APPLY PESTICIDES CORRECTLY
A GUIDE FOR COMMERCIAL APPLICATORS
Industrial, Institutional
Structural and Health
Related Pest Control
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
OFFICE OF PESTICIDE PROGRAMS
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
1
Acknowledgments
Preface
Introduction
Using Pesticides Safely 2
General Insect Pests
Cockroaches
Ants 3
Bees and Wasps 4
Parasitic Pests of Man 5
Bed Bug 5
Fleas ? 5
Ticks 5
Mosquitoes 6
Occasional Invaders 6
Clover Mite 6
Millipedes 6
Flies 7
Silverfish and Firebrats 7
Booklice 8
Spiders 8
Fabric Pests 8
Page
Wood-Destroying Pests 9
Termites 9
Powder-Post Beetles 10
Long-Horned Beetles 11
Wood Decay Fungi 11
Stored Product Pests 11
Grain and Flour Beetles 11
Cabinet Beetles 12
Indian Meal Moth 12
Angoumois Grain Moth 12
Grain Weevils 12
Vertebrates 12
Rodents 12
Birds 13
Bats 14
Skunks 14
Squirrels 14
Moles 14
Snakes 14
Weeds 14
1976
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
PREFACE
This guide has been developed by Purdue Univer-
sity under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) contract number 68-01-3117. This con-
tract was issued by the Training Branch, Opera-
tions Division, Office of Pesticide Programs, EPA.
The leader of this group effort was Gary W. Ben-
net, Purdue University. Editors were Mary Ann
Wamsley, EPA, and Donna M. Vermeire, North
Carolina State University.
Contributors were:
Joel R. Meltzner, Environmental Protection Agency,
Washington, D.C.
Harry B. Moore, North Carolina State University
Vernon E. Waiter, Terminix International, Inc.,
Memphis, Tennessee
Eugene D. Young, California State Polytechnic
University
Federal regulations establish general and specific
standards that you must meet before you can use
certain pesticides. Your State will provide material
which you may study to help you meet the general
standards. This guide contains basic information
to help you meet the specific standards for appli-
cators who are engaged in industrial, institutional,
structural and health-related pest control.
Because the guide was prepared to cover the entire
nation, some information important to your State
may not be included. The State agency in charge of
your training can provide the other materials you
should study.
This guide will give you information about:
• pest control and pesticides,
• using pesticides safely, and
• recognizing and controlling common pests.
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INTRODUCTION
Proper identification of pests and a knowledge of
pest development and behavior are keys to effec-
tive pest control. After you have identified the
pests, you must decide how to control them. Re-
moval of food, water, and habitat (place in which
to live) is an important part of effective pest control,
but should be combined with appropriate chemical
and mechanical control methods. If you choose to
use a pesticide, select a product that has label direc-
tions for the intended use.
The various formulations can be used on a wide
variety of jobs in many different types of equip-
ment. But each formulation has its own characteris-
tics which help determine which is the best to use
in a given situation. For example:
• for a space spray, you might use an insecticide
in oil;
• for long residual activity in a dry situation, a dust;
• for a residual spray, either an oil solution or water
emulsion;
* for a surface application of a residual where ap-
pearance is not too important, a wettable powder
spray;
• for use around open flames and heat, an emul-
sion;
• for use around electrical installations, an oil solu-
tion;
• for spraying on or around plants, a wettable pow-
der or selected emulsion;
• for use on or around linoleum, rubber, asphalt
floor tiles, and some synthetic fibers, a water-base
insecticide.
USING PESTICIDES SAFELY
Do not release pesticides into soil, air or water
except where you intend to do so as a safe and
approved part of your work. Pesticides put in the
wrong place, or on the wrong plant, or where the
wrong animal can contact or consume them are pol-
lutants and may cause serious harm.
Use special care in sensitive areas such as food
handling establishments and where children, elderly
people or ill people are located. Pets and their
eating places also must be kept in mind. Pesticides
used in or around such areas should be the safest
ones available that are effective. Apply them so that
contamination does not occur.
GENERAL INSECT PESTS
COCKROACHES
Four species of cockroaches are commonly found
throughout the United States. They vary somewhat
in appearance and habits hut in general are all flat,
brownish or dark, and fast-running. Cockroaches
seek cover in the daytime or when disturbed at
night. They may be carried into buildings in boxes
and beverage cases, and with groceries. In apart-
ments and larger buildings, they readily migrate
from one room to another along water pipes, cracks
in the walls, and wall voids. Some species may enter
structures from outdoors or come in through sewer
lines.
The stages in the life cycle of a cockroach are:
• the egg, enclosed in a capsule which contains
several eggs,
• several stages of nymphs, which look like the
adults but are smaller and have no wings, and
• the adult.
German Cockroach
• A common species found in kitchens.
• Adults are about \'i inch long.
• Tan with two dark stripes running lengthwise on
the area just behind the head.
• Often occur in large numbers.
American Cockroach
• Reddish-brown; margins of prothorax (behind
head) lighter.
• Largest of the common cockroaches (adult about
P/2 inches long).
• Found in dark, moist areas such as basements,
sewers, and steam heat tunnels.
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American Cockroach
Oriental Cockroach
• About 1 inch long as an adult.
• Shiny black or very dark brown.
• Female has small wings; wings of the male cover
about :ii of his abdomen.
• Often found in damp places such as basements.
May enter buildings through sewer openings.
• May live outdoors during the summer months
and move from building to building.
Female
Male
Hrown-Bamlccl Cockroach
• About 1-2 inch long.
» Brown with two lighter bands across the base of
the wings and abdomen.
• May infest an entire building.
• Infestations usually start from luggage, furniture,
or other materials shipped from one place to
another.
In some areas of the country, there are other cock-
roach pests. Some of these are very similar in ap-
pearance to those described above but differ in their
habits. As a result, proper identification is essential
to control. Contact local experts for information on
other species that may be important. The removal
of food and water sources and destruction of breed-
ing places is essential in obtaining satisfactory cock-
roach control.
In kitchens and living areas, apply insecticides as
crack and crevice or spot treatments to places where
the insects hide. Label directions of residuals per-
mit only crack and crevice treatment to be used in
commercial food handling areas. Common "hide-
outs" are behind and beneath built-in shelves and
cabinets, in and beneath stoves and refrigerators,
under sinks, anil behind baseboards.
In basements, cockroaches hide beneath trash, in
cupboards and washing machines, and in cracks and
crevices in concrete, brick, or block walls. Sprays
are usually preferred to dusts because they are
easier to apply and the residue is not as visible.
Dusts, however, can sometimes be blown into places
difficult to reach with spray.
Use ULV (ultra low volume) and aerosol applica-
tions of contact sprays and Hushing agents to sup-
plement residual sprays and dusts. Use them alone
where the label prohibits use of residuals.
ANTS
The stages in the life cycle of an ant are:
• egg,
• larva,
• pupa, and
• adult.
During the year, ant colonies produce winged indi-
viduals. These arc often mistaken for termites.
Basic Differences between Ants and Termites
Carpenter Ants
• Variable in size, measuring up to '/2 inch long.
• Red to black.
• Either winged or wingless.
• Build nests in hollow trees, logs, telephone poles,
posts, porch pillars, and other wood used in
homes.
• A small pile of coarse sawdust beneath wood
with a higher than normal moisture content is
a common sian.
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• Do not eat wood but simply hollow it out to
form nests.
• Can weaken structures.
Carpenter Ant
Other Ants
• Most build their nests in soil.
• Those that invade buildings usually nest near
foundation walls, in lawns, or under concrete
slabs.
Control both carpenter ants and other indoor- or
outdoor-nesting ants by direct treatment of the
nests. Locate the entries of carpenter ants. Then
blow an insecticide dust into the nesting area. Con-
trol other ant species with sprays, dusts, or granular
insecticides directed at the nest and surrounding
area. Baits may be used effectively.
If you cannot locate the nest site, apply insecticides
where the ants gain entry or hide—along founda-
tion walls; at doorways, windowsills. and baseboards:
behind built-in cabinets and furniture; or beneath
refrigerators and other heavy appliances.
BEES AND WASPS
Bees and wasps are nuisances and may be danger-
ous to man because of the female's ability to sting.
These insects have similar life cycles, including:
* egg,
• larva,
• pupa, and
• adult.
Paper Wasps
Paper wasps include the single comb (Politics)
wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets. Single comb
wasps build open comb nests under caves of houses,
in shrubs, and in other protected places. Hornets'
nests are large, covered, grayish-brown paper struc-
tures usually seen hanging in trees or bushes. Yellow
jackets often build their nests above as well as
underground. These wasps vary in color. As a gen-
Single Comb Wasp and Nest
eral rule, the hornets are largest (about l'/2 inches
long), the single comb wasps are intermediate in
size (about 1 inch) and the yellow jackets are small-
est (about *A inch).
Yellow Jacket
Special protective clothing is needed when con-
trolling paper wasps. Insecticide sprays work well,
but they must be applied at night with a sprayer
large enough to do the job quickly without getting
too close to the nest. Dusts may be blown into the
nest openings of hornets and yellow jackets. Baits
are also available for use against some specie-; of
wasps.
Solitary Wasps
Solitary wasps may dig holes in lawns or bare earth
to build their nests. The cicada killer:
• is a black and yellow wasp about 1V4 inches
long,
• will not sting or otherwise cause harm (only the
males buzz around people), and
• can be controlled by directing dusts or sprays
at the entrance to its burrow.
Mud Dauber Wasps
These wasps:
• arc so named because they construct their nests
of mud in protected places,
• are usually black with yellow markings,
• arc not dangerous since they do not aggressively
defend their nests.
• can be eliminated simply by tearing down their
nests.
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Bees
Bees such as the honey bee, bumble bee, and car-
penter bee are pests in and around buildings. Struc-
tural damage results from their nest-building activi-
ties.
Honey bees may build nests in walls, chimneys, and
attics. Their combs may melt and allow honey to
seep through walls. In addition, the combs may be
infested by other insects.
Bumble bees build their nests in the ground, in
straw or rags, or in buildings.
./. '
/I
Worker Queen
Three Castes of Honey Bees
Drone
Carpenter bees drill Vi inch holes into exposed
wood. The holes make a 90-degrce turn below the
surface and run with the grain of the wood for
distances up to 12 inches.
Bumble bees and carpenter bees look very much
alike. Bumble bees, however, have yellow hair on
the top of the abdomen.
Control bees by directing insecticides at the nest,
It is wise to wear clothing to protect against stings
when treating nests of honey bees and bumble bees.
PARASITIC PESTS OF MAN
Many insects, such as bed bugs, fleas, ticks and mos-
quitoes, feed directly upon man and other warm-
blooded animals. In addition to their bloodsucking
activities, many are able to carry disease-causing
organisms from one animal to another or to man.
BED BUGS
• Prefer man as their host.
• Hide in cracks and crevices and come out to feed
in the dark, usually as the host sleeps.
• Adults are about '4 inch long, reddish-brown,
with oval, flat bodies.
Bedbug
The stages in the life cycle of a bedbug are:
• the egg. glued inside cracks and crevices,
• nymphs, and
• the adult.
Either sprays or dusts can be used for control. Dusts
are preferred behind baseboards, window and door
casings, and in other cracks and crevices. Do not
treat surfaces that will come in direct contact with
humans. Treat tufts and scams of mattresses and
cover them with sheets after the spray has dried.
FLEAS
Fleas arc small insects without wings.
mm
The stages in the life cycle of a flea are:
• the egg,
• larva,
• the pupa, and
• the adult.
Flea infestations in homes are usually noticed after
a host animal (usually a cat or dog) has been re-
moved. Adult fleas that develop from eggs laid
earlier begin to bite people in the absence of normal
hosts. Eggs may hatch over several months.
Control fleas in structures by using surface and
crack and crevice sprays. Control them on animals
by using dips, sprays, flea collars, or dusts. The
pest control specialist can treat the premises; how-
ever, the pet should be treated by the owner or by
a veterinarian.
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TICKS
A number of ticks are parasites of man and other
animals.
Hard Tick
The stages in the life cycle of a tick are:
* egg.
• six-legged larva,
• nymph (or nymphs), and
• adult.
The brown dog tick:
• is a common household pest,
• may be found on other animals, although the
main host is the dog,
• will drop off the host after feeding and conceal
ilself in any available crack or crevice such as
behind cove moldings and window frames and
in furniture.
This tick is difficult to control because of its many
potential hiding places. Eggs may hatch over a
period of up to 5 months. Hiding places may need
to be sprayed at monthly intervals to eliminate
this tick. The owner or a veterinarian should treat
dogs, using dips, sprays, or dusts.
MOSQUITOES
• May occur in large numbers in the warm-weather
months.
• Adult females feed on warm-blooded animals
and birds.
• May develop in standing water.
The stages in the life cycle of a mosquito are:
* the egg, which may be laid on water or in areas
which later will be flooded, depending on the
species,
• larva, found only in water,
• the pupa, also found only in water, and
• the adult.
Effective control requires community-wide efforts.
Elimination of all mosquito breeding habitat is
essential. Control mosquitoes in smaller areas for a
limited time by using sprays, aerosols, or fogs.
OCCASIONAL INVADERS
The term "occasional invaders" includes those pests
which may occur in buildings at some stage of their
life cycle, but which do not usually complete the
entire life cycle within the building.
CLOVER MITE
• Is an annoying household pest, especially in hous-
ing developments where turfgrasses are newly
established and there is a heavy growth close to
foundation walls.
Stages in the life cycle of a clover mite are:
• the egg — laid in foundation cracks and other
protected places,
• larva,
• nymph, and
• adult.
Clover mites are difficult to control. Methods that
keep the mites from getting indoors give the best
results. These methods include:
• establishing a plant-free strip 18 to 24 inches wide
along foundation walls and directing pesticide
sprays at the strip and walls, or
• if a plant-free strip cannot be established, spray-
ing the foundation walls and the adjacent 10-foot
strip of grass.
MILLIPEDES
• Are gray or brown cylindrical worms
inches long.
to \l/2
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Have two pairs of short legs on each body seg-
ment.
Curl up when disturbed.
Are common on the forest floor, in compost piles,
and in heavily mulched areas.
Millipede
The stages in the life cycle of a millipede arc:
• egg,
• nymph, and
• adult.
When millipedes leave their natural habitats, they
crawl over lawns and sidewalks and may invade
buildings in large numbers. They cause no damage.
Prevent invasion by removing leaves and compost
around buildings and by sealing cracks in founda-
tion walls and around doors, basement windows,
crawl spaces, and vents.
Spraying a 10-foot wide strip around the foundation
is helpful in control. Repeat applications may be
necessary during periods of heavy migration.
FLIES
Several species of flies may be found in and around
structures.
The stages in the life cycle of a fly are:
* the egg. deposited in a moist place,
• larva,
• pupa, and
• adult.
Filth Flies
The more common of these are the house fly and
the black blow fly. The black blow fly is slightly
larger than the house fly and is a shiny black or
green. These flies arc annoying and also may carry
diseases of man.
Black Blow
House Fly
Successful fly control must include a combination
of sanitation, physical barriers (such as screens),
and insecticides. Garbage, manure, and decaying
plant and animal material must be removed. Con-
trol adults by spraying resting places. Baits can
also be used. Impregnated resin strips can be used
in some indoor situations.
Control of adult filth flies around livestock and
poultry feeding operations requires the coopera-
tion of the pest control specialist, the livestock
producer, and the county sanitarian.
Cluster Fly
• Often a pest indoors, buzzing around and collect-
ing in large numbers in light fixtures and at win-
dows on warm, sunny days.
• Slightly larger than the house fly and more slug-
gish.
• Adults seek protected places such as wall voids
and attics to spend the winter.
• Screens are ineffective since the flies prefer to
crawl in through small openings elsewhere.
• On warm days, they enter rooms through window
pulley holes, around baseboards and through
other small openings.
Control is difficult. If possible, close all openings
through which the flies can enter. Apply sprays and
dusts to surfaces where flies are frequently seen
and, where possible, into wall voids and other con-
fined spaces where the flies may be. In unventilated
areas, impregnated resin strips are effective.
SILVERFISH AND FIREBRATS
Silverfish and firebrats are wingless insects about
'/z inch long as adults. They have three long "bris-
tletails" at the end of their body.
Silverfish
The stages in the life cycle of silverfish and fire-
brats are:
• the egg,
• young, and
• adult, which continues to molt throughout its life
span.
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They feed on stored foods, paper, and almost any-
thing containing proteins or carbohydrates. Directed
sprays applied to cracks and crevices that serve as
hiding and resting places are most frequently used
for control; dusts and baits may also be used.
BOOKLICE
Booklice (psocids) are very small (H0 to 1'10 inch).
light-colored insects that may be found indoors and
out. Indoors they frequent damp places around
stored foods and books and in crawl spaces. They
feed on molds and fungi. They do little damage and
are pests by being present, often in tremendous
numbers.
The stages in the life cycle of booklice are:
• egg,
• nymph, and
• adult.
They can be serious pests for manufacturers of food
products and containers. Control booklice by re-
moving moisture and food sources. Directed sprays
and aerosols are effective in control.
SPIDERS
Spiders are pests because of their webs. The black
widow and the brown recluse (fiddleback) can seri-
ously injure humans. Neither spider bites unless
provoked.
A spider develops from an egg into an immature
spider which may molt several times before becom-
ing an adult.
Black Widow Spider
The brown recluse spider is tan to brown with a
dark brown fiddle-shaped pattern on the front half
of its back. It is usually found in buildings such as
barns, sheds, garages, and houses that are dry,
littered, undisturbed and contain insects that serve
as food. Favorite hiding places seem to be the arms
or legs of garments left hanging undisturbed. People
are sometimes bitten while sleeping in beds or
wearing clothes that have been unused for a length
of time.
»»
\
Brown Recluse Spider
"*»/>'
Control spiders by controlling insects that serve
as food, and by removing webs. Direct pesticide
sprays or dusts at hiding areas.
FABRIC PESTS
Carpet beetles and clothes moths attack a variety
of woolen products, furs, feathers, and hair. Infesta-
tions are common in boxes of old clothing, over-
stuffed furniture, woolen carpets, and piano felt.
The larval stage causes the damage. The presence
of adults in an area may be the first sign of an
infestation.
The stages in the life cycle of beetles and moths
are:
• egg,
• larva,
• pupa, and
• adult.
The female black widow is shiny black and dis-
tinctively marked with a red or yellow spot on the
underside of the body, sometimes in the form of
an "hourglass". This spider lives under rocks and
boards and in or around buildings.
Black Carpet Beetle
• These are the most widespread and damaging of
the carpet beetles.
• Adults arc shiny black and about Vs inch long.
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Larvae are up to '/i inch long, yellowish-brown,
carrot or cigar-shaped, and have a long brush
of tail bristles.
Black Carpet Beetle
Other Carpet Beetles
• Adults are oval, about V» inch long, and brightly
colored in various patterns of white, brown, yel-
low, and orange.
• Larvae are about !/4 inch long, light brown to
black, fuzzy, and slow-moving.
Webbing Clothes Moth and
Casemaking Clothes Moth
The webbing clothes moth adult is buff-colored with
reddish hairs on the top of its head. The casemaking
clothes moth is light brown and has three dark
spots on each wing. The larva of the webbing clothes
moth usually spins feeding tunnels of silk as it
moves over its food sources. The casemaking clothes
motl. larva carries with it a small silken case that
it spins around itself. To this case arc attached bits
of the fiber on which the larva is feeding. It at-
taches the case to walls or ceilings when it enters
the pupal stage.
Prevention is a very important part of fabric pest
control. This can be done by cleaning fabrics
correctly and storing them in tight containers with
moth crystals. Control infestations by treating all
infested areas with directed sprays.
WOOD-DESTROYING
PESTS
TERMITES
The stages in the life cycle of a termite are:
• egg,
• nymph, and
• adult.
Termites are social insects having colonies in which
there is a division of labor between different types
of individuals. Nearly all species have reproductive
and soldier castes, and many have a worker caste.
If a worker caste is lacking, the nymphs handle the
nest building and food gathering activities. These
workers are responsible for damage done to wooden
structures. Within the reproductive caste are pri-
mary reproductives which arc winged. They emerge
from the colony during the warmer months of the
year to disperse and form new colonies.
Subterranean Termites
• So named because the colony extends below
ground with the workers attacking wood above
ground.
• White, soft-bodied workers eat the soft grain of
wood, leaving a thin shell outside and the harder
portion in layers.
• They use bits of soil and excrement to build shelter
tubes and to close up breaks in the surface of
infested wood.
• If "swarmer" (reproductive) termites have not
been seen, the presence of a colony can be de-
termined by probing wood near the foundation
or soil or by observing earthen "shelter tubes"
on foundation walls or wood.
Worker
Soldier
Reproductive
This termite must have wood for food and usually
needs soil for moisture. Wood in contact with soil
is ideal for termite development. However, termites
may build shelter tubes across foundation walls and
other surfaces between the wood and the soil. Ter-
mites occasionally become established without soil
contact when a leaky roof or pipe provides mois-
ture. Infestations may become established under
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concrete slabs, garage floors, patios, and filled dirt
porches. Termites may then enter the building
through structural wood or foundation walls ad-
jacent to the slab. In houses built partly or com-
pletely on slabs, termites enter through expansion
joints, cracks, and utility openings.
Common r,-pe o
Construction
whicn involves
a DIM Filled
Conc'eH1 Po*ch
Attachea loa
Breaking the connection between wood and soil is
essential in termite control. This may be done with
either a chemical or mechanical barrier.
Soil on both sides of exposed foundation walls
and soil surrounding supporting piers should be
drenched down to the footing with insecticide. Apply
the insecticide by trenching and backfilling or a
combination of trenching and rodding.
For outside basement walls (where the footing is
deep), dig a V-shaped trench against the wall. It
should be deep enough to insure penetration to the
footing. After trenching, use a perforated hollow
rod to inject insecticide to the footing of the base-
ment wall. When treating concrete block or brick
foundation walls, drill them above the grade line
and flood all voids with insecticide.
To- treat slab-constructed buildings, saturate the
soil beneath the slab.
Slab-Floor Construction
Inject insecticide either through holes drilled in
the slab or by drilling and rodding horizontally
under the slab. Either method must be done carefully
to avoid heat ducts, pipes and vapor barriers located
under the slab.
Treat filled porches by:
• drilling the slab from the top,
• drilling the porch foundation horizontally at each
end next to the building and injecting the chemi-
cal by rodding, or
• making openings in the foundation wall, excavat-
ing the porch fill immediately under the slab, and
drenching the soil with insecticide.
Dry-Wood Termites
• Directly attack wood and make galleries in it,
rather than below ground.
• As they feed, they cut across the ligneous grain
of wood, excavating large galleries which are
connected by small tunnels.
• They produce hard fecal pellets with six distinct
concave surfaces on the sides. These pellets are
often pushed out of the infested wood through
small holes.
Drywood Termite
Fecal Pellets
Control dry-wood termites by fumigating the entire
structure with a toxic gas, using a gas-tight tarpaulin.
Control small, localized infestations by injecting in-
secticides through holes drilled into the termite gal-
leries. Furniture and other movable objects may be
fumigated in special chambers.
POWDER-POST BEETLES
There are several kinds of powder-post beetles.
The most common are Lyctid powder-post beetles
and Anobiid powder-post beetles. The adults are
small (about '.-, inch long) and usually reddish-brown
to nearly black.
Lyctid Powder-Post Beetle
Anobiid Powder-Post Beetle
Small "shot hole" exit openings in the wooden
surfaces are a sign of infestation. Slight jarring of
the wood causes a fine powder to sift from these
holes. When the wood is cut or broken, the interior
reveals galleries filled with a finely-packed powder
10
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which is produced by the feeding of grub-like
larvae. Joists, subflooring, hardwood flooring, sills,
plates, and interior trim are the parts of buildings
most frequently attacked. Furniture and other wood
products also may be damaged.
Ta prevent infestations or to control existing in-
festations, wet all surfaces thoroughly with insecti-
cide. Furniture and other movable objects may be
fumigated in special chambers.
LONG-HORNED BEETLES
Long-horned beetles are large (!/2 to 3 inches long)
and brightly colored. They have long, thin antennae
which may be longer than the body. Eggs are usually
laid on unseasoned, rough-sawed timbers or logs.
The larvae, called round-headed borers, feed in
the wood. They bore large, oval holes as they move
through wood.
The only species that requires control in structures
is the old-house borer. The adult is about s.', inch
long, grayish-brown to black, and has two white
patches on the wing covers. Its galleries have dis-
tinctive ripples on the interior surface. The old-
house borer usually damages only pine sapwood.
surface of wood should not be confused with decay.
The moisture content of the wood may be measured
with a moisture meter to accurately determine the
need for control.
Old House Borer
For control, infested wood must be treated repeat-
edly with a liquid insecticide. Heavy timbers may be
drilled to allow penetration into infested areas. Fumi-
gation under a tarpaulin may sometimes be required.
WOOD DECAY FUNGI
Severe wood decay occurs only in wood with a
moisture content greater than 20 percent. Most
wood-rotting fungi grow only on wood which is
subject to wetting by rain, roof leaks, plumbing
leaks, condensation, or contact with moist soil. Two
species, however, can conduct water directly to
wood. Fungi take their food from the wood as they
grow and reduce the strength of wood, often making
it brown and crumbly or white and stringy. Dis-
coloration and powdery mold growth below the
Wood Decay
Fungicides will not stop wood decay once it has
started, though they sometimes slow its progress.
The key to complete control of wood decay is to
eliminate the source of moisture. This may be done
through:
• proper drainage,
• breaking contact between wood and soil,
• ventilation,
• the use of vapor barriers, and
• other good construction practices.
Lumber, pressure-treated with preservative chemi-
cals before use, may prevent attack by wood-
destroying fungi.
STORED PRODUCT PESTS
Most food products may be attacked by insects
commonly referred to as "pantry pests". They eat or
contaminate the products and may make them unfit
for human consumption. They often leave the in-
fested products and move about inside structures.
To eliminate infestations, find and destroy infested
materials and treat the area where they are stored.
Infested materials can be fumigated. Thorough
cleaning is essential to remove spilled food to pre-
vent reinfestation.
GRAIN AND FLOUR BEETLES
The confused and red flour beetles, the saw-toothed
grain beetle, and the cigarette and drugstore beetles
are small, reddish-brown insects usually less than
'/s inch long. Their larvae are small and yellowish-
white with brown heads. The adults often crawl
over infested material and adjacent surfaces. Larvae
and adults will be found in the infested material.
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Cigarette BeetM-
CABINET BEETLES
Adults have various colored patches of scales on the
back and are l« inch long. The larvae are fuzzy,
light brown to black, and about '/-* inch long. The
larval stages do most of the damage. Adults feed
mainly on (lower pollen outdoors but may feed on
stored food products.
INDIAN MEAL MOTH
The Indian meal moth is a small moth with a wing-
spread of about l/2 inch. Its forewings have a cop-
pery color on the outer two-thirds and whitish gray
near the body. The pinkish-white caterpillars cover
the materials on which they feed with loose webbing.
The adults fly about near the site of the infestation.
The larvae may also leave their food and crawl over
adjacent surfaces. This is the most common moth
which attacks stored food products.
ANGOUMOIS GRAIN MOTH
The Angoumois grain moth is a tiny moth similar
in size and color to clothes moths. It may be seen
flying about in the daytime, whereas clothes moths
avoid light. The caterpillars develop within whole
kernels of grain.
GRAIN WEEVILS
The granary and rice weevils primarily attack
stored whole grain. Adults are reddish-brown to
black, about '/» inch long, and have pronounced
snouts. Their larvae are small, white, legless grubs
that feed and develop inside individual kernels of
grain.
The stages in the life cycle of a weevil are:
A ftfttt
egg
• larva,
• pupa, and
• adult.
VERTEBRATES
RODENTS
• Contaminate and destroy food products.
• Damage furniture, clothing, structures, and other
noncdible items.
• Carry diseases and ectoparasites.
• Sometimes bite children and adults.
• Can cause fires.
• Have the ability to coexist with man.
The three most common kinds are:
• Norway, brown, or common rat,
• roof or black rat, and
• house mouse.
Field Identification of Domestic Rodents
ROOF RAT Ratlvs rottui ^UNC "AT
EAR EYE NOSE
HOUSE MOUSE
Mui mintutta
HOKUM HAT Rallus oontgitus
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,
The Norway rat prefers to live in underground
burrows, but can climb readily. The roof rat pre-
fers to live in upper portions of a building, but
may use burrows. The house mouse lives in any
convenient protected space inside or outside.
A rat or mouse control program is based on know-
ing:
• where they live. feed, and travel, and
• the extent of the infestation.
You must eliminate shelter, food, and water. All
entrances the rats or mice use to come and go from
buildings must be closed. These preventive measures
are the key to successful control. To prevent rodent
migration, it-is best to poison or trap before making
environmental changes.
The two categories of rodenticides are multiple-dose
anticoagulants and single-dose toxicants. F.ach ro-
dcnticide has special characteristics, uses, and haz-
ards. Some are highly toxic to humans and pets.
Mix, handle, and apply them according to label
directions. Keep baits away from people and desir-
able animals. Place them deep into burrows or use
bait stations. Dispose of excess baits and dead
animal carcasses frequently.
Mice will eagerly sample new food. Rats, however,
usually approach new food with caution. If it tastes
bad or makes them sick, they will not cat it again.
This is "bait shyness". When using bait for control,
use a bait that is fresh and identical to the food the
rats are using. If you use a different bait base, pre-
bait in the area for a few nights before using a toxic
bait. Rats require water to drink. Mice may get
water from the food they eat. If all water sources
can be eliminated, liquid baits are very cll'eetive for
rats but only moderately so for mice.
Both rats and mice prefer to run next to walls or
other surfaces. Place traps and baits in these run-
ways. Traps may be used with bait, or the trigger
device may be expanded and used without bait.
Place trigger end of the trap toward the wall.
Rats approach new objects cautiously and may be
"trap shy".
The mouse investigates any new object or change
in its territory, so that changing placement of baits
or traps will improve control. Each male house
mouse establishes a terrilorv which may not extend
more than 10 feet from the nest. For this reason,
baits and traps should be placed no more than 10
to 20 Feet apart. To encourage mice to range
farther to find food and water, disrupt their environ-
ment as often as is practical.
BIRDS
Birds are pests when they:
• deface and destroy structures, plants, and other
property,
• cause disturbances with their noise and droppings,
• contaminate food supplies,
• carry various diseases and ectoparasites.
Birds that may require control are pigeons, English
sparrows and starlings.
Pigeons arc pests in towns and cities where they
deface buildings with their droppings and nests.
Sparrows are small birds that often nest in or on
buildings.
Female
Male
Sparrows
Starlings are pests in the city and rural areas. They
are dark, short-tailed birds, intermediate in size
between pigeons and sparrows. They are objection-
able when they roost in large numbers near Siuman
dwellings.
Sanitation is the lirsl step in control. Remove food,
wuter, and habitat. Control methods include building
out. removing food, and using repellents, traps, or
avieides.
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Building out involves using new construction features
or modifying existing features so that birds cannot
rodst or nest. Repellents include various devices or
substances installed on buildings, such as noise
makers (distress calls), charged wires, and repellent
glues or jellies. Traps are often used successfully in
pigeon control, especially when prebaited for a few
days. Population reduction includes shooting (where
permissible) and the use of avicides. Chemical con-
trol is probably the most effective method. Follow
label directions closely.
BATS
Bats are night flying mammals. They have leathery
membranous wings. They roost in attics, hollow
walls, chimneys, caves, barns, hollow trees and
other similar places. In addition to the general
nuisance and odors associated with bat infestations.
they harbor ectoparasites that may attack man.
They carry and are subject to rabies. Bats can best
be controlled by closing all openings through which
they may enter structures to roost. Carefully ob-
serve bats leaving roosting areas. Locate and close
entrance openings.
Little Brown Bat
SKUNKS
Skunks create nauseating odors, damage fawns,
harbor ectoparasites, and are subject to rabies. They
may enter buildings. Entrances should be closed
when the skunk is outside or it may be baited to
trap outside the building for removal to a remote
site.
SQUIRRELS
Squirrels of various species may enter buildings and
be a nuisance or do damage to the structure. They
may bite when cornered. They carry ectoparasites.
Squirrels can be controlled by closing openings, by
using repellents or by using live traps to remove
them to remote areas. Where it is permitted, squir-
rels may be shot.
MOLES
Moles burrow underground and rarely come above
ground. Their burrows deface lawns and they may
damage the roots of ornamental plants as they search
for earthworms and insects. Traps specifically de-
signed for mole control may be useful in some
situations.
SNAKES
Snakes may find their way into and around buildings.
Most of them are not poisonous but may frighten
humans and may bite when disturbed. Removal of
food and hiding places will usually force snakes out
of an area. Keep snakes from getting inside by
closing all points of entry.
WEEDS
Weeds around structures may need control because:
• they create a fire hazard,
• they harbor insects or rodents, and
• they shorten the life of metal fences and buildings.
Weed control can be done by:
• Non-selective vegetation control (bare ground)—
residual, broad-spectrum herbicides used to kill
all plant growth and prevent new growth for a
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season or more. Used where reduction of fire
hazard is important.
Short-term vegetation control—herbicides are
used at rates that give a good knockdown of
existing vegetation and retard the regrowth. Used
where bare ground is not necessary.
Selective weeding—control of certain plants with-
out permanent injury to desirable plants.
Chemical trimming and pruning—use of contact
herbicides lo give narrow bands of controlled
weeds around desirable plants or buildings. Often
used to give mowing strip around trees or under
guard rails.
Mechanical or cultural control—use of hoes,
blades, fertilization, landscaping, competitive
planting, or other nonchemical methods to con-
trol unwanted vegetation.
Herbicides can be applied as prccmcrgence or post-
emergence treatments. A herbicide can affect plants
by: ~
• killing the plant or plant parts that it contacts,
* killing when the herbicide is absorbed by foliage
and transported throughout the plant, or
• killing when roots absorb the herbicide dissolved
in soil moisture and translocated throughout the
plant (may last a season or more in the soil but
requires rain, irrigation, or mechanical incorpora-
tion—discing—for activation in the soil).
Factors affecting herbicide performance:
• Type of weed—all herbicides arc selective to some
extent and will fail to kill some types of plants.
Some herbicides will work better on grasses and
some will work better on broadleaf plants.
Perennial weeds can often grow back from their
extensive root systems and will require multiple
treatments or special techniques and herbicides.
Brush control may be particularly difficult but
can be done in the following ways:
Foliage absorbed—usually applied in the sum-
mer.
Basal stem—applied to soil around stems or
clumps in late winter or early summer.
Stump treatment—application of herbicides to
freshly cut stump.
Dormant cane treatment—applications of fuel
oil during winter.
• Type of soil—sand or other soil low in clay and
organic matter will not absorb the herbicide as
much, so lower amounts will give equivalent
results. Leaching will be more of a problem.
Soils high in clay or organic matter will absorb
some of the herbicide. More herbicide and more
rainfall is usually necessary for effective control.
• Rainfall—too much rain soon after a contact
herbicide is applied can nullify its effectiveness
but the same amount of rain might facilitate the
action of a root-absorbed herbicide. Rainfall may
also wash herbicides away from the target plants,
injuring nontargct plants and animals.
• Growth stage of plant—foliage-absorbed herbi-
cides will usually work only when the plant is
actively growing. Prcemcrgence herbicides must
be applied before the weeds have emerged or a
contact herbicide will have to be added to kill
those that have emerged. Where selective herbi-
cides are used, it is important that the nontarget
plants be healthy.
• Sunlight-—some herbicides can be nullified if they
remain on the soil surface loo long before a rain
washes them in.
Choose equipment for the type of herbicide treat-
ment desired.
The pump will usually be a high volume (10 gpm
or more) but low pressure (50-100 Ibs psi). Noz/les
will usually be selected to give uniform coverage
with large droplets to minimize drift. Mechanical
agitation in the tank is required if wettable powders
will he used.
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