NAVFAC Applied Biology Newsletter
Summer 2007
Upcoming Events
Courses that may be of interest to you:
Right-of-way & Aquatic Pesticide Applicator Training, Oct 16-28, 2007. Panama
City Beach, FL. Registration: http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/applicator
PM-QAE and PMC Initial Training Course. December 3-7, 2007, Virginia Beach,
VA. Contact: Kirk Williams 757-322-4254
Registration: https://www.cecos.navy.mil/coursedetail.cfm?courseid=85
Pesticide Applicator and QAE Recertification Course. March 11-14, 2008,
Virginia Beach, VA. Contact: Kirk Williams 757-322-4254
Registration: https://www.cecos.navy.mil/coursedetail.cfm?courseid=86
For information on Navy initial DoD pesticide applicator certification courses at
NAS Jacksonville, FL, contact Mr. David Wolfert at NECE, 904-542-2424
david.wolfert@med.navy.mil
Information on DoD Pest Management Courses is available at
http://www.afpmb.org/pubs/courses/courses.htm
Pesticide Use Reporting
Navy and environmental regulations require that you report all pesticide uses
monthly to your installation Pest Management Coordinator (PMC). PMCs must
report usage to NAVFAC Atlantic Applied Biology. Please send your updated
spreadsheets to your regional POC.
NAVFAC Atlantic Applied Biology Newsletter January 2007
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Bed bugs – A reemerging problem
Many activities are reporting problems with bed bugs. This may be partially due
to the increase in military personnel traveling overseas in under-developed
countries due to current conflicts and decreased pesticide use on military bases.
The military is not alone in this problem however; bedbugs have also been
plaguing hotels, cruise ships, and similar institutions. Bed bug bites can be a
serious irritation to affected individuals, especially those with sensitivities to the
allergens in bed bug saliva. Bed bugs have not been shown to transmit disease,
but are a significant medical concern nonetheless. Because of their negative
effect on personnel, the detection of bed bugs in military housing always
warrants a prompt pest control response.
Treatment for bedbugs should include non-chemical and chemical measures.
Non-chemical measures can quickly reduce bug numbers and eliminate
harborages. However, non-chemical techniques alone are currently incapable of
effectively eliminating a bed bug population. Non-chemical measures include
removal of clutter, and caulking or sealing of cracks, crevices, and access to wall
voids. Products such as the Protect-A-Bed® mattress cover can be used to
protect new mattresses and salvage infested ones that otherwise would have to
be destroyed.
Bedlam insecticide is a relatively new product that provides kill on contact and
residual control up to 7 weeks. Suspend SC (deltamethrin), Demon
(cypermethrin), Delta Dust (deltamethrin), and Drione dust (pyrethrin/PBO) are
among several chemical products that can be applied for bed bugs. Regardless
of which products are used, it is important to treat all cracks and crevices where
bed bugs may hide. As always, make sure any products are applied in
accordance with the labeled instructions.
Any rooms adjacent to infested rooms should also be inspected because… The
military has an excellent resource on bed bugs available in TG 44 - Bed Bugs Importance, Biology, and Control Strategies, which gives a more complete
treatment of the topic than is possible in this newsletter. This website gives a
useful step-by-step guide to treating for bed bugs.
Control your fire ants – for half the cost
Nothing says you’re in the South like accidentally standing on or near a fire ant
mound and then realizing too late that stinging ants are crawling up your leg.
Fire ant control is an ongoing concern for most of our southern facilities. We
typically recommend a “two-step” approach to fire ant control, which consists of
NAVFAC Atlantic Applied Biology Newsletter January 2007
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broadcasting bait early in the warm season on improved grounds, and treating
problem mounds that pop up individually. Broadcast bait gives long term control
to treated areas, typically reducing fire ant mounds by 80-90%. Individual
mounds that arise despite the presence of bait may be treated by with a drench
or dust containing a fast acting insecticide to achieve a quick kill of the colony.
For a cost saving in fire ant control, consider using skip-swathing when applying
broadcast baits. Fire ants forage up to 100 feet or more from the nest, so not
every square foot of ground in an area needs to be treated with bait to achieve
control. With skip swathing only every other swath is treated, which takes
advantage of this ant foraging behavior and cuts your bait use and application
time in half (swath widths are typically much less than 100 feet).
For more information on skip-swathing, see:
http://www.extension.org/pages/What_Fire_Ant_Problem%3F
Further cost saving ideas are discussed at: http://www.extension.org/pages/CostSaving_Considerations_for_Fire_Ant_Management
Information on most commercially available broadcast baits:
http://fireant.tamu.edu/broadcastbait/products/
Tick threat increases with warm weather
Tick activity increases during the summer months, and with it the risk of tickborne diseases. Ticks typically harbor in areas where they can find shade and
high humidity. This includes woods and brushy areas, or areas with overgrown
vegetation or tall grass. Take protective measures if you are working in these
areas – tuck pantlegs into boots and use DEET and permethrin repellents. See
the AFPMB’s TG 36 - Personal Protective Techniques Against Insects and Other Arthropods of Military
Importance for complete guidance on personal protective measures.
Ticks generally do not transmit disease until they have been attached for 24
hours, so prompt detection and removal of any unwanted “guests” is critical.
Tick-borne diseases typically require a 5-10 day incubation period before
symptoms appear, and you should immediately see your doctor if symptoms
arise after a tick bite. The most common tick-borne disease, Lyme disease, is of
little consequence if treated early, but can be very serious if left untreated.
Other News of Interest
Yard Workers Beware: Yellow jackets
Cockroaches trigger asthma attacks in children
Bayer launches new bait gel to control cockroaches
NAVFAC Atlantic Applied Biology Newsletter January 2007
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Name our new pesticide use reporting system!
Some of you may be aware that we have been trying out a web-based system for
pesticide reporting. This system allows users to simply enter their report in a
web browser rather than having to save and send in spreadsheets. Our new
system needs a name! Send in your suggestion for a name, and the AB staff will
vote and choose a winner. If your suggestion is chosen, you will get…fame and
glory in the AB Newsletter! Please send suggestions to:
steven.p.holmes@navy.mil
Links
Pesticide.net – news & information
AFPMB – Armed Forces Pest Management Board homepage
Army Pest Management Timely Topics – 30 June 2007 issue
National Pest Management Association
Naval Safety Center
Applied Biology Team Members and regional POCs
Sherrie Bartku sharon.bartku@navy.mil 757-322-4796 Head, Applied Biology Section
Steven Holmes steven.p.holmes@navy.mil 757-322-8295 Midwest region and Marine Corps
Jack Markham jack.markham@navy.mil 757-322-4882 MidLant and NE
Steve Robertson steve.b.robertson@navy.mil 757-322-4752 Europe/SW Asia
Kirk Williams kirk.williams@navy.mil 757-322-4254 Southeast region
Dan Cecchini joseph.cecchini@navy.mil 757-322-4887 Program Manager
NAVFAC Atlantic Applied Biology Newsletter January 2007
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NAVFAC Applied Biology Products and Services
Pest Management
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Provide technical assistance to troubleshoot and solve pest problems.
Conduct required pest management program reviews to ensure effectiveness, efficiency
and safety of the program.
Provide guidance in structure and landscape design and construction to prevent pest
infestations.
Conduct extended on-site consults (reimbursable).
Pesticide Compliance
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Prepare integrated pest management plans (reimbursable).
Prepare pest control contracts (reimbursable).
Review installation integrated pest management plan (IPMP).
Review pest control and construction contract specifications, agriculture and PPV
housing lease agreements, natural resources contracts, and other documents involving
pest management.
Approve pesticides for use on installations.
Support pesticide compliance programs.
Manage pest management record keeping and reporting.
Training
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Provide pest management training to recertify pesticide applicators and train pest
management coordinators and pest control contract Quality Assurance Evaluator (QAE) /
Performance Assessment Representatives (PAR) and others involved in pest
management.
Provide non-FIFRA initial certification and FIFRA/non-FIFRA recertification for OCONUS
activities (reimbursable).
Other
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Support for Marine Corps and other services (reimbursable).
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