How To Be An� Integrated Pest Management Scout

What is Integrated Pest Management?

• LOOK (scout)
• CULTURAL CONTROL (things YOU can change in the area you are scouting, e.g., clutter removal, watering or fertilizing, fixing holes, not eating and dropping sticky stuff or crumbs all over….
• Biological control: using one living thing to control another, like using one good insect to eat a bad one
• Pesticides only as a last resort, and then use the least toxic and most environmentally friendly one that you can

You will need some �equipment…

• A small notebook to make pest notes or take info when interviewing people about reported pests
• A pencil (pen runs when wet) and a permanent marker to mark bags or containers with specimens (date, where found)
• Small plastic bags or containers for any specimens you want to take back to examine under bright light
• A head lamp flashlight
• A pair of tweezers
• Disposable gloves optional
• Most important a magnifier (Dollar Store or Oriental trading company is fine---expect to lose and scratch a lot of them)
• I usually fasten my tweezers and my hand lens on to a lanyard
• Cell phone or camera to take pictures and binocs
• If scouting outside, a hat so you can use the brim to make shade to take pictures and to protect you if you are in the sun, sunblock
• If you want to get really fancy a lighted mechanics mirror to see behind large objects

CONGA!!!

Pavement ants

Carpenter ants: if you have a stethoscope, listen to the walls

Carpenter ant debris

Termite debris

• Termites eat against the grain
• Carpenter ants burrow along the grain

Citronella ant and little black ant

Ants in your pants

Velvet ant

Allegheny mound ant

Beeeeeeeeeeee careful….

Syrphid fly

Honey bee

Vespids

Yellow jacket

Paper wasp

Bald faced hornet

Bumble bee vs. carpenter bee

Look fierce, but are feeding their children

Cicada killer wasp

Mud dauber wasp

Ants in your pants

Velvet ant

Allegheny mound ant

Crickets: chirping means field, not camel

Field

Camel

Camel Back Crickets

• Love moisture and darkeness so first move into areas under porches and sheds
• feed on mold and fungus produced in these areas
• also eat fabric
• Typically come in via crawl spaces or under attached garage doors or poorly sealed bulkheads

Camel Back Crickets

• Once established around the home will readily move INTO the house to escape the hot summer sun or cold
• check basements and crawl spaces periodically before you get enough so that they move up into main part of house
• More likely to jump at you than away from you so people really get bent out of shape because they think they are being attacked
• can’t bite, can’t sting
• eat synthetic and natural fabric of rugs, furniture, books, canvas, clothing, boxes, linen, drapery
• looks like moth damage
• mice and rats like to eat them!

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Camel crickets

• NO WINGS AS ADULTS UNLIKE OTHER CRICKETS
• Their presence often indicates a moisture problem;
• if enough are present may have dark fecal smears, eg on floor joists
• IF YOU CAN SEELIGHT UNDER A DOOR OR AT CORNERS OF DOORS, PESTS CAN GAIN ACCESS

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Silverfish and Firebrats

• Like warm damp conditions around kitchen and bathroom plumbing
• Eat a variety of foods including paste of wallpaper, fabric, coffee, sugar, human hair and clothing, paper,bookbindings,cotton,linen,
• Active at night and hide during day
• Firebrats prefer temps of 90 or more
• Often accidental intro from stored materials
• Like to stay near food source

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SIGNS: Nibbled edges of paper, nibbled trails through adhesive, Look for ragged edges on bindings of books

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Drain or Moth Flies

• Also called owl gnats, tiny, fuzzy flies that hang around drains
• Breed in gelatinous build up in pipes or drains,
• Life cycle takes 7-28 days; adults live 2 weeks
• Weak fliers, nocturnal
• Large numbers can cause allergic reactions in some
• May also colonize condensation pans in fridge, heating, vents, ac, ice makers
• Mechanical drain cleaning, or cleaners with bacterial additives best (bleach alone won’t do)

Click on the light….

Click beetle

earwig

You might encounter….

House centipede

Garden centipede

millipede

Friends after dark…

House mosquito: Culex pipiens

But NOT the crane fly….

Sleep tight…bedbugs

Bedbug look alike….

SCOUTING

• Use your eyes to look for reddish brown or black specks gathered around a crack or crevice.
• Now spiders will sometimes produce the same result so don’t panic unless there are other indicators such as bites or a sickly sweet odor associated with the insects’ glands.
• the best tool for bed bug monitoring is a strong flashlight and sticky boards.
• Or use a baby wipe to swipe at the specks: if they smear red, bed bugs are a strong possibility.
• If they smear brown or black, spider or wanna be

Spider frass

Bedbug frass

Itchy yet?

flea

Flea larva

Indian Meal Moth

Crawly but cute

Pill bug

Sow bug

Pennsylvania paranoia…more on other roaches later

Pennsylvania wood roach

Carabid beetle

Dumb beetles that likes the lights….

June bug…biiigggggg

Asiatic garden beetle…smaller

Yellow sac spider

No more hysteria

We do not have these on long Island normally

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Or these….usually….

Harmless Cellar dweller: shower buddy….

We have these

DETERRENTS for lots of things:

• Remove trash, old boxes, old clothing, wood piles, rock piles, and other unwanted items.
• Eliminate clutter in closets, basements, attics, garages, and outbuildings.
• Store items off the floor and away from walls in basements, crawl spaces, attics, garages, and outbuildings in order to reduce spider harborage sites.
• Eliminate household pests (prey) such as flies, ants, and cockroaches that attract spiders.
• Do not stack wood against the house. Remove heavy vegetation and leaf litter around the foundation.
• Wash spider webs off the outside of the house using a high-pressure hose.
• One of the best suggestions is to shake out your clothing, gloves and shoes before you put them on as spiders like to hide inside.
• Wear gloves when handling wood or rocks. Use care when handling cardboard boxes as spiders like to hide inside crevices.

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EXCLUSION:

• Install tight-fitting screens on windows and doors; also install weather stripping and door sweeps.
• Seal or caulk cracks and crevices where spiders can enter the house.
• Equip vents in soffits, foundations, and roof gables with tight-fitting screens.
• Install yellow or sodium vapor light bulbs outdoors since these attract fewer insects for spiders to feed upon.
• Many web-making spiders set up residence near lights that remain on at night.
• Locate such lights away from the house or turn them off when not needed. Tape the edges of cardboard boxes to prevent spider entry.
• Use plastic bags (sealed) to store loose items in the garage, basement, and attic.

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Gypsy violins….

Woodpecker vs bark boring beetle

Southern pine beetle

Spotted lantern fly

Harmless lichen

What’s buggin’ ya? (both may get in buildings)

Brown marmorated stink bug

Western conifer seed bug

Bug zappers are a reliable and efficient method for adult mosquito control

• A. Yes
• B. No.
• C. Yes, early in the season only
• D. Yes, only after dark.
• E. Sometimes if it has been raining a lot

The most reliable method to reduce mosquitoes in my yard is to….

• A. use a control spray once every three days
• B. use a mosquito magnet type carbon dioxide trap
• C. get rid of standing water by a THOROUGH inspection of all areas of my yard, garden, buildings and vehicles
• D. Call vector control to come take care of the neighborhood
• E. use a control spray once a week and buy a bug zapper for clean up

How long can water stand in puddles before mosquitoes complete their life cycle in it?

• A. 48 hours
• B. 72 hours
• C. One week
• D. One month
• E. Small volumes of standing water are not the problem, it is abandoned swimming pools and public lands or waterways that provide the breeding space.

All mosquitoes bite all the time

• A. Yes.
• B. No, and this can help to differentiate the kind of mosquito bothering me and where it is coming from.
• C. Only during the summer when temperatures are above 70.
• D. Only after it rains.
• E. No, but they all breed in the same place.

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When the Asian tiger mosquito lays her eggs she prefers containers with….

• A. Light, moist surfaces
• B. Light, dry surfaces
• C. standing water with leaves
• D. Dry, dark surfaces
• E. standing water that is clear

ATM BITES EARLY MORNING, LATE AFTERNOON PRIMARILY, will bite aggressively rest of day too

• HABITAT: container breeder associated with humans: CHECK CORRUGATED DRAINPIPE EXTENSIONS
• Singly laid eggs STIMULATED TO HATCH BY SPRINKLING INCLUDING IRRIGATION so MUST EMPTY CONTAINERS EVERY FEW DAYS OR PUNCH HOLES in them to allow drainage
• Do not breed in puddles, ditches or ground pools
• LOVES TIRE PILES
• BITES LOWER EXTREMETIES ESPECIALLY
• Limited flight range
• POTENTIAL FOR DISEASE: EEE, WNV (rarely), Dog Heartworm, CHIKUNGUNYA

Culex pipiens-restuans

House Mosquito

BITES AT NIGHT, PRIMARY WNV VECTOR

• HABITAT: polluted water container breeder, likes water with lots of organic matter, associated with humans---CORRUGATED DRAIN PIPE EXTENSIONS, rain barrels, neglected swimming pools, cesspools, open septic tanks, blocked storm drains, bird baths, garden ponds, effluent ditches, blocked rain gutters, toys, sand boxes, trash, vases, boats, etc.
• Short flight distance
• Present all summer
• Most common mosquito in urban and suburban settings
• Readily enter houses
• POTENTIAL FOR DISEASE: WNV

What you should be scouting for…

Other fishy fixes….

• The following are not effective for mosquito populations:

-electronic repellers

-citrosa trees

-insectivorous bats

-purple martins

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EXCELLENT FIX

So what do we know?

• Mosquitoes are not strong fliers so large fans set at diagonals will help to keep them away from your patio
• Mosquitoes function best at temps of around 80 F, are lethargic at about 60 F and can’t function if temps below 50 F
• Mosquito activity is low if it is windy or humidity is very low
• MOST OF THE TIME DAYTIME BITING IS THE ASIAN TIGER MOSQUITO

What else do we know?

• Mosquitoes associated with wooded areas try to bite head, face or upper body and will try to feed even if you are walking rapidly or jogging or even if you are waving and screaming at them to get away
• A permanent body of water (pond, lake) is LESS likely to produce a lot of mosquitoes than a temporary water source: a puddle three feet wide and three inches deep can produce 10-20 times more mosquitoes than a one acre farm pond, often because the pond contains predators or the water is less stagnant
• IF WATER STANDS LESS THAN A WEEK IT WILL NOT BREED MOSQUITOES

Can I tell what kind of mosquitoes I have by their eggs? Use lens!

• Yes, you can separate Aedes species from Culex this way.
• Culex lay eggs in a raft while Aedes lay their eggs singly.

Is blood the only thing a mosquito eats?

• NO. Male mosquitoes do not take a blood meal at all. Both males and females feed on nectar from flowers and decaying organic matter but only the females need the blood meal to mature eggs. Males do not take blood at all.
• Female mosquitoes find you by orienting to your body heat and they have receptors that work much better for this when humidity is high. Their eyesight is poor but when they get about 10 feet away the heat sensors kick in. This is another reason to use fans since it cools and disperses body surface heat.
• They also orient to carbon dioxide in higher than background concentrations---fans again help to disperse this.

Mosquito Myths

Mosquito Myths

• Lemon Fresh Joy (a dishwashing liquid), Listerine (a mouthwash), and limes with cloves will repeal mosquitoes or knock them dead from the sky.
• Devices that emit sound will repel mosquitoes.
• Eating garlic, not eating bananas or taking vitamin B will repel mosquitoes.
• Using bounce dryer sheets, vanilla, vicks vaporub or planting marigolds will repel mosquitoes
• Citronella wrist bands are the way to repel mosquitoes.
• MOSQUITOES LIKE CERTAIN FOODS, COLORS, BLOOD TYPES�

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• mosquitoes are attracted to direct and indirect light: use lights after dusk sparingly

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IS IT REALLY A TICK?

TICK

LIFECYCLE

EGGS

larvae

Blood meal

Blood meal

Blood meal

YOU WILL�NEED

Insect or tick?

Insect or tick?

WHHaaaaTTTT???

I need chooocccccooooolate…..

POP QUIZ Question 1

Chiggers are a big problem in many places in Suffolk County, and on Long Island.

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1. Yes
2. Sometimes.
3. There are no chiggers on Long Island that we know of
4. What is a chigger?
5. Only on my pets.

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• LARVAL LONE STAR TICK
• Likelihood of encountering-VERY HIGH
• Time of year of encounter (most)- LATE MAY to OCTOBER
• Disease potential – Larvae are unlikely to transmit disease because YOU are probably the first thing they have fed on
• THESE ARE MOSTLY WHAT PEOPLE THINK ARE CHIGGERS

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The true meaning of CANKLES…

My Darling…….

Mislabeled on internet

I’m calling NEWS12….

Pop Quiz Question 2

DEET is the most effective tick repellent.

1. Yes
2. No
3. Only when the ticks are young.
4. Only when the ticks are older
5. Only when it is hot.

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Pop Quiz Question 3

All ticks can give you Lyme disease.

1. Yes
2. No
3. Only in summer
4. Only all adult ticks can give you Lyme disease
5. Only all juvenile ticks can give you Lyme disease

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Pop Quiz Question 4

The best way to remove a tick is to coat it with petroleum jelly or fingernail polish.

1. Yes
2. No
3. Only if the tick is too small to pull out
4. Only if the tick has been feeding for longer than 24 hours

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SAFE TICK REMOVAL:�

•  Never coat tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly or any other substance, do not touch lit match to tick: ALL OF THESE PRACTICES ENHANCE POTENTIAL FOR DISEASE TRANSMISSION.
• Grasp tick as close to skin as possible with fine tweezers and draw back slowly, steadily and firmly, using your little finger as a brace.

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Yeah, well, that explains it….

Pop Quiz Question 5

What is the best way to kill ticks on clothing.

a. Washing machine, hot water cycle.

b. Dryer, high heat one hour.

c. Immerse in a pail of cold water.

d. Vacuum them with brush attachment.

e. Tie the clothes up in a plastic bag for one week.

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Sock sample from hiker�with lone star tick larvae

To determine the type: LOOK AT THE RIM

WHICH RIM IS WHICH??

OR LOOK AT MOUTH PARTS

Dog Tick

Lone Star Tick

Got flies?

House fly

Fruit fly

Homemade fruit fly trap

• The liquid at the bottom can be water with a bit of vinegar and a piece of banana skin.
• Run a bit of petroleum jelly or even chap stick around the inside of the threaded portion to prevent them climbing out again

Stomoxys: stable flies or biting house fly

Stable fly

Regular house fly

It’s dead, Jim….

Blow Flies

• Adult blow flies are attracted to nectar, carrion, garbage and other refuse and soggy, bloody or soiled hair, fur or wool.

Greenheads

• A greenhead is a horsefly, not a deerfly---deerflies have markings on their wings.
• The horsefly female has large, sharp, pointed blades for jaws which she uses in conjunction with her other mouthparts to put a nice pit in your flesh so that she can use her sponge like labella as a system of straws to imbibe your blood.
• these flies have two peaks of activity: one hour before sunrise and then in late afternoon until sunset.
• They are attracted to red and black colors

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Greenheads

• the reason that greenheads usually get you in the leg is that their average questing height is two feet.
• Therefore you should concentrate your repellant efforts in that area of your legs.
• Some people can develop serious reactions to horsefly saliva which acts as an anti-clotting mechanism while the fly feeds.
• This response ranges from welts to swelling, to high fever. Some people become increasingly reactive to the saliva after multiple bites.

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Roach central

• DAY/NIGHT: active at night.
• PEST APPEARANCE: Broad, flat insect with membranous wings with six long spiny legs, long antennae. Egg capsules rectangular.

German cockroach

• German cockroach –most common roach in NY. 5/8ths inch long, light brown with lengthwise black stripes lengthwise on back.
• Found all over building, but particularly in kitchens and bathrooms,vending areas, food-preparation areas, and catering areas. The greatest populations are usually near sources of moisture.
• Egg capsules contain up to 50 eggs.
• The most common source of introduction is on egg capsules being carried in on cartons, food, or other packages.

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German cockroach

• German cockroach nymphs have a better chance of surviving than do other species because the female carries the egg capsule during the entire time
• Easily transported on groceries, bags, boxes
• Look at your stuff outside, in bright light especially these days when we tend to order or buy in bulk

Roach delight

• ACCESS: Warm, dark, moist areas with cracks and crevices are preferred.
• Cardboard and paper bags are favored so check any packaging and purchases before they enter the building. German cockroaches prefer food prep/service areas.
• REMOVE CLUTTER ESPECIALLY paper bags and boxes that accumulate in basements

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Try not to store recyclables� in basement

• FOOD SOURCE: Roaches eat anything organic. They prefer starchy or sugary food including cardboard and the glue that binds books together.
• They will eat milk, soda or beer left out or left in unrinsed recyclables inner linings of shoe soles and dead insects.
• They will get into electronics
• VERY IMPORTANT: Wash recyclables thoroughly before storing prior to pick up.

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Roach deterrents

• EXCLUSION: Cockroaches prefer to remain near their food sources and shelter. Store all food, including pet food, in tightly sealed containers. Don’t leave bowls of pet food on the floor overnight.
• Garbage that contains food waste must be in tightly sealed containers and containers must be emptied and cleaned daily (preferably in the evening).
• Roach feces contains a pheromone that attracts roaches so use a DISPOSABLE cloth to wipe it up. Also newly hatched roaches will feed on the feces of other roaches.

BAAAAAAAD HABITS = Pest Problems

Special basement roach considerations, esp. basement kitchens

• Your basement smells strange
• Cockroaches produce pheromones to draw other roaches to the area, and if enough roaches are present, you’ll be able to smell their pheromones.
• This smell has been described as oily or musky, though you may just notice that your basement smells strange and unpleasant. Your food can also take on this smell.
• VERY IMPORTANT: Wash recyclables thoroughly before storing prior to pick up.

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External Deterrents

• Outside, install a gravel 4-foot barrier around the building perimeter. Eliminate vines and ivy.
• Install of screening of all windows and doors.
• Change exterior light fixtures so that they are not fastened to building walls but shine on building from a distance to reduce attraction of other insects to the lights and roaches to the potential entry points on buildings, especially basements.
• Clean gutters and exterior window wells to reduce moisture and debris that attracts roaches.

Roach deterrents

• Install thresholds and rubber flaps to reduce gaps that admit cockroaches, mice and other pests.
• Use steel wool in pipe chases especially drains and sewers.

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Roach monitoring trap

• TRAPPING TIPS: Make your own monitoring traps: Use quart sized mason jars with a slice of white sandwich bread inside and a little apple juice.
• Coat the inner rim of the jar mouth with petroleum jelly and set jars upright in room corners covered with a brown paper bag around the base.
• Leave traps in place for at least one week to provide a very reliable sample of the roach populations.

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Kitchen connection

• The kitchen is where your most likely to find German cockroaches here. Look on the floor underneath and behind sinks, stoves, and other appliances.
• Peer at the back of, and along the interior frame of cabinets and drawers, looking into any spaces.
• Check the back of the refrigerator and the door seals.

Introduction to House Mouse

• World wide, originally from Asia
• Mus musculus – the scientific name
• Adult size: 2 ½ to 3 ¾ inches
• Tail as long as body
• Dusty gray to brown color
• Lighter color belly
• Ears large, eyes small
• Tail semi-naked
• Short broad feet

House mouse

Introduction to Deer Mouse

• Native species of mouse
• Peromyscus (the genus name)
• Adult size: 2 ¾ to 4 inches
• Tail 2 - 5 inches, bi-colored
• Pale gray buff above
• Distinct white belly
• Ears large, eyes larger than house mouse
• Longer feet

Deer mouse, white footed mouse

Norway Rat

• Adult size: 7-9 ½ in
• Tail 6-8 in, shorter than body
• Weight up to 1 lb
• Coarse shaggy brown
• Small eyes
• Small ears (ears can not cover the eyes)

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What else can indicate �mouse vs rat?

• Evidence of their activity is their droppings, their fecal pellets…

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Soft pellets are fresh, very recent activity

Teacher Resource Page

• https://www.canr.msu.edu/ipm/schools-community/schools/resources_1
• https://ipm.ifas.ufl.edu/Education_Extension/Teaching_Resources.html
• https://schoolipm.tamu.edu/forms/information-for-teachers-volunteers/
• https://nysipm.cornell.edu/community/teaching-ipm/
• https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/carpenter-ants

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