The information and recommendations in this newsletter are applicable to North Carolina and may not apply in other areas.
The information and recommendations in this newsletter are applicable to North Carolina and may not apply in other areas.
From: Michael G. Waldvogel, Extension Entomologist
A number of pests are starting to awaken for their long winter naps.
Ladybugs Bugging Western North Carolina
Particularly in the west, ladybugs are showing up indoors. I still have no new advice on that front. Vacuum cleaners are still the best weapon against them (i.e., sucking up the beetles, not beating them with the hose). The beetles are starting to move outdoors, but some take a wrong turn and end up inside on the ceiling and windows. I'm guessing that most of these beetles are probably males because they're lost and won't stop to ask for directions.
For the umpteenth time, the beetles are not reproducing indoors. Their offpsring have to have a food source, namely aphids. So, unless you have an extreme abundance of aphid-infested plants in your house, I doubt you're sustaining a viable beetle population indoors.
Our Asian lady beetle publication is available on the web at: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/Insects/Other/goodpest/not107.html.
Clover Mites
Clover mites are quite common this time of year. There is some anecdotal evidence about extensive nitrogen fertilizer use and clover mite problems. This isn't to say that this happens in all/most cases, but certainly the pursuit of the perfect lawn often leads people to use a load of fertilizer. It's a good opportunity to remind folks about getting soil samples done BEFORE they spend a wad of money on bags of fertilizer that may or may not be appropriate or needed for their lawn. Remind people that the red color in the clover mites is a pigment (they'll find that out anyway when they squish some mites indoors and they get that nice red stain). We do have a few callers who assume that these are blood-sucking parasites.
Indoors, control options are limited in terms of spraying. Most of the problems are typically around windows and doors. Spraying the window ledges will help for a while. You can use any of the common household sprays available at the retail stores. Spraying outside around is probably of more use (from a chemical perspective), particularly around the window/door frames, the foundation (the lower 18") and about 2-4 feet of the soil out from the foundation. In these cases, you can use any of the common pesticides, such as Dursban, diazinon, Sevin, or some of the pyrethroids. Some of the products containing cyfluthrin or cypermethrin might work better than Dursban or some of the others since they do have some repellency. Soil treatments require far more water than structural treatments so that you get thorough saturation. One of those garden hose sprayers works probably best in these situations.
Another recommendation is non-chemical: keep a 18-24" vegetation-free zone immediately adjacent to foundation. You can have ornamentals in this area (although shrubs should be out further than that), but not grass, weeds or organic mulch (gravel is acceptable). This is not 100% guaranteed to work, but it is somewhat preferable to all-out chemical warfare. The problem typically stops in about 7-10 days, which is still longer than most people's patience endures.
The Carpenters
A few carpenter bees are starting to show up, particularly in the east. The initial activity is often by males who are busy buzzing about looking for the lady bee of their dreams. The males are often territorial and will actually harass people sitting on wooden park benches or on their porches where the bees were busy last year.
I am still not aware of any pesticides that will provide homeowners with extended protection of their houses against the assaults of the carpenter bees. Again, the major problem is twofold: a) having an effective chemical residue that endures throughout the entire period of bee activity, and b) being able to apply any pesticide to all of the surfaces that need protection, particularly overhead on soffit and fascia boards. Other than swatting the bees, your next best option is to apply a pesticide into active galleries, then seal up the hole. Dust insecticides, such as Sevin Dust, can be quite effective.
Our carpenter bee publication is located at: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/Insects/Urban/carp-bee.htm.
Carpenter ants are also showing up indoors. In many cases, these are simply foraging workers who found their way indoors from a colony in the yard. It is very difficult to pinpoint the source of activity (i.e., the nest). Sometimes, spraying the foundation with diazinon, cypermethrin or another common insecticide will curtail ant activity, which tells you that the ants were probably coming from outdoors. However, if the activity doesn't stop, it does not mean that you have an infestation in the house; you may have missed some spots outside. Spraying indoors may stop the activity temporarily, but it doesn't tell you if you have a real problem on your hands.
Spring is a good time to do a thorough inspection of the house exterior, looking for signs of soft, decaying wood along the roofline and gutters or on the siding. Also, firewood should not be piled up against the house or on the carport slab, etc. Tree limbs should not be touching the house. These are situations that attract carpenter ants and some other ants, as well.
See also: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/Insects/Urban/carpants.htm
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Last modified on March 21, 2000 by Stephen J. Toth, Jr.