Hemlock Woolly Adelgid- A threat to the Queen of Conifers!

The dark but delicate beauty of hemlocks has inspired various poems and songs for centuries. Feathery, lacy and graceful, these trees are gorgeous additions to the landscape. No wonder that the hauntingly beautiful hemlock is referred to as the queen of conifers! Sadly, the giant hemlocks are under attack by an invasive insect barely visible to the eye but potent enough to completely wipe out these evergreens. For nearly 60 years or so, the woolly adelgid, which originated in Japan, has been killing our beloved hemlocks. It is called a woolly adelgid because it is covered with a “woolly”, or fluffy white waxy covering for most of its life. This adelgid primarily sucks the sap out of the tree and deprives the tree of nutrients and sugar for energy. This defoliation could result in the death of a hemlock in around 3-6 years!

The Hemlock woolly adelgid first arrived in the U.S. Pacific Northwest via nursery plants from Japan in 1924. Since then the insect has spread to more than 15 US states! These crawlers feed on the new growth of hemlocks by piercing the twigs that hold the branches, sucking the sap, and injecting toxic saliva. The needles turn from a deep green to a grayish green and eventually die, depriving the tree of nutrition of photosynthesis. Infection is signaled by either a white, cotton-like material that appears along with a tree’s twigs or by the ‘baldness’ of a tree’s upper branches. The hemlock woolly adelgid has enjoyed remarkable success in destroying trees because of its impressive reproductive potential: consider that one female in the winter generation produces an average of 200 eggs which in turn mature and each female of this generation produces on average another 200 eggs each. That’s 40,000 eggs in one year, starting from one individual female!

Because large woodland tracts of hemlocks are being decimated, the environment is being impacted negatively in several ways. Resultant erosion and heating up of streams destroy fish, other wildlife, and watersheds. In Michigan, hemlocks had decreased by almost 70% in the short 20-year span between 1935 and 1955. Hemlock forests, which covered about 41% of the land area of the Bruce Peninsula, are almost non-existent today. Currently, more than 5000 acres of hemlocks across 119,000 acres in the southern tip of York County are considered infested with scattered, low-level adelgid populations. These insects have killed almost 90% of hemlock trees in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. To mitigate the impact of the adelgid, the United States Forest Service has funded around $4.5 million per year in recent years!

The severity of this issue can be better understood by reading the following article;

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid in Skaneateles Lake Watershed

Posted on: June 23, 2014

Published by: Kristina Ferrare

The invasive insect, Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges tsugae) also known as HWA has recently been confirmed on hemlock trees in the Bahar Nature Reserve along the western shore of Skaneateles Lake in the Town of Niles, and recently confirmed by the NYS DEC along the eastern shore in the Town of Spafford. HWA was first confirmed in Cayuga County in 2012, and has significantly expanded its range into the Owasco Lake Watershed and into Fillmore Glen State Park.

HWA is a tiny aphid-like insect that feeds on twigs at the base of hemlock needles. The damage prevents the transport of nutrients to the needles and buds, effectively starving the tree. Tree death commonly occurs six or more years after infestation in the Finger Lakes region, but may cause death within 4 years in warmer states. HWA gets its name from the white waxy hairs that protects the insect while it feeds in the winter, appearing like masses of white wool along the stems of hemlock branches.

Hemlock trees are known as keystone species – other species of plants and wildlife depend on hemlock trees as a food source, shelter, and insulation during summer and winter months. Without hemlock, the remaining ecological community also becomes threatened. Hemlock is found in the deep coves and steep slopes characteristic of the southern end of Skaneateles Lake and much of the Finger Lakes region.

HWA has been in eastern US for well over 60 years, but didn’t get a foothold in NY until it was found in the lower Hudson Valley in the mid 1980’s. It has rapidly spread in recent years, likely aided by mild temperatures. Recent cold weather has helped to slow the spread of HWA, but because it reproduces quickly, will have only a short term impact. Highly effective pesticide treatments are available, and research into biological controls in the Finger Lakes region is continuing.

Skaneateles Lake is the drinking water for the City of Syracuse and the widespread loss of hemlock has ecological consequences that can trigger loss of water quality in the lake. Treating hemlock trees for HWA should be done with caution in order to prevent unnecessary pesticide contamination into the Lake.

Evidently, unless proper measures are taken, hemlock, which is one of the most common trees in the US, may soon drop off the list, going the way of the now-vanished chestnut and elm due to the hemlock woolly adelgid. Infested hemlock trees can be protected individually with chemicals and insecticides. However, the costs associated with application, environmental safety concerns about applying toxic insecticides, and the tremendous reproductive potential of the adelgid makes this approach less feasible on a broad scale in natural areas. Also, it is obvious that simply removing and destroying infested stock, which proved so successful when dealing with individual infested trees, is not a feasible long term solution for addressing a large population of trees.

Hence to help alleviate or else completely eradicate the infestation we C Tech Corporation provide you with the best effective solution Combirepel™. Combirepel™ is an anti-insect aversive developed on the grounds of green chemistry and technology.

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.

Combirepel™ 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.

Combirepel™is an eco-friendly product which acts as an aversive to repel the pesky insects like roaches. Combirepel™ do not kill the targeted as well as non-targeted species but just repel them causing no harm no to human and environment.

Combirepel™ is available in the form of masterbatch, liquid concentrate, and lacquer. Our Combirepel™ masterbatch can be used in polymer base applications like wires, cables, irrigation pipes, polymeric vessels, and other various applications.

Combirepel™ liquid concentrate can be mixed in the paints to cover the areas like cracks and crevices of walls and hidden places where the roaches tend to survive.

Combirepel™ lacquer is the topical coating to cover the places like bathrooms, cupboards, steam tunnels, etc.

Hence we provide you with the best effective solution.

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http://www.rodrepel.com/
http://www.termirepel.com/
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August 29, 2018

Wrath of the locusts!

A plague of locusts has been feared throughout history. Even after all these years, locusts continue to wreak havoc. In many ways, locusts are like harmless little grasshoppers. They eat plants and they hop long distances on springy back legs. Their lifestyle may be solitary, similar to that of grasshoppers. However, locust behavior can be something else entirely. They have another behavioral phase called the gregarious phase. Just one locust can’t cause trouble. The problem is, sometimes, locusts gather in big groups or swarms. When environmental conditions favour the growth of many green plants and promote breeding, locusts can congregate into thick, mobile, ravenous swarms. In an astoundingly short period of time, they can completely destroy a crop; nuisance for commercial agriculture, but life-threatening for subsistence farmers. Dr. Steve Rogers of Cambridge University says, “The gregarious phase is a strategy born of desperation and driven by hunger – swarming is a response to find pastures new.”

An approaching swarm of locusts looks like a big black cloud. As the swarm descends, the insects eat everything in sight – garden crops, grass, flowers, and even clothes hanging on a clothes line. In poor desert countries, families can starve after locusts eat all their food. A swarm of locusts can stretch over 460 square miles in size and include billions of hungry insects! Locust swarms may devastate crops and cause major agricultural damage; ultimately causing famine and starvation. Each locust can eat its weight in plants each day, so a swarm of such size would eat around 423 million pounds of plants each day. When these insects alight on the ground, they immediately begin to devour the grass and grain, eating every green thing they can find. Adult locusts will potentially eat any vegetation that is green, or even partially green. The bigger the swarm, greater will be the damage caused. Although the young hoppers cannot fly, they march in bands, eating the crops in their path. Swarming locusts can fly almost 80 kilometers a day, and they may travel several 1000 kilometers before they settle to breed.

Locust swarms occur in many parts of the world, but today they are most destructive in the sustenance farming regions of Africa. The destruction of crops has a devastating effect on people. Although locust swarms do not affect humans directly, they could cause death due to famine and starvation. Cases of crop destruction due to locusts are ubiquitous. In 2004, West and North Africa experienced their largest infestation of locusts in more than 15 years. Desert locusts swept across Sahel from Mauritania to Egypt, and then continued as far as Israel in the east and as far as Portugal in the north. Half the crops of Mauritania were lost as a result of this infestation. In 2004, Australian plague locusts were responsible for national agricultural losses estimated to be worth more than $11 million. In November 2008, a locust swarm 3.7 miles long devastated agricultural production in Australia. A swarm of an estimated 30 million locusts had descended on Egypt. The insects descended on agricultural farms in Giza and in Cairo, causing damage of catastrophic proportions.

The following article will explain just how destructive locusts can be:

Madagascar hit by ‘severe’ plague of locusts

Published on 27 March 2013

A severe plague of locusts has infested about half of Madagascar, threatening crops and raising concerns about food shortages, a UN agency says.

The UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) said billions of the plant-devouring insects could cause hunger for 60% of the population.

About $22m (£14.5m) was urgently needed to fight the plague in a country where many people are poor, the FAO added.

It was the worst plague to hit the island since the 1950s, the FAO said.

FAO locust control expert Annie Monard told BBC Focus on Africa the plague posed a major threat to the Indian Ocean Island.

“The last one was in the 1950s and it had duration of 17 years so if nothing is done it can last for five to 10 years, depending on the conditions,” she said.

“Currently, about half the country is infested by hoppers and flying swarms – each swarm made up of billions of plant-devouring insects,” the FAO said in a statement.

“FAO estimates that about two-thirds of the island country will be affected by the locust plague by September 2013 if no action is taken.”

It said it needed donors to give more than $22m in emergency funding by June so that a full-scale spraying campaign could be launched to fight the plague.

The plague threatened pasture for livestock and rice crops – the main staple in Madagascar, the FAO said.

“Nearly 60% of the island’s more than 22m people could be threatened by a significant worsening of hunger in a country that already had extremely high rates of food insecurity and malnutrition,” it added.

An estimated 80% of people in Madagascar, which has a population of more than 22 million, live on less than a dollar a day.

The Locust Control Centre in Madagascar had treated 30,000 hectares of farmland since last October, but a cyclone in February made the situation worse, the FAO said.

The cyclone not only damaged crops but created “optimal conditions for one more generation of locusts to breed”, it added.

There are very few solutions available to combat a modern-day plague of locusts; many farmer burn branches to create smoke in the hopes of driving the insects out, but this technique is not always effective. Insecticides are sometimes used to control locusts, but this method is hazardous and may cause long-lasting consequences to the crops and humans who consume them.

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Combirepel™ lacquer is the topical coating to cover the places like bathrooms, cupboards, steam tunnels, etc.

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Follow us on our Twitter pages at:
1] https://twitter.com/rodrepel
2] https://twitter.com/termirepel
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August 29, 2018

Wood wasp’s affinity to wood – A cause for worry

The names “wood wasp” is a wood-boring insect in the order Hymenoptera, download (1) family Siricidae. Of greatest concern are the large, non-stinging wasps that normally are attracted to and complete their life cycles in newly dead or dying conifer trees. Timber salvaged from these trees can be processed into infested lumber. This can lead to adult wasps emerging in recently completed buildings or structures.

The dozen species of wood wasps in California, Oregon, and Washington look similar. They are large insects, generally 1 inch or longer, and wasplike in appearance but have an elongated, cylindrical body without a noticeable constriction or “waist.” They often are black or metallic dark blue or combinations of black, red, and yellow. They make a noisy buzz when flying. A female wood wasp drills her ovipositor nearly 3/4 inch into the wood of a weakened or dying tree and lays 1 to 7 eggs. At the same time, she squirts in a fungus from her abdominal gland. She continues this process, laying up to 200 eggs.

The eggs hatch in around 4 weeks and the larva spends its time eating the wood-destroying fungi that its mother thoughtfully injected along with the egg. At the base of the ovipositor there is a pair of glands that contain the fruiting bodies of the fungus, and some of these are injected with each egg.

Wood wasp damage in buildings is more cosmetic than structurally weakening. The total number of insects emerging in any one house is limit Wood-wasp-resting-on-timber ed, usually fewer than a dozen. Emerging wood wasps can chew throughjust about any substance, and you can see their large exit holes in wallboard or plaster walls, hardwood floors, linoleum, carpeting, nonceramic floor tiles, and other interior surfaces.

Wood wasps don’t reinfest structures. Even if male and female wood wasps had the opportunity to mate in the building, the females would not be stimulated to lay eggs in dry, finished lumber.

Though they are not as aggressive as carpenter ants or drywood termites, their presence is not welcomed equally. Let’s take a look at the following news article on wood wasp;

That’s what you call a sting operation: Police seal off house on holiday Island after seven meter wasps nest found
By STEVE NOLAN, 12 April 2013
A seven metre long wasps nest has reportedly been discovered in an abandoned house by police officers in Spain.

Officers were called to the empty property in San Sebastian de La Gomera on the island of Tenerife after a series of calls from concerned neighbors. Police sealed off the home when the found the 22ft nest, which is said to have almost filled a room, and millions of wasps in the house, according to UPI.com.

Experts believe that the nest was built by an African species of wasp which had migrated to Tenerife.

The Canary Islands are located around 100km from the African coast.

Police are said to be trying to find out who the property belongs to.

The nest may well be the biggest ever found.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest one found to date was discovered in Waimaukau in New Zealand in April 1963 and was an impressive 3.7metres, or 12ft 2ins long, more than 5ft in diameter and 18ft in circumference.

Thought to have been created by German wasps, that nest was so heavy that it fell from the tree it was hanging in and broke in two.

The size, type, and color of a wasps nest depends on the species of wasp that builds it.

They tend to be predominantly made from paper pulp – the wasp gathers wood fibers from weathered wood and softens it by chewing and mixing with saliva.

The previous biggest nest in the last 50 years was discovered in the attic of a pub in Southampton, Hampshire, in 2010.

Measuring 6ft by 5ft the nest was home to an estimated 500,000 wasps.

Another giant nest was found at the Avery Garden Centre in Taunton, Somerset last summer.

The average common wasp nest contains around 4,000 to 5,000 wasps – but colonies have been known to reach populations of 20,000.
Though the wood wasps are mild in comparison to termites and carpenter ants, no one wants to want to discover a big foul wood wasp nest in our house.

To curb this problem of the wood wasp, a unique solution in contrast to the typical hazardous, non-effective has to be adopted. And there is a solution, infact a Green solution provided by C Tech Corporation: TERMIREPEL™. Termirepel™ is a non-toxic, non-hazardous and environmentally friendly product, with a high efficacy to repel insects like wood borers from the wood. Termirepel™ is a multitasking product; along with wood wasp, it protects the wood from vicious termites, notorious carpenter ants, and other insects. Termirepel™ in solution form can be injected at the high pressure in the lumber so as to prevent the infestation. It is also available in lacquer form which can be applied on the furniture, patios, floor as the coating so as to prevent further infestation.

Hence to help alleviate or else completely eradicate the infestation we C Tech Corporation provide you with the best effective solutionCombirepel™. Combirepel™ is an anti-insect aversive developed on the grounds of green chemistry and technology.

Combirepel™ is an eco-friendly product which acts as an aversive to repel the pesky insects like roaches. Combirepel™ do not kill the targeted as well as non-targeted species but just repel them causing no harm any to human and environment.

Combirepel™is available in the form of the masterbatch, liquid concentrate, and lacquer. Our Combirepel™ masterbatch can be used in polymer base applications like wires, cables, irrigation pipes, polymeric vessels, and other various applications.

Combirepel™ liquid concentrate can be mixed in the paints to cover the areas like cracks and crevices of walls and hidden places where the roaches tend to survive.

Combirepel™ lacquer is the topical coating to cover the places like bathrooms, cupboards, steam tunnels, etc.

Hence we provide you with the best effective solution.

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

August 29, 2018

The Ever Annoying Lygus Bug!

One of our most important competitors for food, fiber, and other natural resources, since time immemorial, has been insects. These pests have a direct impact on agricultural food production as they cause damage by chewing the leaves of crop plants, sucking out plant juices, boring within the roots, stems or leaves, and spreading plant pathogens. Every year millions of dollars are lost because of insect damage in agriculture. One such pesky creature, contributing to this damage is the lygus bug. Lygus bug also called tarnished plant bug, is a destructive oval-shaped insect that causes serious damage in fruit orchards, herbaceous plants, vegetable crops, commercial flower plants, and nursery stock.

Lygus bug has a wide host range of more than 350 plants! In general, lygus bug prefers grains, vegetables, and weeds near crops. When lygus bugs are present in high numbers, seed set and maturation may be reduced by nearly 100%. These pests inject toxic saliva into the plant and cause seed structures to die and drop off the plant. Even moderate feeding can cause premature bud shed, deformed seeds and reduced seed viability. Injured seeds will turn brown or black and will not germinate. In western Canada, lygus bugs reduced yields by approximately 7%; while in southern Manitoba, yields were reduced by almost 20%!

Lygus bugs, while infesting fruits like peaches, pears and strawberries, may cause dimpling, also known as catfacing. Lygus bugs also cause fire blight disease, which they spread throughout the area as they feed. This disease causes the flowers to turn brown and wilt and twigs to shrivel and blacken, often curling at the ends. In more advanced cases of fire blight infection, cankers begin to form on branches. These discoloured oozing patches contain masses of fire blight bacteria and heavy infections can be fatal. It was reported that in one field near Glendale, United States, about 90% of the cotton crops, valued at $16,000,000, was destroyed through the attack of this insect.

This article published in The Western Producer will highlight the severity of the damage caused by the lygus bug.

Alberta at high risk for lygus bugs

Posted on Aug. 1st, 2014

By Barbara Duckworth

Brooks, Alta. — It is time to start sweeping canola fields for Lygus bugs.

This summer’s heat, with temperatures at or above 30 C, is encouraging faster reproduction of the damaging insects, said Scott Meers, an entomologist with Alberta Agriculture.

“This year will be a high risk for lygus. You should start sweeping,” he said.

Two or more bugs captured per sweep means it is time to spray, he told a Canola Galla education day held at Alberta Agriculture’s Crop Development Centre at Brooks.

“I expect we are going to get into the typical race between harvest and lygus damaging the crop,” he said.

Adults and larvae suck plant juices so that flowers abort and pods fall off. Feeding on the older pods causes the seeds to shrivel or the pods to be deformed.

Alberta Agriculture is monitoring 311 sites along Highway 2 down the center of the province. The department has found Lygus bugs as well as plenty of bertha armyworms and a few diamondback moths. However, the monitoring has found no Swede midges.

In some years, spraying for cabbage seedpod weevils will also catch Lygus bugs, but it is not uncommon to have to spray lygus twice.

“We don’t want to encourage prescription spraying, but if you spray for cabbage seedpod weevil, then the general trend is that if we get the timing right for cabbage seedpod weevil, then we seldom have trouble with lygus,” he said.

The most common tool used to manage Lygus bugs are insecticides. However, besides being extremely toxic and harmful to the environment, most insecticides used for lygus control will destroy beneficial insects which help keep whiteflies and other pests in check. Moreover, studies show that the more exposed the bug is to the insecticide, the more resistant the bug will be. In spite of that, insecticide application was the only option available for the control of Lygus bugs once populations reached economic threshold levels, until now.

Now, we no longer have to depend on these conventional, toxic insecticides 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.Combirepel™ is a broad spectrum aversive which works against almost 500 species of damaging insects. The most appealing feature of this product is that it is an environment-friendly repellent which causes no harm to the target or the non-target species! It is available in masterbatch and lacquer form and as a liquid solution. Thus, by incorporating Combirepel™ in agricultural films and mulches, crops would be efficaciously protected against these menacing insects!

Combirepel™ is available in the form of the masterbatch, liquid concentrate, and lacquer. OurCombirepel™ masterbatch can be used in polymer base applications like wires, cables, irrigation pipes, polymeric vessels, and other various applications.

Combirepel™ liquid concentrate can be mixed in the paints to cover the areas like cracks and crevices of walls and hidden places where the roaches tend to survive.

Combirepel™ lacquer is the topical coating to cover the places like bathrooms, cupboards, steam tunnels, etc.

Hence we provide you with the best effective solution.

Follow us on our Twitter pages at:
1] https://twitter.com/rodrepel
2] https://twitter.com/termirepel
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August 29, 2018

Aphids threaten crops!

Aphids, also known as plant lice, are diminutive, soft-bodied, pear-shaped insects which feed on plants, typically during the spring and summer seasons. Aphids are amongst the most common type of garden pests and are commonly green in color, though they can also found in pink, brown, yellow and black. There are over 200 species of aphid s, some of which will only feed on specific types of plants, while the majorities are content to eat a myriad of different plants. Aphids are capable of asexual reproduction and can spawn throughout most of the year, sometimes producing nearly 100 young per aphid in the course of just one week. Because reproduction occurs so rapidly, what starts out as a small aphid problem in a garden, farm or greenhouse can quickly become an infestation without adequate intervention.

Aphids are mostly less than 1/4 in. (6 mm) long. Some are wingless; others have two pairs of transparent or colored wings, the front pair longer than the hind pair. In typical aphids (family Aphididae), two tubes called cornicles project from the rear of the abdomen and exude protective substances. Aphids feed by inserting their beaks and sucking sap from stems, leaves, or roots.

Many kinds of aphids secrete a sweet substance called honeydew, prized as food by ants, flies, and bees. This substance consists of partially digested, highly concentrated plant sap and other wastes, and is excreted often in copious amounts. Certain aphid species have a symbiotic relationship with various species of ants that resembles the relationship of domestic cattle to humans; hence the name “ant cows” for aphids. The ants tend the aphids, transporting them to their food plants at the appropriate stages of the aphids’ life cycle and sheltering the aphid eggs in their nests during the winter. The aphids, in turn, provide honeydew for the ants.

Damaging aphid populations may develop over a span of several years. Generally medium to low annual rainfall zones are at a greater risk than high annual rainfall zones. Although aphids usually arrive earlier in high rainfall zones, their populations are often kept at relatively low numbers. This is believed to be due to mortalities caused by a combination of strong winds and rain, high natural enemy numbers such as parasites, and fungi, which thrive in high humidity. Direct feeding damage, occurs when colonies of 30 or more aphids develop on individual growing tips.

The degree of damage depends on the varietal susceptibility, the growth stage of the crop, the percentage of plants infested, the number of aphids per growing tip, and the duration of the infestation. Feeding damage often has no obvious signs or symptoms, although heavily infested plants may be covered in black sooty moulds, which live on the sugary honeydew excreted by aphids, and flowers may be aborted. Other signs of damage include down curled leaves and wilting. The damage causes yield and quality losses, by reducing seed size and weight and numbers of pods per plant.

The damage done by aphids is due to a number of causes, including loss of sap, clogging of leaf surfaces with honeydew, and growth of molds and fungi on the honeydew. Leaf curl, a common symptom of aphid infestation, occurs when a colony attacks the underside of a leaf, causing its desiccation. The downward curl provides protection for the colony, but the leaf becomes useless to the plant. Some species also transmit viral diseases of plants. Among the aphids causing serious damage to food crops are the grain, cabbage, corn root, apple, woolly apple, and hickory aphids and the alder and beech tree blights. Direct damage caused by aphids feeding can cause yield losses of more than 50% in susceptible Lupin varieties. Yellow lupins are the most prone to aphid colonization and occasionally feeding damage may be so bad that crops fail to yield.

Let us take a look at the below article:

Aphids damage early crops

06 Aug 2013 05:00 AM

There has been significant aphid damage to early sown crops, particularly in central NSW.

Pest Facts reported there were many accounts of damage in the Central Tablelands region around Mudgee, NSW.

The damage began in July once the resistance imparted by seed treatment wore off.

Oats have been one of the worst impacted crops.

Oat aphid, corn aphid and rose grain aphid favor barley, but are found in all cereal crops. Heavy infestations of these sap sucking insects cause the crop to turn yellow, be stunted and generally appear unthrifty.

All three aphids can damage crops by feeding on them and in some instances by spreading barley yellow dwarf virus.

The above article shows the extent of damage these creatures can cause. There have been various other articles published which illustrate the extent of damage caused by aphids. According to a recent study by researchers at Iowa State University aphids has become a threat to soybean in the recent years because they possess a unique ability to block the genetic defense response of soybeans and may open the door for other pests to do even more damage to the crops. Their research further made significant contribution as the scientist stated that Aphids emerged as a serious threat to Iowa soybeans around 2000. The insects are native to Asia and most likely came to the United States via international travelers or plants brought into the country. In the years since, aphids have caused soybean farmers major headaches, reducing yields in affected fields by up to 40 percent, a scientist said.

These creatures thus cause a lot of damage in the agricultural sector. Also they invite more pests like the ants to the plants further endangering them. Conventional methods used to combat them include the use of toxic pesticides which are extremely hazardous to the environment. New methods need to be developed to do away with aphids for good. The method used should be 100% effective and should not endanger the environment in any way whatsoever.

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.

Combirepel™ is a non-hazardous product that primarily repels insects from the application. It is a broad spectrum repellent which works against insects 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.

The product available in the form of lacquer can be used as a topical application and can be applied to wooden and concrete structures of heritage sites. The liquid concentrate is compatible with most of the surfaces like wood, concrete, fiber, ceramic, metal, polymer etc.

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 areas of heritage sites which can be painted. The liquid concentrate is compatible with all types of paints and solvents.

Using our products, they can repel the termites in an eco-friendly way!

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http://www.rodrepel.com/
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August 29, 2018

Termite damage!

Termites though extremely small and tiny creatures have managed to stir us humans into noticing them and acknowledging their existence. The primary reason is the tune of the damage they cause which has a direct impact on the economy of the country and thus the humans. Termites attack in groups and feed on any form of cellulose especially wood. This little bit of trivia makes us realize that almost everything around us is susceptible to a termite attack. Termites always seek for moisture filled places and therefore basements and space under wooden boards are their favorable infestation places. Termite damage often looks similar to water damage. Outward signs of termite damage include buckling wood, swollen floor, and ceilings, areas that appear to be suffering from slight water damage and visible mazes within walls or furniture. Termite infestations also can exude a scent similar to mildew or mold. Dry wood termite infestations may only become apparent after a colony has burrowed so deeply into an infested item that the veneer cracks and the maze-like tunnels beneath become visible. Such damage is common in antique furniture pieces.

Termite swarm season will arrive with warmer weather

RUTH CORRELL, MAR 26, 2014

Subterranean termites are the most destructive wood-feeding insect in Tennessee, and even though they do their part to recycle dead and fallen trees back into the soil, termites can also attack the wood, paper and other wood scrap sources around a home, according to University of Tennessee entomologist, Dr. Karen Vail.

The National Pest Management Association estimates that it costs the U.S. about $5 billion per year to repair and treat damage caused by these insects.

Dr. Vail says that termite signs should be easy to spot. “The termite swarm season will be starting shortly. Winged termites will fly, drop to the ground, drop their wings and search for a moist, protected area to mate and start their colony. In a home, the swarmers, or a pile of their wings, are often found on the window sill.”

Winged termites can be distinguished from winged ants fairly easily. Termite wings are nearly equal in size and shape, but the ant’s front wings are larger than the hind wings. Winged termites have straight antennae and the ants are elbowed. The termite thorax is broadly attached to the abdomen, but in the ant, the waist is pinched. In Tennessee, termite swarmers are typically dark brown to black.
Termite workers, on the other hand, are white, soft-bodied wingless insects that travel above ground in mud tubes that are at least as wide as a pencil. It is recommended to search your basement, crawlspace or foundation walls and look for these tubes.

When termites damage wood, they eat the softer wood and leave behind the denser wood giving the wood a layered effect. Mud will probably be present in the layers. Termite-damaged wood will be soft and allow a screwdriver to easily penetrate. Puckered paint may indicate termites are feeding below the surface.

If you do discover termites, it’s definitely time to call a pest management professional. Suggestions for choosing a pest management firm and termite control strategy can be found in the UT Extension publication Subterranean Termite Control.

Dr. Vail reminds consumers not to be pressured into signing a contract with a pest control agency immediately. Termite damage occurs slowly. The amount of damage caused by taking an additional day, week, or month to make an informed decision is negligible.
Many structures were pretreated with a soil termiticide before the house was built and, if properly done, treatment should provide at least 5 years of protection. At other homes, a professionally installed and maintained termite baiting system may detect and treat termites. However, if wood or wood scraps were buried in the backfill, or under porches or steps, or if spreader boards or grade stakes were not removed before the concrete set, then termite food was left in place. Construction site preparation, installation, and cleanup determine some of a structure’s susceptibility to subterranean termites.

The following suggestions can be followed to help make a homeless conducive to subterranean termite invasion:

Reduce the amount of cellulose around the structure. Keep a 12- to 18-inch bare zone next to the foundation and use inorganic mulches (pea gravel or river stone) instead of plant-based ones “near” the foundation. Replace wooden landscape timbers with those made of other materials such as concrete or vinyl. Don’t stack firewood against the house. Keep tree roots from getting close to the foundation.
Reduce moisture sources around the home or building. Ensure the irrigation system is working properly. Termites love moisture to make mud tubes and for mating. Repair outdoor water faucet leaks quickly. Keep crawlspaces dry by either using a plastic cover with ventilation or by using an encapsulation system. The finished grade outside the house should slope away from the house to prevent water from collecting under the house.

Termites can be controlled but total elimination is less certain. The homeowner should be vigilant at all times.

Thus we can see the extent of damage termites have caused and will continue to cause in the long run. This is an extremely unsettling revelation and needs immediate attention.

New methods need to be devised to exterminate this ever- hanging threat to our precious wooden structures. The time has come for going the unconventional way here. We at C Tech Corporation can provide a long lasting and effective solution to combat termite infestations. Our product Combirepel™ is a non-toxic and non- hazardous termite aversive. It is effective against a host of termite species including damp wood termites as also the most aggressive ones. It is available in the form of polymer compatible masterbatches as well as in lacquer form.

Combirepel™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.

Combirepel™ is an eco-friendly product which acts as an aversive to repel the pesky insects like roaches. Combirepel™ do not kill the targeted as well as non-targeted species but just repel them causing no harm any to human and environment.

Combirepel™ is available in the form of the masterbatch, liquid concentrate, and lacquer. Our Combirepel™ masterbatch can be used in polymer base applications like wires, cables, irrigation pipes, polymeric vessels, and other various applications.

Combirepel™liquid concentrate can be mixed in the paints to cover the areas like cracks and crevices of walls and hidden places where the roaches tend to survive.

Combirepel™ lacquer is the topical coating to cover the places like bathrooms, cupboards, steam tunnels, etc.

Hence we provide you with the best effective solution.

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

August 29, 2018

Australia held hostage- by vicious termites!!

“Termites are a bane to human existence!!”

Of the 2,300 species of termites known to exist in the world, only 183 are known to cause damage to structures, and of these, 83 have a significant economic impact!

Subterranean termites account for about 80 percent of the economically important species, and the genus Coptotermes contains the largest number of economically important species. Many thousand dollars are spent annually to combat these inconspicuous creatures. Control of subterranean termites and repair of their damage in the United States results in a total economic impact of about $6.0 billion per year. These Subterranean termites attack untreated wood and some also attack live trees. They are a huge problem in moist, warm climates along the western, southern, and southeastern coasts of the continental United States and in subtropical and tropical locations of the United States and its protectorates and possessions. They pose a significant hazard to the numerous Eucalyptus trees planted as ornamentals, as windbreaks, or for fiber.

They are the cause of great economic losses of timber and related services all over the world, especially in Australia. Only a few of the more than 300 species found in Australia are responsible for structural timber damage. In the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) region there are approximately 30 kinds of termites, although only a few cause extensive damage to sound timber. The two species that do the most damage are Coptotermes frenchi and Nasutitermes exitiosus. Nasutitermes exitiosus are also associated with trees. Coptotermes frenchi and Nasutitermes exitiosus can establish nests if winged adults discover a damp area in the house, such as a shower recess or where the hot water system has leaked. They survive in places where water is readily available.

Nasutitermes exitiosus species is found most predominantly in southern Queensland and across most of the southern states of Australia. It is easily recognizable because, unlike other termite species, it has a dark pointed head, which makes it stand out. Nasutitermes exitiosus builds a mounded nest that is generally between 250mm and 700mm high. Their nests are generally found under decks and in sub-floors areas. They can cause a huge amount of damage to most wooden structures, especially hardwood fences, posts and sub-floors places where the timber is in direct contact with the earth or if the wood is damp or rotting. While this species is not as destructive as other termite species, left to their own devices they can still cause some serious problems. They are more of a problem for older homes that have not been well maintained where the timber has become wet. Interestingly this termite species has its own qualms regarding food. They do not like pine varieties, preferring the sapwood of hardwoods.

Defensive behavior of these termites was observed by scientists from Cornwell University, NY. The termites were confronted with live enemies like ants and other arthropods. It was observed that both soldiers and workers take part in the defensive actions. The weapon of destruction of the soldier termite is a spray from its frontal gland which causes irritation and has the capacity to hinder the mobility of the ant. The soldier’s secretion is an effective alarms pheromone. Once a target has been sprayed, the other soldiers converge around it. Attraction is effective around 30mm. The worker termites have no special weapons, but they can effectively bite. Ants may be crushed by the bites, or they may be slowed down by workers clamped to them with their mandibles and thereby rendered more vulnerable to being sprayed by soldiers. The substance in the secretion responsible for the alarm response remains unknown. The workers are essentially unalarmed by fresh secretion. Recruited soldiers tend to remain longer beside a “lively” sprayed enemy than beside one that has already ceased moving. It is suggested that in nature, sprayed incapacitated enemies might be covered over by the workers with feces and soil, a behavior that could bring about a timelier blockage of the alarm signal.

Nasutitermes exitiosus is almost invariably a mound builder in Canberra. If N. exitiosus is found it is likely there is a mound within 30-50 meters of the infested area, often in the adjacent bushland. Nasutitermes exitiosus nests when opened have a distinct and characteristic odor which is thought to be associated with repellant exudates from the fontanelle at the tip of the nasus.

Other important species of termites which pose a threat to wooden structures are the widely infamous Coptotermes French. They can be found right down the east coast of Australia but are predominantly found in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) in particular, where it is rated as the most destructive termite species in the area. Coptotermes frenchi distribution extends from north Queensland to Western Australia in eucalyptus communities. Coptotermes frenchi has also become established in New Zealand, most likely introduced from Australia in imported logs.

They may travel underground up to 70m from the colony in search of food. They are particularly partial to eucalyptus and as such are commonly found in urban areas where eucalyptus is abundant. In the ACT many houses have pine or Oregon softwood frames, a favorite of this species. Because these subterranean termites can infest numerous tree species and wood in use, the presence of an acceptable host is not the critical factor. Rather, a suitable environment with an adequate supply of wood and appropriate temperature and moisture conditions are the key factors to their survival and proliferation. The initiation of a colony is a slow process, but wood in ground contact, moist wood in structures, and suitable host trees with scars or wounds at ports and storage facilities may provide an infestation site. The adults (alates) fly only about 100 m but are capable of moving up to 1 km depending on wind conditions and weather.

These subterranean termites are highly destructive. Soldier termites produce milky liquid from a gland on their head when disturbed. Coptotermes frenchi is responsible for major damage to buildings, fences, posts, stumps and eucalypt trees. It is common for this species to devour timber framing leaving only a thin veneer. This species is the shyest of the destructive species; they will retreat from a location immediately (for the time being) if disturbed. They hollow out the upper part of the tree trunk. They feed on a range of timbers.

Nasutitermes exitiosus is almost invariably a mound builder in Canberra. If N. exitiosus is found it is likely there is a mound within 30-50 meters of the infested area, often in the adjacent bushland. Coptotermes frenchi mostly nest in old eucalypt tree trunks. If these termites are detected, all large eucalyptus trees (trunks greater than 30 cm in basal diameter) or stumps within 60 meters should be checked. One indication of termite activity within trees is the presence of hollow broken branches. This is only indicative and a more reliable method is to test by drilling the tree. A drill auger (not larger than 19 mm diameter) should be used to bore holes towards the center of the tree. If termites are present the center will be hollow or filled with ‘mudguts’ and the auger will suddenly penetrate the tree easily. A thermometer may be used to determine if the nest has been located. Nests are a constant temperature of 300 deg Celsius. The installation of barriers, either physical or chemical, has also been used as a method to prevent termites from entering buildings.

Considering the potential for damage that these termite species have exhibited a reliable method to combat them needs to be devised. C Tech Corporation has come up with such a novel product in the form of Termirepel™. Combirepel™ is a non-toxic, eco-friendly and completely non-hazardous termite repellant which is effective against even the most aggressive and destructive termite species like the ones encountered above!!

Combirepel™ works by the mechanism of repellence by virtue of which it does not allow the termites to come near the application and thus it negates the possibility of an infestation. The product is designed to not only counter the termite menace but is also effective against a host of other insects and pests. Termirepel™ can be applied over wooden articles in the form of a lacquer or finish. It is approved by NEA (National Environmental Agency) for use on wooden articles.

Combirepel™ is available in the form of the masterbatch, liquid concentrate, and lacquer. OurCombirepel™ masterbatch can be used in polymer base applications like wires, cables, irrigation pipes, polymeric vessels, and other various applications.

Combirepel™ liquid concentrate can be mixed in the paints to cover the areas like cracks and crevices of walls and hidden places where the roaches tend to survive.

Combirepel™lacquer is the topical coating to cover the places like bathrooms, cupboards, steam tunnels, etc.

Hence we provide you with the best effective solution.

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

August 29, 2018

Bed bug- The peace pillager!!

Ever been woken up from your blissful slumber by the tingly and crawly sensation of something wandering all over you??

Caution: Don’t shrug it off as just a feeling… you are not imagining it, it’s real, and it’s a bed bug!!

Bed bugs are the uninvited guests of the rich as well as poor. They are like the unwelcome party crashers that we all detest!! The common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) has long been a pest – feeding on blood, causing itchy bites and generally irritating their human hosts.

Bed bugs are basically parasitic insects of the cimicid family that feed exclusively on blood. The name “bed bug” is derived from the preferred habitat of Cimex lectularius: warm houses and especially nearby or inside of beds and bedding or other sleep areas. Bed bugs are mainly active at night but are not exclusively nocturnal. They usually feed on their hosts without being noticed. Bed bugs are attracted to their hosts primarily by carbon dioxide, secondarily by warmth, and also by certain chemicals. Bedbugs prefer exposed skin, preferably the face, neck, and arms of a sleeping individual. Although under certain cool conditions adult bed bugs can live for over a year without feeding, under typically warm conditions they will try to feed at five to ten-day intervals and adults can survive for about five months without food.

It takes between five and ten minutes for a bed bug to become completely engorged with blood. In all, the insect may have spent less than 20 minutes in physical contact with its host, and it will not attempt to feed again until it has either completed a molt or if an adult has thoroughly digested the meal.

Once feeding is complete, a bed bug will relocate to a place close to a known host, commonly in or near beds or couches in clusters of adults, juveniles, and eggs which entomologists call harborage areas or simply harborages to which the insect will return after future feedings by following chemical trails. Bed bugs use pheromones and kairomones to communicate regarding nesting locations, feeding, and reproduction.

Bed bugs can also be detected by their characteristic smell of rotting raspberries.

“Wherever bed bugs are, one thing holds true – they cause a lot of troubles.”

In the recent spate of events worldwide, beg bugs are proving to be a beneficial source of income for lawyers!! As was reported by Mail online on 3rd June 2013, a Maryland woman was awarded $800k after suing landlord over bedbug infestation that caused her to lose “practically everything”!! The ruling was one of the largest – if not the largest – amounts awarded in this sort of lawsuit, was the experts’ opinion.

In another recent incident reported on 30th July 2013, the very famous Dunn Hotel in North Carolina was closed owing to a suspected widespread bed bug infestation. Investigators discovered remnants of bedbugs in bed frames and windowsills.

In December 2010, Adarien Jackson of Severn, Maryland filed a bed bug suit against a furniture store where she brought her sons’ bunks. A little more than a year later, the mother-of-two was favored by jury granting her $225,000 in damage.

For most people, bedbugs are not life-threatening — at least, not physically. Between 50% and 70% of people are allergic to the bites, and will develop itchy welts, similar to mosquito bites. In a few cases, the bugs have been linked to asthma attacks, and persistent assaults from the vampiric visitors can potentially lead to anemia. But while the physical effects of bedbugs are negligible, their emotional and psychological impact can be devastating. Dr. Jones, an associate professor of entomology at Ohio State University notes that “bedbug victims can lose lots of sleep and can become very anxious, or even panic-stricken.” Some develop delusional parasitosis, a mental disorder in which sufferers become convinced that they are being bitten by bugs, even when they are not. Jones stresses that this condition can have brutal physical and emotional effects.
The Environmental Protection Agency has declared bedbugs a public health pest and, in April 2009, it held a national bedbug summit to solicit recommendations for dealing with the growing menace. In it, the group highlighted the emotional and psychological effects of bedbugs, arguing that the definition of public health needed to be enlarged to include “overall wellness [and] mental health.” It also addressed the dangers of bedbug-inspired insomnia, noting that loss of sleep could be disastrous for “pilots, flight attendants, and other professionals.”

Hence to help alleviate or else completely eradicate the infestation we C Tech Corporation provide you with the best effective solution Combirepel™ . Combirepel™ is an anti-insect aversive developed on the grounds of green chemistry and technology.

Combirepel™ is an eco-friendly product which acts as an aversive to repel the pesky insects like roaches. Combirepel™ do not kill the targeted as well as non-targeted species but just repel them causing no harm any to human and environment.

Combirepel™ is available in the form of the masterbatch, liquid concentrate, and lacquer. Our Combirepel™ masterbatch can be used in polymer base applications like wires, cables, irrigation pipes, polymeric vessels, and other various applications.

Combirepel™ liquid concentrate can be mixed in the paints to cover the areas like cracks and crevices of walls and hidden places where the roaches tend to survive.

Combirepel™ lacquer is the topical coating to cover the places like bathrooms, cupboards, steam tunnels, etc.

Hence we provide you with the best effective solution.

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

August 29, 2018

Combirepel™ against Spruce budworm

Spruce budworm is one of the most damaging native insects of spruces and true fir in the USA and Canada. Their food of choice is conifers mainly balsam fir, white spruce, and red spruce. During light or moderate infestations, the damage is restricted to a partial loss of new foliage, particularly in the upper crown of the tree. During a major outbreak, tens of millions of hectares of trees can be severely defoliated by the insect. This, in turn, can result in significant losses of important timber and non-timber resources, negatively affecting the forest industry and forestry-dependent communities. Spruce budworm outbreaks have devastated huge areas of forests on a more or less regular basis since the 18th century.

Spruce budworms and its relatives are a group of closely related insects in the genus Choristoneura. There are nearly forty Choristoneura species, and even more subspecies, or forms, with a complexity of variation among populations found throughout much of the United States and Canada, and about again this number in Eurasia.

Adult moths are about 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) long and have a wing-spread of 7/8 to 11/8 inches (22 to 28mm). Moths of both sexes are similar in appearance, although the females are a bit more robust than males. Both sexes fly. The gray- or orange-brown forewings are banded or streaked, and each usually has a conspicuous white dot on the wing margin. Eggs are oval, light green, and about 3/64 inch (1.2mm) long and overlap like shingles. The adults mate, and within 7 to 10 days, the female deposits her eggs and then dies. Each female deposits approximately 150 eggs, usually on the underside of conifer needles. Eggs are laid in one to three-row masses containing a few to 130 eggs, with an average of 25 to 40 eggs per mass. Larvae hatch from eggs in about 10 days. Larvae do not feed but seek sheltered places under bark scales or in and among lichens on the tree bole or limbs. Here, they spin silken tents in which they remain inactive through the winter.

The native spruce budworm is a major defoliator of conifer forests, where it attacks mainly balsam fir and spruces and occasionally other conifer species. In the mid-1980s, the spruce budworm destroyed more than 10 million cubic meters of wood in Quebec, Canada alone. The larvae are to be blamed for this. The first mine or tunnel into year-old needles closed buds or newly developing vegetative or reproductive buds. Larvae prefer buds but will also attack old needles. The first symptoms of damage are usually frass and silk webs in buds or on last year’s needles. Tree crowns may appear brown as a result of partly chewed needles, dead buds and frass being webbed together and thus held at branch tips to dry. During outbreaks, it is common to see large numbers of caterpillars hanging from the ends of silk threads. This allows them to spin further down the tree canopy, or to be carried considerable distance by air currents. In light infestations, partial loss of new foliage, particularly in the upper crown, may occur. In heavier infestations, more serious defoliation may result. Defoliation for three years or more will reduce tree vitality and may produce top kill of leaders and some terminal branch shoots. Five to seven successive years of defoliation will lead to tree mortality. A single, complete defoliation commonly kills conifers.

The availability of extensive forests of susceptible host trees is a primary contributor to the development of widespread outbreaks, mostly by supporting the survival of small larvae and maturation of moths that reproduce and migrate to new areas. The last extensive outbreak of spruce budworm in Canada reached its peak in the 1970s, damaging more than 50 million hectares. The steady increase in the area of forest damaged by spruce budworm has been observed in eastern Canada since 2006, perhaps heralding a new, extensive outbreak in that part of the country. The damage caused by this worm goes into millions of dollars annually in the USA as well as Canada.

Let us see the following news article:

Bracing for spruce budworm assault

Chris Morris

Legislature Bureau

18 Jul 2013 07:46 AM

FREDERICTON – Researchers are hunting for ways to outmaneuver the spruce budworm as the insects begin massing for a major assault on the forests of New Brunswick and eastern Canada. Rob Johns, a researcher with the Canadian Forest Service in Fredericton, said Wednesday the budworm outbreak in Quebec is expanding and there are fears the infestation could spread into New Brunswick in the near future.“It will come pretty quickly when it does come,” Johns said in an interview. He said he was looking at video sent to him earlier this week of a mass migration of budworm moths across the St. Lawrence River to Rimouski.

“There were millions flying around in this parking lot to the point where you could scoop them up in your hands,” he said. Johns said the budworms have caused severe to moderate damage over as much as six million hectares of Quebec forest so far. He said the outbreak has been roughly doubling since it first began in the Baie Comeau area in 2006. Spruce budworm is a forest insect pest native to North America whose larva feed on balsam fir and spruce trees. Historically, outbreaks have occurred every 30 to 50 years in northeastern North America.

The last outbreak of spruce budworm began in roughly the 1970s. The last significant spruce budworm damage observed in New Brunswick occurred in 1995.

Johns said that during the last major outbreak, 51 million hectares were infested throughout northeastern North America and “40 percent of the trees hit heavily by the budworm died.”

“The spruce budworm caused significant tree mortality and volume loss during the last outbreak,” the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources said in a statement.

“It is uncertain at this point how severe the next outbreak will be in New Brunswick. However, we can expect that an uncontrolled spruce budworm outbreak will cause damage to our spruce and fir forests, resulting in potentially significant reductions to the amount of timber volume available for harvest and possible impacts on other forest values such as old spruce-fir wildlife habitat.” There are predictions a spruce budworm infestation could begin in earnest in New Brunswick in two years. The infestation in Quebec has reached the Gaspe, just a few kilometers from the New Brunswick border. Johns said governments, researchers and industry want to be prepared for the spruce budworm infestation this time and are studying ways to minimize the impact.

“The idea right now is we’re hoping that if we can start treating populations at low densities before they actually get to these huge epidemic levels then we can possibly keep them at bay and maintain a low level of infection,” he said.

“We are starting to test this early intervention strategy where we are actually trying to treat some of these very small populations.”

Johns said tests on small areas are being conducted in Quebec, but it is still too early to say whether it will be effective.

It’s expected the Madawaska region will likely be the first hit in New Brunswick.

Spraying for the spruce budworm costs approximately $80 per hectare. For a moderate outbreak, spraying could cost up to $80 million or, in the event of a crisis, roughly $200 million.

The cost would likely be split between different levels of government and industry.

The budworm problem has been consistent and pestering one for the past several years. North America and especially Canada has suffered a lot due to this pesky pest. The hectares of forest land lost to this pest are on the increase and will further continue if appropriate steps are not taken. The outbreak of budworm infestation is quite sudden without a preamble.

Hence to help alleviate or else completely eradicate the infestation we C Tech Corporation provide you with the best effective solution Combirepel™ . Combirepel™ is an anti-insect aversive developed on the grounds of green chemistry and technology.

Combirepel™ is an eco-friendly product which acts as an aversive to repel the pesky insects like roaches. Combirepel™ do not kill the targeted as well as non-targeted species but just repel them causing no harm any to human and environment.

Combirepel™ liquid concentrate can be mixed in the paints to cover the areas like cracks and crevices of walls and hidden places where the roaches tend to survive.

Combirepel™ lacquer is the topical coating to cover the places like bathrooms, cupboards, steam tunnels, etc.

Hence we provide you with the best effective solution.

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

August 29, 2018January 3, 2019

Butterflies- magnificent but endangered

Butterflies are magnificent creatures- vibrant and colorful. They are very important for our ecosystem. Some butterflies have evolved symbiotic and parasitic relationships with social insects such as ants. Some species are pests because in their larval stages they can damage domestic crops or trees; however, some species are agents of pollination of some plants, and caterpillars of a few butterflies eat harmful insects. Butterflies exhibit polymorphism, mimicry, and aposematism. Butterflies may have one or more broods per year. The number of generations per year varies from temperate to tropical regions with tropical regions showing a trend towards multivoltinism. Butterflies feed primarily on nectar from flowers. Some also derive nourishment from pollen tree sap, rotting fruit, dung, decaying flesh, and dissolved minerals in wet sand or dirt. Butterflies are important as pollinators for some species of plants as they can carry pollen over long distances.

Among the many species of butterflies, a special mention has to be made of the truly breathtaking Monarch butterflies. Monarch butterflies named so because of their huge size are also called as wanderers mostly because of the character trait they exhibit of migration. These butterflies are famous for their southward migration and northward return in summer from Canada to Mexico and Baja California which spans the life of three to four generations of the butterfly. Monarch butterflies are one of the few insects which can cross the Atlantic. Monarch butterflies primarily feed on milkweed plants which contain cardiac glycosides which make them distasteful as preys and thus protect them from their predators.

The decline in insect populations over long periods is viewed as a natural phenomenon but this is not true in the case of Monarch butterflies. “Monarchs have been faced with the loss of habitat for many years”, said Jen Baker, Head-of-the-Lake Land Trust Program coordinator for the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club.

Milkweed, the Monarch larvae’s main food source as well as where they lay their eggs, has been depleting. The main reason for this steady decline is the unrestricted use of pesticides and weedicides. These harmful and toxic chemicals might protect the other plants from insects but they sure manage to kill the milkweed plant. The number of milkweed plants has decreased by 58 percent from 1997 to 2010 almost entirely from losses in cultivated fields due to indiscriminate use of herbicides. An army of volunteers in the U of M-based Monarch Larva Monitoring Project has been collecting data on the numbers of monarch eggs per milkweed plant in more than 800 milkweed patches around the country Also, since monarchs lay more eggs on milkweeds if they’re in cultivated fields, egg production was disproportionately affected by the loss of agricultural milkweed plants. The researchers estimate that between 1999 and 2010, monarch egg production in the Midwest dropped by 81 percent.

Christine Dell’Amore of National Geographic News wrote in her article dated 18th March 2013 that in December 2012, scientists surveying Monarch habitat in Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve found the insects occupied 59 percent less land than the previous year—the smallest area recorded in 20 years. Nine butterfly colonies were found in just 2.94 acres (1.19 hectares) of land, compared with 7.14 acres (2.89 hectares) in 2011 and a high of 44.9 acres (18.19 hectares) in 1997, according to the report, released March 13.

This is alarming news for the Monarch butterflies as well as us since widespread depletion of Monarch butterfly populations will have a direct effect on the pollination of some flowers and subsequently disturb the food chain. Thus it is the need of the hour to curb the use of toxic and harmful chemicals as weedicides and switch over to a more environment-friendly as well as the non-toxic way to protect the plants while ensuring that non-target species like butterflies are not harmed in any way. Combirepel™ are coming of age products which have the unique attributes of being non-toxic and environment-friendly insect and pest aversives. They are meant to repel and not kill the target species and have no effect whatsoever on non-target species like butterflies which are very helpful in pollination.

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.

Using our products, they can repel the termites in an eco-friendly way!

Also, visit our websites:
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