My job is to answer questions and teach research based facts to professionals in the green industry (landscapers, horticulturists, nursery and greenhouse growers) and in commercial vegetable, small fruit and tree fruit production. I also handle questions from residents and home gardeners when the Bucks County Horticulture Hotline is on a well-deserved winter hiatus.
The variety of questions is amazing and the way in which they come in is nearly equally varied. I get questions via email and phone, some folks walk into our office looking for answers while others tape their questions to the door or slip it right underneath early in the morning or later in the evening.
Recently, someone dropped off samples of a tiny brown moth and its larva they found in their garage. Of course they wanted to know what the insect was, and more importantly, perhaps, how to get rid of it.
If you are planning to drop off samples or have samples identified for you please be prepared to answer the following questions:
- when did you notice the problem?
- where are you finding these? structure, plants etc…
- what are the cultural conditions – humidity, temperature, light
- how long have you had the problem?
- what type of controls have you tried?
- is there anything new going on where you have found the pests? – new plants, construction etc…
- are there any odors associated with the pest you have been noticing?
- do you have pets? Are they allowed in the area you have found these pests?
- where are you located?
- what type of residence? – townhome, apartments, single family…
In the case of insects there are approximately 91,000 different species of insects living in the United States. And just like our recent introduction, the Spotted Lanternfly, new insects are arriving each day. In order to narrow down just what the critter is you have dropped on our doorstep, we need some questions answered.
In the case of the sample above which included a note only stating that these larva and the moth were found in the garage, it was pretty easy to identify this common household pest. The sample revealed itself to be Indian Meal Moth. These tiny moths are often found in pantries and kitchens, and perhaps even places where pet foods are stored – like a garage. Including multiple life stages of the pest certainly helped in confirming the identify of the pest. A good thing to remember if you would like us to identify the problem you are having.
I have received a fair number of insects to identify ranging from the Western Conifer Seed Bug to the Indian Meal Moth and Bot Fly Larva. When I can’t figure out what the pest is, I ask my Extension colleagues or I send it away to Penn State’s Entomology Lab.
Recommendations for control are also quite varied. After identifying the insect, I determine if it is in fact a pest in need of control. Once it is determined the insect is a pest control method recommendations are made based on the client – commercial growers and green industry professionals with pesticide applicator certifications are able to control pests in ways not necessarily available to home gardeners and residents.
So bring me your samples whether 6-legged, 8-legged or green and leafy. Make sure they are contained in bags or jars so the disease or insects will not contaminate the lovely begonias I have in the windowsill or the tropical plants adorning the office. And give us a hand by telling us as much as you know about the problem. Together we will get your problem solved, or even better, find out it is not really a problem at all!
Bucks Horticulture 