The front page of the West Nile Virus portal site.

STEPHENVILLE, Texas – The summer months usually bring barbecues and swimming pools, and the start of mosquito season.

To help keep residents safe and informed, entomologists at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service recently launched a special website portal called texaswestnile.tamu.edu for

A worker taking larval samples from a ditch. Photo by Mike Merchant.

information on West Nile Virus, mosquitoes and mosquito prevention.

The idea to start the site came about after receiving many calls on requests for information during the 2012 mosquito season due to the record number of cases of West Nile . Assistant Professor and Extension Entomologist Dr. Sonja Swiger said the site was started to provide residents with a single, organized location on the Internet for West Nile virus and mosquito information.

Swiger said the site is primarily targeted towards residents of Texas but can be used to help residents in other states dealing with West Nile virus as well.

“The website is intended for all residents of Texas and the US, including people working in the industry of mosquito control, health services and just regular people looking to find information on WNV without having to search several websites,” she said.

Some of the information contained in the site includes links to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Texas Department of State Health Services fact sheets, and current data on WNV.  There are also links to Extension publications, blogs and links on mosquitoes so that people can learn about mosquito species, breeding, protecting themselves from bites and how to control for mosquitoes.

Swiger said that the vector carrying mosquito responsible for West Nile Virus in Texas is the southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus. The mosquitoes breed mostly in stagnant water, usually associated with urban areas.

“The best precautions are to check your yard for standing water,” Swiger said. “This can be cans, jars, buckets, gutters, bird baths, kiddie pools, boat tarps and even tires.  All standing water should be dumped if possible or treated with larvicides to kill mosquito larvae.”

In addition to checking the yard, Swiger said that protection is key during mosquito season.

“People need to protect themselves when outside with long sleeves and pants and mosquito repellents,” she said.  “Prevention should start when spring arrives (which means now) and until winter.  Mosquitoes start developing when temperatures increase in the spring and the rains arrive and they will continue to develop (multiple generations and species) until winter arrives.”

Swiger is hoping that the site will help give residents a single place to find information on the virus and how to prevent the virus-carrying mosquitoes from invading their homes and businesses.

“I hope that the website will provide a single location for interested individuals looking for information on mosquitoes and WNV.  Plus they will get up-to-date factual information that is science endorsed, along with access to the state health department that has current WNV numbers,” she said.

Visitors can access the site at http://texaswestnile.tamu.edu

Residents warned to be on the lookout for mosquitoes and flying ants, termites

Writer: Rod Santa Ana, 956-878-8317, r-santaana@tamu.edu

Contacts: Dr. Raul Villanueva, 956-968-5581, rtvillanueva@ag.tamu.edu

Dr. Juan Anciso, 956-968-5581, janciso@tamu.edu

Non-drought busting rains that fell April 28 in the Lower Rio Grande Valley have temporarily halted the harvesting of cabbage and other vegetables. (AgriLife Communications photo by Rod Santa Ana)

WESLACO  –  Rains that fell April 28 have temporarily slowed the harvest of citrus and vegetable crops in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and will likely increase the activity of mosquitoes and termites, according to experts at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco.

“We got anywhere from an inch to as much as 6 inches of rain Sunday,” said Dr. Juan Anciso, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service citrus and vegetable specialist. “Some areas along the Rio Grande near Weslaco got the really heavy rains, but 1 inch to 3 inches of rain was more common throughout the Valley.”

In some cases the rain fell in areas that hadn’t seen rain since November, according to the National Weather Service.

“Rain is almost always a good thing for the Valley,” Anciso said. “It may have been too little too late for row crops such as cotton, corn and grain sorghum, but it will help next year’s crop by diluting the salt in the soil that builds up from irrigation water. And it’s good for ranchers’ pastures and for homeowners and their landscapes.”

The rain will have little impact on the remaining harvest of vegetables, including cabbage, carrots and onions, Anciso said. But more rain, which is not predicted, could start to deteriorate the quality of those crops.

“It’s nothing major, but soggy fields have kept most harvesters out of the field this week,” he said. “You don’t want to get mud on cabbage because they can’t be easily washed. And you want onions as dry as possible in the field, otherwise they’ll start to decay. And carrots and citrus, well, there will just be a slight delay on harvesting them until things dry out.”

Dr. Raul Villanueva, an AgriLife Extension entomologist at the Weslaco center, said people should be careful of the increase of mosquitoes the rains will likely provoke.

“Municipalities will likely increase the number of sprays for mosquitoes,” he said. “And people should do all they can to get rid of any standing water on their property to avert breeding grounds. And if you’re outdoors, use an insect repellent with the active ingredient DEET.”

Villanueva said it’s important to avoid mosquitoes because they carry dengue fever, which is prevalent just across the Rio Grande in Mexico.

“While dengue fever is not widespread in the Valley, they do have dengue fever events in Reynosa and other areas of northern Mexico,” he said. “We don’t see too much of that here because cities do a good job of spraying for mosquitoes. But it’s questionable in Mexico.”

Citrus growers also should begin sprays for the Asian citrus psyllid, Villanueva said. Psyllids are insects that can carry citrus greening, a bacterial disease not harmful to humans but which can eventually kill citrus trees.

“These rains will cause citrus trees to send out new growth called shoots which is where psyllids lay eggs and reproduce,” he said. “For some reason, psyllid populations have been high this year, so growers need to keep up with their sprays.”

Termites and ants will also show an increased activity because rain encourages the swarming behavior of these insects after winter, Villanueva said.

“People will likely observe flying ants and termites in the coming days,” he said. “Ants and termites both will fly from their mounds, mate and find new nests. Homeowners and others should be aware that if they find large numbers of winged termites or ants, they may have infestations of these insects in their dwellings.”

WESLACO  –  Danielle Sekula has been named integrated pest management entomologist for cotton, grain sorghum and corn at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco, according to an official there.

Danielle Sekula. Photo by Rod Santa Ana, AgriLife Communications

Sekula replaces several well-known entomologists who have filled the position in years past, including John Norman, LeeRoy Rock and Amanda Anderson (nee Cattaeno), according to Dr. Ruben Saldana, the South District Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service administrator.

Sekula, a native of Edinburg, said assuming her new post fulfilled a lifelong dream.

“Even when I was little, we would drive past the Weslaco Center with my parents and I would say, ‘One of these days I’m going to work there,’ and here I am,” she said.

Sekula began her job Jan. 2 and predicted she would remain for some time.

“I’m from here; I’m home,” she said. “This is my dream job and I plan to be here for the long haul.”

A graduate of Edinburg North High School in 2001, Sekula received her bachelor’s degree in business management and biology from the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg in 2006, and her master’s in plant and soil sciences from Texas A&M-Kingsville University in 2008.

While working on her master’s thesis at the Texas A&M-Kingsville University Citrus Center at Weslaco, which involved alternate methods of rust mite control in citrus, Dr. Mamadou Setamou, Sekula’s supervisor and thesis project advisor, realized he was working with one of the best research assistants he had ever encountered.

Setamou, the center’s citrus entomologist, said Sekula’s initiative led to new recommendations for growers that will soon be published in academic journals.

“Danielle is highly motivated, inquisitive, energetic and works well with her peers and the growers,” he said. “I’ve had many students come through my lab, but Danielle loved fieldwork, whereas most students prefer lab work. Danielle excelled at both. Her energy out in the field (orchards) was remarkable; I would tire long before she did.”

It was during an effort to study the ecology of citrus rust mite, an insect that blemishes both citrus leaves and fruit, that Sekula developed a new and effective proactive spray control program that helps growers produce higher quality fruit, Setamou said.

“Common practice for decades had been to spray once citrus rust mite populations were established, but Danielle said, ‘No, let’s try early control.’ She worked tirelessly to document the fact that by spraying early in the year during the trees’ dormant stage, rust mite populations are knocked down, growers get the best residual control and it takes a long time for their populations to come back. We are now recommending that growers use Danielle’s approach, which is a highly beneficial innovation in citrus grove care.”

After leaving his lab in 2008, Setamou said Sekula began working as a field scout at Rio Queen Citrus, Inc., a wholesale citrus shipper in Mission, where she excelled again.

“She quickly became their lead scout and for a while was alone in managing pests on almost 5,000 acres of citrus,” he said. “She did such an excellent job in reducing pest pressure that the overall quality of their citrus improved. She is impressive, fearless and a very quick learner. That’s why I recommended her for the integrated pest management position and why I think she will be a huge asset to the AgriLife Extension and the Valley’s row crops industry. She’s an excellent hire.”

Sekula became interested in biology after working at the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge near the city of Alamo on the Rio Grande, she said. As a park assistant and tour guide, she became fascinated with the native wildlife habitat, especially insects.

“I wanted to make a living in wildlife or agriculture, but it wasn’t until I began working with Dr. Setamou that I discovered I could make a living looking for bugs,” Sekula said. “And now I’m so excited to be working here in Weslaco as an entomologist. I’m not an expert in row crops insects yet, but I’m determined to be molded into the entomologists that growers want. Citrus growers call on me for my expertise and in time so will cotton, sorghum and corn growers.”

Saldana said he has every expectation that Sekula will excel in her new position.

“Danielle has a proven track record and we are fortunate to have her on board,” he said. “She will work exceptionally well with our cotton and grain producers here in South Texas and is already immersing herself in the job. I have every confidence that just as citrus growers did, cotton and grain producers will soon be calling on her to help manage pest populations to increase production.”

Contacts: Bill Ree, 979-845-6479, w-ree@tamu.edu

Wizzie Brown, 512-854-9600, ebrown@ag.tamu.edu

Dr. Charles Allen, 325-653-4576, ctallen@ag.tamu.edu

COLLEGE STATION – With the holiday season gearing up, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologists are urging travelers to be wary of a new species of unwelcome six-legged hitchhikers itching to become full-time Texans.

Brown marmorated stink bug; adult and nymph stages. (Courtesy photo)

“We’re working to raise awareness about the brown marmorated stink bug in Texas,” said Bill Ree, AgriLife Extension entomologist at College Station. “This pest is hitting some states hard. It’s a great hitchhiker which is probably one, if not the main reason, it has spread to so many states. Adults seeking overwintering sites tend to get in recreational vehicles, travel trailers, etc.”

Ree said the pest can cause lasting foul smells in homes and other confines, plus cause major damage to a wide variety of crops and plants.

“So far, we’ve only had one confirmed in Texas, Ree said. “That single find last November at Corpus Christi was from a pest control operator investigating a stink bug infestation in a trailer or RV that had been moved to Corpus from Pennsylvania.

“That’s why we want the public, pest control operators and those in the landscape industry to be aware that we really want to know about possible sites before they escalate as they have elsewhere. New detections in Texas will more likely come from this group of folks, rather than an agricultural ‘bug scout’ in the middle of a soybean field.”

Wizzie Brown, AgriLife Extension urban entomologist at Austin, said the pest is not a health threat to people or animals, but she does see the potential for the insect to become a problem in a variety of outdoor settings.

“It’s possible that it’s already in various parts of the state, and people don’t know about it, so they’re not reporting it,” she said.

Brown said the pest is originally from Asia and is found in China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea. It was spotted in Pennsylvania in 1998 and has spread from there.

“Since it’s an invasive species, natural predators and parasites can’t help to keep populations in check,” she said. “It also seems that the pesticides we have do not do much to help manage the populations.”

Dr. Charles Allen, AgriLife Extension entomologist at San Angelo, said populations in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and other states have built up to high levels as they feed on apples, peaches and other fruits.

“We think this stink bug will feed on pecans in Texas, adding to the losses we may experience from it,” Allen said. “And will probably be a huge problem in grapes because just one or a few stink bugs can taint the flavor of a whole vat of wine.”

Allen said they also indiscriminately dine on tomatoes, peppers and a wide variety of other  garden crops and ornamentals and could pose a threat to those industries.

“Our main concerns among Texas field crops are soybeans, pecans and possibly cotton,” Allen said.

“In the fall when they start looking for a place to spend the winter, they can cause problems for homeowners. In some areas of other states, they have entered homes by the thousands and tens of thousands where they leave a very lasting and foul odor. So they are not only an agricultural problem, but also a very troublesome household pest. Folks in the worst affected areas vacuum them up daily, and their homes still smell like stink bugs for weeks.”

Brown said as with most home insect invaders, excluding them from the home is the best and safest course of action, should the pests gain a foothold in Texas.

In the meantime, the entomologists are asking all Texans to report and submit suspected samples so they can confirm if and where the insects may be taking up residence in the state.

“Though they are not a direct human health threat, they are a nuisance that could live almost anywhere in Texas,” Brown said.

“The brown marmorated stink bug looks just like other stink bugs, but it’s a drab brown with black mottling on its back and a distinctive pattern of alternating white and black triangles around the outside of the abdomen. If folks start noticing a new stink bug, one they haven’t seen before, then we want to know about it.”

Samples should include the name and contact information of the sender, the location the bug was found, and the plant or place where it was found. Ree said specimens should be put in something like a pill bottle (preferably dead) and sent to Kira Metz, Minnie Belle Heep Building 216D, 2475 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-2475. The specimens could also be sent to any AgriLife Extension agent, but those will also be confirmed by Metz.

Metz is the U.S. Department of Agriculture domestic insect identifier headquartered on the Texas A&M University Campus at College Station.

AUSTIN – Hungry hoards of mosquitoes, katydids, crickets, grasshoppers and other assorted pests-Texans have pretty much seen them all this summer, but will the onslaught stop once cooler weather hits?

“The bugs of summer will subside, but a new slate is ready and willing to move right in with you,” said “Wizzie” Brown, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service integrated pest management specialist at Austin.

“Usually during drought conditions or when the weather begins to get cooler insects and other arthropods like spiders and scorpions will move indoors. In the case of drought, they are often searching for water, and with cooler temperatures, like us, they want a cozy place to stay.”

Brown is a strong advocate of integrated pest management, a series of practices that when used together manages pests in the  most effective and environmentally sound ways available.

She said simply keeping pests out of the house in the first place is the best and easiest way to keep your family safe. She offered the following tips to accomplish that:

– Prune trees and shrubs so they do not touch or overhang the house.
– Don’t stack firewood or anything else against the house.
– Weather strip doors and windows, especially if you see daylight around them.
– Block weep holes in homes with brick or stone facades using steel wool or copper mesh
where rusting steel wool stains could be unsightly.

– Use caulk or expanding foam to fill cracks and crevices on the outside of the home and around pipe and wire penetrations.

– Keep window screens in good repair.
– Use stainless steel mesh to block attic access points.

“As with any unwanted intruder, the trouble starts once they enter your home,” Brown said.

Brown helped develop AgriLife Extension’s ISEC Home Pest Management Program. ISEC stands for the strategies to best manage  pests. They are; Identify, Sanitize, Exclude and Control.

Check it out at  http://ipm.tamu.edu/isec/ to learn the “Top 10 Most Wanted Pests” and how to control them or join her blog at http://urban-ipm.blogspot.com/

STEPHENVILLE – One of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s old standby  livestock pest control reference publications has been updated, revamped and split in two.The first installment is now available to the public, said the effort’s coordinator.

New electronic livestock pest publication replaces old standby. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo)

Dr. Sonja Swiger, AgriLife Extension entomologist at Stephenville, said the original publication formerly known as Managing External Parasites of Texas Livestock and Poultry B-1306, is now being released as two separate publications. The first, Managing External Parasites of Texas Cattle (E-570), is now available electronically on the AgriLife Bookstore http://agrilifebookstore.org and emphasizes pastured beef cattle. The second, Managing External Parasites of Horses, Pigs, Sheep and Goats, will follow next year. She said the poultry component was redone previously and released as Poultry Pest Management (E-445).

“The original work was written a decade or two ago,” said Swiger. “It addressed external parasites that attack all livestock and was the reference most AgriLife Extension agents grabbed when questions arose concerning livestock pest control.

“But I wanted to provide more in-depth information on the insect species involved, along with pictures for visual identification, so producers would know without a doubt what they were dealing with. With all the added information, it was clear some of the livestock species had to be dropped to keep the publication manageable.”

 The new publication stresses the integrated pest management approach which uses the most effective, environmentally safe strategies available, Swiger said.

For more information contact Swiger at: 254-968-4144, slswiger@ag.tamu.edu .

The most important single thing a school district can do is make sure school grounds are not contributing to your local mosquito populations.  Check water catchment basins, storm drains, low areas, and equipment storage yards, athletic and playground equipment, especially, for places where water might be caught and held.  Drain or treat with Bt dunks, or Altosid granules–both Green category insecticides.

Mosquitoes typically rest in vegetation or other shaded sites during the day.  If you have areas of vegetation or doorways where mosquitoes are a noticeable problem, consider treating such sites with a residual pyrethroid spray.  This would be a Yellow category treatment and should be limited to known problem areas.  Insecticides like deltamethrin, cyfluthrin, bifenthrin, and lambda-cyhalothrin can provide up to six weeks control on vegetation or building surfaces.  They can be applied via hand-held pump sprayer, backpack mist blower, or power sprayer to doorways and trees, shrubs and ornamental grass around buildings and entryways.  Do not allow students or staff into treated areas until sprays have thoroughly dried. Remember students cannot enter an area that has been treated with a Yellow Category product for 4 hours.

If the city or your district wants to apply ULV insecticides for pretreating sporting venues, posting and notification requirements must be followed and Yellow category justifications filed, as with any use of Yellow category product.  ULV treatments usually use synergized pyrethrins (Green for products with less than 5% piperonyl butoxide), resmethrin or permethrin (Yellow).  Mosquito control with such sprays is short-lived (few hours to a day) and should be conducted only when wind is less than 5-10 mph.

When it comes to IPM for mosquitoes, don’t forget educating students, parents and staff.  The district should consider notifying parents and students advising them to wear repellent to school or evening sporting events.  Use of repellents on school grounds is something each school district must decide on.  Personal use of repellents is not prohibited or really addressed by state school IPM regulations; however, they are addressed through the Department of State Health Services who considers repellents as part of an over the counter medication.  If you have done so, visit with your district’s head nurse make sure she/he is aware of your IPM program and the efforts you, your staff and your pest control contractor are doing everything they can do to help prevent mosquitoes.  The Texas Department of State Health Services and many local mosquito control authorities have useful educational fliers and websites (see below) that parents should be aware of.  School districts have a useful role to play in getting mosquito awareness information out to our communities.  Consider linking this information in your school district’s website.  Check out McKinney ISD for theirs http://www.mckinneyisd.net/

Some quick facts about mosquito life cycle, breeding, and water sources:

• Once mosquitoes find a suitably polluted puddle of water, they lay eggs.  Eggs take about a day to hatch and the larvae 5-8 days at 30 degrees C (86 deg F).  Once they pupate it’s another 36 hours before the adult emerges.  So its 10-14 days typically for development.  Standing water must remain for about that length of time before it is likely to breed mosquitoes.
• Clean water is not so much an issue, but if rain water is mixed with leaves and/or soil and sits in the sun for a week or so, it gets pretty attractive for mosquitoes. In addition, water where fish are present, such as a pond or permanent stream is not usually a big source of mosquitoes.

Remember the 4 D’s

• DUSK/DAWN- Stay indoors at Dusk/Dawn.  This is the time of day that mosquitoes are most active.
• DEET-Use insect repellents that contain Deet when going outside, especially at times closer to dawn or dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
• DRAIN – Remove all areas of standing water.  Examples are pet dishes, birdbaths, and water dishes under potted plants.  Repair faulty French drains.  Remove debris from rain gutters.  Mosquitoes will breed in this debris since it is normally damp under the debris.  Remove all piles of dead leaf material from under trees and shrubs.  This also is a breeding site.
• DRESS- Avoid being bitten by mosquitoes by wearing light colored long sleeved shirts and long pants when going outside.

 RESOURCES

The Dept. of State Health services has been sending out emails to school nurses and administrators.  However, at AgriLife Extension we are also providing you this information to ensure everyone knows what you can do.

Need a mosquito management plan – check out this link http://www.extension.org/pages/20999/school-ipm-action-plan-for-mosquitoes

Need a poster, flyer, or other information to hand out to teachers, parents or students, including a sample letter you can send home to parents  – check out our link http://schoolipm.tamu.edu/forms/public-health-pests-information-resources/

Need additional information about West Nile Virus or other infectious diseases – check out the Dept. of State Health Services website at http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/disease/arboviral/westnile/information/special/schools/default.asp

Dr. Mike Merchant has a couple of very good YouTube videos on mosquito prevention and control – talk to your IT department about allowing you to view these very short informative videos.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEqv3h03cSY&feature=bf_prev&list=PL601F08778CC0167C

For Frequently Asked Questions about aerial spraying for mosquitoes, see http://citybugs.tamu.edu/2012/08/14/faqs-about-aerial-spraying/

Mosquito Safari is an Extension website with general information about mosquito identification, biology and control, including an interactive tour of common mosquito breeding sites, great site to share with teachers, parents and students.  http://mosquitosafari.tamu.edu/index.swf

Michael E. Merchant, PhD, BCE
Professor and Extension Urban Entomologist
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
17360 Coit Rd., Dallas, TX  75252-6599
972-952-9204  email: m-merchant@tamu.edu

Blog for professionals: http://insectsinthecity.blogspot.com

Website: http://citybugs.tamu.edu

Don L. Renchie, Ph.D.
Extension Program Leader and Coordinator
Pesticide Safety Education Program
Agricultural & Environmental Safety Unit
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
101 Agronomy Field Lab
College Station, Texas 77843-2488
(979) 845-3849 office
(979)845-6251 fax

Email: d-renchie@tamu.edu

DALLAS – Rains have not been abundant this summer in North Texas, but an early jumpstart from the mild winter has given mosquitoes all they need for a mid-summer resurgence, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service entomologist.

“Mosquitoes and mosquito-borne disease are a major problem in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex this summer,” said Dr. Mike Merchant, AgriLife Extension urban entomologist at Dallas. “This is one of the worst years we’ve seen in north Texas for the mosquito-borne disease called West Nile virus, and the season is far from over. As of the first week in August, over 160 cases of the disease have been reported from Dallas County alone.”

Merchant advises Texans to be aggressive in dealing with the blood-sucking critters. As a first line of defense when going outdoors, especially at dusk or early morning, everyone should use insect repellent, preferably one containing DEET, IR-3535, picaridin or lemon oil of eucalyptus, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control.

But that’s not all. There are some practical steps everyone can take to further reduce mosquito risk around the home, he said.

“The first step is to make sure mosquitoes aren’t breeding on your own property,” he said. “It only takes a little water standing for a week or so to breed mosquitoes. And even without rain, stagnant water can come from shrinking ponds or creeks, irrigation water, or even washing the car.

 “Some of the most common places to find standing water this time of year are in water catch basins, storm drains, flower pot dishes, untended water features and neglected swimming pools. After a summer shower, make sure you don’t have small containers, wheelbarrows or even children’s toys holding water.”

Merchant said standing water in catchment basins, ditches and other hard-to-drain sites can be treated with an insect growth regulator containing methoprene or the bacterial insecticide Bti.  These insecticides are safe for the environment and come in dissolvable doughnut, briquettes or granular form.

“We usually don’t worry much about fish ponds, streams or creeks, because fish usually take care of the problem there,” he said.
Once possible breeding sites are eliminated, Merchant said there are several options for eliminating mosquitoes that still find their way into the yard.

“Knowing how mosquitoes behave and using the right products can make your home safer, inside and out,” he said.

He said mosquitoes spend most of their time during the day in shady resting sites around the backyard. So treating sites like tall grass, shrubs and trees, as well as shaded eaves, walls and especially doorways of the house can provide significant mosquito suppression.

 “When you treat shaded doorways you can eliminate those mosquitoes that often get swept into the house when people come and go. These are some of the worst offenders because people don’t generally wear repellents indoors,” Merchant said.

Pump-up and hose-end sprayers and aerosol cans for backyard use can also be used to treat trees, shrubs and ground cover where mosquitoes rest during the heat of the day. Merchant said to look for products that promise multi-week control. Insecticides containing lambda-cyhalothrin, deltamethrin and cyfluthrin are good choices when the goal is long-term mosquito control.

“I’m not usually a fan of using broadcast pesticide applications in the backyard, but mosquitoes are serious business, especially this year,” he said.

If you don’t like the idea of treating yourself, and mosquitoes are a problem, another option is to hire a pest management company. Professionals have the tools and knowledge to apply insecticides properly and to successfully control mosquitoes.

If you choose to do it yourself, Merchant advises reading and following the pesticide label directions carefully. “If you wear the recommended gear, and apply when and where the label says, you can do your own mosquito control safely.  All landscape sprays should be applied in the evening or early morning before bees and butterflies are active. Don’t spray insecticides on windy days or when rain is expected.

For more information on mosquitoes and their control see:http://mosquitosafari.tamu.edu  . To learn more about pyrethroid pesticides used in mosquito control see: http://citybugs.tamu.edu/2012/02/20/using-pyrethroids-safely/  .

                                                                    -30-

DALLAS – The current cricket invasion many are experiencing in parts of East and Central Texas isn’t particularly unusual, but the timing is, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service entomologist.

Dr. Michael Merchant, AgriLife Extension urban entomologist at Dallas, said he’s had a number of reports from Central and East Texas folks concerned with the high number of crickets they’re seeing this year.

Crickets are invading much of East Texas earlier than normal. Texas AgriLife Extension entomologists say early warm temperatures and recent rains triggered the cricket flight. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Kathleen Phillips)

“I attribute this to early warm temperatures and recent rains that serve as a trigger for cricket flights,” Merchant said. “This is the earliest cricket infestation that I can recall though. We usually have cricket swarms following our late summer and fall rains.”

Merchant said cricket outbreaks are among the most predictable pest occurrences in Texas. Most of the invaders are black field crickets belonging to the Gryllus assimilis complex.

“We usually see this phenomenon in August and September when our typical summer drought is broken by rainfall and cooler temperatures,” Merchant said. “That’s happened earlier this year, leading to the high numbers we are seeing now.”

Merchant said field crickets are outside insects which don’t breed or live indoors, so the chance of damage is minimal.

“During severe outbreaks, like some are having now, they can become a nuisance around homes and businesses due to the sheer numbers. They swarm up walls, over sidewalks and eventually die, causing an unsightly mess and foul odors,” he said.

Merchant said home and business owners can greatly reduce the onslaught by turning off outdoor lights that attract the insects. He said bright outside lighting is the leading cause of high cricket concentrations.

“If it’s practical, just turn off your outside lights as early in the evening as possible or replace the bulbs with low-pressure sodium vapor lamps or yellow incandescent ‘bug lights’ which aren’t as attractive to crickets as brighter light sources.”

Merchant said it’s also important to seal all entry points to your home, especially those near bright lights. He recommends using steel or brass wool as a temporary barrier, because it’s easily stuffed into weep holes, cracks and other entry points, but doesn’t hinder needed air flow.

“Insecticides should only be considered as a last resort due to safety and environmental concerns, and even then only as a partial solution to the problem,” Merchant said. “Insecticides should be used with reduced outdoor lighting for best results. Crickets drawn to bright lights will continue to cause problems no matter how much insecticide is used.

Texas AgriLife Extension entomologists say heaviest cricket mating flights, which is what these infestations are, only last a week or two. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Kathleen Phillips)

“The good news is the heaviest mating flights, which is what these infestations are, only last a week or two. If this naturally occurring invasion gets on folks’ nerves too bad, I recommend they catch a few for bait and go fishing!”

For more information on crickets and other insects go to http://citybugs.tamu.edu

A cotton module is delivered to the Buddy Ross Cotton Gin north of Mercedes during the peak of last year's South Texas cotton harvest. (AgriLife Communications photo by Rod Santa Ana)

WESLACO  –  As South Texas farmers battle the elements to produce cotton, grain sorghum and corn this summer, they’ll have an old friend to rely on: a newsletter called Pest Cast.

While some copies are still mailed out, the decades-old publication is now mostly distributed online, a cooperative effort between the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the Cotton and Grain Producers of the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

It keeps hundreds of growers and others informed about current field conditions, weather events, insect populations and anything else that might impact crop yields, according to newsletter editor John Norman.

“My involvement with Pest Cast started back in April of 1975,” said Norman, a retired AgriLife Extension entomologist and now a private crop consultant.

“Back then the Extension entomologist was a man named Jimmy Deere,” he said. “But I’ve got copies of similar IPM (integrated pest management) newsletters that go back to 1948, written by folks no longer with us, like Andy White and Herman Mayeaux.”

The newsletter has a readership that extends beyond growers, and beyond the four-county Valley area, Norman said.

“Cotton brokers, buyers, consultants, … there are lots of people, not just farmers, who are interested in what’s going on down here,” he said.

Norman is currently writing this year’s third edition of the newsletter.

“This week’s Pest Cast will include information on last week’s rain and hail event, which affected cotton fields in Willacy County,” he said. “Plants were 8- to 12-inches high, and in half a dozen to a dozen fields, those plants were completely knocked down. There were no stalks left in the field.”

Fortunately, Norman said, the hail event was not area-wide.

“Other fields got less hail damage and will recover. Some fields got hit, others didn’t. And in some fields only part of the crop was affected. But chances for recovery will depend on future moisture and how much fertilizer is left in the field, because excessive rain can take nitrogen out of the soil.”

Another tidbit of information in the upcoming issue is the fact that cotton acreage is down significantly this year.

“We’ll have about 70,000 fewer acres in the Valley than we did last year,” Norman said. “Last year we had about 200,000 acres; this year we’ll probably have 130,000 acres,” Norman said.

What wasn’t planted in cotton will likely be planted in grain sorghum, a shift that can be blamed on sagging cotton prices and rising grain prices, Norman said.

“Growers were getting just over $1 per pound of lint last year,” he said. “This year the price is expected to be somewhere between 80 cents and 85 cents per pound,” he said.

Grain prices went the other way, he said.

“Typically, growers get $3 to $4 per hundredweight of grain sorghum,” Norman said. “This year prices are up to between $10 and $12, so lots of growers made the switch from cotton to grain sorghum. It’s only a guess, but I’d estimate we’ll have about 400,000 acres of grain sorghum planted in the Valley this year.”

To subscribe to Pest Cast, call the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at 956-968-5581, or email d12south@ag.tamu.edu . Both online and mailed subscriptions are free.