Chemicals

Use chemicals only when everything else fails. The use of ORGANICS is recommended on this show whenever possible. Remember, we don’t have to kill every bug. There are good and bad bugs. Generally called beneficial insects, these are the ones that eat other bugs we find less desirable to have around or they perform some other part of the work load out in the garden.

In Florida we have good and bad insects. This chart tells you the roll of each critter.

ORDER	TYPES	NO. OF SPECIES	HABITAT	NATIVE/NON-NATIVE	BENEFICIAL/PEST
Thysanura	Silverfish	6	domesticated buildings, ant nests	unknown	pests: eats documents
Collembola	Springtails	100+	soil	native	beneficial: feed on soil fungi
Ephemeroptera	Mayflies	70+	fresh water	native	beneficial: important food for fish. Also their larvae stir and clean the sandy bottoms of lakes
Odonoto	Dragonflies Damsel Flies Darners Skimmers	150+	lakes, streams, ditches, ponds	most are native	beneficial: eat mosquito larvae
Orthoptera	Grasshoppers Katydids Crickets	250+ – approx. 20 species are found only in Florida	gardens, marshy fields, grassy fields	most are native	beneficial: important food for birds
	Mole crickets	4 species	sandy areas	non-native	pests: $11.7 million has been spent in Florida on this insect whose only sin is that it leaves brown spots on lawns and golf courses.
Mantodeo	Praying Mantids	75	gardens & marshy areas	most are native	beneficial: eat other insects
Phosmatodeo	Walkingsticks	6	trees & shrubs	most are native	beneficial: eat other insects
Dermoptera	Earwigs	10	flowers & shrubs	several species were accidently imported from Europe & Russia	beneficial: eat other insects such as aphids & scale insects
Isoptera	Termites	175	dead wood	both native and non-native	pests & beneficial: Termites are decomposers of dead wood and litter, but also destroy structures. Florida spends millions of dollars each year on the chemical spraying of termites.
	Cockroaches	38	logs, native grasses, leaf litter, houses	both native and non-native	Cockroaches are pests at this time but may turn out to have beneficial properties if or when they are studied fully.
Psocoptera	BookliceBarklice	80+	in old booksoutdoors	non-native	pests: the booklice eats old books and the barklice eat plants
Hemiptera	Burrower Bugs Marsh Treaders Stink Bugs Milkweed Bugs Water Bugs Bed Bugs Assassin Bugs	800+	diverse habitat	mostly native – some species are non-native	pests & beneficial: Many of these “true bugs” feed on & destroy crops but others are beneficial because birds feed on them.
Homoptera(probably about 1000 species total)	Aphids	75+	vegetables, fruits, flowers	unknown	pests: can harm fruit & vegetable crops and sometimes carry plant diseases. However, they have many natural enemies such as: crickets, ladybugs, earwigs, wasps, flies.
	Scale Insects Mealybugs	44+	perrenial plants	most are non-native	pests: but can usually be controlled by their natural enemies.
	White Flies	unknown	vegetables, fruit, flowers	almost all are non-native	pests: destroy crops, carry plant disease. many species have become immune to chemical spraying & must be controlled by natural enemies
	Cicadas	12+	underground, sucking sap from the roots of trees	native	possible pests: Florida species do not appear to harm the trees as there are not a sufficient number of them to do so.
	Plant Hoppers	220	plants	most are native	pests: carry plant disease
	Tree Hoppers	65	trees	native	beneficial: food for birds
Anoplura	Sucking Lice	unknown	animals & humans	non-native	pests: carry diseases
Neuroptera	Ant Lions Lacewings Mantisflies Owlflies	90+	diverse habitat	most are native	beneficial: eat insect pests
Coleoptera(The beetles – of which there are well over 5000 species & many more not yet described. )	Tiger Beetles	24	sand & soil (several of these are becoming extinct because their habitats are disappearing)	native	beneficial: eat other insects
	Ground Beetle	370 – some found only in Florida	litter	native	beneficial: eat other insects
	Scarab Beetle	250+	dung, carrion, decomposing plants	native	beneficial: eat other insects
	Metallic Woodborer Beetle	100	dead trees	native	beneficial: eat other insects
	Soldier Beetle	30	plants	native	pests: eat plants
	Net-winged Beetle	30+	plants	native	pests: eat plants
	Fireflies	57	forests, marshes, creeks	native	beneficial: eat other insects
	Blister Beetle	30	flowers	most are native	pests: can kill cattle & horses
	Predaceous Diving Beetle	100+	freshwater habitats	native	beneficial: eat mosquito larvae & sssmall crabs
	Whirlgig Beetle	17	freshwater ponds	native	beneficial: feed on other insects
	Leaf Beetle	375	leaves & grasses	native	pests & beneficial: some are crop pests but many others control weeds & are good prospects for natural control of imported plant pests.
	Longhorn Beetle	225+	dead wood	native	beneficial: eat dead wood
	Weevils	575+	plants, flour staples	native & non-native	pests & beneficial: most are agriculture pests, but several species have been imported for weed control
	Ladybird Beetle	100+	plants & flowers	some native, most are non-native	beneficial: feed on aphids & scale insects
Diptera(flies, lovebugs mosquitos)	Mosquitos	80+	standing water	native	pests: carry disease
	Lovebugs	unknown	open grasslands	non-native	pests & beneficial: eat pollen & may possibly be pollinators but are too numerous & have no natural enemies
	Crane Flies	200+	cool, damp ravines	native	beneficial: larvae feed on roots of dead vegetation
	Fruit Flies	50+	rotten fruit & vegetables	50 native, 4+ non-native	pests: some varities lay their eggs in fruit that has just ripened, destroying the fruit. Most are not pests & eat only rotten fruit & vegetables
	House Flies	unknown	garbage, manure, houses	non-native	pests: may carry disease
	Parasitic Flies	200+	lay their eggs in insects, feed on nectar	native	beneficial: help control other insects as their larvae kills the host
	Horse Flies & Deer Flies	100+	aquatic habitats	native/non-native	pests: bloodsuckers
	Sand Flies	200+	sandy areas	native/non-native	pests: carry disease, bloodsuckers
	Midges	unknown	mud of lakes	native	pests: bloodsuckers
	Flower Flies	90+	flowers	native	beneficial: important pollinators
	Bee Flies	50-100	flowers	native	beneficial: pollinator of native plants through contact
	Gnats	75+	diverse	native	pests: carry eye disease
	Black Flies	5+	fresh water	native	pests: stinging insect
	Mydas Flies	8	each specie has a specific habitat	native	beneficial: feed on other insects
Siphonaptera	Fleas	unknown	animals	native	pests: bloodsuckers, carry disease
Hymenoptera(bees, wasps, ants, sawflies, parasitic wasps – probably between 3000-5000+ species in Florida)	Ichneumon Wasps	500-600	plants & vegtation	native	beneficial: control crop-eating insects
	Braconid Wasps	unknown	diverse	native	beneficial: eat insect larvae
	Minute Parasitic Wasps	1000-2000	diverse	native	beneficial: control insect population
	Green Metallic Bees	55	deep burrows in the soil	native	beneficial: pollinators of small plants that may be overlooked by other pollinators
	Bumble Bees	7	diverse	native	beneficial: pollinators of wild plants
	Carpenter Ants	207 total species of ants in Florida*	dead wood	native	minor pests
	Fungus-Growing Ants	*(included in above total)	uplands, in the dirt	native	minor pests
	Cone Ants	*	dirt, open areas	native	beneficial: fight with fire ants
	Harvester Ants	*	dirt	native	beneficial: feed on the larvae of other insects
	Pharoh’s Ants	*	houses	non-native	pests: common house pest
	Fire Ant	*	dirt	non-native	pests: stinging insect

PRODUCT APPLICATION AND STEWARDSHIP TIPS FOR HOMEOWNERS

Read and follow all label directions and precautions carefully
Do not spray when it is windy to ensure that pesticides do not drift into unintended areas
Do not spray when rain is in the forecast to ensure that pesticides do not wash off the target
Apply directly to lawn or garden areas. Water only as directed and not to the point of run-off
Avoid hard surfaces like sidewalks unless directed for crack and crevice treatment
Limit spray to target areas only
Store and dispose of unused pesticides properly

Chemicals

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