Farmers grapple with Armyworm Horror

Just when the farmers across countries in eastern Africa were tackling with the devastating drought situation, they were being threatened by an invasive pest. The fall armyworm.!

The Fall Armyworms are spreading like a wildfire and causing a havoc.

The fall armyworm can damage and destroy a wide variety of crops in its larvae stage which causes large economic damage. Larvae can also burrow into the growing point and affect the growth of plants. The larvae penetrate crops and feed from the inside. Larvae cause damage by consuming foliage. Young larvae initially consume leaf tissue from one side. The larvae may do the damage but the adult moths ensure the rapid spread of the pest. Moths are very strong flyers, covering vast distances, so the infestation can occur in very short time.

Fall armyworm larvae can wreak havoc on a wide range of crops based on their food preferences. Destruction can happen almost overnight because the first stages of a caterpillar’s life require very little food, and the later stages require about 50 times more.

The pest reproduces at a rapid speed; an adult female can lay up to 1844 eggs/female (Barros et al. 2010), and several and overlapping generations occur every year.

In its larval stage, it can cause significant damage to crops, if not well managed. The pest mainly feeds on maize/corn but can attack and survive on more than 100 plant species including rice, sorghum, sugarcane, cabbage, beet, peanut, soybean, alfalfa, onion, cotton, pasture grasses, millet, tomato, potato, etc. It poses an enormous and wide-scale risk to the agriculture sector and it stands to intensify global poverty and hunger.

It is estimated that almost 40% of those species that armyworms target are economically important.

The fall armyworm was first detected in Central and Western Africa in early 2016 and has quickly spread to almost all maize growing countries in Africa and reached South Africa in 2017. Because of trade and the moth’s strong flying ability, it has the potential to spread further. The farmer’s livelihoods are at risk as the non-native insect threatens to reach Asia and Europe.

The Fall armyworm has been reported to cause annual losses of US$600 million in Brazil alone.

There are 208 million people dependent on maize for food security in sub-Saharan Africa. Maize also provides crucial income for small-holder farmers in the region.

Currently, more than 300 million Africans depend on maize as their main food source, and 46 of 53 countries in sub-Saharan Africa cultivate the crop.

Fall Army Worm has cost African economies billions of pounds in crop losses

Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (Cabi) chief scientist Dr. Matthew Cock said: “This invasive species is now a serious pest spreading quickly in tropical Africa and with the potential to spread to Asia.”

If proper control measures are not implemented, the fall armyworm could cause extensive maize yield losses of up to $6.2 billion per year in just 12 countries in Africa where its presence has been confirmed, according to the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI).

The damages are reported as follows:

Armyworm infestation breaches the Pacific

The recent spread of *Spodoptera frugiperda, *or Fall Armyworm (FAW), in Papua New Guinea’s Western Province is causing concern in the Pacific region.

Fall armyworm is a pest that preys on food crops such as maize (corn), sweet potato, vegetables, and wheat, and has the potential to cause significant damage to several important crops in PNG, including maize, sugarcane and rice.

The Pacific Community’s (SPC) Land Resources Division Pest and Management Advisor Fereti Atu warns the invasive pest can affect the region if precautions are not heeded. “We are closely monitoring the situation and have procured fall armyworm pheromone traps and lures from Costa Rica for distribution,” he said. “With the current rate of spread, the Melanesia island group faces a direct threat through this potential pathway initiated from Australia. It is now in PNG and next will very likely spread to the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, etc.”

Mr. Atu stated that the armyworm is also a biosecurity problem. “This moth is high flying, and it is very difficult to stop its spread. Moths caught in the whirlwind of cyclones in the southern belt from Africa to Southeast Asia could be one of the causes of it reaching the shores of Australia and then Papua. Stringent biosecurity measures, including lures at periphery of the infested area, should be adopted.”

Fall armyworm found near Broome

21 Apr 2020

The invasive pest fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) has been confirmed near Broome following earlier discovery of the pest in Kununurra.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has identified two specimens, the first collected on forage sorghum south of Broome and the second on Rhodes grass on a property east of Broome.

Fall armyworm is native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas.

Since 2016 it has rapidly spread to and throughout Africa, the Indian subcontinent, China and Southeast Asia. It has been found in north Queensland and the Northern Territory.

DPIRD is working with growers and industry to help ensure industries are prepared for and can minimise the impacts of fall armyworm.

Pheromone traps have been distributed in Kununurra, Broome, Carnarvon and Geraldton, as part of surveillance to help determine spread of the pest.

Is there any solution available to combat these pests?

Yes, to get rid of these pests we have an eco-friendly solution!

At C Tech Corporation, we provide you with Termirepel™ which is an insect aversive repellent. Termirepel™ is manufactured on the basis of green technology. It is extremely low toxic, non-hazardous, non-mutagenic and non-carcinogenic anti-insect aversive. Also, it is durable under extreme climatic conditions such as changes in temperature, rainfall, water pressure, etc.

Our product is ROHS, ROHS2, RoHS3, EU BPR, APVMA, NEA compliant and FIFRA exempted. Our product will not kill the targeted as well as non-targeted species but only repel which helps in maintaining the ecological balance of the earth.

Our product works on the mechanism of repellency. It temporarily inhibits the mating cycle of the insects. The product impairs the ability of the insects to reproduce, that is the insects will not lay eggs or the laid eggs will be infertile. The product causes feeding disruption in an insect by triggering an unpleasant reaction within the insect which might try to feed on the application. The product temporarily blocks the reproduction system of the insects by hindering the release of the vital hormones for growth.

Termirepel™ is available in three basic forms: Masterbatch, liquid concentrate, and lacquer.

Termirepel™ Masterbatch is specially made for polymeric applications and used as additives in their processing time. It can be incorporated into the polymeric applications like the agricultural films and mulches, irrigation pipes, tree guards, greenhouse films etc. used for crop cultivation purpose. The product can be incorporated into the cables, and other applications used for agriculture.

Termirepel™ liquid concentrate is to be mixed in paints in pre-determined proportion and can be applied on the concrete fences around farms. It can be used on the interior and exterior of storehouses used to store food grains and other agricultural produce.

Termirepel™ lacquer can be directly applied to the applications such as wooden fences, already installed pipes, wires, cables, etc.

The repelling mechanism of the product would debar the worm and other insects that could damage the crops. Thus Termirepel™ is the best protection against these invasive fall armyworms.

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Colorado potato beetles at large!!

Haldane discussed the prevalence of stars and beetles in his book “What is life?” published in the 1940s;

“The Creator would appear as endowed with a passion for stars, on the one hand, and for beetles on the other, for the simple reason that there are nearly 300,000 species of beetle known, and perhaps more, as compared with somewhat less than 9,000 species of birds and a little over 10,000 species of mammals. Beetles are actually more numerous than the species of any other insect order. That kind of thing is characteristic of nature.”

One among the 300,000 species is Colorado potato beetle. An adult beetle is around 10mm long and is orange or yellow with black or brown stripes. The beetle’s main food is potato leaves – a single larva can eat 40 sq cm of leaf per day.

The pretty yellow-and-black-striped Colorado potato beetle is native to wild Solanaceous plants of the semi-arid western United States. Colorado beetles are a serious pest of potatoes.. Both adults and larvae feed on foliage and may skeletonize the crop. . The problem with it began when the beetle broadened its gustatory interests to include cultivated plants in the same family, such as potato, eggplant, and tomato.

Going through the life cycle of the Colorado potato beetle, in late summer, Colorado potato beetles fly to nearby wooded areas and overwinter beneath bark or other cover. In mid-spring, they emerge and walk until they find potatoes or another suitable host plant. After a little light feeding, mated females lay clusters of orange eggs on leaf undersides. The eggs hatch about two weeks later, and the larvae feed for a couple of weeks before entering their pupal stage. In cool weather the entire life cycle can take 45 days or more, but 30 days is more typical. This means that a second generation can emerge at the perfect time to sabotage midseason potatoes.

Colorado potato beetle causes heavy monetary damages. The article named “Last Meal for Colorado potato beetle?” in USA Agriculture department gives the estimate of the economic loss due to the species, “The pest’s larvae devour the leaves of eggplant, tomato and potato plants, causing $150 million annually in crop losses and chemical control expenses”

The problem of Colorado potato beetle is mentioned in yet another article,

Japanese Beetles Are Treating Colorado Gardens Like a Buffet

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Ryan Hodnett.

Becky Talley 8/24/20

The irridescent, green-copper beetle is easy to spot. Getting rid of them on the other hand …

‘Tis the season for garden devastation and destruction, all at the seemingly insatiable appetite of a tiny beetle.

Enemy of the eggplant, lawbreaker of the lawn, scourge of the soil, bad guy of the backyard. You get the picture. Japanese beetles have made their annual appearance in Colorado gardens and are eating their way through their life cycle. It’s not hard to spot the beetle (they are actually kind of pretty) or their damage, which will leave lacey-looking holes on plant leaves—they are voracious consumers of hundreds of plant species, so basically everything is part of their buffet.

These invasive pests first came to the U.S. in the early 1900s, and they hitched a ride on nursery stock purchased from the Midwest in the early 1990s. They aren’t fans of dry conditions, but the lush, watered landscapes of urban areas in the state are the perfect breeding ground for beetle mania.

Some Growers Say Potato Beetle Becoming Intractable Problem

Anecdotal evidence suggests the Colorado potato beetle has increased its range in Estonia, and some farmers say the situation is dire, especially as the state declassified the colorful bug as a dangerous pest in 2011.

With potato fields flowering, ETV reported on one Saaremaa island field where the beetle had not been seen before, but which is experiencing a major infestation.

Officially, the farmers are advised to manually pluck the larvae and repeat every day, and only resort to pesticides for larger infestations.

There are some areas of Saaremaa where the beetle is well-established and can’t apparently be eradicated, farmers said.

Aadu Grepp, one farmer, said that beetles could be found on every fourth or fifth stalk in his fields.

“You have to spray with some toxin at the right time to get rid of it. In a couple days, it will eat a plant, leaving just a stalk.” He said it had been that bad for two or three years. “The bug hatches from the soil and and there’s nothing to do, the only cure is chemicals. There’s so many and it will return in a week or so.”

Grepp sprays his fields several times a year and said some Leisi growers had stopped planting potatoes.

The areas on Saaremaa affected tend to be on the coasts, as the adult beetle gets an assist from the wind. The biggest potato grower on the island, Guido Lindmäe, who has 22 hectares in the interior, says he yet to see a live beetle.

Opinions vary on whether the mainland is worse off. The Crop Research Institute’s Luule Tartlan says it is worse, while the Agricultural Board says that the potato beetle has ceased to be considered a dangerous pest as of 2011.

The Colorado potato beetle have shifted from its original wild hosts in southwestern North America, it has spread throughout the rest of the continent and has invaded Europe and Asia. Currently its distribution covers approximately 14 million km2 around the world. It has also started appearing in central Asia, western China and Iran. They have started appearing in new regions because of heavy export from the infected area.

Insecticides are currently the main method of beetle control on commercial farms.Colorado potato beetle has a legendary ability to develop resistance to a wide range of pesticides used for its control. Plants in the family Solanaceae, which are natural food sources for this insect, have high concentrations of rather toxic glycoalkaloids in their foliage. These toxins protect them from a wide range of herbivores. However, the Colorado potato beetles evolved an ability to overcome toxic defenses of its hosts. Apparently, this ability also allows them to adapt to a wide range of human-made poisons. Also, high beetle fecundity increases the probability that one of the numerous offspring mutates, just as buying 800 lottery tickets increases probability of getting a winning one compared to buying 8 lottery tickets.

Resistance mechanisms in the Colorado potato beetle are highly diverse even within a relatively narrow geographical area. Furthermore, the beetles show cross-resistance to organophosphates and carbamates, and multiple resistance to organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroids.

The immune powers of Colorado potato beetle have forced humans to look for solutions above the hazardous insecticides. C Tech Corporation provides a solution Termirepel™ which is very effective, long lasting and Green. The most important unique quality of the product is that it is non-toxic, non-hazardous and environment friendly. Termirepel™ helps keep termites, ants, beetles and 500 other species at bay and protects the application. They can be incorporated in agricultural films, mulches and irrigation pipes to protect the crops from the vicious pests. The product is available in the form masterbatch as well as liquid solution and is compatible with most the base polymers. The most important quality of the product is that it does not kill the target species but repels them.

We have a solution for the pest damages, for more details about our product just head on to our website-

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Pesky Lovebugs!

Ahh…..the lovebug! As you drive down the highways, you may encounter a nuisance in the form of splattered insects on your windshield, hood, and radiator grill. The nuisance may occur in joined pairs that are less than an inch long. Lovebugs can be a big hazard while driving. They love to swarm near roadways and as a result, cars that have driven through the clouds of these insects end up with decreased visibility and a need for a serious car wash! Although referred to as bugs these insects are actually flies. These insects often end up splatted on your windshield and front grill. Many of the cars coming off the highway are covered in insect gunk

They’re more closely related to biting midges and mosquitoes rather than other common bugs like grasshoppers or termites. Their bodies are black with redheads, and they’re usually seen in pairs. The lovebug (Plecia nearctica Hardy) is a species of fly that happens to flutter about as a male and female attached together. Both sexes are a dull black with a red blotch just behind the head.

Annoying to drive, they can swarm so thickly that driving through a cloud of lovebugs may impair your visibility while driving. There have been claims that the lovebug gunk, when left on the car, will etch the paint on a car. At times, the mating of lovebugs become so abundant in an area that they become a serious traffic hazard.

But why are they attracted to roads and vehicles? Lovebugs are attracted to automobile exhaust that has been irradiated with UV light (i.e., sunlight). It has been proposed that the chemicals in car exhaust, aldehydes, and formaldehyde, are similar to the chemicals released by decaying organic matter.Even heat is an attractant for lovebugs and heats radiating off asphalt may be attracting these insects. They love to swarm on automobiles as it a very good attractant for them.

Let us look at some evidence:

Pesky love bugs are back on the Suncoast creating a nuisance

Love bugs are back. (Source: WWSB)

May 12, 2020

SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. (WWSB) – They’re back! love bugs are swarming across the Suncoast. They are here every year, usually for a month around May and for another month around September.

“We don’t like them, it’s a lot of work to keep them off our cars, off our paint and off of our windshields,” said Stacy Young, a Myakka Head resident.

Although they are a nuisance, an expert with UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County says they are harmless.

“They don’t bite, they don’t sting, they’re here for one reason and one reason only, and that’s to reproduce,” said Carol Wyatt-Evens, a Chemicals in the Environment Agent for UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County.

Bug off! Florida locals complain about ‘extra annoying’ swarms of lovebugs invading the Sunshine State in mating season, splattering cars and sidewalks

Millions of lovebugs are descending upon Florida and plaguing local residents
The pesky insects splatter their guts and eggs on car windshields and bonnets
They swarm twice a year to mate but locals say this season is especially bad
Experts agree but say swarms of the invasive species were worse in the 1970s

By SOPHIE WINGATE

PUBLISHED: 9 May 2019

Massive swarms of lovebugs are turning Florida’s skies black as they descend upon the Sunshine State to mate.

Locals are calling it the worst invasion ever.

Despite their cute name, which comes from the insects flying around in mating pairs, they are a nuisance pest for residents.

Millions of lovebugs are invading Florida. The insects are attracted to the heat of highways and splatter their guts and eggs on windshields and bonnets

‘Instead of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, it’s the lovebugs,’ Okeechobee County resident Katrina Sheffield told WPTV.

‘They are absolutely everywhere. It’s horrendous.’

While they are around all year, the pesky bugs usually live underground and only form their dreaded swarms during their mating season in May and again in September.

Attracted by the heat of asphalt and vehicle fumes on highways, the swarms madden motorists as their guts and eggs splatter on windshields and hoods.

They often fly into joggers’ mouths, get caught in people’s hair and force outdoor restaurants to close.

Their carcasses speckle homes, businesses and sidewalks.

What can be done when such unwanted guest is invading on our vehicles.

The current methods which are being used to combat such pests are fumigation and toxic pesticides to combat against this pest menace. Fumigation is tedious and expensive. These pesticides kill the target as well as non-target species.

This problem needs to addressed immediately.

We have a solution for you!!!

We at C Tech Corporation offer a solution Termirepel^TM which is a non-toxic,non-hazardous additive that helps to keeps the lovebugs away from the vehicles. It is a broad spectrum repellent which works against almost 500 species of pestering bugs thus efficaciously keeping them away from the application.

Our products are available in the masterbatch, liquid concentrate(which can be mixed in paints in a predetermined ratio) and lacquer.

The product available in the form of liquid concentrate can be mixed with paints in a pre-determined ratio and can be applied on the interior and exterior of houses, offices, schools, hospitals, warehouses, etc. To repel these insects the product can be coated on the automobiles in liquid concentrate or lacquer form.

The masterbatch can be incorporated in polymer applications of automobiles to keep the pests away. The polymeric applications like wires and cables, pipes agricultural films and mulches, irrigation pipes etc. can be manufactured using our masterbatch.

The product available in the form of lacquer can be used as a direct application and used on most of the surfaces like wood, metal, polymer, concrete, ceramic. The lacquer can be applied on the wooden fences, metal decors, already installed applications like wires and cables, pipes, tree guards etc.

Termirepel^TM spray can be used to spray around the vehicles and car bonnet to keep the bugs away.

Our product works on the mechanism of repellency. It temporarily inhibits the mating cycle of the insects.

Termirepel™ is thermally stable and does not degrade on exposure to heat and sunlight. It does not kill or harm the insect but repels them. It does not volatilize and does not degrade the soil. It is RoHS, RoHS2, RoHS3, REACH, APVMA, NEA compliant and FIFRA exempted.

Also, visit our websites:
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http://www.rodrepel.com/
http://www.termirepel.com/
http://www.combirepel.com/

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Termite damage costing millions

Agricultural sector plays a strategic role in the process of economic development of a country. It has already made a significant contribution to the economic prosperity of advanced countries and its role in the economic development of less developed countries is of vital importance.

Pests, considered as an age-old enemy of agriculture, continue to thwart the sector by destroying the crops. Though tiny, they are capable of large-scale destruction. Termites can cause agricultural damage due to their voracious appetite for cellulose and, in other parts of the world, other materials. The exact dollar amount of loss due to termite damage is unknown in the agricultural world.

Agricultural damage can occur in several ways. First, the termite can infest the crop itself and limit the yield. Second, the termite can interfere with farming infrastructure such as by destroying poles that support fencing. Third, the termite can destroy containers used to ship agricultural products.

On average the pests are known to cause 10-16% agricultural produce loss. The insects attack several agricultural and horticultural crops. It is estimated that the loss accumulated due to damage to these crops may run to several millions of rupees per year. In North America, few crops are vulnerable to termites. However, termite species in other parts of the world may infest the actual crop and cause damage. Since termites are social insects and are in a colony, termite damage is generally concentrated and not widespread in a field. Locusts, for example, are not social and have no colonies, so when they attack a field it is in a quick and somewhat chaotic manner. Termites have been known to attack paper products including record keeping so the agribusiness is negatively affected. Packaging material has a long history of attack by termites.

Let us look at some news articles:

These new termites thrive South Florida’s moist environment — and they’re heading north

By Devoun Cetoute │June 21, 2019

A fearsome, invasive termite is moving its way through North Florida and growing in dangerous numbers.

The non-native Formosan termite infestation isn’t coming to South Florida. They are already here and in the billions.

The tropical non-native termite, hailing from Asia, traveled to Florida through shipping boats, said Paul Mitola, a Department of Agriculture environmental consultant.

And our sunshine state is the closet thing to heaven for the termite.

The termite thrives in moist environments and primarily eats cellulose, which can be find in wood, cardboard, fabrics and the backs of drywall and insulation, Mitola said.

Unfortunately, we are in the Formosan’s breeding season, which lasts from May to June, Mitola said. But the real problem isn’t their breeding, it’s the tireless work and damage the termites do.

Department of Agriculture issues ‘Stop Work Order’ against Sunland Pest Control
Sep 4, 2015, 25 WPBF

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services have issued a Stop Work Order prohibiting Sunland Pest Control from conducting any fumigation at this time. This comes after a Palm City boy suffered brain damage after termite fumigation at his Palm City Home. “We are aware of the tragic and heartbreaking incident involving Peyton, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is investigating Sunland Pest Control in collaboration with the EPA and the Department of Health,” the department said in a statement late Friday afternoon.

Peyton McCaughey turned 10 Thursday at Miami Children’s Hospital, barely able to turn his head, unable to stand up or talk. His family said the boy has suffered brain damage after termite fumigation on their house.

C Tech Corporation, an Indian company has come up with an impeccable solution to counteract problems caused by such insect. Termirepel ™ is a non-toxic, non-hazardous termite/insect repellent which has been designed for various polymeric applications as well as natural materials. It is a unique blend of green chemistry and smart technology which acts as an effective repellent and at the same time guarantees safety to the environment, plants, animals and fragile ecosystem.

The product available in the form of masterbatch can be incorporated into the base polymer of the polymeric applications like the wires and cables, pipes, household utilities, etc. to keep the pest away from the application.

The product available in the form of liquid concentrate can be mixed in paints and be applied on the interior and exterior of the houses, schools, hospitals, warehouses, offices etc. to keep these areas safe from these pests.

The product available in the form of lacquer form can be used as a direct application. The lacquer can be applied on the already installed applications like the wires and cable, pipes, metal decors, racks and pallets from stores rooms, etc.

Termirepel^™ insect repellent spray is an easy to use product. It can be used on surfaces after clearing the dust and waste from it in order to prevent it from damage and costly repairs.

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Brown plant hoppers – Threat to the rice fields

Rice is a necessary portion of diet for people all around the world. Also, it is one of the most produced plants in the world. Rice is grown in more than a hundred countries, with a total harvested area of approximately 158 million hectares, producing more than 700 million tons annually (470 million tons of milled rice). But this crop is under threat of a destructive pest called brown plant hopper.

The brown plant hoppers are small insects. The adults measure about 4-6 mm in length and 3-4 mm in width.

BPH are among the most important pests of rice, and rice is the major staple crop for about half the world’s population. They damage rice directly through feeding and by transmitting two viruses, rice ragged stunt virus and rice grassy stunt virus. Up to 60% yield loss is common in susceptible rice cultivars attacked by BPH. BPH prefers to feed on 45-50-day old plants.

The BPH are distributed in: Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, North and South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Symptoms will not be visible from outside in the early stages, but if we enter the field and tap the plants’ large number of this insect can be seen. They are visible only when the damage has been severe, the plants present a burnt-up appearance.

Both the nymphs and adults remain at the ground level and suck the plant sap. It is a typical vascular feeder primarily sucking phloem sap leading to hopper burn.

At early infestation, circular yellow patches appear which soon turn brownish due to the drying up of the plants. The patches of infestation then may spread out and cover the entire field.

The grain setting is also affected to a great extent. During sustained feeding, it excretes a large amount of honeydew. It also acts as a vector of the virus diseases like a grassy stunt, wilted stunt, and ragged stunt.

News was reported in Odhisha TV that Brown Plant Hopper Attack: Farmers Gherao Agri Official In Sambalpur

By Odishatv Bureau On Oct 24, 2017 – Odhisha TV
Sambalpur: The increased worries of farmers over brown plant hopper (BPH) attack on the paddy and non-paddy crops in Sambalpur district took a different turn today with the farmers’ union today staging a demonstration outside the Deputy Director of Agriculture’s office here. The farmers gheraoed the district deputy director of agriculture by forcing him to sit down in an open space to apprise him of their problems along with measures to mitigate the issue.

Following the gherao, Sambalpur DDA Pradosh Samal shot a letter to the deputy director of agriculture, Bhubaneswar with detailed block-wise information on the BPH destruction in paddy and non-paddy crops. The letter addressed to Deputy Director of Agriculture, Bhubaneswar, stated that of the total 20 blocks in the district, 9 are badly affected by the pest. As many as 534 villages under 137 panchayats are affected due to the pest menace, the letter added.

Single variety paddy seeds reason for pest attacks in Odisha: AIKMS

BERHAMPUR, JANUARY 22, 2018 – The Hindu

According to experts, no seed variety is to be used continuously for more than a decade
Unscientific use of single variety of paddy seeds by farmers for more than a decade is the key reason behind the large-scale destruction of standing crops by pests like brown planthopper in Odisha, the All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha (AIKMS) has said.

The organization came to the conclusion after conducting its own ground-level study. Through its practical experimentation, it has also proved that organic cultivation of traditional paddy seed breeds makes it immune to such pests in the State.

Brown Plant Hopper: A surgical strike that farmers in India’s granary were least prepared for

Written by Harish Damodaran | The Indian Express | Published: October 27, 2016

Hot and dry weather raises the chances of whitefly attacks, as Punjab’s farmers discovered for cotton last year. This year, it is humid and warm conditions, particularly in September, that has put paid to their hopes of a bumper paddy harvest. The villain: an innocuous-looking insect called the brown plant hopper (BPH).

Unlike most other pests, this one typically strikes very late, when the paddy crop is already 80-90 days old and in the final grain-filling stage. The female moths lay eggs from early-September that hatch within 10 days. The larvae emerging from them are the real baddies. These immature nymphs settle at the lower stem or culm of the paddy plant, from where they start sucking the sap. Since this sap rich in carbohydrates is transported through the phloem tissues to the grains that are still forming, it being sucked also impacts filling.

Traditionally many pesticides have been used to prevent the nuisance caused by these insects but all of them have proved ineffective. Now, we no longer should depend on these conventional, toxic insecticides to deal with these pests!

So, what to use to keep these pests away?

Termirepel^TM a C Tech Corporation product is best to deal with the nuisance caused by these pests.

Our Termirepel^TMmasterbatch can be incorporated in the agricultural films, polymer mulches, green house films, polymer sprinklers, irrigation pipes, plastic parts from pumps and tractors used in the fields.

The product in form of liquid concentrate can be mixed in paints and be painted on the concrete walls around the farms.

Our lacquer product can be applied on already installed applications. The lacquer is compatible with most of the surfaces like metals, wood, polymers, concrete etc.

Termirepel^TMdoes not kill the target species but only repels them thus balancing the ecology and thus helping in maintaining the goal of sustainability.

This product work on the mechanism of sustainability and green technology and therefore significant in today’s time and date as ecology salvation has become the prime focus.

Get in touch with us at technical.marketing@ctechcorporation.com to combat the menace caused by brown plant hopper and other insects.

Also visit our websites:
http://www.ctechcorporation.com/
http://www.rodrepel.com/
http://www.termirepel.com/
http://www.combirepel.com/

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Do they burrow into human ears?

It can be frightening and uncomfortable knowing that you are sharing your living space with creepy and unusual insects. One common insect that many people find frightening and alarming when they are found in their home, is the earwig.

Earwigs get their name from an old superstition that they crawl into the ears of a sleeping person and bore into the brain.

Primarily night feeders, the common earwig is considered to be an insect pest when it feeds on soft plant shoots, such as corn silks, and eats small holes in foliage and flowers. Sometimes ripened fruits are infested, but the damage is usually tolerable. It can be particularly damaging to seedlings.

These slender red-brown insects (3/4 inch long) with elongated, flattened bodies are distinguished by a pair of sharp pincers at the tail end, which they use for capturing prey and mating. There approximately 1,800 species of earwig in the world. Twenty-two species are found in the United States, 12 of which are introduced from other countries. Five species represent pests in homes. A few species have wings, although it is not a strong flier, and usually crawls in search of food.

Earwigs will feed on a variety of vegetation, such as clover, dahlias, zinnias, butterfly bush, hollyhock, lettuce, cauliflower, strawberry, sunflowers, celery, peaches, plums, grapes, potatoes, roses, seedling beans and beets, and tender grass shoots and roots.

Adults overwinter in the soil. Females lay 20-50 cream-colored eggs in underground nests during January and February, and the newly hatched nymphs first appear in April. Nymphs are protected in the nest and do not leave until after the first molt when they must fend for themselves. Young earwigs develop gradually, passing through 4-5 nymphal instars before becoming adults. They are similar in appearance to adults, but lack wings and the large-sized pincers. Most species in this country have one generation per year.

These insects tend to congregate in great numbers there and if you happen to pick up that particular plant, they will get inside your home causing destruction.

Earwigs have been a nuisance this summer both inside the home and out. They are found in bathrooms, kitchens, and basements in addition to outside in the mulch or the birdfeeder.

These insects live together outdoors in large numbers.

Most domestic earwigs prefer moist soil areas with adequate cover and food source. Domestic earwigs and young especially cannot tolerate dry and sunny areas for long. Earwigs can be found under piles of lawn debris, mulch or in tree holes. Even container plants and hanging baskets are a target for earwigs since they are excellent climbers. They gain entry to a structure through exterior cracks. Apartments and homes become an unintentional host to earwigs for two reasons. These insects can invade by accident though human activities or they can actively seek to escape inclement outdoor conditions in our space. If earwigs are snacking on the leaf margins of your seedlings. Occasionally earwigs are carried directly into a facility with the delivery of potted plants, firewood, or other materials. When the substrate dries out, earwigs leave in search of a more humid environment and food.

It is very common to remove the vegetation cover and see dozens of earwigs scurrying about to find hiding places. These common entry points include gaps around poorly sealed doors and windows; through crevices and gaps in the areas where foundations meet siding; through the unscreened attic and foundation vents; and through access doors leading into crawl spaces. In addition, earwigs readily enter structures through homeowner activities.

Earwig invasion: Pincer bugs wriggle into S.F. homes

Ryan T Heuer, Argus LeaderPublished 9:01 a.m. CT July 1, 2016

Earwigs surprisingly want nothing to do with your ears but would like to settle in your home. Here’s what you need to know about these insects.
Kristy Seiler returned from a peaceful vacation to find her home overrun by six-legged intruders.

“They were everywhere,” said Seiler. “In the sinks, in the drain, in the gas burner, in my son’s keyboard, on the walls. … We didn’t know what they were.”
A Google search revealed the answer: earwigs.

The sight of the tiny, roach-like pincer bugs was enough to make Seiler want to move, she said, but her home isn’t the only one to be invaded this summer.

Weather drawing out earwigs in large numbers on Central Coast

Posted: Oct 22, 2016 10:20 AM ISTUpdated: Oct 22, 2016 12:00 PM IST

By Angel Russell

With the warm weather this week, coastal residents are seeing an increase in certain critters in and around their homes.

They’re called earwigs, also known as pincher bugs or pincer bugs, and this week they’ve been coming out a lot more because of the switch in the weather.

Mary Cottle of Morro Bay was out on her porch this week when she noticed her garden overrun by the intruders.

“They are all over the place. They were crawling on my windows,” said Cottle. She says not only were the earwigs crawling around her, the uninvited guests tried to follow her inside her home. “They were very, very much trying to get into my house. It was like a horror movie.”

But her home isn’t the only one to be invaded this week. Exterminators at Brezden Pest Control have been busy picking up phone calls.

“It’s been pretty non-stop this week,” said Josh Leonard of Brezden Pest Control. “Mostly people calling from Morro Bay, Cambria and Cayucos.”
C Tech Corporation can offer an eco-friendly solution to problems from earwigs.

Our product Termirepel^TM is low-toxic, non-hazardous and insect aversive.

Termirepel^TM is available in liquid concentrate which can be diluted in paints as well as available in lacquer form. These products can be directly sprayed or applied on the application. Our product is compliant with RoHS, RoHS2, ISO, APVMA, NEA, REACH and is FIFRA exempted.

The product available in the form of liquid concentrate can be mixed with paints and can be applied to the interior and exterior of homes, hospitals, schools, offices, industries etc. The product is compatible with all types of paints and does not alter the properties of the paints.

The product available in the form of lacquer is a direct application and is compatible with most of the surfaces like wood, concrete, polymer, metal etc.

Our product available in the form of masterbatch can be incorporated into the polymeric applications while they are manufactured to keep them safe from pest attack.

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Corn earworms – Responsible for your yield loss!

The hybrid of few pests is causing a havoc for the crop cultivators. The corn earworm and bollworms are few of the insects whose hybrids are difficult to manage. We have known about bollworm in one of the previous blogs. Now, it’s time to know about corn earworms.

Let me tell you that the estimated annual cost of the damage caused by corn earworms is more than US$100 million.

Corn earworms are mostly found in the temperate and tropical regions of North America and the eastern United States. They regularly migrate from southern regions to northern regions depending upon the winter conditions. Corn earworms are considered as the second most economic species in North America.

Corn earworms have the ability to lay eggs around 500 to 3000 which are deposited on leaf hairs and corn silks. In the larval stage after hatching from eggs, they feed on reproductive structures of plants. The larval stage of corn earworms is considered as the most destructive stage.

Mature larvae usually have orange heads, black thorax plates, and the body color mostly black. Their body colors can also be brown, pink, green, and yellow with many thorny micro spines. They usually migrate to the soil where they pupate for 12 to 16 days. They pupate 5 to 10 cm below the earth surface.

Adult moths have forewings that are yellowish brown in color and have a dark spot located in the center of their body. The moths have a wingspan ranging from 32 to 45mm and live over thirty days in optimal condition Adult moths collect nectar or other plant exudates from a large number of plants, and live for 12 to 16 days.

Corn earworms have the large host plant range encompassing corn and many other crop plants such as tomato, cabbage, eggplant, cucumber, melon, okra, pea, sweet potato, etc.

The corn earworm feeds on every part of corn, including the kernels. Severe feeding at the tip of kernels allows entry for diseases and mold growth. Larvae penetrate 9 to 15 cm into the ear, with deeper penetration occurring as the kernels harden. Larvae do not eat the hard kernels, but take bites out of many kernels, lowering the quality of the corn for processing.

There are various ways for combating against corn earworms. But those methods are found ineffective as these smart insects have developed resistance against all the methods. They are attacking the crops and the evidence for the same is noted below:

Hybrid swarm of ‘mega-pests’ threatens crops worldwide, warn scientists

New strain could be significant biosecurity risk and has potential to go ‘completely undetected’

Josh Gabbatiss Science Correspondent Saturday 7 April 2018

A pair of major agricultural pests have combined to produce a “mega-pest” that could threaten crops around the world.

Losses from the original pest species, cotton bollworms and corn earworms, already amounts to billions of dollars worth of food.

But a hybrid of the two, shows signs of rapidly developing resistance to pesticides and it scientists fear it could cross international boundaries undetected, wiping out all the crops it comes across.

Insect resistant Bt corn losing effectiveness against earworm, study finds

Graham Binder | January 23, 2017 | Phys.org

A UMD-led study provides new evidence of a decline in the effectiveness of genetically engineered traits widely used to protect corn crops from insects. This loss of effectiveness could damage U.S. corn production and spur increased use of potentially harmful insecticides.

Corn crops engineered with genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) express specific proteins called Cry proteins (endotoxins) that, when ingested, kill crop pests like the earworm. Because the Bt protein is very selective…[and] less harmful than broad-spectrum insecticides.

In 2015, 81 percent of all corn planted was genetically engineered with Bt. Recently however, certain states, most notably North Carolina and Georgia, have experienced increased corn ear damage, setting the stage for risk of damage to corn production across a large portion of the country.

Since from the evidence we came to know that the corn earworms have developed resistance to many pesticides. By manipulation of crops genes we do develop the crop resistance to many insects but at the time the insects also develop resistance.

Hence there is a need of using an external but effective method to save our crops from these pesky corn earworms.

Such a method is to use Termirepel^TM an eco-friendly insect aversive. Termirepel^TM is developed on the basis of green chemistry and technology to protect the crops against a broad spectrum of insects.

Termirepel^TM can be used in the fields by various ways in order to provide the best protection to crops from corn earworms.

Termirepel^TM works on the mechanism of repellency. It temporarily inhibits the mating cycle of the insects. The product impairs the ability of the insects to reproduce, that is the insects will not lay eggs or the laid eggs will be infertile. The product causes feeding disruption in an insect by triggering an unpleasant reaction within the insect which might try to feed on the application. The product temporarily blocks the reproduction system of the insects by hindering the release of the vital hormones for growth.

Termirepel^TM is an extremely low concern, low toxic, nonhazardous, non-carcinogenic and non-mutagenic insect aversive.

Termirepel^TM provides you an economically feasible and effective solution against insects.

Termirepel^TM does not kill or cause harm to insects as well as to the environment which indirectly helps to maintain the ecological balance.

Termirepel™ is thermally stable and does not degrade on exposure to heat and sunlight. It does not kill or harm the insect but repels them. It does not volatilize and does not degrade the soil. It is RoHS, RoHS2, ISO, REACH, APVMA, NEA compliant and FIFRA exempted.

Don’t you think you must take the immediate step to protect the crops from these major agriculture pests?

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Nuisance caused by mountain pine beetles

The forest cover in North America apparently turns red. But isn’t it supposed to be green?

The trees can’t help themselves at times. These are the times when the mountain pine beetles attack these trees and disturb their appearance.

The mountain beetle menace is not limited to the appearance of the trees. They literally kill the trees once they attack the trees.

Mountain Pine Beetles just don’t attack trees from the mountains. They’ve made their way to cities and towns, sometimes even catching a ride into town on firewood.

The mountain pine beetle has a one-year life cycle in most of its range but may take more or less time to complete its development, depending on local temperatures. Adult beetles usually disperse in July or August, depending on the region, to colonize new host trees.

In western North America, the current outbreak of the mountain pine beetle and its microbial associates has destroyed wide areas of lodgepole pine forest, including more than 16 million of the 55 million hectares of forest in British Columbia.

According to an annual assessment by the United State’s forest service, 264,000 acres of trees in Colorado were infested by the mountain pine beetle at the beginning of 2013. This was much smaller than the 1.15 million acres that were affected in 2008 because the beetle has already killed off most of the vulnerable trees.

Beetle killed trees impede elk and elk hunters

November 25, 2014 By Kelsey Dayton

For 17 years Jeff Corson has owned property on the Medicine Bow National Forest near Baggs and Encampment. Walking through the woods, both hiking in the summer and stalking elk in the fall, he’s noticed more and more deadfall.

“It’s a lot harder for me to get around,” he said. “And there’s still a lot left to fall.”

As of 2013, more than half of Medicine Bow’s 1.3 million acres were impacted by the mountain pine beetle. The epidemic has receded, but in the aftermath, forests are left with thousands of acres of trees that are dead and falling. Those same trees that make it difficult for Corson to get around could also present challenges for elk on the move.

Small pine beetle destroying large Ocean County Park

By Nora Muchanic , Tuesday, June 14, 2016

LAKEWOOD, N.J. (WPVI) – Some of the trees in Lakewood, New Jersey have stood for over 100 years, planted by oil tycoon and conservationist John D. Rockefeller at what was once his country estate.

It’s now Ocean County’s flagship park where over 1,000 trees have recently been cut down due to an infestation of the relentless and aggressive southern pine beetle.

“If we don’t get a handle on it, these little pine beetles will destroy the trees. They go from one to another,” Ocean County Parks Superintendent Mary Jane Bavais said.

Rich Reenstra, the Ocean County forester, says the southern pine beetle is the size of a grain of rice. It bores into a tree’s bark to feed and breed, injecting a fungus that looks like a dark line.

“That fungus actually girdles the tree and kills below the bark the tree’s ability to transport water,” Reenstra said.

The beetles basically starve the tree, killing its leaves and causing bare branches. The trees try to fight back pushing the invaders out in a sticky ball of sap, but it doesn’t always work.

To stop the nuisance caused by these bugs there is a need for an effective solution and C Tech Corporation has one!

The unique product Termirepel^TM manufactured by C Tech Corporation is an anti-insect aversive which repels insects.

Termirepel^TM is available in the form of the masterbatch, which can be incorporated with the polymeric applications like tree guards, pipes, agricultural films, wires, and cables, etc. to keep insects at bay.

The product available in the form of liquid concentrate can be mixed in paints in a predetermined ratio and lacquer which can be applied topically on the applications.

The product available in the form of lacquer can be used as a topical application and can be applied on the tree trunks to keep the pests at a distance from the trees.

To keep the insects at the bay Termirepel^TM lacquer can be sprayed or coated on the tree trunks.

The product is also effective against a multitude of other insects and pests like beetles, mayflies, thrips, aphids, etc. The repelling mechanism of the product would ward off the boxelder bugs and other insects that could cause damage. Thus, by using Termirepel^TM would effectively ensure that the area around us remain safe and protected from the pests for a long period of time.

Why resort to killing when we can just repel them!?

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Beware, they are invading- Japanese Beetles

Imagine certain beetles are attacking plants in your garden or fields and all you could do is nothing. An infestation of Japanese beetles can be very disheartening. They are a threat to gardeners and farmers everywhere because of their voracious appetite.

Japanese beetles are most active during warm, sunny days. The adults immediately begin feasting on whatever plants are available once they emerge from the ground in spring (June).

Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) originates from north-eastern Asia where it is native in northern Japan and in the far east of Russia. In the USA, P. japonica is established in all states boarding, or east of the Mississippi River, with the possible exception of Florida. Several western states have isolated established populations of the beetle. The beetle has also spread in parts of South Africa, southeastern highlands of Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand and also in eastern Canada.

Japanese beetles are a menace insect pest in the home landscape, vegetable garden, and fruit orchard. With the potential to have large population numbers, they can be found eating almost any plant in sight. They have the potential to literally destroy some plants in a manner of hours.

Beetles can feed over an entire soybean field and cause their damage. They also defoliate asparagus, nearly all varieties of grapes, and many fruit-bearing trees, especially apple, cherry, plum, and peach. Beetles can aggregate and feed in large numbers on the fruit of early-ripening varieties of apple, peach, nectarine, plum, raspberries, and quince.

In the USA, adult Japanese beetle has been observed feeding on at least 295 species of plants in 79 plant families (Fleming, 1972a). These include small fruits, tree fruits, vegetable and garden crops, field crops, woody and herbaceous ornamentals, shade trees, various weeds, and many non-economic species. Maize is one field crop seriously damaged in North America. Economic damage has been recorded on a variety of species.

Japanese beetle larvae feed off the roots of grass plants and cover crops, so it’s important for farmers with cover crops to watch for beetle pressure. Once the larvae become a beetle, it only lives for 30 to 40 days. However, during that time it can cause significant crop damage.

Leaves are decimated and can no longer support the plant. When the leaves have many holes and gaps in their tissue, they are no longer able to spread nutrients effectively nor photosynthesize, and the whole plant will eventually die.

Japanese Beetles could wreak havoc on Colorado foliage this summer

Eric Lupher│Apr 14, 2018

DENVER — It’s that time of year when the trees start blooming and we all start planting. The Colorado Department of Agriculture, however, says the Japanese Beetle will once again wreak havoc on some of our landscapes come the summer months. The very invasive species first started showing up in Colorado in 2006 and they haven’t gone away. The adult beetles eat away at fruits and some tree leaves.

Hordes of Japanese beetles are invading Iowa vineyards
Donnelle Eller │July 15, 2017

Julianna and Andy Hrasky got a nasty surprise when they returned home last month: Thousands of Japanese beetles were eating their way through their western Iowa vineyard.
The pests are invading the state in numbers few Iowans have experienced before.

Grapes and other fruit trees and vines are among the pests’ favorite feasts, but they’re also eating foliage from trees, shrubs and flowers and wreaking havoc with home gardens and flower beds.

About 50-60 percent of Iowa vineyards are spraying pesticides for Japanese beetles, White said.
The Hraskys estimate the pests caused their winery about $20,000 in losses from the one variety. The couple must drop the fruit, with three-fourths of the foliage eaten away.

This shows that these small bugs can cause a huge bite. This menace needs to be stopped. Also, the solution to stop the nuisance has to be effective and environment-friendly.

Efforts are being made to control the spread of this pest. Using beetle traps, insecticidal soaps, even the insecticides. But all of these proved to be of no use. Research conducted at the University of Kentucky showed that the traps attract many more beetles than are actually caught.

Insecticidal soaps are not effective at controlling the Japanese beetle. The insecticides have adverse effects on human health. Also, it affects the non-target species.

C Tech Corporation has a solution to these Japanese beetle menace

C Tech Corporation has introduced an insect aversive named Termirepel^TM.

Termirepel^TM is extremely low toxic, thermally stable and does not degrade on exposure to heat and sunlight. It does not kill or harm the insect but repels them. It does not volatilize and does not degrade the soil. It is RoHS, RoHS2, REACH, ISO, APVMA, NEA compliant and FIFRA exempted.

Our Termirepel^TM masterbatch can be incorporated in the agricultural films, polymer materials, greenhouse films, polymer sprinklers, irrigation pipes, plastic parts from pumps and tractors used in the fields.

The product in form of liquid concentrate can be mixed in paints and be painted on the concrete walls around the farms and gardens. It can be applied to the warehouses where the fruits or crops are stored. The liquid concentrate is compatible with all kinds of paints and solvents.

Our lacquer product can be applied to already installed applications. The lacquer is compatible with most of the surfaces like metals, wood, polymers, concrete etc. It can be applied on the wooden fences around the farms and already installed pipes.

Termirepel^TM does not kill the target species but only repels them thus balancing the ecology and thus helping in maintaining the goal of sustainability.

Our products are a blend of green chemistry and smart technology. The product does not have any adverse effect on humans. Therefore significant in today’s time and date as ecology salvation has become the prime focus.

Get in touch with us at technical.marketing@ctechcorporation.comto combat the menace caused by Japanese beetles and other insects.

Also, visit our websites:

http://www.ctechcorporation.com/
http://www.rodrepel.com/
http://www.termirepel.com/
http://www.combirepel.com/

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Tick Tick Tick errr Tick

Perhaps no feeling gives humans the creeps like that of finding a tick crawling on them and the same applies when they find a tick on their dog. There is frequently hysteria about the blood-sucking habits of ticks and the diseases they can potentially transmit to us and our pets.

Tick species are widely distributed around the world, but they tend to flourish more in countries with warm, humid climates, because they require a certain amount of moisture in the air to undergo metamorphosis, and because low temperatures inhibit their development from egg to larva. Ticks are also widely distributed among host taxa, which include marsupial and placental mammals, birds, reptiles such as snakes, iguanas, and lizards, and amphibians. Some of the most debilitating species occur in tropical countries. Tropical ticks affect most domestic animals and occur in Africa and the Caribbean.

In general, ticks are to be found wherever their host species occur. Migrating birds carry ticks with them on their journeys; a study of migratory birds passing through Egypt found more than half the bird species examined were carrying ticks. The species of tick often differed between the autumn and spring migrations, probably because of the seasonal periodicities of the different species.

Ticks can detect their hosts via body odor, temperature, moisture, and vibration. The sensory organ which helps in identification of potential hosts is located on the legs. Ticks are not able to fly or jump. When they identify the ideal host, ticks crawl until they find a suitable place to attach themselves. They prefer skin on the area of head, neck, and ears because it is soft and can be penetrated easily.

Did you know that ticks require a blood meal to survive?! That’s right! Ticks require blood for sustenance. If a tick bites you, it’ll probably stick around for a few days. A single adult female can consume 0.6 mL of blood or more. The first thing the tick will likely do is look for a good spot to set up its proverbial picnic basket. Then it starts meal prep, sometimes for as long as two hours. Since some ticks are relatively small, the larva can be smaller than a millimeter, there’s a good chance you won’t notice one’s on you. Next, the tick burrows its creepy little head into your skin, unpacks its feeding tube, and spits out a cocktail of blood-thinning, skin-numbing, human-immune-system-fighting saliva. Then it’ll likely feed for about 2 to 3 days, and, if it’s a female, can swell up to nearly in double its normal size—which is useful for when it needs to lay eggs. They produce around 2000 eggs that are usually laid under the pile of leaves. Ticks can survive from 2 months to 2 years, depending on the species. Also, they can survive without food 200 days.

“It’s not like a mosquito, which stays on you for a few minutes,” says Peter Krause, MD, a senior research scientist in epidemiology and microbial diseases at the Yale School of Public Health.

Unlike many other biting pests, ticks are adapted to feed for long periods of time. They bury their curved teeth deeply into the skin of a host, so they can remain securely attached for days on end to eat. It’s important to note that ticks typically require 24-48 hours of feeding before they can successfully transmit infections. There about 850 tick species, some of which are capable of transmitting diseases such as Lyme disease, Ehrlichia, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The spinose ear tick has a worldwide distribution, the young feeding inside the ears of cattle and wild animals. Ticks of domestic animals cause considerable harm to livestock by transmission of many species of pathogen, as well as causing anaemia and damaging wool and hides.

Tick, Tick, Tick: Blood-Sucking Menace May Get Early Start

By RICK FOSTER, The Sun Chronicle

ATTLEBORO, Mass. (AP) — Ticks are normally thought of as a menace mostly in the warmer months when children, pets, and adults spend more time outdoors and bring home the hitchhiking insects.

But thanks to recent rain and snowfall together with a warmer February, they may be getting a head start this year.

“Warm weather tends to bring them out,” said Lauren Gordon, director of the Audubon Society’s Oak Knoll Wildlife Sanctuary, who added that she got a reminder of tick season recently when she had to remove one from her son. “We’re reminding hikers to take precautions and do tick checks to make sure they’re not taking ticks with them.”

While the deer tick is typically smaller than the dog tick, it’s difficult for most people to differentiate between the two. Experts recommend avoiding both types.

Lyme disease is on the rise in Ontario — here’s how to protect yourself
By Trevor Dunn, CBC News Posted: May 19, 2017

Officials are warning about Lyme disease with warmer weather and an increase in blacklegged ticks

Ontario public health officials are asking residents to watch out for ticks, the tiny arachnids that can spread Lyme disease.

Dr. Curtis Russell, a biologist with Public Health Ontario, told CBC Radio’s Metro Morning that the agency is tracking a “steady increase” in the number of cases of Lyme disease.

“We’re also seeing an increase in the number of blacklegged ticks, which is the only tick that can transmit Lyme disease in Ontario,” Russell said on Friday.

This shows that these small creatures can cause a huge nuisance. This menace needs to be stopped. Also, the solution to stop the nuisance caused by the midges has to effective and environment-friendly. You’ll find all sorts of tick removal suggestions on the Internet, according to a review in the British Medical Journal. People recommend rubbing petroleum jelly, gasoline, nail polish, or 70% isopropyl alcohol over the tick’s mouthparts, ostensibly to “suffocate” it. The problem is, say the researchers, none of these methods actually work—ticks can survive long periods without air. So trying these methods is of no use.

C Tech Corporation has a solution to tick menace.

We, at C Tech Corporation, have thought about this problem in detail and have come up with a viable solution. The solution is named as Termirepel™. We are the sole manufacturers of the product Termirepel™.

Our company believes in the principles of sustainability and eco-balance. We do not want to imbalance the cycle of life; therefore Termirepel™ can be easily described as insect aversive, used also against all types of insects.

Our product available in the form of masterbatch can be incorporated into the polymeric applications like the polymeric pet house, food containers used to store pet food, polymeric home appliances etc.

The product available in the form of liquid concentrate can be incorporated in the paints and can be used on the interior and exterior of the pet houses, pet shops, human houses, hospitals, schools etc.

The product available in the form of lacquer can be applied as a topical application and can be used on the already installed applications like furniture, fences, wires and cables, pipes etc. The lacquer is compatible with most of the surfaces like wood, polymer, metal, concrete, ceramic etc.

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Bed bug – A disaster in schools

Nights are sleepless when you have to share your bed with the creatures who are responsible for the red bumps and itchy patches on your body. Waking up in the morning with red bumps and itchy patches is the most irritating.

I am speaking of the pesky pests called bed bugs!

What if the same creatures are found in the schools?

Without any doubt, they are found in schools as well.

You don’t believe?

Just peep down.

Baldwinsville schools to use bed bug-sniffing dogs after finding insect

Updated on October 11, 2017

By James T. Mulder
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — After finding a bed bug in one of its schools, the Baldwinsville Central School District plans to use specially trained bed bug-sniffing dogs to search all of its buildings to see if there are more of the insects.

The district notified parents today that it found one bed bug at Ray Middle School.

Bed bugs found at Shreveport elementary school

By: Marquel Sennet

Posted: Apr 07, 2017

Shreveport, LA – Bed bugs lurk in cracks and crevices. They’re about the size of an apple seed and are flat and round. On April 4th the nurse at J.S. Clark Elementary School found active bed bugs on a student.

The Director of Elementary Schools, Brenda McDonald says in her 30 years with Caddo Parish Public Schools this is the first incident of bed bugs that she’s been made aware of at a school.

Wondering if schools are safe for our children.
The sensitive, naive lads go schools and come back with bug bites.

Even schools are not barred by the pests, no matter by what source they enter the schools.

Bed bugs usually enter schools on the clothes or belongings of students, staff, volunteers or visitors. While the bugs may come from these individuals’ homes, it is also possible they picked them up from classmates, transportation vehicles or some other source on their way to school. They get into the schools through the items students carry transport back and forth from home to schools.

Their tiny bodies enable them to fit into tiniest crevices. The wooden benches and seats are nesting sites for these insects. Bedbugs are often found in the wooden furniture and different frames used in schools. They hide in the couches, mattresses, walls, and ceiling. The bedbugs can be found on the seats from the buses used for transportation of students.

They take around 10 mins to complete a blood meal and can consume 2-5 times of their own body weight. They feed on any bare skin exposed, like face, neck, arms, hands, etc. Skin reactions are commonly associated with bed bug bites which result from the saliva injected during feeding. The common allergic reactions include the development of large welts that are accompanied by itching and inflammation.

There are chances that multiple students/people from the school are responsible for getting the bedbugs in the schools. Checking everyone entering the school won’t be the solution.

Schools need an effective solution to prevent the bed bugs from biting the students and other people from the school. Such a solution is available with C Tech Corporation.

Termirepel^TM is an extremely low toxic, non-hazardous, non-mutagenic and non-carcinogenic anti-insect aversive.

Termirepel^TM is developed on green technology and chemistry. It is effective against a broad spectrum of insects such as bed bugs, wasps, whiteflies, termites, beetles etc.

Termirepel™ is thermally stable and does not degrade on exposure to heat and sunlight. It does not kill or harm the insect but repels them. It does not volatilize and does not degrade the soil. It is RoHS, RoHS2, REACH, ISO, APVMA, NEA compliant and FIFRA exempted.

Our product in the form of liquid concentrate can be mixed with paints in a pre-determined and can be applied on the interior and exterior of the schools. The kitchen, pantry, canteens and other food eating places can be painted using our product. The product is safe to be used in the classrooms and around children. The liquid concentrate can be used with the paints used to coat the school buses. The bud bug repellent can be sprayed on the couches, seats, mattresses, dusters, etc. used in the schools.

Since the bed bugs hide in the crevices and corners of the wooden articles, these can be coated using our lacquer. The lacquer is a topical application and is compatible with most of the surfaces like wood, metal, ceramic, polymer, concrete etc.

Our product available in the form of masterbatch can be incorporated into the polymeric application used in schools and can be used while manufacturing polymeric benches, seats, chairs, playing instruments, wires, and cables, pipes etc.

Follow us on our Twitter pages at:
1] https://twitter.com/rodrepel
2] https://twitter.com/termirepel
3] https://twitter.com/combirepel

Pest with horns: Rhinoceros beetle

The name for these creatures come from the horns they possess.

But these horns are used for destroying the trees and to feed on their sap!

The rhinoceros beetle is a pest species occurring throughout many tropical regions of the world. Adults can cause extensive damage to economically important wild and plantation palms.

Although it is found in several regions of the world, its shape, size, and color are generally consistent. Adult beetles range from 1.2 to 2.5 inches in length and are dark brown or black. The ventral surface (underside) of males and females has reddish-brown hairs, but the female has a fuzzy grouping of these hairs at the tip of the abdomen. Both males and females possess a similarly sized horn used for leverage when moving within tightly-packed leaves or within the cavities, they create in the crown of palms, the horn length is longer on average for males.

Rhinoceros Beetles have two sets of wings and can fly. The outer set of wings protects the real working wings underneath. Because of the horns lightweight and hollow characteristics, it does not interfere with the beetle’s ability to fly.

The rhinoceros beetle’s diet consists mainly of rotting fruits, tree sap, and wood from decaying trees.

Locating them can be difficult due to the beetle’s nocturnal activity and residence within trees. Visual signs such as holes bored at the base of leaves and V-shaped feeding damage help locate this beetle.

Rhinoceros beetles are the strongest animals on the planet, proportionally. They can lift up to 850 times their own weight. To put this into perspective, if a human of average height and weight had the strength of the rhinoceros beetle, it would be able to lift a 65-ton object.

Rhinoceros Beetles can fly strongly and are attracted to lights at night. They are generally noticed when they come to house lights or when they are seen lying beneath street lights and on the concrete tarmacs of petrol stations.

The horns of the males are used for fighting—both over females and for feeding sites on trees, logs, and even crops. The horns are used not to inflict injury but rather to force rivals from the disputed area.

Rhinoceros beetle is mainly a pest of coconut and oil palms.

The beetles’ damage palms by boring into the centre of the crown, injuring the young growing tissues and feed on the exuded sap.

As they bore into the crown, they cut through the developing leaves. When the leaves grow out and unfold, the damage appears as V-shaped cuts in the fronds or holes through the midrib.

The nuisance caused by these pests is documented in the below news articles which informs that the commonly used pesticide does not work against them!

Navy battling rhino beetles infestation at Hawaii base

By WYATT OLSON | STARS AND STRIPES Published: October 9, 2014

FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii — There’s a war raging at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, and the Navy is bringing in real firepower.

The enemy is an invasive insect from Southeast Asia called the coconut rhinoceros beetle, whose destructive munching on palm trees has the potential to disrupt coconut and date farming in Hawaii — and in California if the exotic pest is inadvertently carried to the mainland.

State agencies and the military have spent about $5 million this year to detect and eradicate the beetle, which can grow to 3 inches long and about half that width. The first beetle was discovered in December in a green space on the base that borders Honolulu International Airport.

The Navy’s share of the eradication expenses is about $2 million, according to Tom Clements, a Navy Region Hawaii spokesman.

Meet the beetles: Hawaii mobilizes to fight bug invasion

By Matt Smith, CNN

Updated 1614 GMT (0014 HKT) February 9, 2014

What’s Hawaii without palm trees?

That’s a question the island state hopes it won’t have to answer as it attempts to stave off an invasion by the coconut rhinoceros beetle, an unwanted visitor that’s already done extensive damage on the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.

Big, hungry and hard to kill, the coconut rhino beetle bores into the tops of coconut palms, eating growing tissues, drinking the sap, ripping into the bases of fronds and exposing the plant to disease. Then it crawls off to breed, preferably in piles of mulch or trash. Adults can grow up to two inches long and live to the ripe old age of three months.

“This beetle is really tough, and most of the pesticides that are legal for use in Hawaii do not work on it,” said Darcy Oishi, the state Agriculture Department official in charge of containing the beetle.

In such a situation an effective method is needed which provides protection from the menace caused by the rhino beetle and hence C Tech Corporation has introduced an insect aversive named Termirepel^TM.
Termirepel^TM is an extremely low toxic, non-hazardous, non-mutagenic and non-carcinogenic anti-insect aversive.

Termirepel^TM is developed on green technology and chemistry. It is effective against a broad spectrum of insects such as rhino beetle, kudzu bugs, wasps, whiteflies, termites, beetles etc.

Termirepel™ is thermally stable and does not degrade on exposure to heat and sunlight. It does not kill or harm the insect but repels them. It does not volatilize and does not degrade the soil. It is RoHS, RoHS2, ISO, REACH, APVMA, NEA compliant and FIFRA exempted.

Our masterbatch is to be incorporated with polymers while processing them and can be used for producing tree guards, agricultural films, irrigation pipes, polymeric parts for agricultural utilities, etc.

Our liquid concentrate is to be mixed with paints in a proper ratio and can be applied on interior and exterior of houses, offices, schools, areas of mass transits etc. to prevent these pests from residing in these places.

The product available in the form of lacquer can be directly applied to the tree trunks. This will prevent these pests from attacking the trees. The lacquer is compatible with a variety of surfaces like wood, metal, polymer, ceramics, concrete etc.

Use our safe and eco-friendly products to keep the pests at a bay!

Follow us on our Twitter pages at:
1] https://twitter.com/rodrepel
2] https://twitter.com/termirepel
3] https://twitter.com/combirepel

Armyworms – The crop destroyers!

The African crops are known to be damaged by these pesky pests known as armyworm.

Why do they attack the crops? How do they invade the farms?

These voracious armyworms are known to ravaging the crop fields.

Let’s have a look at how these pests can cause a nuisance.

Armyworms are nocturnal.

Armyworms feed on leaf tips and along leaf margins. When they eat whole leaves, they can remove them completely or leave only the midribs.

These pests give eggs which are creamy white and dome-shaped, with a flat base. The nuisance caused is by the caterpillar, the larval stage. When newly hatched, the larva is light green with a dark head capsule and measures approximately 1/16 inch long. As the larva feeds, it becomes darker and longer with light colored lines down the sides of its body. The head is unique in that it has a light yellow inverted “Y” on the top. As it matures, it also contains 4 black dots on the end of its abdomen. The fully grown larva is about 1½ inches long. This larva is an extreme nuisance that eats everything it possibly can.

The common armyworm is the more usual pest in spring and early summer. Adult armyworms survive better and produce more eggs when the temperature is at 15°C maximum, and when plants are naturally fertilized. Periods of drought followed by heavy rains and the presence of alternate hosts also sustain the development of armyworms.

The larvae usually feed in the upper portion of the rice canopy on cloudy days or at night; while the adult feeds, mates, and migrates at night and rest in the daytime at the base of the plant.

In dryland fields, armyworm pupa can be found in the soil or at the base of the rice plants. In wetlands, they pupate on the plants or on grassy areas along the field borders.

Since the fall armyworm moth is active very early in the morning and very late in the evening, it can be difficult to identify them. Fall armyworms develop shortly after an adult moth lays her eggs on or near a lawn, which also makes it difficult to prevent them. The moth will often choose areas near healthy, well-irrigated lawns on which to lay her eggs, making your grass the most desirable spot.

When the army worn attack, the pasture patches typically appear browned or burned out resembling drought damage. The damaged patch will increase in size over time, as fall armyworms chew more tender growth. Fall armyworms typically target newly established stands of bermudagrass, winter annuals, fescue, or orchardgrass.

Paddy across 4,000 hectares infested with armyworm

By Veerendra P.M. NOVEMBER 25, 2017 – The Hindu
77,000 hectares were used to grow the crop in Shivamogga

Mythimna Separata, popularly known as armyworm, has begun devouring the paddy crop in the district.

According to a preliminary estimate, paddy crop on more than 4,000 hectares in the district has been infested with armyworm. The worms hide under soil clods and in cracks along the bunds of paddy fields during the day. They are nocturnal and migrate from one field to another at night.

Shivamurthy, a farmer from Veerapura village in Bhadravathi taluk, told The Hindu that the pests were consuming the leaves and grains of the plant and leaving the stem behind. The intensity of the infestation in paddy fields in the command area of Bhadra reservoir is high. In many villages, the crop in the infected field was destroyed in one night.

Fall Armyworms Are Ravaging Crops in Many African Countries

Posted 29 June 2017 – Global Voices

As African economies begin to emerge from the global financial crisis of the last decade, a new threat to the agricultural sector in many countries may slow recovery: the invasion of the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda).

Originally from the Americas, the fall armyworm was first detected in west and central Africa at the beginning of 2016 (Sao Tome and Principe, Nigeria, Benin, and Togo). About a year later, it was found in Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. And the invasion isn’t showing signs of stopping anytime soon.

The caterpillar invasion has caused terrible damage in the affected countries. As a result, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) convened an emergency meeting in Zimbabwe during which experts from 13 countries gathered to adopt a strategy for fighting this disaster.

To get rid of these pests we have an eco-friendly solution!

C Tech Corporation provides you with Termirepel™ which is an anti-insect aversive. Termirepel™ is manufactured on the basis of green technology. It is durable at extreme climatic conditions such as changes in temperature, rainfall, water pressure etc.

Our product is ROHS, ROHS2, ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001:1996, APVMA, NEA complaint and FIFRA exempted. Our product will not kill the targeted as well as non-targeted species but only repel which helps in maintaining the ecological balance of the earth.

Termirepel™ is available in three basic forms: Masterbatch, liquid concentrate, and lacquer.

Termirepel™ liquid concentrate is to be mixed in paints in proper proportion and can be applied on the concrete fences around farms. It can be used on the interior and exterior of storehouses used to store food grains and other agricultural produce.

Termirepel™ lacquer form can be directly applied to the applications such as wooden fences, already pipes, wires, cables, etc.

Follow us on our Twitter pages at:
1] https://twitter.com/rodrepel
2] https://twitter.com/termirepel
3] https://twitter.com/combirepel

Cotton crop under threat

Cotton is a fantastic success story in India, catapulting it to the highest rank as cotton producer and second largest exporter. From about 17 million bales in the early 2000’s, production was more than doubled, generating a genuine export surplus for the world market till 2017. But after that, the world’s largest producer of cotton saw losses due to pest infestations and is expected to decrease its total cotton plantation sites for the 2018-19 season.

Pink bollworm infestation is pushing cotton production estimates down in India this year due to crop damage in the country’s major cotton-growing states. In a major disappointment for new entrant farmers, cotton crop has come under severe pest and bollworm attacks in major producing states, which is sparking fears of a sharp decline in India’s fibre productivity this Kharif season.

While a substantial cotton area came under whitefly attack in Punjab and Haryana, pink bollworm was reported to have attacked standing crop in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. Consequently, analysts have started revising estimates of cotton output growth for the current season to 4-5 percent now from 10 percent earlier on a sharp increase in the menace caused by these bollworms.

Last year, many farmers in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana reported huge cotton output loss due to pink bollworm attack on the standing crop. The decline in output in major producing states prompted the government to reduce its cotton production forecast 5-7 percent for harvesting season 2016-17.

Bollworm management is based on scouting for eggs or small larvae. Treatment is recommended when 10 eggs or five small worms per 100 plants are present during early bloom in late July and early August. Preventative treatment that might be applied during the pre-bloom period is discouraged because this can destroy many beneficial forms that keep bollworms and other pests under control. Chemical control is seldom effective after worms exceed ½ inch in length (five days old, third instar). Once the cotton has blooms within four to five nodes of the top of the plant, the need for bollworm control is usually over for the season. However, the impact of late-season treatments will depend on the weather and in some cases these late blooms can add to final yields and thus treatments may be justified if populations are heavy and the weather remains favorable.

The news was reported that:

Pink bollworm infected 83 percent cotton cultivation, says Maharashtra minister
By: Express News Service | Mumbai | Published: March 8, 2018

About 83 per cent of the farm land under cotton cultivation in Maharashtra have been ravaged by the pink bollworm attack, Agriculture Minister Pandurang Fundkar said on Wednesday. The pink bollworm (PBW) are known to eat away the cotton fibre and the bolls, causing economic losses to farmers. Fundkar informed the legislative assembly that the total crop loss had been measured at Rs 3,414 crore.

Six farmers attempt suicide during protest in Maharashtra
Published by Pamela Raghunath, Corresponent│April 19, 2018

Indian farmers were protesting against government’s failure in not completing several development works when six farmers attempted suicide by drinking poison in front of the local administration’s office in Manvat, Parbhani district, Maharashtra, on Thursday.

On April 1, a 25-year-old distressed farmer, Bharat Survase, attempted suicide and is battling for life due to mounting debts and a failed cotton crop that was destroyed by the pink bollworm, a menace faced by cotton growers.

Earlier, a 75-year-old farmer from Yavatmal district had lighted his own pyre of fodder under a tree and immolated himself by jumping into the fire. The farmer, Madhav Shankar Rawate, had seen his cotton crop on his four-acre farm being destroyed by the pink bollworm attack. He owed Rs60,000 (Dh 3,346) to creditors.

One of the ways to combat the moth is to set pheromone traps across their fields and catch enough of the male of the species to prevent any further breeding. But this primitive method of catching the Pink Bollworm is simply beyond the comprehension of the farmers. Firstly, you need at least 40 such traps per acre for these to be effective. Pheromones, mixed with natural ingredients like glossyplure, confuse the male moths who mistake the traps for females but farmers who have used it reported poor results.

Along with the above-mentioned methods, fumigation of pesticides is used to keep these pests away from the crop. But these methods are proved to be of no use.

So, what to use to keep these bollworms away?

Termirepel™ a C Tech Corporation product is best to deal with the nuisance caused by these pests.

Termirepel™ is thermally stable and does not degrade on exposure to heat and sunlight. It does not kill or harm the insect but repels them. It does not volatilize and does not degrade the soil. It is RoHS, RoHS2, REACH, ISO, APVMA, NEA compliant and FIFRA exempted.

Our Termirepel™ masterbatch can be incorporated in the agricultural films, polymer materials, green house films, polymer sprinklers, irrigation pipes, plastic parts from pumps and tractors used in the fields.

The product in form of liquid concentrate can be mixed in paints and be painted on the concrete walls around the farms.

Our lacquer product can be applied on already installed applications. The lacquer is compatible with most of the surfaces like metals, wood, polymers, concrete etc. It can be applied on the wooden fences around the farms and already installed pipes.

Termirepel™ does not kill the target species but only repels them thus balancing the ecology and thus helping in maintaining the goal of sustainability.

This product work on the mechanism of green technology. The product does not have any adverse effect on humans. Therefore significant in today’s time and date as ecology salvation has become the prime focus.

Get in touch with us at technical.marketing@ctechcorporation.com to combat the menace caused by ballworm and other insects.

Also visit our websites:

http://www.ctechcorporation.com/
http://www.rodrepel.com/
http://www.termirepel.com/
http://www.combirepel.com/

Follow our Facebook pages at:

1] https://www.facebook.com/Combirepel-411710912249274/
2] https://www.facebook.com/Termirepel-104225413091251/
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1] https://twitter.com/rodrepel
2] https://twitter.com/termirepel
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Havoc caused by Stink bugs!

“Car importing ‘seriously disrupted’ by stink bugs onboard vessels” – Stuff

“Stink bug prevents thousands of vehicle deliveries in NZ” – Eyewitness News

The headlines from this news are horrifying!

Can you imagine the havoc caused by these tiny creatures?!

The pesky insect, stink bug, is causing a loss in business due to its invading activity.

As stated above, the car transporters are forced to take their ships back to the port so as to stop the spread of these insects from one country to another.

Why is so much of care taken to stop the invasion of this insect?

That’s because the stink bug can be nuisance causing and the nuisance cannot be tolerated!

The stink bug earned its name from its tendency to release an odor when disturbed or when crushed. Many other insects have these same characteristics, including some species of ants, beetles, and other bugs. Stink bugs emit this foul odor whenever they feel threatened or when crushed. This method of defense proves to be a very successful tactic against any potential predators.

The bug originates from China, Taiwan, and Japan. Stink bug can reach ¾ of an inch in length. Stink bug can be brown, grey or dark green colored. Dorsal side of the body is covered with black, white, reddish or gray markings.

Stink bug can be found in gardens, orchards, on the agricultural fields, and near the human settlements. It is classified as a pest in most countries outside its native range because it feeds on fruit and agricultural crops. Each year, stink bugs inflict damage worth millions of dollars. People cannot eradicate these bugs easily because they have few natural enemies and tolerate pesticides that normally kill other bugs.

Stink bugs have the potential to spread throughout any country, which could be harmful to the agricultural industry, as they destroy crops. Although stink bugs are not known to bite humans, their tendency to invade homes in high numbers can be a nuisance.

Below is the evidence for the nuisance caused by stink bugs

Stink bugs threaten New Zealand car imports

19 February 2018 BBC News

Thousands of jobs are at risk in New Zealand’s car sales industry because of a particularly problematic insect, it’s reported.

According to Radio New Zealand, the discovery of hundreds of brown marmorated stink bugs aboard cargo ships bringing some 12,000 cars from Japan to New Zealand mean that the car carriers are being turned away to be fumigated.

According to the NZ Herald there’s no facility in New Zealand which can deal with the pest, so at least three of the ships are “floating aimlessly in the Pacific”.

The stink bug, which is native to areas of East Asia but can also be found in Europe and the Americas, is a problem for fruit farmers around the world. The beetle voraciously sucks the liquid out of fruits and its toxins cause the plants to die. They have the potential to cause major damage to New Zealand’s entire fruit and vegetable industry, Stuff.co.nz says.

Stink bugs on ships disrupt Japan’s car exports
by Michelle Toh @michelletoh235 February 20, 2018

A pesky insect known as the “stink bug” is preventing thousands of Japanese cars from being delivered to New Zealand.

Three cargo ships carrying imported cars and machinery were refused entry at New Zealand ports this month after they were found to have hordes of the bugs aboard, according to New Zealand authorities.

Stink bugs are a major threat in New Zealand, a remote island nation that goes to great lengths to protect its natural ecosystem from foreign pests.

The critters could wreak havoc across the country’s farms. They tend to reproduce quickly, eat a broad variety of crops and resist most pesticides.

When these bugs have got immune to insecticides, what can be the solution to keep them away from the areas where they cause a nuisance?

C Tech Corporation has a solution to stop the nuisance caused by the stink bugs!

Termirepel^TM an anti-insect aversive is the best solution to combat the menace caused by stink bugs.
Termirepel^TM is available in the form of the masterbatch, which can be incorporated with the base polymers like PVC, LDPE, HDPE, etc. while manufacturing polymeric applications like wires and cables, pipes, polymeric harnesses, polymeric ship and automobile parts etc.

Termirepel™ is thermally stable and does not degrade on exposure to heat and sunlight. It does not kill or harm the insect but repels them. It does not volatilize and does not degrade the soil. It is RoHS, RoHS2, ISO, REACH, APVMA, NEA compliant and FIFRA exempted.

The liquid concentrate can be mixed in paints in a predetermined ratio and can be applied as a topical application on interior and exterior of ships. The bottoms of ships get attacked by fungus. These places can be covered using our product.

The lacquer can be applied topically on a variety of surfaces like the wood, concrete, polymeric surfaces, metals, etc. Our wood polish additive can be added to the polish used to cover the wooden parts. The ships can be coated using our lacquer and wood polish to keep the pests away.

These products temporarily inhibit the mating cycle of the insects. It temporarily impairs the ability of insects to reproduce, i.e. the female will not lay eggs. The product triggers an unpleasant reaction within any insect which might try to feed on the application, ensuring that it is kept away from feeding on the treated area. It temporarily blocks the reproduction system of the insects by hindering the release of the vital hormones for growth.

Below is the picture from one of a ship where our product was used in its kitchen, pantry areas and dining area, storage rooms, space between the bulkheads, ceiling panels, bedding areas, locker rooms, the outlet of the lavatory, gangways, and pontoons. Our bed bug repellent was sprayed on mattress and couches from the ships. The application of our products helped the ship to be free from pest attack.

Use Termirepel^TMto keep ships safe from pests!

If you are facing problems against the pests you may contact us on:
technical.marketing@ctechcorporation.com

Also, visit our websites:
http://www.ctechcorporation.com/
http://www.rodrepel.com/
http://www.termirepel.com/
http://www.combirepel.com/

Follow our Facebook pages at:
1] https://www.facebook.com/Combirepel-411710912249274/
2] https://www.facebook.com/Termirepel-104225413091251/
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Boxelder bug: Nuisance to homeowners

Do you have invasive insects with red strips causing nuisance around your homes?!

You might find those as it is spring now.

They are the Boxelder bugs!

At about 1/2-inch long, boxelder bugs are black with three red stripes, vertical edge lines on their bodies, and red lines on the edges of its wings. These markings make it appear its wings form an upside-down V when they are resting with their wings lying flat.

Boxelder bugs are named for their primary host, the boxelder tree. They are one of the destructive agricultural pests. They cause damage to apples, peaches, grapes, strawberries, plums and non-fruiting trees including maple and ash. Boxelder bugs are sap suckers, penetrating plant tissue with their considerable proboscis and using secretions to make it consumable. They almost exclusively feed on the Acer family of maple trees and vines that includes the boxelder and its spinning “helicopter” seed pods but have also been known to feed on fruit during dry summers. Infestations on box elder trees may cause its leaves to yellow and curl or leave spots on stems and new growth. Most trees survive. Damage to grapes, peaches, and other soft fruits is mostly cosmetic, appearing as depressions, sometimes as bruises.

“They can be a real nuisance,” says Sharon Yiesla, plant information specialist at The Morton Arboretum.

They are the much bigger nuisance to homeowners. They seek and enter houses in colonies of hundreds, even thousands of insects as cold weather approaches, congregating in walls and warm basements, making themselves at home all through winter and occasionally emerging into kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms, and other human-inhabited spaces. Indoors, the bugs can be a major problem.

Warm weather or an increase in home heating may convince individual boxelder bugs that spring has arrived and they will enter a family’s living space in search of a way outside. In late summer and autumn, when they gather in groups much like swarms of bees on the sun-facing, preferably white side of homes and garages where their sheer numbers will discolor the building’s side is allowed to stay.

“They’re strictly a plant feeder. If they find a little place to get behind the wall, then they’ll eventually hunker down for months,” says Whitney Cranshaw, a professor of Entomology at CSU.

You can see how the home-owners from Mid-Michigan are troubled by these pests!

Boxelder bugs invading Mid-Michigan homes this fall

Posted: Thu 8:52 AM, Oct 19, 2017|

EAST LANSING, Mich. (WILX)- It’s not just stink bugs, but boxelder bugs are also invading homes as well this fall. Researchers at Michigan State University say the bugs are trying to find shelter for the winter.

According to the bug experts, the boxelder bugs invade homes during the fall looking to stay in attics for the winter. You might have noticed clusters of them on the south and west sides of homes where they congregate in the warm autumn sun. While the bugs can be annoying, they are considered harmless and a nuisance. They do not bite, lay eggs in homes, eat fabrics, or get into stored foods.

Researchers say one of the best ways to stop them from coming inside, is to remove any female boxelder trees on your property if possible. Sealing exterior cracks and holes with caulk can also greatly reduce the number of bugs inside your home.

Once the bugs get inside, experts say it is hard to get them out. They say even aggressive and costly insecticide applications may not be effective because it is nearly impossible to treat every hidden area that may be harboring the insects. A vacuum cleaner can help remove the sluggish bugs.

They have caused nuisance in more homes from North York as well.

Swarms of boxelder bugs cover homes in North York and Etobicoke

There is a notable boom of boxelder bugs in Toronto this year, but experts say they’re harmless

By Laura DaSilva, CBC News Posted: Oct 08, 2016

Nelia Teves can’t walk into her North York house without a handful of black and red cockroach-esque critters flying in behind her.

“Our entire neighbourhood is covered in them,” Teves said.

She reached out to CBC News to find out what they are and whether she should be worried.

It turns out, they’re more of an annoyance than a threat. They’re called boxelder bugs and they’re known as “nuisance pests.”

Pest control methods have been used to stop the menace the caused by Box-elder bugs. But those methods did not work to stop the nuisance caused by these pests. The homeowners have tried different sprays and electronic devices to stop the menace, but they could not get rid of these pests.

To stop the nuisance caused by these bugs there is a need for an effective solution and C Tech Corporation has one!

The unique product Termirepel^TM manufactured by C Tech Corporation is an anti-insect aversive which repels insects.

Termirepel^TM is available in the form of the masterbatch, which can be incorporated into the polymeric applications like wires and cables, pipes, agricultural films etc. to keep the boxelder bugs at bay.

The product available in the form of liquid concentrate can be mixed in paints in a predetermined ratio and lacquer which can be applied topically on the applications.

To keep the insects at the bay Termirepel^TM lacquer can be sprayed or coated on the tree trunks.

Termirepel™ is thermally stable and does not degrade on exposure to heat and sunlight. It does not kill or harm the insect but repels them. It does not volatilize and does not degrade the soil. It is RoHS, RoHS2, ISO, REACH, APVMA, NEA compliant and FIFRA exempted.

Why resort to killing when we can just repel them!?

In such a way the insects can be repelled and the damage caused by them can be prevented without killing them.

Also, visit our websites:

http://www.ctechcorporation.com/
http://www.rodrepel.com/
http://www.termirepel.com/
http://www.combirepel.com/

Follow our Facebook pages at:
1] https://www.facebook.com/Combirepel-411710912249274/
2] https://www.facebook.com/Termirepel-104225413091251/
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Red ants menace in Train.

Ants have colonized almost every landmass on Earth. The only places lacking indigenous ants are Antarctica and a few remote or inhospitable islands. Ants thrive in most ecosystems and may form 15–25% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success in so many environments has been attributed to their social organization and their ability to modify habitats, tap resources, and defend themselves. Their long co-evolution with other species has led to mimetic, commensal, parasitic, and mutualistic relationships.

Over here we discuss the problem caused by Red ants also known as Fire ants. The fire ant is the common name for several species of ants in the genus Solenopsis. They are, however, only a minority in the genus, which includes over 200 species of Solenopsis worldwide. Solenopsis are stinging ants and most of their common names reflect this, for example, ginger ants and tropical fire ants. Many species also are called red ants because of their light brown color, though species of ants in many other genera are similarly named for similar reasons. Examples include Myrmica rubra and Pogonomyrmex barbatus.

The bodies of mature fire ants, like the bodies of all typical mature insects, are divided into three sections: the head, the thorax, and the abdomen, with three pairs of legs and a pair of antennae. Fire ants of those species invasive in the United States can be distinguished from other ants locally present, by their copper brown head and body with a darker abdomen. The worker ants are blackish to reddish, and their size varies from 2 to 6 mm (0.079 to 0.236 in). In an established nest, these different sizes of ants are present at the same time.

A typical fire ant colony produces large mounds in open areas and feeds mostly on young plants and seeds. Fire ants often attack small animals and can kill them. Unlike many other ants, which bite and then spray acid on the wound, fire ants bite only to get a grip and then sting (from the abdomen) and inject a toxic alkaloid venom called Solenopsin, a compound from the class of piperidines. For humans, this is a painful sting, a sensation similar to what one feels when burned by fire and the after-effects of the sting can be deadly to sensitive people. Fire ants are more aggressive than most native species and so have pushed many species away from their local habitat These ants are renowned for their ability to survive extreme conditions. They do not hibernate, but can survive cold conditions, although this is costly to fire ant populations as observed during several winters, where 80 to 90% of colonies died due to several consecutive days of extremely low temperatures.

Fire ants nest in the soil, often near moist areas, such as river banks, pond shores, watered lawns, and highway shoulders. Usually, the nest will not be visible, as it will be built under objects such as timber, logs, rocks, pillars or bricks. If there is no cover for nesting, dome-shaped mounds will be constructed, but these are usually only found in open spaces, such as fields, parks, and lawns. These mounds can reach heights of 40 cm (16 in) but can be even higher on heavier soils, standing at 1.0m in height and 1.5m in diameter. Colonies are founded by small groups of queens or single queens. Even if only one queen survives, within a month or so, the colony can expand to thousands of individuals. Some colonies may be polygynous (having multiple queens per nest). These ants thrive on wood, fruits or any consumable product. Thermoplastics materials have always attracted ants and insects. The plasticizers usually have a bright color. They also have aromatic odors of polymers which attract ants and insects. Thus ants and insect confuse it for the food This makes them nibble on the plastic thus damaging it and causing huge economic loss.

Below Articles is related to the loss caused by ants.

Mumbai: Local train brakes failed due to red ants, probe reveals

Express News Service, Mumbai, November 19, 2015.

Review of a brake fail in a local train on November 17 at Matunga on the Central Line has shown that the equipment malfunction could be caused by corrosion of the brake panel due to red ants.

The local was sent to Kurla Car Shed for examination which showed that red ants inside the brake panel had damaged the cable wires, causing failure in application of brake.

The motorman had switched to emergency brakes after he failed to stop the train in the regular way.

“It was 11.47 am at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) and the local was from Kalyan. The problem occurred when the train reached Matunga station and the motorman failed to apply the brake,” said a source from the Central Railway (CR). At Kurla Shed, the entire panel inside the motorman’s cabin was opened which revealed crowding of red ants in all controls.

C Tech Corporation, an Indian company has come up with an impeccable solution to counteract problems caused by such insect. Termirepel ™ is a non-toxic, non-hazardous termite/insect repellent which has been designed for various polymeric applications as well as natural materials. It is a unique blend of green chemistry and smart technology which acts as an effective repellent and at the same time guarantees safety to the environment, plants, animals and fragile ecosystem.

Termirepel™ is thermally stable and does not degrade on exposure to heat and sunlight. It does not kill or harm the insect but repels them. It does not volatilize and does not degrade the soil. It is RoHS, RoHS2, ISO, REACH, APVMA, NEA compliant and FIFRA exempted.

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Fishy Silverfish

You might have noticed some shiny creatures moving around your place, specifically during the night.

If yes, then your house is invaded by the annoying silverfish!

This insect gets its name from its silvery, metallic appearance and fish-like shape and movements. Silverfish have no wings or fins but are able to run very fast. The adult silverfish is brown-gray or silvery and grayish blue in color while the newly hatched eggs are whiter in hue. This said appearance will change into grayish and metallic blue as the silverfish gets older. They tend to hide their presence from humans which means any damage they have caused could go unnoticed as well.

They are nocturnal creatures that normally roam homes late at night, in search of food and water. Their flat bodies make them ideal hiders capable of squeezing into even the smallest cracks and crevices during daylight hours. They are often associated with basements, closets, bookcases, and storage areas. These insects cannot climb on smooth vertical surfaces and may be found trapped in sinks, bathtubs, and similar places. Despite the circumstantial evidence, they do not come up out of drains.

Silverfish consume matter that contains polysaccharides, such as starches and dextrin in adhesives.
These include book bindings, carpet, clothing, coffee, dandruff, glue, hair, some paints, paper, photos, plaster, sugar, flour and rolled oats. They will damage wallpaper in order to consume the paste. Other substances they may eat include cotton, dead insects, linen, silk, or even their own exuvia. During the famine, a silverfish may even attack leather ware and synthetic fabrics.

Their damage is usually recognized from their irregular feeding marks and the presence of feces. Silverfish can live up to a year without food but require a high humidity environment. A silverfish is strongly attracted to moisture and mold especially in places that have 75% to 95% humidity. When they find a food supply, they try to make their nest as close to it as possible.

Silverfish leave small holes in materials they bite and may also cause yellow staining.
They tend to dwell in clothing and linen piles or plumbing. They can damage your favorites dresses!

Silverfish bugs are found in continents like the Americas, Australia, Africa, Asia and mostly in the Pacific region. Most of the time these insects are considered cosmopolitan pests as they are often found in most urban homes specifically in basements, showers, bathtubs, walls, and attics.

When these pests invade homes, they cause huge monetary losses and the tenants from Newcastle are complaining about the same.

Bug off: Newcastle housing association tenant in row with landlord over flat infestation

By Laura Hill – 11:00, 30 SEP 2017

A housing association tenant is locked in a row with his landlord after insects invaded his home.

Peter Harrison, who lives in flats on Waterloo Street in Newcastle, claims his home has been taken over by silverfish which he believes live in the block’s ventilation system.

The 48-year-old has said he has even spotted the tiny creatures in his bed but that landlord, Places for People, is refusing to take responsibility.

Mr. Harrison claims he paid £62 for the infestation to be dealt with after Places for People told him to deal with the issue himself.

But now that the bugs have returned, he says he doesn’t want to be constantly forking out cash for a problem he believes is down to the building.

Would you rent a home with mould and silverfish?
17 October 2016 – BBC News

Second-hand smoke, bad insulation, damp, mould, and silverfish. Would you move in somewhere if you knew this is what you’d have to deal with?

The housing charity Shelter has said 40% of people in the UK live in homes that do not reach acceptable standards in terms of cleanliness, safety and space.

This includes criteria such as having enough bedrooms, living somewhere affordable and living in a safe and secure area.

We’ve been speaking to some people who think it’s time they had better standards of living in their accommodation.

Apart from their nuisance value, silverfish invasion can cause major problems if they are not promptly eradicated and their future growth prevented.

Such a huge nuisance of this tiny species cannot be neglected. The pesticides and insecticides are proven to be ineffective against them. However, these methods are hazardous methods causing harm to targeted and non-targeted species.

C Tech Corporation can offer an eco-friendly solution to problems from silverfish. Our product Termirepel^TM is low-toxic, non-hazardous and insect aversive. Our products work on the mechanism of repellence and they do not harm or kill the target species but generate fear or trigger temporary discomfort within the pests that keep the pests away from the application.

Our Termirepel^TM masterbatch can be incorporated with various polymeric applications like pipes, wires and cables, agricultural and other protective films etc. while they are manufactured. This will prevent the silverfish from gnawing on the polymeric application.

Termirepel^TM is available in liquid concentrate can be mixed in paints and be applied to interior and exterior of houses, offices, kitchens, pantries, warehouses, bathrooms, attics etc. The application of our product will repel the silverfish and keep away from these areas.

Termirepel^TMis available in lacquer form. These products can be directly sprayed or applied to the application as a topical application. It can be used on bookshelves to protect the books. The lacquer is compatible with most of the surfaces like wood, metal, concrete, polymers, ceramics, etc.

Our product is compliant with RoHS, RoHS2, ISO, APVMA, NEA and REACH and is FIFRA exempted. The green technology-based product can protect our living spaces and prevent the loss caused by the silverfish and other insects as well.

Thus using our products you can get an effective solution to fight menace caused by silverfish and many such insects!

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