QUESTION: I recently bought a 1-acre lot and have noticed that most of the trees are infested with ants, which have eaten away large portions of bark at the base of the trees. I've covered the affected areas on the trees with pruning paint and now want to get rid of the ants before they cause any further damage. Most of the affected trees are live oaks. Do you have any suggestions on how to get rid of the ants?

ANSWER: Where do you live? The reason I ask is to try to get a handle on what kind of ant you are dealing with. Argentine ants commonly forage up into trees, but don't hurt the tree. In fact, there really are no ant species that directly do harm to trees. Ant feed on sugary honeydew produced by aphids and scale insects and also on dead insect, but do not feed on trees. Not even carpenter ants, as they mainly eat the dead/decaying wood of a tree.

- Dan Suiter
UGA entomologist

QUESTION: Recently in my yard I have found a couple of fuzzy black and red ants approximately one-half inch in length. I am attempting to find any information about these ants to determine its danger to my family or my home. Your assistance in this matter will be greatly appreciated.

ANSWER: These fuzzy black and red ants (obviously UGA Bulldog fans!) half an inch long are velvet ants, which are not really ants at all but wingless wasps. Also called "cow killers" due to the pain of their sting, these large, showy insects are commonly seen in the summer and fall, especially in sandy areas of the yard. They differ from ants in having only a slight constriction between the thorax and abdomen and having straight, rather than elbowed, antennae. These solitary wasps, as the name implies, are densely covered with short hair, giving them a velvety texture. The males have two pairs of transparent black wings, while the females are wingless and are sometimes confused with ants. Ants, however, have elbowed antennae and a "hump" in the constriction between the thorax and abdomen. Velvet ants are brightly colored. In addition to the common red and black variety, shades of yellow and brown may be found as well. Velvet ants aren't aggressive and will try to escape when encountered, but females have a very painful sting if handled. Females use a long, needle-like stinger concealed at the tip of the abdomen. Many of the velvet ants can produce a squeaking sound when disturbed. Adult velvet ants feed on nectar and water. The immature stages are external parasites of bees and wasps that nest in the ground. A few species parasitize flies and beetles. Consequently, there are no identifiable nests to treat. Velvet ants prefer pastures and fields with sandy soil where their prey are most likely to be found. There is no effective control measure for them, and because velvet ants are uncommon and don't cause any damage, no chemical control is recommended. The red and black "cow killer" is the most common velvet ant in Georgia. The female is mostly red with some black, the male is half red and half black with dark wings. Females seek out bumblebee nests and lay eggs inside the wax cups. The cow killer larvae feed on the bumble bee larvae and pupae, killing them, and then pupate inside the bumble bee nest.

- Nancy Hinkle
UGA entomologist

QUESTION: We have a picture of an insect taken in Hendersonville, N.C., around July 18, 2002. The people here say these "B-52" Bees (their name for them) have been in this yard all summer. They are not aggressive, and so far have not stung anyone. There are large numbers of this insect. They seem to live either in a tree stump (it was put in this place in the yard to use as a support for morning glory vines) or in the ground at the base of this stump. They are about 1 to 1-½ inches long. They are most active in the morning. They fly all around the side yard. People in the area have not been able to identify this insect. We were able to get a good picture, which we are including with this e-mail. (I'll have to send in a separate email because of space). We have looked in all of our identification books, and can't find anything that matches the markings on the back.

ANSWER: There are at least 10 million species of insects (probably over 30 million if we look hard enough), so it's virtually impossible to identify an insect from a verbal description or a common name. Even a good picture only narrows the possibilities down. But with a good photograph, I'm willing to give it the ole college try. So, yes, if you can get a photo, I'll make an attempt.

- Nancy Hinkle
UGA entomologist

QUESTION: I have heard that butterfly wings are NOT colorful but what we see is a prism-like effect of light through the facets and ridges of their wings and bodies. Can you help me understand this?

ANSWER: You're basically right. Generally, color is produced when some of the wavelengths in white light are absorbed and the rest are reflected. As a result, the various colors of butterfly wings are produced by the prism effect of the scales on their wings. The scales are formed by varying layers, and as a result of this structure, the observed color is produced by the scattering, interference or diffraction of white light. Different species of insects have different scale structures, which affect white light in one of these ways. By looking at the scales from different angles, the observed distance between the layers changes and results in different observed colors. Some insects also have pigments that are molecular compounds in the cuticle or epidermis (basically, the skin).

- Elmer Gray
UGA entomologist

QUESTION: My dog and I went for a walk yesterday in a field with low grass. Afterward I noticed these tiny red bugs on my arms and legs. Before heading to the shower, I checked Tucker, who was also covered with them. I hosed him down and rubbed his skin the best I could. After scrubbing myself and getting relatively free of the chiggers, I looked at Tucker. The chiggers were now imbedded in his skin. I went to a pet supply store that gave me a product with Deet in it. He didn't itch too much. When we got back from camping I went to another pet store and got a shampoo for fleas, ticks and lice and gave him a bath using a soft scrub brush to hopefully loosen the chiggers. It worked only moderately. He still has a lot of them on him. Any suggestions on what else I can do?

ANSWER: Fortunately, Tucker is not as susceptible to chiggers as we humans are. Remember, canine immune systems are not the same as human immune systems. While we humans react dramatically to chigger salivary secretions, dogs don't experience the itching and prolonged agony to which we are susceptible. You may have noticed that, similarly, dogs aren't affected by poison ivy and can walk through poison ivy stands with impunity (but their hair coat can then transfer the urushiol oils to vulnerable humans). While your efforts to eliminate Tucker's chiggers are admirable, they were, fortunately, unnecessary. Chiggers inject their irritating salivary secretions as soon as they attach and start feeding, at which point your body begins its reactions. So removal of the chigger at that point will not affect the degree of misery. The best option is symptomatic treatment with anti-itch medications. This is a case where an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure. Deet is a repellent and should be used prior to exposure to chiggers. It has no effect on chiggers that have already found you.

- Nancy Hinkle
UGA entomologist

QUESTION: According to my wife, we have fire ants in the house. She has described them to an extension agent in years past. I have read NOT to bait them because the bait brings more into the house. Any solutions or baits? I have put out "ANT-KIL" gel in the house. It has orthoboric acid. She is frustrated because they seem to have gotten worse after baiting. I also have put baits around the house outside. They have another chemical, not boric acid.

ANSWER: Fire ants rarely come inside. Not that they don't, but it's rare. It is more common to have Argentine ants come inside at this time of year. The ants are in dire need of water, and at this time of year begin moving around in search of water. If you want a firm identification on the ants, send them to your local county extension agent (http://128.192.110.246/sublist.cfm), and if they don't know what they are, they can forward them on to me. For Argentine ant control, the best thing to do is concentrate all control efforts outside, since this is where the ants are breeding (in mulch, leaf litter, etc.). I suggest using Combat ant bait stations, containing the active ingredient hydramethylnon or fipronil. This is a pretty good over-the-counter bait. Place them around the outside of the house where you see the ants. And don't be bashful. Use a lot of the stations. (10 to 15 is not unreasonable).

- Dan Suiter
UGA entomologist

QUESTION: I read somewhere that we can mix diatomaceous earth with our pet's food to avoid fleas. Do you have any information about that?

ANSWER: Diatomaceous earth is a form of calcium mined from geological deposits of fossilized skeletons of marine and freshwater organisms, particularly diatoms and other algae. Apparently, the scientific community is skeptical of the effectiveness of diatomaceous earth, and scientific studies demonstrating its usefulness as an insecticide are lacking. However, the organic folks see it as a nontoxic pesticide with many uses. The truth is probably somewhere in-between. Because diatomaceous earth is composed of silica, the material has many minute, sharp edges that when applied to insects and their habitats will work into the insect's cuticle and joints and cause a breakdown of the cuticle, causing the insect to die of desiccation, much as boric acid will do. However, precautions must be taken to wear a mask when applying the dust, as it's bad for humans and pets to inhale these minute particles as well. So in summary, there may be some useful applications for this material as dust, but applicators need to take precautions. And I imagine that the material would work best in dry environments. Rain and moisture would probably reduce the effectiveness. As to the question about mixing the material with pet food to avoid fleas, there is no data to support this use. Because there is no systemic activity for this product, there is no known pathway that would cause reduced flea populations. Basically, you'd be adding calcium to the pet's diet, and that's about all. The only plausible use of diatomaceous earth against fleas is dusting of bedding areas to reduce adult and larval development. However, when fighting a serious flea problem, it's always recommended that all aspects of the problem be targeted, including the pet and the habitats where it spends most of its time. Pool-grade diatomaceous earth has been autoclaved to sterilize the material and in theory should have no negative effects on its insecticidal properties.

- Elmer Gray
UGA entomologist

QUESTION: I am having trouble with house flies and maggots in my outside garbage cans. They are everywhere, both inside the can and outside the can and even on the ground! The flies are also coming inside the house and there are a lot more around our yard than I have ever seen before. I have been spraying the inside and outside of the cans with mild bleach water then letting it sit for about 30 minutes and then rinsing with the water hose every week after the garbage truck empties them. I then let them air out until they are dry before I use them again. This has always controlled them very well until now. One of my next door neighbors (who moved here a few months ago) has a dog that they keep chained up outside. They spray the doggy poop down into a drainage ditch between our yards a couple times a week. I believe that this is part of my fly problem. Please tell me a homemade recipe that I can use to kill the flies and the maggots that won't kill my grass or my plants. I have looked in several stores for something to use but all I found was the fly spray that just blew them every where but didn't kill anything. I have a medically fragile child with multiple disabilities including severe asthma, so I need something that won't affect him. I am scared that we are going to sick from them. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

ANSWER: During the warm days of summer, flies can hatch from the egg stage, go through the maggot and pupal stages and emerge as adult flies in just a week. In fact, fly eggs laid by the female fly in a garbage can on Monday can hatch before night, meaning the maggots are crawling out of the can on Thursday to find a place to pupate. Washing out garbage cans and letting them dry is an important aspect of reducing fly attractancy. But if garbage is collected only once per week, the schedule is inadequate to prevent fly reproduction in the cans. In this case, it is essential that flies be prevented access to garbage, either by using fly-proof garbage cans (with no slits and no gap between the lid and can) or by sealing all garbage in plastic trash bags. Using plastic trash bags has the advantage of containing the fly-attractive odors that are generated by garbage and that call in flies from a quarter-mile away. Prevention of fly production and fly attraction is crucial. In addition, fly traps may be useful in intercepting flies as they approach the property. Home and garden stores, feed and seed stores, etc. carry these large jar traps. Half-filled with water and baited with something producing a foul, decaying aroma, they are quite attractive to flies. A fly approaches the trap, enters through the opening, and is unable to escape. It falls into the water and drowns. These traps do not use any poison. Toxic fly baits may be used as well. Read and follow directions. It is critical that these baits be used in areas and in ways that prevent contact by children and animals. A new product, QuikStrike, incorporates a novel toxicant on a panel that attracts flies and kills them quickly. It must not be exposed to sunlight or rain, so it is useful for areas like carports, sheds and barns. You might want to spray a residual insecticide around outside doorframes where flies rest, to kill them before they can enter the home.

- Nancy Hinkle
UGA entomologist

QUESTION: Could you please send me information on the lone star tick? While traveling in Georgia, staying at a hotel in Forsyth, near Macon, my daughter was bitten by this tick. Any information would be helpful. She has a small red rash around the tick bite.

ANSWER: Was the tick positively identified as a lone star tick? If so, there is little risk of disease transmission. Lone star ticks can transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, so the child should be observed. If she develops fever or a spreading rash, she should contact her physician. A reddening around the bite site is typical immunological response to tick salivary secretions, and may be accompanied by itching. Usually an erythematous, indurated lesion will remain for days to weeks.

- Nancy Hinkle
UGA entomologist

QUESTION: Will this winter's cold weather help lower the bug population this summer?

ANSWER: Periods of cold weather do reduce populations of some insects, but this reduction is usually short term. Soft-bodied insects that are exposed to freezing temperatures are often killed. Examples of insect populations that can be reduced by freezing temperatures include aphids, flea larvae and caterpillars. However, most insects have a mechanism to survive cold weather. Some insects escape these temperatures by moving into protected areas (deeper into the soil, inside structures). Others survive freezing temperatures in a stage of their growth that is not susceptible to cold temperatures (the egg or pupal stage). So, the cold weather does have an effect on insect populations, but the reduction will most likely go unnoticed by the summer.

- Beverly Sparks
UGA entomologist

QUESTION: Over the years, I have traveled back and forth from East Tennessee to New Orleans. Most of this auto travel took me through Georgia, mostly in the summer. It seems to me now when I travel the route in the summer that I have fewer squashed bugs to clean off my car than I did back in the '70s. I mentioned this to my brother-in-law, who agreed with me that squashed, dried bugs are less a problem than they used to be. My question is, has vehicular traffic on the Southeast's Eisenhower Interstate System destroyed so many bugs for so many years that an entomological population drain has occurred? Or have the bugs evolved and become smart enough to avoid the highways? Or am I just imagining things and there are as many bugs squashed on my windshield and front bumper as ever?

ANSWER: You raise a thought-provoking question. It is doubtful that even the extensive vehicular traffic through the most densely populated portions of our state has significantly impacted insect populations. However, urbanization has reduced habitat, so around cities it would not be surprising to find lower insect populations than in previous decades. It is doubtful that evolution over such a short geological interval has made insects "smarter" or more adept at avoiding traffic. Another consideration is that today's vehicles are generally more aerodynamically designed than their predecessors, so that insects are borne over the vehicle in the airstream, instead of splatting on the windshield. Along those lines, you might find the following book of interest: "That Gunk on Your Car: A Unique Guide to Insects of North America," by Mark E. Hostetler. It enables identification of some of those insects that do get smashed on your vehicle.

- Nancy Hinkle
UGA entomologist

QUESTION: Help! I have found scorpions on my porch, and I'm scared. What can I do? I'm afraid they will get my dog.

ANSWER: Don't be concerned. Scorpions can sting, but it's no more painful or dangerous than a wasp sting. Fortunately dogs have better sense than humans and rarely get stung. You, on the other hand, should be careful to shake out your shoes before putting them on and watch out for other dark places where scorpions like to hide. Outdoors, wear gloves when you're gardening, cleaning, moving debris or handling firewood.

- Nancy Hinkle
UGA entomologist

QUESTION: I went squirrel hunting with my husband, and we noticed the seed ticks immediately after we came out of the woods. We brushed off as many as we could and then headed to Wal-Mart to pick up some rubbing alcohol. When I arrived home, I showered and used the alcohol all over my body, but I still managed to get some bites. Fortunately for my husband, he naturally repels the bites. However, I'm covered with at least 30 bites. Not only do I have red bites all over me, but I am seven months pregnant. I need to know how to treat these bites. I cannot see the ticks, but I assume they are still attached to me because I itch all over. How long do they live? How can they be removed? How soon will I have relief from the itching? Please help me!

ANSWER: This is a classic example of an ounce of prevention being better than a pound of cure. Seed ticks are the larval stage of ticks. Here in Georgia, virtually all the seed ticks we humans encounter are Amblyomma americanum, the lone star tick. Eggs are laid in large masses, and when they hatch, hundreds of larvae cluster together on a bunch of grass, waiting for a passing host. Typically, several dozen of them clutch your sock or pants cuff as you brush against them, so it is not surprising to find 30 or more. Their behavior is similar to that of chiggers (the larval stage of mites) in that they tend to cluster in areas where clothing fits tightly, such as the socks, waistband, etc. They embed their mouthparts in your skin and inject a salivary secretion which initiates the pruritic (itching) sensation. By that time, sufficient antigen has been introduced at the bite site, and sensitized people will experience the entire symptom cascade, lasting for weeks or months, even if the ticks are removed. Removal is challenging, because the ticks cling to hair and skin with claws like little grappling hooks. If they're crawling, sticky tape can be used to pick them off. Once their mouthparts are embedded in the skin, they can't be brushed off but must be located and individually pulled out with fingernails or tweezers. Removal of those in inaccessible places may require help. At that point, symptomatic treatment involves using an anti-itch cream such as hydrocortisone or any other ointment that helps minimize itching. For those suffering severe reactions, benadryl and similar medications may help reduce swelling and itching. Your physician can provide further recommendations to alleviate symptoms. Itching doesn't indicate that the ticks are still present, but they're easily visible to anyone with normal eyesight. A typical seed tick would fit inside this "o" and be most apparent when moving.

To prevent a repeat of this event, the next time you're going to be in potentially tick-infested areas, practice prevention. Use a good insect repellent on your skin. Those containing DEET provide the most reliable and long-lasting efficacy. Always read and follow directions scrupulously. To treat your clothing, use a product such as Coulson's Permanone, or any repellent containing permethrin. Clothing must be treated before you put it on. Lay your clothing, including socks, on newspaper and spray until the surface is lightly covered. Then turn it over and repeat on the other side. Allow to dry overnight before donning. Not only does this treatment make your garments repellent to ticks, chiggers and mosquitoes, but any pests that remain on the material for more than a few minutes will be killed.

By the way, ticks and chiggers thrive in areas with lots of rodents, so are encountered most often in overgrown fields with chest-high vegetation -- especially blackberry bushes and fennel. Seed ticks are going to be found along deer trails, so check your pants legs periodically when in these habitats. Seed ticks are a late summer/early fall phenomenon, coinciding with hunting season. By next spring, the nymphal and adult ticks will be emerging and causing their own problems. Fortunately, tick-borne diseases are rare in Georgia. However, as with any arthropod bite, if the victim has symptoms within two or three weeks, a physician should be contacted and informed of previous tick exposure.

- Nancy Hinkle
UGA entomologist

QUESTION: I killed a black spider in my garage yesterday afternoon. It was the size of a Kennedy 50-cent piece and it had a red marking in the center of its back. The marking was length-wise covering about 75 percent of the body. I initially thought "black widow," but the black widow's marking is on its abdomen. Once I smashed it I was unable to examine it to get a better look at the marking. Can you tell me what type of spider this could be?

ANSWER: Sorry, but our experts say they can't even hazard a guess if they don't have a specimen to examine, or at least a picture of the specimen. Anyone who wants a critter identified, they say, is going to have to resist the urge to pulverize it.

- Editor
Georgia FACES

QUESTION: I have a large oak tree in my back yard. The previous owners of the home built a large planter (6 feet by 6 feet) around the base of the tree. The area is raised about a foot off of the normal yard level. I don't think this was a good idea to start off with, but this planter area has now been in place for more than 10 years. I'm now getting bugs that are infesting the bottom of the oak. There are two openings, about 4 inches by 8 inches, where they're gaining access to the base. At present, I believe both ants and termites are invading the tree. Is there any product I can use to fill these openings that will not hurt the tree?

ANSWER: Sometimes carpenter ants (and other ants as well) will nest at the base of trees. Generally, these critters do no harm. Even carpenter ants don't harm the tree much, as they really just take advantage of the cracks and crevices, dead wood and snags that come with an aging tree. They don't chew the new, living wood. If you're not sure what kind of critter you have, send me a sample. To answer your question, I would not fill in the void. Often the materials used to fill tree holes actually build better habitats for pests, because the fill material pulls away from the tree, creating a nice crack for things like roaches to exploit. If you want to get rid of the critters living at the tree's base, buy one of the ready-to-use, 1-gallon jugs of insecticide and pour it directly into the hole. This will get rid of anything living in the hole and prevent re-invasion for some time thereafter.

- Dan Suiter
UGA entomologist

QUESTION: I'm a mother of three young children who often play outdoors. Do you know of any "recipe" for a natural, nontoxic wasp killer? I've also been researching wasp and yellow jacket traps. Do they work? And do you have any recommendations?

ANSWER: Certainly you want to protect your children from stinging insects. But is it necessary to kill the insects? Wasps and yellow jackets are critical biological control components in our agricultural systems. Each one eats dozens, if not hundreds, of caterpillars. So if your tomato plants and beans weren't consumed by caterpillars this summer, you likely have wasps to thank. Prevention is always better than trying to deal with a problem after it develops. So next spring, inspect your eaves and porches regularly and knock down wasp nests early, before the mother wasp has time to lay eggs and get her colony established. This will persuade her to move away from the home (either to the neighbors' house or, hopefully, out in the woods) to set up housekeeping. That maintains our beneficial wasp population, while minimizing the chance that children will get stung. Yellow jackets typically nest away from homes, but forage around homes because they like the food we leave out and assume it's for them. They're attracted to sweets, so are often seen swarming around trash cans containing syrupy soda cans. Don't lure them into your yard or encourage them to develop bad habits. Seal trash cans so yellow jackets can't get to your castoffs. Finally, yes, those yellow jacket traps can work, if used properly. First you must determine whether the yellow jackets are attracted to sweets or meat. Pour some sugar water into a jar lid and put a little dab of raw hamburger into another jar lid next to it (do this as far away from your house or the playground as possible). Watch to see which the yellow jackets are attracted to, then use it to bait your trap. Place traps at your property perimeter to lure the yellow jackets away from where you and the children are going to be. The idea is to intercept them before they reach you. Developing a truly integrated pest management program for wasp and yellow jacket suppression involves some thoughtful planning and strategizing.

- Nancy Hinkle
UGA entomologist

QUESTION: I am being overtaken by white flies (bugs?) that seem to love hedge and gardenia bushes. What's a good insecticide to use?

ANSWER: The whitefly in question is the citrus whitefly (Dialeurodes citri). It has two generations per year, and a limited host range. The only hosts that are common in Georgia are gardenia, privet (actually, all species of Ligustrum we grow as ornamentals, including the common Japanese privet that has escaped all across south and middle Ga., along with the wax-leafed privets sold as a "hedge"), and chinaberry. Adult citrus whiteflies emerge in April and again in late summer. This is a large whitefly, and there can be enormous numbers flying around, so people get concerned that their yards are being overrun. Although they will sit on almost any plant, they will not feed or lay eggs on any nonhost. Huge numbers are produced in the summer on chinaberry, but the overwintering generation is only on gardenia and privet (chinaberry loses its leaves). Eggs are laid on the undersides of leaves, and the immature stages develop as legless, scale-like forms that can be hard to see on the leaf. These immature stages excrete a sugary substance called honeydew that provides a growing medium for sooty mold fungus, which covers the leaf surface with a black coating that looks bad and interferes with photosynthesis. Systemic insecticides such as Orthene and imidacloprid (found in some formulations of BayerAdvanced and sold as Merit for commercial use) are effective. Treat after the adults are active, to control the developing immatures on the leaves of the host plants.

- Will Hudson
UGA entomologist

QUESTION: I have been looking for woollybears in my yard in Winterville, but so far I have found none. I wanted to see the size of the stripes to tell what type of winter weather we are going to have. Do we have any in Clarke County? If so, where would I look?

ANSWER: Most woolly bear caterpillars have already located sites for their winter hibernation, so it's doubtful that you'll see them out and about anymore. In the past couple of months, these fuzzy caterpillars have been seen crossing roads in their quest for the perfect nook to spend the coming cold months. In the spring, they'll spin silk cocoons and emerge a few weeks later as medium-sized yellow moths. Because the woolly bear is bicolor, with a rusty brown band separating the black head and rear end, folklore holds that weather prognostications can be made based on the size of the middle band. Unfortunately for aspiring forecasters, the band width has more to do with the caterpillar's genetics and larval habitat than with future conditions. Nevertheless, finding these charming little larvae ambling across our path is a pleasant indication of autumn's arrival and a signal to us to prepare ourselves for cooler weather.

- Nancy Hinkle
UGA entomologist