- Author: Cheryl Reynolds
Are you in need of some last-minute CEUs for 2022? We're pleased to announce that a new online course on runoff and surface water protection is available and offered for free. If you are a pest management professional working primarily in structural pest control or landscape maintenance, then this course is for you! Developed by pest management experts from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation and the University of California, this course presents information on the Surface Water Protection Regulations that are found in Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations sections 6970 and 6972. These regulations were put into place to prevent pesticide runoff into California waterways and to reduce surface water contamination from pyrethroid insecticide use. In this course, you'll learn about the types of pesticide applications that are allowed under the regulations as well as application types that are prohibited and also application types that are exempt. The course takes a close look at pyrethroids, particularly bifenthrin because of its high use in urban areas, high detection in surface waters, and high toxicity to aquatic organisms. Fipronil, another commonly used ingredient in structural and landscape products, is addressed in the course as well because it has similar water-quality concerns as the pyrethroids. Specific label restrictions of bifenthrin and fipronil products in California are also discussed.
The Urban Pyrethroid and Fipronil Use: Runoff and Surface Water Protection course has been approved by DPR for a total of 1.5 continuing education units (CEUs), including 0.5 hour of Laws and Regulations and 1.0 hour of Other; and by the Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB) for 1.5 hours of Rules and Regulations.
UC IPM currently offers 22 other online courses with continuing education units from DPR. Many of our courses are also credited by the California Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB), Certified Crop Adviser (CCA), the Western Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (WCISA), and the Arizona Department of Agriculture.
In addition to our newest course, this year we are offering another course for free: Providing IPM Services in Schools and Child Care Settings.
Don't forget that if you are a license or certificate holder with the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) and your last name begins with the letters A through L, then this is your year to renew. DPR encourages all license holders to send in renewals as soon as possible. If you have specific questions about renewal with DPR, please see their new Licensing Renewal Information page.
Do you have general questions about our online courses and DPR and SPCB CEUs and want them answered live?
Join us on Zoom December 6. Drop in anytime between 3 and 4pm (PST).
https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/98437300331?pwd=R0s4NklJZjBpeU5neVlva2lYV3Y2Zz09
Meeting ID: 984 3730 0331
Passcode: 532183
- Author: Belinda J. Messenger-Sikes
- Author: Karey Windbiel-Rojas
- Posted by: Lauren Fordyce
While venomous spiders like black widows are well-known, there are many harmless spiders that live in and around our homes and outdoor areas. Spiders are beneficial because they prey on insects and other pests. Most spiders are not likely to bite you and are not dangerous.
Types of Spiders
Spider families vary by body shape, web type, hunting or other behavior, and the arrangement and size of their eyes. There is a wide range of spiders you might encounter in your home or landscape in California.
One of the most recognizable is the cellar spider. Cellar spiders have long, skinny legs and hang upside down in dark corners, often indoors, sometimes bouncing when disturbed.
Another common type of spider is the cobweb spider, which includes widow spiders. Cobweb spiders hang upside down in sticky, irregularly spun webs waiting for prey. Most cobweb species are small and harmless, except for the western black widow. Most black widow bites come from mature adult females which can usually be recognized by a red hourglass on the underside of the abdomen. The adult male is lighter-colored and smaller than the female. Brown widow spiders are becoming more common in California as well.
Wolf spiders have long, hairy legs and are often found running along the ground. They don't build webs to capture prey but can have a silken retreat. Females carry their young on their backs. Wolf spiders are frequently mistaken for the brown recluse spider, which does not occur in California.
Crab spiders have enlarged front legs and look like tiny crabs. They are also known as flower spiders since they are often found on flowers, hunting insect prey. They hunt during the day and don't make webs.
Dwarf spiders are tiny, hunt during the day, and produce sheet-like or irregular crisscross webs on surfaces.
Jumping spiders hunt during the day, stalking and pouncing on prey. They are hairy, sometimes iridescent, and don't spin webs.
Sac spiders hide in silk tubes in places such as corners, beneath plants, or on bark, and stalk prey at night. They occur both indoors and out and are usually pale colored.
Orb weaver or garden spiders, such as the western spotted orb weaver are often large and colorful. They spin elaborate webs in concentric circles in the garden, waiting in their webs or nearby for prey to become entangled.
Many people dislike spiders, but generally they are not harmful and are useful to have around. Unwanted spider in your house? Trap it and take it outside.
To help manage both indoor and outdoor cockroaches, UC Cooperative Extension IPM Advisor Andrew Sutherland and UC Riverside entomologists Dong-Hwan Choe and Michael Rust tackle the challenge of cockroach management in the newly revised Pest Notes: Cockroaches.
What's new in this version?
Since it's critical to first identify the cockroach, many more color photographs have been added to aid in identification. There are additional details about common cockroach species, including two new species: the three-lined cockroach and the Australian cockroach. Understanding the biology of these pests will help manage them. The revised publication has an expanded section on general biology and life cycle of cockroaches as well as chemical control.
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- Author: Siavash Taravati
[From the Fall 2018 issue of UC IPM's Green Bulletin newsletter]
The dark rover ant (Brachymyrmex patagonicus) is an invasive species which is increasingly being noticed in Southern California. It is a nuisance species that invades structures as both workers and winged (alate) individuals.
This article aims to introduce structural and landscape pest management professionals (PMPs) to the dark rover ant and includes several important references for readers to learn what is currently known about its biology, behavior, and control.
Identification
Dark rover ant (DRA) workers are usually 1–2 mm long and are typically reddish-brown to blackish-brown (Figure 1). They have one node on the waist hidden under the gaster (abdomen), with long erect hairs mixed with sparse fine pubescence on the gaster (Figure 2), and nine-segmented antennae (Figure 3). The only other rover ant species reported from California is B. depilis which is rarely seen in the field (1) and can be distinguished from DRA by their yellow to yellowish-brown color (2).
Where are dark rover ants found?
The dark rover ant is native to South America and is found in several countries including Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, and Venezuela(3).It was first discovered in the United States in 1978 in Louisiana (4).
This ant was found in California for the first time in 2010 in Orange and Riverside Counties (5). The author found this species in Los Angeles County in Pacoima and Sylmar as well as Citrus Community Park (Riverside, CA) and Andulka Park (Corona, CA). Pat Copps of Rollins Inc., reported DRA presence in Bakersfield. This species may already be widely distributed in Southern California and could be dispersing to newer areas.
Biology
DRA nests both indoors and outdoors (6). They forage without making trails but trailing has been observed in the laboratory between the sub-units of a colony (7). High levels of aggression toward individuals of other colonies has been observed, which may prevent the establishment of multiple colonies in a small area (8).
Different authors have reported that this species can coexist with other ant species, most notably Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) and red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), and has even nested alongside the latter (4, 5). In Los Angeles and Riverside counties, the author has seen DRA workers walking near trails of red imported fire ants and Argentine ants without alarming the workers of these other two species.
DRA have been observed feeding on plant nectar in the field. In the lab, a 30% honey solution along with a liquid tuna mixture and caterpillars has been observed to support reproducing colonies (7).
DRA as a Nuisance Pest
Foragers and alates of DRA invade structures and can become nuisances. In Orange County, there were more incidences of DRA infestations in 2018 as compared to 2017. In June and July of 2018, customer calls were made regarding reproductives when clients saw them at bright lights inside. David Taylor from The Bugman Pest and Termite Control reported that clients were often unaware that workers were also present.
According to Pat Copps, in southern California, DRA infestations have been more common in Orange County but are still relatively rare as compared to the pervasive Argentine ant, which accounts for about 90% of customer calls for ant infestations. He also says DRA foragers are usually seen in kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms inside and around grade/wall junctures, stone borders, patios, and tree roots.
How to Manage DRA
Pest management professionals have reported difficulty in managing dark rover ants in other parts of the United States (4). This is believed to be due to the existence of long-lived satellite colonies, which can survive for around three months when separated from the main colony (8). Consequently, a structure treated for DRA may soon be re-invaded by ant individuals from adjacent satellite colonies.
In California, similar difficulties have been reported in controlling this pest. These difficulties have been overcome by some PMPs by using combinations of baits, dusts, and liquid sprays as interior and exterior treatments. Copps reported that very limited success has been achieved when attempting to control this pest outdoors.
Research by Miguelena and Baker (6) on the efficacy of selected pesticides against DRA showed higher ant mortality when using Arilon (indoxacarb, Syngenta) and Demand CS (lambda-cyhalothrin, Syngenta) liquids as well as Maxforce Quantum ant bait (imidacloprid, Bayer CropScience) when compared to other insecticides used in the study (Figure 4).
Since DRA control failure is very common, it is important for PMPs to consider using products which have been scientifically proven to be effective in controlling DRA. Other products may eventually prove to be effective against DRA, but at this time there has been limited published research on the management of this pest.
References
- Ward, P.S., A synoptic review of the ants of California (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa, 2005. 936(1): p. 1-68.
- McGown, J.A. Ants of the Southeastern United States. 2003.
- Quirán, E.M., J.J. Martínez, and A.O. Bachmann, The neotropical genus Brachymyrmex Mayr, 1868 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Argentina: Redescription of the type species, B. patagonicus Mayr, 1868; B. bruchi Foel, 1912 and B. oculatus Santschi, 1919. Acta zoológica mexicana, 2004. 20(1): p. 273-285.
- MacGown, J.A., J.G. Hill, and M.A. Deyrup, Brachymyrmex patagonicus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), an emerging pest species in the southeastern United States. Florida Entomologist, 2007. 90(3): p. 457-464.
- Martinez, M.J., et al., New records for the exotic ants Brachymyrmex patagonicus Mayr and Pheidole moerens Wheeler (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in California. The Pan-Pacific Entomologist, 2011. 87(1): p. 47-50.
- Miguelena, J.G. and P.B. Baker, Evaluation of liquid and bait insecticides against the dark rover ant (Brachymyrmex patagonicus). Insects, 2014. 5(4): p. 832-848.
- Tamayo, D. Dark Rover Ant: Brachymyrmex patagonicus Mayr. 2011.
- Miguelena, J. and P. Baker, Why are rover ants (Brachymyrmex patagonicus) so difficult to control? Graduate Student Poster Session, Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting, San Diego, California, 2010.