Holiday Hitchhikers in your Christmas Tree

Thanksgiving is behind us and the leftovers are finally gone.  The signs of the Christmas season are all around.  For many of us, that means time to put up the Christmas tree.  One of my all time favorite movies is "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."  After getting the tree up, the Griswolds find an unwanted guest: a squirrel.  Chances are you would notice something like that before bringing your tree inside, but there are some less noticeable pests that might be hiding in your tree.

Although problems are rare, bringing in a real Christmas tree can also bring in extra guests for the holidays.  Most of the pests that are sometimes found are not a threat to you or your home.  If fact, they will most likely stay unseen on the tree or die because of lack of appropriate food, warm temperatures, and low humidity.  However, the warmth of the indoors can sometimes increase their activity.  Some common pests found are aphids, mites, scale insects, adelgids, bark beetles, spiders, and praying mantid eggs.



Cinara aphids; photo courtesy of ncsu.edu

To help prevent any holiday hitchhikers, thoroughly inspect your tree for signs of any of the pests mentioned above.  Small holes in the trunk with sawdust trails are a sign of bark beetles.  Vigorously shake the tree before bringing it inside.  This will help to remove many insects.  Check for bird nests as they may contain bird parasites such as mites and lice.  Egg masses of praying mantids are sometimes found.  Remove the twig with the mass on it and place it in an evergreen tree or shrub outdoors.  The warmth of your home may cause the eggs to hatch.  Vacuum up any pests that become active and leave the tree.  Do NOT use aerosol insect sprays.  They are flammable and should not be sprayed on the Christmas tree. 


Praying mantid egg case; photo courtesy of ncsu.edu

     

I Can't Believe Lady Bugs Come From That!

We have a plastic children's picnic table in our backyard.  While we were outside playing, we found several things crawling on the table.  There were a few lady bugs:

Then there were these:

Ugly, spiky, black and orange bugs.  What are they, I wondered?  The answer: lady bug larvae!  Those cute insects that everyone loves start out like this?  It is really quite amazing how different stages of the same insect can look so different.

Here's a better closeup:


Photo courtesy of www.butterflyskye.com.au

Ladybugs have 4 stages in their life cycle.  Females lay around 10-15 eggs on the underside of leaves.  They are small and yellow.  About a week later, they will hatch into larvae that feed on aphids or tiny mites.  This stage has been described as looking like tiny alligators.  In a few weeks, they begin to change again into pupa.  At this point, they will attach themselves to a leaf and go through the metamorphosis into a ladybug.



Photo courtesy of ladybugfun.wordpress.com

 

What Ate My Sweater?

As the cold weather approaches, we all start to get out our warm sweaters and coats.  To the dismay of some, they will find their winter wear has been the buffet for carpet beetles while they were packed away.  Actually, the beetles are not the problem.  It's the larvae that can cause irreparable damage to your belongings.  In the past, this pest was a problem in woolen carpeting, giving them their name "carpet beetles."  However, they do not feed on the synthetic fibers of most of today's carpets.  They do, however, feed on other items of animal origin, such as stuffed animals, woolen or cashmere fabrics, food products, and feathers.



Black Carpet Beetle and larva; photo courtesy of www.plantdiagnostics.umd.edu

The two most common types of carpet beetles are the black carpet beetle (shown above) and the varied carpet beetle (shown below).  Black beetles are oval shaped, while varied beetles are more rounded.  Black beetles are solid black or dark brown.  The larvae are covered in golden brown hairs and have a "tail" of long hairs.  The varied beetle has splotches of white, yellow, and gray creating a calico pattern.  The larvae are covered with rows of light brown hairs and are more teardrop shaped than the black beetle larvae.



Varied Carpet Beetle; photo courtesy of www.whatsthatbug.com



Varied Carpet Beetle larvae; photo credit: Jim Kalisch; www.entomology.unl.edu

To help prevent carpet beetles, thoroughly clean clothing before storing it for the off season.  If storing clothing in a box, seal all corners and openings or use airtight containers.  For clothing in closets, cover each individual item with a plastic cover.  You can also control carpet beetles by cleaning up spilled food and accumulated lint and hair or fur.  Common sites for eggs to be laid include areas where dead insects occur, accumulations of lint in air ducts, along edges of carpeting, and underneath baseboards.   

Although these pests do not bite, sting, or carry disease, they can cause a great amount of damage.  Also, some people are allergic to the hairs on the larvae.  Contact with them may cause a reaction that looks like bed bug bites. 

Cluster Flies!

We all hate when the occasional fly gets in our home during the summer.  But, there's another fly that makes it's appearance in homes and buildings in late fall.  It is the cluster fly, also called the attic fly.  They can be found gathering in clusters on the sunny side of buildings in the fall looking for shelter for the winter.



Cluster Fly; photo courtesy of wiki.bugwood.org

Cluster flies are slightly larger than the common housefly.  They are gray in color with light and dark gray checkered abdomens.  They have golden yellow hairs on the thorax.  Cluster flies are slower and more sluggish than your common fly.

Although they can be a nuisance because of the large numbers that cluster together, they are not known to carry any diseases that are of medical importance to humans.  They do not reproduce inside the structure.  They may be seen in large numbers, however, on warm days trying to get back outside.  They are attracted to light and are often found clustered around window frames.



Flies around window; photo courtesy of www.ecopro.co.uk

In the spring, cluster flies will emerge to start their life cycle again.  Eggs are deposited on soil where the larva use earthworms as their hosts.  They will develop as parasites in the worm and pupate into adult flies.

As with all fall pests, prevention is the best treatment.  To keep them out, seal cracks around windows, doors, siding, pipes, and other openings.  Repair or replace damaged screens on doors or windows. 

Trick or Treating, Mid-Georgia Style

Mid-Georgia Pest Control's Griffin office was excited to participate in the downtown Griffin trick or treating event on Halloween.  Our termite mascot was there to greet the kids and take pictures.  Candy was also given away, and everyone had a blast!  The Griffin Mainstreet program estimates there were around 2,000 people in attendance.  A big Thank You to Chris, Brandon, and Justin for their hard work!