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IT'S TERMITE SWARM SEASON.
Of all the wood-destroying organisms that pest control professionals deal with, termites are infamous. These insects are responsible for millions of dollars in damage to homes and businesses in Northern California. Populations of termite colonies are comprised of the queen, workers and soldiers. All are female. In Spring a mature colony will produce winged reproductives of both sexes. This is the only time of year when males are present. There are two termite species that infest structures in our region: Dry Wood and Subterranean. Of the two, the subterranean species causes the most damage to structures. Spring and Fall are the seasons when these insects are noticed more readily, as the winged reproductives, called alates (sometimes confused with "flying ants") emerge from mud tubes created by mature colonies. This emergence usually happens in the evening just prior to dusk. The reproductives fly and mate. After mating, the males die and the females become the queens of their own, new colonies.
Every home should be inspected at least every 5 years. Older homes or homes with crawl spaces underneath should be inspected every 3-4 years. If you think you have seen the mud tubes or termite reproductives swarming and suspect that your home or business has a termite infestation don't guess and don't wait. Call Pest Control Center, Inc. and schedule an inspection. |
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EARWIGS | |
Nesting Female in Defensive Posture, Photo By Nabokov
Contrary to folklore, earwigs, don't crawl into peoples' ears or bore into their brains. Nor do they attack humans with their forceps although they can pinch you if you pick them up. The forceps, which are curved on the males and straight on the females, can be used to defend the nest, capture prey, probe into cracks & crevices or assist with folding and unfolding their wings, which are carefully folded and hidden under their relatively small elytra or wing covers located on the thorax, just behind the pronotum. Most species or earwigs are capable of flying but rarely do. Their preferred means of escape is to quickly scurry off to safe shelter under a nearby object.
Earwigs are mainly nocturnal and outdoors typically spend daytime hours under garden mulch, leaf litter, boards, rocks and other objects where conditions remain dark, relatively moist and cool. Indoors they will hide under furniture, in cracks, crevices and voids or under baseboard moldings. They naturally live outdoors but sometimes walk into structures when naturally attracted by light shining through an opening. They may come in to feed on insects attracted to the light or enter seeking refuge from temperature extremes or very wet conditions such as heavy rain. Earwigs don't usually reproduce indoors, but may sometimes enter in large enough numbers to give the appearance that they do. Occasional invasions of hundreds or thousands of earwigs have been observed.
Outdoors some earwig species can damage live plant material by feeding on tender
Female With Wings Extended, Photo By Sean McCann
seedlings, shoots, leaves and soft fruit, but most feed on harmful pests such as aphids, and dead or decaying insects and vegetation. Indoors they will feed on sweet, greasy or oily foods, other insects or house plants. Typically they don't find enough food and moisture indoors and may die within a few days after invading.
Controlling Earwigs involves more than simply treating with a chemical. Prevention is really the key. Prevention begins with the elimination of conditions conducive to earwigs. Eliminate all potential hiding places near places you wish to protect like your vegetable garden, fruit trees or your home's foundation. Things like lumber, pieces of cardboard, firewood, compost, leaf litter and thick ground covers. Keep garden mulch at
European Earwig Male, Porficula auricularia Linnaeus, Photo By: Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org
a maximum depth of two inches. Avoid excess watering. Be sure that the area under your deck is dry and free of clutter or debris. Pick up any ripe fruit that has fallen from trees and carefully remove loose bark from tree trunks. Also remove leaves from rain gutters as earwigs may harbor there as well and be sure that your attic and crawl space receive adequate ventilation. Eliminate earwig entryways into your home. Repair gaps around doors and windows, repair door, window attic and crawl space ventilation screens, caulk gaps in siding and cracks in the foundation. You should also be sure to caulk or otherwise fill in any gaps where pipes or wires enter the structure. If these measures fail to adequately address any earwig problems a chemical treatment around the foundation of your home may be in order. If earwigs enter your home and you decide to treat the interior be sure that you use a material specifically registered and labeled for earwigs or general pests indoors. Of course, always read and follow pesticide label directions to the letter. This includes not only synthetically derived pesticides but botanicals and "natural" materials too. |
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OUR ONLINE STORE IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS!
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Just go online and Visit:
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Greetings!
In this issue we repeat some of the articles from last Spring because they are recurring and sometimes major concerns for homeowners. We have also added some new subjects of interest to our customers. In our special interest section we've included a Prickly Pear Brulee recipe from the California Native Garden Foundation, which we think you'll enjoy. We invite your feedback after you try it.
Folks who like to do their own pest control can now shop at our Online DIY Store and have professional grade products shipped directly to their homes or businesses in all of the Contiguous 48 Lower States.
If you enjoy our newsletter please take time to and recomend that they subscribe to receive their own copy each and every quarter. Sincerely, Your Friends at Pest Control Center, Inc.    |
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The Light Brown Apple Moth Is Here!
 | | Light Brown Apple Moth, Adult Female Above, Adult Male Below |
The Light Brown Apple Moth, Epiphyas postvittana (Walker) was first collected and identified in the San Francisco Bay area in 2007. It's now known to infest areas of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, Sacramento, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma Counties. Originally from Australia, the tiny, roughly three quarters of an inch in length, moth normally produces 3 generations per year (up to 5 in California) and has a huge potential for damaging hundreds of species of plants and causing multiple millions of dollars in losses to crop and non-crop species throughout California and much of North America. In a story by Michael Rose, the StatesmanJournal.com reports that one specimen has recently been trapped and identified in Polk County, Oregon. It is also established in the state of Hawaii.
The USDA and CDFA are both taking the LBAM threat seriously, enforcing quarantines in specific areas of the affected California counties. Along with quarantines intensive trapping programs are being implemented with a goal of eradicating the pest, without the need for pesticides, before it spreads to other counties and states.
 | | LBAM Larva |
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Inspection Service says that LBAM has the potential to be one of the most destructive pests the United States has ever experienced. If you think you've seen this pest contact your local county extension service and get the specimen to them for positive identification as quickly as possible, so appropriate control measures may be taken if needed.
The following is a partial list of plants known to be hosts of LBAM:
Agriculture:
Alfalfa, Almond, Apple, Apricot, Avocado, Blackberry, Boysenberry, Raspberry, Blueberry, Broad Bean, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cress, Mustard, Radish and Turnip, etc., California Black Walnut, Butternut, Carrot, Queen Anne's Lace, Celery, Chile Pepper, Chinese Gooseberry, Citrus, Clover, Common Bean, Common Plantain, Corn, Cucumber, Currant, Feijoa, Pineapple Guava, Grape, Hops, Kiwifruit, Kumquats, Litchi, Loquat, Macadamia, Mango, Mint, Narrowleaf Plantain, Nectarine, Olive, Parsley, Passionfruit, Pea, Peach, Pear, Persimmon, Plum, Potato, Pumpkin, Quince, St. John's Wort, Strawberry, Sweet Cherry, Sweet Pea, Tomato, Wild Radish
Horticulture:
Aaron's Beard, Acacias, African Daisy, Amaranths, Angel's Trumpet, Jimson weed, Thorn Apple, Arrow Grass, Arrowwoods, Astartea, Asters, Australian Blue Bells, Bluebell Creeper, Australian Fuchsia, Baby's Breath, Banana Passionflower, Passionfruit, Poka, Black Alder/European Alder,Black Locust, Black Thorns, Bleeding Heart Vine, Bowers, Tubeflower and Turks Turban, Boronia, Bottle Brush, Brake, Dish Fern, Table Fern, Broadleaf Dock, Broomheath, Brooms, Buck Brush, Wild Lilac, Bull Thistle, Buttercups, Crowfoot, Butterfly Bush, Cabbage Tree, Calendula, Camellia, Canada Goldenrod, Canada Thistle, Capeweed, Cape Dandelion, Carolina Jessamine, Cedar, Chrysanthemums, Clematis, Virgin's Bower, Lather Flower, Vase Vine, columbine, common Sheep Sorrel, Common Sowthistle, Common Yarrow, Cotoneaster, Cottonwood, Poplar, Coyote Brush, Desert Broom, Curled Dock, Curry Plant, Licorice Plant, Straw Flower, Cypress, Dahlia, Douglas Fir, Dusty Miller, Groundsels, Escallonia, Eucalyptus, Gum Tree, Euonymus, Fat Hen, Fiddle Dock, Fire Thorn, Flax, Fleabane, Fleece Flower, Knotweed, Smartweed, Florists Geraniums, Forsythias, Fox's Brush, Heliotrope, Valerian, Garden Sorrel, Spinach Dock, Geebung, Golden Shower, Pink Shower, Rainbow Shower and Gold Medallion Tree, Gorse, Grand Fir, Greenbrier, Jacob's Ladder, Wild Sarsparilla, Hawthorn, Hebe, Hedge Mustard, Holly, Honey Myrtle, Bottlebrush, Honeysuckle, Hop Bush, Grevillea, Ice Plant, Ivy, Japanese Douglas Fir, Japanese Pieris or Andromeda, Japanese Zelkova, Jasmine, Jerusalem Artichoke, Kamahi, Lady's Sorrel, Redwood Sorrel, Wood Sorrel, Lancewood, Lavender, Lawson's Cypress, Lilac Vine, Lupines, Madrone, Strawberry Tree, Maidenhair Fern, Mexican Orange, Mexican Palo Verde, Mexican Sunflower, Michelia, Mignonette, Milkwort, Mock Orange, montbretia, Mugwort, Sage Brush, Tarragon, Worm Wood, etc., Mums, Musk Thistle, Myoporum, Native Parsnip, Nettles, New Zealand Christmas Tree, New Zealand Flax, Norfolk Island Hibiscus, Oak, Periwinkles, Photinia, Pines, Pittosporum, Plucaria, Privet, Redwood, Rhododendron, Roses, Sages, Scotch Broom, Shore Sowthistle, Silver Tree, Snow Bush, Spanish Heath, Spiny Sowthistle, Spruce, Sugi, Sweet Amber, Tea Tree, Trailing St. John's Wort, Transvaal Daisy, Tree Tomato, Trumpet Creeper, Trumpet Vine, Velvet Ash, Virginia Mallow, Wax Flower, Western Red Cedar, White Tea Tree, Willow, Wintersweet, Woodbine and Virginia Creeper
Article Sources:
California Department of Food and Agriculture
StatesmanJournal.com
United States Department of Agriculture
University of California Online |
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YELLOW STARTHISTLE
 | | Yellow Starthistle |
Ranchers and landowners in California readily recognize this noxious, foreign invader as a painful nuisance and Equestrians recognize it as a threat to their horses. If eaten in large quantities it can inflict a serious nervous disease in equines called Chewing Disease. At the onset of symptoms the disease is 100 percent fatal. Do not allow horses to graze in pastures or on rangeland containing Yellow Starthistle! No livestock species other than horses are affected by this tragic malady.
Yellow, Starthistle, Centaurea solstitialis, was introduced into the US sometime in the 1800's. Since that time it has spread all across the drier climates of the western states. A native of Eurasia, this tenacious and aggressive weed thrives in dry conditions preferring bare soil, waste areas, over-grazed rangeland and roadsides. Germination of the seeds occurs in fall
and winter, flowering is from July to August. Two types of seeds are produced: The plumed seeds are spread by the wind and the non-plumed seeds drop close to the parent plant. Toward the end of the summer the rangy, blue gray to silvery gray skeletons are clearly visible.
Prevention of Yellow Starthistle can be accomplished by removing young plants with frequent cultivation and good grazing management. Chemical control is best accomplished when the plants are young and in the rosette stage. Established infestations usually require two years of treatment to accomplish effective control. For optimum control, treatment must be performed during the wet season.
CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE YOUR FREE STARTHISTLE EVALUATION AND QUOTE |
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BROADLEAF
WEED CONTROL IN TURFArticle Headline  Spring is the season when broadleaf weeds begin to grow at an accelerated rate, competing with desireable turf grasses for water, nutrients and sunlight. If left unchecked they will continue to grow, multiply and overtake the lawn, resulting in an unsightly quality of turf, which will guarantee that you and your lawn will become, "the talk of the neighborhood." Yikes!
The most effective broadleaf weed control begins with prevention, in the form of good turf management practices. |
Prickly Pear Brûlée
 | | Photo by:Tomás Castelazo |
A special thank you goes to Alrie Middlebrook, President of the California Native Garden Foundation
for her generous permission to publish this delicious recipe. Be sure to log on to her site to learn about sustainable gardening in California. If you reside in the San Jose area contact Alrie's company, Middlebrook Gardens. They're a firm that specializes in designing, building and maintaining beautiful native California landscapes. Stop by their nursery and shop from the large selection of native California landscape plants.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
6 egg yolks
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup prickly pear (with spines properly removed), cut into 1/4-inch cubes (or other fruit)
or
2 tablespoons of prickly pear juice for each ramekin
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, lightly whip egg yolks.
- Add cream, 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, and vanilla.
- Blend the custard well and strain.
- Distribute fruit or juice evenly between ramekins.
- Pour custard evenly over the fruit.
- Set the ramekins in a pan with at least 2-inch sides and fill the pan with hot water reaching halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the custard is softly soft.
- Remove from oven and let sit in the water for 20 minutes. Then take out ramekins and let cool.
- Chill until ready to serve.
- At serving time, sprinkle sugar thickly on top of brûlée and use propane torch to light sugar until dark golden brown. Sugar will melt in 30 seconds. Serve immediately.
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We Humans Aren't The Only Creatures Affected By Spring!
