IPM And Perimeter Pest Control

Perimeter pest control has taken on a new image. We have seen articles in the trade magazines this year about ants being the No. 1 insect problem. We have also read that some other pests may be making a comeback in the perimeter.

A current trend has been to reduce perimeter spraying, which raises the question: Is this why ants have become a more tenacious pest? It would be interesting to compare companies that do perimeter power spraying vs. those that have reduced their use of sprays (in large quantities). It will also be interesting to see where the pyrethroids end up in this. Will spot pyrethroid applications succeed in controlling pest populations on a broad scale as before? And, do we still want broad-scale control?

Be that as it may, there is an area that we have basically ignored in our efforts to take care of our customers’ ant or perimeter problems. There is a whole menagerie of bugs present around a structure that will have an impact on the ant populations and social structures, and especially on their foraging behaviors. I am talking about those insects and plant feeders that supply insects with the magic elixir, honeydew.

ANTS LOVE HONEYDEW. Plant feeders produce honeydew. These insects have sucking mouthparts and prefer the juices of plants versus the juices of animals. Honeydew is a concentrated mixture of materials including sugars. We have fostered the belief that sugar water or sugar mixtures are what ants are after. This is true for the most part, but why do ants go to the extreme of fighting one another for the right to “farm” the insects that produce honeydew?

But there is more to this story. The mixture of honeydew also contains minerals and other substances, but most important, particular amino and fatty acids that the ants need. Duplicate this and maybe you have an interesting bait. So what about these insects? Why should we care if they are around a structure? As mentioned, these insects are plant feeders. The most commonly mentioned of these insects is the aphid, and they feed on just about any bush, shrub, tree, and ornamental you can think of. There is a whole group of others called scale insects. These creatures are only mobile in the early stages of their development. Once they find a great place to eat, they settle in, exuding a covering over their bodies. They can be present in large numbers and damage the ornamentals they feed on significantly. Their covering is resistant to insecticide penetration for the most part. Systemic insecticides have been the best for control of these insects.

As our methodology changes we will have to deal with this problem more often. There are many environmental factors that can affect the plant feeders. In this past year, many plants may have literally been sucked dry by these pests, and when the plant dies and there are lower populations of dew producers, what will the ants do? Look for more sources. This is probably one reason that liquid baits have been more effective this year against ants. A lack of water in drought areas changed the habits of the insects. When water is plentiful, plants flourish, insects flourish, and the “farmers” and predators of those insects flourish.

SURVEYING FOR PLANT PESTS. If you sell IPM programs, you will need to know more about these plant pests. In most cases a survey can be done fairly rapidly during the inspection. You will definitely need a hand lens for some of these plant insects. As you build up a knowledge base, you will easily spot either vulnerable plantings and landscaping, or the insect itself. Keeping tabs on the population can give you an idea on what to expect ant-wise. This is basically called forecasting. It is an IPM procedure that was developed in agriculture and has been passed on to the ornamental and turf people. They are aware of what pests or organisms can affect the plants and about what influences the development of these problems. I believe we can do the same fairly simply, but what do we need to do to get to that point?

Ornamental plant pest control is a special category under state licensing. Generally we do not carry that license. Most of our pesticides are also packaged and used in the ornamental area, labeled for plant applications. Most formulations of perimeter sprays that we may use also take this into account. If it cannot be used on plants, it will say so on the label. I am not saying it would be necessary for another license; you do not need a license to survey a landscape for vulnerable plants or to spot problems that might influence the pest you are trying to control. You may consider a cooperative arrangement with a local ornamental pest control operator.

It’s become obvious that future regulations will encourage us to develop this information and technology within our IPM programs. How do we get it to the service technicians? First, I’d recommend purchasing a reference book on ornamental pests. These can be obtained fairy cheaply at garden centers. Pay attention to local news articles in the home and garden sections of the paper. These always alert gardeners to specific problems they may face in the spring, summer and fall. Build a reference file for such pests as aphids, scale insects and others that may be significant, especially to ant populations. Finally, have a training session with technicians and sales people to discuss this area of pest control. Structuring this and adding this type of information to your service will put you ahead of the competition, and give you a leg up on resolving some perimeter pest problems.

George Rambo is president of George Rambo Consulting Services, Herndon, Va.