Spring is here. Other than warmer temperatures and beautiful flowers, how can you tell? It's easy, the bugs are here too.

As soon as spring arrives each year, those of us living in southeastern North Carolina begin to see a lot of insect activity. Some of the insects we encounter, such as mosquitoes and fire ants, will aggravate us until next winter. Others, like Japanese beetles, will be here for only a few weeks.

I have already received several calls this year about termites and fire ants. These insects begin swarming just as soon as it turns warm each spring. Although we have had some rather cold weather this winter, several times this year, we have already had several days in a row when it was warm enough to trigger these critters to become active.

These social insects have a queen that is the only fertile insect in the colony. All the other insects in the colony are females, but none of them are fertile. The queen lays all the eggs that are needed for new insects to replace the workers as they die off or are killed. But at certain times of the year when conditions are just right, the queen will lay eggs that will become fertile females and fertile males. These are the ones that you see with wings and are the ones that leave the colony to reproduce and start a new colony.

Although there is no feasible way to eliminate fire ants or termites, there are ways to manage them so they will not cause excessive problems. I will provide more information about fire-ant management in an upcoming column.

Another insect that causes a lot of problems in our area is the mosquito. We have received a lot of rainfall this winter, and there is a lot of standing water in all areas of the county. Mosquitoes need water in order to reproduce, so it is important to eliminate as many sources of stagnant, standing water as possible. Buckets, barrels, old tires, flower pots, or other containers that hold water for long periods of time should be properly disposed of or at least turned on their side so they do not hold water.

When water is present, mosquito eggs usually hatch in 24-48 hours, releasing larvae that are commonly called "wrigglers." Generally, the larvae feed on microorganisms and organic material in the water, but some mosquitoes prey on larvae of other mosquito species and are regarded to be beneficial. About 7-10 days after eggs hatch, larvae change to the pupal or "tumbler" stage in preparation for adult life. Female mosquitoes begin seeking animals to feed on several days after emerging from water. Males do not bite; they feed on plant juices.

Some of the most frustrating insects to deal with are carpenter bees. These are the large, black bees that look a lot like bumble bees, but these critters have the annoying habit of drilling holes in our decks, porches, and other timbers around our homes.

They first become noticeable as the male starts buzzing around waiting for the lady bee of his dreams to make her appearance. The males are usually very territorial and will harass people that come into their area. The males have a white spot in the middle of their "foreheads" which you can actually spot if the bees hover around you.

If you are brave enough, it is easy to determine if it is a male bee or a female bee. All you have to do is grab the bee as it flies by. If you experience a sharp pain in you hand from the sting, you will know it is a female bee. Males do not sting.

If you see new holes being bored around wooden portions of your house or other buildings, it will most likely be the sign of carpenter bee activity. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to control these bees with insecticides. Although several different pesticides are fairly effective, it is usually very difficult to properly apply them, because the bee activity is far out of reach or there are so many of them it is hard to treat all the individual insects.

I have seen advertisements for carpenter bee traps, but I do not have any information as to whether or not they actually do anything to slow down the bee activity. One of the best methods of controlling this insect is the tennis racket or boat paddle method. Since they fly rather slowly and tend to hover around the areas where they are building tunnels, they tend to be easy targets when you swing. Just be sure your wife or children are not standing too near, because they may become an unintentional victim of your swing.

Many of the insects you see will be the same ones you have seen for years, and you will be very familiar with them. But if you encounter insects that look unusual and you want them identified, I encourage you to capture a few of them in a small bottle and bring them to my office. My staff members and I are pretty good at identifying most of the insects we have in this area. It may look unusual to you, but more than likely, it has been a problem for other people in the county in the past, and they have brought specimens into our office for identification. If we cannot identify the insect, we will be glad to send it on to the Plant Disease and Insect Clinic at North Carolina State University for identification.

You might want to be careful with unusual insects, because some of them may be able to inflict a rather painful bite or sting.

Please keep in mind that not all insects are harmful, and we should do what we can to protect many of them. Honeybees are extremely valuable for plant pollination; lady beetles consume a tremendous number of aphids; and even wasps capture and kill a large number of spiders and other insects. And all insects are a favorite food for many of our feathered friends.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 4/10/03