Although Loxosceles reclusa or brown recluse is not found naturally in California where Rick resides, they are fairly common in central and western Tennessee and established in pockets of high populations in Knoxville. Lower brown recluse population numbers are usually experienced in eastern Tennessee. Rick believes there is an over-diagnosis of brown recluse bites (http://spiders.ucr.edu/necrotic.html) and an over-reaction to the possibility of being bitten and the possibility of the bite causing a severe reaction, and he’s probably right. He uses the example of the Kansas family that found more than 2000 brown recluse in 6 months, lived in the structure for more than 7 years and still had no evidence of a brown recluse bite. However, I still feel it’s important to warn folks about avoiding potential brown recluse bites, even if only 3% of bite victims will require a skin graft.
Part of our recommendations for reducing brown recluse harborage in and around homes includes removing unused boxes and papers, sweeping out sheds and attics, cleaning around water heater compartments and removing old clothing from sheds, barns and attics. Please use caution when performing these tasks and follow recommendations below to help avoid bites. I'd keep a vacuum handy to remove any spiders and their webs as they are found.
Avoiding Bites
Most bites occur when the spider is pressed against the skin inside clothing or when rolled on in bed. To minimize bites in homes where brown recluse is present:
1. wear long rubber gloves taped to long sleeve clothing and closed shoes with socks taped to long pants when moving potentially infested items, i.e., cardboard boxes and many other items,
2. store clothing in sealed plastic bags or storage boxes,
3. store shoes in plastic shoe boxes,
4. shake clothing and shoes before wearing,
5. move beds away from walls or curtains and place glue boards under each leg,
6. remove bed skirts from box springs,
7. do not use bedspreads that touch or come close to the floor, and
8. inspect bedding before climbing into bed.
See the UT Extension publication, PB 1191 Brown recluse spiders, http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/pbfiles/pb1191.pdf, for a thorough description of brown recluse and their management. Updated pesticide recommendations can be found in this year's Redbook, i.e., The 2006 Insect and Pest Disease Control Manual under the Household and Structural Pest Management for Professionals chapter at http://eppserver.ag.utk.edu/redbook/pdf/professionalinsects.pdf
MINIMUM REQUIREMENT FOR DISTANCE DIAGNOSIS
by Steve Bost and Frank Hale
Thank you, agents, for your comments on the testing services and fees proposed for the new consolidated testing center. We are still receiving them, if you have not yet had a chance to comment.
A slight
misconception we have detected in some comments relates to Distance Diagnosis
(DD). All you need for participation in
DD is a digital camera. You don’t have to have microscopes. Only about 1% of our DD plant problem
diagnoses and weed ID’s are conducted with microscopic images (either
stereoscopes or compound scopes). High
magnification is usually not necessary and can even be counterproductive,
because those images take up spaces that could be used for symptom images. Stereoscopes may be useful for identification
of certain insects. Still, most insect
images that we receive over DD are taken with a camera on the macro setting
without the need for a stereoscope.
Situations in which a stereoscope would be needed include some of the
smaller insects (1/8 inch or smaller) and mites, or when greater magnification
is needed to show a specific structure needed for proper identification.
ESTEEM FIRE ANT BAIT WITH PYRIPROXYFEN NOW LABELED FOR
FIRE ANT CONTROL IN PASTURES AND OTHER AREAS AROUND FARMHOUSES
by Karen M. Vail, J. Patrick Parkman and Tahir Rashid
“What’s
the big fuss about fire ants?”
You are probably wondering, “What’s the big fuss about fire ants?” Well they can cause quite a bit of damage. They live in mounds and when the mound is disturbed they quickly rush out. The inexperienced may not realize that hundreds of workers have run up their leg until they all bite and then sting at the same time. The sting isn’t as painful as a wasp sting, but it can be fiery and itchy. Most react with a pustule at each sting site, but a small percentage of people have a more severe reaction requiring immediate medical attention. In addition to the medical concern, fire ants change our behavior and reduce our recreational activities if populations are unmanaged. Other impacts in the urban environment include reduced property values, shorting of electrical equipment and damaged lawns and areas along walkways. They affect agriculture by reducing hay yield because of raised cutter bars or dulled and broken equipment due to contact with the mounds; clipping germinating seedlings; tunneling through tuberous or ground crops; tending sucking pest insects and protecting them from natural enemies; deterring hand labor; damaging irrigation equipment; and possibly killing hatching birds or newborn calves deposited onto mounds. A recent estimate puts annual damage and repair costs attributed to imported fire ants in the U.S. at over $6 billion even though they only infest over 320 million acres in all or parts of 13 states and 1 territory.
How long have they been here and where are they established in Tennessee?
Imported fire ants have been in the U.S. for a long time. The black imported fire ant arrived in the port of Mobile, AL around 1918; the red imported fire ant arrived there sometime in the 1930s. Tennessee’s first reported isolated and controlled infestation occurred in Shelby County in 1948, but they weren’t considered established here until 1987, in Hardin County. Imported fire ants, predominantly the hybrid (a cross between the red and black) and the black, have spread in subsequent years and were established in 41 Tennessee counties in 2005 (see map). For a detailed description of quarantine boundaries, see the 2005 Tennessee Imported Fire Ant Quarantine County List under Quarantine (http://fireants.utk.edu/quarantine.htm) at the UT Imported Fire Ants in Tennessee Web site at http://fireants.utk.edu/. If an area is quarantined this indicates fire ants are established there; and if nursery stock, sod, hay, earth-moving equipment or anything else that could harbor fire ants are to be shipped, certain procedures must be followed (http://www.state.tn.us/agriculture/regulate/plants/ifa.html, http://fireants.utk.edu/quarantine.htm). A map of the federal quarantine can be found at http://fireants.utk.edu/FireantPNGImages/FireAntCountyMap.png
This ominous pest needs to be reckoned with. Fortunately, we have the tools and strategies to manage imported fire ants. Because most of the fire ant complaints we receive are from urban areas and pastures, we will limit our discussion to management of these two areas. Information on management in other areas can be found at the UT Imported Fire Ants in Tennessee web site mentioned above.
How do I manage them in urban areas?
We usually recommend the two-step method, a term that originated with Mike Merchant at Texas A & M, for management around homes. Basically, a bait is broadcasted over the yard and 7 to 10 days later mounds that are in high traffic areas are treated with an individual mound treatment of a quicker-acting bait, drench, granule or dust. For more information on specific products, see our web site.
How do I manage them in pastures?
In pastures, product choice is fairly limited. We have worksheets on our web site that can be used to determine if fire ants are causing enough damage to justify control in pasture used for hay or cattle production. In general, if fire ants are costing production more than $15 per acre, management is justified.
Once the decision is made to control fire ants, you have a limited number of product choices. Hydramethylon baits (AmdroPro, SiegePro) can be broadcasted at 1 to 1.5 pounds per acre. Methoprene baits (Extinguish) can be broadcasted at 1 to 1.5 lbs per acre. A hopper blend of 0.75 lbs AmdroPro and 0.75 lbs of Extinguish can be applied per acre. Theoretically, the blend may give a quicker kill, provided by Amdro, and a longer residual, provided by the IGR (insect growth regulator) methoprene. Esteem Ant Bait which contains the active ingredient pyriproxyfen is also labelled for pastures (see below). I believe carbaryl, such as carbaryl 80S, is the only active ingredient registered as a drench for mounds in pastures. Award or Logic containing the IGR fenoxycarb is labeled for horse pastures as long as the horses are not grown for human consumption. There has been some research on combining fertilizer with IGR baits, but results are very preliminary.
What is this Esteem bait that has been recently labeled for pastures and around farm buildings?
Another IGR bait, Esteem Ant Bait with pyriproxyfen, recently received a supplemental label for pastures and areas around farm buildings. Pyriproxyfen is the same active ingredient in Distance Fire Ant Bait that has been and is approved for use in urban areas. Pyriproxyfen may work slightly quicker than other IGRs such as methoprene. Maximum suppression by pyriproxyfen occurs in 2 to 3 months and usually lasts at least 3 months or so. IGRs don’t affect the worker ants, they reduce or stop egg production by the queen and may prevent larvae or pupae from maturing. Because workers are unaffected, the bait is distributed very well throughout the colony. Pyriproxyfen and other IGRS applied as skip swath have performed just as well as when applied at the full rate. Also, IGRs when combined as a hopper blend with a faster-acting bait have, at least in some cases, provided the quicker knockdown of the faster-acting bait and the forgiveness and long-term control of the IGR. Thus IGRs have been termed “forgiving” because less-than-even distribution and less retrieval time, such as that caused by rain, had little impact on performance.
Pyriproxyfen
and Other Related Fire Ant Bait Research Papers
Effectiveness
of Hopper Blend Broadcast Baits in Unfavorable Conditions
Waller
County, Texas - 2000
http://fireant.tamu.edu/research/arr/year/99-03/res_dem_9903/pdf/10_unfavorable_conditions.pdf
Broadcast
Baits for Fire Ant Control
http://fireant.tamu.edu/broadcastbait/products/
http://fireant.tamu.edu/broadcastbait/products/distance_esteem.cfm
New Fire Ant Bait Products to be Introduced in 1999
http://fireant.tamu.edu/materials/newsletters/fa_trails/1998/pdf/fatrails2.002.pdf (graphs)
Commercially
Available Broadcast Compounds for the Control of Red Imported Fire Ants Palestine Airport, Anderson
Co., Texas - 2002
http://fireant.tamu.edu/research/arr/year/99-03/res_dem_9903/pdf/2_commercially_available.pdf
A
Field Comparison of Five Broadcast Baits as Full Rate, Hopper Blend and
Skip-Swath Applications
http://fireant.tamu.edu/research/arr/year/99-03/res_dem_9903/pdf/14_five_broadcast_baits.pdf
The Latest and Greatest on Fire Ant Control Products http://fireant.tamu.edu/broadcastbait/products/latest_greatest/pdf/latest_greatest_en_021606.pdf
Can
I conduct a fire ant demonstration this year?
The Fire Ant Research Education Team (FARET) has been hard at work this year. If we get a chance we’ll summarize our work in another volume of “What’s Happening.” Although our state support will diminish as of June 30th, we are developing a demonstration program where Extension agents will be able to reserve and use a trailer and ATV with attached bait applicator for use in fire ant demonstrations. More information will follow as we work out the details of this program.
We have provided a brief overview, please see our imported fire ant web site for more information.
DARSELECT STRAWBERRY AND BERRY ROTS
by Steve Bost
Darselect strawberry was released two years ago and is being looked at by some growers. I have it in a small variety trial at Nashville. It is highly productive, but is proving to be quite susceptible to anthracnose and Rhizoctonia fruit rots. The incidence of these berry diseases is much higher for Darselect than for the other varieties present: Chandler, Camarosa, and Bish. The planting is in a matted-row system, which is more subject to Rhizoctonia fruit rot than is the plasticulture system, because of the difference in soil contact. Based on these results, I would reserve Darselect for plasticulture. If it is used in a matted-row system, generous use of straw mulch would be needed to prevent contact of the berries with the soil and thus reduce Rhizoctonia fruit rot. But when it comes to anthracnose, neither straw nor plastic mulch will appreciably reduce berry infections.
The weather has been extremely rainy since strawberry harvest started. Many berries have rotted. Covering the ground with straw or plastic to prevent soil contact has really paid off this year. Don’t blame your spray program if your berry loss has been high – Not all berry rots are Botrytis. Most of the rotting that you see during these extended rainy periods are general rots caused by opportunistic organisms, mostly bacteria, on water-gorged berries. No spray program will help prevent that from happening.
DON'T SPARE THE LIME
by Steve Bost
It is a constant source of amazement how we can neglect the most basic of crop management practices – the soil test. Some of the best plans can be laid to waste by low pH. Over the last two weeks in the clinic, I have encountered four cases of pH levels in the range of 4.2 to 5.0, on soil from problem areas of commercial strawberry, blackberry, and squash fields. And that was just on the samples that included soil, so that a pH test was possible. Soil pH can drop drastically due to fertilizer applications, so be sure to test and know your pH before planting. It's too late to do anything about it when a problem appears. If it does appear, don't add any more fertilizer, because that will just make things worse, unless you use non-acid forming fertilizers such as calcium nitrate or potassium nitrate.
OTHER UT NEWSLETTERS WITH PEST MANAGEMENT INFORMATION
http://web.utk.edu/~extepp/fpn/fpn.htm
Tennessee Crop and Pest Management Newsletter
http://www.utextension.utk.edu/fieldCrops/cotton/cotton_insects/ipmnewsletters.htm
This
and other "What's Happening" issues can be found at http://web.utk.edu/~extepp/whatshap.htm
Disclaimer
This publication contains pesticide
recommendations that are subject to change at any time. The recommendations in
this publication are provided only as a guide. It is always the pesticide
applicator's responsibility, by law, to read and follow all current label
directions for the specific pesticide being used. The label always takes
precedence over the recommendations found in this publication.
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
author(s), the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and University
of Tennessee Extension assume no liability resulting from the use of these
recommendations.
Precautionary Statement
To protect people and the environment, pesticides
should be used safely. This is everyone’s responsibility,
especially the user. Read and follow label directions
carefully before you mix, apply store or dispose of a pesticide. According to
laws regulating pesticides, they must be used only as directed by the label.
Persons who do not obey the law will be subject to
penalties.
Visit the UT Extension Web site at
http://www.utextension.utk.edu
Programs in agriculture and natural resources, 4-H
youth development, family and consumer sciences,
and resource development. University of Tennessee
Institute of Agriculture,
U.S. Department of Agriculture and county governments
cooperating.
UT Extension provides equal opportunities in programs
and employment.