Insect Highlights

Insect Highlights for the Week of April 19, 2006.

adult female deer tick
Adult Female Deer Tick

Tick Season

I have been seeing deer tick samples for over four weeks. We had a record number of human Lyme disease cases with over 1,440 recorded in 2005. If you are out enjoying the spring woods make sure to use tick repellants and do daily tick checks. Removal of ticks within 24 hrs of attachment greatly reduces the chances of contracting the disease. For more information see http://www.uwex.edu/ces/wihort/pests/DeerTicks.htm.

deer tick
Deer Tick

Firewood insects
Firewood Insect

Firewood Insects

One of the common insects to see in the home is often beetles emerging from firewood stored in the home or garage. There well over 100 species with a number brightly colored or stripped. The important thing is they can not re-infest the firewood or any other wood in the home.

Tanbark Beetle from Fir
Tanbark Beetle from Fir
Gypsymoth egg mass
Gypsymoth Egg Mass

Zimmerman Pine Injury
Zimmerman Pine Injury

Zimmerman Pine in Pitch
Zimmerman Pine in Pitch

Treatment Time

Now is the time to treat gypsy moth egg masses with soybean oil sprays such as golden Pest spray oil. It is much easier to kill them now before they hatch and crawl up the tree. See  http://cecommerce.uwex.edu/pdfs/FR-171A.PDF for more information.

1st-instar Gypsymoth 1st-instar Gypsymoth

It is also the time to treat Zimmerman Pine moth which attacks the trunks of scotch, white and Austrian Pine. The small larvae will move into the trunk my early May so plants should be treated now with Dursban if you have some left or with permethrin.

dragonfly iconReturn to Entomology Home Page.
URL is http://www.entomologyl.wisc.edu/diaglab/06hilite/04_19.html. Updated 04/19/2006.

237 Russell Labs
1630 Linden Drive
Madison, WI 53706
608/262-3227

For more information contact: 
Phil Pellitteri, 608/262-6510
or e-mail Phil Pellitteri.