Transcript No Slide Title - The Ohio State University

Household Invaders
Associated with Landscapes
Dr. David Shetlar (the BugDoc)
The Ohio State University/OARDC
OSU Extension
Columbus, OH
© D.J. Shetlar, 2002, all rights reserved
Why are household invaders
associated with landscapes?
Landscapes provide the 3 essentials!
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Food
Water
Habitat (nesting,
hiding, protection)
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Pests "Associated" with Landscapes
Earwigs
Soldier Beetles
Ground Beetles
Millipedes
Sowbugs-Pillbugs
Slugs & Snails
Spiders
Clover Mites
Artillary fungus
Ground Nesting Wasps
Ants, ground nesting
Ants, carpenter & cavity
Fleas
Ticks
Pine leaf-footed bugs
Boxelder bugs
Moles, voles and shrews
MC Asian lady beetle
Earwigs,
Soldier & Ground Beetles
Generally, predators
Aggravated by:
mulch and irrigation
aphids, mealybugs, scales
Striped
earwig male.
European earwig
female and egg mass
(under landscape
timber).
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Ground beetle
adult, a general
predator.
Ground beetle
larvae are also
predators.
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Millipedes, Centipedes,
& Sowbugs-Pillbugs
Feed on young plants, clippings &
fungi, centipedes are predators
Aggravated by:
Too much mulch
Irrigation
Fresh clippings or compost
Millipede (Diplopoda)
Centipede (Chilopoda)
Sowbug, pillbug (Isopoda)
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Spiders
Feed on insects and other arthropods
Aggravated by:
mulch & irrigation
tall vegetation
night lights
landscape stones, timbers, etc.
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Jumping spiders are
common landscape
“stalking” predators
which may end up
inside buildings.
Wolf spiders also
stalk their prey.
Males commonly
invade buildings in
late summer while
looking for mates.
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Brown recluse spiders
prefer undisturbed habitat,
especially cavities under
bark of fire wood.
Widow spiders
commonly build their
tangle webs around
night lights.
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Slugs & Snails
Feed on young/soft plants & clippings
Aggravated by:
mulch & irrigation
thick lawns with thatch
hosta
Common garden slug
and egg mass under
landscape timber.
Snails in landscapes
generally need soft
plant tissues and
moisture.
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Clover Mites
Feed on grasses & some plants
Aggravated by:
mild winter temperatures
cool spring or fall temperatures
thick turf next to home
Adult mite on grass blade.
Clover mites
laying eggs
under irrigation
switch box case.
Clover mites on masking
tape from basement15wall!
Ground Nesting Wasps
General predators and scavangers
Aggravated by:
thick mulch
ground covers
low junipers
bare ground (solitary wasps)
German yellowjacket
nest entrance in blue
rug juniper.
Contents of German
yellowjacket nest in
above juniper.
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European hornets
feeding on old apples
in a back yard.
Polistes wasp chewing
up a cutworm larva to
take back to nest.
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Ants, Ground Nesting
General scavengers & honeydew
Aggravated by
aphids & scales
open areas (thin turf)
Cornfield ants swarming
on landscape timbers.
Home owner thought
they were termites!
Pavement ant
colonies commonly
battle each other.
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Fire ants commonly
defend honeydew
produces like these
pine tortoise scales.
Fire ants can also be
considered beneficial
when they kill and eat
other insects like this
mole cricket.
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Ants, Carpenter
General feeders
Associated with tree rots
Properly prune trees
NO TOPPING!!
Keep tree branches from house
Reduce honeydew producers
Black carpenter
ants taking
sugars from
Peony nectaries.
Irrigation cover in
FL lawn.
Carpenter ant colony
under cover.
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Fleas & Ticks
Parasites associated with animals
Aggravated by:
Mulched pet sleeping areas
Xeriscaped yards
Weedy areas, low shrubs
Ground covers with mice or voles
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American dog tick male
Blacklegged (deer) tick female
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Fleas often infest
landscape areas where
pets rest (mulch areas!)
or other vermin are
encouraged.
Roof rat feeding in
bird feeder!
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Most home owners
are unaware of
where mosquitoes
come from.
Mosquito larvae can breed
in water that collects in
plant cavities, but they can
certainly utilize backyard
“water decorations.”
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Boxelder &
Pine Leaf-footed Bugs
Feed on seeds of host trees
Remove boxelder, especially females
Remove Scotch and pitch pines
"Seal" homes
Boxelder bugs seem to
prefer boxelder trees, but
they can easily breed on
maples and ashes!
The pine leaffooted
bugs feed on seed
cones of pines.
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Most people have been
“indoctrinated” to believe that
moles mean white grubs. The
number one food of moles is
EARTHWORMS!
Voles (meadow mice)
need varied habitat
for food. The prefer
herbaceous weeds,
tall, thatchy turf and
MULCH.
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Moles, Voles and Shrews
Voles are herbivores
encouraged by ground covers
and high cut turf
Moles & Shrews are insectivores
encouraged by insects (grubs)
moles feed on earthworms!
Recommendations for
Managing Household Invaders
Remember the 3 essentials!
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Food
Water
Habitat (nesting,
hiding, protection)
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Insect tally from ONE bird-of-paradise
tree stalk Naples, FL
Ghost ant colonies (sub colonies?) (4, one per
each spent flower cluster)
Bigheaded ant colonies (sub colonies?) (14, at
bases of older leaves)
Florida carpenter ants (sub colonies) (5,
mainly in bases of cut leaves)
Acrobat ants (about 40 ants on leaves, but no
colony located)
Smoky brown roaches (5 adults and 27
nymphs, scattered among leaf base cavities)
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Reducing Food of Invaders
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Watch for honeydew producers on
landscape plants (aphids, soft scales,
mealybugs, leafhoppers, etc.)
Recommend replacing landscape plants
that are prone to infestation by honeydew
producers.
Recommend mulches that are not fungal
food – hardwood mulches!
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Reducing Water
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Audit irrigation systems! (reschedule,
repair, etc.)
Locate condenser drip tubes & redirect
Inspect roof downspouts & redirect
Reduce Mulch Thickness!
Note hazards of backyard water ponds!
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Reducing Habitat of Invaders
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Avoid cavity prone plants – palms, birdof paradise tree, poorly pruned (topped)
trees, etc.
Avoid dense ground covers – especially
prostrate junipers.
Recommend “open pruning” of
landscape plants.
AVOID THICK LAYERS OF MULCH!
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Additional Information Resource Come visit the BugDoc at:
http://bugs.osu.edu
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