Green Pesticides, Natural Pesticides: What Are They and Do They Work?

The term "green" has become a big buzz-word in the pest management industry. So what exactly is a green or natural pesticide? Green or natural pesticides are pesticides derived from substances found in nature. These may include pesticides derived from inorganic minerals - like boric acid, limestone, and diatomaceous earth - as well as pesticides derived from botanicals, such as pyrethrum and limonene. Today, more than ever, people are concerned about the impacts traditional, synthetic pesticides may have on the environment. So it's easy to see why people want to use green pesticides.

What you need to know is that while many green "spray" pesticides work on contact, they have little to no effect once they dry. In other words, they don't persist in the environment for very long; that's part of what makes them "environmentally friendly!" So if you're using a natural or green spray pesticide, for best results, you need to spray the bug directly. This is okay if you're dealing with an occasional cricket, ant, or other insect that wonders in. But in some cases, you may need to use a pesticide that persists a little longer.

Some of the naturally derived dusts, such as boric acid and diatomaceous earth, do have a long-lasting effect (if they are not displaced after application). But NEVER use pool grade diatomaceous earth; it is an inhalation hazard and should only be used for swimming pools. To be sure you're using the right product, only use pesticides registered with the EPA. And you should always use caution when applying dusts. Follow the label instructions carefully and always wear gloves and a dust mask. Indoors, dusts should be applied in cracks & crevices and voids, NOT along baseboards or other open places. Many dusts can be applied outdoors as well, but again, follow the label instructions. To avoid drift, never apply dust in windy conditions. 

Many of the synthetic pesticides also have longer residual activity. There are certain instances when it's necessary to use a pesticide that will persist in the environment for some time. For example, with pests like bed bugs, which spend most of their time hiding in cracks and crevices, a longer-lasting pesticide will most likely be necessary. After all, how can you spray bed bugs directly with a green pesticide if you never see them?

Really, it's a delicate balancing act. So, here's my advice when it comes to using pesticides, whether it be green or synthetic:

• First, take steps to eliminate potential food and water sources, limit harborage areas, and pest-proof buildings to keep pests out.
• Use insect baits preferentially over other pest management products (when dealing with roaches and ants). 
• "Green" spray insecticides can be used as contact sprays to apply directly to insects.
• "Green" insecticidal dusts can be used in cracks & crevices and voids. Always apply dust in a thin, even manner - don't dump it in piles - insects will actually avoid piles of dust. 
• If you deem it's necessary to use a conventional, synthetic pesticide, ALWAYS read and follow the label instructions carefully. Try to limit your applications to cracks & crevices and avoid broadcast applications indoors. This will limit the potential risk of exposure to you and your family. 
• If you're having a severe problem, for example with cockroaches or bed bugs, considering hiring a pest management professional. They will have the expertise and training necessary to effectively manage pests. If you need help selecting a pest control service, see our fact sheet: Tips on Selecting Pest Control Services.

In general, green pesticides are less toxic than conventional, synthetic pesticides. But as with ANY pesticide, green pesticides can be toxic if not used properly. Just because the active ingredient is "all natural," it's not okay to use more or in areas not listed on the label. Always read and follow label instructions, regardless of what type of pesticide you choose.

Insect of the Week - The Camel Cricket

Camel cricket
(Photo: David Cappaert, Michigan State University)

Camel crickets are one of those insects that are just so icky to me! The crickets are so-named because of their slightly hump-backed appearance. Adults are 1"-1.5" long. Their long legs give them a creepy, spider-like appearance. Interestingly, camel crickets do not "sing" or "chirp" like most other crickets do. And unlike other crickets, camel crickets do not have wings as adults.

Camel crickets are usually associated with cool, damp, dark places. Outdoors, they can be found under stones and logs, in stacks of firewood or other debris, or in leaf litter. Areas that are overgrown with thick vegetation, such as ivy and other ground cover provide excellent hiding places. Camel crickets often inhabit moist, humid areas in and around our home, such as crawlspaces, basements, garages, and other indoor areas where moisture may be a problem. A telltale sign of a heavy infestation is the presence of dark fecal smears on surfaces (such as on the floor joist in the picture below).

Like other crickets, camel crickets will invade buildings in the fall seeking suitable places to pass the winter. In these cases, they often remain in basements or crawlspaces and seldom damage items in the home. Although they are mostly a nuisance pest, camel crickets can damage stored items, such as garments and linens packed in boxes in a garage or basement, if the problem goes unchecked for some time and the crickets cannot find suitable food.

Controlling camel crickets.
Because moisture is such an important requirement for camel cricket survival, reducing the number of moist habitats is essential for good, long-term control. Doing what you can to prevent crickets from entering the structure is also important. Following a few simple steps can accomplish both strategies and will go a long way in effectively controlling these crickets.

• Keep weeds and tall grass next to the building mowed.
• If possible, keep mulch, thick ground covers, and shrubs away from the foundation wall.
• Store lumber, fire wood, and other wood piles away from the foundation.
• Make sure windows have screens that fit properly and are not torn.
• Install weather-stripping around all doors and windows.
• Seal small openings on the outside of the home with caulk.
• Install screen on crawlspace and dryer vents.
• Make sure crawlspaces and basements are properly ventilated to reduce moisture.
• Any boxes stored in basements or garages should be stacked away from the wall. If possible, stack the boxes on pallets.
• Camel crickets that make their way inside can be vacuumed up, squashed (yuck), or placed outdoors.
• If you have a cat or dog, they may take care of the camel cricket for you; mine always do!

Protecting Yourself From Bed Bugs When Traveling

Traveling this holiday season? Worried about the possibility of bringing bed bugs back home with you? Fear not! There's no need to be paranoid about bed bugs. However, it is a good idea to be informed and aware. Know what to look for and how to avoid bringing those unwanted hitchhikers home. Before I get into ways to protect yourself from bed bugs, I think it's important that you know a few facts about them:

• Bed bugs DO NOT fly, jump, or burrow into the skin. Bed bugs CRAWL. 
• Bed bugs are great hitchhikers. They easily crawl onto or into luggage, backpacks, clothing, secondhand furniture, etc. 
• Bed bugs don't discriminate. They don't care what color you are, where you live, or how much money you have. If you have blood, they will feed on you. 
• Bed bugs feed primarily at night. They tend to hide in cracks & crevices while they are not feeding. If you are seeing bed bugs during the day, it usually means there is a big infestation. Or you may be seeing a bat bug. If you're not sure, try to collect a sample for identification by a professional. 

Now, let's talk about some ways you can protect yourself from bringing bed bugs home. First, always take a little time to look around the area where you'll be sleeping. Whether it's a hotel room, a condo, a rental home, or even your friend or family's home, take a few moments to do a quick inspection. What do you look for when you're performing an inspection? All kinds of icky stuff, like:

Photo: www.bedbug.me

• Live and dead bed bugs. Adult bed bugs are about 3/16" (about the size of an apple seed), and reddish-brown in color. If they have not eaten recently, bed bugs are flat and broadly oval in shape. Once they have eaten, bed bugs swell and become longer (see photo at right). Bed bugs do not have wings and cannot fly. 
• Shed bed bug skins. In order to grow, an immature bed bug as to shed its old skin. The cast skin will be in the shape of a bed bug but it will be empty and transparent.
• Fecal stains (a.k.a. bed bug poop), which may be seen in and around areas bed bugs are hiding (see photo below).
• A less frequent sign would be reddish colored blood spots on mattresses and bed linens that result after an engorged bed bug is crushed. 

Mattress with bed bugs and fecal stains.

When performing your inspection, start by looking at the mattress, as this is where bed bugs most commonly hide. Remove the sheet and mattress cover, looking carefully along the seams, tufts, and edges of the mattress. Pull the mattress back so you can also take a look at the box springs.

Strip the bed completely to look for bed bugs or signs of bed bugs.
Look carefully at the seams and tufts of the mattress and box springs.
(Photo: http://membracid.wordpress.com)

Next, look carefully around the area where the bed is attached to the wall and around the headboard. The headboard is usually attached to the wall in hotels. If you can, use a flashlight to get a better look at the crack between the headboard and the wall.

Closely examine the area where the bed is attached
to the wall and the area around the headboard.
(Photo: http://membracid.wordpress.com)

Don't forget to check the closet area. Look carefully at areas where racks attach to the wall. 

Look inside the closet where the rack is attached to the wall.
(Photo: http://membracid.wordpress.com)

Don't put your suitcase or other items on the bed or upholstered furniture. Keep your suitcase on a luggage rack instead. But always check the luggage rack for bed bugs before placing your suitcase on it. 

Keep suitcases, backpack, computer bags, etc. off
of beds, sofas, and chairs. Use a luggage rack instead.

Another level of protection might be a luggage liner. These liners are available for purchase online. When they are zipped up, they prevent bed bugs from getting onto your clothing or other items in your suitcase. They do not, however, prevent bed bugs from getting on the exterior of your suitcase.

Use luggage liners to help keep bed bugs out of your suitcase.
Put things that you buy on the trip in sealable plastic bags.

In addition to the suitcase liners, dissolvable luggage bags are available online. Store items you've worn in these bags so they can easily be thrown into the wash once you return. Alternatively, you can keep the clothing you've worn in sealable plastic bags and keep them there until you have a chance to wash them. Just remember to remove your clothing from the bags before washing them if you're not using the dissolvable bags. Another great tool in your defense against the bed bug is the dryer. Placing clothing in the dryer on the highest setting for 30 minutes will kill all stages of bed bugs. Just be careful not to overload the dryer. Otherwise, the heat may not be distributed among the clothing at hot enough temperatures and you may be left with some survivors. And always take time to carefully examine your suitcase before bringing it inside. The garage is a great place to do this. 

Those of you with kids that will be coming home from college may want to take some time to check their suitcases, backpacks, laptop bags, etc. before dumping everything inside. Bed bugs have been found in college dormitories throughout North Carolina. This doesn't mean your child's dorm is infested with bed bugs, but it certainly doesn't hurt to look over items before bringing them inside. 

If you are a pest management professional and have accounts at schools and/or colleges, be aware that students may inadvertently bring bed bugs back to school from their holiday travels. Talk with school/college administrators and just make them aware of this possibility and have a plan of action should you need it. 

As I stated earlier in this post, there is no need to spend your holiday season being paranoid about getting bed bugs. You are now armed with some ways to protect yourself against bed bugs when traveling. So, go eat, drink, and be merry - and have wonderful bed bug free holiday season!

Insect of the Week - Syrphid Flies

Before moving on to this week's insect, let's first reveal last week's mystery insect. All the images of the insects shown in last week's post were flies. That's right, flies!

The fly shown below is a deer ked (Lipoptena depressa), which is a type of Hippobiscid fly. These flies are external parasites that feed on the blood of birds and mammals. Highly specialized claws help them cling to the hair or feathers of their particular host species. Deer keds have wings when they emerge from their puparium, but lose their wings once they find a host.

Photo: Alex Wild (www.alexanderwild.com)

Most of us have seen a house fly (Musca domestica) more times than we'd like, but I bet you haven't seen one emerging from it's puparium. That's what's happening in the photo below. Pretty cool, huh?

Photo: Alex Wild (www.alexanderwild.com)

Many species of flies use their wings for communication. The Ulidiid fly pictured below sports both pigmented spots - visible in the wing silhouetted by the flower petal - and rainbow reflections, visible in the wing against the dark background. Ulidiid flies are sometimes referred to as picture-winged flies because many of them have patterns of bands or spots on the wings. Flies have only two wings as an adult; the hindwing has been reduced to small knobs, called halteres. In the photo below, you can clearly see the haltere, which is the small knob-like structure seen behind the forewing.

Ulidiid fly (Photo: Alex Wild, www.alexanderwild.com)

Adult hover fly visiting a flower
(Photo: Alex Wild, www. alexanderwild.com)

Now on to this week's insect - the syrphid fly. The other two images seen on last week's post were both photos of syrphid flies. These flies are also commonly referred to as hover flies or flower flies. As the common name suggests, adult hover flies can often be seen hovering or "nectaring" at flowers.

Syrphid flies are a large group of medium to large flies, ranging from 1/4 to 3/4 inch long. Most adult syrphid flies are black or brown with yellow banded abdomens and body markings (see photo at left). Many have dense hair covering the body surface. At first glance, these flies often resemble bees and wasps. However, syrphid flies have only two wings, while bees and wasps have four wings. Also, flies have very short antennae that may be difficult to see; the antennae of bees and wasps is longer and more conspicuous.

A predatory syrphid fly larva feeding on an aphid
(Photo: Alex Wild, www.alexanderwild.com)

Syrphid flies are beneficial insects, especially in the garden. Adults feed on the nectar and pollen of flowers, and pollinate plants. The larvae of some species are predaceous, feeding on aphids and other soft-bodied insects (see photo at right).

Cooler Weather Will Drive Rodents Indoors

The National Pest Management Association estimates that rodents invade nearly 21 million homes in the United States each winter. This winter will probably be no exception. Cooler temperatures are in our not-so-distant future. You don't have to share your home with rodents this winter! Following are some simple steps you can take to help prevent these pests from setting up shop in your space.

• Store susceptible food items in airtight glass or plastic containers.
• Items such as bird seed, grass seed, etc. should also be stored in airtight plastic containers as well.
• Dispose of garbage regularly.
• Store garbage properly - in trash cans with lids that fit properly and close tightly.
• Reduce clutter, both indoors and outdoors, to remove potential harborage areas.
• Store items such as clothing, blankets, etc. in plastic sealable containers rather than in cardboard boxes.
• Store firewood at least 20 feet away from the foundation of the home and 5 feet off the ground, if possible.
• Remove piles of rubbish, trash, boxes or other debris.
• If possible, keep dense ground cover or other vegetation at least 12" away from the foundation.
• Seal holes and other openings 1/4" in diameter or larger around the exterior of your home, including areas where utility pipes enter the home. Depending on the size of the opening, caulk, copper mesh, screen, or metal sheets can be used to seal openings.
• Install or replace missing weather stripping around exterior doors.
• Make sure attic and crawlspace vents are screened and that screens are in good repair.

Insect of the Week - What Am I?

This week's insect is a mystery! Take a look at the amazing images below by Alex Wild (http://www.alexanderwild.com) and see if you can figure out what the mystery insect is (all photos shown are the same type of insect). We'll have the answer in next week's "Insect of the Week" posting. Following the photos are a few hints!

The tube-like insect on the right is the insect in question!

Helpful Hints:

• These insects have complete metamorphosis.
• They taste, smell, and feel with the hairs that cover their bodies.
• These insects vomit on food before eating it, so as to soften the meal up.
• This insect may have sponging, lapping, or piercing mouthparts, depending on the species.
• They walk on smooth surfaces using sticky soft pads that act like glue.
• And here's the giveaway: This insect has only two wings as an adult; the hindwing has been reduced to small knobs, called halteres (see last image above).

NCSU Researchers Help Solve Terrible Hairy Fly Mystery

Terrible hairy fly,Mormotomyia hirsuta (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

This summer, researchers Brian Wiegmann and Warren Booth at NCSU helped solve the mystery of the terrible hairy fly. Read article for News & Observer below for all the details:

http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/10/31/1608280/test-results-its-the-terrible.html#storylink=misearch