Pest Control St. Louis

Preventing Diseases in Fruit Trees

If you maintain any pitted fruit trees such as plums, peaches, or cherries, I'm sure you recognize that those sorts of trees are much more susceptible to diseases than any other type. While the fruits are delicious, it can be rather hard to live with all of the maladies that can plague the life of everyone who has ever grown one of those types of fruit trees.

The main disease that you will hear around the most is called “Brown Rot”. This is a fungus that attaches to many of the leftover fruits after the picking season has finished. Not only does it look disgusting on the leftover fruits, but it also can come back on the newer fruits, rendering them inedible (unless you love eating fungus). To prevent this malady, you should prune your trees often to encourage good air circulation. Buildups of moisture are the primary cause of the brown rot. Also when you are carried out picking for the season, you should eliminate all of the leftover fruits in the tree or on the ground.

A cytospora canker is a disgusting dark, soft area on tree branches. Gum protrudes through the bark, together with a large callus. The pathogen which causes these cankers usually enters the tree through older wounds. If you prune all of the sprouts that occur in late summer, cankers will have a harder time making themselves known within your tree. When you prune, always permit the wounds to mend naturally as opposed to use the wound dressings that you can purchase at gardening stores. I've discovered that these usually do hardly any to help any situation, and only assist make the tree look unnatural.

Those planting plum trees might cope with something called Black Knot. The signs of black not are rough tumors or growths that can be viewed on the tree's branches. If you see some of these, you should immediately chop off the branch it has attached to. If you use branches for mulch usually, don't for this one. This disease can simply re-enter the tree if it is within a certain distance.

Almost everyone who has ever maintained a cherry tree has answered the “Cherry Leaf Spot”. It usually shows itself when there are old dead leaves accumulated on the ground. Preventing this ailment is fairly simple. All you have to do is be fairly diligent in raking up all of the leaves that fall from your tree. If you have already seen signs of the disease, you should destroy all of your raked leaves. If not, then you can try them as mulch.

When your fruits ripen and become ready for picking, you should always be completely finished with picking within 2 weeks. It is best to daily go outside and pick all of the new ripe fruits, together with any that have fallen off of the tree or are starting to rot on the tree. By using this method, you will prevent bees and wasps from becoming too addicted to your tree for nourishment.

Growers of fruit trees are constantly faced with diseases and pests to worry about. However, if you take the correct safeguards then you can avoid most of them. You should also look for any diseases that have been affecting your local area, and attempt to take steps to prevent those as well.

Grey Squirrels are about 18 ins long nose to tail. During the winter months the grey squirrel can be identified by its salt and pepper body, tan specks in its tail and its white belly. Its body color changes to a yellowish brown during summer. The grey squirrel has small ears and a large busy tail. Those found in Ontario and Quebec have a more dominate black color in their fur while those in the United States have grey as the more dominate color. Albino squirrels have been located every now and then, but are uncommon. Grey squirrels use their tail for balance when climbing trees, as a blanket during winter months, and likewise as a communication tool by flicking it back and forth to alert danger and to give its position to other squirrels. The grey squirrel gets it name from the Greek words skia, meaning shadow, and oura, meaning tail, because when it sits upright the tail curves up behind them and shades them from the sun.

The Grey Squirrel and Red Squirrel are considered tree squirrels; ground squirrels include Arctic Ground Squirrel, Thirteen Lined Ground Squirrel and a number of others in the ground squirrel group, Order of Rodents (Rodentia.)

Although the grey squirrel spends most of its life climbing and descending trees, it gathers the majority of its food from the ground during the evening hours. Found in woods and urban areas, the grey squirrel slides sideways around tree trunks to exclude of sight of its predators and in addition remains perfectly still sometimes to make itself more challenging to see. Busiest at dawn and dusk, the grey squirrel gathers different kinds of food during each season. During the early spring it gathers maple tree buds, in the summertime it collects berries, wild fruits, seeds, nuts and apples and during the fall it eats nuts, acorns, hickory nuts, butternuts, walnuts, beechnuts and pine seeds. They also eat insects, caterpillars and bird eggs. The Grey squirrel finds its food by utilizing its sense of smell.

Adult grey squirrels breed twice a year usually January to February and June to July. Females sit at the top of trees and make a "duck-like" call to have the males attention. Male adults then gather below the female who ensues a chase from tree to tree. Once she stops running, she mates with the male leading the pack. After mating, the male has no role in helping with the young. Female grey squirrels have one to six babies per litter. At birth the babies are called "pinkies" because they are born blind and without fur. They gain their hair at around three weeks old and are then called kits, kittens or pups. Once a kit is twelve weeks old, it leaves the nest. The nest of the grey squirrel is manufactured in the cavities of trees now and again in used woodpecker holes. If there are no cavities available, the grey squirrel will build its nest between tree branches. The beyond the nest is produced from twigs and leaves, while the inside is made of moss, grasses and bark. During the winter months, the man and female grey squirrel share a winter study, all the same in the summer months they each find their own separate study. The males study is normally bigger than the women.

The enemies of the grey squirrel are weasels, red foxes, bobcats, wolves, raccoons, snakes, hawks and owls. The grey squirrel carries ticks, lice, fleas, tape and round worms and scabies that removes their fur leaving them vulnerable to colds and infections.

The grey squirrel can become a nuisance if found in attics. They also dig up bulbs in gardens, drive birds faraway from feeders and cause injury to crops. They destruct woodlands by stripping the bark from tree trunks and branches leaving the trees vulnerable to disease and starving for nutrients.

Introduced in Great Britain and parts of Europe in the early 1800s, the grey squirrel has been pushing the red squirrel out of its habitat by competing for resources. Grey squirrels are larger and stronger, can put on more fat to survive the cold winters and thus hoards more food. They also are more adaptable to their environment and have been identified as a way to carry the Parapox Virus which red squirrels are not immune to. As a result of these aspects, the red squirrel is now listed on the endangered species list in Europe.

Damage from Termites

Due to their timber- eating habits, many termite species can do great injury to unprotected buildings and other wooden structures. Their trait of remaining concealed often leads to their presence being undetected until the timbers are severely damaged and exhibit surface changes. Once termites have entered a building, they do not limit themselves to wood; they also damage paper, cloth, carpets, and other cellulosic materials. Particles removed from soft plastics, plaster, rubber, and sealants such as silicone rubber and acrylics are oftentimes employed in construction.

Humans have moved many timber-eating species between continents, but have in addition caused drastic population decline in others through habitat loss and pesticide application.

Precautions:

As reported by a site designed for pest control in Saint Louis, MO http://2niceguys.com, it is recommended to ALWAYS contact a specialist when you feel that there can be termites present at your home. They also suggest that you keep mulch far from your house and porch.

Here are some other precautions that may be of use

* Avoid contact of predisposed wood with ground by employing termite-resistant concrete, steel, or masonry foundation with suitable barriers. Nonetheless, termites are in a position to bridge these with shelter tubes, and it has been known for termites to chew through piping produced with soft plastics and even some metals, like lead, to exploit moisture. In the main, new buildings ought to be constructed with embedded physical termite barriers so that there are no easy means for termites to gain concealed entry. While barriers of poisoned soil, so called termite pre- remedy, have been generally use since the 1970s, it is better that these be used primarily for existing buildings without effective physical barriers.

* The intent of termite barriers (whether physical, poisoned soil, or a few of the new poisoned plastics) is to steer clear of the termites from gaining unseen access to structures. In most situations, termites attempting to enter a barriered building will be forced into the less favourable approach of building shelter tubes up the outside walls, and thus, they are often visible both to the building occupants and a range of predators.

* Wood remedy.

* Use of wood that is naturally impervious to termites such as Syncarpia glomulifera (Turpentine Tree), Callitris glaucophylla (White Cypress), or one of the Sequoias. Note that there is no tree species whose every individual tree yields only timbers that are immune to termite damage, so that even with recognized termite-resistant timber types, there will sometimes be pieces that are attacked. No species of tree produces timber that is absolutely immune to damage from every types of termite, some individual pieces of timber can be attacked.

When termites have already penetrated a building, the first action is commonly to destruct the colony with insecticides before removing the termites' means of access and fixing the issues that encouraged them in the beginning. Baits (feeder stations) with small quantities of disruptive insect hormones or other very slow acting toxins have become the preferred least-toxic management tool in most western countries. This has replaced the dusting of toxins direct into termite tunnels that had been widely done since the early 1930s (originating in Australia). The chief dust toxicants have been the inorganic metallic poison arsenic trioxide, insect growth regulators (hormones) like triflumuron and, off late fipronil, a phenyl-pyrazole. Blowing dusts into termite workings is an extremely skilled process. All these slow-acting poisons may be distributed by the workers for hours or weeks before any symptoms occur and can destroying the entire colony. Modern variations include chlorfluazuron, diflubenzuron, hexaflumuron, and novaflumuron as bait toxicants and fipronil and imidacloprid as soil poisons. Soil poisons are the least-preferred technique of control as this needs much larger doses of toxin and results in uncontrollable release to the surroundings.

Argentine Ant

Latin Name: Iridomyrmex humilis

Traits: It is a tiny, dark-colored ant about 3 mm (1/8 inch) long that invades homes looking for food and water..

Color: dark-colored

Other: It is in addition light to dark brown in color, and it has six legs, as with other insects. The Argentine ants' antennae have twelve segments. The thorax joins the stomach by a thin pedicel, a thin stalk.

Where can they be discovered? Outdoors in soil, under wood, slabs, debris, mulch, or in branches and cavities of trees and shrubs

Shallow, 1- to 2-inch deep mounds in open, often disturbed habitats, either moist or dry

The most frequent ant in southern California is the Argentine ant (Iridomyrmex humilis). This ant can also be located in the low eastern United States area. As reported by Wild (2004), this species was originally described in the genus Linepithema by Mayr in 1866; therefore, the correct binomial should be Linepithema humile. It is a tiny, dark-colored ant about 3 mm (1/8 inch) long that invades homes hunting for food and water. They are specially like sweets, but will feed on practically any food. They love hard boiled eggs and carry small yellow clumps of yolk back to their nest in endless ant columns.

These ants are exceedingly well adapted to urbanized areas of the United States with mild climates and well-watered gardens. They pose a serious threat to native wildlife by upsetting delicate food webs. They are especially formidable due to their aggressive behavior and the huge size of their colonies which can literally "team up" with other colonies.

If you live in southern California, you in all probability have experienced endless single file columns of uninvited six-legged guests strolling through your house. They follow a pre-marked pheromone "scent" trail first of all laid down by scouts who were searching for goodies in your pantry. Although they prefer the outdoor life-style, they primarily enter houses for food and water. They're fond of sweets, tuna, syrups (even cough syrup), juices, eggs, dead spiders and rodents, be sick, feces and just about any other living tissue they can find. They are basically scavengers and they play a valuable role in the natural ecosystem–but preferably in Argentina. In hot, dry weather they often times search your home for water, including restroom taps and drains. I once followed an ant safari into my bathroom where they were neatly stacking their precious cargo of tiny eggs inside my toilet tank. They also relish the "honeydew" secretion of aphids, and look after their aphid friends from natural predators. In the fall months as the nights get icy cold, they once more seek the warmth and shelter of your cozy home.

The first Argentine ants set foot on U.S. soils in the late 1890's, as coffee ships from Brazil unloaded their freight in New Orleans. Being prolific breeders and constantly busy, they moved across the southern half of the US. A single colony may contain 10,000 female workers, and there could be hundreds of colonies around your house; the whole number of ants could also reach a million. Although they cannot sting, they can bite; still, they are only about 3 mm long and there tiny mandibles are too small to hurt humans. But, internationally of insects, these ants are truly a living terror. They are very aggressive and readily overtake other ant species, even ants that are much larger and with powerful stings. Argentine ants are relentless and simply outnumber their adversaries until the enemy colony is destroyed. They even attack paper wasp nests under the eaves of a house, forcing the huge wasps to flee their nests in terror. Even nests of large carpenter bees are no match for these relentless ants. A "killer bee" nest probably could not withstand an invasion of Argentine ants. They also will attack bird nests, driving off the mother bird and killing the helpless young. One possible redeeming quality about these little warriors is that they might attack dry- timber (aerial) termite colonies in your house. I have observed this Lilliputian massacre in a termite infested table in the Palomar School greenhouse.

Most ant colonies are very territorial, and will fight different colonies of the identical species. Since Argentine ants in the United States arose in the original colonizers in Louisiana, they are all closely associated with very similar DNA. They apparently will accept ants from different colonies as guests of their gigantic family. As a matter of fact, Argentine ants from different colonies will in reality "team up" and attack together in vast swarms. They just outnumber and overpower their enemy.

Argentine ants have become an essential threat to the coast horned lizard (Phrynosoma coronatum) in southern California. The primary food source for these endangered lizards are native harvester ants, particularly the California harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex californicus). I spent many years observing this fascinating red ant while growing up in San Gabriel Valley, and I am able to personally testify that it provides a agonizing sting. As of 2006, this large red ant is seldom seen in urbanized areas of coastal southern California.

California harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex californicus), primary diet of coast horned lizard.

Urbanization has certainly been a aspect in the demise of California harvester ants, but an even greater factor resulting in the excretion of native ants and coast horned lizards is the aggressive Argentine ant. Apparently the horned lizard is not like Argentine ants, and is in fact attacked by them in enormous swarms. Colonies of Argentine ants need a damp area to survive, and have not invaded some of the dry habitats where native harvester ants and desert horned lizards (P. platyrhinos) still live. Obviously, they can readily colonize urbanized desert areas inhabited by people. Well-watered gardens with stepping stones and concrete slabs provide the idea living requirements for these ants. In their native Argentina they live under rocks.

Coast horned lizard (Phrynosoma coronatum).

Argentine ants are a terrible nuisance in gardens and orchards as they tend and look after scale insects and aphids. They even carry aphids to the tender buds of your prized roses. In return, the ants consume a sweet secretion from the aphids called "honeydew." In addition, swarms of these ants will invade orchard trees, destroying the fruit crop. This is especially serious in figs (Ficus carica) where the symbiotic pollinator wasps are destroyed.

Metallic green fig beetles (Cotinus texana) gorging themselves inside a fleshy, ripe syconium of the Calimyrna fig (Ficus carica). Although masses of minute, aggressive Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) are likewise foraging in the syconium (white arrow), the beetles are safe by their tough, impervious exoskeleton. These attractive beetles spend their juvenile larval stage in the earth, often beneath manure piles, compost and haystacks.

As reported by entomologist David Faulkner, if you've a 10 x10 foot (3 x 3 m ) patio slab, you might have a million or more individuals and perhaps 20 or 30 queens. They interact fine because they're all related to the original colonizers in Lousiana, perhaps from the original gravid (pregnant) female who arrived there. Workers live a month or more as adults, but queens live up to 10 years or greater. With other ants, when the queen dies, the one-queen colony dies because no more ants are being produced. With multi-queen Argentine ants, another queen simply moves in and takes over the role of the deceased queen. In point of fact, a queen from San Diego would in all likelihood be accepted in a colony elsewhere in California.

Argentine ants (Linepithema humile): A wingless queen and various workers. Although these ants are only 3 mm long, they are very aggressive and quickly annihilate other ant species, even larger ants with powerful jaws and stings. They overpower other species by their sheer numbers. Argentine ants in the U.S. are descendants of original colonizers that entered Louisiana in the late 1890's, as coffee ships from Brazil unloaded their load in New Orleans. U.S. populations are so closely associated that different colonies with multiple queens can literally merge together into supercolonies. Image taken with Nikon D-90 and 60mm Micro Nikkor AF-S F/2.8G ED Macro Lens using a Phoenix Ring Flash; hand-held at 640 ISO, F-32, 1/125th sec.

In their native homeland of Argentina, different colonies of Argentine ants are not so friendly to one another as their DNA has developed much greater variation. Neighboring colonies may fight one another, even though they are only 200 yards (200 m) apart. Also there are lots of native predators in Argentina, including fungal parasites and bacterium. The narrow genetic variability that has kept all the California populations on friendly terms may eventually backfire thanks to excessive inbreeding. Perhaps some day these ants might not have the genetic variability to adjust to a changing environment.

How To Control Invasions of Argentine Ants"

Empty your trash often and make certain your property is free of crums and food particles that may attract ants. Make sure that food containers are tightly closed, without residual traces of the food on the sides of containers. These ants can also enter screw-top jars without seals. They follow the spiral threads until they are inside!

Avoid using toxic aerosol insecticides inside your house–unless you don't care about your lungs or your bone marrow.

Try spraying a deodorant detergent (Pine Sol

Acrobat Ant

Latin Name: Crematogaster ashmeadi

Characteristics: Medium sized, mostly shiny ant with heart shaped abdomen that is frequently bent up over the thorax when ant is disturbed.

Color: Color variable from light reddish brown to brown or black.

Other: Slow to moderately fast moving ant. May forage in tight foraging trails close to white-footed ant trails, but only acrobat ant bends the abdomen up over the thorax. Acrobat ants also slow to a snails pace than white-footed ants when disturbed.

Habitat: Acrobat Ants are located in the Southeastern United States (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia), but can be located in parts of Missouri

Like all ants, the acrobat ants may produce winged, reproductive individuals (males and women) called swarmers. These sexually developed adults emerge from a founded colony, normally in the fall, to disperse and begin new colonies. The swarmers are harmless, but they may be the first indication of an infestation. Special remedy of swarmers beyond vacuum-cleaning or sweeping them up is not required.

Outside the home, you will usually find Acrobat ants in a variety of dead and decaying wood. Firewood seems to be one of their preferred homes. In all cases, the wood they occupy will be dead. The acrobat ant never inhabits a healthy or live piece of timber, which is why they like a few of the woodworkings around your house. They have a nasty habit of creating cavities in timber, especially if that timber is moist. They will even nest in foam heat retaining material board if weather conditions are right. One way to distinguish their invasion into your timber is to search for sawdust or other frass materials around suspected nest areas.

Several species of small to medium-sized ants are occasional pests in and around the home. One of these is named the acrobat ant as a consequence of the way the worker ants carry their abdomens above the remainder of the body as if they were performing a balancing act. Acrobat ants are slightly longer than 1/8th inch. They vary in color from yellowish brown to dark brown, and the heart-shaped stomach is typically darker than the rest of the body. Magnification is needed to see a pair of spines on the back edge of the middle section of the body that helps identify this ant from other species. The habit of the workers to carry their abdomens uphill when they're disturbed is likely the best method to name this species.

Acrobat ants may nest both outdoors and indoors. Outdoor nests are most often in dead and decaying timber like logs, stumps, dead trees limbs, firewood and hollow tree cavities. They could nest in damp soil beneath leaf litter or rocks. The small worker ants readily enter buildings through crevices around windows and doors and several openings. Trails of workers may be seen moving between the nest and a food source. Acrobat ants feed upon a mixture of foods, including other insects and sweets.

When acrobat ants nest indoors they are usually inside timber or cavities kept moist with water from leaks. They can also nest in foam insulating board or sheathing. As they excavate the large galleries used as nest sites, sawdust may well be deposited near the nest area.

How to Get Rid of Acrobat Ants?

As reported by a Pest Control company in St. Louis, acrobat ants entering from outdoors can be managed by sealing the external cracks through which they enter, using a residual insecticide barrier along the foundation, or by treating the ant nest if the location can be determined through careful inspection and observation.

Ant colonies living within the walls should be treated by eliminating any moisture problems (if present) and by injecting household insecticide spray or dust into infested wall voids. An exterminator can take care of this or for small problems, you can do it yourself. It may be essential to drill small holes to accomplish this remedy.

Insecticides containing pyrethroids are available to homeowners for outdoor use. Always follow labeled directs.

Go to your local retail merchant to discover a ready-to-use insecticide labeled for ants. Read and follow the directions on the label.

How to get rid of moles

Moles are ideal for leaving a lawn in complete shambles with all the tunnels and tunnels (AKA run-ways), as their known in the pest control industry.

Another huge concern with a mole problem stems from causing problems to gardens. Moles feast on grubs, that is a big issue in the Midwest. Metro St. Louis mole trapping expert from 2niceguys.com offers some important suggestions regarding these pesky little animals. And that is to limit a mole's ability to feed in your yard or garden. If you get rid of the critter's food source, then the critter will find it's way to someone else's yard. You can get grub control, that is a chemical that can be employed and is accessible at many home improvement stores.

Moles love beetle larvae, earth-worms and its favorite treat is the tasty grubs discovered beneath the soil. Moles typically don't injury to the vegetation attributable to their weak jaws.

James from 2niceguys pest control in St. Louis says, “Detecting which mole tunnels are briskest is your first step to remove moles.”

Of all the mole species, there are mainly two ways to detect whether or not mole tunnels are active. The first way for finding the “shallow digging moles” is to find a straight run-way and stomp on it with your foot. If the mole is still active in that area, you will notice that the run-way will be mended in about 24 hours.

Another way is to put a few sticks around the areas where you see a lot of of large molehills. As soon as you have discovered a spot where the earth gives way, you've discovered an active tunnel.

As soon as you have discovered an energetic tunnel you can do away with the mole with a pit-trap. The pit-trap technique incorporates simply digging your way into the mole tunnel, being mindful not to cause too much damage. Then, excavate enough earth to fit either a large jar or coffee can into the tunnel in such a manner that the can is level with the bottom of the tunnel. Cover the tunnel with whatever will best keep light out, and check the trap once or twice daily. If you catch the mole, you can release it somewhere far away and live happily knowing you didn't hurt the little critter.

So you have an involved mole tunnel in your sights, but catch and release isn't the way you want to eliminate moles. Well, luckily for you there are several very effective mole killing traps in the marketplace today. You have a choice between whether you want to cut the mole in half, choke the mole to death, or impale the mole. Victor

Grey Squirrels are around 18 inches long head to tail. During the winter months the grey squirrel may be identified by its salt and pepper body, tan specks in its tail and its white belly. Its body color changes to a yellowish brown during summer months. The grey squirrel has small ears and a large busy tail. Those located in Ontario and Quebec have a more dominate black color in their fur while those in the US have grey as the more dominate color. Albino squirrels have been discovered sometimes, but are very rare. Grey squirrels use their tail for balance when climbing trees, as a blanket during winter months, and likewise as a correspondence tool by flicking it to and fro to alert danger and to give its position to other squirrels. The grey squirrel gets it name from the Greek words skia, meaning shadow, and oura, meaning tail, because when it sits upright the tail curves up to their rear and shades them from the sunlight.

The Grey Squirrel and Red Squirrel are considered tree squirrels; ground squirrels include Arctic Ground Squirrel, Thirteen Lined Ground Squirrel and various others in the ground squirrel group, Order of Rodents (Rodentia.)

Although the grey squirrel spends most of its life climbing and descending trees, it gathers most of its food from the land during the night-time hours. Found in forests and urban areas, the grey squirrel slides sideways around tree trunks to keep out of sight of its predators and in addition remains perfectly still now and then to make itself more challenging to see. Busiest at dawn and dusk, the grey squirrel gathers various kinds of food during each season. During the early spring it gathers maple tree buds, in the summer months it compiles berries, wild fruits, seeds, nuts and apples and during the fall it eats nuts, acorns, hickory nuts, butternuts, walnuts, beechnuts and pine seeds. They also eat insects, caterpillars and bird eggs. The Grey squirrel finds its food by employing its sense of smell.

Adult grey squirrels breed twice a year usually January to February and June to July. Women sit at the top of trees and make a "duck-like" call to get the males attention. Male adults then gather below the female who ensues a chase from tree to tree. Once she stops running, she mates with the male leading the pack. After mating, the male has no role in helping with the young. Female grey squirrels have one to six babies per litter. At birth the babies are called "pinkies" because they are born blind and without fur. They gain their hair at around three weeks old and are then called kits, kittens or pups. Once a kit is twelve weeks old, it leaves the nest. The nest of the grey squirrel is produced in the cavities of trees sometimes in used woodpecker holes. If there are no cavities available, the grey squirrel will build its nest between tree branches. The beyond the nest is made of twigs and leaves, while the inside is produced from moss, grasses and bark. During the wintertime months, the man and female grey squirrel share a winter play room, all the same in the summer they each find their own separate play room. The males study is normally larger than the females.

The enemies of the grey squirrel are weasels, red foxes, bobcats, wolves, raccoons, snakes, hawks and owls. The grey squirrel carries ticks, lice, fleas, tape and round worms and scabies that takes off their fur leaving them susceptible to common colds and infections.

The grey squirrel can become a nuisance if found in attics. They also unearth bulbs in gardens, drive birds faraway from feeders and cause damage to crops. They destruct forests by stripping the bark from tree trunks and branches leaving the trees susceptible to disease and starvation for nutrients.

Introduced in Great Britain and parts of Europe in the early 1800s, the grey squirrel has been pushing the red squirrel out of its habitat by competing for resources. Grey squirrels are larger and stronger, can put on more fat to survive the cold winters and therefore hoards more food. They also are more adaptable to their environment and have in the past been known to carry the Parapox Virus which red squirrels are not immune to. Because of these factors, the red squirrel is now listed on the endangered species list in Europe.

Preventing Diseases in Fruit Trees

If you maintain any pitted fruit trees like plums, peaches, or cherries, I'm sure you know that those sorts of trees are much subject to diseases than any other type. While the fruits are delicious, it can be rather hard to live with all of the maladies that can plague the life of everybody who has ever grown one of those sorts of fruit trees.

The main disease that you will hear about the most is known as “Brown Rot”. This is a fungus that attaches to most of the leftover fruits after the picking season has finished. Not only does it look disgusting on the leftover fruits, but it also can return on the newer fruits, rendering them inedible (unless you enjoy eating fungus). To avoid this malady, you ought to prune your trees often to encourage good air circulation. Buildups of moisture are the principle reason for the brown rot. Also when you are done picking for the season, you should remove all of the leftover fruits in the tree or on the floor.

A cytospora canker is a disgusting dark, soft area on tree branches. Gum protrudes through the bark, along with a huge callus. The pathogen which causes these cankers usually enters the tree through older wounds. If you prune all of the sprouts that occur in late summer, cankers will have a harder time making themselves known within your tree. When you prune, always permit the wounds to mend naturally in place of use the wound dressings that you can purchase at gardening stores. I've discovered that these usually do very little to help any situation, and only assist make the tree look unnatural.

Those planting plum trees might handle something called Black Knot. The symptoms of black not are rough tumors or growths that can be seen on the tree's branches. If you see some of these, you ought to immediately chop off the branch it has attached to. If you use branches for mulch usually, don't for this one. This disease can easily re-enter the tree if it is within a particular distance.

Virtually everyone who has ever maintained a cherry tree has resolved the “Cherry Leaf Spot”. It usually shows itself when there are old dead leaves accumulated on the floor. Preventing this disease is fairly easy. All you have to do is be fairly diligent in raking up all of the leaves that fall from your tree. If you've already seen signs of the disease, you ought to destroy all of your raked leaves. If not, then you can give them a try as mulch.

When your fruits ripen and become ready for picking, you should always be completely finished with picking within 2 weeks. It is best to daily go outside and pick all of the new ripe fruits, along with any that have fallen off of the tree or are starting to rot on the tree. So this way, you will prevent bees and wasps from becoming too addicted to your tree for nourishment.

Growers of fruit trees are forever faced with diseases and pests to worry about. All the same, if you take the right safeguards then you should be able to avoid the majority of them. You should also search for any diseases that have been affecting your region, and attempt to take steps to prevent those as well.

Acrobat Ant

Latin Name: Crematogaster ashmeadi

Characteristics: Medium sized, mostly shiny ant with heart shaped abdomen that is sometimes bent up over the thorax when ant is disturbed.

Color: Color variable from light reddish brown to brown or black.

Other: Slow to moderately fast moving ant. May forage in tight foraging trails much in-line with white-footed ant trails, but only acrobat ant bends the abdomen up over the thorax. Acrobat ants also slow to a snails pace than white-footed ants when disturbed.

Habitat: Acrobat Ants are located in the Southeastern US (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia), but can be located in parts of Missouri

Like all ants, the acrobat ants may produce winged, reproductive individuals (males and ladies) called swarmers. These sexually developed adults emerge from an acknowledged colony, commonly in the fall, to disperse and commence new colonies. The swarmers are harmless, but they may well be the start of an infestation. Special treatment of swarmers beyond vacuuming or sweeping them up is not required.

Outside the home, you will normally find Acrobat ants in an assortment of dead and decaying wood. Firewood seems to be one of their preferred homes. In all cases, the timber they occupy will be dead. The acrobat ant never inhabits a healthy or live piece of timber, which is why they like a few of the woodworkings around your house. They have a nasty trait of creating cavities in wood, in particular when that wood is moist. They will even nest in foam heat retaining material board if weather conditions are right. One way to identify their invasion into your timber is to search for sawdust or other frass materials around suspected nest areas.

Several types of small to medium-sized ants are occasional pests around about the home. One of these is named the acrobat ant as a result of the direction the worker ants carry their abdomens above the remainder of the body as if they were performing a balancing act. Acrobat ants are slightly longer than 1/8th inch. They vary in color from yellowish brown to dark brown, and the heart-shaped stomach is commonly darker than the remainder of the body. Magnification is required to see a pair of spines on the back edge of the middle section of the body that helps identify this ant from other species. The addiction of the workers to carry their abdomens uphill when they are disturbed is more than likely the best way to distinguish this species.

Acrobat ants may nest both outdoors and indoors. Outdoor nests are most often in dead and decaying timber like logs, stumps, dead trees limbs, firewood and hollow tree cavities. They might nest in damp soil beneath leaf litter or rocks. The small worker ants readily enter buildings through crevices around windows and doors and several openings. Trails of workers may be seen moving between the nest and a food source. Acrobat ants eat a selection of foods, including other insects and sweets.

When acrobat ants nest indoors they are usually inside wood or cavities kept moist with water from leaks. They may also nest in foam heat retaining board or sheathing. As they excavate the large galleries used as nest sites, sawdust could be deposited near the nest area.

How to Get Rid of Acrobat Ants?

According to a Pest Control company in St. Louis, acrobat ants entering from outdoors can be managed by sealing the outside cracks through which they enter, using a residual insecticide barrier along the foundation, or by treating the ant nest if the location can be discovered through careful inspection and observation.

Ant colonies living within the walls should be treated by eliminating any moisture problems (if present) and by injecting household insecticide spray or dust into infested wall voids. An exterminator may take care of this or for small problems, you can do it yourself. It may well be essential to drill small holes to achieve this therapy.

Insecticides containing pyrethroids are around for homeowners for outdoor use. Always follow labeled directs.

See your local retail merchant to discover a ready-to-use insecticide labeled for ants. Read and follow the directions on the label.

Acrobat Ant

Latin Name: Crematogaster ashmeadi

Features: Medium sized, mostly shiny ant with heart shaped stomach that is oftentimes bent up over the thorax when ant is disturbed.

Color: Color variable from light reddish brown to brown or black.

Other: Slow to moderately fast moving ant. May forage in tight foraging trails much in-line with white-footed ant trails, but only acrobat ant bends the stomach up over the thorax. Acrobat ants also slow down than white-footed ants when disturbed.

Habitat: Acrobat Ants are located in the Southeastern US (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia), but can be found in parts of Missouri

Like all ants, the acrobat ants may produce winged, reproductive individuals (males and females) called swarmers. These sexually developed adults emerge from an established colony, ordinarily in the fall, to disperse and begin new colonies. The swarmers are harmless, but they can be the first indication of an infestation. Special remedy of swarmers beyond vacuum-cleaning or sweeping them up is not required.

Outside the home, you will generally find Acrobat ants in a mixture of dead and decaying timber. Firewood seems to be one of their preferred homes. In all cases, the wood they occupy will be dead. The acrobat ant never inhabits a wholesome or live piece of timber, that is why they like a few of the woodworkings around your property. They have a nasty addiction of creating cavities in timber, particularly when that wood is moist. They will even nest in foam insulating material board if weather conditions are right. One way to distinguish their encroachment into your timber is to search for sawdust or other frass materials around suspected nest areas.

Several species of small to medium-sized ants are occasional pests in and around the home. One of these is named the acrobat ant owing to how the worker ants carry their abdomens above the remainder of the body as if they were performing a balancing act. Acrobat ants are slightly longer than 1/8th inch. They vary in color from yellowish brown to dark brown, and the heart-shaped abdomen is normally darker than the remainder of the body. Magnification is required to see a pair of spines on the back edge of the middle section of the body that helps identify this ant from other species. The addiction of the workers to carry their abdomens upward when they are disturbed is likely the best method to recognize this species.

Acrobat ants may nest both outdoors and indoors. Outdoor nests are most often in dead and decaying timber such as logs, stumps, dead trees limbs, firewood and hollow tree cavities. They could nest in damp soil beneath leaf litter or rocks. The small worker ants readily enter buildings through crevices around windows and doors and other openings. Trails of workers may be observed moving between the nest and a food source. Acrobat ants eat a variety of foods, including other insects and sweets.

When acrobat ants nest indoors they are ordinarily inside timber or cavities kept moist with water from leaks. They may also nest in foam insulating board or sheathing. As they excavate the large galleries used as nest sites, sawdust could be deposited near the nest area.

How to Get Rid of Acrobat Ants?

As reported by a Pest Control company in St. Louis, acrobat ants entering from outdoors can be managed by sealing the exterior fractures through which they enter, using a residual insecticide barrier along the foundation, or by treating the ant nest if the location can be determined through careful inspection and observation.

Ant colonies living within the walls should be treated by eliminating any moisture problems (if present) and by injecting household insecticide spray or dust into infested wall voids. An exterminator may take care of this or for small problems, you can do it yourself. It may be necessary to drill small holes to accomplish this treatment.

Insecticides containing pyrethroids are around for homeowners for outdoor use. Always follow labeled directs.

See your local retailer to locate a ready-to-use insecticide labeled for ants. Read and follow the directions on the label.