“WHAT’S HAPPENING

“WHAT’S HAPPENING?”

The University of Tennessee/Agricultural Extension Service

Entomology & Plant Pathology - EPP #60

Volume No.13 - September 10, 2004

IMPORTED FIRE ANT (IFA) INSPECTION OF HAY AT 2004 FAIRS

by Karen Vail, Pat Parkman, Tahir Rashid and Beth Long,

We wanted to remind you that hay is a regulated item in the imported fire ant (IFA) quarantine. If you are bringing hay to a county or other fair, and the hay is from a quarantined county, it must be inspected, determined to be free of IFA and accompanied by a permit, prior to movement. Hay must have been stored off the ground to be shipped. If hay was stacked, as long as it was not the bottom tier of hay, it would be considered as being stacked off the ground. Gray Haun, TDA Plant Certification Section Administrator, is making an exception to the inspection process with regards to the hay to accompany animals at county fairs. He is allowing county Extension agents to inspect this, and only this, hay and sign the permit. The permit was e-mailed to all agricultural and youth development Extension agents. If you did not receive the permit and need another copy, please contact Karen Vail at kvail@utk.edu. Gray suggests that you use the date and add one number starting with 1 for the permit number. For example, I would use 90804-1 for the first permit I was to sign today, the second permit number would be 90804-2, etc. After your fair season is completed, Gray would like you to send him the number of permits that you completed. Gray Haun can be reached at Walker.Haun@state.tn.us, by phone at (615)-837-5338, or by fax at (615)-837-5246.

More information on regulations pertaining to imported fire ants can be found at Tennessee Department of Agriculture's Imported Fire Ants Web site (http://www.state.tn.us/agriculture/regulate/plants/ifa.html):

$Tennessee Imported Fire Ant Quarantine Rule Tennessee Chapter 0080-6-19 (http://www.state.tn.us/sos/rules/0080/0080-06/0080-06-19.pdf)

$Materials Regulated By The Imported Fire Ant Quarantine

$Requirements For Growers Concerning The Imported Fire Ant Quarantine

$Transportation Of Regulated Items From Quarantined To Non-quarantined Areas

$IFA Hay Advisory (http://www.state.tn.us/agriculture/regulate/plants/ifa99.pdf)

(Note the list of quarantined counties is outdated.)

$Consequences Of Breaking The Imported Fire Ant Quarantine

$What Can I Do If I Buy Products Infested With Imported Fire Ants?

The TN IFA quarantine has been expanded this year to include 4 new counties. The new quarantine is listed under Updates on the left scroll bar and in the Introduction of the UT Extension Imported Fire Ants in Tennessee web site (http://fireants.utk.edu).

STORING CORN

by Russ Patrick

Corn harvest in up and running and several people asked what could they do to keep insects out. Since we no

longer have Chloropicrin, use Tempo SC Ultra or the formulation you can get and treat the empty bins. Use at

least 20 gallons of mixture per 5000 bushel sized bin. I have been using Insecto(diatomaceous earth) in them

to assist in keeping insects under the flooring under some kind of control. The only product to treat the grain

is Actellic 5E which is quite expensive($891.00 per gallon). Figure this at a rate of 10 ounces mixed in 5 gallons of water for every 1000 bushels of corn and you will get an approximate cost per bushel. This product is a good material to use but at that price it will be up to you to purchase. I have had over 10 years of experience using it and it has always worked well. It is sad that the costs has risen so high.

ASIAN WOOLLY HACKBERRY APHIDS

by Frank A. Hale

If you have had calls about tiny white, fluffy insects floating about, it is probably the Asian woolly hackberry aphid. Like many introduced pests, we do not know how it got here but it sure likes our hackberry and sugarberry trees. This pest was first found in the western hemisphere in Georgia in 1996 followed by Florida and Alabama in 1997. Our first reports were from Moore County in September of 2001. The winged forms were flying around and hackberry and sugarberry trees were black from sooty mold. It produces copious amounts of honeydew that drips off the leaves. A black sooty mold grows on this sugary substrate. Anything beneath the infested trees such as lawn furniture, wooden decks, Children's toys, flower pots and even the flowers and foliage plants become covered with sooty mold. Since then, this pest has been found in many parts of the state from Maury, Williamson, Davidson Counties in Middle Tennessee to as far as Lake County in the northwestern corner of the state and Knox and Hamblen Counties in the east.

These aphids build up during the spring and summer. We found nonwinged individuals here at the Ellington Agricultural Center on April 29 of this year. Usually by late August and early September, this pest is quite evident. The sooty mold has turned the tree black and winged forms are flying. Fortunately, it does not seem to significantly harm the tree. It is thus considered a nuisance pest, especially if an infested tree shades your deck.

It is probably too late to try to control this pest this summer. Control is best achieved by using the systemic insecticide imidacloprid. Available as Merit 75 WP or Bayer Advanced Garden Tree & Shrub Insect Control, a soil applied drench in late winter or early spring will be taken up into the tree to protect it through the spring and summer. Imidacloprid can also be injected into the tree trunk in late spring or early summer by trained landscape professionals using Imicide by the J. J. Mauget Company.

FALL ARMYWORMS IN BERMUDA(FESCUE AS WELL)

by Russ Patrick

It is that time of the year when green grasses appear to be on the food menu for this pest. Steve Glass reported

a large number of larvae infesting some bermuda grass in Decatur County. It is not unusual for this to occur

in the beginning of the fall. These little pests will be with us until a good freeze kills them. Newly sowed grasses seem to be on their diet more than the older grasses but not altogether.

As it has happened we had a good product called Tracer which we received a couple of Section 18s with the

stipulation that the company would obtain a full label for use on forages. However, this has not come to pass

and I am at a loss as to why they did not proceed to obtain one. All we have to use on bermuda and fescue

are Sevin XLR, Methyl Parathion and Lannate LV. None of these products worked as well as Tracer in all

my demonstrations. There you have it as to what we can use to control them. The larvae Steve described were

2/3 inches in length. If you have such a problem bring it to our attention.

PESTICIDE TRADE NAMES FOR HOME AND GARDEN INSECT PESTS

by Karen M. Vail

It has come to my attention that some of the county Extension agents are unaware that the trade names for most consumer pesticides and some professional pesticides are listed in a table at the end of the following chapters of the PB1690 2004 Insect and Plant Disease Control Manual a.k.a. the E&PP Redbook:

In Tennessee, 11 species of yellowjacket wasps can be found. These wasps are often considered beneficial as predators of crop pests; however, in late summer they can be pests due to their stinging behavior.

Wasp, hornet and yellowjacket stings can be a serious health threat to animals and humans, especially if a person being stung is allergic to yellowjacket venom. Yellowjackets are often considered the most dangerous stinging insects in the United States. They are more unpredictable than honey bees and will sting readily if the nest is disturbed. Workers foraging away from their nest are seldom aggressive in the spring or early summer, but in late summer they become more defensive. Nests should be eliminated with great care and in a specific manner. While many people rely on specific methods, such as dousing nests with gasoline or a garden hose, these remedies are not recommended, and may result in multiple stings.

Yellowjackets scavenge widely for sources of nutrition. Foods, such as meats that contain proteins, are more commonly collected in the spring and summer to feed developing larvae. During late summer and fall, yellowjacket colonies are near maturity and large numbers of workers forage for food. Sweets support large populations of foraging wasps. They are particularly fond of sweets (e.g., fruit, soft drinks, ice cream, beer), but they will also eat meats, potato salad and just about anything we eat.

Identification

Most people do not need a description of yellowjackets. They have unfortunately witnessed a stinging event or have observed the wasps foraging. Table 1 in SP341M Yellowjacket Wasps in Tennessee provides information about the species known to occur in Tennessee. Species in the genus Dolichovespula, including the bald-faced hornet, have white and black markings and construct aerial nests. Species in the genus Vespula have yellow and black markings and usually nest underground. All Dolichvespula and some Vespula (V. consobrina, V. videa, and V. squamosa) collect only live prey, while other Vespula, including V. flavopilosa, V. maculifrons, and V. vulgaris, often become scavengers. These three scavenger species are more important pests than other species at picnics and outdoor activities where foods, especially sweets, are present.

Most literature reports that yellowjackets do not leave stingers behind at the sting site; however, UT researchers (JAS) found that V. flavopilosa did leave stingers behind. A physician treating a victim removed several hundred stingers and assumed they were from honey bees. After examining the stingers and identifying specimens from the site where the stinging occurred it was concluded that V. flavopilosa was responsible.

Biology

Yellowjackets form annual colonies in Tennessee. The colony grows rapidly and contains up to 4000 workers by the end of summer. New males and queens are produced in late summer to early fall. Workers, males and the old queen die and the newly fertilized queens seek sheltered overwintering sites. Abandoned nests are not re-used and soon disintegrate.

Yellowjacket nests are often located underground in old rodent burrows or beneath rocks or landscape timbers. Yellowjackets also build nests in walls, attics, crawlspaces and behind the siding of buildings.

Managing the nest:

Insecticides - Elimination of yellowjackets is best accomplished by locating and applying pesticides to kill nest mates. However, with foraging yellowjackets this is often impractical, because nests may be located several hundred yards away. Inspect the area around homes for nests. Do this during the daytime, when yellowjackets are entering and exiting the nest opening. Nest sites typically are located underground in an abandoned rodent burrow, beneath rocks or landscape timbers, or in a stone wall or wall of a building.

Treatment should be performed at night when temperatures have decreased, and when most of the yellowjackets are in the nest and less active. Yellowjackets are extremely defensive when the nest is disturbed. Mark the nest opening during the daytime, so you will know where to direct your treatment after dark. If there is more than one opening, all but one must be sealed. Approach the nest slowly and do not shine the beam of your flashlight directly into the nest entrance as this may stimulate the wasps; instead, cast the beam to the side to illuminate the nest indirectly. Placing red cellophane or acetate over the flashlight lens will make the light less stimulative to the wasps. If possible, place the light on the ground rather than in your hand. Apply the insecticide to the nest opening and then seal this last opening.

Insecticide dust formulations, such as Drione (pyrethrins and silica gel), Deltadust (deltamethrin), Sevin (carbaryl) or Apicide (carbaryl) are especially effective provided a hand duster or similar application device is used to dispense several puffs of the dust into the nest opening. A dry, empty, liquid detergent bottle filled no more than halfway with dust and shaken before dispensing works fairly well in lieu of a commercial duster. A few pebbles or marbles added to the bottom of the bottle prevent the dust from caking. Ensure the area to be treated is listed on the pesticide label.

Homeowners should seek a pest control professional, particularly when access to the nest is difficult. Wasp, hornet and yellowjacket stings can be life-threatening to persons who are allergic to the venom. People who experience extensive swelling, hives, dizziness, difficulty breathing or swallowing, wheezing or similar symptoms of allergic reaction should seek medical attention immediately. Itching, pain and localized swelling can be reduced with antihistamines and an ice pack.

Managing foraging yellowjackets:

1. Sanitation - The best way to reduce the threat of foraging yellowjackets is to minimize attractive food sources. People eating outdoors should keep food and beverages covered until ready to be consumed. Promptly clean up spills and leftovers. Equip trash cans with tight-fitting, self-closing lids. Trash cans and dumpsters should be located away from serving tables, doors and other high-traffic areas. Trash cans should be equipped with a plastic liner and emptied and cleaned frequently. This strategy is especially useful for parks and other outdoor recreation areas. Apples and other fruits fallen from trees should be raked and discarded.

2. Avoidance - Combined with sanitation, avoidance is the best advice in most situations. Yellowjackets foraging away from their nests are seldom aggressive and usually will not sting unless provoked. People should resist the temptation to "swat" at the wasps; most stings occur when foragers are slapped or trapped against skin. Be extremely careful when drinking from beverage cans into which a foraging yellowjacket may have crawled. Swelling resulting from a wasp sting inside the mouth can be life threatening. Avoidance may also be the best advice if a yellowjacket, hornet or bumble bee nest is located in a tree or other out-of-the-way location. Yellowjacket colonies die off on their own in late autumn with the onset of cold weather, usually after the second hard frost.

3. Traps - While only of marginal benefit, yellowjacket traps can catch impressive numbers of wasps when properly baited and positioned. Business establishments such as outdoor cafes may find such traps worthwhile when used in conjunction with sanitation and other approaches. Fruit juice or jelly has been an effective attractant. Traps should be placed at the outer perimeter of the area you wish to protect.

Modified from:

Akre, R., A. Greene, J. MacDonald, P. Landolt, and H. Davis. 1981. The Yellowjackets of America North of Mexico.

Potter, M. 1998. The Yellowjackets Are Coming, Kentucky Pest News, University of Kentucky, 8/31/98.

Potter, M. and M. Beaver. 1996. Wasps, Hornets, and Yellowjackets. In Public Health Pest Control, University of Kentucky.

Vail, K.M. and J. A. Skinner. SP341M Yellowjacket Wasps in Tennessee. The University of Tennessee Extension, http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/pests/default.asp#home

METH-O-GAS S100 & BROMO-O-GAS

by Gene Burgess

Great Lakes Chemical has discontinued the Metho-O-Gas 100 and Brom-O-Gas 1.5 -pound can package. However, these products (or similar formulations) are available in cylinders, which start at a net weight of 50 pounds. There are two methods of dispensing the correct dosage from a cylinder when using less than a full cylinder amount for an application.

The first method is to use a suitable weight scale that can measure an accurate weight of fumigant by weight difference. The second method is to use a 5-lb methyl bromide dispenser. The dispenser attaches to the cylinder valve outlet and has a calibrated sight-glass (weight/volume), which allows you to dispense the fumigant in 0.5 lb increments. Check with the Meth-O-Gas supplier for availability and price.

Information from Great Lakes Chemical Corporation.

STATUS OF REVISED CORE MANUAL

by Gene Burgess

The revised national CORE manual is supposed to be ready by the first of next year. At that time we will take the training materials developed for the revised CORE and adapt for use in Tennessee. Hopefully, we will have new Private Applicator training materials for all counties sometime in the first few months of 2005. Keep your fingers crossed. the revised CORE was scheduled to have already been finished.

COMMERCIAL APPLICATOR SEMINARS BY ITV

by Gene Burgess

We are still conducting training in CORE, C7 (Household and Structural Pest Control) and C3 (Ornamental & Turf Pest Control) the first Wednesday of each month in Knoxville. The program is down-linked to ETSU, UT Chattanooga, UT Extension District office in Nashville, and the West Tennessee Center in Jackson by Interactive Television. Unfortunately, we have to pay for ITV. It takes the registration fee of about seven people to pay for each downlink. Therefore, preregistration is a must at the outlying sites. However, because some sites are cancelled, it would be better for those attending the outlying sites to preregister but pay on site. Then, they would not have to wait several weeks for a refund. But, we need to definitely know that they will be attending the meeting.

PSEP HOTLINE, 865-974-0875

by Gene Burgess

Anyone can call this hotline any time day or night and find out information about the certification, recertification and licensing processes in Tennnessee.

HOW TO ORDER PSEP MANUALS & REGISTER FOR PSEP SEMINARS

by Gene Burgess

Commercial Applicator pesticide certification and licensing study materials may be ordered and registration for CA initial certification (CORE, C7 & C3) and CA recertification seminars may be done several different ways,

which are as follows:

E-Commerce: http://ecommerce.cas.utk.edu/agstore

By snail mail: Send a check or money order.

By phone: Use MasterCard or Visa.

EARN RECERTIFICATION POINTS FROM PRIVATE APPLICATOR TAPES

by Gene Burgess

Commercial Applicators may earn points from the Private Applicator training materials. One point may be earned from the PA initial certification tape and two points from the three PA recertification tapes. Form EPP Info #217 CART A&B should be used. The form with the funds are sent to the PSEP office and then 50% of the revenue is credited back to the respective county. Commercial Applicators may earn points from these tapes once per year.

Disclaimer Statement

Pesticides recommended in this publication were registered for the prescribed uses when printed. Pesticide regulations are continuously reviewed.

Should registration or a recommended pesticide be canceled, it would no longer be recommended by

The University of Tennessee.

Use of trade or brand names in this publication is for clarity and information; it does not imply approval of the product to the exclusion of others that may be of similar, suitable composition, nor does it guarantee or warrant the standard of the product.

The Agricultural Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, age, national origin, sex, veteran status, religion or disability and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WORK IN AGRICULTURE AND HOME ECONOMICS

The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture,

and county governments cooperating in furtherance of Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914.

Agricultural Extension Service Charles L. Norman, Dean