Gardening Tips: Fall insect pests
It is beginning to feel a bit like winter as we enter the 11th month of 2010. Despite a very soggy October, we are still about one inch short of our normal precipitation for the year and future moisture may arrive as that white stuff we all love at first. Last weekend featured some pretty intense snow flurries on Sunday but it did not stick to the ground or paved areas.
There are still a few weeks left before the ground begins to freeze which means you can still plant bulbs and pull out weeds. I did manage to get the vegetable garden cleaned up and even mulched my garlic bed. I am still harvesting tasty Brussels Sprouts that seem to get sweeter as the weather gets colder.
One common, but annoying phenomena we see at this time of year is the influx of insects such as lady beetles, cluster flies, boxelder bugs and western conifer seed bugs. All these insects seek out protected places to spend the winter months. Prior to entering into attics, wall voids and your living room, lady beetles, cluster flies and boxelder bugs emit an “aggregation” pheromone which attracts others of their species. Sometimes they are so numerous they may almost cover an entire south or southwest facing wall. They also congregate on glass picture windows, eaves and fascia boards.
Once these pests are indoors they become somewhat dormant but may wake up when the heat is turned on. Cluster flies often seek out windows where they buzz and spin around on their backs like “break dancers.” Ladybeetles fly about clumsily indoors but occasionally land on humans and sometimes they bite! The lady beetles in my house usually find my houseplants where they seem to feed on spider mites.
Western conifer seed bugs are large, ungainly insects that look like assassin bugs or stinkbugs with what looks like a “W” on their back. They are easy to catch and when handled they emit a distinct scent that smells like citrus to me but is offensive to others. Boxelder bugs are red and black in color and not usually active once they are indoors.
Most of these insects enter homes in September and October so by now it is too late to prevent them from getting inside. Older houses are almost impossible to seal tightly enough to completely prevent entry but there are insecticides that may be applied by professional exterminators to houses and other buildings when all else fails and the insects present an extreme annoyance.
Such treatments are not inexpensive, costing hundreds of dollars and need to be done every fall. For most of us, simply dealing with the occasional intruder with a flyswatter or rolled up magazine is sufficient or, catching and releasing them outside works just as well.
Finally, remember that deer ticks are still very active outdoors even after frost and these pests can transmit Lyme disease as well as several other serious diseases . I have removed a half dozen or more of these bloodsuckers from my cat in the past two weeks.
Spray your outdoor clothing with permethrin (not Deet) products for about two weeks of protection and perform a thorough tick inspection when you or your kids come inside after playing in the brush or raking leaves. Deer ticks are actually more active now than they were in the heat and drought of midsummer.
There are still a few weeks left before the ground begins to freeze which means you can still plant bulbs and pull out weeds. I did manage to get the vegetable garden cleaned up and even mulched my garlic bed. I am still harvesting tasty Brussels Sprouts that seem to get sweeter as the weather gets colder.
One common, but annoying phenomena we see at this time of year is the influx of insects such as lady beetles, cluster flies, boxelder bugs and western conifer seed bugs. All these insects seek out protected places to spend the winter months. Prior to entering into attics, wall voids and your living room, lady beetles, cluster flies and boxelder bugs emit an “aggregation” pheromone which attracts others of their species. Sometimes they are so numerous they may almost cover an entire south or southwest facing wall. They also congregate on glass picture windows, eaves and fascia boards.
Once these pests are indoors they become somewhat dormant but may wake up when the heat is turned on. Cluster flies often seek out windows where they buzz and spin around on their backs like “break dancers.” Ladybeetles fly about clumsily indoors but occasionally land on humans and sometimes they bite! The lady beetles in my house usually find my houseplants where they seem to feed on spider mites.
Western conifer seed bugs are large, ungainly insects that look like assassin bugs or stinkbugs with what looks like a “W” on their back. They are easy to catch and when handled they emit a distinct scent that smells like citrus to me but is offensive to others. Boxelder bugs are red and black in color and not usually active once they are indoors.
Most of these insects enter homes in September and October so by now it is too late to prevent them from getting inside. Older houses are almost impossible to seal tightly enough to completely prevent entry but there are insecticides that may be applied by professional exterminators to houses and other buildings when all else fails and the insects present an extreme annoyance.
Such treatments are not inexpensive, costing hundreds of dollars and need to be done every fall. For most of us, simply dealing with the occasional intruder with a flyswatter or rolled up magazine is sufficient or, catching and releasing them outside works just as well.
Finally, remember that deer ticks are still very active outdoors even after frost and these pests can transmit Lyme disease as well as several other serious diseases . I have removed a half dozen or more of these bloodsuckers from my cat in the past two weeks.
Spray your outdoor clothing with permethrin (not Deet) products for about two weeks of protection and perform a thorough tick inspection when you or your kids come inside after playing in the brush or raking leaves. Deer ticks are actually more active now than they were in the heat and drought of midsummer.
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