CHAPTER 11 - The Best Control 2

Stay Calm - Take a deep breath amd refuse to become upset or angry. You can’t fight properly if you let youremotions run wild. Listen and think. All stress is self-created.Steam Iron - Don’t have a steamer? Use a steam iron to steam/kill your bed bugs and then iron the mattressto help dry it out.Steam Vapor - Steam vapor too hot to touch will kill bed bugs and their eggs, bacteria and many other insectand arachnid pests. Use a large brush head or attach a small towel to the steamer head.Steamers - can heat water up to 265 o F.and will kill roaches, bed bugs, fruit flies, etc.on contact.Steel Wool - Use coarse steel wool to exclude mice and rats in interior voids and openings. If mice eat steelwool and peanut butter they will die. Use copper mesh as an exterior tool in rodent exclusion work. See CopperGauze.Steinernema carpocapsae - A beneficial nematode that destroys immature fleas.Steinernema feltiae - These nematodes are very effective at infecting and killing fly maggots.Steinernema spp. - Many beneficial nematodes can be used to control pests, e.g., termites.Sterility - Releasing sterile insect pests or specimens with genetic defects can safely control many pest species.Gamma radiation is used to sterilize the males who are then released.Stethescope - Can be used to hear many different pest infestations.Sticky Tape - Double-sided sticky tape, e.g., Mr. Sticky ® , can be used to make traps, escape-proof barriers ormake a pest-proof area. See Duct Tape.Sticky Traps - There are all kinds of commercial sticky traps available and more are always coming. Thereare small sticky traps, large sticky traps, blunder traps, rat traps, rat mats, mouse traps, sticky tapes, fly paperand tapes, white or blue or yellow colored sheets or rolls of sticky traps - elm bark beetle pheromone traps,roach pheromone traps, wing trap kits, sticky red spheres, sticky cards, duct tape, etc. - for use in the home,orchard, forest, field, crops, green house, etc. In addition to the sticky traps, you may add an ever-increasinglist of pheromone lures, food scents, and other attractants to the “regular” sticky traps monitor or control flies,scale, borers, loopers, weevils, worms, moths, beetles, roaches, rodents, caterpillars, leaf rollers, etc. You canalso make your own sticky traps from wood, cardboard, or stiff plastic. Paint the base with a coat of primer andtwo coats of bright yellow or medium blue paint. Coat with a sticky compound using a paintbrush, or spread it onwith a knife. Use stiff adhesives like Tanglefoot ® for large insects and thinner glues such as Stiky Stuff ® or STPoil treatment for small insects. Scrape off insects and recoat as needed. Croquet or plastic balls or light bulbscan be painted red to make apple maggot traps. Plastic soda bottles make good cherry fruit fly traps - paint theshoulders of the bottle yellow and fill the bottle with lure. A partial bottle of syrup will catch ants.Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica) - Wear leather or rubber gloves and pick up the leaves from the bottom of thestem upwards - steep 1 pound of nettle leaves in 1 gallon of water for at least a week - strain and water or sprayplants with the solution - it is a rich fertilizer and a natural pest repellent, but it will also give you a burningsensation.Storage Pest Controls from India -1. Custard Apple (Annona reticulata) leaves have insecticidal and antifeedant properties. Fresh or dried leavesmixed with the produce or placed in layers between the produce gives effective control against rice mothand bruchids for 3-4 months.2. Finger Euphorbia (Euphorbia tirucalli) provides protection against a wide range of grain pests. Branches ofthe plant are burnt to obtain its ash. One tea cup full of ash is mixed with 20 litres of grains. This providesprotection against grain pests.3. Coconut oil, peanut oil and sesame oil can be used for protection from bruchids.5 ml of the oil is mixed with461