Orange Striped Oakworm

We found this specimen of Orange Striped Oakworm last week in Suwanee.  We had never run across this pest before.  Much like other occasional invaders, we research all the new pests we find.  When we see it again out in the field, we will be able to know how to handle the situation.

closer picture of the orange striped oakworm from Bugwood.org

The orange striped oakworm is around 2 inches long.  They have long, black spines that resemble horns.  These "horns" are used to scare off predators, but they do not have the ability to sting.  Adult moths lay eggs on the underside of leaves from June to July.  Egg clusters contain hundreds of eggs.

Moth and egg clusters (photo from Brookhaven National Laboratory)

 

The caterpillars hatch and feed from August to September, and sometimes into October.  They defoliate sections of various oak species and sometimes completely defoliate smaller trees.  Defoliation usually occurs one branch at a time.
Because of the large amount of intake, they have an abundance of excrement.  This makes this insect troublesome when present in oak trees over patios, sidewalks, or driveways.  However, control measures are typically not needed.
After feeding is complete, larvae pupate in the soil over the winter.  There is only one generation per year.
Thanks, Brandon, for this interesting find!

Yellow Jacket Spread Attack!

When run effectively, a spread option attack in football is a high-octane offense capable of scoring lots of points and baffling defenses.  It is based on the concept of defensive isolation.  The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets currently employ this type of offense for their football team.
We recently ran into a spread attack from yellow jackets in a Griffin apartment complex.  The property residents were complaining of seeing yellow jackets around bedroom windows and bathroom light fixtures.
Our goal:  find the nest, treat the nest, and keep the residents safe from yellow jacket stings.
However, finding the nest was not so easy.  Since there were no visible entrance or exit holes around the building, we couldn't tell exactly where the nest was located.  Most activity was happening in random places like light fixtures and windows.

Our experimentation was to bait the area around the building, hoping to see exactly where the activity was coming from.                                                                                                                                                                            

To attract the yellow jackets, we used a variety of their favorite foods.  We used several placements of cat food.  We also mixed up cocktails of apple juice, corn syrup, and salmon paste.

We have caught several yellow jackets to date, but we are still trying to find the nest.  Check back for updates!