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Residences, Structures and Communities |
Millipedes are gaining momentum and people's attention. In past years, millipede invasions were triggered primarily by very dry conditions. This year, we have the opposite situation. The critters are trying to keep their thousand legs somewhat drier so they're hiking to higher ground.
Buildings on slab construction may face more problems in that the millipedes have a somewhat shorter trek up the exterior surface of the slab (or exterior wall if it's a supported slab) and gain entry into the home. However, millipedes are prolific climbers and often make their way up to the second floor and even the roof of a house.
Quite commonly, you will find millipedes (alive or dead) along the walls indoors. If you pull back the carpeting, you will often find more millipedes underneath and you now have to contend with them as well as figure out how to tack the carpeting back down so it looks as good as when it was done professionally. Millipedes do not survive very long indoors, but typically long enough to raise the frustration level of the homeowner. You'll also find that they invade other areas where moisture tends to accumulate, usually crawlspaces, basements and garages. Homeowners often find piles of dead millipedes outdoors along walls and on driveways.
When I've spoken to some of the pest control companies about millipede control, I get the usual mix of this works and this hasn't worked. The problem is that I hear the same chemicals mentioned in both categories. In drier years, I typically attribute this disparity to the differences in spray volume applied to a site. Dry mulch or soil surfaces tie up a lot of the chemical and it doesn't have an impact on the millipedes. In contrast for this year, the problem is more likely that the chemical is being displaced by heavy rains.
If homeowners want to try to treating their property themselves, then given the amount of soil moisture we have around the outside of homes, granular insecticides (such as those made by Bayer Advanced, Ortho or Spectracide) might be good choices. Avoid applying granulars if the grass is wet from rain or dew because the chemical is likely to get stuck up on the foliage and not reach the soil where it belongs.
Under drier conditions, I would suggest using a garden hose sprayer in order to get the necessary coverage and volume. If there is a thick layer of dry mulch around the house at that might, it needs to be pulled back at least 3 feet so the soil underneath can be treated. Most treatment areas consist of about 3 to 5 feet around the house, plus about 2 feet of the foundation wall as well. Any of the common outdoor insecticides that you find at the common retail and garden center can be used. Again, the most common (but not only) brands are Bayer, Ortho and Spectracide. Some people use dust formulations (e.g., dust formulations of Sevin or permethrin) to make barriers around the outside of their homes. My reservation about this approach has to do with children and pets that might come into contact with these chemicals.
As for indoors, that's somewhat of a losing battle if you try a conventional baseboard sprays. You will see dead millipedes, but there is a good chance that they would have died regardless of any chemical simply because it's too dry indoors. Vacuuming up dead millipedes is the best approach and, particularly in western and central North Carolina, it will get people into shape for the fall invasion of Asian lady beetles.
If the problem is severe indoors and someone wants to try spraying, the best approach is probably a crack and crevice treatment along the baseboard using one of products that has a straw-like injector tips (similar to a can of WD-40). Most of the retail stores have one of several brands.
The following link takes you to a press release issued on July 1 by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) concerning Formosan subterranean termites in Rutherford County, North Carolina: http://insects.ncsu.edu/Urban/termites/formosanPR.htm.
Many people have heard about this termite which has caused extensive damage in Louisiana's French Quarter, parts of Charleston, South Carolina, and in other states. To date, we have no reason to suspect that the Formosan termite is infesting any other areas of North Carolina, or for that matter, areas of Rutherford county except around Rutherfordton and Spindale. An infestation in Brunswick county in the early 1990s was the result of infested landscape timbers brought into the area. Those timbers were subsequently buried in a nearby landfill, but there have been no indications of other infestations in that general area since then and one of the local pest control operators has routinely inspected homes in the vicinity.
We're not looking to point a finger at the likely source of the infestations. The common theme with all of the currently-known infestations is that they're all adjacent to or near the railroad tracks and other infested states have suggested a tie (no pun intended) to railroad ties. We did find termites infesting railroad ties along a now-abandoned section of rail in the community of Ruth.
The bottom line here is that we don't want people to panic and feel like they need to have their houses treated immediately. What they should do is arrange to have their homes inspected. Further, people should not be pressured into having their homes treated because of this problem if there is no indication that they do not have termites infesting their homes. Pest control companies cannot tell people that treatments are needed without there being some indication of an infestation. However, the choice to have the house treated is entirely up to the homeowner, but they should be smart consumers and get three estimates. If consumers feel like a company is exerting pressure on them to sign a contract, they should contact the NCDA&CS at 919-733-6100. Also, if people do sign a contract, they should read it carefully because some companies have warranties that specifically exclude Formosan termites.
Inevitably, the question arises as to which method is better: the standard soil treatment with a liquid or the baiting systems. This is the proverbial apples and oranges comparison. There is no way to say one works distinctly better. As for the choice of liquid products, I don't recommend one over the other. Currently, the two top selling liquid termiticides are Premise and Termidor.
Much of this information, including a discussion of the baiting systems and a list of currently-approved termiticides can be found on our web site at: http://insects.ncsu.edu/Urban/wood.htm.
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry has a web site with links to several other good pieces of information about Formosan termites and the U. S. Department of Agriculture's program to stop their spread: http://www.ldaf.state.la.us/divisions/aes/pesticide-ep/fti/default.asp.
Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.
Last modified on July 7, 2003 by Stephen J. Toth, Jr.