Pest Of The Week: The Brown Recluse Spider

English: Adult male brown recluse spider dorsal view. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Brown Recluse spider is also known as a Violin spider because of the violin markings found on it’s back. Because of its extremely venomous and deadly bite, the Brown Recluse is one of worst spider pests. These bites are extremely dangerous. There have been reports of lost appendages and even death because of these painful bites. Spider control efforts must be taken to keep these spiders out of your basements, attics, and garages.

While the Brown recluse is dangerous, it’s a rather shy spider that will only bite when it feels threatened. Bites occur when a hand is placed unknowingly on a spider while moving boxes for instance; or when a spider is inadvertently trapped against a person’s body while getting dressed or crawling in bed.

The Brown Recluse spider is tan in color. Adult spiders are about the size of a U.S. Quarter. The spider has a violin marking on its back, long legs, and is covered with short hairs. They are common in the lower Midwest and the Southeast U.S. They are nighttime hunters that do not use webs to catch insects.

5 Pest Control Links For Your Friday

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Bulwark Exterminating & Earth Day

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Take Back Your Yard With Mosquito Control

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Gallinipper

If a regular mosquito was a smart car, than the gallinipper would be a Mack truck.

It’s the goliath of all mosquitoes. A biting bug that is so terrifying that it has emptied entire schoolyards of screaming children.

They are called gallinippers because it is believed they can nip a gallon of your blood. The worst part is that they are expected to invade South Florida in big numbers this mosquito season.

What Is A Gallinipper? 

We are headed to rainy season, and we all know that that means mosquitoes; and the largest blood sucking mosquito in the U.S. is the ‘Shaggy-Legged’ Gallinipper. The gallinipper, properly known as Psorophora ciliata, is easy to identify by its large size and the zebra-like pattern it has on it’s hairy legs.

Gallinippers favor cool shady areas with lots of standing water. These mosquitoes will lay their eggs in the soil, where they can remain dormant for several years before a heavy rain finally releases them. Adult gallinippers can fly upwards of two miles in search of a blood meal. Only female gallinippers bite, feeding on human or animal blood. They are also known to go after pets, wild animals and even fish. The voracious pests feed day and night–unlike everyday mosquitoes, which generally feed only at dawn and dusk.

The Gallinipper’s Bite 

The most notorious characteristic of the gallinipper is it’s extremely painful bite. When it bites you, you know it! One bite victim likens a bite to that of a tiny drill; another victim referred to a gallinipper bite as a stabbing knife. The gallinipper’s bite is strong enough to bite through clothing. Since the mosquito is so big, you’ll likely feel the gallinipper land on you before it is able to pierce your skin with it’s massive proboscis.

The mosquito got it’s name because of the amount of blood it can drink at any one time–gallinipper because it can nip a gallon of blood. The truth is gallinippers drink nowhere near a gallon of blood at one time. A victim would have to be attacked multiple times, by a huge swarm of gallinippers, before you would lose a gallon of blood.

Gillinipper’s Size

How Big Is The Gallinipper? 

The gallinipper is twenty times bigger then the average mosquito; about the size of a quarter.

Palm Beach County Mosquito Control expert Gary Goode says “it really lets you know when it lands on you… It practically breaks your arm. It’s almost impossible for the gallinipper to sneak up on you.

Gallinippers Invading Florida 

Every summer, depending on the rainfall, the Sunshine state braces for the swarms of mosquitoes that plague the state… including the gallinipper. The mosquito’s eggs that were laid last year could produce a bumper crop of the blood-sucking bugs this summer if Florida sees a soggy rainy season.

When the live gallinippers swarm, the phones start ringing off the hook at Palm Beach County Mosquito Control.

The gallinipper is found in the western most; flood prone, parts of Palm Beach County during the rainy season.

The Bad News About The Gallinipper 

• Are huge and intimidating—20x larger than regular mosquito

• Feed on human and animal blood

• Painful bites

• Frequently emerge after rain—which Florida gets a lot of

• Mosquito repellent does little to ward off the gallinipper, mostly because you’d have to use an entire can of DEET bases repellent before the massive mosquito would ever notice it.

The Good News About The Gallinipper 

• Don’t occur in great numbers in Central or South Florida

• Because of it’s size, it’s almost impossible for the gallinipper to sneak up on you

• Are not known to spread diseases like West Nile Virus

• Lifespan is only about a week

• Eat the larvae of their smaller mosquito cousins

• Continually sprayed by Florida mosquito control professionals to reduce numbers

The Truth About The Gallinipper 

The reports by the local media have made it sound like swarms of gallinippers are attacking Florida residents, drinking gallons of blood, slaughtering people by the thousands. These reports sound like something out of a made for TV movie on the Syfy Channel.

Gallinippers do exist. They have painful bites. Florida residents might see one or two this rainy season. Like all other mosquitoes, they do require a consistent pest control strategy to control their populations.

The real truth is that gallinippers will not break your arm when they land on you, and they won’t drink a gallon of your blood. The term “gallinipper” isn’t recognized by most entomologists, but over the past century, the word — and the insect — entered popular legend through Southern folktales, minstrel shows and blues songs, according to a report from the University of Florida.

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Anthony Ball

Weekly Pest Control Links Round-Up

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Nevada Bedbug Laws

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Protect Yourself From Ticks This Spring

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Cockroach Sensitivity

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Pest Of The Week: The Gallinipper

Gallinipper – Psorophora ciliata (Photo credit: Lynette S.)

Believed to have gotten its name from its ability to drink a gallon of blood, the gallinipper (Psorophora ciliata) is the largest bloodsucking mosquito in the US. These mosquitoes are about the size of a quarter, and are almost twenty times larger than the average mosquito. The have hairy legs marked with a zebra-like pattern.

Gallinippers can inflict very painful bites that can even pierce the skin through clothing. The female gallinippers feed on human and animal blood; and are even known to eat fish. Unlike common mosquitoes, gallinippers will feed all day long—not just during the dawn and dusk hours. The good news is these gallinippers do not spread diseases like West Nile Virus.

During the very wet rainy seasons, Gallinippers can be found in areas of Central and South Florida. Gallinipper eggs lay dormant in the Florida soil, until heavy rains will cause the eggs to hatch. After hatching, gallinippers will survive about a week. Just like the common everyday mosquito, gallinippers require pest control strategies to control.

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Links Roundup: Pest Control News For The Week

Insects That Look Worse Than They Are

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Beware The Bug: Fire Ants – The Dangerous Home Invader

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Pest Control Tip: Beware Of Mites!

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Pest Control: Mosquitoes

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Pest Control Tip: De-Grub Your Lawn

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Pest Of The Week: The Wolf Spider

Burrowing wolf spider defending its egg sac. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One of the more common spider pests in the United States is the wolf spider. These spiders garnered their nickname not because of their large, hairy, wolf like appearance, but because they were once thought to hunt in packs like wolves. Wolf spiders are excellent hunters. They do not build webs, but patiently wait in underground burrows for an unsuspecting cricket or cockroach.

Wolf spiders are brown in color, and can reach lengths of well over an inch. Their appearance is well known because of the Union Jack (British flag) impression on their backs. Although intimidating in appearance, wolf spiders don’t usually bite unless they are in danger or provoked. Wolf spiders are venomous.

Homeowners will frequently see these wolf spiders in their homes during the cooler months of the year. They enter homes looking for other insects to eat, and refuge from the elements. Even though the wolf spider’s venom is not lethal, their bites can cause health concerns. Traditional spider control methods are need for wolf spider elimination.

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 Top 10 Sports Teams Named After Bugs

Last week the sports world was shocked to hear that the New Orleans Hornets will be changing their name to the New Orleans Pelicans. The name, logo, and mascot change will be official when the NBA kicks off season. This name change also means that there are no more professional sports teams left with an insect as their name, logo, or mascot. Sad day!

This name change by the New Orleans hornets got me thinking… What other sports teams are named after insects or pests? Here is my top ten list; from ten to one:

10. University of Richmond Spiders

 University of Richmond Logo

The University of Richmond adopted the name “Spiders” in 1894, after an article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch used the term to refer to pitcher Puss Ellyson’s lanky arms and stretching kick. To this day, Richmond is the only university in the United States with the spider as its official nickname.

The Richmond Spiders play in the Atlantic 10 Conference, and their men’s basketball team recently made the sweet 16 in 2011.

9. Salt Lake Bees

Salt Lake Bees (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bees have long been a symbol of the state of Utah. In fact, a beehive appears on the Utah state flag; the state motto is “Industry” (for which bees are known); and Utah is widely known as the “Beehive State.” It makes sense that the State’s only minor league baseball team be named the Bees. The Salt Lake Bees are currently an affiliate for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

8. Greensboro Grasshoppers

Meet the Greensboro Grasshopper! (Photo credit: dimattiafilms)

The Greensboro Grasshoppers, who play in Greensboro, North Carolina, changed their name to the Grasshoppers from the Bats in 2005. The Grasshoppers are a minor league Class A baseball team, who play in NewBridge Bank Park. They are the farm team for the Miami Marlins.

7. Sugar Land Skeeters

The Sugar Land “Skeeters” play professional baseball (not MLB) in Sugar Land, TX. The name “Skeeter was given to the team after the results of a fan poll. The name Skeeter is southern slang for mosquito. Mosquitoes are very common during the warm, muggy summer nights in Texas.

6. Fort Wayne Mad Ants

Fort Wayne Mad Ants logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia) 

The Fort Wayne Mad Ants are an NBA D-League team located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The term “Mad,” as in Mad Ants, was used to describe General “Mad” Anthony Wayne who the city was named after. The Mad Ants are a developmental team for the Pistons, Bobcats, Bucks and Pacers of the NBA.

5. University of Arkansas at Monticello Boll Weevils

Nate & Weevil (Photo credit: Janelle Shepherd)

Some Universities opt for a ferocious jungle cat for their mascot in the hopes of provoking fear in their opponents. Other universities choose a powerful symbol of power and status, like a king or knight. Not the University of Arkansas Monticello… They chose a Boll Weevil, an irritating insect known for damaging gardens and crops.

According to the school’s athletic website, the mascot was chosen because the pest was admired for its toughness and the terror it could strike to the farmers. Maybe the Boll Weevils are not such an easy opponent after all.

4. San Antonio Scorpions

San Antonio Scorpions FC (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The San Antonio Scorpions are a professional soccer team that joined the North American Soccer league in 2012. The Scorpions are excited to kick off their 2013 season at Toyota Field in San Antonio, TX on April 13th.

3. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Georgia Tech’s mascot (Buzz) visits with Virginia Tech Hokies football fans before the inaugural ACC championship game in 2005. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are probably the most high profile team left, that’s named after an insect, now that the New Orleans Hornets have changed their name. The football team is one of the top 20 winningest Division I-A programs of all time.

2. University of South Carolina Sumter Fire Ants

University of South Carolina Sumter sponsors four collegiate teams; baseball men’s and women’s soccer, and softball. They are known as the Fire Ants, the most diabolical of all ant pests found in The United States. Sting victims rarely receive a single sting; instead, a person typically receives many hundred stings simultaneously.

1. UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs

Photo Courtesy of ESPN

The Banana Slugs of UCSC are given my #1 ranking because their mascot is local to the University, unique, and of course a bug. A banana slug is a slimy yellow mollusk that slides across the ground, leaving an oily residue wherever it goes. They are native to the forest floors along North America’s Pacific coastal states, stretching from Southeastern Alaska to Santa Cruz, California. In February 2008, ESPN Sports named the UCSC Banana Slug as one of the ten best nicknames in college basketball; as have Reader’s Digest and Sport’s Illustrated.

California Banana Slug 

Did I Miss Any?

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news (Photo credit: JSF539)

Fruit fly sex lives impact effectiveness of pest control strategies

Scientists in Australia have been hard at work watching fruit flies mate to figure out how fly sex is affecting your food. During this process they are discovering more effective pest control strategies. For a great read, check out:

http://nittygrittyscience.com/2012/09/06/fruit-fly-sex-lives-impact-effectiveness-of-pest-control-strategies/

Mosquitoes Plague the Northwest as West Nile Cases Increase

Recent rains, warm weather, and high humidity have made mosquito control in the Northwest challenging. The number of foreclosed properties in the area, with their sometimes un-kept swimming pools and scattered backyard debris that’s collecting water, is making mosquito control more difficult.

http://blog.pestcontrolceus.com/mosquitoes-plague-canyon-hills-neighborhood-as-west-nile-cases-increase/

New Kind of Ant Discovered in New York City

We can now add one more type of ant to the 13,000 plus known breeds in the world. A new type of ant was discovered by a biologist earlier this week near 63^rd and Broadway in New York City.

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Scorpion Sting Leaves Arizona Woman With Massive $83,000 Bill

Our friends at Pest Control Mesa AZ bring us this unfortunate story coming out of Phoenix. Imagine being in your garage, opening a box of air conditioner filters, when you are suddenly stung by a scorpion—and that’s not even the worst part! Read all about it at:

http://pestcontrolmesaaz.com/scorpion-sting-leaves-arizona-woman-with-massive-83000-bill/

Top 10 Considerations when Hiring Pest Control Companies

Here are ten criteria our customers are taking into consideration when they are looking to hire a pest control professional. As a pest control operator, look to align yourself with most of these demands to be successful in the industry.

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The Basics of Dust Mites

For all the ins and outs about dust might behavior, including: where they like to hide, how they get into your home, and the health concerns they can cause, check out:

http://www.richterslawncare.com/detroit-pest/the-basics-of-dust-mites/

Mosquito Alert (Photo credit: Travis S.)

The American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA) is growing more and more concerned about the level of mosquito control as state budgets shrink. Cash-strapped states face financial hardships due to the extensive wildfires this summer, leaving many mosquito control districts with a bigger job to do and fewer financial resources.

Mosquito Control Districts

Mosquito Control Districts are government agencies that promote health and well being by protecting the public from disease and annoyance caused by mosquitoes. Districts are governed by a Board of Trustees, each representing one of the incorporated cities or counties within the District’s boundaries. Each Trustee is appointed by a City Council Member or by a County Board of Supervisors.

West Nile Virus

The frightening increase of West Nile cases across the country is major reason the AMCA is alarmed about the lack of state’s financial resources for mosquito control. West Nile Virus cases are at their highest levels since 2004, with 241 documented cases across the country. Of the 241 cases, 26 people have died as a direct result of their West Nile infection.

“It is not clear why we are seeing more activity than in recent years,” said Marc Fischer, a CDC medical epidemiologist. “Regardless of the reasons for the increase, people should be aware of the West Nilevirus activity in their area and take action to protect themselves and their family.”

 

For more on The West Nile Virus spikes: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/15/dallas-mayor-declares-emergency-as-west-nile-virus-spreads/

What it means for the Pest Control Industry

With the increase of West Nile activity, and the lack of funding for government sponsored mosquito control districts, the general public must rely on the pest control industry to help with the crisis. Marketing efforts must increase in the 42 states West Nile cases have been documented, along with educating the public about the dangers of the deadly virus.

Help get the word out!

For more information visit Mosquito.org