Control
Numerous methods of control have been investigated in areas where this beetle has been introduced and causes a threat to native species and biodiversity and to the grape industry. A consideration in their control is the fact that when the beetles die they release a chemical that attracts more beetles. Methods of control include insecticides, trapping, removal of aggregates of beetles and mechanically preventing entry to buildings. Methods under development involve the investigation of natural parasites and pathogens, including the use of parasitic sexually transmitted mites and fungal diseases.
H. axyridis traps are available that contain the pheromones used by the beetles to attract each other into large gatherings. The best methods for dealing with them in private homes involve sealing openings they may enter. Sweeping and vacuuming are considered effective methods for removing them from homes though this should be done carefully so as not to trigger the defensive reaction known as reflex bleeding. A nylon stocking placed inside the vacuum cleaner's hose, secured with a rubber band, allows the beetles to be "bagged" rather than collecting inside the machine. A trap designed for indoor use was developed which attracts the beetles with a light and seals them in a removable bag.
Read more about this topic: Harmonia Axyridis
Famous quotes containing the word control:
““Have we any control over being born?,” my friend asked in despair. “No, the job is done for us while we’re sleeping, so to speak, and when we wake up everything is all set. We merely appear, like an ornate celebrity wheeled out in a wheelchair.” “I don’t remember,” my friend claimed. “No need to,” I said: “what need have us free-loaders for any special alertness? We’re done for.””
—Marvin Cohen, U.S. author and humorist. The Self-Devoted Friend, New Directions (1967)
“We human beings do have some genuine freedom of choice and therefore some effective control over our own destinies. I am not a determinist. But I also believe that the decisive choice is seldom the latest choice in the series. More often than not, it will turn out to be some choice made relatively far back in the past.”
—A.J. (Arnold Joseph)
“Time in the hand is not control of time,
Nor shattered fragments of an instrument
A proof against the wind; the wind will rise,
We can only close the shutters.”
—Adrienne Rich (b. 1929)