 Let’s start with the Asian ladybugs. Right now they are
alternating between resting and sunning. These are the beetles
that overwintered as adults and are looking for a place to stay
and something to eat. The place to stay is on the side of
something in the sun (in order to warm up), and the something to
eat is soft-bodied insects such as aphids. Without aphids
present, these ladybugs will chew on about anything.The best
control in the home is a vacuum cleaner. If you have numbers too
large for that control, area sprays of an aerosol flying insect
killer will knock down the ones it hits. If you are terribly
bothered, try a perimeter spray of the foundation, door areas
and window areas on the home with a pesticide that will last for
a while. Color-test the material on siding first, and hope for
the best. The pesticides are effective, but they are sometimes
overwhelmed by the number of ladybugs that you are trying to
control. Permethrin and bifenthrin are probably the most
commonly used pesticides for perimeter sprays.
Millipedes
A common home invader this past week has been the millipede.
Millipedes are hard-shelled animals that are wormlike with many
segments. They also curl up when disturbed. Most body segments
have two pair of legs, except for the three behind the head.
Adults are 1-2 inches long and can be brown, tan or gray.
Most millipedes are scavengers. They feed on decaying organic
matter such as leaves, compost and grass clippings. They may
sometimes injure small, young plants by feeding on the roots and
tender plant parts, but this is rather rare.
When they enter the home in large numbers, they can become
quite a nuisance. They do not bite, feed on clothing or cause
any real damage. They are simply a nuisance. Control of
millipedes in the house is best accomplished by running the
vacuum cleaner.
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Most insecticides are not very effective against millipedes. The
best way to prevent them from entering the home is to remove and
discard accumulations of leaves, rocks, boards and other trash from
around the foundation of the house. Also, keep shrubbery and flower
beds free of leaf mulch during the warm months.
Foundation sprays of permethrin or bifenthrin may have some
effectiveness, but they may not provide satisfactory control. To
apply these sprays, spray the foundation of the house and the
adjacent foot of soil. In severe cases, you may need to expand the
soil treatment area (and maybe spray the entire yard).
Swarms
Also with some warmer weather come the swarms of insects that
raise that perennial question of "Are they ants or termites?"
Swarming time for both insects is about the same time, and they are
really looking to start new colonies because they have outgrown
their old ones. This is the reason for the winged insects; the wings
allow the ants or termites to cover larger areas to start their new
colonies. The differences between ants and termites are several.
Let's start with the body color. Termites are always blackish in
color, while ants may be black or other colors. If you have winged
insects that are not black, you don't have termites.
Next, look at the body shape. Ants have a constricted "waist,"
while termites don't have that classic hour-glass figure. Antennae
and wings are the other two body parts to look at. Antennae on ants
are elbowed, basically in an "L" shape, and those on termites are
straight. Both ants and termites have pairs of wings, but termite
wings on the same side will be of equal length, while ant wings are
of different lengths on the same side.
[By
JOHN FULTON,
University of Illinois Extension, Logan County] |
