By ElRay Roper, Senior Technical Representative, Syngenta Professional Pest Management As warm summer nights change into cool fall evenings, many arthropods that are not pests during the summer begin entering homes and businesses. During this time, your phone may start ringing as these pests begin to appear and bother your customers. Some pests may enter a structure looking for a mate at the end of the season. Other insects, like cluster flies and boxelder bugs, are looking for a place to overwinter. Invasive pests, like brown marmorated stink bugs, kudzu bugs and multi-colored Asian lady beetles, are looking for habitats similar to those in their native landscapes where they can escape the coming winter weather. Like many other pest problems we face, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The best way to deal with fall pests is to make it difficult for them to get inside in the first place. Preventive measures include the following: - Properly installing weather stripping to seal out insects
- Ensuring storm doors and screens are properly installed and in good repair
- Pruning landscape trees and shrubs so they do not touch the structure
- Adjusting or removing landscaping that can provide harborages
- Making a perimeter application of a residual insecticide like Demand® CS insecticide or Tandem® insecticide, on entry points around doors and windows
- Demand CS is labeled for control of fall invaders, including brown marmorated stink bugs and kudzu stink bugs on outdoor surfaces, for up to 90 days
- Tandem combines the power of two active ingredients, lambda-cyhalothrin and thiamethoxam, to provide a double assault on fall invaders with one product
If pests have already entered the structure, the following measures can help remedy the situation: - Vacuuming pests like stink bugs, boxelder bugs and cluster flies (disposing of the vacuum bag as soon as you have finished)
- Applying residual insecticides like Demand CS or Tandem to cracks and devices where these insects may be hiding
- Treating around windows and door, both indoors and outdoors, to prevent any further insect entry
Give your customers a pest-free environment now - before pests can make it inside. For more information about fall invaders, contact your local Syngenta territory manager.
©2017 Syngenta. Important: Always read and follow label instructions. Some products may not be registered for sale or use in all states or counties and/or may have state-specific use requirements. Please check with your local extension service to ensure registration and proper use. Syngenta supports a FIFRA Section 2(ee) recommendation for Demand CS on brown marmorated stink bugs and kudzu stink bugs on outdoor surfaces. Please see the section 2(ee) recommendation to confirm that the recommendation is applicable in your state. For Life Uninterrupted™, Demand®, Tandem® and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. Syngenta Customer Center: 1-866-SYNGENT(A) (796-4368). |