DOCSLIB.ORG

Birds, Bees and Bats What Do You Do When You Encounter Them Janet A

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Birds, Bees and Bats What Do You Do When You Encounter Them Janet A Birds, Bees and Bats What do you do when you encounter them Janet A. Hurley, ACE, MPA Extension Program Specialist III - School IPM Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Dallas, TX • Federal Laws and Rules • State Governing Wildlife • Tribal • County Control • Municipal 1900 1931 Lacey Act of 1900 Animal Damage Control • Prohibits interstate and Act of 1931 foreign commerce of fish, • Manages conflict between wildlife and plants that were humans and wildlife Federal sold or taken Regulatory Laws Migratory Bird Treat Act Endangered Species Act of 1918 of 1973 • Illegal to take, hunt, kill, • Provides broad protection for migratory birds, eggs or fish, wildlife, and plants product • www.fws.gov 1918 1973 • Public property owners and managers have a responsibility to provide a safe environment. • A few public health laws may apply to wildlife infestations. • For schools IPM rules play a large role in ensuring safety This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC for staff and students Building Owners and Property Managers • Texas Health and Safety Code • THSC Chapter 826 and Section 169 – Rabies Control Act and Rules • THSC Chapter 341 and 343 • THSC Chapter 81 and Section 97 • TX Parks and Wildlife Code 63 • Chapter 12 – Powers & Duties Concerning Wildlife State Rules for • Chapter 43 – Special Licenses & Permits • APPLICATION FOR PERMIT. (a) A person who has Wildlife and evidence of damage by depredation or threat to public safety may file with the department an Rabies application for a permit to kill the protected wildlife. • Must be in writing • Must have an agreement with Dept. • Must have a written statement from Dept. • Certified by County Commissioner • Chapter 341.011 – Nuisance • Chapter 341.012 – Abatement of Nuisance Title 5 • Chapter 821 – Treatment of Animals • In this subchapter, "animal" includes every Sanitation and living dumb creature. Environmental • Chapter 825 –Predatory Animals • Provides regulations to prosecute if persons Quality tamper with traps and the animals being Health & Safety trapped • Chapter 826 – Rabies Code • Provides for the state or local agencies to quarantine or test animals for rabies Bird Management • Pigeon (rock dove) • English sparrow • Starlings • Imported from Europe • Not protected by migratory bird treaties • English sparrow • Displaces native songbirds • Over 29 diseases and ectoparasites • Principal wild host for encephalitis and WNV • Unsightly nests and droppings • May enter structures • Pigeon • Over 50 diseases and ectoparasites • Unsightly and corrosive droppings • Considered undesirable Importance nuisance • Canadian Geese • Blue Heron Migratory Birds – • Cattle Egret • Yellow-Crowned Night Heron Seek help from TPWD • Snowy Egret • Great Egret What Can You Do? • Bird Spikes • provide a physical barrier that prevents birds from landing on surfaces such as rooftop edges, ledges, and windowsills. • Come in plastic and stainless-steel options—both of which offer constant coverage. • Easy to install, and stop birds from landing and nesting on elevated surface areas • Bird Netting • Great choice for semi-enclosed spaces and large open areas, like gardens or indoor eating areas. • Netting comes in a variety of materials; heavy-duty and lighter options are available. It provides a protective barrier that keeps birds from entering but allows sunlight in and allows for watering greenery. Sound • Ultrasonic bird control devices • Play irritating high and low-pitch frequencies that don’t bother humans. • Over time, the annoying ultrasonic frequencies make an area uninhabitable for pest birds, and they vacate elsewhere. • These low-profile devices can be effective for facilities with high- volume human traffic, because they are silent to most people. • Sonic devices • Broadcast bird alarm calls and terrifying predator calls that alert birds that an area is unsafe. • To humans, these sonic recordings simply blend in with nature. But, to birds, the sounds are extremely frightening. • Similarly to ultrasonic bird control units, these devices condition birds to not return with continued use. Laser bird control units • Work by emitting laser beams with constantly changing patterns and colors. • The blinding lights work, day and night to scare pest birds, while the motion of the beams inhibits acclimation. • Birds remain away from the area and are unharmed. Technology Drones used for bird control • A drone’s threatening physical presence can be combined with sound technology. • Recent versions of bird control drones use sonic devices to play recordings of predator noises and can fly fully autonomously with integrated Google Maps customization. • The combination of sight and sound offers a multi- pronged effect for pest bird control. • Do need a pilot license to use Other Ways • Shock track systems • Good option as a low-profile bird control method. • Nearly invisible shock track strips are installed on places like windowsills or ledges, and gently shock birds upon contact, alerting them not to land in the area. • Shock track systems are humane, as they do not harm pest birds, but keep them off structures. • Liquid taste aversions • Can cover grass, turf, and foliage, these products can be sprayed across a large area, providing an extremely cost-effective solution for pest control. • Treated surfaces deter birds because they make the area taste unpleasant. • Bird gels can be applied to structures and repel birds by creating a sticky, uncomfortable surface that is not suitable for landing. To ensure that plants and other wildlife aren’t affected, non-toxic, biodegradable formulas are preferred. • Visual scares and predator decoys • As pest control methods, they are usually inexpensive and low-maintenance. • Visual deterrents alert pest birds that there is a threat in the area and force them to seek refuge elsewhere. • The most effective stationary scares use reflective or moving parts. Many predator decoys look like extremely realistic owls, hawks, coyotes, falcons, and alligators. Bees - Pollinators This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND Importance of Pollinators • Fruit and seed production needed for the survival of most flowering plants in our environment. • Essential to the production of more than 85 crops. • 1 out of every 3 bites of food can be attributed to pollinators. Tom Butzler, Penn State Extension • Insects are the most common and abundant. Wonderful World of Bees • HONEY BEES, Apis mullifera • Social Insects • Live in colonies of 60 to 120 thousand individual workers, few hundred drones and 1 Queen • Bee Stings • Stinger injected into human is ripped off – death to honeybee – allergic reaction to human (sometimes) • Primary pollinators of 2/3 of food we eat • Managed colonies can overwinter – feral colonies will generally just have a queen and few drones/workers Three banded Italian Honey Bee Identification • ½ inch in length with an orange to yellowish-brown color and black intersegmental bands on the abdomen Black worker bee Honey Bee swarms • New queen takes workers and drones and “absconds” • Commonly 10-20,000 workers • Follow greenways, parks, creek bottoms • Not highly aggressive • Searching for a nesting site 8 to 14 ft high Swarm control • Control/remove swarms to reduce risk of bees: • Stinging residents • Taking up residence in or near building • Control with soapy water • Physical capture/transport • Lure to capture with bait hives • Exposed colonies only! • ¾ to 1 cup liquid dishwashing soap (Palmolive, Dawn) in gallon water • Gently wet outside then inside of swarm with spray wand • Place garbage bag or similar receptacle under colony to catch dying bees Swarm control with soapy water • Physically almost identical to EHB • Sub-species or race of Apis mellifera Africanized Honey bee Differences between AHB EHB • AHB more sensitive to nest disturbance • AHB will pursue intruders further • AHB recruits more workers to defend • AHB stores less honey • AHB more prone to abscond • AHB less choosy about nesting sites • AHB more likely to swarm summer/fall Bee and wasp control • Key is destruction/removal of nest • Trapping is slow and effective only in hands of experts • Know what you are dealing with Vespula maculifrons – Vespula squamosa – eastern yellowjacket southern yellowjacket Yellowjackets are underground nesters Underground nests may be hidden • Locate nest source of honey bees and have beekeeper remove. • For Yellowjackets and wasps will need to kill if they are around humans. • Good sanitation and removal of possible food attractants, if necessary, wash area down • Where treatment needed use one cup of liquid soap per gallon of water sprayed or a soapy foam to treat nest where removal not practical. Control Options Yellowjacket traps • Most attractive to scavenger yellowjacket species • Vespula maculifrons • Vespula squamosa? • Fermenting apple cider • Palliative treatment only Insecticide application • Treat at dusk or dawn when the insects are less likely to be active. • Wear gloves and long sleeves to avoid being stung. • Use dusts or aerosol insecticides injected into nest or nest opening • Pyrethroids to kill the entire nest. Be sure to read the label before use. • When spraying, make sure you stand away from the nest and not directly underneath. Most product sprays up to 22 feet. • Spray with the wind, not against it. • Never attempt to treat nests alone. Use the buddy system or ask someone else to treat it if you’re allergic to stings. Pesticide applicators must reduce risks to bees and other pollinators. • Read the label
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Natural Resource Inventory Smith-Sargent
    NATURAL RESOURCE INVENTORY of the SMITH-SARGENT ROAD PROPERTY Holderness, NH FINAL REPORT [Smith-Sargent Property Upper Marsh as seen from south boundary] Compiled by: Dr. Rick Van de Poll Ecosystem Management Consultants 30 N. Sandwich Rd. Center Sandwich, NH 03227 603-284-6851 [email protected] Submitted to: Holderness Conservation Commission June 30, 2016 i SUMMARY Between October 2015 and June 2016 a comprehensive natural resources inventory (NRI) was completed by Ecosystem Management Consultants (EMC) of Sandwich, NH on the 8.5-acre town conservation land at the corner of Sargent Road and Smith Road in Holderness, NH. Managed by the Holderness Conservation Commission (HCC), this parcel was obtained largely for the complex wetland system that occupies more than 65% of the parcel. The purpose of the NRI was to inform the town about the qualities of the natural resources on the lot, as well as to determine whether or not the site would be suitable for limited environmental education for the general public. Three site visits were conducted at the Sargent-Smith Road Property for the purpose of gathering NRI data. A fourth visit was also made on November 15, 2015 for the purpose of educating the HCC and other town officials about the extent and functional value of the wetlands on the parcel. The first field visit in October provided an initial review of the location of the parcel, the boundary of the wetland, and the plant and animal resources present. A second site visit in January was held for the purpose of tracking mammals during good snow cover.
    [Show full text]
  • Scientific Notes 193 APPLICATION of ALARM PHEROMONE TO
    Scientific Notes 193 APPLICATION OF ALARM PHEROMONE TO TARGETS BY SOUTHERN YELLOWJACKETS (HYMENOPTERA: VESPIDAE) HAL C. REED1 AND PETER J. LANDOLT USDA, ARS, 5230 Konnowac Pass Rd., Wapato, WA 98951, USA 1Current address: Department of Biology, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, OK 74171 Alarm pheromones have been demonstrated for a number of species of social Vesp- idae including several hornets and yellowjackets (Vespines) (Landolt et al. 1997). Maschwitz (1964a, b) first demonstrated alarm pheromone responses in the yellow- jackets Vespula vulgaris L. and V. germanica (Fab.) in response to crushed wasps and body parts. Pheromone-mediated alarm has since been observed in other vespines: Dolichovespula saxonica (Fab.) (Maschwitz 1984), the southern yellowjacket V. squa- mosa (Drury) (Landolt & Heath 1987, Landolt et al. 1999), the eastern yellowjacket V. maculifrons (Buysson) (Landolt et al. 1995), Provespa anomala Saussure (Maschwitz & Hanel 1988), and Vespa crabro L. (Veith et al. 1984). 2-Methyl-3- butene-2-ol was identified as a component of the alarm pheromone of V. crabro (Veith et al. 1984), and N-3- methylbutylacetamide was isolated and identified as an alarm pheromone of the southern and eastern yellowjackets (Heath & Landolt 1988, Landolt et al. 1995). The source of alarm pheromones in social wasps generally is the venom, although the head is implicated as an additional source of alarm pheromone for V. vulgaris (Al- diss 1983) and V. squamosa (Landolt et al. 1999). Alarm behavior in V. germanica and V. vulgaris occurred in response to the squashed sting apparatus, sting sac, and sol- vent extract of the sting sac (Maschwitz 1964b) and in D.
    [Show full text]
  • Investigation of Matrilineal Relationships Via Mitochondrial
    Eastern Illinois University The Keep Masters Theses Student Theses & Publications 2003 Investigation of Matrilineal Relationships via Mitochondrial DNA in the Southeastern Yellowjacket (Vespula squamosa) Anthony Deets Eastern Illinois University This research is a product of the graduate program in Biological Sciences at Eastern Illinois University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Deets, Anthony, "Investigation of Matrilineal Relationships via Mitochondrial DNA in the Southeastern Yellowjacket (Vespula squamosa)" (2003). Masters Theses. 1488. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/1488 This is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses & Publications at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THESIS/FIELD EXPERIENCE PAPER REPRODUCTION CERTIFICATE TO: Graduate Degree Candidates (who have written formal theses) SUBJECT: Permission to Reproduce Theses The University Library is receiving a number of request from other institutions asking permission to reproduce dissertations for inclusion in their library holdings. Although no copyright laws are involved, we feel that professional courtesy demands that permission be obtained from the author before we allow these to be copied. PLEASE SIGN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: Booth Library of Eastern Illinois University has my permission to lend my thesis to a reputable college or university for the purpose of copying it for inclusion in that institution's
    [Show full text]
  • Pest Profile
    Pest Profile Photo credit: Jim Kalisch, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Common Name: Eastern Yellowjacket Scientific Name: Vespula maculifrons Order and Family: Hymenoptera, Vespidae Size and Appearance: Length (mm) Appearance Egg oval 2.0 mm opaque creamy yellow color Larva/Nymph opaque white 5.0 mm grub-like Adult black and yellow bands on the head, thorax, 12.0 – 18.0 mm and abdomen markings differs on caste Pupa (if applicable) enclose in a paper hexagonal cell 10.0 mm (diameter) Type of feeder (Chewing, sucking, etc.): Chewing Host plant/s: Eastern Yellowjackets are extremely adaptable. They live in forests, meadows, forest edges, urban environments, suburban environments, and fallen logs. They are attracted to sugary fruits and nectars, including synthetic foodstuffs Description of Damage (larvae and adults): Eastern Yellowjackets are polyphagous. They are subterranean and known to be opportunistic homebuilders. The nests can be ignore unless they are close to an entrance of a building, in the ground of a lawn that is mowed, or in any area where the public is likely to encounter them. They will swarm and defend their colonies when disturbed and can cause a nuisance to livestock and humans. They are beneficial to some cultivars because they prey upon many arthropods, especially caterpillars and earwigs. In addition, they are attracted to sugary fruits and liquids. References: Cranshaw, W. (2004). Garden insects of North America: The ultimate guide to backyard bugs. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Jacobs, S. (2010, March 1). Eastern Yellowjacket (Department of Entomology). Retrieved February 21, 2016, from http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/eastern-yellowjacket Yoder, H.
    [Show full text]
  • Yellowjackets and Hornets, Vespula and Dolichovespula Spp. (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Vespidae)1 E
    EENY-081 Yellowjackets and Hornets, Vespula and Dolichovespula spp. (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Vespidae)1 E. E. Grissell and Thomas R. Fasulo2 Introduction Distribution Only two of the 18 Nearctic species of Vespula are known Vespula maculifrons is found in eastern North America, from Florida (Miller 1961). These are the two yellowjackets: while Vespula squamosa is found in the eastern United eastern yellowjacket, V. maculifrons (Buysson) and the States and parts of Mexico and Central America. The southern yellowjacket, V. squamosa (Drury). One species baldfaced hornet, Dolichovespula maculata, is found of Dolichovespula is also present: the baldfaced hornet, throughout most of the Nearctic region. D. maculata (Linnaeus). The baldfaced hornet is actually a yellowjacket. It receives its common name of baldfaced Identification from its largely black color but mostly white face, and that The three species of Florida yellowjackets are readily of hornet because of its large size and aerial nest. In general, separated by differences in body color and pattern. Identi- the term “hornet” is used for species which nest above fication is possible without a hand lens or microscope, and, ground and the term “yellowjacket” for those which make for this reason, a simple pictorial key is all that is necessary. subterranean nests. All species are social, living in colonies Color patterns are relatively stable, and their use is further of hundreds to thousands of individuals. strengthened by morphological characters (Miller 1961). Queens and workers may be separated by abdominal pat- terns; males have seven abdominal segments while females have only six. Biology Colonies are founded in the spring by a single queen that mated the previous fall and overwintered as an adult, usually under the bark of a log.
    [Show full text]
  • Genetic Structure and Breeding System in a Social Wasp and Its Social Parasite
    University of Central Florida STARS Faculty Bibliography 2000s Faculty Bibliography 1-1-2008 Genetic structure and breeding system in a social wasp and its social parasite Eric A. Hoffman University of Central Florida Jennifer L. Kovacs Michael AD Goodisman Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/facultybib2000 University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Bibliography at STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Bibliography 2000s by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Recommended Citation Hoffman, Eric A.; Kovacs, Jennifer L.; and Goodisman, Michael AD, "Genetic structure and breeding system in a social wasp and its social parasite" (2008). Faculty Bibliography 2000s. 453. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/facultybib2000/453 BMC Evolutionary Biology BioMed Central Research article Open Access Genetic structure and breeding system in a social wasp and its social parasite Eric A Hoffman1,2, Jennifer L Kovacs1 and Michael AD Goodisman*1 Address: 1School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 310 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA and 2Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, 4000 Central Florida Blvd., Orlando, Florida 32816, USA Email: Eric A Hoffman - [email protected]; Jennifer L Kovacs - [email protected]; Michael AD Goodisman* - [email protected] * Corresponding author Published: 20 August 2008 Received: 11 June 2008 Accepted: 20 August 2008 BMC Evolutionary Biology 2008, 8:239 doi:10.1186/1471-2148-8-239 This article is available from: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2148/8/239 © 2008 Hoffman et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
    [Show full text]
  • OTHER BEES and WASPS Advanced Level Training Texas Master Beekeeper Program
    OTHER BEES AND WASPS Advanced Level Training Texas Master Beekeeper Program Introduction • As a beekeeper, you are often treated as the expert on all things with wings or stings. • The knowledge gained from this presentation should help you to confidently field questions from the general public, identify a few of the common bees and wasps of Texas and discuss their biology and importance as beneficial insects or as pests. Bees and Wasps Bees Wasps • More body hair • Very little hair • Flattened hindlegs, usually • Rounded legs containing a pollen basket • Are predators of other insects, or will • Feed on pollen and nectar scavenge food scraps, carrion, etc. • Generally can only sting once • Can (and will) sting repeatedly • Includes hornets and yellowjackets 1 Yellowjackets and Hornets • General biology • Colonies founded in spring by a single‐mated, overwintered queen • Constructs the paper brood cells • Forage for food • Lay eggs • Feed her progeny • Defend the nest Yellowjackets and Hornets • When the first offspring emerge they assume all tasks except egg laying. • Workers progressively feed larvae • Masticated adult and immature insects • Other arthropods • Fresh carrion • Working habits apparently are not associated with age as they are with honey bees. Yellowjackets and Hornets in Texas • Eastern yellowjacket • Vespula maculifrons Buysson • Southern yellowjacket • Vespula squamosa Drury • Baldfaced hornet • Dolichovespula maculata Linnaeus 2 Yellowjackets and Hornets in Texas • Eastern yellowjacket (Vespula maculifrons) • Family: Vespidae • Mostly subterranean nests, but aerial nests do occur. • Largest recorded nest: • 8 levels of comb with over 2800 wasps present (Haviland, 1962) Yellowjackets and Hornets in Texas • Southern yellowjacket (Vespula squamosa) • Family: Vespidae • Construct both terrestrial and aerial nests.
    [Show full text]
  • Yellow Jackets Will Remain Behind Sects with Black & Yellow Or Black & White Licensed Pest Control Company Or Vector Control to Protect the Nest
    sealing all food containers, and locate garbage re- Mud daubers are solitary wasps who construct mud ceptacles away from eating areas. Reduce avail- nests and provision them with paralyzed spiders. Our able water for nest building and drinking, by repair- common two species are medium sized, and ing defective spigots and promote drainage in ar- shiny blue/green or black and yellow. eas where water can accumulate. These insects are non-aggressive and stinging incidents are extremely rare. Depletion Trapping These types of devices will not produce consistent If you discover a yellowjacket nest or reliable results. Some commercially available traps utilize a chemical lure to attract the insect to AVOID THE AREA! the trap. These chemicals attract not all yellow- Þ Mark the site and keep children or pets away from jacket species. Once the insect has entered the the nest. trap, they have difficulty in finding their way out and Þ Wear light colored clothing when nearby. they usually die inside from exposure. Homemade Þ Do not disturb the nest area or operate heavy traps can be constructed by suspending meat over equipment. open containers of soapy water. If the insect cuts Þ Get professional help to exterminate the nest. GENERAL INFORMATION off too large a piece of meat, it will fall into the wa- ter and drown. Traps should be placed away from If you are attacked by yellowjackets people or food. Yellowjackets are social insects that live in a Note: Inexperienced people should not attempt to LEAVE THE AREA QUICKLY! colony. Most species are medium sized in- destroy a yellowjacket nest.
    [Show full text]
  • Phorid Flies, Are Smaller with More Delicate Bodies and Legs
    INCHES 0 1 23 Disclaimer September 2010 • This publication is informational and is intended as a guide only. Always read and follow all current label instructions for pesticides. When pesticides are used, it is the applicator’s legal responsibility to read and follow directions on the product label. Not following label directions, even if they conflict with infor- mation provided herein, is a violation of federal law. It is also the legal responsibility of the applicator to ensure all necessary licenses are obtained before an application. Contact your state regulation authority for further information on licensing procedures. Publication Information • This publication was produced and distributed by the Illinois Department of Public Health through a Environmental Justice Children’s Health grant issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Information pertaining to specific pests was obtained from the Handbook of Pest Control, Eighth Edition, Mallis, Arnold and the Illinois Department of Public Health pests fact sheets. • For more information regarding this publication, contact the Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health, 525 W. Jefferson St. 3rd floor, Springfield, IL 62761, [email protected], (217) 782-5830, TTY (hearing impaired use only) (800) 547-0466. • Cover photo: Odorous house ant (Tapinoma sessile) Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org Authors • Curt Colwell, Ph.D., Illinois Department of Public Health • Derrick Pehlman, Illinois Department of Public Health Photo Credits • University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/ - 4, 5, 10-12, 14 -16,18 • R.J. Bauernfeind, Kansas State University: www.ksre.ksu.edu/hfrr/extensn/POW/2003/June_4.htm - 24, 25 • University of Minnesota Extension: www.extension.umn.edu/.../images/fruitfly.jpg - 50, 51 • Pest and Disease Image Library: www.padil.gov.au/viewPestDiagnosticImages.aspx?id=770 - 62 • University of California, Davis - 114, 115 • U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Sexual Communication in Yellowjackets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)
    Sexual Communication in Yellowjackets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) by Nathan Derstine B.A., Eastern Mennonite University, 2010 Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science Nathan Derstine 2017 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Spring 2017 Approval Name: Nathan Derstine Degree: Master of Science Title: Sexual Communication in Yellowjackets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) Examining Committee: Chair: Harold Hutter Professor Gerhard Gries Senior Supervisor Professor Jenny Cory Supervisor Professor Peter Landolt Supervisor Research Entomologist US Department of Agriculture Sheila Fitzpatrick External Examiner Research Entomologist Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Date Defended/Approved: April 11, 2017 ii Abstract To determine if and how pheromones mediate sexual communication of yellowjackets [Dolichovespula arenaria, D. maculata, Vespula alascensis, V. pensylvanica, V. squamosa], I took three approaches: (1) In field trapping experiments, I baited traps with a virgin queen (gyne) or a male and tested for their ability to attract prospective mates. I found that only gynes of D. arenaria attracted males. (2) In laboratory Y-tube olfactometer experiments with D. arenaria, D. maculata and V. pensylvanica, I used sibling or non- sibling gynes as a test stimulus, and found that only D. maculata gynes attracted conspecific males, provided they were non-siblings. These results imply an olfactory- based mechanism of nestmate recognition and inbreeding avoidance. (3) I tested the hypothesis that cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) differentiate sex, caste, and nest membership. I found that each caste had specific CHC profiles. My data demonstrate the diversity and complexity of sexual communication in yellowjacket wasps, and inspire follow-up studies to identify the sex pheromones.
    [Show full text]
  • YELLOWJACKETS (Vespula Species)
    11 YELLOWJACKETS (Vespula species) In the late 1990s a plague of yellow- Figure 11.1 Eastern yellowjacket (Vespula maculifrons) on porce- lainberry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata) just off Martin Luther King jackets in Center City made outdoor Drive in Fairmount Park, September 2012. dining hazardous. They have since become scarce here. From Ecology of Center City, Philadelphia by Kenneth D. Frank. Published in 2015 by Fitler Square Press, Philadelphia, PA. In 1887, Ezra Townsend Cresson of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadel- phia completed a 350-page monograph on North American Hymenoptera, which includes bees, ants, and wasps. Cresson wrote that unlike paper wasps, which con- struct “nests on trees, or in corners of buildings, or under the roofs of outbuildings, yellowjackets build their nests underground, as most country boys know by painful experience.”1 The German yellowjacket Ninety years later, yellowjackets started nesting in attics and walls of buildings. To investigate this phenomenon, entomologists at Cornell University in Ithaca used a newspaper notice to solicit information from local residents about any wasp nests. Readers identified twenty wasp nests—seventeen in houses, two in vegetation, and one underground. The predominant species nesting in houses was the German yel- lowjacket (Vespula germanica), an introduced species that until recently had been rare. Only one of the seventeen nests in houses was colonized by what had previously been Ithaca’s most common species of yellowjacket, the eastern yellowjacket (Vespula
    [Show full text]
  • For Wasps, Hornets & Yellowjackets
    REUSABLE Trap Model/Modelo WHYTR Non-toxic mode of action The RESCUE!® W·H·Y® Trap is proven to catch the following species, against target pests identied below by their coloration and markings: Modo de acción no tóxico contra las plagas objetivo La Trampa W·H·Y de RESCUE!® atrapará a las siguientes especies, identicadas a continuación según la coloración y las manchas: Why guess which pest is bugging you? Now one trap does the trick. The RESCUE!® W·H·Y® Trap is the only trap proven to catch wasps, hornets Paper Wasps and yellowjackets. Avispas papeleras, Polistes The combination of three attractants and the distinctive design of the W·H·Y® Trap have been developed by the RESCUE!® team of scientists and extensively tested over numerous years. Paper Wasp Golden Paper Wasp • No killing agents – insects either drown or dehydrate Polistes fuscatus Polistes aurifer • Attractant included – lasts two weeks European Paper Wasp • No extra food bait required Polistes dominulus • Catches queens in spring before they build nests • Catches workers from summer through fall Red Wasp Paper Wasp • Double-chambered design keeps insects trapped Polistes carolina Polistes metricus REUSABLE • Durable construction holds up for multiple seasons Hornets Avispones Complete instructions inside. Trap Visit our web site for more information on the Bald-faced Hornet European Hornet www.whytrap.com dierent species of wasps, hornets and Dolichovespula maculata Vespa crabro yellowjackets caught in the RESCUE!® W·H·Y® Trap. Yellowjackets For wasps, hornets & yellowjackets ¿Para qué adivinar qué plaga lo está molestando? Ahora, una sola trampa se encarga de Avispas comunes o "chaqueta amarilla" todo.
    [Show full text]