ChaitanyaJoshi – Page 2 – Blogs to keep termites and insects away from plastics

Ladybugs: Nuisance to homeowners

Ladybugs seem to be the latest topic of conversation; a conversation which tends to include many expletives. In the summer that sweet little red bug with the black spots has a tendency to make us smile when we see it flying around.

The Ladybug is bright red with a few black spots. Their heads are small and they don’t have that larger middle section that Lady Beetles do. They typically do not swarm into homes as you usually only see one true ladybug at a time. Asian Lady Beetles, however, are light to dark orange and have as many as 22 spots.

It is not uncommon to see adult ladybugs grouped together on the sides of houses and other buildings in the early fall as they prepare for the winter months. Soffit and gable vents in home attics are common entry points for the beetles, but they will come in any way they can. Any crack in windows, walls or the sides of doors is a welcome mat. If you see a few, you can guarantee that more will join them as they give off a scent meant to attract others and let them know that they have found a spot. Then they will work their way around the doors and windows looking for the tiniest of entry. Once they find it, they will likely move into a crawl space or attic and spend the winter in comfort.

Occasionally, you might see them make their way out of hiding on a warm day and perch in the sun on a window. They can get a little confused and instead of finding their way outside, they wander into the main part of the house. They release a foul odor that is a deterrent to other animals who might want to eat them, they have also been known to leave behind stains on curtains and windows of feces and a yellowish secretion when disturbed.

The ladybugs have been causing havoc with their presence and homeowners have suffered due to the presence of ladybugs in their homes!

Swarms of biting ladybugs invade Montreal-area homes

Oct 15, 2014, CBC News

The unseasonably warm weather in Montreal this week has brought with it blue skies — as well as swarms of biting, invasive ladybugs.

“One weekend in the fall, the air is thick with ladybugs.

She said she’s encountered them each fall in the three years she’s lived in the area.

At this time of year, Miller said, she gets pelted by ladybugs when she steps out of the house.

And it’s not just an autumn nuisance, she said. They’ve been burrowing into the nooks and crannies of her home for the winter, coming out when her family lights a fire and warms up the house.

She said she’s been bitten a number of times, and while it doesn’t hurt quite as much as a bee sting, it still hurts.

“Over the course of the day and well into the night, I was catching them in my bedroom and disposing of them down the toilet. I thought they were gone, but I’ve caught three of them so far this morning and can hear more bouncing around somewhere in the room.”

LADYBUGS ATTACK!

By Tap Vann on April 24, 2013, Weekly world news

The ladybugs were released in the Minneapolis mall in an effort to protect the large amounts of the mall’s greenery, but they soon became aggressive and attacked patrons of the mall.

Mall of America (MOA) Senior Manager of Environmental Services Bucky Wimby told WWN that the bugs were supposed to be used as pesticides to control pests, but “they became belligerent and attacked humans. It scared the hell out of us.”

Three hundred people were taken to the hospital with serious wounds – including serious flesh wounds, broken bones and lung and respiratory disease. Five people have died.

“We are stunned. Ladybugs are docile creatures” said Wimby, who added that ladybugs have always been friendly to humans.

Insecticides and pesticides are used to kill these pests. Because of their mode of action is not specific to one species, they often kill or harm organisms other than pests, including humans. Also, the majority ladybugs are directly important to the environment. Ladybugs, or lady beetles, are considered a beneficial bug which helps rid an area of crop-damaging aphids, mealybugs, and other destructive insect pests.

The adult ladybugs feed on these insects. They also lay their eggs among the aphids or other prey so the emerging larvae can feed on the insects, too.

So an effective solution is required to combat these ladybugs without harming them.

So, how do we deal with this pest?

So for this particular problem, we, at C Tech Corporation have come up with a viable solution.

At C Tech Corporation, we offer a safe and effective solution to deal with these insects. Termirepel™ is a non-toxic, non-hazardous product that primarily repels insects from the application. It is a broad spectrum repellent which works against almost 500 species of pestering bugs thus efficaciously repulse them away from the application. The best feature of this product is that it is environmentally safe and causes no harm to the insect as well as humans and the environment.

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 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 product available in the form of masterbatch can be incorporated into polymeric applications like wires and cables, pipes, agricultural films, etc. while they are manufactured. The product will prevent the ladybugs from coming near to these applications.

The liquid concentrate can be mixed with paints in a pre-determined ratio and be applied to the interior and exterior of homes, kitchens, offices, schools, hospitals etc.

The product available in the form of lacquer can be used as a topical application and can be applied to wooden furniture, fences, already installed cables, pipes etc.

Using our products will help to repel the ladybugs in an eco-friendly way!

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

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Fruit fly Menace

If you have been seeing small flies or gnats in your kitchen, they’re probably fruit flies. These pesky pests can be found throughout the world, in homes, gardens, warehouse, grocery stores, wineries, restaurants etc. They are readily attached to any number of materials, especially that of moisture. Fruit flies can be a problem year-round but are especially common during late summer/fall because they are attracted to ripened or fermenting fruits and vegetables.

But they also will breed in drains, garbage disposals, empty bottles and cans, trash containers, mops and cleaning rags. Hence, they also cause various bacterial diseases.

Fruit flies damage the larger proportion of agricultural production and even to crops grown in the gardens which are susceptible to attack by fruit flies. Commercial producers spend hundreds of millions of dollars on control measures and also suffered production losses.

Tomatoes, melons, squash, grapes and other perishable items are often the cause of an infestation. Fruit flies are also attracted to rotting bananas, potatoes, onions and other products.

You see, when a fruit is overripe or starts to go bad it begins to ferment, producing alcohol, which attracts fruit flies. They continue to gobble up the fermenting fruit, and in the process, lay hundreds of eggs which hatch into larvae in mere hours.

Female fruit fly lays their eggs into healthy, ripening fruit on the tree. Fruit flies lay their eggs up to 500 at a time!

When the larvae hatch, they feed on the moist surface too. The entire life cycle from egg to adult takes only about eight to ten days so they proliferate with great rapidity.

Many people are allergic to the bacteria carried by fruit flies, resulting in tiny red bumps on the skin.

The age has seen the worst fruit fly infestation like one mentioned below,

Worst fruit fly outbreak in five years

FEBRUARY 2 2015, The Border mail

The Border region has been hit by its worse fruit fly outbreak in five years believed to be the result of unseasonal summer weather.

In the past few weeks, humidity has caused a proliferation of the fruit fly menace in Albury and Wodonga.

The increased number of Queensland fruit fly are also causing major problems for fruit growers at Cobram and Shepparton.

The fruit fly scourge is only a recent phenomenon in the Goulburn Valley.

Victorian Fruit Growers Association president Gary Godwil said it was a big issue last year, but it was worse this year.

Mr Godwil said there was a significant expense involved in controlling the fly with considerable time needed to apply control methods such as baiting.

“It is a big cost to the whole industry, a massive cost. I am baiting every 10 days,” he said.

Spoiled fruit is worth a lot of money and Mr Godwil said it could not even be used for juice.

Fruit flies make Ghana mangoes unattractive worldwide

8^th March 2013, Ghana Web

The dream of mango farmers in the country to go commercial particularly for export is marred by a huge challenge: this is because the prevalence of fruit-flies in many agro-ecological zones throughout the West African sub-region has resulted in infestation of the fruit, making them unsuitable for the international market.

Mango in Ghana is targeted as the next non-traditional export crop that is expected to fetch the highest foreign exchange for the country and replace cocoa, but infestation by the fruit-flies has mostly caused rejection of mango consignments from Ghana-to the extent of sometimes imposing a ban on imports from Ghana.

The current insecticides are being used to control this menace. However besides being toxic and harmful insecticides kill the species. Repeated exposure to insecticides builds up resistance in insects until finally, the insecticide has little or no effect. Frequent insecticide applications make the problem worse.

C Tech Corporation offers a range of non-toxic, non-hazardous anti-insect aversive, which can be successfully used to keep pesky creatures at bay.

Our product – Termirepel ^TM can be easily described as insect aversive, used against all types of insects and which works on the mechanism of repellency. It means that it does not kill the target insects but only repel them, thus balancing the ecology and helping in maintaining the goal of sustainability.

Termirepel ^TM masterbatch can be incorporated in agricultural films, mulches, irrigation pipes, agricultural devices, and equipment while they are manufactured. The applications, when used with our products, will keep the pests like fruit-flies at a bay and thus will protect the agricultural produce from these pests.

Termirepel ^TM liquid concentrate can be mixed in paints in a pre-determined ratio and can be applied to the fencing and garbage bins. The interior and exterior of the houses, schools, hospitals, offices, warehouses, restaurants, food courts and pantries can be painted using our liquid concentrate.

Termirepel ^TM lacquer which can be applied as a topical application. The lacquer is compatible with most of the surfaces like metal, wood, concrete, polymer, ceramic etc. It can be applied to the already installed applications like pipes,

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

Insects in food? We got a solution to keep them away!

Discovering “insects” in your breakfast cereal may be disgusting, but it isn’t unusual because many insects like to eat what we eat. Stored foods commonly infested include flour, cereals, cracked grains, baking mixes and processed foods, crackers, macaroni, cured meats, powdered milk, dried fruits, nuts, popcorn, and spices. Insects that feed on these products may also infest other grain-based items such as pet foods, birdseed, and ornamental corn.

Several stages (egg, larva, pupa, and adult) of these insects may be present at the same time in infested products. Because we keep our houses warm, these insects may continually reproduce and many stored product infestations can be found nearly any time of the year.

The first indication of an infestation is often the presence of small brown beetles, moths or worms in cupboards or on counters. Upon closer inspection, insects may also be found in opened packages or containers of food and in the cracks and crevices of cupboards. Unopened packages may also become infested because some of these insects can readily chew into cardboard and foil packaging. Insects can be brought into the home along with infested food products. They can multiply and spread to other stored foods.

The Indian meal moth is the most common food-infesting moth found in homes, grocery stores and any place where dried pet foods are produced or stored. Food infested with these insects will have silk webbing present, especially near the food surface.

These common insects scavenge and feed on an animal matter like dried meats, dead insects, hides, and woolens. The species that feed on wool and other natural fibers or blends are called carpet beetles. Closely related species, such as the warehouse beetle, varied carpet beetle, and larder beetle, have expanded their diet and also feed on grain and grain-based products. They are especially common in flour and cereals but also are found in candy, cocoa, cookies, cornmeal, nuts, pasta, dried spices and many other dry foods.

The Sawtoothed grain beetle is another very common pantry pest. It does not feed on intact whole grains but feeds on many processed food products such as breakfast food, bran, dried fruits, nuts, sugar, chocolate, and macaroni. It is especially fond of oatmeal and birdseed. These flat beetles can even get into sealed boxes and packages of food.

Stout beetles are common in homes where they attack pet food, cereals, spices, drugs, tobacco and other packaged foods. Because they closely resemble each other, they are often confused. The heads of both beetles are tucked under the prothorax and are not visible from above. Both are brown and about the same size.

The two beetles can be distinguished by their wing covers. The wing covers of the drugstore beetle have rows of longitudinal grooves, while those of the cigarette beetle are smooth.

Drugstore beetles: The drugstore beetle will feed on bread, but it will also feed on any dried, food-based material. It will damage book bindings. It has been found to perforate tinfoil and sheet lead and easily chews through the most food packaging material.

Cigarette beetles: The cigarette beetle derives its name from its serious infestations of stored tobacco. Adult beetles are about 1/8-inch long, light brown and oval. The most common food materials include pet food, cereal, peppers, spices, raisins, and seeds.

Flour Beetles

There are a number of species of tiny beetles that infest flour, but the two most common flour beetles are the confused and red flour beetles. These beetles are scavengers in that they cannot attack whole grains but rely on other insects to damage the kernels first. In homes, they can be found feeding on flour, cracked grains, cake mixes, beans, peas, dried fruits, nuts, chocolate, spices, and tobacco.

Granary and Rice Weevils

These insects damage whole grains or seeds. They generally do not feed on flour or cereals unless it has become caked.

Adult weevils are very similar. Both are dark reddish-brown and range in size from 1/8 to 3/16-inch long. They have a long snout projecting from the head and wing covers with distinct ridges.

They feed on whole grains, these insects are more likely to be a problem in grain bins and warehouses, but it is possible to have infestations in homes. Most common sources are popcorn, birdseed, decorative Indian corn, and nuts.

Now ‘bugged’ pakoda in IRCTC meal after dead lizard, cockroach

5 August 2017, News X

Mohammad Azad Ali, who was travelling in Sampark Kranti Express in Coach S-9 was shocked when he found a bug in the pakoda which was served to him by the train’s pantry service. The incident took place on August 2.

Incidents of dead insects, vermin being found in food served by Indian Railways are happening on the daily basis.

The quality just doesn’t seem to improve and such cases continue to happen even after the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) after their survey of food being served by Indian Railways mentioned that it was unfit for consumption.

But amidst all this when the passengers are creating hue and cry, it’s hard to say whether the concerned authorities are taking any action to curb all this.

Woman bites into insect from iced coffee in Yishun’s coffee shop

By Mandy How , June 18, 2017, Mothership

In another episode of food-invading insects, a woman has discovered a black critter in her iced coffee by sucking and biting into it, no less.

The incident occurred at 925 Chicken Rice, a coffee shop in Yishun Central 1.

In another episode of food-invading insects, a woman has discovered a black critter in her iced coffee by sucking and biting into it, no less.

The incident occurred at 925 Chicken Rice, a coffee shop in Yishun Central 1.

The above articles inform about the nuisance caused by the pests to food and the problem needs to be noticed seriously.

And for the same problem, we at C Tech Corporation have come up with a viable solution.

The conventional methods used to get rid of the pests include use insecticidal baits, glue boards, and traps. However, these solutions are temporary and do not provide an effective solution against the pest nuisance in the pantry. The use of conventional fumigants, insecticides is no longer considered to be an effective solution to get rid of the insect infestation as these insects are becoming increasingly resistant to them. Also, fumigation is a tedious, time consuming and an expensive method and is highly toxic. Exposure to such chemicals for a long time can cause damage to lungs, nervous system and even paralysis in severe cases. Therefore, we are in an urgent need of an infallible plan to combat the problem of increasing number of insects.

C Tech Corporation has come up with an impeccable solution named as Termirepel™ to counteract problems caused by such insects.

Termirepel™ is a blend of smart technology and green chemistry which is developed against these insects. It is the best solution which not only reduces insect infestation in food and pantries but also reduces the colonial expansion.

Termirepel™ an anti-insect additive at C Tech Corporation product is an ideal solution for the prevention and control of insect infestation in food and pantries.

Termirepel™ is an extremely low concern, low-toxic, non-hazardous and non-mutagenic INSECT aversive.

Termirepel™ is available in many forms i.e. masterbatch, liquid concentrate and lacquer.

Termirepel™ liquid concentrate can be mixed in paints in a pre-determined ratio and can be applied to the interior and exterior of food storage rooms, kitchens, and pantry, food warehouses etc. to keep pests out of these places.

Termirepel™ lacquer can be directly applied directly to the already installed applications like the wooden and polymeric racks and pallets, kitchen trolleys, etc. used around the areas of food.

The masterbatch can be incorporated in the polymeric applications used for storing foodstuff. The polymeric racks, pallets, food containers etc. can be manufactured using our masterbatch.

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

Earwigs: A nuisance pest

The dreaded earwigs we have heard all the horror stories connected with them. As a kid, a lot of us remember being told that earwigs would burrow into our ears while we were sleeping with those menacing looking pincers, they have been making children everywhere terrified to leave their ears exposed when camping ever since. But the contrary to popular legend they do not climb into ears and lay eggs in the brains. That is just not true.

You can quickly recognize an earwig due to their pincers that protrude from their flexible abdomens. They look very menacing and can be intimidating to anyone that comes into contact with them. Now, these pincers aren’t made to hurt people, but rather to ward off predators, catch prey and play a role in mating rituals. They rarely bite, however, if they do they can cause a little pinch.

These scary little insects want a comfortable environment that is out of the weather. They will move inside when the weather gets cooler, find a wet basement or another moist area indoors and take up residence for the winter months. They are attracted to light and will crawl around looking for tiny crevices, holes or gaps that create an entryway into your humble abode, and they don’t’ need much room to crawl through since they are somewhat flat.

Whether they are indoors or outdoors, they are feeding on dead plants and insects and the females are laying eggs and tending to their young. In other words, they are growing their population, which means an annoying infestation in your home and yard. And, nobody wants a bunch of earwigs scurrying around day and night.

European earwigs can cause substantial damage to seedling plants and soft fruit as well as to sweet corn. Damaged seedlings may be missing all or parts of their leaves and stem. Leaves on older plants, including fruit trees, have numerous irregular holes or are chewed around the edges.

Earwigs may attack soft fruit such as apricots, strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries but don’t harm hard fruit such as apples.

On corn, earwigs feed on silks and prevent pollination, causing poor kernel development. Earwigs may also seriously damage flowers including zinnias, marigolds, and dahlias.

Let us look at some evidence about earwig infestation:

Weather drawing out earwigs in large numbers on Central Coast

Oct 22, 2016,KSBY

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

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.

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

July 1, 2016,Argus Leader

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.

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.

“I have two young kids, and I would find (earwigs) by the dozens in their sock drawers,” Johannsen said.”I’d take out a folded shirt and three would fall out.”

Johannsen said she thought it was just her house, but after posting on social media, she learned several of her friends were having issues with earwigs, too.

Earwigs actually are beneficial insects, most of the time. They’re part of a large group of creatures that are sanitary engineers; they help clean up the environment by feeding on decaying plant material and live and dead insects.

The current insecticides are used to control this menace. However, earwig is a hardy insect and the chemicals used in most over-the-counter products are completely ineffective to an earwig infestation but can be very dangerous to the home.

C Tech Corporation offers a range of non-toxic, non-hazardous anti-insect aversive, which can be successfully used to keep this pesky creature at bay.

Termirepel ^TM offered by C Tech Corporation can be easily described as insect aversive, used against all types of insects and which works on the mechanism of repellency. It means that it does not kill the target insects but only repel them, thus balancing the ecology and helping in maintaining the goal of sustainability.

Termirepel ^TM masterbatch can be incorporated into wires, cables, pipes during the manufacturing process, also in agricultural films to protect crops.

Termirepel ^TM liquid concentrate can be mixed in paints in a predetermined ratio and can be applied to walls from houses, schools, hospitals, restaurants, warehouses etc. to keep these pesky pests away from these areas.

The product available in the form of lacquer can be applied as a topical application on fences, wooden objects, furniture, walls, ceilings etc. to keep earwig away from homes, buildings as well as from the crops.

The repelling mechanism of the product would ward off the earwigs and other insects.

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

Scale Insects:A huge threat to trees and shrubs

During summer months there are many things in our yard that demand our attention. But while we are keeping everything looking nice there may be a problem that is forming on your trees and shrubs without you even noticing. Scale insects are so small that you may not notice their presence on a tree until they begin doing some real damage.

Scale insects are a class of insects named for the protective scales that cover their bodies. They are typically very small (up to 1/8 of an inch) and without any legs, they move quite slowly if at all. Scale insects usually survive by finding a good spot along the veins of a leaf and sucking the sap from the leaf. As long as the leaf continues to provide an adequate supply of sap, they will happily set up camp and stay.

While this sounds like a nice arrangement for the scale insect, it doesn’t really work out so well for the tree or shrub. A healthy tree produces a lot of sap and one scale insect probably wouldn’t do much damage. However, like many pests, these insects reproduce rapidly and each new generation will find a comfy spot, usually on the same tree, and start sucking away. The euonymus variety of scale insects can produce up to 3 generations each year! A constant drain of sap will eventually take its toll on the tree or shrub.

In addition to putting stress on your trees, scale insects also make a mess in and under your trees. As they are gorging themselves on sap, these little creatures are also excreting a sticky substance all over the leaves on which they live. This substance, romantically known as honeydew, covers tree leaves as well as dropping onto the ground or anything else parked under the tree. If left undisturbed, honeydew will often lead to the formation of a black sooty mold.

Let us look at some evidence caused due to these pesky little insects

Scale insect attacking coastal vegetation raises concerns

16/6/2017,LSU Ag Center

The insect, Phragmites scale, is attacking Roseau cane, a plant that grows profusely along the coast. It is considered vital to the fragile marsh’s longevity because the plant’s root system binds the delicate soil. Large stands of the cane have been decimated by the pest, starting in the Mississippi River delta in Plaquemines Parish, and it has been found in other areas.

“This is the next new threat to Louisiana’s coast,” said Randy Myers, assistant secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. “This is a significant problem.”

It’s unknown how the scale insect arrived in Louisiana, Diaz said. It has been intercepted in previous years at ports in Hawaii and California.

The scale could be spread by birds, floating pieces of Roseau cane or boats, he said.

UW-Extension: Scale causing sticky mess

August 24, 2015,WalworthCountry Today

Christine Wen began fielding calls earlier this month from Fontana and Williams Bay residents puzzled by the sticky sap covering not only plants but cars and patios.

The culprits, said Wen, a horticulture educator at the University of Wisconsin-Extension Walworth County office in Elkhorn, is an explosion of scale insects on many different species of mature trees in the area.

There are several different types of scale, but the insects all feed by sucking large amounts of sap from trees, Wen said.

The insects are more of a nuisance to people. Wen said when scale feed on the sap of leaves and twigs, they secrete a sticky liquid called honeydew. The liquid, which is often mistaken for sap, coats tree leaves and branches, and drips down to whatever is beneath. The honeydew is also a source of food for sooty mold fungus, which results in a black crust over surfaces.

The current insecticides are being used to control this menace. Due to the protective scale which covers these insects, they are often resistant to normally sprayed insecticides. So what can we do to eliminate these tiny pests?

At C Tech Corporation we offer a safe and effective solution to deal with these insects. Termirepel^TM is a non-toxic and non-hazardous product that primarily repels insects from the application. The best feature of this product that it is environmentally safe and causes no harm to insects as well as for humans.

Termirepel^TM is available in the form of the masterbatch, liquid concentrate, and lacquer which can be applied topically on the applications.

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

The masterbatch can be incorporated in plastic mulches, tree guards, agricultural films etc. used to cover trees.

The liquid concentrate can be mixed in paints in a pre-determined ratio and can be applied on the concrete fences around the trees and farms. This will prevent the pest entry into the areas of plantation.

Termirepel^TM is 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 scale insects and other insects that could damage the trees. Thus by using Termirepel^TM would effectively ensure that trees remain safe and protected for a long period of time.

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

Cockroaches: The worlds most unwanted Guests!

Imagine the sky is barely bright as you slump your way to the kitchen table where your family is eating some cereal topped with berries. You start to grab some of the same but wait, what do you see in the container? A cockroach peering at you. Cockroaches can be a significant deterrent to customers and even employees and pose a formidable threat to a restaurant’s profits. Having a cockroach present in your restaurant and seen by patrons likely means they will tell their friends and family, and you could end up being temporarily shut down by health officials.

Cockroaches are attracted to restaurants as they require a relatively warm and moist environment. Besides a place to live these pests need to find food and water. Almost any food can attract and support these scavengers, and infestations can grow very quickly. While roaches do not cause structural damage their presence often indicates unsanitary conditions that may be unhealthy. There are also concerns about them directly causing allergic reactions and spreading disease by contaminating food. When cockroaches attack food, they can spread bacteria through cross-contamination. They pick up bacteria while eating and these bacteria then reside in their guts. When they attack your food, they often leave their waste products (and the bacteria!) on the food. They also may carry the bacteria on their bodies, and pass it on to the food when then touch it. Humans who eat the contaminated food can then be infected by the bacteria and suffer food poisoning. Indeed, cockroach cross-contamination can lead to the spread of, among other bacteria, salmonella, streptococcus and pseudomonas aeruginosa.

They prefer warm and damp areas in out-of-the-way protected places, such as inside walls, called harborages. Roach activity is usually highest at night.

Cockroaches are drawn to areas where access to food and a hiding space is regular and reliable, meaning a cockroach infestation is usually the symptom of poor sanitation, disposal, and cleanliness practices over the long term, and the problem will only get worse the longer these practices remain in place.

Let us have a look at some incidents where cockroach has caused a huge problem to restaurants:

Local fast food restaurant closed due to cockroach infestation

By Mario Montalvo, Kern golden empire.com

The fast food joint was closed by the health department after a customer complained about seeing cockroaches.

County environmental health director Donna Fenton said any vermin infestation requires immediate closure because it poses an immediate health risk.

“Often times those cockroaches have been roaming around the restroom,” said Fenton. “They could have been in the restroom. They can contaminate food contact surfaces, utensils, food packaging and even get into the food itself.”

Fenton says infestations like the one at this restaurant are not common.

The last time the restaurant was inspected was in July, and it passed with an “A,” but there were signs of a bigger problem at the time.

“It was noted that they did find cockroaches in the facility, but just not to the extent that they have right now,” Fenton said.

Diners flee restaurant half way through eating meals after cockroach infestation in kitchen

By Sam Fisher Stephen Jones, 16th Feb 2017, Mirror

Diners were forced to down their knives and forks and flee an Indian restaurant when a cockroach infestation broke out in a kitchen.

Their half-eaten meals were left abandoned on tables when health inspectors ordered the popular Sands of Glen field in Leicester closed down on the spot.

Acting on a tip-off by a member of the public, the inspectors visited the restaurant unannounced on Saturday, February 4.

They discovered cockroaches – both dead and alive – in the kitchen, including in the food store and in three of the freezers.

The Leicester Mercury also reports cockroach traps, put down by pest controllers, were also found.

The inspectors, from Blaby District Council, also noted that large quantities of open and uncovered food were left out on kitchen surfaces and that there was food debris, grease, and grime on many surfaces.

The above incidences present a grave picture of the growing pest problem in restaurants. Insecticides are currently the main method used for cockroach control in restaurants. Cockroaches have a legendary ability to develop resistance to a wide range of pesticides used for its control. Moreover, the use of these chemicals though conventional should be stopped as there is a chance of human contact and food contamination.

The time has come for doing all things unconventional and go for a better alternative.

C Tech Corporation provides a solution Termirepel™ which is very effective and long-lasting. The most important unique quality of the product is that it is non-toxic, non-hazardous and environmentally friendly.

Termirepel™ is available in the form of lacquer and can be applied to wooden articles such as door frames, food storage cupboards, etc. which can restrict the cockroaches from nesting in these areas.

Termirepel^TM liquid concentrate can also be incorporated in the paint to be applied to galvanized and such other surfaces. The liquid concentrate can be used to paint the interior and exterior of houses, schools, hospitals, restaurants, warehouses etc. to keep these areas safe from pest attack.

The masterbatch available can be incorporated in polymeric applications while they are being manufactured, thus keeping the pests like cockroach away from the applications.

Termirepel™ can thus help us effectively keep cockroaches away from our food as well as our lives!

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Chirping cricket menace!

In many cultures and even for some Americans having crickets in your house is a sign of good luck. Cricket outbreaks are one of the most predictable pest events of the year in most areas. Crickets belong to the insect order Orthoptera group. The largest cricket outbreaks seem to occur during years of dry springs and summers. Field cricket eggs are laid in the fall; approximately two weeks after females mature and develop wings.

Crickets may occasionally wander into the house, particularly in the fall, when it’s cooler at night and insects are looking for warm places to spend the winter. Field and house crickets are strongly attracted to bright lights, and they can enter the house through open doors or cracks in doors, window frames, foundation or siding. Crickets don’t usually lay eggs or live very long inside homes they usually die in the fall or early winter.

Crickets are a nuisance with their presence and noise. Colonies in rubbish dumps can migrate into houses, causing great distress. They are also prone to damage fabric and foodstuffs.

Field crickets are primarily outdoor insects, and as such are only accidental indoor invaders. Nevertheless, they can become a considerable household nuisance when abundant. Unlike house crickets (the species commonly sold in stores as pet food), field crickets do not breed indoors or establish permanent indoor infestations.

Indoors, crickets may damage clothing, drapes or wall coverings with staining from feces or vomitus, or by their feeding activities. Although crickets do not normally feed on fabrics, soiled clothing or clothes stained with perspiration may be damaged by crickets. They do not attack clean clothes. However, they find body soil, food and beverage stains and laundry starch very attractive. The cricket will eat the remains of the stain and during its feast will often cut the threads of the fabric.

During severe outbreaks, crickets can create an aesthetically unacceptable situation around places of business. Dead crickets quickly pile up, causing odors; and many people are repelled by the sight of large numbers of crickets on walls and sidewalks around offices and stores.

Cricket season takes hold in Central Texas

By Sophia Beausoleil, September 14, 2015, kxan

“The best indication of a cricket outbreak is past history and in the past, Texas has experienced big cricket outbreaks,” explained Alex Wild, Curator of Entomology at the University of Texas.

He said those outbreaks in past years happened when there was a lot of food for crickets to eat, followed by a dry summer and then rain at the end of summer.

“Only time can tell, it looks like it might be a good season, but until we see the washes of crickets piling up on our porches, it’s going to be hard to predict,” said Wild.

Exterminators like Joe Cantu, Vice President of Operations for Bug Master, said they tend to see more cricket activity between August and September.

“It’s one of those pests where nobody wants to have around. It’s a nuisance pest, they’re overwhelming, they really smell, so the phone starts ringing,” said Cantu.

Cricket take over Cape town

8th April 2017, News 24

The increasing cricket population in Cape Town has become a nuisance but they are harmless, the city said on Tuesday.

Scientists at Stellenbosch University and the University of Cape Town concurred that the increase in the cricket population was a phenomenon experienced in many parts of the world, said James.

“It is likely as a result of climatic conditions, in particular the mild winter experienced last year coupled with the slightly wet summer, which favours the hatching of cricket eggs and has resulted in a population boom”, said James.

In the interim residents are urged to block any gaps in their homes through which crickets might enter.

Oklahoma City Crickets: Insects Invade Downtown, Overrun Storefronts, Terrorize OKC Residents

By Philip Ross on September 5, 2013, International Science Times

It’s a plague of biblical proportions. Throngs of crickets have ascended on Oklahoma City, covering doors, sidewalks and walls — really, any surface crickets can reach. Residents shudder at the teeming masses of crickets at their doorsteps and storefronts.

It’s a natural process, but a nuisance for the 592,000 residents of Oklahoma City who have to tread lightly lest they slip on a pile of copulating crickets.

The current insecticides are being used to control this menace. However, besides being extremely toxic and harmful to the environment, most insecticides used for mayflies control will destroy beneficial insects.

Now, no longer we have to depend on these conventional, toxic pesticides to deal with these pests.

C Tech Corporation offers a range of non-toxic, non-hazardous anti-insect aversive, which can be successfully used to keep pesky creatures at bay.

Termirepel™ can be easily described as insect aversive, used also against all types of insects and which works on the mechanism of repellency. It means that it does not kill the target insects but only repel them, thus balancing the ecology and helping in maintaining the goal of sustainability.

This product can be easily used against a number of insects.

The product available in the form of masterbatch can be incorporated into the base polymer of applications like the wire and cables, pipes, agricultural films, and mulches, irrigation pipes etc.

The lacquer can be applied as a topical application on the fence, wooden objects, furniture, ceilings, frames etc.

Termirepel^TM liquid concentrate can be diluted in paints in a pre-determined ratio can be applied on walls and many other end applications to keep mayfly away from homes, buildings and other public places.

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Grain bag invader – Weevil

Often the grains are found with hollow holes in them. These tiny little holes emerge all of a sudden even when the grains are stored in the protective bags.

From where do the holes appear? Who make these holes in the grains?

Those are the weevils that are responsible for this menace!

What are weevils? Where do they come from? Why do they invade grain bags?

Let’s know the answer to these questions.

Weevil species occur in a wide range of colors and body shapes. Many are slender or oval-shaped insects. Depending on the species, weevils range in size from about 3 mm to over 10 mm in length. They are usually dark-colored—brownish to black. Some have scales or shiny hair covering part of their bodies. The most distinctive feature of weevils is the shape of their head. An adult weevil has an elongated head that forms a snout. The mouth is at the end of the snout. Some weevils have a snout that is as long as the body. Another family of beetles called Bruchidae, such as the cowpea weevil, have a different appearance from the typical weevil. They lack the elongated snout found in the Curculionidae.

Weevils feed on plants in the larval stage and as adults. Some weevils can be very destructive to crops. For many years, one of the most destructive weevils was the cotton boll weevil which feeds on cotton buds and flowers. The black vine weevil is found in many parts of the United States. It feeds on a variety of plants, including hemlocks and rhododendrons.

Often called flour bugs, because that is where they are frequently found, there are actually a number of types of weevil, including rice weevils, seed weevils, granary/grain weevils, maize weevils, and bean/pea/seed weevils, but the “true” weevils – with the snout nose, are the granary, rice, and maize weevils.

Most weevils are found in fields, gardens or orchards. A few weevils attack stored grains and seeds. They can be very destructive, and their damage is often very expensive. The most common stored product weevils are the rice weevil, the granary weevil, and the cowpea weevil.

However, a few weevils become structural pests. These are the weevils that upset homeowners because they invade homes—often in great numbers. Some of them invade in the fall. They hide during the winter and leave in the spring. Others invade in the summer when the weather starts turning hot.

But unlike beetles that live and feed on foods, these weevils actually live and feed inside the food.

The female chews a hole into a seed or grain kernel and deposits an egg inside. The female weevil then seals up the opening, leaving the egg inside. When the egg hatches (inside the grain/seed), the larva feeds on the meat inside until it is fully grown. Once fully grown, the adult weevil eats its way out of the grain/seed.
When they infest grain that is stored in bins and remains undisturbed, they can completely destroy the food.

In the home, weevils can be brought in packaged foods or they can come in from outside. Once inside, a population can grow and expand to food items stored nearby if they are not controlled.

Pests plague Negros Oriental coffee farm

Jude Torres, ABS-CBN News Posted on Sep 26 2017

DAUIN, Negros Oriental – A coffee farm in this town is fighting off an infestation of coffee bean borers and coffee weevils, which eat and destroy the coffee cherries, the local agriculture office said.

The Baslay Farmer’s Association last month noticed a defect in the coffee cherries in their 70-hectare coffee farm. In the evaluation of the Regional Crop Protection Center of the Department of Agriculture-Central Visayas, 3 hectares of the Baslay Coffee farm were found to be infested with pests.
Boll weevil bottled up in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley
Ron Smith 1 | Feb 22, 2013

The struggle against the boll weevil will continue until officials get a handle on boll weevils coming out of Mexico. The Lower Rio Grande Valley remains the last bastion of boll weevil infestation in the country, and the decades-old eradication program continues to deplete the pest’s numbers there, but as long as a viable population exists, cotton farmers cannot rest.

We can’t allow these pests to destroy our crops and grains now and then. The loss due to them is just unnecessary. Insecticides have proven inefficient in combating these pests and there’s an urgent call for stopping their menace in a non-hazardous way.

To get the solution, why not we opt for the non- hazardous, low-toxic and eco- friendly products provided by C Tech Corporation.

Termirepel™ an anti-insect additive, a C Tech Corporation product is an ideal solution for the prevention and control of weevils infestation. The masterbatch of Termirepel™ can be incorporated in wires and cables which are used in domestic wiring. Termirepel™ liquid concentrate which can be mixed in paints and can be applied to damaged applications. While Termirepel™ lacquer can be used as a topical application which can be applied to furniture, walls, ceilings etc. It follows 6 pronged strategies which are extremely effective on weevils as well as insects like ants, beetles, grasshopper, termites etc.

Termirepel™ is a non-toxic and non-hazardous anti-insect additive. It 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.

Wasps the virulent insects!

One can easily get attracted to the membranous wings of these tiny wasps.

But these attractive insects possess a protective tool i.e. STING which is so lethal that no one should have imagined its consequences!

Yes the sting is lethal and for proving the statement let’s go through the following evidence:

Wasp Bite Gives Man a Heart Attack

By Cari Nierenberg, Live Science Contributor | September 22, 2017 03:18pm ET

A sting from a yellow jacket is typically a minor annoyance, but a wasp bite turned into a major medical problem for a 45-year-old British man:

In this man’s case, he was stung by a yellow jacket on his left arm as he got into his van. Minutes later, he began to feel dizzy and itchy all over, and a rash appeared on his body, according to the case report.

The man’s left hand began to feel heavy and achy, and hours later, this pain became more frequent and spread to his left arm, shoulder and back. He called for an ambulance, and on the ride to the hospital, he suffered a heart attack, the case report said.

Wasp stings responsible for three deaths in Manitoba

By: Alexandra Paul, Winniepeg Free Press, Posted: 09/7/2017 11:41 AM

The city’s former entomologist is urging Winnipeggers to take precautions after three Manitobans died this summer after being stung by wasps.

The three deaths, including at least one in Winnipeg, were rare, said Taz Stuart, now the entomologist and director of technical operations at Poulin’s Pest Control.

The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office released data Thursday detailing deaths from any kind of bee, hornet or wasp. There have only been a handful of similar reports in the last 15 years.

By knowing the consequences we can think how deadliest it can be if one gets attacked by these yellowjackets!!

Firstly before we see what are the preventive measures to be taken against the sting of these tiny insects let’s get introduced to them.

WASPS with zoological name Vespula germanica are also commonly known as yellowjackets and hornets. Wasps vary tremendously depending on species. Most have two pairs of wings and a pinched waist. They range in colors from black to metallic greens and blues and vary in size from almost microscopic to several centimeters long. Wasps are a successful and diverse group of insects with tens of thousands of described species; wasps have spread to all parts of the world except for the Polar Regions.

They are categorized as social or solitary. Social wasps live in colonies consisting of hundreds or thousands of more-or-less sterile female workers and their much larger mother, the egg-laying queen. The colonies are set up in a nest built by the wasp workers. The nests are constructed from wood fibers collected and then mixed with water. The nests are very strong and long-lasting structures.

Some wasps are predatory, while others are parasitic. Predatory wasps kill and consume other insects as well as other animals which they often feed to their larvae. Parasitic wasps typically lay their eggs in the bodies of living creatures like caterpillars or spiders. The larvae feed on the still-living host. Wasps can assist in the management of other pests, particularly in agriculture as biological control agents. Many wasps also feed on nectar from flowers and therefore function as pollinators. Wasps play a variety of roles in the environments such as pollinators, parasitoids, parasites, predators etc. Wasps are also just important in the environment. Social wasps being predators play a vital ecological role, controlling the numbers of potential pests like greenfly and many caterpillars.

Though wasps are important for the environment they are considered as pests and voracious species. People often get stung in summer when the wasp colonies stop breeding new workers. The workers then go in search of food and then come in contact with humans. If a human gets stung by a wasp, he can suffer pain and may also suffer from life-threatening anaphylactic shock.

Hence to prevent these deadliest stingy wasps get an eco-friendly solution provided by 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 wasps, whiteflies, termites, beetles etc.

Termirepel^TM is available in the form of the masterbatch, liquid concentrate, and lacquer.

Masterbatch can be incorporated into polymers while processing them. Cables, pipes, agricultural films, mulches, irrigation pipes etc. can be manufactured using masterbatch.

The liquid concentrate is to be mixed with paints in a proper ratio and can be applied on the interior and exterior of houses, schools, hospitals, warehouses, etc. to keep the wasps out of these places.

While lacquer is a direct topical application which can be applied directly to the already installed applications like cables, pipes, metal decors, furniture, wooden articles etc. Since the wasps build the nest in the areas like roof spaces, plywood built spaces, eaves, ceilings etc. places we need to repel them from such places.

Hence to repel them we C Tech Corporation suggest you apply our product Termirepel^TM. Our lacquer form product can be applied on wooden applications to which the wasps are attracted the most.

Termirepel^TM is the best protection against the aggressive and voracious wasps.

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Super pest – Diamondback Moth!

Diamondback moth originated in Europe has a global distribution and are found in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, and the Hawaiian Islands. The species belonging to Plutella genus are small greyish-brown moth sometimes has a cream-colored band that forms a diamond along its back. Hence the name Diamondback Moth.

The moth having a short life cycle of nearly 14 days bears the capability of migrating over long distances. Diamondback moth usually feeds on the leaves of cruciferous crops and plants that produce glucosinolates. They deposit their eggs on host plants with a larval infestation. All the plants are not used for these moths as host plants as the larvae fail to survive. Hence the plants which produce glucosinolates are selected as host plants by this super pest diamondback moth.

Here are some of the evidence of the plants being considered as host plants leading to several damages to crop and crop yield.

UK brussels sprout harvest hit by ‘super-pest’ moths

Wednesday 7 December 2016, Published in The Guardian

Love them or loathe them, they are a staple part of the Christmas dinner. However, consumers shopping for sprouts this year could have less choice than usual after some British-grown crops were ravaged by “super-pest” moths during the summer.

The problem has arisen as a result of an explosion in the numbers of diamondback moths arriving in the UK from Europe, which can cause huge damage to crops such as sprouts, cabbages and cauliflowers as they are resistant to most insecticides.

Growers reported problems in the Channel Islands but this week some growers in Lincolnshire – which supplies almost two-thirds of all sprouts produced in the country – reported losses of up to 60%.

Bad news for farmers, good news for children: Brussels sprouts crop faces Christmas ruin

By Leon Watson, 30 NOVEMBER 2016, Published in the Telegraph news

For some, it threatens to ruin Christmas; for others, perhaps of younger generations, it is the promise of joyous relief.

Brussels sprouts could be off the menu this year as the crop could be ruined by a plague of immigrant moths invading the UK.

Supplies of the vegetable are already running low after several farmers’ festive crops were decimated by armies of the cabbage-loving diamondback insects.

The moth especially likes to munch on Brassica plants, which include cabbages, cauliflower, and broccoli. And it has become increasingly resistant to available insecticides.

The agriculture industry has been trying to find biological and natural ways to eliminate the diamondback moth especially since the moths have become resistant to pesticides. Common enemies of the moth include the parasitoids or lacewings. Lacewings feed on eggs and young larvae, while the parasitoids only feed on the eggs.

It has been stated that “the insect diamondback moths, notorious among farmers as pests that cause $4 to $5 billion of damage a year worldwide.”

And In the Horticulture Week it has beed stated as “non-native arrival to the US, the diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) is the world’s most damaging agricultural pest of brassica crops, costing US farmers over $4 billion yearly in crop losses and control management.”

To stop the infestation originally, pesticides were used to kill the moths but Diamondbacks have developed resistance to many of the common chemicals. For this reason, different biological, cultural, and chemical controls are being developed to reduce the destruction caused by the moths but proven to be ineffective.

Hence need a solution which gives complete protection to crops from these pesky pests.

C Tech Corporation provides you with value-add product called as 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, 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 the pests which help in maintaining the ecological balance of the earth.

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. The polymeric applications like wires and cables, pipes, agricultural films and mulches, greenhouse films, tree guards, irrigation pipes etc can be manufactured using our masterbatch to keep pests from damaging these applications. The crops which are suitable to cover with plastic bags/covers can be applied to our product. The polymeric horticultural equipment can be incorporated into our product for getting best results.

Termirepel™ Liquid concentrate is to be mixed in paints in proper proportion and can be applied to the interior and exterior of the agricultural storage rooms, houses, offices, fences around the farms etc.

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

Using our product, you will get protection from the diamondback moth!

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Termirepel (TM) against pesky little fire ants

Fire ants are some of the extremely dangerous and damaging ant species. They not only destroy property and habitats but are equally dangerous to all animals including humans & pets.

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.

Red fire ants are generally omnivorous, feeding on proteins, honeydew, seeds and most foods found in homes. Fire ants range in color from red-brown to black and grow up to 1/4 inch in length. They build nests or mounds about 1 foot high, usually in grassy areas like lawns and pastures. Unlike most anthills, fire ant nests have no single entrance.

As the temperature rises and conditions become dry, fire ants enter homes in search of food and water. This can cause problems ranging from the nuisance of finding ants in stored foods and potted plants to the real danger of stings-particularly multiple stings when fire ants climb onto sleeping inhabitants.

Fire ants are very aggressive and are voracious feeders on small ground fauna, including insects, spiders, lizards, frogs, birds, and mammals.

Encounters with fire ants usually involve dozens of ants moving quickly and undetected. By the time they sting, there may be tens or hundreds of ants on your body, and they tend to all sting at once. Stings from fire ants can cause a painful, burning and itching sensation, which can last for an hour. Multiple stings give the sensation that the body is on fire.

In the United States, people in fire ant-infested areas have changed their habits to avoid exposure to the ant. Activities such as mowing and gardening could also result in ant stings.

The impact of fire ants is not restricted to people. Pets and domestic animals can also be stung and injured and may have allergic reactions or be blinded by exposure to the venom.

Fire ants could seriously affect the vegetation communities in natural areas. Their habit of eating or damaging seeds could alter the ratios of the various seeds available to develop, which could significantly change an ecosystem over time. Fire ants also predate or disturb the insects and animals that pollinate native plants, which may also cause long-term changes to the vegetation of our bushland areas.

Mounds formed by fire ant nests can be a serious problem in lawns, sporting fields and golf courses, which could have economic impacts. The ants’ activities and nesting materials can cause expensive damage to sensitive electrical equipment. They chew on insulation and can cause short circuits or interfere with switching mechanisms. Air conditioners, traffic signal boxes, and other devices can be damaged.

Fire ants can significantly affect the agriculture industry. Newborn or hatching animals are particularly prone to attacks that can lead to death. The ants can make it impossible for animals to reach food or water without being seriously stung, which can lead to starvation and dehydration.

Fire ants often feed on seeds, and can fatally damage some plants by tunneling through roots and stems.

Mound-building behavior can interrupt or destroy equipment, such as irrigation systems, and can also damage machinery during harvesting operations.

Let us have a look at some news articles:

Killer fire ants INVASION: Warning over global spread as deadly swarms invade

By Stuart Winter, Aug 7, 2017

Both Japan and Australia are today mounting operations to stop red imported fire ants getting a stranglehold in a worldwide invasion that has left 80 people dead.

The fire ants – abbreviated to RIFA and the with the scientific name of Solenopsis invicta – have already left their marks on thousands across North and South America as well as China and Taiwan.

So far, there has been only one sting victim in Japan but this has not stopped the authorities launching a full-scale hunt and eradication operation at ports around the country where the ants may have arrived from China.

It has already exterminated clusters discovered in seven major ports, including Tokyo and Osaka, and is setting traps and carrying out search and elimination missions at another 68 sites.

More than 500 ants were found at Yokohama last month as well larvae and pupae – a worrying sign that the ants are breeding on Japanese soil only two months after they were first discovered in the country.

Fire Ants Almost Kill 13-Year-Old Boy

June 15, 2009, Fox News

Patrick Dodson, 13, and his mother, Donna Dodson, learned that one Sunday afternoon in March while doing yard work at their Central home.

Patrick Dodson fetched a bag of mulch made from a tree blown down by Hurricane Gustav in September. It tore open as he headed to the flower beds, and his leg was covered in hundreds of ants.

Patrick’s mother washed the ants off his leg, applied an antihistamine cream.

But 20 minutes later, Patrick came to her with a flushed face and swollen lips and nose. Donna Dodson took him to an after-hours clinic, where he passed out while she was filling out paperwork.

He came to in the exam room, got a shot and passed out again. The clinic called an ambulance to take him to the emergency room.

“The venom from the ants just shut his body down,” Donna Dodson said. Doctors at Baton Rouge General Medical Center gave him intravenous fluids to flush out the venom. His blood pressure kept dropping. His heart stopped beating twice.

The most common tool used to manage fire ants are insecticides. However, besides being extremely toxic and harmful to the environment, and do not effectively solve the insect problem. Moreover, studies show that the more exposed the fire ants is to the insecticide, the more resistant the fire ant will be. Therefore the insects know that it is hazardous to them with their sensory cue and learns to avoid.

C Tech Corporation has come up with a solution to combat fire ants menace. Termirepel™ is a low-toxic, non-hazardous termite repellent which has been designed for various applications as well as natural materials like wood. 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 ecosystem.

It is durable at extreme climatic conditions such as changes in temperature, rainfall, etc. Our product is ROHS, ROHS2, ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001:1996, APVMA, NEA complaint and FIFRA exempted.

Termirepel™ does not kill but only keep the ants away by making use of their sensory mechanisms. 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.

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Are transgenic crop the future?

For thousands of year, cotton has been significant crop in India contributing to its rich history of textiles. Despite the agricultural legacy cotton farmer faced many challenges such as serious pest attack impacting crop yield. 90% of the cotton farmers experienced significant crop damage due to an insect called cotton bollworm. The cotton bollworm also called corn earworm or sorghum head worm is a serious pest to the cotton plant.

In 2002 Bt. cotton was introduced in India dramatically changing the future of cotton production in India. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a bacterium that occurs naturally in the soil and produces proteins that kill certain insects. Through biotechnology, scientists used these naturally occurring Bt proteins to develop insect-protected crops that help farmers protect against insect damage and destruction. When targeted insects eat the plant containing the protein, they ultimately die.

But in the recent years, there have been articles flooding of Transgenic Bt cotton plants that have a build up a resistance to the lethal protein and are being attacked by bollworms.

The potential of pests to develop resistance against the defense mechanisms of crops is well-known and is not unique to genetically engineered plants. Insects have developed resistance to a crop defense no matter how it was developed. The crop defense might be a chemical or biological agent, a gene already in the crop species and transferred to commercial plants by conventional plant breeding methods, or a gene introduced by recombinant DNA technology. Because more than 500 insects and mites already have acquired resistance to a number of insecticides, there is concern that similar resistance to Bt toxins could develop.

Several major pests, including the tobacco budworm, Colorado potato beetle, Indian meal moth and diamondback moth, have demonstrated the ability to adapt. It has been reported that the diamondback moth evolved high levels of resistance in the field as a result of repeated use of Bt. As Bt use increases on more acres, some scientists have predicted that insect resistance to Bt will be a major problem. Considerable controversy exists about how Bt should be managed to prolong its usefulness.

Bt resistance in pink bollworm is caused by changes to a gut protein called cadherin. In susceptible insects, cadherin binds to the Bt toxin, eventually leading to the death of the insect. When mutations in the gene encoding cadherin block this binding, the insect becomes resistant.

There were only two benefits of Bt cotton. One, it controls bollworm, due to which the yield is protected. Two, it reduces the use of insecticides meant for bollworm control but after bollworm developed resistance to the Bt. Cotton. The genetically modified method has to be given a second thought.

Let us have a look at some evidence of the damage caused by these pests.

Bt. cotton falling to pest, Maharashtra tensed

Jul 5, 2017

This article was published by Ms. Bhavika Jain in Times of India.

MUMBAI: Genetically modified or Bt cotton is no longer resistant to pink bollworm a major pest in Maharashtra, prompting the state government to write to the Union government to seek its intervention.

A research report by Dr. K R Kranthi, former director of Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR), shows that pink bollworm has developed resistance to Bollgard-II Bt cotton not only in Maharashtra but other cotton-growing states as well. Bollgard-II is the Bt hybrid variety that was introduced in 2010.

Bijay Kumar, principal secretary, agriculture department, said, “There are nearly 85 private Bt cotton seed-producing companies in the state and we have been getting several complaints of crop failure from farmers.”

The issue assumes significance given that Maharashtra is the largest cotton-growing state in the country. Nearly 40 lakh hectares or 35% of the cultivatable area is under cotton production. Nearly 96% cotton-growing farmers in the state use BG-II Bt cotton seeds for cultivation.

Last year, nearly 90% of cotton farms in Jalna were affected and farmers had approached the state government seeking compensation for the losses they had incurred. It could not do much, though. The state government has found itself in a tight spot and asked the Union government to denotify Bt cotton seed varieties prone to pink bollworm. The government also wants the Centre to undertake an awareness campaign across the state on failed resistance of the Bt variety to pests so that farmers can make an informed choice. Pink bollworm is a small, thin, gray moth with fringed wings-the most damaging of all pests that attack cotton crop in the country. The female moth lays eggs on cotton balls and larvae emerge only to destroy entire fields by chewing through the cotton lint to feed on seeds.

Cotton crop hit by severe pest attack in South Punjab

September 26, 2017

MULTAN: The Cotton crop has entered a critical stage in South Punjab as a number of sucking and chewing pests have attacked the crop.

In most of the fields, whitefly and pink bollworm have damaged the crops inflicting losses of millions of rupees. These pests should be controlled as early as possible so that cotton crop can be saved from a considerable loss in final yield.

This was said by Agricultural Information Assistant Director Naveed Asmat Kahloon in Multan on Monday. He was speaking to representatives of electronic and print media in his office.

He said that the teams of agriculture departments conducted pest scouting in the fields on daily basis. The hot spots of pests, especially whitefly, thrips and pink bollworm were being observed in the fields.

He added that symptom of pink bollworm attack was an appearance of rosette flowers. “The rosette flowers must be plucked and destroyed as early as possible,” he pointed out.

He pointed out that if farmers apply pesticides against pink bollworm before its attack, it would promote whitefly infestation and create resistance in other pests against the pesticides.

The official advised farmers to apply pesticides against pink bollworm after pest scouting by some experts. “In case it is found to have reached ETL then farmers should apply pesticides after consulting agriculture officials,” he said.

To counter the problem, the Punjab Agriculture Research Board and the Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) inked an agreement for kicking off projects worth Rs75 million to manage the threat posed by whitefly and pink bollworm that inflict a loss of billions to the national economy.

To combat this we need to find a new technology without modifying the plant. The solution to this problem is with C Tech Corporation. Our product Termirepel^TM is based on Mother Nature’s gift of sense bestowed to these insects. Our product does not kill the target species but only repels it. Our technology is based on the ancient Vedas with the modern technology.

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 and which works on the mechanism of repellency. It means that it does not kill the target insects but only repels them, thus balancing the ecology and helping in maintaining the goal of sustainability. There are more than 500 species against which this product works.

This product can be easily used against bollworm. Our products are available in the form of a masterbatch which can be included in the agricultural cover film, mulches, wraps, greenhouse film, irrigation pipes etc.

Liquid Concentrate can be mixed in paints in a pre-determined ratio and can be applied on the concrete fences around the farms, interior and exterior of warehouses used to store the agricultural yield etc.

The product available in the form of lacquer can be applied as a topical application. It can be applied to the wooden fences, already installed cables and wires, pipes in the farms etc. The lacquer is compatible with most of the surfaces.

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1] https://twitter.com/rodrepel
2] https://twitter.com/termirepel
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Rise of beetle infestation in your woods and forests!

Are the trees appearing to be dead?

And does the tree bark appears to be dry, damaged and sickly brown, without any sheen?

Then it’s probably because of the nasty bug which is commonly known as THE BARK BEETLE!

Yes, the bark beetle, one of about 220 types of Insect Genera with 6,000 species in the subfamily Scolytinae, are responsible for the damage to forests trees.

Are you aware of the havoc created by these tiny bark beetles in California!?

If not then have a glance at the damage caused to the trees from the following image.

Aerial surveys around the state show more than 20 million dead trees.

This fact is that the bark beetle infestation is not limited to only California.

The ravenous insects have decimated 45 million acres of forest in the Western United States in recent years, including 15 million acres of Forest Service land.

These are the more recent evidence for the bark beetle infestation in woods.

8,600 bags of wood recalled over bark beetle fears

By Conor Macauley BBC NI Agriculture & Environment Correspondent

8 September 2017 |Northern Ireland

Six major retailers in Northern Ireland have had to destroy or send back thousands of bags of firewood they had on sale because it posed a potential risk to commercial forestry.

A total of 8,600 bags of conifer firewood were taken off the shelves.It followed an inspection by plant inspectors from the Forest Service.

They found the wood was from Britain where a certain type of beetle exists that is not present in NI, and that the wood did not comply with regulations.

Beetles Threatening Alabama Timber

By Alex Aubuchon & Apr student reporter Allison Mollenkamp • Sep 5, 2017

Alabama’s eleven billion dollar timber industry could be at risk due to a very small bug.

Southern Pine Beetle populations have reached epidemic levels in Montgomery County. The beetles are also found in the Oakmulgee District of the Talladega National Forest and an area including Marengo, Clarke, and Choctaw counties.

Tree-Eating Beetles March Northward, Lured by Milder Winters

By HIROKO TABUCHI | AUG. 28, 2017

For lovers of the stately pine forests of the Northeast, sightings of a destructive tree-eating beetle in recent years have been nothing short of alarming.

Southern pine beetles are now frequently spotted in New Jersey, New Yorkand parts of New England. And their range will only grow farther as the planet continues to warm, according to a study published on Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change.

By midcentury, some 40,000 square miles of the pitch pine forests from eastern Ohio to southern Maine will be hospitable to the beetle. And by 2080, vast areas of forest in the northeastern United States and into Ontario and Quebec will be vulnerable.

The bark beetles responsible for such deep infestation are the tiny pesky pests of size approximately 5 mm. Bark beetles reproduce in the inner bark (living and dead phloem and cambium tissues) of trees. Adults typically appear in the spring and females deposit eggs in galleries just under the bark. The eggs hatch into small white legless larvae with brown heads. The larvae tunnel under the bark as they eat and grow, producing winding tunnels between the bark and the sapwood of the tree.

Though small, the Bark beetles play an important role in forest ecology, for example by creating complex early successional forest. Infestations can have a significant economic impact.

In undisturbed forests, bark beetles serve the purpose of hastening the recycling and decomposition of dead and dying wood and renewing the forest. Bark beetles often attack trees that are already weakened by disease, drought, smog, overcrowding, conspecific beetles, or physical damage.

Individuals are not much larger than a piece of cooked rice. They survive in trees that are stressed or diseased and cannot secrete enough defensive resin, or sap, to drown the beetles. The beetles emit pheromones that attract other beetles. This can result in heavy infestations and eventually death of the tree.

There is an urgent need to find an effective solution to protect our wood.

And we have one!

Our company C Tech Corporation provides you with an eco-friendly solution Termirepel™.

Termirepel™ manufactured by using green practices is developed against these insects. It is an excellent aversive which not only protects wood from beetle infestation but also reduces the colonial expansion of them in woods.

Termirepel™ is an extremely low concern, low toxic, non-hazardous and non-mutagenic INSECT aversive.

It is durable at extreme climatic conditions such as changes in temperature, rainfall, 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.

Termirepel™ is available in many forms i.e. coating, Liquid solution, and Lacquer.

Besides this, we offer pre-dispersed Termirepel™ plastic masterbatches that can be added to film, pipes, even cables to protect them from the ravaging insects

The Breathable Termirepel™ lacquer is a proper solution to be used for wood protection.

Our patented Termirepel™ Breathable product lacquer can be applied on the wooden surfaces of antiques, heritage structures, utility poles, fences, shipping industry, etc.

The following images show the application of lacquer form over the wood surface.

The sample I was without the coating and Sample II was with the coating of our Termirepel™ lacquer or coating product and was tested under field conditions for several years.

It can be clearly seen that sample I is completely destroyed by pests and the Termirepel™ Treated sample II was pest free which shows our product efficiency while maintaining ecological balance as none of our products are toxic either to animals, insects or the environment.

The lacquer is transparent and breathable and is applied as a direct coating over the wood surface to be covered.

Termirepel™ Lacquers and coatings do not interfere with the aesthetic properties of the application.

Termirepel™ Lacquers and coatings enhance the properties of wood by adding glossy appearance.

Thus Termirepel™ Lacquers and coatings provide you with the best protection from the beetle infestation in woods in an eco-friendly way.

Talk to us, for any problems with insects, animals or both!

WE HAVE A SOLUTION FOR YOU!

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1] https://twitter.com/rodrepel
2] https://twitter.com/termirepel
3] https://twitter.com/combirepel

Stink bug feast on your food!

The brown marmorated stink bug is considered to be an agricultural pest. It feeds on a wide variety of host plants. Fruits attacked include apples, peaches, figs, mulberries, citrus fruits, and persimmons. This true bug has also been reported on many ornamental plants, weeds, soybeans, and beans for human consumption.

This insect is becoming an important agricultural pest all around the world.

In 2010, it produced severe losses in some apple and peach orchards by damaging peaches and apples. It also has been found feeding on blackberry, sweet corn, field corn, and soybeans. It has also been observed damaging tomatoes, lima bean, and green peppers.

Physical damage to fruit includes pitting and scarring, sometimes leading to a mealy texture. This injury makes the fruit unmarketable as a fresh product and in severe cases can even render the crop unusable for processed products.

The brown marmorated stink bug also feeds on leaves, and a characteristic symptom of leaf injury is stippled areas approximately 1/8 inch in diameter around feeding sites. In addition to physical damage, wounds caused by feeding can provide an entryway for a disease to attack the host fruit or plant.

In field crops, damage caused by brown marmorated stink bug is not usually evident immediately upon visual inspection. For instance, in corn the stink bugs feed through the husk, piercing kernels and sucking out the juice resulting in shriveled kernels. Stink bug feeding in soybeans is similar to corn, where the bugs pierce the pods and suck juices out of the seeds. One visual symptom of brown marmorated stink bug feeding in soybeans is referred to as the “stay green” effect, where injured soybean plants stay green later into the season while other plants in the field senesce as usual.

This species has a single generation per year depending on the temperatures. Warm spring and summer conditions could permit the development of two or three generations. However, in parts of sub-tropical China, records indicate from four to possibly six generations per year. Adults will emerge sometime in the spring of the year (late April to mid-May), and mate and deposit eggs from May through August. The eggs hatch into small black and red nymphs that go through five molts. Adults begin to search for overwintering sites starting in September through the first half of October.

These insects can produce allergic reactions like rhinitis or conjunctivitis in some individuals who are sensitive to the bugs odor. These chemicals are produced by dorsal scent glands. Additionally, if the insects are crushed or smashed against exposed skin they have been reported to produce dermatitis at the point of contact. This is particularly important for agricultural workers picking fruits and vegetables.

They not only affect the agriculture but also try to enter the living areas of the home Typically, stink bugs will emerge from cracks, under or behind baseboards, around window and door trim, and around exhaust fans or lights in ceilings.

Managing this pest species is challenging because there are currently few effective pesticides that are labeled for use against them

It is also not advisable to use an insecticide against these bugs as they directly attack the crop. The insecticides are highly toxic and can damage the nervous system of a human being.

Hence me need a more ecofriendly solution to combat the menace caused by stinky bugs.

Let us have a look at the menace caused by these species on agriculture.

Stink Bugs on the Move in Soybeans

August 4, 2017

According to the article published in agweb.com by Ms. Brooks-Director at Farm Journal Media.

“In 2016 a number of farmers had significant stink bug damage but didn’t realize it until harvest, when they discovered shriveled, blasted seeds,” Tilmon and Michel report in the latest issue of C.O.R.N. newsletter. “Both nymphs and adults feed on the developing seed by using their piercing/sucking mouthparts to poke through the pod. Seed that is fed upon will take a flat or shriveled appearance.”

There are several species of stink bugs that can be found in soybean, including the green, the brown, the red-shouldered and the brown marmorated stink bug.

The heaviest populations of stink bug are usually found in the Eastern Corn Belt, particularly in the mid-Atlantic region, but the BMSB is increasingly found in the central U.S.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension entomologists are encouraging soybean farmers in the state to scout for stink bug this season. “Planting dates were late in many areas and cool weather has slowed plant growth, leading to delayed maturity in many areas. These late maturing crops may remain vulnerable to pest injury longer than usual,” they write in the online newsletter Cropwatch.

Ohio’s Tilmon and Michel write that seed damage can be prevented by scouting and treatment at appropriate threshold levels:

“Most insecticides labeled for soybean include stink bugs on the label, and most are adequately effective. Keep in mind it is easier to kill immatures than adults. To sample for stink bugs, take multiple 10-sweep samples with a sweep net in multiple locations throughout the field. Average the number of stink bugs in the 10-sweep samples. The threshold to treat is four or more stink bugs. If soybeans are being grown for seed, the threshold can be dropped to two or more stink bugs.”

Stink bugs pose increasing threat in Midwest

July 03, 2017

This news article was published by Ms. Atyeo in tristateneighbor.com.

Stink bugs are a pest South Dakota corn growers might not be accustomed to checking for, but they’re becoming a greater threat in northern states, and they can harm corn early in the season and move on before you know it.

The bugs are named for the musty smell they make when crushed. There are some species native to the Midwest, but it’s the brown marmorated stink bug that has been moving in from southern states that poses a bigger threat to corn and soybean crops.

The brown marmorated stink bug was found for the first time last year by Minnesota observers. Jami Loecker is an agronomist with Syngenta in eastern Kansas.

“In the Midwest, it’s kind of been an overlooked issue,” she said. “No doubt it’s increasing. ”Even the native bugs – the green, brown and one-spotted stink bugs – are a threat as their populations increase. The conditions are right this year for bugs to thrive because a mild winter allowed more to survive.

In harvest time revealed an abundance of stink bug damaged soybean samples, according to Dr. Kelley Tilmon, extension pest specialist. “It’s not just a southern problem anymore,” Loecker said.

Stink bugs can be a threat to corn from the time it emerges through its reproductive stages, with later season injury being particularity detrimental. The bugs pierce the plant with their mouths and insert an enzyme to pre-digest it.

“They’re robbing the plant of what it needs to live effectively and produce yield,” Loecker said.

Not only are they feeding on the crop, but the injury also gives diseases a spot to attack. Soybeans are most at risk during pod development. Stink bugs like to feed on the pod and seeds. Soybeans with stink bug damage produce small, shrunken seeds.

Stink bug damage in corn is usually overlooked, especially early in the season, Loecker said.

The bugs feed on the outside of the leaves as they are unfurling. The damage looks like small holes across corn leaf. It may also feed on the whorl. Later, they feed on the ear

“It’s really important we inform ourselves,” she said recently. “They’re robbing yields that we don’t even know about.”

To combat this nuisance we need to find ways that are ecofriendly and sustainable.

The solution to this is with C Tech Corporation.

Taking into mind the problems faced by the farmers C Tech Corporation has developed this unique product Termirepel™ that is been made from green technology. It is 100% ecofriendly, non-hazardous and non-toxic. It is also an environmentally safe insect repellent.

It can repel more than 500 species of insects on account of it being a broad spectrum anti-insect repellent. The most striking feature of Termirepel™ is that it neither kills the target species, nor the non-target species. It will simply keep the insects away from the application.

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.

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1] https://twitter.com/rodrepel
2] https://twitter.com/termirepel
3] https://twitter.com/combirepel

Who’s that in the leopard skin?

The giant leopard moth or eyed tiger moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. It is distributed throughout the Americas from southern Ontario, and southern and eastern United States through New England, Mexico and down to Panama. The obsolete name Ecpantheria scribonia is still occasionally encountered.

The Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar spends the winter in a state of hibernation, although in more temperate parts of its range it may wake temporarily on mild days for a mid-winter snack. When spring arrives, Giant Leopard Moth caterpillars become active again and feed heavily until the optimal size is reached, at which time each larva shucks off its spiny exoskeleton one more time and makes a pupa. The adult metamorphoses therein and emerges after only a few weeks; thus, the cycle begins again for the Giant Leopard Moth.

This species has a wingspan of 76 mm (3 in). Wings have a stark white base on which black color rings are visible. The wings of this moth are bright white with a pattern of neat black blotches, some solid and some hollow. The spots on the forewings of adult giant leopard moths may serve as disruptive coloration to make them less conspicuous to predators The side of the abdomen is dark blue with orange markings, while the underside is white with solid black spots, and males have a narrow yellow line on the sides. Its legs have black and white bands. Adult moths are strictly nocturnal and do not generally fly before nightfall.

Adult giant leopard moths have ears, probably to detect the echolocation sonar of hunting bats allowing them to take evasive action. The ears are located immediately behind the bases of the hind wings. This species has a notable sexual dimorphism in size, the adult male reaching about 51 mm (2 in) in length, while the adult female grows up to 30 mm (1.2 in). Males have borders around the sides of its body and black legs comprise white markings on them. The adults fly during at night but can sometimes be seen resting during the day on tree trunks. The adults are incapable of feeding.

Fortunately, giant leopard moths don’t live very long as they don’t have mouthparts and don’t eat during this stage of their lives. As moths, they basically exist just to lay eggs before passing away. It is because of this short lifespan and its nocturnal habits that many insect enthusiasts rarely catch a glimpse of this moth, making the discovery and/or capture of one a pretty big deal for bug lovers.

Giant moth found crawling inside a bag of ‘fresh and washed’ Woolworths spinach

By Alisha Buaya For Daily Mail Australia, PublisheD: 17 November 2016
A customer has found a huge moth crawling inside a bag of spinach.

Woolworths customer Josh Dan found a large moth inside a 120g bag of ‘fresh and washed’ spinach.

He wrote a post to the supermarket’s Facebook page and shared a video showing the bug moving around in the bag.
‘Check out what I found in a bag of spinach I just purchased,’ he wrote.

‘I’ve been disappointed with your “fresh” produce before, but this is taking it a bit far.
The supermarket responded to the customer’s post via private message.

A Woolworths spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: ‘We take all customer concerns seriously and are investigating the issue.’

Earlier this year a Sydney woman found a live huntsman spider in a bag of Woolworths Italian salad mix.

Freeze moths out of your life: They got her clothes, her carpets, and her curtains… but then author Raffaella Barker got rid of her pests

By Raffaela Barker For The Daily Mail Published: 21 May 2017
No cloth, no cashmere, no carpet is safe from the stealth missile that is the pale-backed clothes moth.

This I found out a few weeks ago, when, humming a little, I went to unwrap my summer wardrobe from its winter home.

Opening the door to our spare bedroom, not much stirred at first. But as I stepped past the bed, a flutter of wings spiraled up from the floor — a single harbinger of the doom that I was still oblivious to.

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 moths. Our product Termirepel^TM is low-toxic, non-hazardous and insect aversive. Our product 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 keeps the pests away from the application. The unpleasant experience with our products is imprinted within animal’s memory and passed on its progeny.

Termirepel^TM 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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Insects that prey on your log home

Termites are one of the deadliest pests that can damage your household furniture. Your log home is a very tempting morsel for any number of damaging insects who will make it their home and their food source are allowed to do so. A whole host of troublesome insects that prey on your log home are out there and unless you know what to look for and know how to treat any invasions, your home’s value and structural integrity can be at stake. Being proactive is the name of the game since seasoned wood, dry wood, and wet wood and, of course, rotting wood are all potential targets for creeping, crawling, flying things.

Common bugs that infest log homes include beetles, borers, carpenter bee larvae, and termites. Some pests, like bark beetles and round- and flat-headed borers, are already in the wood when harvested and can emerge up to three years or more after the home is built.

The main source of nutrients in the diet of termites is cellulose. A complex sugar molecule and the main component of plant cell walls, cellulose gives wood structural strength. Termites use mandibles to tear off tiny chunks of wood to ingest and store in the gut. Incapable of breaking down cellulose without aid, termites benefit from a symbiotic relationship with various species of protozoa and microorganisms which live in the stomachs of the termites. Once the cellulose is broken down and digested, the resulting biomass (a substance known as humus) helps replenish the fertility of the soil. Wood already in the process of decay due to the presence of fungi produces an odor that is attractive to termites.

Though termites most commonly consume wood, any kind of plant matter supplies the pests with appropriate nourishment. The diet of a termite includes roots, mulch, paper, cardboard, cotton, burlap, and the occasional fruit or nut. Additionally, termites require large amounts of moisture, and soil is the main water source. Consequently, subterranean termites often invade homes and other buildings from the base of the structure where the soil is plentiful. As the pests tunnel and explore a building, defective plumbing, leaky roofs, leaky air conditioning systems, and poorly maintained gutters provide the necessary moisture for the continued survival of termites.

Inn Harmony: Hidden log house becomes a sweet rehab

August 26, 2017, Pittsburgh

Dennis Lapic had no clue what he’d do with the dilapidated, aluminum-sided house in Ambridge when he purchased it from an elderly neighbor in the mid-1990s. Mr. Lapic got started, and quickly discovered bad news: Termites had chewed their way through two sides of the house. The floors slumped in some places and bulged in others. To repair the damage, the house had to be jacked up 16 inches. Mr. Lapic got started, and quickly discovered bad news: Termites had chewed their way through two sides of the house. The floors slumped in some places and bulged in others. To repair the damage, the house had to be jacked up 16 inches.

Family’s dream home turns into termite-infested nightmare

Jul 20th 2017, U.S. News

Williams and her parents came across a spacious house tucked away in a quiet Cordova neighborhood complete with its own Jacuzzi; they thought they had found the perfect home. Williams and her parents didn’t notice about the house when they started renting it in March 2016 that they say caused all the headaches that and frequent nosebleeds along with unexplained itchy, red bumps covering Williams’ body had her in and out of the hospital, she claims. Her parents said they finally realized what was causing all of their daughter’s health issues: black mold throughout their home they say was painted and caulked over, along with termites they say were leaving bites on their daughter. The Williams ended up throwing out a lot of their furniture to get rid of the termites and moved to a new home.

Conventional insecticides have proven to be a failed solution to give effective results. These insecticides are toxic in nature. They kill target as well as non-target species. They are also hazardous to human health.

So for this particular problem, we, at C Tech Corporation have come up with a viable solution.

Termirepel™ is an aversive for termites and insects. It is non-toxic, non-hazardous and environment-friendly repellent which works even against the most aggressive insects.

Termirepel™ which is an anti-termite has been designed for polymeric applications as well as for natural materials like wood. It combines the best of chemistry and green practices to give an environmentally safe product which keeps the termites away effectively while at the same time guaranteeing safety to the environment, plants, animals and fragile ecosystems.

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Crops under attack by white flies!

Agriculture is the backbone of the economic sector of a country. Also, agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the development of civilization. Agriculture sector provides us with one of the basic requirement of life i.e. food. Hence the damage caused to this sector directly or indirectly affects each sector of a country.

Recently a new threat to this sector is of white flies. Whiteflies, the tiny creatures have a wingspan of less than 3 mm and a body length of 1 mm to 2 mm. More than 1550 species of white flies have been described which typically feed on the undersides of plant leaves. In warm or tropical climates and especially in greenhouses, whiteflies present major problems in crop protection. Worldwide economic losses are estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

Whiteflies feed by tapping into the phloem of plants, introducing toxic saliva and decreasing the plants’ overall turgor pressure. Since whiteflies congregate in large numbers, susceptible plants can be quickly overwhelmed. Further harm is done by mold growth encouraged by the honeydew whiteflies secrete. This may also seriously impede the ability of farms to process cotton harvests.

Cotton crops are called as the cash crops and they are severely attacked by the white flies. Following are the evidence for the same.

Whitefly affects a fraction of cotton crops: Punjab govt.

24 Aug, 2017
Merely 18.1 hectares of land under cotton cultivation out of the total area of 3.82 lakh hectares has been affected by whitefly pest in Punjab, as per a report formulated by the agriculture department of the state.

In Bathinda, only 3.6 hectares of area was affected out of the total area of 1, 40,000 hectares, while only 10.2 hectares was infested by pest in Mansa out of the total area of 86,010 hectares, as per the report.

In Sri Muktsar Sahib, the total area under cotton cultivation was 64,608 hectares and only 1.6 hectares was affected, whereas Fazilka reported damage to 2 per cent of the land out of 74,655 hectares. In Barnala, merely 0.7 per cent of the land out 5,460 hectares was infested by whitefly. Infestation was not seen in Faridkot, Moga and Sangrur.

India’s cotton yield to decline on whitefly, pink bollworm attacks

From north to west, farmers seek protection from pest attacks to improve productivity

Dilip Kumar Jha | Mumbai Last Updated at August 10, 2017 01:01 IST

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 acreage.

Acting immediately to avoid farmers’ menace, the government of Maharashtra, according to sources, has ordered seed firms to pay a compensation of Rs 36, 83,000 to farmers in the state.

Whitefly Alert

Posted on July 6, 2017 by Phillip Roberts

Silver leaf whitefly (SLWF) infestations are being observed in cotton in parts of Georgia. Historically SLWF is a localized pest, requiring management in a relatively small geographic area. High populations of SLWF were observed during the fall of 2016 and the mild winter resulted in higher than normal populations surviving the winter.

It is likely that timely intervention with SLWF insecticides will be needed in areas which have experienced SLWF in previous years (all fields are at risk, not just late planted as in most years) and perhaps areas which have rarely observed SLWF will be infested in 2017. On cotton during the summer, SLWF complete a generation in about 2 weeks.

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

C Tech Corporation can offer an eco-friendly solution to this problem. Our product Termirepel^TM is low-toxic, non-hazardous and insect aversive. Our product work on the mechanism of repellence and they do not harm or kill the target species.

The product available in the form of masterbatch can be incorporated into the base polymer of the polymeric applications like the agricultural films, mulches, irrigation pipes, grain storage bags, wires and cables, water pipes, etc. used in the agriculture sector 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 concrete fence around farms, interior and exterior of warehouses used to stored agricultural produce etc. to keep these areas safe from these pests.

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

Follow us on our Twitter pages at:
1] https://twitter.com/rodrepel
2] https://twitter.com/termirepel
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Cockroaches: Invincible under control

Cockroaches have been around for millions of years, evolving into some of the most adaptable pests on Earth. There are approximately 4,000 living species of cockroaches in the world. They are pests because of their filthy habits and bad smell. Cockroaches are commonly found in buildings and homes because they prefer warm environments close to food and water. Unfortunately, cockroaches can cause allergies and trigger asthma attacks, especially in children. They can also spread nearly 33 different kinds of bacteria.

Cockroaches are insects, flattened from top to bottom, usually with two pairs of wings folded flat over the back. Most species rarely fly but they walk very fast. The color usually varies from light brown to black. The species vary from 2-3mm to over 80mm in length. There over 3500 identified species of Cockroaches. Pest cockroaches live in close association with people. They are tropical in origin but in the temperate zones, most species live in parts of houses and other buildings where warmth, moisture, and food are adequate. Cockroaches usually live in groups. They are mostly active at night; in the daytime, they hide in cracks and crevices in walls, door frames, and furniture, and in secure places in bathrooms, cupboards, steam tunnels, animal houses, basements, televisions, radios and other electric devices, drains and sewer systems. If the lights are turned on in an infested kitchen at night the cockroaches will run from dishes, utensils, work surfaces and the floor towards shelter.

Cockroaches eat a great variety of food, including all food used for human consumption. They prefer starchy and sugary materials. They sip milk and nibble at cheese, meats, pastry, grain products, sugar and sweet chocolate. They also feed on cardboard, book bindings, ceiling boards containing starch, the sized inner lining of shoe soles, their own cast-off skins, dead and crippled cockroaches, fresh and dried blood, excrement, sputum, and the fingernails and toenails of babies , sleeping or sick persons.

Cockroaches are important pests because they spread filth and ruin food, fabrics, and book-bindings. They disgorge portions of their partially digested food at intervals and drop feces. They also discharge a nauseous secretion both from their mouths and from glands opening on the body which give a long-lasting, offensive cockroach smell to areas or food visited by them.

Cockroaches move freely from building to building or from drains, gardens, sewers, and latrines to human habitations. Because they feed on human feces as well as human food they can spread germs that cause diseases. Cockroaches are not usually the most important cause of a disease, but like house flies, they do play a supplementary role in the spread of some diseases. They are proven or suspected carriers of the organisms causing: diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, leprosy, plague, typhoid fever, viral diseases such as poliomyelitis. In addition, they carry the eggs of parasitic worms and may cause allergic reactions, including dermatitis, itching, swelling of the eyelids and more serious respiratory conditions.

Let us take a look at the below news article

Man orders a cappuccino, gets a side of cockroach

August 12, 2017

A Manhattan man claims in a lawsuit his cappuccino at a swanky Upper East Side steakhouse came with a nasty addition: a large cockroach.The insect was a nightmarish way to end a meal at The Arlington Club, where dinners can easily hit the $500 mark, said Steven Fleming, who brought friends to the eatery in April.His pals were interested in opening a restaurant, so Fleming wanted to show them the place launched by star chef Laurent Tourondel in 2012.They chowed down on salad, steak, and a glass of wine before ordering dessert and coffee, he said.

“I took a sip of my cappuccino, I felt something disgusting in my throat, and then something crunchy,” Fleming, 43, told The Post. “And then I spit it out and I was like, ‘Oh my God.’”

Fleming, who is now suing The Arlington Club in Manhattan Supreme Court, snapped a couple of pictures before running outside to vomit on Lexington Avenue, he said.

He claims he then spent 12 hours in the emergency room with a variety of symptoms, including nausea and high blood pressure.

“We want to make sure we hold this restaurant accountable, and that this doesn’t happen to anyone else,” said his lawyer, Michael Joseph. “For the prices they’re charging the very least they could do is make sure the customers don’t have bugs in their food. We think New Yorkers deserve better.”

Fleming, who runs the executive search firm Wall Street Options, said the incident “really grossed me out.”

“On the surface, it looks like a very nice place,” he said. “I thought this would be a good example of something relatively trendy and with above average food. … I’ve been going to restaurants for 20 years in New York City and nothing like this has ever happened to me.”

A manager at The Arlington Club, where Tourondel is no longer the chef, declined comment, adding he was unaware of the lawsuit.

The best product to combat the cockroach problem is Termirepel™, a product of C Tech Corporation. 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 termite aversive, used also against all types of insects and which works on the mechanism of repellency.

It means that it does not kill the target species but only repels them, thus balancing the ecology and helping in maintaining the goal of sustainability.

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