“WHAT’S HAPPENING?”

The University of Tennessee/Agricultural Extension Service

Entomology & Plant Pathology - EPP #60

Volume No.6 - May 7, 2004

EPP/PSEP INFORMATION HOT LINE

by Gene Burgess

Anyone who has questions concerning pesticide certification and/or licensing process, may call the Entomology & Plant Pathology (EPP)/Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) Information Hot Line at 865/974-0875.

The hot line will address the following topics:

1. Information on how to order pesticide certification and licensing study materials and the source of PSEP publications and forms.

2. Information as to whether you need to be certified, licensed or chartered.

3. Information on certification categories and study materials to order.

4. Information about the various licensing categories and study materials to order.

5. Information on the Recertification process.

6. Information about the licensing process of Pest Control Operators.

APICIDE® - A CARBARYL PRODUCT FOR CARPENTER BEES IS REGISTERED IN TENNESSEE

by Karen M. Vail

In the "What’s Happening newsletter article (April 30, 2004 Vol.5) on carpenter bees I stated, In the past, many fact sheets referred to the use of Sevin (carbaryl) for control of carpenter bees; however, I have not been able to locate a Sevin label that listed wood as a use site.

However, on March 2, 2004, Mystic Chemical Company was awarded registration of Apicide® by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. Apicide® is a 5% carbaryl dust that can be used against carpenter bees, yellowjackets and hornets. Under extreme circumstances when honey bees are a threat to people and pets, and a beekeeper cannot be located to remove a swarm, bees in walls can also be treated with Apicide®. Honey bee removal is a very complicated matter. Please refer to the Apicide label and John Skinner’s UT Extension publication PB 1508, Honey bees in a Wall! What can be done? (http://eppserver.ag.utk.edu/Bees/test/Intro.html).

According to the web site, (http://www.apicide.com/), Apicide® can be purchased in Tennessee at Forshaw or Univar which distributes pesticides to professionals. Currently, the general public can order Apicide® by e-mailing Sales@Apicide.com or by calling 1-800-522-3245. In the future, Mystic Chemical Company hopes to make this product available to homeowners through small home and garden stores.

CONTROL RECOMMENDATION MANUAL AVAILABLE

by Beth Long

The 2004 Insect and Plant Disease Control Manual (PB 1690) is now available for purchase in a spiral bound version from the UT Publication and Supply office at a cost of $40 each. The manual is also available on CD at a cost of $15. An order form can be found on the web located at http://eppserver.ag.utk.edu/redbook/pdf/redbookorderform.pdf or credit card orders may be taken over the phone at (865) 974-7300.

Please let your clientele know that this updated information is available for free over the web located at http://eppserver.ag.utk.edu/redbook/redbook.htm or may be purchased.

District Program Leaders have given me an updated list of agents who are to receive a free spiral bound manual. These manuals have been sent through the Friday interoffice mail to each agent with adult agriculture responsibilities. All agents and specialists who work in agriculture should have received a free CD containing the manual information. If additional CD’s are needed, please let me know.

NEW UT FIRE ANT WEB SITE LAUNCHED!!!!

by Karen Vail, Pat Parkman and Tahir Rashid

Please see our newly launched fire ant web site, Imported Fire Ants in Tennessee (http://fireants.utk.edu) for information on fire ant identification, biology, impact, management, research, publications, demonstrations, and the Fire Ant Research and Education Team (FARET); downloadable presentations for extension agents (under construction); links; and updates/news. Many thanks to Joey Morton for designing the layout and for producing this fact-filled web site. If you find this web site is lacking information or have any suggestions regarding the web site, please contact Joey at hmorton@utk.edu.

A QUICK CHECK FOR CICADAS

by Frank A. Hale

Brood X is due to emerge soon and many people are still not sure if they should be expecting them or not. While most of East Tennessee will have them, most of the Middle and West Tennessee Counties will not. One easy way to check is to look beneath older trees for dozens of the 3/8 to ½ inch diameter holes or sometimes the mud tubes or mounds. The cicadas make these exit holes and mounds prior to their actual emergence. When the time comes, they will crawl relatively unobstructed to the surface, grab onto an object and molt to the adult stage. If you dig 4-6 inches in the soil beneath trees, you can observe the nymphs. The nymphs should be about one inch long if you are going to have an emergence this May. What we found instead when digging at the Ellington Agricultural Center in Nashville was much smaller 3/8 inch long nymphs. These are the 6-year-old nymphs from Brood XIX of the 13-year periodical cicadas that emerged in 1998. They have seven more years to grow before they emerge in 2011.

GIANT NATIVE SILK MOTHS AND FIERY SEARCHERS

by Frank A. Hale

Polyphemus and cecropia moths have emerged from their overwintering cocoons. The polyphemus moth, Antheraea polyphemus, derives its name from the one-eyed giant Polyphemus of Greek mythology. Each wing has a single transparent eyespot (hyaline area). The eyespot on each hind wing is larger and outlined with yellow, then white or blue surrounded by black scales. This beautiful moth has a cinnamon brown body and wings with some gray on the front edge and some broken pink tracings. They will lay their eggs on birch, maple, chestnut, willow or one of many other deciduous trees and shrubs. The caterpillar is pale green and will reach nearly four inches in length.

The cecropia moth, Hyalophora cecropia, is called the robin moth in England because of its dark red-brown coloration. Its wingspread often reaches more than 6 inches. It has a dark eyespot near the outer tips of the forewings. Each wing has a crescent-shaped hyaline area. The antennae of the males are especially bushy. The larvae are equally impressive large green caterpillars with four orange tubercles (sometimes yellow or red) on the segments of the thorax and many small blue and yellow ones on the other segments.

Fiery searchers are a type of large ground beetle that has metallic green elytra (wing covers). These can fly but are usually seen at night running across the ground in search of prey. They have been reported being seen in very high numbers. You can often see them in well lit areas like gas station lots where they feed on moths and other insects attracted to the lights each night. They also feed on cutworms and other caterpillars possibly including eastern tent caterpillars moving to the ground to pupate and fall and spring cankerworms falling out of the trees to the ground, all of which have been plentyful.

CHECK USE SITES BEFORE APPLYING FIRE ANT PRODUCTS

by Karen M. Vail

As we’ve been traveling around the state looking for fire ant demonstration sites, we’ve realized that many folks don’t realize that fire ant products are limited in where they can be applied. For instance, very few products are labeled for pasture. Extinguish (methoprene), AmdroPro, ProBait and SeigePro (hydramethylnon) and Justice (spinosad) are fire ant baits labeled for use in pastures. The hydramethylnon and methoprene baits can be broadcasted in pastures while spinosad bait is applied to individual mounds. Sevin is the only product, that I am aware of, that is labeled for use as a drench in pastures. Orthene (acephate), Dursban (chlorpyrifos) and OverN’Out (fipronil) are not labeled for fire ant management in pastures. The fire ant recommendations that I list in the 2004 Insect and Disease Control Manual (Redbook, http://eppserver.ag.utk.edu/redbook/redbook.htm) in the Insect Control Home Lawns Section refer to products that can be used on lawns and not necessarily pastures.

Please see our newly launched fire ant web site (http://fireants.utk.edu) for more information on fire ants.

MOLINATE, CANCELLATION ORDER IS ISSUED

by Gene Burgess

In a Federal Register notice published on April 7, 2004, EPA announced its approval of requests by Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc. and Helm Agro US, Inc. to voluntarily cancel and amend the registrations of all of their products containing molinate, and to gradually reduce the amount of molinate that may be sold and distributed until the cancellation becomes effective on June 30, 2008. A thiocarbamate herbicide, molinate is used primarily for controlling water grass in rice. Rice is grown in California and the South Central/Southeastern states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. In addition to the voluntary cancellations, Syngenta and Helm requested modifications to the terms and conditions of their molinate product registrations to limit the maximum amount of molinate that may be sold and distributed during 2004, 2005, and 2006 to the 2002 sales level, and decrease the amount to 75% of the 2002 sales level in 2007 and to 50% in 2008. Under the existing stocks provisions, no use of molinate will be permitted after the 2009 growing season ending August 31, 2009. Syngenta and Helm will provide annual production and sales reports to EPA in 2004 through 2009, and inventory reports for 2007 through 2009.

EPA responded to comments on the voluntary cancellation requests submitted by the Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Both commenters strongly support the molinate cancellation, but are concerned that the phase out period is too long and will permit ongoing harm to the environment and human health. They are concerned that the Agency is not requiring risk mitigation during the phase-out to address molinate exposure in ambient air. EPA believes the voluntary agreement achieves more timely risk mitigation than would have been achieved through a regulatory process.

The molinate cancellation order is available on EPA’s website at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2004/April/Day-07/p7868.htm.

Additional information about EPA’s review of molinate is available at http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/reregistration/molinate/ .

GERANIOL, EXEMPTION FROM THE REQUIREMENT OF A TOLERANCE

by Gene Burgess

This final rule establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of geraniol on all food commodity when applied/used to control Tetranychid mites. Natural Plant Protection S.A. submitted a petition to EPA requesting an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of geraniol. Comments: This regulation is effective April 28, 2004. Objections and requests for hearings, identified by docket ID number OPP-2004-0068, must be received on or before June 28, 2004. Federal Register, Volume 69, Number 82, Pages 23146-23151

http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2004/April/Day-28/p9577.htm

Contact: Raderrio Wilkins, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division (7511C), telephone

number: (703) 308-1259; e-mail address: wilkins.raderrio@epa.gov.*

TOLERANCE EXEMPTIONS FOR ACTIVE AND INERT INGREDIENTS FOR USE IN ANTIMICROBIAL FORMULATIONS (FOOD-CONTACT SURFACE SANITIZING SOLUTIONS)

by Gene Burgess

EPA is adding a new section to part 180 to list the pesticide chemicals that are exempt from the requirement of a tolerance when used in food-contact surface sanitizing solutions. This list of exempt pesticide chemicals is duplicated from the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) regulations in 21 CFR 178.1010. For some of

these chemical substances, EPA's list will use naming conventions differing from those used by FDA. Additionally, EPA is redesignating/ reorganizing Sec.180.1001. This section of CFR will be split into five

separate sections with no changes in text or content.

Comments: This final rule is effective on April 28, 2004.EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID number OPP-2003-0368. Federal Register, Volume 69, Number 82, Pages 23113-23142

http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2004/April/Day-28/p9578.htm

Contact: Kathryn Boyle, Registration Division (7505C), Office of Pesticide Programs, telephone

number: (703) 305-6304; fax number: (703) 305-0599; e-mail address: boyle.kathryn@epa.gov.*

DO I HAVE TO BE CERTIFIED?

by Gene Burgess

The University of Tennessee, Pesticide Safety Education Program, PSEP, covers pesticide certification, recertification and licensing of pesticide applicators and pest control operators.

Another frequently asked question in this program is: Do I need to be certified?

In order to use or supervise the use of restricted-use pesticides, one has to be certified as a Private or Commercial Applicator or working under the direct supervision of a certified applicator. In order for one to qualify as actively supervising, they must be within a 120 mile radius of the work being performed. Certification does not allow one to apply a pesticide for a fee. In order to buy a restricted-use pesticide in Tennessee, the individual purchasing the pesticide must be certified as a Private or Commercial Applicator. A dealer must be certified as a Commercial Applicator in Category 12.

FENPYROXIMATE, TIME-LIMITED PESTICIDE TOLERANCE EXTENSION

by Gene Burgess

This document proposes the extension of time-limited tolerances for the combined residues of fenpyroximate benzoic acid in or on wine grapes and hops.

Comments: Comments, identified by Docket ID No. OPP-2004-0091 must be received on or before June 28, 2004.

Federal Register, Volume 69, Number 82, Pages 23163-23165

http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2004/April/Day-28/p9614.htm

Contact: Melody Banks, Registration Division (7505C), Office of Pesticide Programs, telephone number: (703) 305-5413; fax number: (703)305-6596; e-mail address: banks.melody@epa.gov.*

CITRONELLOL, EXEMPTION FROM THE REQUIREMENT OF A TOLERANCE

by Gene Burgess

This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of the citronellol on all food commodity when applied/used to control Tetranychid mites. Natural Plant Protection S.A. submitted a petition to EPA requesting an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of citronellol.

Comments: This regulation is effective April 28, 2004. Objections and requests for hearings, identified by docket ID number OPP-2004-0067,must be received on or before June 28, 2004. Federal Register, Volume 69, Number 82, Pages 23142-23146 http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2004/April/Day-28/p9618.htm

Contact: Raderrio Wilkins, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division (7511C), Environmental Protection Agency, telephone number: (703) 308-1259; e-mail address: Wilkins.Raderrio@epa.gov.*

ZONIXTM BIOFUNGICIDE REGISTRATION APPROVAL

by Gene Burgess

This notice announces Agency approval of an application to register the pesticide product ZONIXTM Biofungicide containing an active ingredient not included in any previously registered product. EPA issued a notice, published in the Federal Register of May 7, 2003 (68 FR 24456) (FRL-7304-3), which announced that Jeneil Biosurfactant Company, had submitted an application to register the pesticide product, ZONIXTM Biofungicide, a biochemical fungicide containing the new active ingredient, rhamnolipid biosurfactant. The application was approved on March 23, 2004, as ZONIXTM Biofungicide for the prevention and control of zoosporic pathogenic fungi in agricultural, horticultural and turf settings. Chemical(s): Rhamnolipid biosurfactant

Comments: EPA has established an official public docket for this action under docket identification (ID) number OPP-2004-0104.

Federal Register, Volume 69, Number 82, Pages 23197-23198

http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2004/April/Day-28/p9619.htm

Contact: Denise Greenway, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division (7511C), Office of Pesticide Programs, telephone number: (703)

308-8263; e-mail address:

greenway.denise@epa.gov. *

CARBOXIN, RISK ASSESSMENTS

by Gene Burgess

This notice announces the availability of EPA's preliminary risk assessments and related documents for the pesticide seed treatment, carboxin, and opens a public comment period on these documents. Comments: Comments, identified by docket indentification (ID) number OPP-2004-0124, must be received on or before June 28, 2004. Federal Register, Volume 69, Number 82, Pages 23194-23197 http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2004/April/Day-28/p9620.htm

Contact: Dirk V. Helder, Special Review and Reregistration Division

(7508C), Office of Pesticide Programs, telephone number: (703) 305-4610;

fax number: (703) 308-8041; e-mail address: helder.dirk@epa.gov. *

DRAFT GUIDANCE ON LABELING STATEMENTS ON PRODUCTS USED FOR ADULT MOSQUITO CONTROL

by Gene Burgess

The Agency seeks public comment on a draft Pesticide Registration (PR) Notice entitled ``Labeling Statements on Products Used for Adult Mosquito Control.'' This draft PR Notice provides guidance to registrants and others concerning EPA's policy on labeling statements for pesticide products used for wide-area applications to

control adult mosquitoes. The specific label statements and label organization principles recommended in the draft PR Notice are intended to improve existing labels by clarifying language conveying environmental hazards posed by these products, as well as specific use directions and instructions to the applicators. The Agency believes that adoption of these recommendations will help pesticide users and pesticide enforcement officials to achieve more effective mosquito control and protection of public health, while ensuring that use of these products will not pose unreasonable risks to the environment.

Comments: Comments, identified by docket ID number OPP-2004-0018, must be received on or before July 27, 2004.

Federal Register, Volume 69, Number 82, Pages 23200-23202

http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2004/April/Day-28/p9621.htm

Contact: Jim Roelofs, Field and External Affairs Division (7506C),

Office of Pesticide Programs, telephone number: (703) 308-2964; fax number: (703) 308-1850; e- mail address: roelofs.jim@epa.gov. *

*Mailing address for all listed staff in EPA Updates: Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.,

Washington, DC 20460

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