Archive for August, 2013
The effect of hydraulic nozzles on the deposition of Steinernema feltiae through a crop canopy
Growers strive to minimise the impact of crop pests in order to increase yield and quality of horticultural products supplied to an exacting market. A wide array of crop pests such as Frankinella occidentalis, Delia radicum and Thrips tabaci can be controlled at the larval stage with soil applications of entomopathogenic nematodes. Two techniques exist […]
International pest news in brief – July/August 2013 issue
USA: New Jersey man sets fire to home trying to remove bedbugs After reading that high temperatures can kill bed bugs, a New Jersey resident tried to use a space heater, hair dryer and heat gun to eliminate the pests. Unfortunately, trying to apply this solution not only caused a fire but also destroyed his […]
Tropical epiphytes and collateral control with copper fungicide
Weeds are plants growing in the wrong place at the wrong time. Grasses and broadleaved weeds grow under and around trees to compete with their root systems for water and nutrients, and in the case of tall vigorously growing weeds around small stature trees for light and space as well. ‘Lower’ plants like lichens, mosses […]
Himalayan Balsam and its control on the River Monnow in Herefordshire and Monmouthshire
Himalayan Balsam Impatiens glandulifera is sometimes cultivated for its flowers but is now widely established in counties such as the British Isles and the United States and in some situations has become an invasive species weed. Aggressive seed dispersal, coupled with high nectar production which attracts pollinators, often allows the Himalayan Balsam to outcompete native […]
Fumigant and repellent activity of six essential oils against the Red Palm Mite in Trinidad
Abstract Fumigant and repellent tests were conducted to evaluate the efficiency of six essential oils (clove, banana, jasmine, peppermint, eucalyptus and cassia) against Raoiella indica. Oils tested had attractant or repellent properties at different concentrations. Cassia and peppermint oils exhibited both repellent and vapour-phase mortality effects at 1% oil concentration and > 88% mortality over […]
Underground fungal networks activate plant alarms against pest attack
Insect pests are a major cause of damage to the world’s commercially important agricultural crops. Food crops are destroyed by over 10,000 species of insects and cause an annual loss of about 13.6% globally (Benedict et al. 2003) and 23.3% in India (Dhaliwal et al. 2010). During a pest attack, plants, being immobile, do not […]
Combatting malaria
Over the last decade, funding to help countries to decrease the impact of malaria have increased significantly, especially by providing very large numbers of insecticide treated bed nets (ITN) to protect the most vulnerable, the children under five years of age and pregnant women. This has enabled more than a million lives to be saved […]
CEPA announce release of first draft of the CEN Standard for Pest Management Services
The CEN (European Committee for Standardisation) Standard for Pest Management Services is a voluntary industry initiative that specifies the requirements, recommendations and basic competences under which pest management servicing companies must operate to guarantee a professional service to their customers and ensure that the industry is recognized for responsibly protecting European citizens, animals and the […]
