A handful of our readers ask us “Why does PCT spend so much print space covering mergers and acquisitions activity in the pest control industry?” It’s a fair question considering PCT’s readership ranges from newly certified service technicians to small mom-and-pop operators to owners and presidents of firms with 1,000+ employees. The answer is because mergers and acquisitions create a ripple effect that impacts just about every segment of the industry.
Four major deals that occurred in May (see cover story, page 30) — Terminix’s acquisitions of Cooper Pest Solutions and Hometown Pest Control; Anticimex’s purchase of Killingsworth Environmental of the Carolinas; and Rentokil’s acquisition of Advanced Pest Management — all provide good examples of how mergers and acquisitions change the landscape of the pest control industry.
For Terminix, not only do they gain the accounts of Lawrenceville, N.J.-based Cooper Pest Solutions — which strengthens the company’s position in the competitive New Jersey and Southeast Pennsylvania markets — they add a wealth of talented employees, from well-trained service professionals to highly effective sales representatives (trained to “Wow” customers by high-energy leader Phil Cooper). But the talent acquisition extends further. As part of the deal, Cooper Pest Solutions Technical Director Rick Cooper will take on a training and education role at Terminix. Rick, who received his Ph.D. from Rutgers University in 2015, is well-respected for his in-the-field research and his bed bug expertise. The Cooper deal comes on the heels of Terminix’s April purchase of Copesan Services, whose Copesan Technical Committee also is widely lauded for its expertise. It will be interesting to see how Terminix’s technical and training program will evolve with the addition of both Copesan Services and Rick Cooper.
Terminix’s acquisition of Delray Beach, Fla.-based Hometown Pest Control also is interesting from a people perspective. Under the direction of owners Sal and Addie Yanello, Hometown has grown into a large Florida operation, which specializes in lawn and ornamental pest control, an area Terminix is looking to grow, Sal Yanello told PCT. Thus, the potential growth opportunities for Hometown employees was one of the reasons Terminix was an attractive buyer, Yanello added.
For Sweden-based Anticimex, the acquisition of Killingsworth Environmental of the Carolinas comes just two months after its purchase of Jacksonville, Fla.-based Turner Pest Control. In both deals, Anticimex adds services that previously were nearly non-existent; with Turner it was lawn care and with Killingsworth it is heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) , among others. As Mikael Vinje, president of Anticimex North America, told PCT when he was interviewed about the Turner deal, “We use a decentralized approach and we believe success is going to come from adapting to local markets. We are not pushing through a cookie-cutter model from Sweden.”
Rentokil Steritech has adapted its business model similarly. In 2017, for example, Rentokil Steritech acquired Heron Lawn & Pest Control, Apopka, Fla., a company in which about 65 percent of its revenues were from lawn care. A very small portion of Rentokil Steritech’s portfolio is lawn care, so they undoubtedly are benefiting from Heron’s expertise in this area. Rentokil Steritech’s most recent high-profile acquisition was in May, when it purchased Advanced Pest Management (APM), Elkton, Md. While APM is a more conventional firm in terms of the services it provides, it is a second-generation firm with deep ties to the communities it serves and long-tenured employees. Again, the newly acquired Rentokil Steritech accounts are of minimal value if they don’t also have the quality employees to maintain and retain them.
So, why does PCT spend so much print space covering mergers and acquisitions activity? PCT’s goal is to provide comprehensive coverage of the ever-evolving structural pest control industry, and this includes covering how pest management professionals grow with their new companies/positions. In turn, it’s fascinating to observe how companies change as they add new locations, talent and, in some cases, services.
The author is Internet/managing editor of PCT and can be contacted at bharbison@gie.net.
PPMA Reveals Results of Tiny Termite House Project
PPMA funded the Tiny Termite House project with the goal of educating consumers about the dangers of termites.
FAIRFAX, Va. — The Tiny Termite House, a first-of-its-kind, groundbreaking study and video production by the Professional Pest Management Alliance (PPMA), which serves as the public outreach arm of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), has revealed the destructive nature of termites like never before, the group reported. PPMA said it funded this project with the goal of educating consumers about the dangers of termites and helping them understand the importance of working with a licensed pest control professional.
“We conducted this project to help support the industry and visually tell the story of how critical it is to work with a professional to give our greatest investments a termite check. PPMA would like to thank all of our generous investor companies who made the Tiny Termite House possible,” said Cindy Mannes, executive director of PPMA. “We know that education about termite infestations is key because these pests can destroy a home without anyone ever knowing they are there. The Tiny Termite House is visual proof that termites literally eat homes from the inside out despite the structures looking normal to the naked eye.”
PPMA partnered with the New Orleans Mosquito, Termite and Rodent Control Board to conduct the research and production aspects of the project. The team designed a miniature, two-story dream home that included many of the same features found in a life-size home, such as insulation, plumbing and electricity — and even added a moisture source to create the ultimate termite paradise. Like many American homes, the house was constructed on a cement slab; however, there was one big difference: this house was fully equipped with cameras throughout to study the termites’ progress from introduction to decimation.
More than half a million subterranean termites were introduced into the soil surrounding the home. The Tiny Termite (www.pestworld.org/tiny-termite-house) team began documenting and observing their behaviors and the incredible damage they leave in their wake. Despite being a tiny, model home, the termites behaved and attacked the house in the same way they destroy life-size homes — finding vulnerabilities in the structure and leaving minimal clues about their presence. “There were mud tubes present, but nothing that would indicate the intensity of the infestation — that hundreds of thousands of termites were living between the cement slab and subflooring of the home,” added Mannes.
PPMA launched robust consumer media relations and social media campaigns around the results of this project, with the message of termite prevention and partnering with a licensed pest control professional front and center.
Some of the high-resolution footage and photography will be made available to PPMA investors via Mainframe, a subscription service to PPMA’s digital marketing agency. Companies can use these visuals in their own marketing programs.
For more information about PPMA or to subscribe to Mainframe, PMPs can visit www.npmapestworld.org/ppma.
New Tick Species Identified in New Jersey
The Longhorned tick, Haemophysalis longicornis, at various stages. (Photo: Rutgers University)
TRENTON, N.J. — Following initial identification by the Center for Vector Biology at Rutgers University and the Hunterdon County Department of Health, the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa, confirmed on Nov. 9, 2017 the finding of an exotic East Asian tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis), also known as the Longhorned tick or bush tick, on a farm in Hunterdon County. Until that time, this tick was not known to exist in the U.S. How it arrived in New Jersey remains a mystery.
Steps were promptly taken to eradicate the tick from the index property and the animals in and around it. Tests on the tick in November failed to reveal any tick-borne diseases.
Ongoing surveillance continued during the winter and on April 17, 2018, the NVSL confirmed the Longhorned tick successfully overwintered in New Jersey and has possibly become established in the state.
Local, state and federal animal health and wildlife officials, as well as Rutgers University — Center for Vector Biology, are working together to eliminate this pest from the index premises and to contain its spread to the surrounding areas. Surveillance in wildlife and livestock species will continue throughout the year.
State and USDA employees will be working with the public to determine if the tick has spread to new areas and to educate the public about protecting livestock and pets from this pest. Questionnaires will be distributed to property owners within a 3-kilometer radius of the index property to gather pertinent information vital to the investigation.
Like deer ticks, the nymphs of the Longhorned tick are very small (resembling tiny spiders) and can easily go unnoticed on animals and people. This tick is known to infest deer and a wide range of other hosts. Therefore, it has the potential to infect multiple North American wildlife species.
Alaska Approves Six PCT Online Courses for CEU Credits
Valley View, Ohio — PCT announced that Alaska has approved six online label training courses for CEU credits. The following courses have been approved:
AMVAC Nuvan Directed Spray Aerosol
BASF PT Alpine Flea and Bed Bug Pressurized Insecticide
BASF PT Alpine Pressurized Fly Bait
Bayer DeltaDust Insecticide
Rockwell Labs EcoVia EC Emulsifiable Concentrate Part 1
Rockwell Labs EcoVia EC Emulsifiable Concentrate Part 2
Summit, N.J. — The intelligent pest control system, Anticimex SMART, has been widely used in Europe, Asia and Australia. So far, more than 75,000 SMART units have been installed in 17 countries. Now, the high-tech system has been launched in the United States.
The firm says Anticimex SMART is the most precise data-driven solution that fights the problem in all environments, including sub-ground in the sewer system, without using rodenticides. “It is a much smarter way to stay ahead of rodents,” said Jens Peter Nielsen, vice president, Anticimex North America.
Anticimex SMART is a non-toxic solution that makes rodent prevention possible without threatening the environment, the company said. It’s also proven efficient regardless of climate and surroundings, Anticimex adds.
“In today’s society, we all compete for attracting the right people. To attract customers, employees, citizens, companies or tourists there’s a need to secure a healthy environment. As companies and cities of tomorrow strive to become both green and rat-free, the SMART system provides an environmentally friendly solution that they can really get behind,” Nielsen added. “We want to help our customers to go beyond sustainable goals and create healthy environments where people want to live and work.”
Anticimex SMART has AI (artificial intelligence) to detect pests when they breach a building, giving users the best of two worlds — automation and expertise. Anticimex SMART provides digital reports to its users continually, showing results such as time and date for activity, as well as trend curves. The reports enable users to stay in control, minimize risks and see the value of their investments, the company says.
Anticimex SMART is brought to the U.S. market via Anticimex’s four subsidiaries: American Pest, Modern Pest Services, Turner Pest Control and Viking Pest Control. Learn more at www.anticimex.com/smart.
NPMA Announces 2018-19 Board of Directors
FAIRFAX, Va. — The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) recently announced the results of its annual board of directors election.
“We have a fantastic board in place this year,” said incoming President Dennis Jenkins. “I look forward to working closely with this group of talented individuals as we continue to support our industry and set forth our future direction.” Each of the newly elected directors will begin their term of office on July 1.
New members of the board of directors include:
President: Dennis Jenkins, ABC Home & Commercial Services, Lewisville, Texas
President Elect: Chris Gorecki, Orkin Pest Control, Atlanta
Treasurer: Scott Steckel, Varment Guard/Plunkett’s Pest Control, Columbus, Ohio
Allied Director: Scott Reasons, Syngenta Crop Protection, Greensboro, N.C.
Region #4 Director: Thomas Cantu, Bug Off Pest Control, Pharr, Texas
At-Large Member: Dayton Hylton, Dayton’s Pest Control Services, Knoxville, Tenn.
Allied Director: James Shaffer, PestWest, Sarasota, Fla.
Region #5 Director: Sandy Costa, GreenLeaf Pest Control, Bradford, Ontario
At-Large Member: Kevin Lemasters, EnviroPest, Loveland, Colo.
UPFDA Representative: Donna Giacalone, The Bug Stop, Chicago, Ill.
At-Large Member: Faye Golden, Cook’s Pest Control, Decatur, Ala.
At-Large Member: Jason Payne, Payne Pest Management, San Diego, Calif.
In Memoriam: George Frank
Frank
GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, N.J. — George Frank, former owner of Chem-Trol Exterminating Company and a longtime chemical supplier representative, died on April 6. He was 68.
Frank served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1968 to 1972. He then founded and built Chem-Trol into a successful firm. After selling Chem-Trol in 1988, he remained in the pest control industry, serving as a sales representative for suppliers of chemicals and equipment.
Paul Carbino, regional sales manager, Paragon, said Frank was one of the first pest management industry professionals he met while he was working as a distributor representative and Frank owned Chem-Trol. “Over the years, he and I became close personal friends, as well as business colleagues. I miss George both as a personal and professional friend,” Carbino said.
Frank was active in industry organizations, serving as president of both the South Jersey Pest Control Association and the New Jersey Pest Control Association. He was also a member of The Rotary Club of Runnemede/Bellmawr/Glendora.
MSU Breaks Ground on Termite Technician Training Facility
Officials with the Mississippi State University Extension Service broke ground on a termite application training facility alongside pest control industry sponsors during a ceremony on April 6, at the Mississippi Horse Park in Starkville. (Photo: MSU Extension Service/Kevin Hudson)
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Officials with the Mississippi State University Extension Service broke ground on a termite application training facility alongside pest control industry sponsors during a ceremony on April 6.
The Termite Technician Training Facility, or T3F, will be located near the Mississippi Horse Park in Starkville and is scheduled to be completed in early 2019.
Gene Merkl, program manager for the MSU Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program, said the 5,000-square-foot facility will enhance private and commercial pesticide applicators’ knowledge of various construction scenarios. This information will allow technicians to treat different types of structures with termite infestations.
“A lot of times when technicians go up to a building they’re not familiar with, they don’t know what the construction is behind the façade walls,” Merkl said. “What our goal is here is to be able to give them some insight into that so they know how to more effectively apply the termiticide.”
Construction of the two-phase project will cost $154,000, all of which is being provided by corporate donations. The first phase is the building itself, while the second will be 11 training stations. Each station will show different types of construction — such as conventional foundations, floating slab foundations and retaining walls — in a nearly finished state.
“The donations will construct the entire facility and provide technology and educational resources that will be used for pesticide safety application certification,” said MSU Extension Director Gary Jackson. “The building would not be possible without the private donations by the Mississippi Pest Control Association, as well as other companies, corporations and industry leaders.”
Merkl said the project began as a result of requests from association members and industry partners. Extension then worked with the MSU Foundation to engage these partners in contributing toward construction of the facility.
“When I was asked to get involved in this project, I knew I could count on the support of the Extension Service,” Merkl said. “We began to visit various termite applicator training facilities. In the process of talking to the companies, their interest became apparent, and they came through with funds. This whole operation is about a working relationship between private sector dollars and public sector intelligence and ingenuity to make this happen.”
Robert DiJoseph Announced as Incoming President of BedBug Central
HAMILTON, N.J. — With the recent acquisition by Terminix of BedBug Central’s former parent company (N.J.-based Cooper Pest Solutions), BedBug Central has announced a change at the top of its organization. Longtime Vice President of Sales Robert DiJoseph will be taking over as president.
The acquisition of Cooper Pest does not include the N.J.-based BedBug Central, which will continue to operate financially and strategically as a separate and distinct entity, focusing on education under the BedBug University brand and distribution of bed bug monitoring and interception devices under its SenSci brand.
“Due to my new responsibilities with Terminix, I will be stepping down as CEO and president of BedBug Central,” said former CEO Phillip Cooper. “It’s been almost a 10-year labor of love, but I leave knowing the company is in capable hands.”
DiJoseph, along with Director of Innovation and Technical Content Jeff White, will continue to handle BedBug Central’s day-to-day operations. “I’m thrilled for Phil as he embraces his new challenges with Terminix, and I’m truly excited for this opportunity to guide the company, along with Jeff, that I helped to develop back in 2009,” said DiJoseph.
White also said he is looking forward to BedBug Central’s future. “BedBug Central is excited to begin exploring opportunities beyond bed bugs, including new product innovation and development for both bed bugs and other pests,” White said.
BedBug Central, based in Hamilton, N.J., offers education under the BedBug University brand, and product innovation, development and distribution under its SenSci brand.
Talking Trash
Annual Fly Control Issue - Fly Control Annual Issue
What’s the best approach for filth fly control in food facilities?
Filth flies are public health pests capable of transmitting a variety of diseases. Unless a facility has extremely poor interior sanitation conditions, chances are that filth flies, like house and bottle flies, are not breeding indoors. More commonly, these flies are coming in from outside, often attracted to the site by odors. Although it may not be possible to eliminate food odors emanating from a food plant, there are things that a PMP can do to help exclude filth flies and reduce the attractiveness of the structure to flies. One of the main exterior attractants is the dumpster compactor area.
When it comes to fly management programs, the dumpster compactor area should be a main exterior target area for Integrated Pest Management strategies for filth fly control. The IPM management strategies around dumpsters will include improved sanitation, exclusion and the use of chemicals to supplement the non-chemical methods.
SANITATION IMPROVEMENTS. Wriggling maggots can hide in, around and underneath the dumpster. Customers need to know that daily clean-up around the dumpster compactor should be performed to make sure that spillage and debris is kept to a minimum. It only takes a small amount of moist organic waste to produce a lot of flies. One statistic states that you can get 800 fly maggots in 1 ounce of organic debris.
In addition to day-to-day efforts, opportunities for more detailed cleaning should be sought. Pest management professionals should work with their customers to help them coordinate clean-up underneath and around the dumpster compactor unit when the dumpster is removed by the waste hauler. Debris can accumulate between the dumpster and the compactor which cannot be easily cleaned when the dumpster is in place. It is also important to make sure that the hauler delivers a dumpster that is free of heavy waste deposits and flies. Customers should periodically inspect the condition of the dumpster when it is delivered for signs of excessive organic debris and pest activity. If they remove the waste and use the same dumpster box, that dumpster box will need to be cleaned on site. When the waste hauler arrives for disposal service, the PMP or customer should check the paved area while the dumpster is removed for signs of cracked pavement and maggots.
It is not uncommon to find maggots underneath a dumpster that has been moved for disposal. Repairs should be scheduled if the pavement is cracked and damaged to eliminate areas where organic material is collecting and where maggots are living.
Trash receptacles placed around the exterior of the facility for employee, patient and visitor personal trash should have self-closing lids and be emptied frequently, at least once per week. Some pest flies can complete their life cycle in less than one week. The longer the trash remains, the more likely the flies will have sufficient time to complete their life cycle. Even small flies, like phorid and fruit flies, will move into buildings due to trash receptacles located close to the facility. This is especially true when the trash receptacle is located near a frequently opened pedestrian door. Self-closing lids may not totally prevent pest access but will discourage foraging and reduce odors which can attract pests to the receptacle and the structure.
It is critical for customers to reduce openings around the structure near the highly fly-attractive dumpster compactor. If doors are left open or the building is not sound, flies attracted to the dumpster will make their way into the building.
EXCLUSION. It is critical for customers to reduce openings around the structure near the highly fly-attractive dumpster compactor. If doors are left open or the building is not sound, flies attracted to the dumpster will make their way into the building. Educate employees regarding the importance of keeping doors closed while not in use. If doors need to be left open for ventilation purposes, screens should be installed. There are specially designed screen doors made for dock doors that run on the dock door track. These are preferred over a screen that is mounted to the frame since there are often gaps in the door.
It is advisable for customers to place personnel doors, such as those used for outdoor break areas or employee entrances, away from dumpster compactor areas. Frequently used doors placed in areas where pests congregated will increase the chance of pest introduction. If there are frequently used doors near areas that are highly attractive to flies, consider placing air doors on these personnel doors or using vestibules to add another line of fly defense.
CHEMICAL CONTROL. Pest management professionals can perform fly control treatments using residual insecticides, bioremediation products and fly baits. There have been several fly baits introduced recently with excellent labels for both exterior and interior food areas. Labeled applications for food areas will have greater restrictions. All labels must be followed. Baits are well-suited for targeting both interior and exterior trash receptacles.
Bioremediation products can be used to help break down organic materials, which the flies feed on. They contain specially formulated beneficial bacteria that help break down wastes, which attract and feed flies. Some bioremediation products also contain essential oils.
With a combination of the waste- reducing properties and the pleasant odors of essential oils, fly-attracting odors are reduced. These products can be applied using a foaming device, sprayer or applied through mister type systems on an ongoing basis. The key to these products is for pest management professionals to apply them routinely. As new wastes are deposited, the bioremediation products need to be reapplied. Bioremediation products are often used indoors in drain cleaning programs but can also be beneficial outdoors.
Residual insecticides in the form of liquid applications also can offer protection and should be considered in both preventative and remedial fly control programs. Use products of varying insecticide classes. Avoid reliance on the most common class of pyrethroids. Pyrethroid-based products used on a routine basis can cause control failures since fly populations may be resistant or easily become resistant to this group of insecticides. Insect growth regulators (IGRs), which inhibit normal fly development, are also beneficial in situations where you have the immature stages of flies or maggots. When maggots are breeding around a dumpster, use of an insect growth regulator can be extremely beneficial.
SUMMARY. Focusing pest management efforts on the “hot spots” for pests makes sense. In the case of filth flies, one of the main focus areas is the dumpster compactor. Food debris and decaying food odors make this area a magnet for flies. Focusing on the dumpster can help reduce interior fly sightings and potential product contamination. A focused approach also can reduce treatment costs and the amount of resources needed to obtain the desired control results.
Patricia Hottel is technical director at McCloud Services and has more than 35 years of pest management industry experience.
Spider Song & Dance
Features - University Research
Male jumping spiders court whomever, whenever, but females decide who lives or dies.
“This study provides some new insight into the age-old question of why males go to such ridiculous lengths to impress females,” said UF/IFAS entomologist Lisa Taylor.
Colin Hutton
Male jumping spiders will try to mate with any female, but that lack of discretion could cost them their lives, said a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher.
In a study published last year, UF/IFAS entomologist Lisa Taylor and her team documented the courting techniques of jumping spiders. They found that male spiders spend much time and energy — including singing and dancing — trying to mate with potential females, even when these females are the wrong species.
“We think that one reason these displays have evolved in male jumping spiders is to compensate for the fact that they can’t tell females of closely related species apart,” Taylor said. “Males run around courting everything that looks remotely like a female, and they place themselves at a very high risk of cannibalism from hungry females of the wrong species who have no interest in mating with them.”
For the study, scientists searched for spiders along the shores of a river in Phoenix, Ariz. When they found one, they watched and recorded everything it did, using a voice recorder. If it was a male, they monitored how many other females he encountered, which species and whether or not he tried to court them. If it was a female, they recorded how many males and which species tried to court her.
They also documented whether males were attacked or eaten by females.
Taylor thinks that a male’s colorful courtship dance allows him to identify himself to a female from a safe distance. These displays likely allow females to tell the males of different species apart. Then females can decide what action to take while the male is still a safe distance away.
“This study provides some new insight into the age-old question of why males go to such ridiculous lengths to impress females,” Taylor said.
With jumping spiders, the answer might be that these colorful displays let males identify themselves to females without being eaten, she said.
The females of many species look a lot alike, and males don’t seem to have a good way to tell them apart. But the males of most jumping spider species look different from one another, so females make the decisions. The male strategy seems to be to court anything that looks remotely like a female and hope for the best, Taylor said.
Jumping spiders are commonly found in residential backyards, and most people don’t even know they’re there, Taylor said, much less that the male spiders are singing and dancing.
“People might be interested to know that their yard is teeming with confused, but adorable, male jumping spiders that are running around singing and dancing for every female in sight and that these male spiders are pretty clueless about how to find the right species of female,” she said.
The study was published in the online journal PLOS ONE. Source: University of Florida
Fungus Gnats in Office Buildings
Annual Fly Control Issue - Fly Control Annual Issue
Moisture is key to fungus gnats’ survival. Here’s how to deal with these bothersome flying insects.
Fungus gnats are known to be pests of greenhouses and nurseries, but also they can infest office buildings with interior plantscapes. Although they do not bite or transmit disease-causing organisms, their presence is usually not tolerated by the occupants, especially when they show up in large numbers.
To properly manage any pest, you should properly identify it. It is not unusual for more than one species of small flies to be present inside the same location, which may require different management approaches. The following are brief descriptions of the fungus gnat life stages.
Adults are usually the most recognizable life stage of this pest, while larvae, pupae and eggs are located in the soil and hard to find. Adults are mosquito-like, small (1/8-inch), fragile, grayish to black flies with long, slender legs and thread-like antennae. They have one pair of clear or smoky-colored wings with six veins reaching the edge (the common Bradysia species have a Y-shaped wing vein). Larvae are clear to creamy-white with shiny black head capsules and can grow to about 1/4-inch long. Pupae are initially white and become dark shortly before the adult emerges. Eggs are whitish and tiny (0.2 mm long).
BREEDING & FEEDING. In order to interrupt the life cycle of fungus gnats, it is critical to understand their breeding and feeding habits in the infested area. Like other flies, fungus gnats go through a complete metamorphosis, consisting of egg, larva, pupa and adult stages. Depending on the temperature and humidity levels of the breeding site, eggs can hatch in four to six days, larvae last 12 to 14 days and pupae develop in about five to six days. The life cycle takes about four weeks, with continuous reproduction and overlapping generations where moist and warmth conditions are available. The lifespan of adult flies is short and ranges from 7 to 10 days.
Adults are attracted to lights and are often noticed away from their breeding sources flying around light fixtures or windows. Each female can produce 100 to 300 eggs. These eggs are normally deposited in decaying organic matter of moist soil in 2 to 30 batches. Larvae primarily feed on fungi, algae and decaying plant matter. They also will feed on plant roots and leaves resting on the growing medium surface. Indoors, fungus gnats are normally linked to interior plants with damp soil containing fungi and decaying matter. Rarely, they may survive in damp new construction materials and in areas near leaky roofs or water pipes.
Moisture is key to a fungus gnat’s survival, as eggs and larvae cannot last in dry environments. Indoor plants with over-watering or poor drainage systems create ideal breeding sites for fungus gnats. Thus, it is crucial that the interior plantscape specialist let the growing medium of the potted plants to dry between watering, especially the top 1 to 2 inches. A significant declining of the fungus gnat problem can be achieved by avoiding excessive watering and by increasing the interval between regular watering. Before watering, plants should be checked for moisture level. To do this, you (or your customers) can place your fingertip into the soil. If it feels wet, do not water the plant and drain any excess water from the dish/container below flowerpots. It is also recommended that the interior plantscape specialist re-pot every so often, particularly when the growing medium is retaining too much moisture. In addition, regularly remove decayed bulbs and roots, which provide an excellent food source for fungus gnat larvae.
CONTROL TIPS. Pay attention to critical areas. Try to determine what areas of the building have the highest numbers of gnats. Check window ledges, light fixtures, etc. As mentioned, adult fungus gnats are attracted to light and are usually more likely to move towards a nearby source of light. It is recommended to utilize insect light traps (ILTs) in problem areas. These traps are excellent monitoring tools that the PMP should check regularly to determine population trends so corrective measures are implemented in a proper timeframe. They also can help in reducing the numbers of flying insects in the building.
Chemical remediation options should target the larval stage. If the number of adult fungus gnats cannot be tolerated indoors, these flies can be knocked down easily with liquid pyrethrins or aerosols labeled for use against “gnats” or “flying insects.” Removing the adults is a temporary solution. Unless you can access and treat the breeding source then, once the chemical dissipates, more flies are likely to appear. Indoor plants or interiorscaping that is difficult to remove can be treated with a number of registered residual pesticides including formulations containing bifenthrin, insect growth regulators (IGRs), as well as Bacillus thuringiensis (BT)-based products. Strictly follow all directions and precautions on the pesticide label. The key thing is to eliminate algae, molds and decaying organic matter wherever they are found. There are some pesticides registered for algae and fungi control under and around container-grown plant benches/containers.
Fungus gnat management should be included in the overall pest management program for office buildings. These flies frequently can be brought in with infested plants/soil or they can fly in from the exterior. However, treating outdoor areas may produce mixed results, particularly if the PMP cannot identify or address key breeding areas, such as mulch, grass clippings and moist lawns, which can provide ideal and persistent habitats for gnats. However, if treating outdoor breeding sources is impractical, applications of approved pesticides on foliage cover around the exterior can help. These applications should be at three- to four-week intervals. Good watering practices of interior plants along with regular monitoring for a proper larviciding intervention can keep fungus gnats under tolerable levels.
The author is the technical and training director at Adam’s Pest Control, Medina, Minn.
Brad Harbison
