A team of scientists in Ohio has discovered a new way to control Helicoverpa zea, or corn earworm. They have developed a chemical that interrupts the insect’s dormancy.
Filed under: Insects, Invasive species, Pesticides | Tagged: Bt crops, Corn earworm, cotton bollworm, diapause hormone, Helicoverpa zea, insect diapause, insect dormancy, tomato fruitworm | Leave a Comment »
Many of us along the East Coast are gearing up for the effects of Hurricane Irene this weekend. Although hurricanes typically bring worries of falling trees, property damage, high water and loss of power, most people don’t think of some of the longer-term consequences of hurricanes: pest problems. Hurricane winds and flooding can carry in new insects and seeds, ushering in new season-long battles and making growing season the next year a challenge.
Filed under: Insects, Urban IPM, Weed Control | Tagged: hurricane irene, hurricane preparedness list, hurricanes, hurricanes and pests, insect pests, pest control in storms, trash containers, urban pests | Leave a Comment »
Root-knot nematode affects 1 to 1.2 million acres of farmland every year. Farmers can lose between 5 and 30 percent of their crop if they leave their fields untreated. Until March 18, many growers used aldicarb (brand name Temik) for nematode treatments. Aldicarb was inexpensive and effective. Some growers even used it as part of an IPM program by using GIS technology to detect nematode presence. In the South, aldicarb is used in cotton, citrus, potatoes, soybeans, sugar beets, sweet potatoes and peanuts.
Filed under: Crop rotation, Insects, Pesticides | Tagged: aldicarb cancellation, controlling nematodes, nematode management, Temik, Temik cancellation | Leave a Comment »
Florida ranks 12th in the nation in cattle production, with sales of about $436 million per year (NASS 2007). One of the threats to the Florida cattle industry is invasive mole crickets. Three invasive species of mole crickets—originally from South America—have been destroying turfgrass and pastures in Florida since the early 1900s.
Filed under: Insects, Invasive species | Tagged: mole crickets, pasture problems, turfgrass pests | Leave a Comment »
The sudden intense increase of heat this past spring seemed to bring out an early onslaught of insect pests, based on some of the IPM newsletter stories I’ve seen. Now many eastern states are experiencing a severe drought, which normally stresses plants by itself. How does drought contribute to pest pressures on plants? Or does it?
Filed under: Insects | Tagged: drought, drought and insects, drought and plants | Leave a Comment »
It seems like we always have landscaping to do. Maintaining landscaping is not just important from an aesthetic or safety standpoint it is also important from a pest control perspective.
Filed under: Insects, Urban IPM | Tagged: keeping mosquitoes away, landscaping and IPM, rodents, snakes, yard maintenance | 1 Comment »
The “Elementary Insects” curriculum, first piloted in 2007, teaches students about different insects, especially mosquitoes, spiders, fleas and bees. According to Kimberly Schofield, an Extension specialist from Texas AgriLife Extension Service who designed and taught the curriculum, most elementary schoolchildren entered the workshop with a panicked fear of insects and left with respect for them.
Filed under: Insects, Urban IPM | Tagged: creepy insects, Elementary Insects, elementary school insect curriculum, elementary school IPM, mosquitoes and children | Leave a Comment »
Our third story in our success story series highlights a project that explored geraniol use for dairy cattle and explored its effects on the taste of milk. Geraniol is a natural insecticide for horn fly control.
Filed under: Insects, Pesticides | Tagged: dairy cattle, geraniol, horn flies, organic horn fly control | Leave a Comment »
The flu and other bacterial infections are hard enough to live through, but when antibiotics don’t cure them, they’re even more miserable. Many of us have read stories of “superbugs”—bacteria that resist some of the common antibiotics. However, few of us have probably considered the possibility that the pesky household fly or German cockroach could contribute to those superbugs. According to a new study, they do.
Filed under: Insects, Resistance | Tagged: cockroaches, house flies, house flies and disease, household bugs, Household pests, resistant antibiotics, superbugs | 1 Comment »
A study comparing organic agriculture to conventional farming found that insect species were more balanced in organic farms. Organic practices are one example of integrated pest management, which uses natural pest management combined with some conventional tools.
Filed under: Insects, Pesticides | Tagged: insect populations, organic, organic vs conventional | 1 Comment »
