Brasure's Pest Control Blog

Delmarva seems to have avoided a stink bug invasion, yet again, but neighboring states weren’t so lucky. Throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, the brown marmorated stink bug has become a major pest in the last decade, destroying crops and annoying homeowners. Agricultural impact aside, it becomes a nuisance pest in the fall when it enters structures in search of a warm, safe place to overwinter. They sometimes reappear during periods of warm weather during the winter, but typically don’t emerge until April or May, when they mate and deposit eggs.

The brown marmorated stink bug is native to China, but was accidentally introduced into eastern Pennsylvania in the 1990s. From there, the shield-shaped insects rapidly spread to all of the mid-Atlantic states, including Delaware and Maryland. They feed on orchards, crops, and gardens; stink bugs are known to feed on all kinds of fruit and vegetables, including apples, peaches, figs, soybeans, tomatoes, corn, lima beans, and green peppers.

Stink bugs, though annoying and destructive, do not bite humans or animals. However, their terrible smell — for which they are named — is extremely unpleasant, and on rare occasions a stink bug might spray a human’s eye, causing a burning sensation.

The best way to manage stink bugs is to prevent them from entering your home in the first place. This strategy is called exclusion. Seal cracks around windows, doors, utility lines, etc., and repair or replace damaged screens. Attic vents are a favorite point of entry. Indoors, a vacuum cleaner is the most effective tool for control — but, once used, the cleaner will probably smell like stink bugs for a long time.

For more information about the brown marmorated stink bug or our treatment programs, call Brasure’s at (302) 436-8140. Our office is open Monday through Friday, 8 AM – 4 PM.

Pantry pests, or stored product pests, can become a nuisance at any time of the year. Who wants to return to their beach property in time for Thanksgiving, only to discover a cupboard full of beetles, moths, or weevils? Common pantry pests include drugstore beetles, cigarette beetles, flour beetles, rice weevils, grain moths, and the Indian meal moth. They infest a variety of dry food products, which are usually packaged in bags and/or cardboard boxes.

• The tiny, brown drugstore beetle is also called the bread beetle or biscuit beetle. Sometimes it can be excluded by controlling humidity levels.
• The cigarette beetle looks similar to the drugstore beetle, and is a pest of tobacco products, cereals, dried fruit, and flour.
• The flour beetle feeds on wheat and other grains, and tends to be resistant to many insecticides.
• The tiny rice weevil is easily identified by its long snout. It feeds on rice, wheat, and corn.
• The grain moth feeds on dry organic material, like flour, cereal, and cork.
• The Indian meal moth, also called the flour moth, feeds on a variety of grains, including cereals.

Red Flour Beetle

As with other pests, it’s much easier to prevent an infestation than it is to eliminate one. Here are a few tips for preventing pantry pest infestations:

1. Check newly purchased bags and boxes. Sometimes pantry pests come home from the grocery store.
2. Clean cupboards regularly. Accumulated food particles, even in small quantities, can attract pests.
3. Check spices like paprika and red pepper, and throw out old containers that aren’t likely to be used.
4. Be sure to seal opened bags of flour, grain, cereal, batter mix, seeds, and dog food.

Contrary to popular belief, bats are related to neither rodents nor birds. They’re mammals of the order Chiroptera, and their webbed wings make them the only mammals able to fly (flying squirrels can only glide for short distances).

North American bats are insectivorous, feeding primarily on flying insects as they hunt at night. A colony of bats can consume a substantial quantity of insect pests (including mosquitoes, moths, and beetles) in a single night. How can bats see at night? They can’t — at least not with their eyes. Bats emit high-frequency sounds, too high for the human ear to hear, to communicate, avoid obstacles, and locate prey. This is known as echolocation.

Because bats are nocturnal, in Western culture they are often associated with nighttime, darkness, fear, etc. They appear regularly in horror movies, but their spooky reputation is undeserved; they eat insects and do not generally harm humans (with the exception of the parasitic vampire bat, which is not found in the United States). Unless it is necessary to remove bats — like when they’re roosting in a human dwelling — they should be left alone.

It’s much easier to prevent bats from entering a structure than it is to find and remove them once they’re inside. Bats often enter buildings through chimneys, attic vents, open windows, and eaves. Though different species differ in size, some of the smallest bats are able to squeeze through a hole the size of a dime.

Most people don’t want bats in their home for aesthetic reasons, but they should be more concerned about their health. Because bats can carry rabies, every bat bite — which usually occurs due to accidental or careless contact — should be treated as a potential exposure to this serious viral infection. However, random sampling suggests that fewer than 1% of all bats are infected. Following exposure to an infected bat, vaccination can prevent the disease from developing in humans.

Bat roosts are easiest found during the day in warm weather. If disturbed, the resting bats can quickly disappear into nearby cracks and crevices. To avoid killing young bats unnecessarily, bats should be removed between August and May by a professional.

Occasional bat intruders, which enter human structures accidentally, usually find their way out if allowed. Lights should be dimmed, otherwise the bat may become confused and hide. Healthy bats do not attack humans. If the bat cannot find its way out through an open window or door, carefully capture it with a small net and transport it to the outdoors.

Few people have ever seen or heard of the wheel bug, though it’s fairly common in the Mid-Atlantic region. It is large, about 1.5 inches long, but is well-camouflaged, being a dark gray or brown in color. And, though it flies, you might mistake it for a grasshopper as it buzzes by. If you spot one resting, you’ll notice the distinctive spoked half-wheel on its back, which is a form of protective armor.

The wheel bug is a beneficial insect. It preys on other pests, like Japanese beetles or caterpillars, feeding on their insides in a rather gruesome fashion. When the wheel bug catches a meal, it pins it down with its front legs, and then pierces the exoskeleton with its beak, injecting an enzyme that dissolves soft tissue so that it can be slurped up. This is similar to a spider’s way of feeding.

“Beneficial” does not mean “harmless.” The wheel bug is nothing to be picked up or toyed with. Its bite is extremely painful, may take weeks or months to heal, and may leave a permanent scar. In addition to feeding on pests, the wheel bug occasionally indulges in cannibalism; nymphs feed on each other, and females might devour males after mating. Again, not unlike some spiders.

This vicious insect, which is the largest “true bug,” mates between October and Novemeber. If the male escapes being eaten by his mate — and he usually does — his part is done, but the female lays 50-200 eggs, usually on a small stick. She then dies. If the eggs survive the winter, they’ll hatch during spring, each producing a nympth that looks similar to an adult wheel bug, but with a bright orange abdomen. After several stages of molting and metmorphasis, the nymphs develop into adults by summer, making them quite long-lived, in comparison to many other insects.

As it’s rare to find a wheel bug even if you’re looking for one, it’s very unlikely that you’ll face an infestation. Still, avoid picking them up or touching them; the bite isn’t worth it. Like most insects, wheel bugs can be controlled with appropriate pesticides, doubly so, because an all-purpose insecticide will also eliminate their food source.

Mouse control is usually accomplished with rodenticide baits, glue boards (sticky traps), or snap traps, all of which can result in a dead mouse in your home. Better dead than alive, but most homeowners would prefer no mouse at all. This is where exclusion comes in, a series of steps taken to prevent mice from entering a structure.

The typical house mouse is 3-4 inches long and weighs less than one ounce. It can probably fit through a hole the size of a nickel; a smaller mouse might be able to squeeze through a hole the size of a dime. To prevent mice from entering your home, seal all holes with steel wool, silicon caulking, and/or plumber’s foam.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common points of entry:

1. The Garage

An attached garage is by far the easier part of a home for mice to access. Even when the door isn’t wide open, there may be gaps at the corners large enough to admit mice, crickets, spiders, and other pests. Once inside the garage, mice may be able to find their way into the house or crawlspace through unsealed holes for utility lines, or they might set up shop in the garage, feasting on bird seed, pet food, and other stored edibles.

Placing a bait station or trap on each side of the garage door often takes care of a homeowner’s mouse problem, even if no additional steps are taken.

2. The Crawlspace or Basement

It’s not unusual to find holes in old foundations, and even brand new houses aren’t necessarily mouse-proof. Walk around the outside of your home, locate any unsealed holes in the foundation, and seal them. Don’t forget to check the vents; these might not be screened properly, and can sometimes become loose and fall out onto the ground, creating an opening large enough for just about anything to enter the crawlspace. It’s usually helpful to place rodenticide in the crawlspace or basement, provided that it’s out of the reach of pets. In a basement, rodenticide should be placed in child-proof bait stations.

3. The Kitchen, Bathroom(s), and Utility Room

Once the exterior of your home has been pest-proofed properly, check all pipes and lines entering the house. Often there are large gaps around water pipes under kitchen and bathroom sinks, which should be blocked with steel wool or otherwise sealed. It might not be necessary to place bait stations or traps in these areas; it’s probably better to watch for signs of mouse activity indoors before using rodenticide or traps inside your home.

Adult fruit flies are about 1/8 inch long, and usually have red eyes. They typically become a problem in the late summer and early fall, as they are attracted to overripe and rotting fruit and vegetables. Fruit flies breed in moist areas: garbage disposals, drains, empty cans, trash cans, etc. Their life cycle is completed in about a week, and a female can lay as many as 500 eggs — with an adequate food supply, a fruit fly population can rapidly increase.

We’ve written about fruit flies before — this post from 2009 compares and contrasts fruit flies, phorid flies, drain flies, and sphaerocerid flies — but here are ten suggestions for preventing and/or eliminating fruit fly infestations. You’ll notice that some of them involve similar liquids — white wine, vinegar, apple cider — for trapping or killing the flies. There are numerous home remedies which call for different ingredients; try them, and see what works best for you.

Female fruit fly laying an egg. She'll lay about 500, which become adults within one week.

1. Find and eliminate the source of the problem.

We mention this first because it would seem to be obvious, but it is surprising how many people will complain of fruit flies, while keeping overripe or rotten produce in the kitchen. Overripe fruit will attract fruit flies and other flying pests at this time of year; get rid of it, and you might get rid of the pests, too.

2. Repel them with an oil diffuser.

Mix several drops of cinnamon, cedarwood, and citronella into an oil diffuser. It will repel fruit flies, house flies, and mosquitoes.

3. Repel them with basil.

This is hardly common knowledge, but fruit flies dislike basil. Place basil leaves in the kitchen and near the fruit bowl, and you should see fewer fruit flies in the area. Of course, this will not kill them.

4. Clean the kitchen sink and drain.

Fruit flies often hang around the kitchen sink, attracted by moisture and food particles. Mix 1/8 cup of household ammonia with one gallon of tap water, pour the mixture down the drain, and leave it undisturbed for a while.

5. Kill them with rubbing alcohol.

Fill a fine-misting spray bottle with rubbing alcohol, and spray the fruit flies. The alcohol will kill them, and dead fruit flies can be easily cleaned up with a wet rag.

6. Hang fly strips in areas favored by fruit flies.

An ordinary fly strip might attract fruit flies. Hang one in the kitchen, or near the garbage can. This remedy will probably be less effective than others.

7. Trap them with vinegar in a bowl or jar.

Fill a bowl or jar to the halfway point with vinegar and add a bit of detergent. Now, stretch a piece of saran wrap over the top of the bowl or jar, and poke several holes in it. Fruit flies will be attracted to the mixture, feed on it, be unable to exit the trap, and die inside.

8. Trap them with apple cider in a jar.

Fill an old jar to the halfway point with apple cider. Punch holes into the lid, screw it on, and set it near the kitchen sink. Fruit flies will be drawn to the trap by the smell of the apple cider, but once they enter it, will be unable to exit.

9. Attract and kill them with apple cider vinegar and detergent.

Fill a small bowl or saucer with apple cider vinegar and a bit of detergent. The fruit flies will be attracted to and feed on the mixture, which will kill them.

10. Attract and kill them with white wine and detergent.

This remedy is similar to #3. Fill a saucer with white wine, add a bit of detergent, and set it out in an area favored by fruit flies. They will be attracted to and feed on the mixture, which will kill them.

A 71-year-old man from New Castle County, Delaware, was diagnosed with West Nile virus last week, less than a month after a horse in Sussex County showed clinical signs of the virus. The story made national headlines. We don’t have many details about either case, but this is an excellent time for a post about West Nile and the role that mosquitoes play in spreading it.

First, a bit about mosquitoes. Everyone knows that they’re small, flying, biting insects, and we’ve written a couple of posts about them before, so there’s no need to go into detail. Mosquitoes develop in standing water — ponds, lakes, marshes, ditches, buckets, old tires — and females feed on nearby animals and humans. The proteins and iron present in blood aid egg development. Mosquito saliva causes minor inflammation, which is reason enough for most people to despise the creatures.

Mosquitoes can carry viruses from one person to another.

In addition to spoiling summer evenings, mosquitoes are capable of carrying a number of viruses and parasites from one person to another. At least two million people, worldwide, die of mosquito-borne diseases every year.

Most humans infected by West Nile virus exhibit no symptoms. It doesn’t affect them, and they usually don’t realize they’ve been infected. However, they can transmit the virus to others, directly or indirectly. A handful of those infected might experience flu-like symptoms: fatigue, sweating, fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, etc. These usually persist for about a week. A small minority of those infected — fewer than 1% — develop West Nile encephalitis. Less than 1% of total infections in the United States result in death.

But such statistics do little to reassure those who are battling encephalitis, which is why it is (obviously) preferable to avoid being infected altogether, if possible. There is no way to permanently eradicate the mosquito population (not at this time, anyway), but taking a few simple steps can greatly reduce the chance of contracting a mosquito-borne illness.

For our 2009 post about mosquitoes and treatment options, click here.

For our 2011 post, Seven Tips for Managing Mosquitoes, click here.

For information about our mosquito management services, check out our website.

For more information, feel free to call our office at (302) 436-8140.

Autumn is approaching, once again, and you might be starting to see crickets hopping around the foundation of your home, entering the garage, and perhaps turning up indoors. As temperatures cool, more will attempt to move into the relative warmth of homes and businesses. There are actually four major varieties of crickets, but this post will focus on two: field crickets and house crickets. For information about camel crickets, sometimes called spider crickets, see our previous post.

Field crickets are dark brown, gray, or black, and usually stay outside, eating plant material. But don’t let the name fool you: in the late fall and winter, as vegetation dries up and temperatures plummet, field crickets will seek refuge inside structures, seeking both  food and warmth. A good start to controlling field crickets is concentrating on outdoor lighting, as they are attracted to lighted areas, and mowing lawns, as tall grass provides excellent harborage for all kinds of pests.

House crickets are yellow to brown in color, slightly smaller than their field cricket relatives, and also live outdoors. However, they will not hesitate to move into your home if they can find access. They’re nocturnal, and will eat just about anything — fruits and vegetables, various foods, paper, fabrics, and more. You probably don’t have to worry about damage, but no one enjoys living with a thriving, chirping cricket population.

Here are some control ideas:

• Continue to mow the lawn through the early fall and remove weeds from around the house. These areas provide harborage.
• We’ve mentioned the benefits of yellow outdoor lights in previous posts; they attract fewer insects of all kinds, including field and house crickets.
• Screen or seal any access points. Pay particular attention to utility lines.
• Is your garage door secure? Even a tiny space between it and the ground provides numerous pests with a door into the structure. Mice, too.
• When searching for crickets indoors, use a vacuum cleaner. Focus on warm areas (in the kitchen, under the stove, throughout the basement), as well as cracks and crevices.

When we use the term wood-destroying insects, most people think of termites immediately. After a moment of thought, some might remember carpenter ants and carpenter bees. But did you know that there are several species of wood-infesting beetles that can cause just as much damage to a home as a hungry termite colony?

Powderpost beetle larvae bore into wood, where they slowly grow for years, turning the wood into fine powder. Infestations often go unnoticed until they exit the wood through tiny holes. In this post we’ll take a look at four types of wood-infesting beetles: Deathwatch Beetles, True Powderpost Beetles, False Powderpost Beetles, and Old House Borers.

Deathwatch Beetles (Anobiidae, or Anobiids)

Many years ago, people who sat up late with a sick relative sometimes heard a light tapping sound, which they said was death knocking at the door. It was actually the mating call of Anobiids, which were appropriately named Deathwatch Beetles. They are cylindrical, and reddish brown to black in color. Females lay eggs in cracks or holes in  hard or soft wood; the larvae then bore into the wood and follow its grain, eating and digesting cellulose. After pupation, adults chew their way out of the wood, leaving behind small holes. Sometimes females lay eggs in these holes, reinfesting the wood. This process takes 1-3 years, on average.

True Powderpost Beetles (Lyctidae, or Lyctids)

Like Anobiids, Lyctids are reddish brown to black, but have narrower bodies and distinct heads. Unlike Anobiids, they cannot digest cellulose, but feed on the starch, sugar, and protein content of sapwood. Preferred woods include oak, hickory, and ash. In addition to damaging beams in a crawlspace or basement, Lyctids often damage hardwood floors. Their behavior is similar to that of other wood-infesting beetles; depending on the condition of the wood, their life cycle can be about four years. (That’s four years of wood being destroyed without any visible evidence.)

False Powderpost Beetles (Bostrichids)

Bostrichids tend to infest the dead and dying branches of softwood and hardwood trees. Like Lyctids, they cannot digest cellulose, but digest the starch, sugar, and protein found in wood. Development takes 1-5 years.

Old House Borers (Hylotrupes bajulus)

Ironically, Old House Borer beetles prefer wood less than ten years old. They are large, up to an inch long, and dark brown to black in color. Females lay eggs in cracks and holes in softwoods, such as pine, spruce, fir, and hemlock. Development takes at least two years, but can take more than twenty! Homeowners might hear the rasping, ticking sound of their feeding. Unlike other wood-infesting beetles, Old House Borer larvae chew exit holes, then plug the holes with frass before pupation. Exit holes are fairly large, about 3/8 inch in diameter. Females typically reinfest the wood they emerged from.

Treatment

The good news is that wood-infesting beetles do not destroy wood nearly as quickly as termites, so there is no need to rush and treat a structure if uncertain about the infestation. It can be difficult to determine whether the beetles are active or not, as they are rarely seen, and exit holes are only an indication of past activity. Some inspectors use stethoscopes to listen for feeding larvae. In either case, it might be necessary to:

1. Replace damaged wood. Use pressure-treated lumber if possible and appropriate.
2. Have the infested wood treated with a pesticide, which can be injected into the tunnels.

Few pests are more difficult to control than the common house fly, which is found all over the world. Flies enter structures, buzz around, land on humans, land on food, and generally make a nuisance of themselves. But that’s not all. In addition to annoying humans, flies can transmit a number of diseases and viruses, including E. coli and viral hepatitis.

Adults flies are about 8-12 mm long, and reproduce quickly during their short lives, which range from a week to a month. Females lay approximately 500 eggs, in separate batches of 75-100. Left unchallenged, a small fly population can explode within a matter of weeks.

Flying pests are more difficult to control than crawling pests, with few exceptions, but here are a few tips for solving your fly problem.

Exclusion
As with all pests, the best way to control them is by preventing them from entering the structure in the first place. Check screens for holes and tears, check weather stripping around doors and windows, and seal all holes. This probably won’t be enough to keep the flies out, though, as they can easily buzz through an open door while someone enters or leaves the house.

Sanitation
Flies feed on decaying organic matter, including food, plants, grass clippings, and manure. You may not be able to keep flies outside — not 100% of them, anyway — but you can be sure that your kitchen, utility room, and garbage area aren’t an all-you-can-eat buffet for these unwanted visitors. Clean thoroughly and frequently. Eliminating food sources makes it more difficult for flies to breed.

Trapping
A variety of sticky traps are on the market, which are usually insecticide-free. When a flying insect touches the sticky surface, it’s trapped. These products can be hung or placed in homes, offices, businesses, barns, or outside near dumpsters and grease pits.

Zapping
Zappers — which is not a technical term, but we’re sure you know what we mean — lure flying insects with an ultraviolet light, and electrocute them with an electronic grid. You might find, however, that the light attracts more pests than you would have seen without it.

Insecticides
Poison fly baits attract and kill adult flies, inside and outside of structures. The most effective products are classified as “restricted use,” meaning only licensed applicators can buy and use them. Non-residual contact sprays are quite effective for killing adult flies, but are not a long-term solution; timed-release aerosol devices can be installed inside and outside.