 Fire Ants |
Fleas |
| Flies |
Mosquitoes |
| Wasps and Bees |
Each type of pest requires a specific line of action.
| Fire Ants |
Fleas |
| Flies |
Mosquitoes |
| Wasps and Bees |
 Do It Myself Menu |
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Fire ants can create fear in a way that few other
insects can. Entrenched
in the South, they are expected to eventually cover the whole country.
The least toxic method of dealing with fire ants is to drench the mound with boiling water. Even if this doesn't kill all the ants, it should convince the remaining ones to move. After the water, you should use an insect growth regulator such as Logic, an insect-specific poison that causes sterility in the queen and developing young. A decline in ant population should be noticed after about six to eight weeks.
Logic works best when applied in the early spring after the ants have begun to forage. It need only be applied once a year, except for the first year, when a large infestation can be treated again in midsummer. If there are ants in the garden, apply only around the garden's edge. Don't apply any directly on the garden. Also, to minimize drift, don't apply on windy days.
Logic has low toxicity to other organisms, except for aquatic invertebrates and bees. Make sure not to get any granules on flowers or into wetlands. Most other organisms should be unaffected by it, and it will not bioaccumulate.
Spot treatments are the best way to eliminate fleas. To discover areas of
flea populations, walk around your yard in white socks. The heat and
vibrations from your feet will cause the fleas to jump on your socks. Their
brown or black bodies will be easy to spot against the white socks. These
areas should then be treated.
Spray a mild soap and water solution mixed at a ratio of 95% water to 5% soap over the infected area. Use a biodegradable soap or a pet shampoo containing D-Limonene and linalool. A light dusting of diatomaceous earth will also work. Keeping grass clipped and weeds pulled will decrease moisture in your yard. Fleas need lots of humidity to thrive.
Since mosquitoes depend on standing water to breed, the first step to
control mosquitoes is to eliminate any unnecessary standing water on your
property. This means draining old buckets, tires, plant saucers, ditches,
ponds and depressions. Empty cans and bottles also contain enough water to
suffice as breeding grounds. Mosquito larvae depend on small tubes extending
above the surface to breath. Thus, coating the water surface with few drops
of biodegradable vegetable oil will suffocate them. Reapply throughout the
breeding season.
If you need to control mosquitoes around a pond, try stocking the pond with Gambusia, a mosquito eating fish. Guppies and goldfish will quickly reduce larvae numbers. Gambusia is well suited for polluted waters, and a good candidate for sewage treatment ponds, ditches, and irrigated rice fields. Another option is bacillus thuringiensis israeli (usually referred to as B.t.), a common bacteria that attacks caterpillars and grubs. Various subspecies are targeted towards mosquito larvae. B.t. prevents the larvae from developing into biting adults.
Encouraging natural enemies such as birds and bats to nest on your property is another good way to control mosquitoes. Erecting a house for purple marlins can be an enjoyable way to control mosquitoes. Refer to bird books to see which birds are specific to your area.
To prevent biting, leave the mosquitoes alone and apply repellents to yourself and clothing. Herbal formulas are considered safer; ones containing eucalyptus and/or citronella oils should give good results even though they will have to be reapplied more often then their chemical counterparts. Diethlytuolomide or "Deet" is the most often used chemical repellent. However, it can dissolve plastic in high concentrations and will destroy paint. Do not use this on children and infants since their smaller bodies will result in a higher body concentration.
If you have a large number of flies, then some sort of breeding ground
exists nearby. Open trash cans, pet feces, an improperly managed compost
pile, and empty yet dirty bottles can all provide fly breeding grounds.
Keep lids on trash cans and attend to your compost pile to be sure
sufficient heat exists to kill fly larvae. The addition of a small amount
(about 1% of the feed weight) of diatomaceous
earth to your pet's food will control internal parasites and prevent
flies from breeding on your pet's feces.
For the occasional fly, keep a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol present. Douse any flies that are a nuisance. A common fly swatter will also work. Use a non-chemical fly trap if your problem has escalated or if the flies are of a biting nature.
Wasps and bees are best left to coexist with you unless someone in your
family is allergic to them. They play a necessary role in the local
ecology. In general, they will not sting unless provoked and are attracted
to sweet smells, such as cologne and perfume. These should be avoided if
you know your are going to be working or playing outdoors.
If you have a nest on your property which you would like removed, call a bee keeper or the local agriculture department. They can safely remove the nest.
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