Pests
Healthy landscapes require more than sunshine and rain. They need proper nutrients and vigilance in scouting for potentially damaging insect pests. From the emerald ash borer to fire ants, MSU Extension specialists and agents understand the long-term investment Mississippians make in their environments, and they are ready to help protect those investments with practical, research-based information homeowners and landowners can use to make decisions.
Publications
News
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Private pesticide applicators will have new training requirements beginning July 1.
House and building owners must be on high alert each spring as structures face dangerous attacks by swarms of both native and introduced termite species.
Native, subterranean termite species have started swarming in late February in South Mississippi to early March in more northern areas. The non-native, invasive and very damaging Formosan subterranean termite begins swarming in some parts of Mississippi in May.
Professionals involved in pest management in Mississippi can attend a Mississippi State University workshop on March 26 to renew a variety of licenses and certifications. The 2024 General Pest Management Workshop will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the MSU Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Raymond. Lunch will be provided. Participants must pay a $25 registration fee by March 15 to reserve a spot in the workshop.
Success Stories
Edna Ruth Morgan’s family never would have guessed her chosen career would have been in entomology.
When most people think of mosquito control, they envision a large chemical tank in the bed of a pickup truck.
Spraying chemicals is actually the last resort in integrated pest management (IPM), a scientific process of preventing invasive insects from reaching adulthood. IPM uses environmentally responsible alternatives, such as habitat removal, structural barriers, and larval control, before using sampling and resistance management to determine treatment plans for adult mosquitoes.
A dream of the Mississippi Pest Control Association and the Mississippi State University Extension Service is coming true after more than 20 years, thanks to a generous donation by one of Mississippi’s oldest pest-control companies.