Household Invaders Associated with Landscapes

Dr. David Shetlar (the BugDoc)

The Ohio State University/OARDCOSU ExtensionColumbus, OH

© D.J. Shetlar, 2002, all rights reserved

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Why are household invaders associated with landscapes?

Landscapes provide the 3 essentials!

• Food

• Water

• Habitat (nesting, hiding, protection)

Pests "Associated" with Landscapes

Earwigs

Soldier Beetles

Ground Beetles

Millipedes

Sowbugs-Pillbugs

Slugs & Snails

Spiders

Clover Mites

Artillary fungus

Ground Nesting Wasps

Ants, ground nesting

Ants, carpenter & cavity

Fleas

Ticks

Pine leaf-footed bugs

Boxelder bugs

Moles, voles and shrews

MC Asian lady beetle

Earwigs, Soldier & Ground Beetles

Generally, predators

Aggravated by:mulch and irrigationaphids, mealybugs, scales

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Striped earwig male.

European earwig female and egg mass

(under landscape timber).

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Ground beetle adult, a general predator.

Ground beetle larvae are also

predators.

Millipedes, Centipedes, & Sowbugs-Pillbugs

Feed on young plants, clippings & fungi, centipedes are predators

Aggravated by:Too much mulch

Irrigation

Fresh clippings or compost

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Millipede (Diplopoda)

Centipede (Chilopoda)

Sowbug, pillbug (Isopoda)

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Spiders

Feed on insects and other arthropods

Aggravated by:mulch & irrigation

tall vegetation

night lights

landscape stones, timbers, etc.

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Jumping spiders are common landscape “stalking” predators which may end up inside buildings.

Wolf spiders also stalk their prey.

Males commonly invade buildings in late summer while looking for mates.

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Brown recluse spiders prefer undisturbed habitat, especially cavities under bark of fire wood.

Widow spiders commonly build their tangle webs around

night lights.

Slugs & Snails

Feed on young/soft plants & clippings

Aggravated by:mulch & irrigation

thick lawns with thatch

hosta

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Common garden slug and egg mass under landscape timber.

Snails in landscapes generally need soft

plant tissues and moisture.

Clover Mites

Feed on grasses & some plants

Aggravated by:mild winter temperaturescool spring or fall temperatures

thick turf next to home

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Adult mite on grass blade.

Clover mites laying eggs under irrigation switch box case.

Clover mites on masking tape from basement wall!

Ground Nesting Wasps

General predators and scavangers

Aggravated by:thick mulchground covers

low junipers

bare ground (solitary wasps)

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German yellowjacket nest entrance in blue rug juniper.

Contents of German yellowjacket nest in

above juniper.

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European hornets feeding on old apples in a back yard.

Polistes wasp chewing up a cutworm larva to

take back to nest.

Ants, Ground Nesting

General scavengers & honeydew

Aggravated byaphids & scales

open areas (thin turf)

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Cornfield ants swarming on landscape timbers. Home owner thought they were termites!

Pavement ant colonies commonly

battle each other.

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Fire ants commonly defend honeydew produces like these pine tortoise scales.

Fire ants can also be considered beneficial when they kill and eat other insects like this

mole cricket.

Ants, Carpenter

General feeders

Associated with tree rots

Properly prune treesNO TOPPING!!

Keep tree branches from house

Reduce honeydew producers

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Black carpenter ants taking

sugars from Peony nectaries.

Irrigation cover in FL lawn.

Carpenter ant colony under cover.

Fleas & Ticks

Parasites associated with animals

Aggravated by:

Mulched pet sleeping areas

Xeriscaped yardsWeedy areas, low shrubs

Ground covers with mice or voles

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American dog tick male

Blacklegged (deer) tick female

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Fleas often infest landscape areas where pets rest (mulch areas!) or other vermin are encouraged.

Roof rat feeding in bird feeder!

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Most home owners are unaware of where mosquitoes come from.

Mosquito larvae can breed in water that collects in

plant cavities, but they can certainly utilize backyard

“water decorations.”

Boxelder & Pine Leaf-footed Bugs

Feed on seeds of host trees

Remove boxelder, especially females

Remove Scotch and pitch pines

"Seal" homes

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Boxelder bugs seem to prefer boxelder trees, but they can easily breed on maples and ashes!

The pine leaffooted bugs feed on seed

cones of pines.

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Most people have been “indoctrinated” to believe that moles mean white grubs. The number one food of moles is EARTHWORMS!

Voles (meadow mice) need varied habitat

for food. The prefer herbaceous weeds, tall, thatchy turf and

MULCH.

Moles, Voles and Shrews

Voles are herbivoresencouraged by ground coversand high cut turf

Moles & Shrews are insectivoresencouraged by insects (grubs)moles feed on earthworms!

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Recommendations for Managing Household Invaders

Remember the 3 essentials!

• Food

• Water

• Habitat (nesting, hiding, protection)

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Insect tally from ONE bird-of-paradise tree stalk Naples, FL

• Ghost ant colonies (sub colonies?) (4, one per each spent flower cluster)

• Bigheaded ant colonies (sub colonies?) (14, at bases of older leaves)

• Florida carpenter ants (sub colonies) (5, mainly in bases of cut leaves)

• Acrobat ants (about 40 ants on leaves, but no colony located)

• Smoky brown roaches (5 adults and 27 nymphs, scattered among leaf base cavities)

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Reducing Food of Invaders

• Watch for honeydew producers on landscape plants (aphids, soft scales, mealybugs, leafhoppers, etc.)

• Recommend replacing landscape plants that are prone to infestation by honeydew producers.

• Recommend mulches that are not fungal food – hardwood mulches!

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Reducing Water

• Audit irrigation systems! (reschedule, repair, etc.)

• Locate condenser drip tubes & redirect

• Inspect roof downspouts & redirect

• Reduce Mulch Thickness!

• Note hazards of backyard water ponds!

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Reducing Habitat of Invaders

• Avoid cavity prone plants – palms, bird-of paradise tree, poorly pruned (topped) trees, etc.

• Avoid dense ground covers – especially prostrate junipers.

• Recommend “open pruning” of landscape plants.

• AVOID THICK LAYERS OF MULCH!

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Additional Information Resource -

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http://bugs.osu.edu