Cooperative Extension Service
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Your source for pest management and pesticide news

February 2000/Volume 23, No. 2

IPM IN SCHOOLS

Thanks to the Georgia Pest Control Association, Doug Hughes, Martin Taylor, and Andy Smith, the IPM in Schools workshop in Macon was great!

FEDERAL NEWS

The White House is reviewing a little-noticed Executive Order that would eliminate the use of organophosphate and carbamate insecticides on federal facilities
The EPA plans to release their report on the Consumer Labeling Initiative soon

FOOD QUALITY PROTECTION ACT

The EPA placed the revised risk assessment for acephate in the public docket

WPS NOTEBOOK

Just in case you need them, Worker Protection Standard instructions are available in Cambodian, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Ilocano, Korean, Laotian, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese

HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

S.C. Johnson is recalling AlleCare, Dust Mite Powder, and Dust Mite Allergen Spray for Carpet and Upholstery
Last summer in Missouri, a farmer nearly lost his life by ignoring one the basic tenets of pesticide safety
According to a Georgia survey published in the Journal of Agromedicine (3:98), 17% of responding Georgia physicians ranked pesticides as a significant health issue for seasonal/migrant farm workers
Plastic strips impregnated with fluvalinate are sometimes inserted into honeybee queen cages during shipment to combat Varroa mites; new findings indicate injury to queen bees as well

NEW TOOLS

Through an emergency exemption, Georgia beekeepers can temporarily use coumaphos-impregnated plastic strips in hives to control Varroa mites and small hive beetle
Emergency exemptions permit blueberry growers to use Indar 75 and bermudagrass producers to use Zorial Rapid 80
Georgia has been granted a Special Local Need registration for the use of Knack (pyriproxyfen) to control silverleaf whitefly on tomato
USDA researchers are investigating a fungal protein that causes weed cells to kill themselves
Scientists at USDA are making progress toward finding an effective mosquito attractant
Some plants produce a protein that prevents proper development of fall armyworm; the gene encoding for that protein has been isolated
Colorado potato beetle (CPB) has been remarkably adaptive to pesticides, but a new discovery may open new avenues for control research

BIOTECHNOLOGY

The U.S. Agriculture Secretary has named a 38-person panel to advise him on issues surrounding genetically engineered agriculture products

TRAINERS, TAKE NOTICE

The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) has distributed guidelines for obtaining recertification credit

CANCELED

The following pesticide registrations will be canceled at the request of the registrant unless the request is withdrawn before July 10, 2000

IPM in Schools

Thanks to the Georgia Pest Control Association, Doug Hughes, Martin Taylor, and Andy Smith, the IPM in Schools workshop in Macon was great! The audience response was overwhelming. We expected about 50-60 people, but more than 160 showed up for IPM in Schools training. Doug and Martin, representing both small and large school systems, told the audience how they had successfully implemented IPM programs that greatly reduced pesticide risks. Andy Smith (Legal Environmental Assistance Foundation) explained how his organization can help implement IPM in Georgia schools. Finally, Gretchen Van De Mark and I presented a risk and IPM evaluation instrument that we have developed to help schools (and their pest control companies) identify pesticide risks and formulate an IPM action plan.

This evaluation will also give each school a pesticide grade of 'A', 'B', etc. We want to reward high-scoring schools and help bring the others up to an 'A'. If you are interested in reducing pesticide risks in your school, give us a call. We are ready to help!

Federal News

The White House is reviewing a little-noticed Executive Order that would eliminate the use of organophosphate and carbamate insecticides on federal facilities. The draft order would require federal agencies to stop using OP/carbamate insecticides by the end of this year. The implications of the Order are enormous. What message is sent to the public if USDA has to stop all use of OP/carbamates? It would appear that this development would be the end of these two important pesticide groups. It is certainly important to manage pesticide risks, but it is foolhardy to simply eliminate important technologies without trying to reduce risks through other means. (NASDA News, via Chemically Speaking, 1-00)

The EPA plans to release their report on the Consumer Labeling Initiative soon. The Agency, pesticide manufacturers, and public interest groups have been working to make pesticide labels more meaningful for consumers. Among other things, the group recommends bulleted text, simpler language, and more white space. Additionally, hazard information should be placed under the signal word, and first aid statements should be improved. Anyone who has tried to comprehend pesticide labels will applaud this effort. Look for the notice at the EPA web site: www.epa.gov/pesticides (via Chemically Speaking, 1-00)

Food Quality Protection Act

The EPA placed the revised risk assessment for acephate in the public docket. Public comments will be accepted until March 9. Acephate is labeled for a wide variety of uses, but the primary consumers are cotton and tobacco.

The assessment reports high risks in a number of areas. The risk from surface drinking water is high for infants/children. Several residential exposures are reportedly 'high'. Post application risks to greenhouse workers and tobacco harvesters are high. Risks to workers handling acephate on turf were estimated to be high even at the highest feasible level of protection.

Ecological risks are also high. Acephate is highly toxic to freshwater invertebrates, bees, and other beneficial insects. Acute and chronic risks are estimated for birds, and acephate presents high chronic risks for mammals. You can see the revised assessment at the EPA web site, www.epa.gov/pesticides (FR, 1-8-00)

If you care about acephate, you had better take time to look and comment.

WPS Notebook

Just in case you need them, Worker Protection Standard instructions are available in Cambodian, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Ilocano, Korean, Laotian, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. The cards come with a pronunciation key, so you can train foreign workers without being able to speak their language at all. Just hope they don't ask questions. Of course, the dumb look is a universal response that I use often. You can get the WPS cards at www.epa.gov/pesticides/safety

Health and the Environment

S.C. Johnson is recalling AlleCare, Dust Mite Powder, and Dust Mite Allergen Spray for Carpet and Upholstery. Consumers reported cases of respiratory problems, including asthma attacks. The products have been pulled from store shelves. Consumers should consult their physician before using these products. Call S.C. Johnson if you have questions: 1-877-255-3722 (toll-free)

Last summer in Missouri, a farmer nearly lost his life by ignoring one the basic tenets of pesticide safety. John Atwill unknowingly contaminated his drink can while loading a spray rig with insecticide. After a short time, Atwill began to see double and became 'fuzzy minded'. By the time he walked back to the barn, Atwill was staggering. A friend took Atwill to the hospital for emergency treatment. Fortunately, the friend called the hospital and told them what insecticide Atwill had ingested. The doctors were waiting with an antidote, and Atwill soon recovered. What if Atwill had collapsed in the field? What if the friend had not been home?

NEVER eat or drink around pesticides! (Delta Farm Press 1-14-00, via Alabama Pesticide Information 1-19-00)

According to a Georgia survey published in the Journal of Agromedicine (3:98), 17 percent of responding Georgia physicians ranked pesticides as a significant health issue for seasonal/migrant farm workers. Pesticides ranked number nine in this survey, behind hypertension, gastrointestinal problems, dental health, muscoskeletal problems, diabetes, nutritional deficiencies, dermatitis, and heart problems. (the Label 1-00)

Plastic strips impregnated with fluvalinate are sometimes inserted into honeybee queen cages during shipment to combat Varroa mites; new findings indicate injury to queen bees as well. The fluvalinate strips are intended to assure the delivery of a queen (and attending drones) that are free of this important pest. R. Currie found that fluvalinate strips caused increased queen mortality and supersedure. Additionally, the strips do not provide 100% control of Varroa mites on the queens. Currie does not recommend continued use of fluvalinate for this purpose. (APIS 1-00)

New Tools

Through an emergency exemption, Georgia beekeepers can temporarily use coumaphos-impregnated plastic strips in hives to control Varroa mites and small hive beetle. The honey from these hives must be removed from the combs before the honey is sold. For more information, contact Doug Jones (404-656-4958) at the Georgia Department of Agriculture. (Market Bulletin 2-2-00)

Emergency exemptions permit blueberry growers to use Indar 75 and bermudagrass producers to use Zorial Rapid 80. For more information, contact Doug Jones (404-656-4958) at the Georgia Department of Agriculture. (Market Bulletin 2-2-00)

Georgia has been granted a Special Local Need registration for the use of Knack (pyriproxyfen) to control silverleaf whitefly on tomato. For more information, contact Doug Jones at 404-656-4958.

USDA researchers are investigating a fungal protein that causes weed cells to kill themselves. Fusarium oxysporum will cause wilt diseases in corn, cotton, and tomato. However, the protein of interest does not play a role in the disease, and non-virulent strains of F. oxysporum also produce the protein. The purified protein, Nep1, is a powerful herbicide when sprayed on dandelion and some other broadleaf weeds. Additionally, F. oxysporum does not harm monocots (e.g., corn), so it could be developed into an organic herbicide for use in grass-like crops. For more details, contact Jan Suszkiw at 301-504-1630. (Agr. Research, 2-00)

Scientists at USDA are making progress toward finding an effective mosquito attractant. A good attractant could be the basis for new, safer forms of mosquito control and monitoring. Upon learning that some attractive components transferred from human skin to glass, U. Bernier has been trying to discover what chemical components attract the mosquitoes. D. Kline has also found dirty socks and Limburger cheese to be very attractive to mosquitoes. Interestingly, Kline reports that the main ingredient in the cheese is a bacterium found on the human foot. (I have never eaten Limburger; I will probably continue to pass). For more information, contact the scientists at 352-374-5931. (Agr. Research, 2-00)

Some plants produce a protein that prevents proper development of fall armyworm; the gene encoding for that protein has been isolated. The next step is transferring the gene to other plants to test the efficacy against fall armyworm. The world's largest seed company has signed an agreement with USDA to investigate the use of the gene in vegetables. For more information, contact Paul Williams at 601-325-2735. (Agr. Research, 2-00)

Colorado potato beetle (CPB) has been remarkably adaptive to pesticides, but a new discovery may open new avenues for control research. J. Dickens with USDA has identified several different chemical blends that attract CPB. Additionally, he has found chemical combinations that attract spined soldier bugs and two-spotted stink bugs, two important predators of CPB. (Agr. Research, 2-00)

Biotechnology

The U.S. Agriculture Secretary has named a 38-person panel to advise him on issues surrounding genetically engineered agriculture products. The panel includes a broad cross-section from academia, industry, and public interest groups.

Trainers, Take Notice

The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) has distributed guidelines for obtaining recertification credit. Follow these rules to ensure your meeting gets proper credit.

1. Send a copy of the meeting agenda to Doug Jones.
2. Agendas must be received two weeks before the meeting. Late agendas may or may not be approved.
3. Training courses will NOT be approved if the agenda arrives after the meeting date.
4. After the course, complete the green sheets completely and legibly and mail them to the GDA within THREE WEEKS. Green sheets received after this deadline will not be accepted.
5. A copy of the approval form must be included with the green sheets.

These guidelines do not change anything. County agents can still offer 1 hour of credit without approval from GDA. County offices can still show recertification videos by notifying the GDA at least two days before the video is shown.

The department issued these guidelines because of repeated tardiness on the part of meeting sponsors. In some cases, sponsors would not mail in the green sheets for months after the meeting took place. If the sponsor's tardiness caused someone's license to expire, the applicator blamed GDA. Often sponsors would not take time to submit an agenda for approval until after the meeting was held. Sometimes the sponsors would advertise more hours than GDA could approve for that meeting. Guess who took the blame? These guidelines are not new regulations. They are just reminders of how we were supposed to be doing things all along.

Canceled

The following pesticide registrations will be canceled at the request of the registrant unless the request is withdrawn before July 10, 2000.

(FR 1-12-00)

The appearance of any trade name in this newsletter is not intended to endorse that product nor convey negative implications of unmentioned products.

Dear Readers:

The Georgia Pest Management Newsletter is a monthly journal for extension agents, extension specialists, and others interested in pest management news. It provides information on legislation, regulations, and other issues affecting pest management in Georgia.

Do not regard the information in this newsletter as pest management recommendations. Consult the Georgia Pest Control Handbook, other extension publications, or appropriate specialists for this information.

Your input in this newsletter is encouraged.

If you wish to be added to the mailing list, just call us at 706-542-1765

Or write us:

Department of Entomology
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
E-mail: mailto:%20pguillebeau@bugs.ent.uga.edu

Or visit us on the Web. You will find all the back issues there and other useful information.

http://www.ces.uga.edu/ces/wnews.html

Sincerely:

Paul Guillebeau, Assistant Professor & Extension Entomologist