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Information Provided Courtesy of
Integrated Pest
Management of Alaska:
Go to Section:
-Wash aphids off
plants with a strong stream water from your garden
hose
-Reduce the use of high
nitrogen fertilizer
BED BUGS:
-Determine the species of bug responsible. If the
source of the infestation is a bat or bird roost,
remove the bird nest or exclude the bats after they
have left for the winter.
-Clean or discard the infested mattress.
-Launder or dry clean all bedding and clothing in
the room at the hottest laundry setting or 115°F
(46°C).
-Vacuum all cracks and crevices in the room, with a
HEPA filtered vacuum if necessary, to remove as many
bed bugs as possible.
-Dismantle the bed frame and remove any bed bugs
hiding in the tubing, frame and legs.
-Caulk
and paint the bed and the immediate
surroundings so that cracks and crevices are sealed
or eliminated to prevent bed bug movement and
habitation.
-Diatomaceous
Earth and Silica Aerogel
applied as a "crack and crevice" treatment to gaps
around baseboards and other such items. Beds and
mattresses can be dismantled and treated with the
dust, paying special attention to the bed frame,
mattress folds, and stitching.
-Clean up, rake, or burn
(if allowed) under your trees to remove some of the
over wintering leaf miner pupae
-Compost birch leaves
thoroughly and use it as a mulch beneath your trees
(also adds needed nutrients and beneficial microbes)
-Fertilize with compost
tea
-Spray trees with
neem oil
once a week for three weeks once your
trees have finished leafing out in the spring
-Use
Spinosad (derived from a soil dwelling
bacterium) two or three times prior to mid July
-Have your trees
injected with a product containing
abamectin (derived from a soil dwelling fungus)
by a professional
-Do nothing, your trees
will probably be fine if they are healthy
-Wait for the USDA to
approve the release of the Birch Leaf Miner Parasite
sometime in 2005 or 2006.
-Correct moisture problems
-Make
sure no wooden portions of the structure are in
direct contact with the ground
-Seal
any gaps and openings on the house with high
quality silicone caulk
-Remove shrubs and trees from in contact with
house
-Clean up old wood piles and keep firewood off
the ground well away from the house
-Remove stumps and fallen logs from within 35
feet of the house
-When
a nest is discovered, remove it with a vacuum
-Mix
parasitic nematodes with ground crickets or
tuna in water when carpenter ants are feeding on
protein sources (usually late spring and summer)
-Mix
3-5%
borax in sugar water or honey when the ants
are feeding on carbohydrates (usually fall,
winter, and early spring) Keep away from
children and pets.
-Inject
Diatomaceous Earth
into ant nests, where
they travel or inside wall voids with a power
dust injector. Avoid breathing dust.
-When
carpenter ants are inside wall voids or in
beams, do not attempt to control them yourself,
Call a professional that has the proper
equipment, that uses Diatomaceous earth power
injections, carpenter ant specific
baits, and will remove the nest for you with
vacuums.
-Release
trichogramma (moth egg parasites) when adult
moths are laying eggs
-Release lacewings when
caterpillars are small
-Wash them off with a
hose for the birds to pick off
-Insecticidal soap when
they are small (won't work very well on large
caterpillars)
-B.t. (has been over
used, some caterpillars are now resistant to this
bacterium)
FRUIT FLIES:
-Remove any overripe fruit and vegetables,
especially apples, bananas, onions and potatoes.
-Remove excess moisture, including mops, wet rags,
drains, leaking plumbing, and moist garbage.
-Use
Hypoaspis miles
in worm bins or compost bins to
biologically control fruit fly and
fungus gnat
larvae
-Trap fruit flies with simple homemade traps: Place
an inch or two of apple cider vinegar, fruit
juice or wine in the bottom of a small pop bottle or
fruit juice bottle, add two drops of soap to break
surface tension so the flies fall in and do not
escape
-Clip off down ward
curled branch tips before the eggs hatch in early
spring
-Prune off infested
branches and dunk in soapy water
-Spray them off with
water for birds to eat, chickens and ducks love
them!
-Insecticidal soap or
oil sprays (neem, canola) when worms are small
-Do nothing, trees will
usually recover if they are healthy
Visit the following
website for information on the mosquito life
cycle, what attracts mosquitoes and the
effectiveness of some of the products that are
sold used as repellants.
-Leave them alone, they are beneficial (Brown
Recluse or Black Widow spiders DO NOT occur in
Alaska)
-Remove clutter, seal boxes with tape, store
items off the floor and away from walls. Seal
boxes with tape to prevent spiders from taking
up residence within. Clean up clutter in
garages, sheds, basements, and other storage
areas.
-For individual spiders indoors, place a glass
or jar over them and slide a piece of
paper under the opening and release it outside.
-Regular vacuuming or sweeping of windows,
corners of rooms, storage areas, basements, and
other seldomly used areas helps remove spiders
and their webs.
-Seal cracks and crevices around windows and
door frames to prevent spiders coming indoors
-Screen windows and vents. Good insect screening
not only keeps out spiders, but also prevents
entry of insects that spiders must have for
food.
-Diatomaceous
Earth can be used in crawl spaces or other
areas where spiders may congregate.
- Learn more about spiders at IPM
of Alaska's website:
http://www.ipmofalaska.com/
files/spiders.html
-Plant new trees, they
won't kill small trees
-Water those existing
large trees thoroughly ever week during the summer
-Prune off the lower
branches to allow sunlight to warm the bark (bark
beetles like it cool)
-Plant varieties of
conifer that resist bark beetles
-Tolerate
some weeds
-Pull
them
-Raise the height of the mower
-Over seed bare spots with grass varieties suitable
for Alaska
-Water properly
-Use slow release organic fertilizers
-Leave the grass clippings on to return nutrients
back to the lawn
-Leave them alone, they
are very beneficial, but if they are in an area
where they must be removed then;
-Call a professional
that will remove the nest at night with a vacuum,
but if the nest cannot be located, then;
-Keep lids on drinks or
use straws to avoid stings
-Use yellow jacket traps
early in the spring to capture queens before they
can build nests
PESTS OF STORED
GRAIN or FLOUR:
(Such
as
sawtoothed grain
beetles,
rice and granary
weevils,
meal moths,
grain mites,
etc)
-Store
grain and flour products (including pet food) properly.
Airtight containers with tight fitting lids are best. Do
not store products in plastic bags, or cardboard boxes
as the insects can chew through them.
-Store
foods in the freezer if they are not going to be used
right away.
-Always inspect susceptible food items before
purchasing, especially if buying in bulk.
-Discard infested products.
-If an
infestation occurs, remove all items from the storage
area, vacuum all cracks and crevices to remove insects
and spilled food.
-Use
sex pheromone lures to monitor for infestations and
capture some insects.
-Food
Grade Diatomaceous earth can be added to grain and seed
to protect them during extended storage periods.
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Important Updates
Alaskans
Tested for Toxic Chemicals in Products—Results Reveal
Contamination from Chemicals in Everyday Products
New Report:
“Is It In Us?
Chemical Contamination of Our Bodies—Toxic Trespass,
Regulatory Failure, and Opportunities for Action”—
35 people from seven
states, including Alaska, were tested for 20 toxic
chemicals.
Results,
Executive Summary, participants, and full report can be
found at
www.isitinus.org
For Immediate Release—News Advisory for November 8, 2007
Media Briefing (10 AM at the Loussac Library in
Anchorage)
New Fact Sheets on Toxic Chemicals,
Health Effects, and Alternatives!
-
Bisphenol A
-
Phthalates
-
Brominated Flame Retardants—PBDEs
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