Focus 580; Insect Control

Good morning welcome to focus 580. It's our morning talk show. My name's David Inge. Glad to have you with us we're also pleased to welcome back to the show. Phil Nixon he's an extension entomologist at the UI and from time to time he's here particularly we like to have him in when things are warm and insects are most active to help with insect pest problems around the home. And certainly it can be some can be anything inside can be something outside that deals with or bothers ornamental plants or things that you might happen to grow to eat any and all of that. We stop short of field crops but the kinds of pests that you see in the home and in the home landscape those are the kinds of things we deal with now you have to do is call in here and tell us what the problem is and Phil will do his best to tell you how to deal with it. 3 3 3 9 4 5 5 toll free 800 to 2 2 9 4 5 5. Thanks very much. We're glad to be here. This is we were just chatting a little bit before we got going here about the Japanese beetles It seems that. Well maybe I would say going to say it wasn't too bad a year but maybe again it's a matter of where it is you are and some people might have seen a lot and

some people didn't see all that many. You know they've been very spotty America currents this year they did show up early typically we don't see them until the end of June this year of a showed up in the middle of June. You can probably. Blame a 90 degree temperatures we had in May on that but. But that that help probably helped along brought him out early but in generally in the Champaign Urbana area we are seeing very little wee small numbers they'll be pockets where there is heavy numbers but but generally throughout central Illinois there's not very many. I have had good reports of high numbers in Bloomington in Peoria areas as well as many areas the Chicago area Will County that sort of area. So it depends on on where you are whether you just got lucky. Most places people around Champaign-Urbana area got lucky this year. Well you know I think I didn't get the telephone number at the head of the show I tended to think that if people want to call in with questions 3 3 3 9 4 5 5 that's the champagne Urbana number we do also have a toll

free line that's good anywhere that you can hear us and that is a hundred to 2 2 9 4 5 5 so at any point here you got questions you can call us. One of the big problems that a lot of people have been dealing with this summer around Illinois is its dryness and some areas state severely dry. And again I guess this probably depends on the insect that you're talking about it. How has has dryness. What has dryness meant for insect populations stay dryness norm. Typically in this year is no different typically increases the number of insect pests that we have in general because the major mortality factor a major thing which kills many many insects are fungal diseases which are specialized to insects and attack them. And because fungi you need need damp conditions and preferably cooler conditions when you have hot dry weather. Those fungi are not near as active so we see more insects surviving than normally were good and you know we don't normally don't see the ones that didn't survive died when they were young so we've we're seeing

more in the way of caterpillars particularly on trees and shrubs. Grasshoppers are more numerous this year because there's a fungal disease that normally takes those out. Damper conditions and we're also seeing an increase in some West Nile virus cases this year because Ian's mosquito that carries that Nordhaus mosquito prefers very putrid water which develops in in gutters and entry holes in areas where there is organic matter such as far leaves and so on sitting there and then you get some water there if it doesn't get refreshed by rain very often. And so it really gets smelly dark colored stinky and that's just what this mosquito loves So actually you know most people tend to think. You know you know it's that strong we're going to have the mosquitoes but we don't have a ones that tend to come up and bother you all the time that are bugs in your years and drive you inside with large numbers. Those are normally floodwater mosquitoes which are normally associated with high rainfall events.

However the ones that are and they're not normally disease carrying to people but the ones that carry diseases too to humans are a little sneaky. Culex pipiens the Norman house mosquito that likes that the dry conditions and when we had the West Nile Virus heavy before it was due to that we're not seeing any numbers anywhere approaching that sort of situation but we have had several cases around the state and a lot of the only part of public health does check check mist larvae for mosquito larvae for West Nile virus and they're in there fighting it and also in catches of adults so it's out there. It's more prevalent it has been the skeeters more prevalent it has been. It's something you need to be watchful for clean out your gutters get rid of the old tires got water in it dump your bird bath and wading poles once a week. You know this sort of thing. And then where repellents containing DEET are of the best. If you're out there particularly the evening or early morning mosquitoes are around.

Try to limit your your activity out in those in those hours. I've met some of these sneaky mosquitoes I think that the bigger ones you could you could feel it when they bite right the little ones. Only later you notice that the Northern house mosquito is kind of a little brown guy but you just kind of you're doing something kind of looked out and there on your leg is this little brown mosquito just sitting there pumping away he's a want to transfer she's the one the transmission of the disease. They're all females they bite people to get blood for an egg deposition but there are very sneaky ones they're the ones who transmitted disease the ones that bugs your ear and and make you know they're there and when they bite you feel it. They're usually they're usually one of the other tree homesick Eidos try Sorry atest or or one of the floodwater mosquitoes and not not as likely be carrying diseases in this part of the state. OK we got some callers here let's talk first with some in Belgium line number four. Hello.

Maybe yeah. QUESTION May I put my arm right here. I noticed this here that the fireflies came out much earlier than usual just like the tomb Junebug Japanese Beetles I guess I don't know. Those are the same thing. June Bug and Japanese beetle and they're in the same family they are related but are not quite the same. And I noticed the fireflies came out very early and they didn't last very long because fireflies always seem to like the warm weather and they don't usually start blinking real good until it gets about 90 degrees and I notice that this is not quite the same years or something going on here that is really different. Well insects are all insects are cold blooded animals they they take on the temperature to a great extent of their environment. And as with with us and other animals the our enzyme systems are various. Activities that occur inside our body work better at higher temperatures to a degree. Once you get over the mid 90s or in the 100s you start having problems but but

generally they work better under warmer conditions and often with an insect or any other cold blooded animal. Any time you have extended periods of time in which temperature is warmer than normal which we did tend to have we had a we had a spring that tend to break fairly early this year and stayed stayed warm. And then we got that very hot weather in in May we had a series of over 90 degree days and the highs fall again by June and and this will cause the insects to come out. In general fruit true late May in and through June. We were seeing insects coming out about 10 to 14 days ahead of normal and fireflies would have been no no different on that. And it all has to do with the temperatures. Now fireflies do do better and tend to be on around longer when we have periodic rain falls or they appeared to that and they like moist conditions their larvae live down next to the soil and fit many of the females or some of females are wingless and

live there too. And so when you have very hot dry weather not only does the lack of moisture tend to reduce the length of time it took fireflies are out apparently but also we had a lot of hot weather when the fireflies were out at Natchez speeds up their lifecycle as adults and would shorten their adult time a tear out so all of the hot weather is the main thing the dry weather would have entered into it. That's probably the reason why you saw fireflies for a fairly short period of time. Although I live out in the country sell the champagne and we had them for probably a good 3 or 4 weeks they were out for quite a long time there but. And we were dry as well I was kind of surprised they hung around as long as they did. Personally as dry as it was seemed to know some great camera and maybe died like you say it's a local condition. It may be and but the but the warm footer brought him out early. Thank you very much. Thank you. Let's talk with someone here next in Champaign. Lie number one. Hello. Yeah I got a question. Last month when it got

real hot like almost close to 100 for two weeks I had a whole bunch of ants in my kitchen. And this is truly baffled me I cannot figure it out. After the heat wave about two or three weeks ago that lasted for awhile. All my answer gone. I got no answer anymore and I just wondered if you could give me an expert. Something more that I can understand why I mean what what happened. Insects extract to escape the heat just like people do. And normally we tend to think of dance as being more of a problem when you get into the late winter early spring when it's really too cold for him to forage outside but the extra warmth from our heated houses gives them more more heat underground in their nests that are close to our foundations and also places the forage inside so generally we have most of our and problems in the spring. However when it gets very hot

the insects will easily overheat when you're out for Juno outdoors and they will be attracted to cooler conditions and will come in and I would suspect that that may be associated with your ED situation I saw a few in my house during that time. Certainly you can see this with flies as you are. We normally get a lot more flies inside the house during 90 degree days than we do on on easier days and if you notice they will be sitting right outside the doors and assumes that they feel that cool air coming out of that door they say fly right in. Any chance we'll take advantage of the cooler conditions as well. So I think that's probably why you saw them and why they disappeared when the when the temperatures abated. With us having temperatures in the 90s this week you may see a few more coming back in. OK Art. OK thank you bye and thank you here and we'll go on here next caller up is in white Heath and that's line number two. Hello. Hi I'm calling I called earlier in the summer about

a cicada killers and I didn't do anything about them because I don't know if you read them when I talk to or someone else said that they went by it or anything maybe they just go about their business. You'd have to go on your way to get stuff. Yes. And so but now I have all these little sand heels in my yard and there are a whole bunch of them and they make these little holes and then they kick all the dirt and I have these little sand piles all over them especially. The sun here so am I going to have like tens of thousands of the creatures flying around next year then. No you're not really going to necessarily have a lot more than you would the share of the females will nest underground and they will make something like an ant hill. Oh but it has a little bit bigger hole in the center usually about the size of a pencil

and they will create those two to bring take their prey down into a fine and lay eggs on him but then the larvae feeds on it prey underground comes out to next year. Certainly more of them in an area would tend to increase the number locally but the thing that vet restricts the number of any predator is the number of prey and so you know they're not. They are a native insect they have native parasites there's a little tiny wasp that waits for the. Weights weights will follow the cicada killer down in her burrow and then lay an egg right next to her egg which hatches out and eats her larva and then eats the host you know. All of this happens in nature and all happens here because we have a native. This is a native insect. All of its natural enemies are here and so for that reason and also read of scarcity of prey they're not going to build up to huge numbers to where you know you're going to

look like you look like a whole mess of little ant hills or these little hills associated with the cicada killers and also the other thing is of course the males are are very aggressive towards each other and will tend to drive each other often and the females will tend to go wherever the males are so they'll kind of space themselves out. You have a few more when you don't try to get rid of them but on the other hand they're not going to overwhelm us because we're going to native insect which is in touch with its environment and sequel system. OK I'll just leave a man I don't think Oh you may see as many as you had this year but I don't think you'll see a lot more. Well if I get a lot more than he'll I might. But I have a mo pretty easily so it's not a deal. When you mow across America as this takes caring just throws the sand though. Oh yeah but don't spread the stuff where you see people pay good money to have yard Corera fied you haven't the bugs now I know I do that too. I don't need extra help

actually. Ok ok thing thanks for the call our guest here this morning in this part of focus 580 is Phil Nixon he's an extension etymologist at the U of I. And every once in a while us here to try to help out with insect past problems and if you have a problem in the home or in the home landscape and you can give us a good description he will do his best to tell you how to deal with it. 3 3 3 9 4 5 5 toll free 800 to 2 2 9 4 5 5. How much territory does. Does a male cicada killer patrol Typically I don't know for sure what the square footage is but generally when you're walking across a yard or are people that are in the Gulf we know this well golf courses will actually shut down holes because of this because people of the intimidation factor normally what will happen is you walk into an air and you get as was puttering in front of you. Check out in front and then zooms to the side Nineveh back in there you know an inch and a half long very impressive looking. These are all males and they're checking out to see if you're a female needs to be mated with or a

female cicada killer or another male cicada killer to be driven off. They figure out your need for one then they leave you alone. But as you walk across the turf after about fifty seventy five hundred feet you'll run across another's another's territory and the same thing will happen. And these territories are probably going to be various shapes of all depending on the on the habitat that's there. So I normally tend to think that every 50 to 100 feet you're going to run into another cicada killer territory. If you've got good habitat and unfair ways in most coffee courses are that way so you know you by the time you get to get to the pin you may go through five or six of the four. Before you ever get through it all and that's that has an intimidation factor on golfers particular when you're trying to line up a pot or something and you get these things zooming around your head so. So they become a hassle that way and they beak but in a home lawn typically you're not going to have more than a more than a couple male territories generally.

You know how many eggs on average this one female play. I don't know for sure but if I was going to hazard a guess it's it's probably in the range of 10 or so because she essentially builds a new barrel for each for each egg she lives and you know this is an insect which is going to have a fairly low profile for profundity. A fairly low number of eggs laid because she does provide so well for them. Other insects will lay you know housewives doesn't give any parental care and provide the food real well and so on. So a couple 408 But on this type of insect probably 10 maybe 20 is probably in the range I'm not really certain. OK well let's talk with some more folks here. Let's go next to Chicago. Line number four. Hello. Yes. Well you bring up. It's really kind of I have been sick all of a sudden. That's a little white guys sort of yes. Chances are that that with a if there are very little white

insects that are look like pinhead size or so or for a form on a pinhead those are probably white flies. And in most houses the white flies will tend to tend to disappear unless you've got a host which is just perfect for them. You know they really love this. They like poinsettias the sort of thing you can get rid of them by spraying for Valar for the nymphs which are on the underneath side of the of the leaves and used to use insecticide of soap for that a couple sprays a week apart should really knock them down. If your air has a tendency to be kind of on a dry side in your house chances are good they'll disappear on their own at least. I know when I've tried to keep them alive to use for classes they all die out on me in university buildings. I think I think in in fairly dry humidity low humidity situations they just are the nymphs are not able to sustain themselves so it's a.. I have a hard time

keeping them going that able to be successful on house plants in my own home quite well but. But it's actually out of soaps sprays will knock them out. And our common greenhouse passed years ago we had some. I have a script that you could hang up and the fumes or something from that would kill insect. Yeah these three available. Yeah these are called the survey poena. Dr. Vas is the is the common name on the on the chemical. They're sold as no press trips and you'll find those still in hardware stores and so on around these you have to these will be effective against that. Beck sure you pay attention to the warnings on them or not to be used around shut ins or or in food handling areas kitchens etc. but but they are a vaporizer an insecticide and that will that will help as long as you don't overdo it. I've known of people who try to do their own pest control this way by taking one of these and put it inside a pen to put in a planned plastic bag and putting up one of these things in it for a couple three days. And they've normally successfully killed their plant by the

high heat very high amount of insecticide that occurs in that situation. But I meant class five. It flies and mosquitoes don't like it. It depends on the on the on the mince. More commonly what they will use what they'll recommend is is one of the Senate geraniums are actually called a mosquito plant that you can buy. You'll find that on your back page of your Sunday supplement that sort of thing. The chances are what we do know is is that there's some effect there but it's very minimal and it's only for a short for a small amount. So know as you're sitting on your patio and you had 15 or 20 of these all surround you to where you could hardly see and you had a few sitting on your lap etc. it would probably reduce the problem of the ham around the edge or patter you won't see much difference. It's hard to thank you. Thanks to the CO. Let's go next to call here in the Pontiac line number three. Hello. Yes thanks for taking my call. I think you got into insecticides. And

where I had a question. I was watching TV was when there was a commercial came out it caught my attention the claim that you could trade something or other and the ground around your house and in the yard and boy they would kill the ants and everything for a long time and I don't remember all the details maybe you can fill me in and this but Mike My thought was Is this a good thing to do or are we getting a little crazy with trying to control you know and sterilize the ground around your house for yards and yards and yards in my a personal opinion. We're getting a little crazy to say the least. What you're doing when you first park for these insecticides typically they rely on there's a lot of piracy Freud's and other insecticides that will normally kill insects for about a month and then other insightful move in. And if you time right you can get very several months out of that for instance if you were to

apply this material in say mid-September when the insects are going to kind of die off by mid-October anyway and then build up much until you get into May. One application that really last a month will actually give you control from probably September to May. Now they're using winter for practically all of that but you know advertising works that way you won't see the bugs for a while because the snow and ice pretty well keeps them down. But in reality and in and certainly when I see these things they're mainly making making claims that they really can't substantiate very well. And it also makes me shudder if they could do this. Insects are important parts of the ecosystem a lot of our world revolves off of off of insects and what they do as far as as far as our other animals that we enjoy in plants and so on. And to just try to get rid of them upsets me there's a catch. There's a pesticide company that brags that you know if you follow us you won't see any insects.

And like that's a good thing and to me that would be terrible I mean I went to a conference a couple years ago in Hawaii and I got very depressed because there were hardly any bugs there right. So I would never live there I mean it's just not in it. Not on a butterfly's is the monarch outfit. You know it's just to be live in a world without insects you can have it. You know that's the kind of camp I'm into and I was recalling when I saw this this commercial that they had an old aunt and she's passed away you know 40 but she kept in Elmhurst and she had a small front yard but she was so disgusted with the wildlife that were in her one inch tall grass that was ripped up and she had it to her foot. Yeah I've talked to people from Chicago area about it I started my career up there. And every once in a while when I get I want to get one of those on the phone and still do. I recommended to go move to a high rise apartment so they don't have to hassle with all this stuff I mean you know if you're going to live where around you've got accept that nature insects are part of nature and a lot of these people get

upset just because there's a bug they could care less whether it's a harmful thing or not it's a bug. I don't like it. I'm in charge thus it should die. To me that doesn't fit with my idea of life right. Well. OK I hear somebody else talk about things the way I do and it was I was a little upset about that commercial I couldn't imagine why anybody would want to kill all the answer. Yeah I have no problem with doing things to keep them from hauling you away but on the other hand you know I I don't get upset about outdoor and steaks because they indiscriminately will kill ants and answer an important part of our ecosystem. Yeah I mean I'll fight over my my bed you know. If you're in the know when that battle but yeah I don't care but the rest of us there's Yeah I don't have it. OK thank you. Thanks Atika. Our guest in this part of focus 580 Phil Nixon is an extension entomologist at the U of I. And he's the guy here occasionally is on the program and we say OK if you've got a bug problem and you absolutely have to get rid of it you can't deal with it. OK. We'll tell you what to do.

Otherwise you know maybe the mix will make some suggestions about how we can just get along. That's right. Use you'll see you make up your mind in the New Year 3 3 3 9 4 5 5 toll free 800 to 2 2 9 4 5. Next up we have a caller in Edward's port Indiana Lie number two. Hello hi. The problems with I call him Lady and I don't know what her real name is. Somebody said they were imported. Probably they're ones coming in your house or probably the multicolored Asian lady Beatle. OK lady bug. OK well I was one and I don't use any kind of pesticides or you know we killers or all that stuff. I live out on a farm. Ok old house and they invade me from about the first cold snap.

Throughout the winter right. And I was wondering is or somethin I can use. That's nice everybody else besides Sam. OK there are there are a variety of things first they weren't going to come in very high numbers to your house until we get into the fall September or so and they're going to be John Farnham. They make game jump doesn't help a whole lot. LOESCH you're going to be willing to spend hours caulking. They do go in for cracks and crevices particularly where edges edges such as Yves areas corners of the house both outside and inside and also around window framing and anything you do to caulk some of those areas particular flexible caulk like a silicone sealer will help greatly reduce the numbers that get inside your house they're attracted to sunlit surfaces which means they're going to be primarily in the south and west sides. That's where you need to contra concentrate your efforts. Long term answer a lot of people better want something now don't like this answer. Long term answer is if you plant trees a shadow

side to your house you will eliminate practically all your lady beetles that might take 20 years but you know if you don't if you're not there that long somebody will be. I hope my house is the west side of my house has a big oak tree. OK. The side of my house has no tree. OK I want to guess the problem with that situation most are coming in on the south side your house is south and east in the morning now where it's sunny and so and so that will reduce some. You can you can kill them on contact with insecticide of soap and or on the side of your house. That is an insecticide it will kill pretty much anything in a hurry hits. But if all you got out are lady beetles that's primarily what you're going to kill and you can do that daily if necessary. Inside they will be attracted to light at night and if you you can go onto the Internet and you can find a ladybug white traps that you can put inside there about quart jar size.

An affair of a strong a source of light in your house you will attract probably hundreds of them per night and that that will. You can use it all winter long to help get reduce the numbers as they come out of the inside of the walls. If you want to use an insecticide. There is an effective material called Delta meth fren which is available from commercial pest control companies and what they'll do is prairies around your windows and along the edges of your house and done stuff like that. Not really to any great extent only indirectly in that it will kill pretty much any insect to comes in contact with that and may reduce the food for four or four song birds for insect eating birds. But certainly similar materials are used directly on the birds to help get rid of mites in caged bird situations and chickens and so on so very likely very unlikely to have too much of an effect directly on them. Also you consider if a spray just on the house the only things come into the

house are seen on the House are pretty much ones you don't want coming into your house anyway so you know you can rationalize it away if you wish or you can say not I want to do that. But the Delta MF friend applied once in the fall has shown to be given a friend Delta MF for an D E L T A M E th r i n n a pest control company may have something else that they like better and it probably works as well. OK all right well thank you. You're welcome things I don't find the person that invented those things. Well I don't quite understand why a why that guy brought him in there was a USDA scientists actually you're actually paying his salary to that'll make you feel even worse. You know it. I've heard here I don't know how true but they have gotten rid of the aphids on pecans in the southeast which I originally brought in because they could help control also at least they did. And also we have a lot of farmers today that are in business today in our state because the because this insect does such a good

job killing eating soybean aphids on a crop and greatly increasing the yield of soybean if it so beans with because of that and we've had a lot. I would I would I would venture to say we've had a considerable fewer going out of business. Mortgage collapse farm auctions as a result of this beetle so there is a silver lining on a dark cloud or you want to put it. I kind of disagree but now that's another conversation that's right. All right well thanks for the call. Somebody apparently called in here and kind of had the same question in their mind that I had in mind thinking about the fact that these beetles are in their native environment and apparently are attracted to light surfaces and that as so I guess my thought was Well if you really have a problem and you could do it would it make a difference if you change the color that your house was painted to something darker. It makes some difference yes. We see that we don't have I don't have a lot of knowledge on that as far as as far as the these lady beetles

but certainly we've noticed that with Box Elder bugs which are also tractor light services and beetles which are also travel light services. And I've gotten you know a little bit of anecdotal feedback that that brick houses have fewer of them which are dark by nature and also ones that have a darker color to their house yes. Right so that if it's a huge problem that might be something you would think about. People are people are willing to do almost anything to keep these out and reduce them and so yeah people I've talked to people who would paint our house to help avoid as many of them. They will get rid of them but it will grate should reduce the numbers. OK Phil Nixons Our guest is extension entomologist at the U of I were talking about insect pasts. Give us a call get a couple people here ready to go and do as many as we can 3 3 3 9 4 5 5 toll free 800 to 2 2 9 4 5 5. Next caller is in Farmer city. Line 1. Hello. Hi I was wondering if you could give me some information about what to do. That happened.

Well one thing is time is on your side because the Japanese beetles are dying off right now we are in most areas we have maybe 20 percent of what we had three weeks ago. But but certainly where they're feeding on on plants out in your landscape. Realize that the damage they do is not going to likely cause any serious harm to the plants occurs in the second half of the summer and so putting up with it on areas where the trees or shrubs are not that obvious is an option on those where you do want to try to control them. We recommend it when they first come out. Usually at the end of June this year it was the middle of June to to go out and in the evening is the best time to do this. And if you poke at one and hold a jar with some soapy water or alcohol underneath it it will drop in and die and you can collect a quarter saw the night every other night and greatly reduce your problem for up to season because they tend to fly to new hosts every three days and go to a host it's already been fed on if you keep your plants are being fed on early that helps.

But as you get later in the season or if you don't want to get involved in that spraying the trees and shrubs that are being attacked every other week about every two weeks with fever Carbury which is sold as 7 or Lutheran which is going to be sold as bare advance garden malty. Multi insect spray this will also provide about two weeks a control. Normally they're out from the end of June through about the middle of August and so free applications normally greatly reduce the problem by tiny in middle of August. The numbers are so few the damage is so small that it's probably not worth your trouble to spray form. Well I notice that they seem to be worse. Where I live we live right next to a play games children play games as well. We have a bald Cypress and a bird and literally the bees were covered it was like a black one and it says I was concerned about the size

of her dancing that day but evidently they're not us but yeah actually an interesting feature about trees is that groovy they've done some studies an and a tree will coat will go through the winter with a certain amount of energy to put on new leaves in the spring of the year and put those on and it's level of of stored energy greatly drops when that happens. But if those leaves are able to produce food for that tree for several weeks the tree energy comes back up and it actually goes higher than it was coming for the winter so. Those are spring feeding insects that would take those leaves off a tree such as gypsy moth and spring canker worm and things of that nature are a real problem to a healthy tree. But once you get to about July the leaves actually produce very little food from me from July 1st through the end of the season for that tree produces most of its food most of its sugars from the tree. When a tree when the leaves are still soft and young

and so loss of leaves from July 1st on has little impact on the health of the tree because this energy has already been collected. The knout does impact more when you get a lot of damage. Enjoy a lie and a tree for release and puts new leaves on then it will expend energy. And if that occurs too late in the season to wear those new leaves don't have enough time to generate more food for a plant that can be somewhat of a problem but generally the amount of damage we get even from Japanese beetles which may take out a top half to two thirds of a tree. Normal isn't enough it causes a lot of relief. And as a result the trees enter the interval winter with a reasonable amount of food stores enough to put on leaves next spring and do well so generally they're not really going to cause a lot of harm. In your situation with soybean fields around the Japanese beetle larvae the white grubs feed on grass roots and so they're feeding in your yard prop perhaps but certain waterways and roadsides and so on and that's where a lot of Japanese beetles are coming from. If you start thinking about non

square footage of of grass in those areas and if they prefer birch trees will trees crabapples roses these sorts of things. You've got the perfect plant for the him in their yard and so from all this area they come to you whereas in a in an urban area every other yard has a birch or a willow or some or crab apple or something that they want to feed on. And the amount is much less even though they will attack the the corn the new so called the corn and also the leaves on the soybeans. They really love those trees more and that's probably why you're getting hit so hard that they haven't. Well predators like these what Africa tells them is the end of their life. Like pretty much the end of their life psycho kills them off they are the Beatles themselves are mostly crunchy very little soft valuable food material in them and so birds don't go after him all that much a few will feed on but not to any great extent.

And they're up off the ground so Centex sick terus mammal such as some of our mice and so on don't do much to him either except when they die and fall aground and they feed on him. But there are some parents a toy that attacks the larvae. This is not a native insect so it builds up to high numbers without those. There have been some in portion importation of those to help reduce a prominent northeastern probably nice States. Unfortunately it's dropped the numbers considerably but the numbers have gone back up so we don't have real good answers Milky Spore is a disease that works on a larvae. But it seems to have some problem sustaining control as well so we don't have any real good answers beneficial. Insects are disease wise and unfortunately just going to have to live with it. And I have one quick question. Someone suggested I think this was a big mistake to tie those bags. I think that with serving the limited research indicates that

the insects will be attracted to the Japanese beetle traps from a block or two away but many and when they get in the area will start feeding on the plants so you actually can have. Research has shown that you'll have more damage if you have these traps and if you do not I will thanks a whole lot. Thank you for the go. Next up we have someone in Charleston on our toll free line line for Hello. Well yes apologize if this has already been covered but I just started listening in the car. That's fine. I have abs in my kitchen and I have a big block after having a little one before and somebody told me they were sprayed and forgot Sweden perhaps. No problem. These are great big ones I made us come out in hordes that night and just started it. There we go fer least a quarter of an inch long these are carpenter ants and they would be coming from some from a nest it's going to be damp would or would it was damp three years ago and they may be coming from a tree outside but if you've got fairly large numbers usually a dozen or more

per day is pretty indicative of a nest inside the house. If you've lived in your house for at least three to five years you probably know where they're coming from because you probably had a roof leak water drain pipe leak something of that nature that got the wood damp during the summer time and his ants got into it it takes two or three years before you really start to see them if you can think back and think of that situation you may be able to locate a colony. You have to open a wall to do so and and then. Replace the wood or soak the wood with an aerosol and Roach Brian this will kill off a colony. Many times you can if you put out honey bees answer very trudge attracted to and once they find food they'll tend to go more straight back to their nest and so I've known people who've been successful in doing that and been able to find out where the car where the where they're coming from. Otherwise it can be very frustrating because an ant wanders a lot. It's out looking for food. They do tend to be nocturnal. Commercial pest control people have access to some baits that

have been affective in the past but those are not available over-the-counter. All right appreciate it very much. Thank you. Thanks to the crowd. Let's see in DNA. Someone here in Indiana Lie number two. Hello Iowa. This my questions along the lines what you were talking about earlier you would want to see the world and sex right. And I'm certainly there and almost considered major an entomologist when I started school but my question is along the line of this. I'm sure there must be pamphlets or something it's saying you should not grow X Y Z Otherwise you'll have a b c and kinds and sex and that's what I'm interested in because I'd rather I'd like to have a man six sides. General ones I see in my backyard particularly beetles and I was wondering if you know of any pamphlets or a book that along the line of you know planning a butterfly garden. Certainly the very if you go to any major bookstore there will be several books on on butterfly gardening. There's

one that I like the best is it's been published by visitor sees I may have belonged to that girl OK. It's a very very good book there are very others that are quite good. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has a pamphlet on it for Illinois gardeners for butterfly gardening. OK I have several plants I've planted my yard to have a lot of food plants for the larvae primarily and then I plant my plants have some plants for the adults nectar sources as well you know. But yeah that's those are available and and are quite good. We've planted we've planted kale in and fennel before and parsley only to have black swallowtail butterflies as a result has a large feed on that president so there's. Yeah there are there pamphlets that are free books that are available and certainly you can you can you can do that.

And generally we don't if somebody else is thinking the opposite direction we normally don't publish pamphlets or anything that indicate what plant you should not plant to avoid insects because or diseases because if you got if you drew that net fine enough you'd have an asphalt yard you know. So you know diversity is our best protection against pest insects and the old rule of thumb is when somebody assay says I'm moving into a new area and I want to plant plant trees in my yard which are the best ones to plant the best answer usually is wait for a year to look to see what all your neighbors plant and then plant something different. Yeah whatever it is do it something different because more of the same thing which is what people tend to do they copy Well they cut theirs and let's put our That same thing in that increases your insect problems over a long run. Now is there any end. Well I'm looking for something like that might attract certain kinds of beetles. You know of any plan or a tree or a bush that you know is one that you don't have that Forster

in the wings. Saying Well in general a lot of your Lot of your plants that will wet will put out flowers with fleshy leaves or are very attracted to beetles in general. Magnolia Sarva number one one those plants actually evolved before there were butterflies before as Moss to cetera so they evolve with fleshy leaves that are attracted to the beetles to eat the question petals. They're attracted to be toasty to petals I always have to chuckle to myself a little bit when I get a call from somebody complain about the beetles eating the flower petals on their Magnolia and I think you know the tree evolved to have that done. You know you're working against nature here so certainly. And one of our more commonly planted magnolias economy has a lot of beetles feeding on and on its flowers are as is tulip tree the yellow parlor and other magnolias that are sold as magnolia as those are those are dead giveaways and for Japanese beetles it's normally they love primarily crab apples. Willows

birches linden trees. OK those are the big four. Okey dokes. Thanks a lot. I can't imagine planting something deliberately to attract Japanese beetles but barest gotta be somebody out there that is could be. They're kind of attractive yes. I mean they're one of the more in my pre-New in there one of the prettier insects I fought for several years of trying to make one into a tight pack. Yeah. And I never got around to it. OK let's go to Urbana line numbers 3. Hello hello. Yes occasionally there are periodically I have a lot of trouble with ants in my bathroom and my kids these of that little ants have you said what's the best thing for them. Generally you answer inside the house are best controlled through baiting. And there are two types of baits outer one is a protein based so called for so called grease ants. And the most effective bait out there is called combat and that's OK. It has a hydra Mepham non material in it as a toxin it works quite well

and then for votes that are going to go to sweets. Probably taro or grants ant bait t r r o or an arrow a lot it seems to me that just a trick. It's gotten less effective since they've gone to a boric acid bait talkin when they used to have arsenic in it. As you might guess they had serious concerns about arsenic being left around because don't last forever. But but Grant's has arsenic in it so grants and bait would be an option. Most stance that come into the house sooner or later they fluctuate between going after a protein or sweets so even just using the combat and baits it may take a three or four weeks but eventually they'll get in arrest Annette Baden will probably take care of them. Now is that like a little black it'll be a little all of these tend to come in little black round plastic. Low containers that have a bait already in them of little openings and I'm pretty fast when I have I've used a little of both those and taro. OK and right

now I don't have any but then I come back terrible particular in the spring they come in. OK thank you for who you are and thank you and will go to Aurora here for at least one more hello. Yes yes I know I have it for the minute I forgot what I advocate for her and those folks would term her might get her mike. Thank God I do the right. Like the way it is. Killed a missile. Hi what can I go and do we pay for rent this amount of money every two years to try to get them away. Can I do everything. Well first off we recommend that people who don't have termites don't necessarily have to spray pay this just to protect their house. Well my app you already have them then. Then you're pretty well pretty well stuck there are a couple options that you can do. One is there's bating systems and these will normally cost somewhere around fifteen

hundred to 2000 dollars to install in your typical house energy only about a $200 fee per year to monitor voce traps. In addition of that an alternative that is a barrier treatment system and oh by the way of the common. The most common names are going to be central con and Xterra and Xterra et cetera. There's also a barrier treatment option which is normally going to cost around fifteen hundred dollars should last for about 10 years. You may want to have them come in and check every once in a while but you don't have to do it every year. In all likelihood and the two best materials there are called term a door Turmel door. Write that down. And also premis is the other one PR premis. And that approximately about fifteen hundred dollars. About fifteen hundred dollars and it's one application and it should last for about 10 years.

But 60 and something about to you having to have it down and you're going up with two. He may be using a different product the term a door and the premises are superior products to some of the others and you want to shop around. Also also make sure you get two or three beds just like buying a used car the cheapest one isn't always the best. OK yes I bet I know why. OK thank you so much hope you're well. Phil Nixon I'm with the University of Illinois extension. What's the last thing. Nixon OK. Thank you John. We are almost out of time you real quick you want to talk about white grubs in the turf generally this is a time of year you need to be watching for them. You can cut down for your if you have not watered it all you probably don't have a problem. If you've been watering irrigating keeping the grass green cut through the turf pull it back you have at least 10 to 12 rows per square foot. The be right turn a root zone or down maybe a couple inches of soil is a little dry. Best thing to apply disappoint is try to find which is

sold as dye lox d y l o x water timidly for had at least a half an inch of water take out 95 percent of the grubs. And if you have these kind of questions look in the phone book and find out where the nearest extension person is to you. Sandy Mason for example is here every month to answer the kind of questions and this is what she does. She answers them and if she can't answer them she pals leave and there are other people like Sandy other places around the state so it's a resource there it's a great resource. If people have questions about dealing with plant problems diseases insect problems any and all that kind of stuff. It will be listed as University of Illinois extension or underneath your county as University of Illinois extension in the business pages. Right and our guest Phil Nixon he's an extension and I'm ologist with you I thank you. Thank you.