Household Invaders Associated with Landscapes Dr. David Shetlar (the BugDoc) The Ohio State University/OARDC OSU Extension Columbus, OH © D.J. Shetlar, 2002, all rights reserved

2 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 irrigation aphids, mealybugs, scales

5 Striped earwig male. European earwig female and egg mass (under landscape timber).

6 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

8 Millipede (Diplopoda) Centipede (Chilopoda) Sowbug, pillbug (Isopoda)

9 Spiders Feed on insects and other arthropods Aggravated by: mulch & irrigation tall vegetation night lights landscape stones, timbers, etc.

10 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.

11 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

13 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 temperatures cool spring or fall temperatures thick turf next to home

15 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 mulch ground covers low junipers bare ground (solitary wasps)

17 German yellowjacket nest entrance in blue rug juniper. Contents of German yellowjacket nest in above juniper.

18 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 by aphids & scales open areas (thin turf)

20 Cornfield ants swarming on landscape timbers. Home owner thought they were termites! Pavement ant colonies commonly battle each other.

21 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 trees NO TOPPING!! Keep tree branches from house Reduce honeydew producers

23 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 yards Weedy areas, low shrubs Ground covers with mice or voles

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26 American dog tick male Blacklegged (deer) tick female

27 Fleas often infest landscape areas where pets rest (mulch areas!) or other vermin are encouraged. Roof rat feeding in bird feeder!

28 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

30 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.

31 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 herbivores encouraged by ground covers and high cut turf Moles & Shrews are insectivores encouraged by insects (grubs) moles feed on earthworms!

33 Recommendations for Managing Household Invaders Remember the 3 essentials! Food Water Habitat (nesting, hiding, protection)

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35 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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37 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!

38 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!

39 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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