass through the egg, larval, pupal and adult stages. Adults fly readily and, during warm, sunny days, feed outdoors on the flower pollen of spirea, crepe myrtle and buckwheat. Depending on the species, each female can lay at least 100 white eggs, which hatch in 8 to 15 days. Eggs laid indoors occur in lint accumulations near the food source, in

Figure 17. Black Carpeet Beetle Adult and Larva

A. Adult Black Carpet Beetle

B. Black Carpet Beetle Larva

Figure 18. Varied Carpet Beetle

A. Adult Varied Carpet Beetle

B. Varied Carpet Beetle Larva


air ducts, under heavy furniture, underneath baseboards, etc. After hatching, larvae feed, avoid light and molt several times as they develop. Depending on food and temperature, the larvae may spend 60 days to a year feeding. Their life cycle is shorter in warm rooms than in an unheated portion of the house during the winter. In the spring, the pupae develop into new adults. Usually there are three to four generations per year, except for the black or varied carpet beetle, which may only have one generation per year.

Clothes MothsClothes moth larvae feed on wool, feathers, fur, hair, leather, lint, dust and paper. Occa-sionally, they will also feed on cotton, linen, silk and synthetic fibers. They are especially damaging to fabric stained with beverages, urine and oil from hair and sweat. Most dam-age is done to articles left undisturbed for a long time, such as carpets under heavy fur-niture and clothing in storage. Three clothes moths encountered in Tennessee are: webbing clothes moth, Tineola bisselliella (Hummel); casemaking clothes moth, Tinea pellio-nella Linnaeus; and carpet or tapestry moth, Trichophaga tapetzella (Linnaeus).

IdentificationAdult webbing clothes moths have a wing-spread of about 2 inches. The buff-colored moth with a satiny sheen is about ¼ inch long with folded wings. Hairs on the head are upright and reddish-gold. Eggs are oval, ivory and about 1/24 inch long. Larvae are shiny, creamy white with a brown head, are up to 2 inches long, spin long threads and construct tunnels of silk.

Adult casemaking clothes moths have a 2-inch wingspread. Forewings are yellowish-brown, and there are three distinct, dark dots on each wing. Hind wings are smaller, lighter and fringed with hair and scales. Eggs are whitish and larvae are opaque-white with brown heads. The larva spins a small silken case around itself and carries it while feeding.

Adult carpet or tapestry moths are larger than webbing or casemaking clothes moths. They are 1/3 to 5/12 inches long with a 3/4-inch wingspread. Adults have white heads, the first third of the front wings are black and the lower two-thirds are creamy white. Hind

wings are pale gray. Larvae are small, creamy white caterpillars with dark heads.

Life Cycle and HabitsClothes moths rarely fly to light at night and instead prefer darkness. Any clothes moths fluttering around the house are probably males, as females travel by either running or hop-ping, especially webbing clothes moth females. Larvae prefer to feed on soiled material, spin-ning silken mats or tunnels and incorporating textile fragments and bits of feces into the construction. The pupal case is silk with bits of fiber and excrement attached to the outside. The life cycle is about 65 to 90 days.

The casemaking clothes moth is less com-mon than the webbing clothes moth. Larvae spin a small silken case around themselves as they feed. This cigar-shaped case enlarges as the larva grows. When the larva crawls, its head and thorax and three pairs of legs outside the case drag it along. It does not spin a web of silk over the food material, but eats clean-cut holes, not usually in one spot. There are about two generations per year.

Adult tapestry moths are rarely found. Fe-males lay 60 to 100 eggs in a lifetime, and the larva develops in about 3 months as it builds silken tubes or burrows through infested mate-rials such as hair-stuffed furniture, tapestries, old carpets, furs and feathers.

ManagementInspectionsLocate the source of the infestation before treatment. If possible, remove the source, place it in a sealable plastic bag and discard it in an outdoor garbage pail. Carpet beetle larvae prefer to feed in dark, protected places. Use a flashlight and nail file to check lint under baseboards, in and under upholstered furniture, under registers in air ducts, stuffed animals, stored cereals, bird nests under eaves, wasp nests in attics, woolens, carpets, clothes closets, furs, etc. Cast skins, which are shed during molting, may be more abundant than larvae. Adult carpet beetles flying around windows may help in locating the infestations. To help prevent carpet beetles from establish-ing themselves in homes, remove adult carpet beetles from flowers before the flowers are brought into the house. Adult moths do not feed in fabrics, but may be seen in darkened corners at night.


PreventionGood housekeeping is critical in prevent-ing or managing clothes moth and carpet beetle damage. Regularly use a strong suction vacuum cleaner with proper attachments to remove lint, hair and dust from floor cracks, baseboards, air ducts, draperies, furniture, car-pets, molding and other hard-to-reach places. Periodically brush, air outside or dry-clean furs, woolens, blankets, etc. Destroy untreated, worthless animal skins, valueless insect collec-tions, old woolen rags and old clothing. Keep closets and dresser drawers clean. Regularly clean rugs where they fit close to the base-boards and under the quarter round. Launder and dry-clean clothes and other items before storage. Sunlight and wind reduce larval dam-age. Therefore, sun, brush and expose clothing to the weather.

Typically, cedar-lined closets do not seal sufficiently to retain cedar oil and are not very effective in managing clothes moths. Cedar chests may be slightly more effective because they seal better; however, the oil of cedar still evaporates. Any box or plastic bag that is tight and can be sealed is a good storage container. Place garments in containers and add naphtha-lene flakes interspersed between sheets of non-staining paper. Be sure that all cloth goods are dry-cleaned, washed, pressed with a hot iron, sunned or brushed prior to storage. Fur stor-age in cold vaults is effective. Mothproofing when woolens are manufactured may provide long-term effectiveness; however, treatments at dry-cleaners are less permanent and need to be renewed regularly. Frequent use of woolens and other animal fiber clothing almost assures no damage from clothes moth larvae.

InsecticidesInsecticides should be sprayed where insects crawl and hide, but before spraying, thor-oughly clean rugs, rug pads, carpets and under heavy furniture. Apply sprays to the edges of wall-to-wall carpeting in closets, corners, cracks, baseboards, molding and other hiding places.

Antique upholstered furniture and pillows stuffed with horsehairs or similar material may require fumigation by a pest management pro-fessional, as surface sprays will not be effective. Fumigation requires certification in Category 7 and supervision by a person licensed to fumi-gate (FUM). Alternative methods of manage-

ment, such as removing oxygen from a closed container to kill insects, are being explored. See the pesticide label for further precautions pertaining to pesticide use.

Stored-Product PestsMany species of pests infest and damage stored cereals, grains, nuts, dried fruit and oth-er food products. These include birds, rodents, fungi and other microorganisms, mites, and certain insects such as weevils, beetles, moths, silverfish and firebrats. Stored-product pests are widespread and cause serious economic losses to grain producers, food processors and consumers. They attack stored products on farms and in processing plants, warehouses, grocery stores, restaurants, homes and virtu-ally any other location where food is stored or prepared.

Several species of beetles, weevils and moths are common stored-product insects. Descriptions of some of these can be found in Table 4. Although the black carpet beetle is a fabric pest, which is described in the previous chapter, it is also a widespread stored-products pest that feeds on a large variety of dried foods including beans, peas, corn, wheat, rice and many types of seeds.

Moth larvae infesting stored-food products may be confused with beetle or weevil larvae because of their wormlike shape. However, only the moth’s larval stage causes damage. A telltale sign of infestation is the appearance of small to medium-sized moths in food contain-ers and packaging as well as the appearance of moths flying around or clinging to walls in a room or storage area.

Management of Stored-Product Pests

The following management recommendations for stored-product pests are for the general public. The Category 7 pesticide certification training manual and the Extension Redbook recommendations for professionals should be consulted for questions from commercial pesti-cide applicators. To prevent infestations:

▪ Inspect stored products periodically ▪ Practice good sanitation ▪ Use older products first so none re-

main in storage indefinitely


▪ Adequately ventilate to prevent mois-ture buildup in storage areas

▪ Use insect-proof packages or stor-age procedures wherever possible

▪ Pheromone traps can indicate the presence of pests and are available for Indianmeal moth, saw-toothed grain beetle, confused and red flour beetle, cigarette beetle, drugstore beetle, clothes moths and others

Once pests are found: ▪ Locate the pest’s food

source and discard it ▪ Where appropriate, some prod-

ucts can be frozen to protect them from insect damage

▪ Place grains, flours, nuts and other sus-ceptible stored products in insect-proof containers when they are brought home

▪ Pheromone traps can indicate the pres-ence of pests and may provide control without insecticides when popula-tions are low and the pests confined

▪ Vacuum cracks and crevices and wipe down the pantry to re-move pests and food sources

In most cases, pesticides will not need to be applied. If an insecticide application is desired, make sure the pesticide is registered for use in kitchens and cabinets or for the intended site. Before spraying, remove all food, utensils, etc., from the pantry and vacuum all cracks and crevices. Then, wipe down the pantry to remove pests and food sources. Finally, spray directly into cracks and crevices of storage cabinet shelves. Overall treatment of storage shelves is not effective.

See Table 4. Identification characteristics of common stored product pests. (Do not include almond moth).

Occasional InvadersOccasional invaders (Table 5) are pests that do not usually live and breed inside a house, but can wander or migrate seasonally into struc-tures. These pests include millipedes, spring-tails, pillbugs and roly-polies. Some of these pests are associated with trees, shrubs, mulch or other habitats conducive to pest develop-ment. Others are attracted to lights at night. Some are dislodged from preferred habitats

by management procedures that make the environment unsatisfactory. Environmental extremes, such as excessive rainfall, drought, temperature changes or poor drainage around a building may stimulate pests to move indoors.

Management of Occasional Invaders

Management for these pests, which need a high moisture environment and are often found around the perimeter of the structure, is done by eliminating conditions near the struc-ture that allow them to build up to large num-bers. Generally, sanitation or good landscaping practices will help eliminate pest-infested sites near structures. Also, pest exclusion, caulk-ing or sealing cracks and pipe penetrations and other openings in the foundation, adding weather-stripping around doors and windows, screening of vents, and changing lighting location or type (sodium vapor lights are less attractive to pests) can solve many problems with occasional invaders. See Sanitation and Exclusion techniques mentioned earlier in this chapter. One study reported reducing mil-lipede invasions into a structure by 93 percent using non-chemical procedures. Several tech-niques were used to reduce moisture levels in the lawn and areas surrounding the structure:

▪ Lawns were dethatched ▪ Lawns were closely mowed and edged

to allow it to dry more quickly ▪ Debris and mulch were pulled at

least 18 inches away from the struc-ture to reduce hiding places

▪ Grass was watered early in the morning to allow it to dry out later in the day

Other ways to modify the environment so that it is less conducive to pests include:

▪ Moving compost piles and decaying veg-etation away from areas close to the home

▪ Trimming shrubs to prevent them from touching the structure and to allow good airflow to reduce molds and mildews

▪ Draining water away from the base of the structure

▪ Reducing moisture in crawl spaces ▪ Maintaining a 12- to 18-inch bare

zone around the base of the structure


While sealing is the more permanent method of excluding pests originating from outdoors, comprehensive pest-proofing is labor-intensive and sometimes impractical. For clients requiring an alternative, pest proofing can be supplemented by an exterior treatment with an insecticide. Treatment may be needed at the base of all exterior doors, garage and crawl space entrances, around foundation vents and utility openings, and underneath sid-ing. It may also be useful to treat around the outside perimeter of the foundation in a 2- to 6- foot-wide band along the ground, and 2 to 3 feet up the foundation wall. However, many people do not spray this wide a perimeter band because they want to reduce potential pesticide exposure to people, property and pets. Treat-ments to all areas mentioned above may not be allowed for all pesticides. Read the label prior to using a pesticide.

See Table 5. Identification and management of occasional invaders.

Wood-destroying FungiTo successfully prevent or manage wood dam-age, you must first be able to identify wood-destroying organisms and understand their habits and behavior. Only then can their popu-lations be targeted and the conditions that are contributing to their success be eliminated.

Wood-decay FungiA wood-decaying fungus is an organism that cannot make or capture its own food. There-fore, it must feed off of other materials such as wood. Severe wood decay occurs only in wood with a moisture content greater than 20 per-cent. Most wood-decaying fungi grow only on wood in contact with moist soil or wood that is subject to wetting by rain, roof leaks, plumbing leaks or condensation. However, some fungi have water-conducting structures that actually bring water into the wood.

Brown and White RotBrown rot more commonly attacks softwoods and white rot more commonly attacks hard-woods; however, both brown and white rots occasionally colonize both types of wood. Fungi that decay wood and reduce its strength cause brown and white rots. The fungi often produce a whitish, cottony growth on the surface of the wood. The fungi only grow on moist wood and can be present in the wood when it is brought into the house. It can also grow from spores that are always present in the air and soil.

Wood decayed by brown-rot fungi (Figure 19) is brittle and darkened. As decay proceeds, the wood shrinks, twists and cracks perpen-dicular to the grain. Finally, it becomes dry and powdery. Brown rot is the most common type of decay found in wood in houses.

Wood decayed by white-rot fungi is fibrous, spongy and bleached. Sometimes it has thin, dark lines around decayed areas. The wood does not shrink until decay is advanced.

Water-Conducting FungiMost decay fungi are able to grow only on moist wood and cannot attack adjacent dry wood. However, the brown-rot fungus, Poria incrassata, is an exception. It is able to conduct water several feet through root-like strands, called rhizomorphs, which moisten wood and then decay it. These fungi are sometimes called water-conducting or dry rot fungi. They can decay wood in houses very rapidly, but fortunately they are quite rare. Poria incras-sata is found most frequently in the Southeast. Poria can cause extensive damage in floors and walls away from obvious sources of moisture. Decayed wood has the characteristics of brown rotted wood; the exception is that the wood surface sometimes appears wavy. The wood is

Figure 19.

Wood Damaged by Brown Rot Cracks Perpendicular to the Grain


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n ru

nnin

g ra

pidl

y ov

er s

tore

d fo

od. A

dult

fem

ales

lay

betw

een

45 a

nd 2

85 e

ggs

sing

ly

or in

sm

all b

atch

es in

or a

roun

d su

itabl

e la

rval

food

sour

ces.

Eggs

hat

ch in

abo

ut e

ight

da

ys. L

arva

e pa

ss th

roug

h tw

o to

four

inst

ars

over

an

aver

age

of 3

7 da

ys a

nd p

upat

ion

take

s an

othe

r six

day

s. Te

mpe

ratu

re a

nd

hum

idity

affe

ct th

e de

velo

pmen

t tim

e an

d th

e nu

mbe

r of l

arva

l ins

tars

.

Saw

toot

hed

grai

n be

etle

larv

ae fe

ed o

n ite

ms

such

as

rice,

whe

at a

nd n

utm

eats

. Th

ese

inse

cts

prob

ably

can

not a

ttac

k w

hole

, und

amag

ed g

rain

s, so

may

be

asso

ciat

ed w

ith o

ther

who

le-g

rain

pes

ts

and

feed

on

the

kern

els

dam

aged

by

the

othe

r pes

ts. T

he m

erch

ant g

rain

bee

tle

is n

ot a

maj

or p

est o

f gra

ins

or c

erea

ls,

pref

errin

g se

eds

and

nuts

.

Conf

used

Flo

ur B

eetl

e Tr

ibol

ium

conf

usum

Red

Flou

r Bee

tle

Trib

oliu

m ca

stan

eum

Adu

lt S

ize:

Abo

ut 3

/16

of a

n in

ch

Adu

lt S

hape

and

Col

or: F

latt

ened

and

shi

ny

redd

ish

brow

nA

dult

Cha

ract

ers:

Ant

enna

e of

the

conf

used

flo

ur b

eetle

term

inat

e in

four

seg

men

ts th

at

grad

ually

enl

arge

to fo

rm a

clu

b-lik

e sh

ape,

w

here

as a

nten

nae

of th

e re

d flo

ur b

eetle

ab

rupt

ly te

rmin

ate

in th

ree

larg

er, c

lub-

like

segm

ents

.La

rval

Cha

ract

ers:

Lar

vae

are

slen

der a

nd

wire

like,

whi

tish

colo

red

with

yel

low

ting

es.

They

are

dis

tingu

ishe

d fr

om o

ther

sto

red

prod

uct i

nsec

t lar

vae

by th

e pr

omin

ent,

two-

poin

ted

term

inat

ion

of th

e la

st b

ody

segm

ent.

Adul

t flou

r bee

tles

live

up to

two

year

s. Ad

ult

beet

les

run

quic

kly

whe

n di

stur

bed.

Fem

ales

pr

oduc

e 40

0 to

500

egg

s in

thei

r life

time,

la

ying

two

or th

ree

per d

ay; e

ggs

hatc

h in

fiv

e to

twel

ve d

ays.

Larv

ae p

ass

thro

ugh

five

to 1

8 in

star

s, ty

pica

lly s

even

or e

ight

, ove

r a

perio

d ra

ngin

g fr

om o

ne to

four

mon

ths.

They

feed

on

dam

aged

gra

ins,

flour

, ce

real

s an

d ot

her s

tore

d pr

oduc

ts.

In a

dditi

on to

feed

ing

dam

age,

they

pr

oduc

e se

cret

ions

that

con

tam

inat

e th

e m

ater

ial t

hey

feed

on,

giv

ing

it a

disa

gree

able

odo

r and

tast

e.Th

e co

nfus

ed fl

our b

eetle

and

the

red

flour

bee

tle a

re th

e m

ost c

omm

on a

nd

serio

us p

ests

of fl

our,

cere

al a

nd b

roke

n gr

ains

.

Gra

nary

Wee

vil

Sito

philu

s gra

nariu

s

Rice

Wee

vil

Sito

philu

s ory

zae

Snou

t or s

lend

er e

long

atio

n of

thei

r hea

ds.

Gra

nary

wee

vil:

Abo

ut 1

/8 in

ch lo

ng, s

hiny

da

rk b

row

n or

bla

ck;

top

cent

ral a

rea

of it

s th

orax

is c

over

ed w

ith e

long

ated

dep

ress

ions

or

pun

ctur

es; a

dults

do

not fl

y.Ri

ce w

eevi

l: Sl

ight

ly s

mal

ler;

redd

ish

brow

n to

bla

ck;

top-

cent

ral a

rea

of th

e th

orax

co

vere

d w

ith ro

und

punc

ture

s; fo

ur re

ddis

h or

yel

low

ish

spot

s on

its

elyt

ra; a

goo

d fly

er

Fem

ales

lay

appr

oxim

atel

y 20

0 to

300

egg

s du

ring

thei

r liv

es. (

Rice

wee

vils

pro

duce

mor

e eg

gs th

an g

rana

ry w

eevi

ls.)

Lar

vae

of b

oth

spec

ies

pass

thro

ugh

four

larv

al in

star

s ov

er

a pe

riod

of th

ree

to fi

ve w

eeks

and

usu

ally

ha

ve fo

ur g

ener

atio

ns p

er y

ear.

Adul

ts o

f th

e gr

anar

y w

eevi

l liv

e fr

om s

even

to e

ight

m

onth

s w

hen

food

is a

bund

ant.

Adu

lts o

f th

e ric

e w

eevi

l liv

e th

ree

to s

ix m

onth

s.

Both

bor

e ho

les

into

gra

in k

erne

ls to

de

posi

t the

ir eg

gs. L

arva

e fe

ed a

nd

pupa

te in

side

ker

nels

and

als

o fe

ed o

n ca

ked

flour

and

tigh

tly c

ompr

esse

d ce

real

s. G

rana

ry w

eevi

ls n

ever

fora

ge in

th

e w

ild fo

r foo

d. R

ice

wee

vils

fly

to fi

elds

an

d in

fest

gra

ins

such

as

corn

, ric

e an

d w

heat

. Aft

er h

arve

st, i

nfes

ted

grai

n m

ixed

w

ith c

lean

gra

in c

ause

s w

ides

prea

d co

ntam

inat

ion

durin

g st

orag

e. B

oth

are

serio

us g

rain

pes

ts.


Tabl

e 4.

Iden

tific

atio

n ch

arac

teri

stic

s of

com

mon

sto

red

prod

uct p

ests

. (D

o no

t inc

lude

alm

ond

mot

h).

Pest

Iden

tific

atio

n ch

arac

teri

stic

sBe

havi

or/L

ife c

ycle

Food

Bean

Wee

vil

Acan

thos

celid

es o

btec

tus

Adu

lt S

ize:

Abo

ut 1

/2 in

ch lo

ngA

dult

Sha

pe a

nd C

olor

: Lig

ht o

live

brow

n w

ith d

arke

r bro

wn

and

gray

mar

king

s an

d re

ddis

h le

gs.

Adu

lt C

hara

cter

s: N

ot w

eevi

ls b

ut b

elon

g to

th

e se

ed b

eetle

fam

ily B

ruch

idae

.

Fem

ales

lay

abou

t 75

eggs

dur

ing

thei

r lif

etim

e; th

ese

are

depo

site

d si

ngly

on

or

near

hos

t see

ds a

nd h

atch

aft

er fi

ve to

20

days

. Lar

vae

feed

for f

our t

o si

x w

eeks

bef

ore

pupa

ting.

Lar

vae

bore

into

see

ds w

here

th

ey fe

ed a

nd p

upat

e. A

fter

pup

atio

n, a

dults

bo

re a

n em

erge

nce

hole

in th

e se

ed. O

ften

m

ore

than

one

larv

a in

fest

a s

ingl

e se

ed.

Adul

ts h

iber

nate

dur

ing

the

win

ter,

but i

f te

mpe

ratu

res

rise,

they

em

erge

and

fem

ales

be

gin

egg

layi

ng a

gain

.

Eggs

are

laid

on

pods

of l

egum

es s

uch

as b

eans

, pea

s an

d le

ntils

in th

e fie

ld o

r on

the

surf

ace

of s

tore

d le

gum

es. G

rain

s, ce

real

s an

d ot

her s

tore

d fo

od p

rodu

cts

are

not i

nfes

ted

by b

ean

wee

vils

. In

fest

atio

n of

sto

red

legu

mes

can

eas

ily

occu

r fro

m h

arve

sted

pro

duct

s be

ing

brou

ght i

n fr

om th

e fie

ld.

Ciga

rett

e Be

etle

La

siod

erm

a se

rric

orne

A

dult

Siz

e: A

bout

1/8

inch

long

A

dult

sha

pe a

nd C

olor

: Red

dish

yel

low

to

brow

nish

red

Adu

lt C

hara

cter

s: In

pow

derp

ost b

eetle

fa

mily

cal

led

Ano

biid

ae. H

ead

is b

elow

pr

otho

rax

and

cann

ot b

e se

en w

hen

view

ed

from

abo

ve.

Ciga

rett

e be

etle

: saw

-like

ant

enna

e; s

hiny

el

ytra

; di

stin

ct h

umpe

d ap

pear

ance

Ciga

rett

e be

etle

: Fe

mal

es p

rodu

ce a

bout

30

egg

s ov

er a

thre

e-w

eek

perio

d; th

ese

usua

lly h

atch

with

in o

ne w

eek.

Lar

vae

are

curv

ed, p

lum

p an

d ha

iry; t

hey

are

yello

wis

h w

ith a

ligh

t bro

wn

head

. The

larv

al s

tage

la

sts

from

five

to te

n w

eeks

and

thre

e to

six

br

oods

are

pro

duce

d in

a y

ear.

Ciga

rett

e be

etle

: Sto

red

food

suc

h as

to

bacc

o, ri

ce, r

aisi

ns, g

rain

s, pe

pper

and

m

any

othe

r sto

red

prod

ucts

.

Dru

gsto

re B

eetl

e St

egob

ium

pan

iceu

mD

rugs

tore

bee

tle:

ant

enna

e ha

ve a

3-

segm

ente

d cl

ub; e

lytr

a w

ith lo

ngitu

dina

l st

riatio

ns, o

r rid

ges;

app

eara

nce

less

hum

ped

Dru

gsto

re b

eetl

e: D

rugs

tore

bee

tles

usua

lly

have

one

to fo

ur g

ener

atio

ns p

er y

ear.

They

co

mpl

ete

a lif

e cy

cle

in a

bout

two

mon

ths.

They

can

sur

vive

on

item

s w

ith lo

w fo

od

valu

e be

caus

e of

yea

st-li

ke o

rgan

ism

s in

th

eir d

iges

tive

syst

ems

that

pro

duce

som

e es

sent

ial v

itam

ins.

Dru

gsto

re b

eetl

e: E

very

type

of s

tore

d pr

oduc

t as

wel

l as

spic

es, d

rugs

, boo

ks

and

woo

d.


Tabl

e 5.

Iden

tific

atio

n an

d m

anag

emen

t of o

ccas

iona

l inv

ader

s.

Pest

Iden

tific

atio

n ch

arac

teri

stic

sD

amag

e/Be

havi

or/L

ife c

ycle

Man

agem

ent

Fore

ign

grai

n be

etle

Ah

asve

rus a

dven

aSi

ze: s

mal

l (1/

12 in

ch)

Colo

r: a

dult

redd

ish-

brow

nA

dult

Cha

ract

ers:

pro

ject

ing

roun

ded

lobe

on

the

fron

t cor

ners

of t

he p

rono

tum

From

mid

-Jul

y th

roug

h Se

ptem

ber,

the

adul

t fem

ale

is a

ttra

cted

to p

oorly

-sea

sone

d lu

mbe

r or w

et p

last

er a

nd w

all b

oard

th

at s

uppo

rts

fung

al g

row

th. F

orei

gn

grai

n be

etle

s ca

n al

so b

e as

soci

ated

with

pl

umbi

ng le

aks,

cond

ensa

tion

prob

lem

s, or

poo

r ven

tilat

ion.

Egg

s ar

e la

id o

n th

ese

mat

eria

ls a

s th

e ho

use

is b

eing

bui

lt an

d la

rvae

feed

on

the

mol

ds. I

n th

e la

te s

umm

er,

adul

ts b

ecom

e ob

viou

s w

hen

they

em

erge

fr

om th

e w

all v

oids

and

are

att

ract

ed to

lig

hts.

Elim

inat

e w

et w

ood

and

the

moi

stur

e so

urce

. Ad

d ve

ntila

tion

such

as

air c

ondi

tione

rs o

r fa

ns. H

omes

will

dry

out

nat

ural

ly in

1-4

yea

rs.

Vacu

um o

r use

pyr

ethr

in s

pray

s w

ith v

acuu

min

g to

kill

and

rem

ove

the

adul

ts. A

resi

dual

aer

osol

or

dus

t can

then

be

inje

cted

int

o cr

acks

an

d cr

evic

es a

long

bas

eboa

rds

and

into

the

wal

l voi

ds. B

eetle

s m

ay s

till e

mer

ge fr

om th

e ba

sebo

ards

and

die

on

the

floor

.

Hou

se c

rick

etAc

heta

dom

estic

usH

ouse

Cri

cket

Size

:1/2

and

3/4

inch

.Co

lor:

ligh

t yel

low

ish

brow

n, w

ith th

ree

dark

ba

nds

on th

e he

ad, o

r sol

id s

hiny

bla

ck.

Cric

kets

dam

age

fabr

ics

or o

ther

mat

eria

ls.

Occ

asio

nally

inva

de a

str

uctu

re in

larg

e nu

mbe

rs. A

ttra

cted

to li

ghts

aro

und

a bu

ildin

g at

nig

ht. B

esid

es d

amag

e, th

ey c

hirp

w

hich

may

bec

ome

anno

ying

to b

uild

ing

inha

bita

nts.

Excl

usio

n: S

anita

tion

and

excl

usio

n ar

e ve

ry

impo

rtan

t in

the

cont

rol p

roce

ss. I

nsta

ll ve

nts

with

scr

eens

and

vap

or b

arrie

rs a

nd/o

r fre

nch

drai

ns in

the

craw

lspa

ce. R

educ

e or

elim

inat

e m

oist

har

bora

ge a

roun

d th

e st

ruct

ure.

Rem

ove

wee

ds a

nd p

iles

of w

ood,

bric

ks, l

eave

s, an

d ot

her d

ebris

. Sea

l cra

cks

and

gaps

in

foun

datio

ns, s

idin

g, o

r aro

und

win

dow

s an

d do

ors.

Pla

ce g

lue

boar

ds n

ear e

ntry

poi

nts

to tr

ap a

nd d

etec

t cric

kets

. Vac

uum

s ar

e al

so

effec

tive

in re

mov

ing

this

pes

t. Re

mov

e de

ad

cric

kets

to p

reve

nt th

e bu

ild u

p of

car

pet

beet

les

and

odor

s.U

se in

sect

icid

es if

san

itatio

n an

d ex

clus

ion

resu

lts a

re n

ot q

uick

eno

ugh.

App

ly b

aits

in

door

s to

cra

cks

and

crev

ices

, wal

l voi

ds,

unfin

ishe

d at

tics

and

craw

lspa

ces

with

in

build

ings

. Spr

ays

entr

y po

ints

. Dus

ts c

an b

e bl

own

into

inac

cess

ible

are

as.

Cam

el c

rick

etCe

utho

philu

s spp

.Ca

mel

cri

cket

Size

: may

be

grea

ter t

han

one

inch

, hu

mpb

acke

d, v

ery

larg

e hi

nd le

gs a

nd lo

ng

ante

nnae

.Co

lor:

bro

wni

sh, w

ingl

ess

Beha

vior

: hig

h ju

mpi

ng a

bilit

y, u

psid

e do

wn

rest

ing

stat

e, n

o so

und

prod

uced

, gre

y fe

ces

may

pile

on

the

grou

nd b

elow

them

.

Nui

sanc

e in

bui

ldin

gs, b

ut h

ave

eate

n ho

les

in la

ce c

urta

ins

and

clot

hes

hung

to d

ry.

Activ

e at

nig

ht a

nd a

re a

ttra

cted

to c

ool,

dam

p si

tuat

ions

foun

d in

she

ds, u

nder

co

ncre

te p

ads

or a

ir-co

nditi

onin

g un

its, i

n w

ells

, bas

emen

ts, c

raw

lspa

ces,

utili

ty ro

oms

and

gara

ges

and

othe

r are

as w

here

moi

stur

e ac

cum

ulat

es. H

ot a

nd d

ry w

eath

er m

ay

caus

e th

e cr

icke

ts to

mov

e in

door

s in

sea

rch

of m

oist

ure.


Tabl

e 5.

Iden

tific

atio

n an

d m

anag

emen

t of o

ccas

iona

l inv

ader

s.

Pest

Iden

tific

atio

n ch

arac

teri

stic

sD

amag

e/Be

havi

or/L

ife c

ycle

Man

agem

ent

Silv

erfis

h, fi

re b

rats

and

bris

tlet

ails

Size

: 1/3

to 3

/4 in

ch lo

ngCo

lor:

silv

er, o

r lig

ht to

dar

k gr

ay, s

omet

imes

m

ottle

d gr

ay. A

dult

Char

acte

rs: w

ider

at

the

fron

t end

than

the

rear

. Win

gles

s in

sect

s co

vere

d w

ith s

cale

s; tw

o lo

ng,

slen

der a

nten

nae

and

thre

e lo

ng, t

ail-l

ike

appe

ndag

es o

n th

e re

ar. T

he fi

rebr

at=s

an

tenn

ae e

xcee

d th

e en

d of

the

abdo

men

. Yo

ung

rese

mbl

e th

e ad

ults

.

Silv

erfis

h an

d fir

ebra

ts e

at a

wid

e va

riety

of

food

, inc

ludi

ng g

lue,

wal

lpap

er p

aste

, bo

okbi

ndin

gs, p

aper

, sta

rch

in c

loth

ing,

ra

yon

fabr

ic, w

heat

flou

r, ce

real

s, dr

ied

mea

ts

and

dead

inse

cts.

They

are

act

ive

at n

ight

an

d of

ten

foun

d tr

appe

d in

a b

atht

ub, s

ink

or w

ash

basi

n. S

ilver

fish

live

and

deve

lop

in d

ark,

coo

l pla

ces

and

fireb

rats

live

in h

ot,

dark

pla

ces

(nea

r fur

nace

s, fir

epla

ces

or

insu

latio

n ar

ound

hot

pip

es).

They

can

live

w

ithou

t foo

d fo

r man

y m

onth

s.

Sani

tatio

n is

impo

rtan

t but

not

ent

irely

effe

ctiv

e in

redu

cing

pop

ulat

ions

. Rem

ove

old

stac

ks

of n

ewsp

aper

s, m

agaz

ines

, pap

er, b

ooks

and

fa

bric

s st

ored

for l

ong

perio

ds o

f tim

e, a

s w

ell

as s

pille

d fo

od. R

educ

ing

avai

labl

e w

ater

and

lo

wer

ing

rela

tive

hum

idity

with

deh

umid

ifier

s an

d fa

ns m

ay h

elp.

Lig

htin

g a

dark

, she

ltere

d ar

ea m

ay fo

rce

thes

e in

sect

s to

mov

e to

new

si

tes

whe

re th

ey c

an b

e co

ntro

lled

mor

e ea

sily

. In

spec

t foo

d, fu

rnitu

re, o

ld b

ooks

, pap

ers

and

clot

hing

whe

n br

ough

t int

o th

e st

ruct

ure.

Inse

ctic

ide

form

ulat

ions

suc

h as

dus

ts, b

aits

or

spr

ays

shou

ld b

e ap

plie

d th

orou

ghly

to a

ll po

tent

ial h

idin

g pl

aces

suc

h as

cra

cks,

crev

ices

, ar

ound

floo

r mol

ding

, aro

und

stea

m a

nd w

ater

pi

pes,

in a

nd b

ehin

d se

ldom

-mov

ed fu

rnitu

re,

unde

r bat

hroo

m fi

xtur

es a

nd e

ven

in a

ttic

s. It

may

be

nece

ssar

y to

dril

l sm

all h

oles

in th

e w

alls

to

trea

t lar

ge p

opul

atio

ns.

Psoc

ids

or b

ookl

ice

Size

: mos

t are

less

than

1/8

inch

long

. Co

lor:

col

orle

ss, g

ray

to li

ght b

row

nA

dult

Cha

ract

ers:

sm

all s

oft-

bodi

ed in

sect

s;

mos

t ind

oor s

peci

es a

re w

ingl

ess.

Psoc

ids

have

che

win

g m

outh

part

s.

Psoc

ids

feed

on

mol

ds, f

ungi

, cer

eals

, pol

len,

fr

agm

ents

of d

ead

inse

cts

or o

ther

sim

ilar

mat

eria

ls. T

hey

caus

e lit

tle lo

ss o

f foo

d be

caus

e th

ey fe

ed c

hiefl

y on

mol

d. A

t tim

es

they

may

bec

ome

extr

emel

y ab

unda

nt a

nd

spre

ad th

roug

h an

ent

ire b

uild

ing.

In s

uch

situ

atio

ns th

ey m

ay c

onta

min

ate

food

s an

d m

ater

ials

to th

e po

int t

he g

oods

mus

t be

disc

arde

d. D

amag

e to

boo

ks m

ay b

e m

ore

dire

ct b

ecau

se b

ookl

ice

eat t

he s

tarc

h si

zing

in

the

bind

ings

and

alo

ng th

e pa

ge e

dges

.

Moi

stur

e re

duct

ion,

to e

limin

ate

mol

d fo

rmat

ion,

is

a v

ery

effec

tive

met

hod

for b

ookl

ice

cont

rol.

Infe

sted

furn

iture

, bed

ding

or o

ther

mov

able

fu

rnis

hing

s sh

ould

be

thor

ough

ly c

lean

ed a

nd

aire

d. C

lean

up

spill

ed fo

od p

rodu

cts

and

keep

al

l sto

red

prod

ucts

tigh

tly s

eale

d. If

requ

ired,

ap

ply

a sp

ot tr

eatm

ent o

f res

idua

l ins

ectic

ide.

Ae

roso

l app

licat

ions

redu

ce n

umbe

rs b

ut w

ill

not p

rovi

de lo

ng-t

erm

redu

ctio

ns. N

on-r

esid

ual

spac

e sp

rays

may

cau

se b

ookl

ice

to d

ispe

rse

thro

ugh

build

ings

.

Spri

ngta

ils

Size

: ext

rem

ely

smal

l, 0.

04 to

0.0

8 in

ch (1

- 2

mm

)Co

lor:

whi

te o

r gra

y.

Adu

lt C

hara

cter

s: T

hey

have

a fo

rked

ap

pend

age

to th

e re

ar a

nd b

otto

m o

f the

ab

dom

en. T

his

appe

ndag

e, u

sed

as a

leve

r, al

low

s th

ese

inse

cts

to ju

mp

or s

prin

g in

to

the

air,

whi

ch is

how

the

inse

cts

got t

heir

nam

e.

Com

mon

out

side

soi

l ins

ects

that

bec

ome

prob

lem

s in

hom

es a

nd o

ther

str

uctu

res

whe

n th

ey in

vade

in e

norm

ous

num

bers

. Th

ere

may

be

as m

any

as 5

0,00

0 sp

ringt

ails

pe

r cub

ic fo

ot o

f for

est l

itter

. The

y ca

n al

so b

e in

door

s in

pot

ted

plan

ts a

nd d

ecay

ing

bulb

s.

They

infe

st b

uild

ings

that

hav

e co

nsta

nt h

igh

hum

idity

. Thi

s is

usu

ally

in th

e ba

sem

ent,

but

may

be

in o

ther

are

as w

ith w

ater

leak

s. A

s a

resu

lt, th

e be

st m

etho

d of

con

trol

is to

sto

p th

e le

ak o

r dec

reas

e th

e hu

mid

ity. F

ans

may

be

used

to

dry

out

wet

are

as q

uick

ly.

Sprin

gtai

ls o

ften

bre

ed in

moi

st c

ondi

tions

ou

tdoo

rs a

nd m

ay e

nter

hom

es o

r oth

er

stru

ctur

es u

nder

doo

rs w

hen

attr

acte

d to

ligh

t an

d m

oist

ure.

The

y ar

e pa

rtic

ular

pro

blem

in

new

ly b

uilt

build

ings

with

wet

mat

eria

ls. D

ry

outd

oor e

nviro

nmen

t, se

al e

ntry

poi

nts

and

appl

y pe

stic

ides

to e

ntry

poi

nts.


Tabl

e 5.

Iden

tific

atio

n an

d m

anag

emen

t of o

ccas

iona

l inv

ader

s.

Pest

Iden

tific

atio

n ch

arac

teri

stic

sD

amag

e/Be

havi

or/L

ife c

ycle

Man

agem

ent

Earw

igs

Size

: 2 to

1 in

ch lo

ng C

olor

: usu

ally

dar

k br

own

Adu

lt C

hara

cter

s: a

pai

r of p

ince

rlike

ap

pend

ages

at t

he ti

p of

the

abdo

men

; be

etle

-like

, sho

rt-w

inge

d, fa

st m

ovin

g in

sect

s. Th

e na

me

earw

ig is

der

ived

from

an

old

sup

erst

ition

that

thes

e in

sect

s en

ter

peop

les=

ear

s.

Earw

igs

are

activ

e at

nig

ht. T

hey

usua

lly h

ide

in c

rack

s, cr

evic

es, u

nder

bar

k or

in s

imila

r pl

aces

dur

ing

the

day.

The

y ar

e us

ually

sc

aven

gers

in th

eir f

eedi

ng h

abits

, but

oc

casi

onal

ly fe

ed o

n pl

ants

.Th

ey a

re u

sual

ly o

utsi

de u

nles

s po

pula

tions

ar

e la

rge

or o

ther

con

ditio

ns a

re a

dver

se.

Hea

vily

that

ched

law

ns o

r mul

ched

flow

er

beds

are

am

ong

thei

r pre

ferr

ed d

aytim

e ha

bita

ts. A

t nig

ht th

ey c

olle

ct in

larg

e nu

mbe

rs a

roun

d st

reet

ligh

ts, n

eon

light

s, lig

hted

win

dow

s or

sim

ilar l

ocat

ions

whe

re

they

sea

rch

for f

ood.

Fav

orite

food

s in

clud

e ar

myw

orm

s, ap

hids

, mite

s, an

d sc

ales

. The

y w

ill a

lso

fora

ge o

n fo

od s

crap

s or

dea

d in

sect

s.

Vacu

um e

arw

igs

in h

ome.

Elim

inat

e da

mp,

moi

st

cond

ition

s in

cra

wl s

pace

s un

der h

ouse

s, ar

ound

fa

ucet

s, ar

ound

air-

cond

ition

ing

units

and

alo

ng

hous

e fo

unda

tions

. Ear

wig

s ar

e di

fficu

lt to

co

ntro

l with

che

mic

als.

App

ly b

arrie

r tre

atm

ent

of r

esid

ual i

nsec

ticid

es la

te in

the

afte

rnoo

n or

ear

ly e

veni

ng b

ecau

se e

arw

igs

are

activ

e at

ni

ght.

Sow

bugs

and

Pill

bugs

Size

: abo

ut 2

inch

in le

ngth

Co

lor:

sla

te-g

ray

Adu

lt C

hara

cter

s: c

omm

on c

rust

acea

ns th

at

are

win

gles

s, ov

al o

r slig

htly

elo

ngat

ed w

ith

body

seg

men

ts a

ppea

ring

as a

rmor

ed p

late

s. So

wbu

gs: h

ave

two

taill

ike

appe

ndag

es,

pillb

ugs

or ro

ly-p

olie

s do

n=t,

but c

an ro

ll in

to

a tig

ht b

all.

They

requ

ire h

igh

moi

stur

e an

d ar

e m

ost

activ

e at

nig

ht. W

hen

rest

ing

durin

g th

e da

y,

they

may

be

foun

d un

der t

rash

, roc

ks, b

oard

s an

d de

cayi

ng v

eget

atio

n or

just

ben

eath

the

soil

surf

ace.

Mul

ches

, gra

ss c

lippi

ngs

and

leaf

litt

er o

ften

pro

vide

the

deca

ying

org

anic

m

atte

r the

se b

ugs

need

to s

urvi

ve.

Sow

bugs

and

pill

bugs

cau

se n

o da

mag

e in

side

th

e ho

me.

Mec

hani

cal c

ontr

ol m

ay b

e ad

equa

te

indo

ors.

Seal

ent

ry p

oint

s in

to s

truc

ture

. Rem

ove

pile

s of

leav

es, g

rass

clip

ping

s, fa

llen

frui

t ,

boxe

s or

boa

rds

and

othe

r deb

ris fr

om n

ear

the

stru

ctur

e. If

nec

essa

ry, t

reat

out

door

nea

r fo

unda

tions

wal

ls, a

roun

d st

eps

or d

amp

area

s su

rrou

ndin

g th

e st

ruct

ure.

Cra

cks

betw

een

side

wal

ks a

nd fo

unda

tion

requ

ire th

orou

gh

trea

tmen

t. G

ranu

les

or d

usts

are

als

o us

eful

for

trea

ting

arou

nd fo

unda

tions

and

cra

wl s

pace

s.

Cent

iped

es

Size

: var

y in

leng

th fr

om 1

to 6

inch

esCo

lor:

bro

wni

shA

dult

Cha

ract

ers:

flat

tene

d an

imal

s w

ith

man

y bo

dy s

egm

ents

; mos

t bod

y se

gmen

ts

have

one

pai

r of l

egs;

are

fast

runn

ers

and

have

one

pai

r of a

nten

nae

that

are

eas

ily

seen

.

Cent

iped

es a

nd m

illip

edes

are

com

mon

ly

seen

in y

ards

and

occ

asio

nally

ent

er h

omes

. N

eith

er c

entip

edes

nor

mill

iped

es d

amag

e fu

rnis

hing

s, ho

me

or fo

od. C

entip

ede

have

po

orly

dev

elop

ed e

yes

and

are

mos

t act

ive

at n

ight

. The

y ar

e ac

tive

pred

ator

s an

d fe

ed

mai

nly

on in

sect

s an

d sp

ider

s. A

ll ce

ntip

edes

ha

ve v

enom

gla

nds

to im

mob

ilize

thei

r pre

y.Ce

ntip

edes

are

usu

ally

ass

ocia

ted

with

da

mp,

dar

k pl

aces

suc

h as

und

er s

tone

s, le

af li

tter

, log

s, ba

rk o

r soi

l cre

vice

s. In

door

s th

ey m

ay b

e fo

und

in c

lose

ts a

nd b

athr

oom

s w

here

ther

e is

hig

h hu

mid

ity.

Caul

king

can

als

o be

per

form

ed a

long

with

ot

her e

xclu

sion

pra

ctic

es to

pre

vent

ent

ry in

to

the

stru

ctur

e. C

ontr

ol in

sect

s on

whi

ch th

ey

feed

. Re

mov

e ce

ntip

edes

with

a v

acuu

m.

Spot

tr

eatm

ents

of r

esid

ual i

nsec

ticid

es to

infe

sted

ar

eas

aids

in c

ontr

ol.


Tabl

e 5.

Iden

tific

atio

n an

d m

anag

emen

t of o

ccas

iona

l inv

ader

s.

Pest

Iden

tific

atio

n ch

arac

teri

stic

sD

amag

e/Be

havi

or/L

ife c

ycle

Man

agem

ent

Mill

iped

es o

r tho

usan

d-

legg

ers

Adu

lt C

hara

cter

s: w

orm

like,

cyl

indr

ical

an

imal

s w

ith m

any

body

seg

men

ts. M

ost

of th

eir b

ody

segm

ents

bea

r tw

o pa

irs o

f le

gs. M

illip

edes

tend

to c

oil u

p tig

htly

whe

n di

stur

bed

and

som

e sp

ecie

s ca

n se

cret

e fo

ul-

smel

ling

fluid

.

Mill

iped

es fe

ed o

n de

cayi

ng v

eget

able

m

atte

r and

are

oft

en fo

und

unde

r sto

nes,

flow

er p

ots,

boar

ds o

r sim

ilar d

ebris

whe

re

ther

e is

abu

ndan

t moi

stur

e. O

ccas

iona

lly

afte

r rai

ns o

r dur

ing

cold

wea

ther

, lar

ge

num

bers

of m

illip

edes

may

mig

rate

into

bu

ildin

gs. T

hey

can

clim

b fo

unda

tion

wal

ls a

nd e

nter

hou

ses

thro

ugh

any

smal

l op

enin

g. T

hese

pes

ts a

re g

ener

ally

mor

e tr

oubl

esom

e in

woo

ded

or n

ewly

dev

elop

ed

area

s w

here

dec

ayin

g ve

geta

tion

prov

ides

ex

celle

nt fo

od a

nd b

reed

ing

cond

ition

s.

Mill

iped

es a

s w

ith o

ther

pes

ts w

ith h

igh

moi

stur

e re

quire

men

ts s

houl

d di

e in

door

s af

ter

seve

ral d

ays.

Caul

king

can

als

o be

per

form

ed

alon

g w

ith o

ther

exc

lusi

on p

ract

ices

to p

reve

nt

entr

y in

to th

e st

ruct

ure.

Red

uce

moi

stur

e le

vels

in

law

n an

d ar

eas

surr

ound

ing

the

stru

ctur

e.

Det

hatc

h th

e la

wn

and

clos

ely

mow

the

law

n.

Rem

ove

mul

ch a

nd d

ecay

ing

mat

ter f

rom

the

near

the

foun

datio

n. W

ater

pla

nts

in m

orni

ng

so s

oil d

ries

out i

n be

twee

n w

ater

ing.

Com

post

pi

les

shou

ld b

e m

oved

aw

ay fr

om th

e st

ruct

ure

beca

use

they

pro

vide

food

and

hab

itat.

Indo

or c

hem

ical

trea

tmen

t will

elim

inat

e on

ly

the

cent

iped

es o

r mill

iped

es a

lread

y in

side

. Spo

t tr

eatm

ents

of r

esid

ual i

nsec

ticid

es to

infe

sted

ar

eas

aids

in c

ontr

ol. R

emov

e in

divi

dual

s w

ith a

va

cuum

.

Mul

tico

lore

d A

sian

Lad

y Be

etle

Har

mon

ia a

xyrid

is

Adu

lt C

hara

cter

s: o

rang

e-re

d be

etle

s w

ith

0 to

19

squa

re-s

hape

d do

ts o

n el

ytra

, bla

ck

spot

s th

at fo

rma

an A

m@

or A

w@

on

the

pron

otum

.

Bene

ficia

l ins

ect t

hat f

eeds

on

aphi

ds.

In th

e fa

ll, in

vade

hom

es in

sea

rch

of a

pro

tect

ed

over

-win

terin

g si

te.

By S

epte

mbe

r, pe

rfor

m th

e fo

llow

ing

excl

usio

n pr

actic

es to

sea

l gap

s >

1/8

inch

.Ca

ulk

arou

nd w

indo

w fr

ames

; fit d

oors

, in

clud

ing

gara

ge d

oors

, with

sw

eeps

if n

eede

d;

use

foam

wea

ther

strip

ping

in th

e tr

acks

bel

ow

slid

ing

glas

s do

ors;

sea

l ope

ning

s fo

unda

tion

pene

trat

ions

suc

h as

out

door

fauc

ets,

gas

met

ers,

drye

r ven

ts, w

ires,

pipe

s; a

nd s

cree

n at

tic a

nd c

raw

lspa

ce v

ents

. Pyr

ethr

oids

can

be

app

lied

to p

oten

tial o

utdo

or e

ntry

poi

nts

befo

re b

eetle

s ar

rive.

Onc

e be

etle

s in

vade

, use

a

vacu

um o

r glu

e bo

ards

to re

mov

e fr

om th

e in

terio

r. In

door

trap

s ha

ve h

ad v

aria

ble

resu

lts

ofte

n du

e to

com

petit

ion

with

nat

ural

ligh

t so

urce

s.

Scor

pion

Adu

lt C

hara

cter

s: fl

atte

ned,

cra

b-lik

e an

imal

s ha

ving

10

legs

and

a fl

eshy

tail,

en

ding

in a

n en

larg

ed, u

ptur

ned

tip w

hich

be

ars

a st

inge

r.

Scor

pion

s ar

e m

ost a

ctiv

e at

nig

ht a

nd

feed

on

inse

cts,

spid

ers

and

sim

ilar s

mal

l an

imal

life

. Sc

orpi

ons

will

stin

g, b

ut u

sual

ly

whe

n pr

ovok

ed o

r dis

turb

ed. T

enne

ssee

sc

orpi

ons=

neu

roto

xins

are

usu

ally

in

suffi

cien

t to

prov

e fa

tal t

o an

adu

lt;

how

ever

, the

sig

ht o

f the

stin

g m

ay b

e so

re

and

swol

len

for s

ome

time.

Pest

pro

of to

den

y pe

st a

cces

s to

the

stru

ctur

e.

Rem

ove

outd

oor h

arbo

rage

site

s in

clud

ing

stac

ks o

f woo

d, b

rick,

blo

ck, e

tc.

Scor

pion

s al

so

shel

ter u

nder

railr

oad

ties,

rock

s, m

ulch

and

m

ore.

Sco

rpio

ns w

ill fl

uore

sce

unde

r a b

lack

lig

ht, s

o th

ey a

nd th

eir b

reed

ing

area

s ca

n be

se

en a

t nig

ht. M

echa

nica

lly d

estr

oy s

corp

ions

as

they

are

foun

d. T

reat

hid

ing

and

bree

ding

are

as

with

resi

dual

spr

ays

or d

usts

. U

se g

lue

boar

ds to

tr

ap s

corp

ions

and

loca

te in

fest

ed a

reas

.


Tabl

e 5.

Iden

tific

atio

n an

d m

anag

emen

t of o

ccas

iona

l inv

ader

s.

Pest

Iden

tific

atio

n ch

arac

teri

stic

sD

amag

e/Be

havi

or/L

ife c

ycle

Man

agem

ent

Boxe

lder

bug

Lept

ocor

is tr

ivitt

atus

(Say

)

Boxe

lder

: Adu

lts a

re fl

at, a

bout

2 in

ch lo

ng,

1/3

inch

wid

e an

d da

rk b

row

nish

-bla

ck

with

thre

e le

ngth

wis

e re

d st

ripes

on

the

pron

otum

. The

re a

re re

d ve

ins

in th

e w

ings

; th

e ab

dom

en is

brig

ht re

d un

der t

he w

ings

. N

ymph

s ar

e sm

alle

r, w

ingl

ess

and

brig

ht re

d.

Adul

t and

larg

e ny

mph

box

elde

r bug

s co

ngre

gate

in la

rge

num

bers

, prim

arily

on

the

bark

of b

oxel

der t

rees

, and

then

beg

in

mig

ratin

g to

a p

lace

for o

ver w

inte

ring.

O

nly

adul

ts o

verw

inte

r and

see

k cr

acks

an

d cr

evic

es in

wal

ls, i

n do

or a

nd w

indo

w

casi

ngs,

arou

nd fo

unda

tions

, in

ston

e pi

les,

in tr

ee h

oles

and

in o

ther

pro

tect

ed p

lace

s.

On

war

m d

ays

durin

g w

inte

r and

ear

ly

sprin

g, th

ey m

ay a

ppea

r on

light

pai

nted

su

rfac

es o

utdo

ors

on th

e so

uth

and

wes

t si

des

of th

e ho

use,

rest

ing

in th

e su

n.Bo

xeld

er b

ugs

feed

prim

arily

on

the

seed

-bea

ring

boxe

lder

tree

s by

suc

king

sa

p fr

om th

e le

aves

, ten

der t

wig

s an

d de

velo

ping

see

ds. O

ccas

iona

lly, t

hey

have

be

en o

bser

ved

feed

ing

on o

ther

pla

nts

(see

SP3

41H

for a

com

plet

e lis

t); h

owev

er,

boxe

lder

bug

s se

ldom

dev

elop

in la

rge

enou

gh n

umbe

rs to

bec

ome

a nu

isan

ce

unle

ss a

ble

to fe

ed o

n po

d-be

arin

g bo

xeld

er

tree

s.

Out

door

s: H

ost r

emov

alBe

caus

e bo

xeld

er b

ugs

bree

d on

ly o

n fe

mal

e bo

xeld

er tr

ees,

rem

oval

of t

hese

tree

s m

ay

redu

ce n

uisa

nce

popu

latio

ns.

Out

door

s: E

xclu

sion

and

San

itat

ion

Be s

ure

to re

pair

and

clos

e op

enin

gs w

here

bo

xeld

er b

ugs

can

ente

r the

hou

se b

efor

e bu

gs

star

t mov

ing

off th

eir h

ost i

n th

e fa

ll.O

utdo

ors:

Rem

ovin

g Bu

gs b

y Va

cuum

ing

A w

et/d

ry v

acuu

m c

lean

er w

ith a

soa

py w

ater

m

ixtu

re (o

ne te

aspo

on o

f a li

quid

hou

seho

ld

dete

rgen

t per

gal

lon

of w

ater

) can

be

used

to

rem

ove

bugs

. The

bug

s w

ill d

row

n qu

ickl

y in

the

soap

y w

ater

.O

utdo

ors:

Inse

ctic

ides

on

Tree

sIn

spec

t box

elde

r and

oth

er h

ost p

lant

s du

ring

sprin

g an

d ea

rly s

umm

er fo

r you

ng, e

xpos

ed

boxe

lder

bug

s an

d tr

eat t

o pr

even

t pot

entia

lly

larg

e po

pula

tions

and

indo

or m

igra

tions

in th

e au

tum

n.

Out

door

s: In

sect

icid

es o

n St

ruct

ures

and

O

ther

Obj

ects

A

s bo

xeld

er b

ugs

mat

ure

and

leav

e th

e tr

ees,

mas

sing

on

foun

datio

n w

alls

, sid

ewal

ks, f

ence

ro

ws,

etc.

, the

y m

ay b

e ki

lled

with

spr

ays.

Indo

ors

Use

a v

acuu

m c

lean

er to

rem

ove

bugs

indo

ors.

Red-

shou

lder

ed b

ugJa

dera

hae

mat

olom

aRe

d-sh

ould

ered

bug

: Sim

ilar t

o bo

xeld

er

bugs

, exc

ept r

ed-s

houl

dere

d bu

gs la

ck th

e ce

ntra

l red

str

ip o

n th

e pr

onot

um a

nd th

e re

d st

ripes

on

the

win

gs.

In Te

nnes

see,

red-

shou

lder

ed b

ugs

have

be

en fo

und

feed

ing

on s

eeds

of g

olde

nrai

n tr

ee, b

ut a

lso

may

suc

k ju

ices

from

frui

ts o

f ot

her t

rees

(see

SP3

41H

for a

com

plet

e lis

t).


apparently sound, although the interior may be heavily decayed. The rhizomorphs that characterize these fungi can be up to an inch in diameter and white to black, depending on their age. They can penetrate foundation walls and often are hidden between wood mem-bers. Poria incrassata normally occurs in new or remodeled houses and can cause extensive damage within 2 to 3 years.

Wood-Decay Fungi Management

The fungi can be managed by eliminating the source of moisture that allows them to grow. Improving drainage and ventilation under a house or in an attic, installing soil covers or vapor barriers, repairing water leaks or pre-venting water seepage, and eliminating contact between wood and soil are all helpful manage-ment methods. When the wood dries, the fun-gi die or become dormant. Treating the wood with chemicals, such as borates, will help to treat the symptoms of the problem, but not the cause. The source of moisture must be removed to prevent further fungal infestation. Seri-ously damaged members should be replaced. If moisture cannot be managed or wood is used in areas of ground contact or high moisture, then pressure-treated wood should be used. Borates are labeled for fungal management of wood in-service. Most often, in-place treat-ments are not used because the decay has not been detected until after significant damage to the wood has occurred.

TermitesTermites are small white or brown insects that live in colonies within soil or wood. They require wood, wood products or other forms of cellulose for food. Colonies often live in stumps and decaying logs, but are capable of invading buildings and feeding on structural wood. Subterranean termites are the most seri-ous and destructive pests of wood structures in the United States.

Before beginning a management program, the problem pest must be identified. Many people confuse winged termites with flying ants. This is because they look similar and they both swarm near structures. However, there are three physical characteristics that differen-tiate termites from flying ants: the antennae, the waists and the wings. Winged termites,

alates or swarmers, have straight antennae, thick waists and four, long, fragile wings of equal size and shape. Winged ants have elbowed antennae, a wasp-like body shape and two forewings that are larger than the two hind wings.

Three types of pest termites occur in the United States: dampwood, drywood and subterranean termites. Excellent pictorial keys have been produced that aid in identification of subterranean, drywood and dampwood termites.

Dampwood TermitesDampwood termites are not known to occur in Tennessee. In general, their distribution is limited to coastal areas of the Southern states where they infest wood saturated with water. Managing excess moisture alone may success-fully eliminate these pests.

Drywood TermitesYou will rarely find drywood termites in Ten-nessee. When you do, you can usually trace their origin to furniture or other wood im-ported into Tennessee from tropical countries or from southern regions of the United States. Drywood termites require very little mois-ture, so they live within the wood and have no connection to the soil. As they feed, they cut across the grain of wood, excavating large galleries connected by small tunnels. They produce small, cylindrical fecal pellets with six distinct depressions on the sides. These frass pellets are unique to drywood termites and are used for identification. The termites may push these pellets out of the infested wood through small holes. The homeowner often finds these pellets.

Drywood termite alates have two pair of hairless, membranous wings that are about equal in size and shape. The wings also have three or four darkened veins in the lead-ing (costal) margin of each wing. Soldiers of drywood termites either have a rectangular head, such as Kalotermes approximatus (Figure 20), or a dark, plug-shaped head, such as in Cryptotermes brevis (Figure 21). If the head is rectangular, the drywood termite’s pronotum is equal to or greater in width than the head capsule. Cryptotermes species are called pow-derpost termites because they reduce wood to a powder. They are smaller than most drywood termites.


Homeowners should confirm identification of a drywood termite infestation and seek the services of a pest management professional. Most drywood termite infestations in Tennes-see are confined to a piece of wood furniture or to a specific area like a windowsill, baseboard or floor joist. Careful inspection of used furni-ture and other wood objects brought into the home and the use of pressure-treated wood are good ways to prevent an infestation.

See Table 6. Methods of Managing Dry-wood Termites.

Subterranean Termites: Biology and IdentificationSubterranean termites of the family Rhinoter-mitidae occur throughout Tennessee and are the most common termite to infest structures. Subterranean termites have strict moisture needs and therefore nest in the soil and forage underground. They can attack any untreated wood in contact with the soil. If there is no direct wood-to-soil contact, the termites can use the soil to build tunnels within the cracks of foundations or over the outside of concrete.

Part of the termite’s moisture comes from their metabolism. The rest comes from soil moisture that diffuses throughout their tunnels or tubes. Occasionally, subterranean termite infestations are found above ground, isolated from the soil. This can occur if moisture is available from a source other than the soil. Common sources of moisture include leaky pipes, air conditioning units, condensation buildup within the walls or flat roofs that col-lect debris.

Wood is mostly made of cellulose. Few animals have the necessary body chemistry to break down cellulose into smaller, more usable nutrients. Termites can accomplish this because they have protozoa in their hindgut, which is part of their intestinal system. These protozoa break down the cellulose into prod-ucts that the termites can digest. If the proto-zoa are removed, the termites will eventually die of starvation.

The most important and most prevalent subterranean termite in Tennessee is the eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes fla-vipes. This species is common throughout the southeastern United States. Two less common subterranean termites in Tennessee are the southeastern subterranean termite, Reticuli-

Figure 21.

Dark, Plug-Shaped Head of the Powderpost Termite

Figure 20.

Rectangular-Shaped Head of a Drywood Termite

Figure 22.

Comparison of the Three Subterranean Termite Alates. From Left to Right: The Eastern Subterranean Termite, The Southeastern Subter-ranean Termite and The Light Southeastern Subterranean Termite


termes virginicus and the light southeastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes hageni (Figure 22).

Colony StructureSubterranean termites live in colonies below ground. The subterranean termite colony contains specialized groups of termites called castes. Each caste performs certain jobs or functions. Three castes of subterranean ter-mites are: worker, soldier and reproductive.

WorkersWorker termites are creamy-white, wing-less and eyeless insects. They are by far the most numerous in the colony. Their primary function is to perform the actual work of the colony: forage for food; maintain galleries within the wood; tend the young; and groom

and feed the king, queen and soldier termites. Termite workers are the caste most commonly seen in infested wood. Because of their small size and large numbers, they are sometimes misnamed white ants.

The workers maintain shelter tubes of mud and fecal material when foraging above ground. They close any breaks in infested wood with the same material. The mud tubes also serve as a protective barrier against their natural enemies, especially ants. These sterile termites spend their 3- to 5-year life spans contributing their work only to the colony.

SoldiersTermite soldiers are easy to identify because they are wingless, have greatly enlarged gold-en-brown heads and sword-like mandibles. There are a relatively small number of soldiers in a colony. The job of soldier termites is to guard the colony against predators, primarily ants. The soldiers are so specialized that they cannot feed themselves, so the workers feed them. Like the workers, termite soldiers are sterile. Soldiers mature within 1 year and live 3 to 5 years.

Primary ReproductivesPrimary reproductives are the future kings and queens of new subterranean termite colonies. The primary reproductives are produced in mature colonies, which are typically at least 3 years old). During the swarm season, large numbers of these reproductives swarm out of their colonies and into the air. Frequently, a homeowner’s first indication of termite infestation is having a swarm take place inside thier home. Primary reproductives that fly are called swarmers. R. flavipes often flies between March and May, while R. virginicus typically flies April through June. R. hageni, a pale-brown species, may fly from late June to October.

Secondary ReproductivesSecondary reproductives, or neotenics, are also present in mature and growing colonies. Secondary reproductives may supplement egg production in the presence of the king and queen. These reproductives are formed if the queen or king dies, begins to fail or becomes isolated from the main colony. Isolation from the main portion of the colony can occur due to application of a repellent termiticide,

Figure 23. Subterranean Termite Workers

Figure 24. Eastern Subterranean Termite Soldier

Head Capsule


which separates aboveground individuals from those belowground; flooding; drought; or physical disruption of the soil, such as during construction.

Colony FormationThe swarm is a mating dispersal flight that usually contains equal numbers of both male and female reproductives. After flight, they land, break off their wings and seek out a nest site. Subterranean termites usually excavate a burrow under trees, in decaying wood or in the soil. Swarmers that emerge indoors will die in large numbers around windows in their efforts to escape.

Once the new king and queen find a nest site, they seal themselves in and mate. Then the queen will begin to lay eggs. The first batch will be small, usually between six and 24 eggs. As the colony grows, the queen will lay increasingly larger numbers of eggs. When the queen is mature, she may lay 5,000 to 10,000 eggs per year.

In 3 to 5 years, the newly established colony may reach a mature size of 60,000 termites or more. At this point, secondary reproductives may begin to develop. The colony will increase even more rapidly as the secondary reproduc-tives start to lay eggs. As the colony forages over larger areas, satellite colonies develop that contain secondary reproductives rather than a single queen. Sometimes a number of individuals, including one or more secondary reproductives, become isolated from a well-es-tablished colony and start a new one. This type of colony formation is called budding.

Formosan Subterranean TermitesThe Formosan subterranean termite, Copto-termes formosanus, is a more aggressive feeder than the native subterranean termites. The Formosan termite originated in the Far East, probably hitchhiking to the United States in crated material following World War II. It is currently established in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Missis-sippi, North and South Carolina, and Texas. It has been introduced to the Memphis area in the past, but is not established. Unlike the other subterranean termites that eat along the grain of the wood, the Formosan termite is less discriminating and will often hollow out a tree trunk or wooden beam. It is estimated that a Formosan subterranean termite colony can consume wood about six times as fast as an eastern subterranean termite colony. Formosan termites found in Tennessee should be reported to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Regulatory Services.

Collecting Specimens for IdentificationAlates with wings and/or soldiers should be preserved in rubbing alcohol when submit-ted for identification. Submit at least 10 to 15 specimens. Swarmers without wings and workers are not useful in identification.

Table 6. Methods of Managing Drywood Termites

Size or extent of infestation Management method

Localized

Wood and surface applicationsMicrowaveElectrocutionWood replacementDrill-and-treat1

Info Cell Style Small items such as furniture Trailer or chamber fumigation

Extensive Fumigate structure or wood article with a toxic gas or with heat 2

1 Spray and foam applications of products such as those containing disodium octaborate tetrahydate (DOT) can be applied to raw, uncoated wood surfaces. Because penetration depths of borate solutions and depth of drywood termite galleries vary, topical applications with drill injection into infested wood should be performed. 2 To fumigate a structure with toxic gas, you must be under the supervision of a person licensed in structural fumigation (FUM) and certified in Category 7. However, you do not need a separate certification to use heat fumigation. Heat fumigation is a non-toxic method used to manage drywood termites. It works by maintaining temperatures high enough to kill termites in a wood object or structure. Heat treatments are used for a portion of a house such as an attic, porch, bedroom or individual apartment in a multi-family dwelling. Beware high temperatures can damage heat-sensitive objects inside the home.


Termite DetectionDiscovering winged termites indoors almost always indicates a structural infestation war-ranting treatment. Additionally, if winged termites are seen emerging from the base of a foundation wall or adjoining porches and patios, the house may be infested. However, termite swarmers emerging from tree stumps, woodpiles and other locations out in the yard may not indicate a structural infestation.

Stone or concrete foundations of buildings offer only temporary obstacles to termites. A structural crack as small as 1/64 of an inch wide will allow termites to enter and move into the wood above. Termites can also build shel-ter tubes along the foundation to reach wood.

Cracks in concrete, continuous openings in building blocks, utility openings, expansion joints and wood below soil level all offer easy hidden access for termites. Once inside, sub-terranean termites remain hidden within the wood. Fortunately, termites can be detected by finding:

▪ Swarmers inside the structure ▪ Hollowed wood along the grain with the

spring wood fed upon and the harder summer wood left behind—results in a layered look with bits of dried mud or soil lining the feeding galleries

▪ Mud tubes that are 1/4 to 2 inches wide, about the width of a pencil. If worker termites emerge when a mud tube is broken, the infestation is active. How-ever, if no workers emerge, it does not mean the infestation is inactive. Ter-mites may abandon sections of a tube and forage elsewhere in the structure

▪ Small holes in plaster or drywall with bits of soil around the margin

▪ Rippled, puckered or sunken traces behind paint or other wall coverings- indicates termite tun-neling beneath the surface

Often, damaged wood is unnoticed because the termites leave the exterior surface of the wood intact. You can detect their galleries by tapping the wood every few inches with a screwdriver. Damaged wood will sound hollow and the screwdriver may even break through into the galleries.

Although the above signs can indicate the presence of termites, oftentimes there are no signs of termites. Because termites are cryptic creatures, infestations can go undetected for years, hidden behind walls, floor coverings, insulation and other obstructions. Damage can go undetected in exposed wood because the outer surface is usually left intact. Confirma-tion of infestation often requires a professional. However, even the most experienced inspector can overlook hidden damage or an infestation. If a termite infestation is suspected, contact a pest management professional to conduct an inspection and discuss treatment options.

The USDA Forest Service has identified 15 conditions that frequently lead to termite infestations. These conditions either provide a food resource, moisture accumulation or an

Figure 25. The Formosan Subterranean Termite

Alate, Wing and Enlarged Wing with Hairs

Figure 26. Formosan Subterranean Soldier


entry through wood-to-soil contact. If any of these conditions exist, inspect the site care-fully. Correcting these conducive conditions should be the first step in managing termites. See Tip Box, Conditions Leading to Termite Infestation, for a list of each of these condi-tions.

The above being stated, it is important to inspect buildings at least once a year for evidence of mud tubes. In concrete slab con-structions, look closely for muddy material in expansion joints, cracks and where pipes and ducts go through the slab. Also, moisture me-ters, which are available to professionals, can be used to determine areas of higher moisture content that could be indicative of termite presence. In addition, new termite detection technologies, such as canine termite detectors, acoustic emissions detectors, thermal imaging, microwave technology, etc., are making their way into the commercial workplace, but are not always widely available.

Subterranean Termite ManagementSubterranean termites are widespread throughout the United States. Because they are so abundant, prevention alone may not always protect a structure from infestation. If a structure becomes infested, additional action must be taken. Over the past few years, subter-ranean termite treatments have advanced rap-idly. When planning a management strategy, consider all current registered options.

Specialized equipment, such as sprayers with large tanks, rodding tools, large drills and safety equipment, and special knowledge are required for the proper application of termite insecticides. Knowledge of termite biology and behavior is even more crucial with the use of termite baits and experience using baits is a key component to achieving control with this method. Therefore, securing the services of a

Conditions Leading to Termite Infestation

▪ Cracks in block or concrete foundations

▪ Wooden posts or supports set in concrete in contact with the soil underneath

▪ Concrete porches filled with earth or debris

▪ Form boards left in place after the slab is poured

▪ Leaking pipes and/or air conditioning drip lines that allow moisture to accumulate at the foundation

▪ Shrubs blocking crawl space vents, reducing ventilation and/or trapping moist air

▪ Construction debris in the backfill beside the structure

▪ Low foundation walls and footings that allow wood-to-soil contact

▪ Stucco, veneer, rigid foam board insulation or other exterior insulation finishing systems (EIFS) carried below graded soil

▪ Soil-filled planters built up against the foundation wall

▪ Wooden forms left in the slab around plumbing drains and bath traps

▪ Wooden porches or deck supports in contact with the soil.

▪ Heating units in the crawl space, which maintain warm soil temperatures for termites year-round

▪ Paper collars around pipes and ducts- provide access to the structure ▪ Wooden fences, trellises and landscaping materials against the side of the structure ▪ Cellulose mulches, such as wood or bark chips and others of plant origin, placed

against the foundation give termites access to the home without having to contact the termiticide barrier that has been applied next to the foundation


reliable pest management professional is advis-able in almost all cases.

Subterranean Termite BaitsTermite baiting takes a different approach to subterranean termite management than chemical barriers. Instead of protecting a structure by creating a barrier between it and the termites, baiting attempts to suppress or kill the termite colony in the soil. Commercial termite baits are a relatively new technology. The most widely used baits are applied below-ground. The following information describes, in general, a standard application process.

First, bait stations are inserted into the ground around the outside of the structure approximately at regular intervals of about 10 to15 feet. Inside the bait stations are untreated pieces of wood called monitors. Monitors are inspected for termite activity on a regular basis, according to the label. If live termites are found in the monitors, the monitors are replaced with toxic bait or bait is added to the station. The idea is to get the termites that are already foraging on the wood monitor to pick up the bait. Some bait products can be used by themselves, while others can be used in combination with a spot chemical treatment or a complete barrier.

Because the belowground bait stations are placed outside the structure, they do not di-rectly affect termites that are already foraging inside. Termites might find the baits within a few days or it may take over a year for termites to find the outside stations. To address inside infestations, certain commercially available baits come in aboveground stations. In general, these stations are plastic boxes that contain a paper matrix laced with termiticide. These boxes are attached over a termite mud tube or directly onto infested wood. The termites for-age inside these boxes and consume the paper bait. Once control has been achieved, it is absolutely necessary that monitoring continue with a baiting system. This is because unless a soil termiticide has also been applied, there is no residual treatment in place.

Professional Termite Baiting Systems

Advantages: ▪ Baits are environmentally friendly- they

place much less active ingredient into the environment than the liquid in-secticides used in barrier treatments

▪ Termite baits are ideal for use around structures inhabited by people with chemical sensitivities

▪ When an infested structure is within 50 feet of a well or 100 feet of a body of water, termite baits may be the only treatment option

▪ Provides a treatment option when barrier treatments have failed to provide satisfactory control

Disadvantages: ▪ It may take months or even more

than a year before baiting can begin ▪ Professional baiting systems are gen-

erally more expensive than barrier treatments due to monitoring costs

▪ When used alone, termite-baiting systems do not protect the structure directly-termites feeding within the structure will continue to do so until the colony is eliminated or they are man-aged with an aboveground station

Choosing a Pest Management Company

One of the most important steps to obtaining control of a termite infestation is procuring the services of a trained and experienced pest management professional. The following tips can serve as a guide for selecting professional help:

▪ Ask for referrals from trusted ac-quaintances that were satisfied with their termite treatment

▪ Call at least three of these pest man-agement companies and ask for price quotes, the chemical to be used and how the company plans to treat your house

▪ If a company conducts an inspec-tion get copies of the inspection let-ter and map, keep these records


▪ Read the contract carefully because different options are available; some companies will offer to re-treat if there is a failure, while others may provide an additional damage repair clause

▪ An annual renewal fee for inspec-tions is usually offered; it is usually a good idea to contract for this service

▪ Study the bids, a description of the work to be done and details of any guaran-tees, and then make your decision

▪ Be wary of prices that seem too low because highly specialized equipment and training is needed to manage ter-mites; a low bid may mean low quality

▪ In most cases, the materials to be used for termite management are only avail-able to a certified applicator; therefore, the certified applicator should posses a certification card and a charter number should be present on a company’s truck to indicate the Tennessee Department of Agriculture has licensed the owner

▪ Finally, do not feel pressured into sign-ing a contract immediately because termite damage occurs slowly; thus, the amount of damage caused by taking an additional day, week or month to make an informed decision is insignificant

Wood-Destroying BeetlesMany insects use trees as a food source and harborage. It is when this wood is brought into homes that we become concerned about their presence. Most beetles and other insects will not re-infest wood once it is dried or seasoned; however, there are some insects that do.

By using the acronym ALBOW it is easy to recall which beetles infest seasoned wood: A is for anobiid powderpost beetle, L is for lyctid powderpost beetle, B is for bostrichid powder-post beetle, O is for old house borer and W is for wharf borer or weevils. Wharf borers and weevils are of little significance in Tennessee and are not discussed further.

Insects that Can Re-Infest Structural WoodsPowderpost BeetlesThere are three families of powderpost beetles, all of which may reinfest seasoned wood. The most common are the anobiid and lyctid powderpost beetles. Small, shot hole exit openings in the wood surfaces are sometimes an indication of a powderpost beetle infesta-tion. Anobiid powderpost beetles attack both softwood and hardwoods that can be decades old. Lyctid powderpost beetles only attack ring-porous hardwoods that are typically younger than 10 years. Thus, they are found in hardwood flooring, molding and furniture that fit the above criteria.

Old House BorersThe old house borer, which is a member of the longhorned beetle family, attacks only the sapwood of pine and other softwoods. This species is unusual in that it will re-infest structural wood, unlike other common mem-bers of its family. In Tennessee it has been particularly troublesome in its attacks on new pine log homes, and it is sometimes destruc-tive to sheeting, siding or porch flooring that has been exposed to high humidity, water leaks or blowing rains. Indoor infestations are infrequently encountered in Tennessee, but old house borers are occasionally built into new structures and can remain active for many years, even under conditions of low ambient humidity. Re-infestation, however, is unlikely under these conditions. See Table 9 for de-scriptions and more information on these and powderpost beetles.

See Table 7. Wood-infesting beetles.

Powderpost and Old House Borer Management

Active or Not?It is important to determine if infestations are active because powderpost beetle populations can die of natural causes. There are several ways to determine if an infestation is active or not. One way is to mark or seal existing holes, sweep or vacuum all powder, then recheck the wood for new holes at a later date. It may be best to wait until spring or early summer to in-spect for fresh frass or new holes. Powderpost beetles damage wood slowly, so homeowners


should not feel the urgency to act immedi-ately to ensure the structural integrity of their home.

PreventionMany powderpost beetle infestations oc-cur when people use old lumber from a barn or woodpile to panel a room or to add onto a structure. For this reason, lumber that has been improperly dried or stored should not be used, especially if exit holes are present. Females lay eggs only on unfinished surfaces; therefore, if wood is painted, varnished, waxed or otherwise sealed, it is often safe from at-tack as long as no exposed edges are present. Unfinished wood can be protected by painting or other finishing practices. Beetles emerging from painted wood were present in the wood prior to painting. Beetles can re-infest painted surfaces by laying eggs in previous emergence holes. Seal exit holes to prevent this from happening.

Alternative ManagementsTemperature ModificationSmall items, such as picture frames, can be heated to 120 to 140 degrees F for 6 hours to kill existing life stages. Freezing infested wood for 72 hours will also kill all life stages.

Moisture ManagementWood moisture below 14 percent during spring and summer will thwart anobiid devel-opment and re-infestation. Moisture barriers can be used in damp crawl spaces and polyeth-ylene sheeting can be used to cover 70 to 80 percent of the soil in the crawl space. However, it is important to leave a 12-inch bare soil zone next to the foundation. Moisture rising from the soil around the perimeter will be exhausted through the foundation vents. Most building standards recommend 1 square foot of vent opening per 150 square feet of crawl space soil area. Professionals should use a moisture meter to indicate the moisture content of the wood and, therefore, the possible susceptibility to powderpost beetles.

Wood ReplacementBoards, sheets of paneling, etc., may be re-placed if all evidence indicates the infestation is localized. If new holes are found in adjacent areas, other action is needed, see other meth-ods in this section.

BoratesSome formulations containing borates have the potential to penetrate and kill larvae in the wood, as well as those beetles entering or exit-ing the wood surface. Topical treatment must be made to unfinished surfaces because borates will not penetrate paint or varnish. However, they can penetrate a water-repellent stain if the water repellency is broken. Pressure washing prior to borate application may break down the water-repellent seal. Joists, sills, rafters, subflooring, studs, decking and siding are excellent candidates for the borate treatment. If hardwood floors are infested, the finish must be removed/sanded prior to borate application.

Other Residual InsecticidesSeveral insecticides are labeled for treatment of beetle-infested wood. In general, spraying or brushing these products onto wood surfaces may slightly penetrate the wood. Adult pow-derpost beetles will be killed as they exit the treated wood, as will larvae attempting to bore into the wood. Wall voids can also be foamed, but avoid foaming near electrical sources.

FumigationInsecticides that are painted or sprayed onto surfaces can be used only if the infested wood is accessible for treatment. If infestations have spread into walls or between floors and foam-ing is not feasible because of electrical sources, fumigation may be needed. Fumigation is costly and should only be considered as a last resort. Early detection can prevent the need for fumigation and allow the use of other methods to manage these pests, as mentioned above.

If only furniture, antiques and other smaller articles are infested, they can be fumigated at a lower cost than fumigating an entire building. This can often be done within a sealed tent, tarp, trailer or vault to maintain gas concentra-tions at high levels. A pest control operator licensed to fumigate is needed for this opera-tion.


Insects That Utilize Structural Wood for Nesting SitesCarpenter AntsCarpenter ants, Camponotus spp., are widely distributed throughout the United States and are one of the largest common ants. There are about 10 species of carpenter ants in Tennes-see. These ants may be black, reddish-orange, golden, reddish-orange or black. The most commonly observed carpenter ant is Campono-tus pennsylvanicus, or the black carpenter ant. This ant is dark brown to black and ¼ to ½ inch in length. Queens may be ¾ inch or more

in length. Carpenter ant workers have an even-ly rounded thorax. This distinguishes them from Formica ants, which have an indented thorax when viewed from the side.

Carpenter ants, like carpenter bees, do not eat wood; they use wood for nesting. Carpen-ter ant nesting in itself is not likely to cause extensive structural damage. Presence of car-penter ants, however, might indicate existence of a more serious problem. This is because these insects are attracted to moist or decayed wood. They are frequently found in structural hardwood or softwood that has become wet due to a water leak, poor drainage or poor ventilation. However, carpenter ants may later move into sound, dry lumber. They will even nest in existing cavities without causing any structural damage. In structures, they often nest in porch columns, roofs, windowsills, hollow-core doors, wood scraps in dirt-filled porches and wood in contact with soil. Their nests are occasionally associated with window-sills and surrounding timbers where blowing rains have provided the moisture necessary for softening and decay. Frequently, carpenter ant infestations are more of a carpentry problem than a pest management problem.

Carpenter ants feed on honeydew excreted by aphids, other insects, animal remains and household food scraps. Carpenter ants exca-vate galleries in the wood to rear their young. Carpenter ants eject the chewed wood from their mouths in the form of coarse sawdust. Their nests consist of interconnecting, irregu-lar galleries (Figure 27) that are kept free of debris. The gallery walls are smooth, as though they had been sanded with fine-grit sandpa-per. In addition to the adults, clusters of white eggs, larvae and pupae will be present in active colonies. Outside the nest, debris that has been removed from the galleries, including coarse boring dust and uneaten insect parts (Figure 28), is usually evident. The unique makeup of debris that collects beneath ant-infested wood can be the first clue to the identity of the insects living in the wood. Materials expelled from galleries of other types of wood-destroy-ing insects consist only of boring dust, which is sometimes mixed with fecal pellets.

Figure 27. Carpenter Ant Nests

Figure 28. Debris Evident Outside the Nest


Management of Carpenter AntsThe key to the management of carpenter ants is locating their nest(s). Unfortunately, this is often difficult because the nest is usually well hidden. However, if you can locate it, there is an excellent chance of managing the ants. Eliminating a nest outdoors may be just as im-portant as eliminating one inside the building. In some cases, an entire colony may migrate from one nesting site to another, such as from a tree outdoors to structural timber indoors. As an aid to finding indoor carpenter ant nests, examine these suggested locations:

▪ Wood affected by water seepage, such as porch floors, posts, columns and roofs

▪ Wood in contact with soil ▪ Wood adjacent to dirt-filled slab porches

▪ Hollow doors, curtain rods, appli-ances and electrical equipment

▪ Firewood piled in garag-es or next to a house

▪ Stumps, logs and trees that might contain nests

▪ Trees with branches hanging over and touching the roof of a house because ants may travel over these branches, and electric and phone lines into the building

Some signs to look for when inspecting for a carpenter ant nest indoors are:

▪ Piles of coarse sawdust containing ant body parts on the floor or foundation

▪ Sounds of crinkled cellophane pro-duced by alarmed workers in the walls

▪ Ant activity—Ants frequently forage for food in kitchens. However, even when the nest is in a building, you may see only a few ants. This is because the ants are active at night and often forage outside

Using Attractants to Locate the NestThe general vicinity of a carpenter ant nest can often be located by placing an attractant such as a small dab of honey, maple or corn syrup, either alone or mixed with crickets or meal-worms, in the area(s) where ants have been seen. Carpenter ants feed more on proteins, crickets or mealworms, in the spring and more on carbohydrates, honeys and syrups, in the fall. The best time to set out the attractant is late at night because this is when carpenter ants are most active. After the ants have fed on the attractant, follow them on their journey back to their nest. Foragers usually return to the nest in a straight line (Figure 29). A red lens on a flashlight may allow observation of the ants without disturbing them. To mini-mize the mess made by the attractant, place it onto small squares of wax paper, index cards or on the non-sticky sides of pieces of masking tape.

Carpenter ants seen in the home may actu-ally be nesting outdoors and foraging indoors for food and water. Once an outdoor nest is discovered, it can be baited, sprayed, drenched, dusted or foamed with an insecticide labeled for that site. If the nest is located indoors, there are several options: baiting, dusting pipe and other wall penetrations, and direct treat-

Figure 29.

Placement of an Attractant Where Ants Have Been Seen Foraging and Visualize a Straight Line as They Return to the Nest.


Tabl

e 7.

Woo

d-in

fest

ing

beet

les

Shap

e an

d Si

ze (i

nche

s)

of E

xit/

Entr

y H

ole

AG

E; a

nd

Type

of W

ood

Att

acke

d

App

eara

nce

of F

rass

in

Tun

nels

Re

infe

st s

easo

ned

woo

dIn

sect

Typ

eId

enti

ficat

ion

char

acte

rsCo

mm

ents

Roun

d 1/

50

1/8

NEW

; de

ad o

r w

eake

ned

tree

s or

un

seas

oned

lo

gs o

f ha

rdw

oods

an

d so

ftw

oods

Gal

lerie

s ar

e fr

ee o

f bo

ring

dust

.; Sp

ores

of

fung

i(am

bros

ia)

are

carr

ied

into

the

galle

ries

by a

ttac

king

ad

ults

. Lar

vae

feed

ing

on th

e fu

ngi.

Fung

i sta

in th

e w

ood

blui

sh-b

lack

.

No

Am

bros

ia b

eetle

s Pl

atyp

odid

Adul

t: cy

lindr

ical

and

th

eir a

nten

nae

are

elbo

wed

and

term

inat

e in

an

expa

nded

clu

b.

The

plat

ypod

id a

mbr

osia

be

etle

s ar

e m

uch

elon

gate

d, a

nd th

eir

ante

nnae

are

elb

owed

an

d te

rmin

ate

in a

muc

h ex

pand

ed, fl

atte

ned,

one

-se

gmen

ted

club

.

Caus

e al

arm

whe

n ad

ults

em

erge

fr

om fi

rew

ood

with

in h

omes

and

co

llect

on

win

dow

sills

or i

n lig

ht

fixtu

res.

No

cont

rol n

eede

d be

caus

e th

ey a

re n

ot re

infe

stin

g. U

se a

va

cuum

to c

olle

ct a

dults

.

Roun

d 1/

32

1/16

OLD

; Ri

ng p

orou

s ha

rdw

ood:

oa

k, h

icko

ry,

ash,

wal

nut,

peca

n an

d m

any

trop

ical

ha

rdw

oods

Fine

, flou

r lik

e,

loos

ely

pack

ed

Yes,

lyct

ids

rare

ly

infe

st w

ood

olde

r th

an 1

0 ye

ars

(sta

rch

grea

ter t

hen

3 pe

rcen

t pr

efer

red)

usu

ally

lim

ited

to h

ardw

ood

pane

ling,

trim

, fu

rnitu

re, a

nd fl

oorin

g.

Lyct

id b

eetle

s

Adul

t: 1/

8 to

1/4

inch

in

leng

th; r

eddi

sh b

row

n to

bla

ck. H

ead

prot

rude

s fo

rwar

d an

d is

vis

ible

fr

om a

bove

; an

tenn

ae

have

a 2

-seg

men

ted

club

.La

rva:

Bre

athi

ng p

ore

clos

est t

o th

e en

d of

the

body

dis

tinct

ly la

rger

th

an th

e ot

her l

arva

l br

eath

ing

pore

s.

In n

early

all

case

s, in

fest

atio

ns w

ere

from

woo

d th

at c

onta

ined

egg

s or

larv

ae a

t the

tim

e it

was

use

d in

the

hom

e. G

ener

al in

fest

atio

n of

a b

uild

ing

is u

nlik

ely,

and

tim

ely

repl

acem

ent a

nd d

ispo

sal

of m

ater

ials

(e.g

., pi

eces

of t

rim

or fu

rnitu

re) o

bvio

usly

infe

sted

by

lyct

ids

ofte

n w

ill e

limin

ate

an

infe

stat

ion

alto

geth

er.

Roun

d 1/

16

3/32

NEW

; Bar

k/sa

pwoo

d in

terf

ace

of

man

y ki

nds

of h

ardw

ood

and

soft

woo

d tr

ees.

Fine

to c

oars

e, b

ark

colo

red,

tigh

tly

pack

edN

o

Bark

bee

tles

Adul

t: cy

lindr

ical

and

th

eir a

nten

nae

are

elbo

wed

and

term

inat

e in

an

exp

ande

d cl

ub.

Caus

e al

arm

whe

n ad

ults

em

erge

fr

om fi

rew

ood

with

in h

omes

and

co

llect

on

win

dow

sills

or i

n lig

ht

fixtu

res.

No

cont

rol n

eede

d be

caus

e th

ey a

re n

ot re

infe

stin

g. U

se a

va

cuum

to c

olle

ct a

dults

.

Tabl

e Fo

otno

te: N

EW is

defi

ned

as s

tand

ing

or fr

eshl

y fe

lled

tree

s an

d un

seas

oned

lum

ber.

Soft

woo

ds a

re a

lso

know

n as

con

ifers

and

typi

cally

hav

e ne

edle

-like

leav

es, a

re e

verg

reen

and

col

umna

r in

form

. Pin

e, h

emlo

ck, c

edar

and

redw

ood

are

com

mon

so

ftw

oods

. Har

dwoo

ds ty

pica

lly h

ave

broa

d le

aves

, she

d al

l lea

ves

at o

nce

and

are

broa

d-fo

rmed

with

a s

prea

ding

cro

wn.

Oak

, ash

, hic

kory

and

yel

low

-pop

lar a

re c

omm

on h

ardw

oods

. The

hea

rtw

ood

is th

e da

rker

cen

ter o

f the

tree

com

pose

d of

cel

ls th

at a

re n

o lo

nger

livi

ng, b

ut p

rovi

de m

echa

nica

l sup

port

to th

e tr

ee. T

he s

apw

ood

is lo

cate

d cl

ose

to th

e ba

rk o

f the

tree

and

is a

ligh

ter-

colo

red

tissu

e th

at tr

ansp

orts

wat

er a

nd n

utrie

nts

in a

livi

ng tr

ee.


Tabl

e 7.

Woo

d-in

fest

ing

beet

les

Shap

e an

d Si

ze (i

nche

s)

of E

xit/

Entr

y H

ole

AG

E; a

nd

Type

of W

ood

Att

acke

d

App

eara

nce

of F

rass

in

Tun

nels

Re

infe

st s

easo

ned

woo

dIn

sect

Typ

eId

enti

ficat

ion

char

acte

rsCo

mm

ents

Roun

d 1/

16

1/8

NEW

and

O

LD;

Soft

woo

d &

ha

rdw

ood

Fine

pow

der w

ith

pelle

ts, l

oose

ly

pack

ed; p

elle

ts m

ay

be a

bsen

t and

fras

s tig

htly

pac

ked

in

som

e ha

rdw

oods

Yes,

ofte

n oc

cur

in b

asem

ents

, cr

awls

pace

s ba

rns

and

othe

r unh

eate

d st

ruct

ures

whe

re

moi

stur

e co

nten

t of

the

woo

d is

hig

h. T

hey

can

infe

st a

nd re

mai

n ac

tive

in w

ood

that

ha

s be

en in

ser

vice

for

deca

des.

Ano

biid

bee

tles

imag

e

Adul

t: 1/

8 to

1/4

inch

in

leng

th a

nd a

re re

ddis

h br

own

to n

early

bla

ck;

hood

like

pron

otum

co

ncea

ls th

e he

ad w

hen

view

ed fr

om a

bove

and

w

ing

cove

rs a

re fi

nely

gr

oove

d

Cont

rol c

an b

e ac

hiev

ed b

y bo

th c

hem

ical

and

non

chem

ical

m

etho

ds. U

sual

ly c

entr

al h

eat

and

air r

educ

es w

ood

moi

stur

e so

ther

e is

insu

ffici

ent m

oist

ure

cont

ent t

o su

ppor

t ext

ensi

ve

infe

stat

ions

in li

ving

and

att

ic a

reas

. If

favo

rabl

e co

nditi

ons

of m

oist

ure

and

tem

pera

ture

exi

st, i

nfes

tatio

ns

can

spre

ad v

ertic

ally

into

wal

ls a

nd

uppe

r lev

els

of a

str

uctu

re. S

ourc

es

of a

nobi

id b

eetle

s ar

e in

fest

ed

lum

ber,

beet

les

flyin

g in

from

ou

tdoo

rs, o

r fire

woo

d. P

owde

rpos

t be

etle

s ar

e sl

ow g

row

ers,

that

can

re

infe

st e

very

yea

r.

Roun

d 3/

32

9/32

NEW

; So

ftw

ood

&

hard

woo

d (b

ambo

o)

Fine

to c

oars

e po

wde

r, tig

htly

pa

cked

Rare

ly, n

ativ

e TN

sp

ecie

s do

not

re

infe

st, e

xotic

spe

cies

m

ay; b

ambo

o bo

rer

com

mon

ly d

amag

es

bam

boo

prod

ucts

, es

peci

ally

bas

kets

br

ough

t to

TN fr

om th

e O

rient

Bost

richi

d be

etle

s

imag

e

Adul

t: 1/

8 to

1/4

inch

in

leng

th a

nd a

re re

ddis

h br

own

to n

early

bla

ck;

hood

like

pron

otum

co

ncea

ls th

e he

ad w

hen

view

ed fr

om a

bove

and

w

ing

cove

rs a

re fi

nely

gr

oove

d

Bost

richi

ds ra

rely

cau

se s

igni

fican

t da

mag

e in

fram

ing

lum

ber a

nd

prim

arily

affe

ct in

divi

dual

pie

ces

of h

ardw

ood

floor

ing

or tr

im.

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eake

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ly th

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cono

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ffect

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cont

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al

1/8

3/8

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l 1/8

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2 O

val 1

/4

3/8

NEW

and

O

LD;

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d

Very

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& p

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ly

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woo

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s to

hav

e a

wav

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ripp

led

text

ure

Fig.

Yes

Old

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se b

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adul

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age

larv

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4 in

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ing

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Larv

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be

as

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s or

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nviro

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are

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for l

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elop

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se b

orer

s ar

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foun

d in

ho

uses

that

are

less

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ence

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a m

isno

mer

.

Tabl

e Fo

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EW is

defi

ned

as s

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ing

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lled

tree

s an

d un

seas

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lum

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woo

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re a

lso

know

n as

con

ifers

and

typi

cally

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-like

leav

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re e

verg

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and

col

umna

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form

. Pin

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emlo

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edar

and

redw

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are

com

mon

so

ftw

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. Har

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pica

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ave

broa

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at o

nce

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are

broa

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with

a s

prea

ding

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wn.

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, ash

, hic

kory

and

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low

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lar a

re c

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. The

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rtw

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ter o

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pose

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at a

re n

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port

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to th

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rk o

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tree

and

is a

ligh

ter-

colo

red

tissu

e th

at tr

ansp

orts

wat

er a

nd n

utrie

nts

in a

livi

ng tr

ee.


ment of the nest. Carpenter ant baits should only be placed where carpenter ants are forag-ing or where their activity has been noted. Residual insecticides labeled for carpenter ants may also be used. However, baits are preferred for indoor treatments because of their low toxicity and reduced exposure risk.

If a nest is located indoors, but ants con-tinue to forage outdoors, a perimeter treatment with a slow-acting, non-repellent insecticide, such as fipronil, may also provide control. The carpenter ants cross the treated zone and do not detect the non-repellent insecticide. The ants die slowly and may contaminate nest mates. This technique has been very successful in the northwestern United States. Currently, liquid formulations of fipronil are only avail-able to pest management professionals.

Carpenter BeesCarpenter bees resemble large bumblebees except that the abdomen of bumblebees has a dense covering of hairs (Figure 30). In the spring, carpenter bees become a nuisance as they fly erratically, close to homes and other buildings. Males hover like hummingbirds, waiting for females to emerge so they can mate. If the males are disturbed, they may hover or buzz around the head of a person. Only the females sting if you provoke them. After the mating season, carpenter bees spend most of the summer loitering around the nest or nearby flowers.

Aside from the nuisance of having carpen-ter bees around, they also bore into seasoned woods, especially softwoods such as cedar, redwood, pine and fir. Bees may damage soft or weathered wood on porches, decks, shed ceilings, railings, overhead trim, porch furniture, dead tree limbs, fence posts, wooden shingles, wood siding, window sills and wood doors.

In the spring, female bees bore brood chambers into the wood where they will lay their eggs and the young will develop. The bee begins the chamber by boring a large circular hole, about 2 inches wide, into the wood. After boring against the grain, they turn sharply and bore along the wood grain for 4 to 6 inches. Boring dust beneath the circular entrance to the gallery is sometimes the first evidence of the bee’s activities.

The female provides her tunnel-nest with bee bread, which is a mixture of pollen and regurgitated nectar. This serves as food for the larvae when the eggs hatch. She makes a cell for each larva and closes each cell with chewed wood pulp. There may be as many as six to eight cells in the tunnel or gallery. The time required to complete development from egg to adult varies from 1 to 3 months. Newly formed adult bees usually emerge in late August. These bees overwinter in galleries and will mate the following spring and start the cycle over.

Structural damage caused by one or two carpenter bees is slight. However, later broods may reuse and lengthen old tunnels. The activities of numerous bees, over a period of years, will cause structural damage. Carpenter bees are less likely to attack painted wood. Therefore, keeping all exposed wood surfaces painted is a good preventative measure. How-ever, keep in mind that wood stains will not prevent carpenter bee damage.

Management of Carpenter BeesTreat carpenter bee brood chambers with insecticidal dusts, wettable powders, microen-capsulations or residual aerosol formulations. Apply the insecticide to the tunnel entrance in the evening when the bees are less active. Dusts are a preferred formulation because they coat the surface of the wood and are not absorbed like liquid formulations. The adult bee will die a day or two after passing freely over the insecticide-treated surface. Once the adult bee has died, seal the hole with a wooden dowel coated with suitable sealants, such as carpenter’s glue or wood putty, to prevent re-infestation, moisture intrusion and wood decay. In the fall, re-inspect for new galler-ies and treat and seal as necessary to prevent carpenter bees from overwintering in galleries. Repaint the sealed area to prevent woodpecker damage.

Figure 30. Carpenter Bee


SummaryThis chapter has taught you about household pests. After learning the material in this chap-ter, you should be able to successfully identify common household and structural pests, rec-ognize the damage caused by common house-hold and structural pests, understand how to manage household and structural pests, and understand how the behavior and life cycles of these pests influences their management.

Terms To KnowAdulticideObligate ectoparasitesBuddingCephalothoraxEncephalitidesExclusionHarborageHEPAImmaturesInsect growth regulators (IGRs)InsecticideIntegrated Pest Management or IPMPheromoneNon-reproductiveOothecaPre-emergentRepellentReproductivesTermiticideTrophallaxis

Test Your Knowledge1. Name three chemical-free methods of

managing household pests.

2. Cockroach bait stations are most effective when __________.

3. To effectively treat for fly infestation, what should be a major concern?

4. Which is the most serious and destructive pest of wooden structures in the U.S.?

5. How can one manage a brown recluse spider infestation?

ResourcesThe pest management information provided

in this chapter has been modified from the Tennessee Extension publication, PB1303 Managing Pests Around the Home. Information in this chapter is also from publications for the pest management professional, PB1732 Category 7 Industrial, Institutional, Structural and Health-related Pest Management Certification Training Manual; PB1673, General Rodent and Pest Control Licensing Manual and PB1703, Wood-destroying Organisms Licensing Manual.

Current pesticide recommendations can be found in PB1690 Insect and Plant Disease Control Manual. The Entomology and Plant Pathology Department produces this manual annually. It can be found at eppserver.ag.utk.edu/redbook/redbook.htm

Household pest publications on the UT Extension web siteutextension.tennessee.edu

Household Pests, University of FLedis.ifas.ufl.edu/

Structural, Industrial and Medical Insects, University of Kentuckyuky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/entfacts/efstruc.htm

Imported Fire Ants in Tennesseefireants.utk.edu

For information on Lyme diseasewww.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/index.htm

Managing Household and Structural Pests O˜cal Instructor · 2014-06-03 · get enough points...

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