HORT ALERT: 12-12-2014 Emerald Ash Borer found in Warrick County

[The following Hort Alert was issued on 12 Dec 2014 and posted here by ACCA Companies for the benefit of protecting ash trees in the tri-state area - JGW]

Hort Alert by Larry Caplan, Extension Horticulture Educator

Purdue Extension Service, Vanderburgh County

13301 Darmstadt Rd.

Evansville, IN  47725  Ph:  812-435-5287 -or- 812-867-4935

Email:  LCaplan@purdue.edu

http://www.ag.purdue.edu/counties/vanderburgh/

Released by Purdue Extension Service, Vanderburgh County Extension Horticulture Educator, Larry Caplan on 12 Dec 2014:

Emerald ash borer (EAB), an invasive insect that kills ash trees has been detected for the first time in Warrick, Jennings, Pike, Scott, Spencer, and Sullivan counties. 

Purple panel traps used to detect the pest captured EAB adults in Pike, Spencer, Sullivan and Warrick counties.

Of Indiana’s 92 counties, 79 have now detected EAB.

Moving firewood spreads forest pests. The Indiana EAB quarantine regulates the movement of certain materials such as whole ash trees, ash limbs, untreated ash lumber with the bark attached, and cut firewood of any hardwood species with the bark attached.

With EAB detections in these new counties, the effectiveness of the quarantine is being evaluated. A decision will be announced in the new year as to whether the county-level quarantine will continue.

Visitors to DNR properties may only bring in firewood if it is certified by the USDA or DNR Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology, or is free of bark. 

For more information on EAB, or to report an infestation, visit eabindiana.info or call Indiana DNR's toll-free hotline at 1-866-NO EXOTIC (663-9684). To view the EAB Rule and EAB quarantine declaration visit dnr.IN.gov/entomolo/3443.htm.

   This map shows the recent discovery of EAB in Folsomville, IN, which is in Warrick County.

I will be providing detailed information on protecting high value landscape ash trees in late winter/early spring.  However, if you want to start reading up on it, you might want to download “Insect Options for Protecting Ash Trees from Emerald Ash Borer”: http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/EAB/pdf/NC-IPM.pdf .

[Hort Alert is a free service from the Purdue Extension Service of Vanderburgh County.  Your name and email will never be shared with anyone else.]

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Larry Caplan, Extension Horticulture Educator

Purdue Extension Service, Vanderburgh County

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Just how big can an insect get?

Have you ever wondered how big can some insects become?  We all have seen some really big insects.  But which ones are really big?  Here is a List of largest insects From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  



The longest insects are the stick insects with one specimen held in the Natural History Museum in London measuring 567 mm (22.3 in) in total length.  The beetles (Coleoptera) are the largest order of organisms on earth, with about 350,000 species so far identified.

The most massive species are the Goliathus, Megasoma, and Titanus beetles. The longest species is the Hercules beetle, Dynastes hercules, with a maximum overall length of at least 17 cm (7 in) including the very long pronotal horn.

Praying mantises (Mantodea) with the largest species of this order being the African mantis. The females of this species can attain a length of up to 12 in. Reports of scientists discovering an unidentified species of mantis in southern China in the 1920s of 18 inches (45 cm.) are unconfirmed. Some larger species have been known to capture and consume frogs, lizards, mice, small birds, and even snakes.

Representatives of the extinct dragonfly-like order Meganisoptera such as the Carboniferous Meganeura monyi and the Permian Meganeuropsis permiana are the largest insect species ever known. These creatures had a wingspan of some 75 cm (30 in) and an estimated body weight of over 1 lb (450 g), making them about the size of a crow. This was one big insect!!!

10 Biggest Bugs on Earth  from howstuffworks.com

Appreciation for nature is easy when it comes to the cute, the little, the non-threatening creatures...but what about the massive insects and arachnids on these pages, many of which are endangered or threatened: How would you feel facing down a spider the size of a dinner plate or an 8-inch-long beetle? Giant Weta New Zealand's giant weta gets its name from the Maori word for "god of bad looks" -- and it's not hard to see why. The giant weta could hardly be called pretty but it has a fascinating history: Scientists believe this species shared its land with dinosaurs, and had no local predators until European settlers introduced rats to the island. Though there are more than 70 weta species on the island, 16 of them are endangered or threatened, and the country's Department of Conservation is hard at work trying to save them. The giant weta is one of the world's heaviest insects: They can grow as long as three inches and weigh up to 1.5 ounces -- check out the tomato in the background for a size comparison.(Wikipedia Commons Bach/Corbis PhotoObjects)

Stag Beetle The three-inch-long male stag beetle may be most easily recognized by its spiky front antlers -- also known as mandibles -- which are a key part of courtship rituals and wrestling matches; you'd have more to fear from the slightly smaller females, though, which don't have the giant spikes but do have a more fearsome bite. The beetles thrive on dead wood, but its numbers appear to be dwindling: Researchers point to the long maturation time -- 4 years from larvae to adult -- and "the over-zealous tidying of dead timber and stumps," according to ARKive.(Wikipedia Commons Bach/Corbis PhotoObjects)

Goliath Beetle It's hard to get a real sense of how massive the Goliath beetle is from this picture, although the smaller bugs around it can help with the scale. These beetles are just one member of the 30,000-strong scarab family, which has roamed the Earth for 300 million years, and reportedly holds the record for world's heaviest insect: One topped out at 4.5 inches long and 3.5 ounces.(Wikipedia Commons Bach/Corbis PhotoObjects)

Giant Walking Stick Not all giant bugs are outfitted with terrifyingly sharp jaws and a suit of external armor: The giant walking stick looks practically dainty next to these plus-sized beetles. Or at least, it would look that way if you could spot it -- these insects are some of the most successful hiders in the world, with bodies that very closely match the trees and branches where they live. Female walking sticks are often larger than the males, and have been known to reach as long as 21 inches when measured from toe to toe. You'll find them almost worldwide, in tropical regions and some temperate zones, where they take shelter under plants during the day and feast on leaves at night.(Wikipedia Commons Bach/Corbis PhotoObjects)

Queen Alexandra Birdwing Butterfly When it comes to insects, butterflies are the kind many find beautiful on a grand scale -- which is a good thing for the Queen Alexandra Birdwing, because their wingspan can reach as much as one foot across. The brightly colored males and more subdued females are found in rainforests and are native to New Guinea, but habitat destruction has left them endangered. Their diet -- they thrive on pipeline plant, which is poisonous to most other creatures -- adds to their allure.(Wikipedia Commons Bach/Corbis PhotoObjects)

Titan Beetle The Latin name of this beetle pretty much says it all: Titanus giganteus. Not only is it big for a beetle -- it's the most massive member of its species, longhorn beetles, and the longest beetle found so far in the Amazon rainforest -- it's just plain huge, with adults reaching as long as 8 inches in length. That's longer than some Chihuahuas, the Natural History Museum points out, to put this length in perspective. Wikipedia claims that the larvae of the titan beetle have never been seen in person, but that "boreholes thought to be created by titan beetle larvae seem to fit a grub over two inches wide and perhaps as much as one foot long."(Wikipedia Commons Bach/Corbis PhotoObjects)

Dung Beetle Though the dung beetle doesn't have the size advantage of some of the other beetles and bugs on this list, it overpowers them in one key weigh: It's gifted with Hulk-type strength. While larger animals can carry more weight overall, they can't carry as much proportional weight; the dung beetle can move items with a mass that's 1,141 times heavier than itself. (To borrow an example, this would the equivalent of a human pulling 180,000 pounds, or "six full double-decker buses"). But why are they so strong? Researchers explained that males need to be tough enough to fight off rivals who would try to pull them out of the holes they go into in order to mate with females.(Wikipedia Commons Bach/Corbis PhotoObjects)

Giant Water Bug It's not unusual for water bugs to be mistaken for cockroaches -- but at four inches long, the giant water bugs are noticeably bigger. These bugs thrive near slow-moving water where they can eat tadpoles and small fish (and survive on crickets when in captivity). The small, round sacs on the back of this male water bug are eggs; the female water bug lays them on his back, secreting a gluey liquid to attach them, and the male carries them until they hatch.(Wikipedia Commons Bach/Corbis PhotoObjects)

Atlas Moth The Atlas moth, so called for either the mythological Greek giant of the same name or the wing patterns that look like maps, has the biggest wing surface of the moth family (many have more than 62 square inches of wing, though they don't have the widest wingspan). The Atlas lives primarily in Southeast Asia, where residents rely on its silk. Instead of spinning one endless strand, the moth's silk comes out in broken pieces, but it's also considered a sturdier substance.(Wikipedia Commons Bach/Corbis PhotoObjects)

Goliath Bird-Eating Spider We'll expand the category of "bug" to include this massive arachnid, the Goliath bird-eating spider, which -- though it's the size of a dinner plate -- is relatively harmless to humans. But it's not so harmless if you're a frog, lizard, small snake, or -- yes -- baby bird: The toothless spider incapacitates its victim by using the venom in its fangs, and then spits digestive juices onto the prey so that it can "slurp up its meal," says Extreme Science. "All that's left when the spider has finished its meal is bones, skin, fur, and/or feathers." More astounding Animal Planet pictures(Wikipedia Commons Bach/Corbis PhotoObjects)

Have You Seen This Spider?

We have not seen as many Black Widow spiders the last 10 years or so that we would see 20 or 30 years ago.  However, I have begun seeing a few in the last 3 or 4 years.  They seem to be making a come back.  The Black Widow is the most poisonous spider in the tri-state area.  The above drawing is a good example of what this spider looks like.  She is a very shiny black, medium-sized spider.  She hangs upside down in her web exposing the very bright red "hour-glass" marking.

I found one about a week ago in my back yard.  They tend to build their webs in an area that is not generally disturbed.  Next to our thrash containers, I have 4 rolls of roofing stacked against the fence.  I heard a buzzing sound like a carpenter bee might make, so I looked for it and found it caught in a spider web.  Then I saw that familiar bright red marking of the Black Widow... she was dutifully wrapping that bee up with her web.  The bee did not stand a chance despite it being almost twice the size of the spider!

If you find a Black Widow, be very careful and warn others of where she was spotted.  Although, she is the only female around, I have found as many as 8 within a 2 foot area.  She is a very dangerous spider with her bite being very painful and can be fatal.  I strongly suggest having a pest control professional exterminate Black Widow spiders.  ACCA's professionals are trained and experienced to find and eliminate spiders where ever they are located.  Give us a call at 812-479-8905 to provide you some peace of mind from this un-welcome spider.

April Showers Brings...

That old saying: "April showers brings May flowers" is generally true.  Right now the rain is not coming down as showers; but, rather, as some very heavy downpours!  I heard that we got at least 6 inches of rain in the last day or so.  That is a lot of rain that has followed a lot of previous rains.  All of this has saturated the ground increasing the time to drain off.  When it does slowly drain, where does it go?  The streets and yards are flooding!

With all of this flooding and heavy rains and you have a crawl space, you should check to ensure that you do not have any standing water under your house.  Many of us have sump pumps in our crawl spaces to remove any water that gets into the crawl space.  Check to make sure that sump pump is working properly.

If your basement is going to leak, all these rains will let water in.  Again, check your sump pump to make sure it is doing its job.  Look around in the basement for water coming in.

Your sump pump might be clogged or may just be too small or old to do the job.  If you want it checked, call ACCA to check it out for you.  We offer free inspections and free estimates. Call the office: 812-479-8905 or toll free: 800-477-7340.

Welcome 2014! Make This a Pest Free Year

Pest Free Year...
         sounds great, but how?

Do you have periodic invasions of mice, ants, wasps, crickets or bugs that you have no idea what they are?  Maybe you might want to consider having a pest control program set-up to provide protection from these invasions.

ACCA Pest Control provides a variety of programs to control pest problems inside and out of your business or home.  Our Pest Control Professional will provide a free inspection and determine what kind of pests that you will need protection.  We can offer you several programs that will be within your budget to provide solutions to fight against pest invasions before they occur.

Now is a great time to call our office for a free inspection and estimate for pest control services.  

Call for an appointment: 812-479-8905