Kudzu Bugs From: Mike Waldvogel and Patty Alder, Extension Entomology Its time for the North Carolina Fair which means roasted corn, turkey legs and just about anything that can be deep-fried. It also means that it is time for some of the usual suspects that we call occasional invaders because they occasionally invade homes as well. The decreasing day lengths and slowly declining overnight temperatures will likely trigger the movement of the bean plataspid, aka kudzu bug, out of soybeans and kudzu. In some cases, the bugs are finding overwintering spots in bark crevices, mulch, and leaf litter, but several counties and pest control companies have reported a spike in frantic calls from residents about kudzu bugs covering their house siding, cars, themselves, etc. The bugs are particularly fond of light-colored surfaces and so large commercial buildings (including hospitals), manufacturing facilities, warehouses, etc. can become kudzu bug magnets. The answers to the questions that inquiring minds will pose to you on the phone are likely to improve their disposition: How long will this invasion continue? Thats hard to estimate but hopefully it will stop before youre carving the Thanksgiving turkey. I wouldnt be surprised if the activity continues for 2-3 weeks. Cool morning temperatures may slow the activity but count on warm mid-day temperatures to put the bugs on the move. What can I spray to stop them? Chemical control is likely to be partially effective (i.e., not going to really work). It relies primarily on targeting the insects that are currently gathering on surfaces. Preventive sprays are marginal - because a) you really dont know when and where the bugs will gather, and b) trying to treat the entire exterior of your house isnt economically, logistically or environmentally prudent. The sprays simply wont be durable enough to last the weeks (yes.... weeks) during which these insects will be actively seeking overwintering sites. More importantly, do-it-yourselfers usually lack the ability (equipment and know-how) to do a thorough exterior treatment safely and effectively. Even pest control companies rely primarily on targeted treatments of critical entry points: windows and door frames, soffits, and gaps near chimneys. These are the same recommendation treatment areas that we suggest for homeowners to make the object of their attention if theyre going to try spraying. There are a number of products people can try under the Bayer, Ortho, Spectracide and other common brand names. Most of these products contain pyrethroids, the pesticides with common names (not brand names) usually ending in thrin (permethrin, bifenthrin, lamda-cyhalothrin, etc.) Also, these products cannot be applied over broad surfaces above impervious surfaces (like pavement, driveways, etc.) where rain may wash the chemical off the treated surface and down into storm water drains and potentially into lakes, ponds or streams. An important point to remind people is the need to exercise extreme caution when spraying their exterior of their homes because no matter how careful they are, chemical will splash back and drift onto them and nearby objects (barbecue grills, furniture, childrens toys, pet water bowls, bird baths, etc.) These objects must be moved or at least covered while applying the chemical. Note that the emphasis is on exterior treatments. Also, when directing sprays at the upper parts of your house, remember the laws of gravity.. What you spray upwards will inevitably head downward and you wond want to be underneath it. We do not recommend interior treatments of homes (or businesses) because they wont stop the problem and they can be potentially harmful to occupants if pesticides are applied improperly. You cant predict where the insects will show up indoors and so it doesnt help to spray baseboards or around window interiors or setting off insecticidal foggers (bug bombs). Stick with using a vacuum cleaner but make sure to discard the bag (or clean the vacuum if its a bagless unit) because the bugs do emit an odor. People have asked about spraying kudzu with an insecticide to kill the bugs before they make their move towards your home. That wont likely succeed because in most cases kudzu is covering such a wide area it is virtually impossible to make any sort of effective foliar application of an insecticide. Similarly, spraying kudzu with a herbicide next summer may not have the expected impact because it makes the assumption that that kudzu patch is the source of your insect invaders which may not be the case. That doesnt mean removing the kudzu wont help but just dont count on it being the only contributing host particularly in rural areas where soybeans and other hosts are abundant. Will they be a problem next spring? Our crystal ball needs to go for routine maintenance before we can predict that but our best guess is that you should count on them being somewhere in your neighborhood. We have information for residential settings at: insects.ncsu.edu/Urban/kudzubug.htm
Posted on: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 14:15:45 +0000
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