Cornell Cooperative Extension
of Westchester County

Skunks and Raccoons:
Q. Skunks and raccoons are digging up my lawn. What can I use to kill the grubs that are present in order to stop the raccoons and skunks from destroying my turf?

A. Your question assumes that skunks and raccoons are only digging up your lawn to eat grubs. This assumption would seem premature since raccoons also eat other types of insects, as do skunks. In fact, as well as insects, raccoons also eat fish, frogs and crayfish as well as garden crops. Skunks will feast on mice, moles, chipmunks, frogs and bird nestlings as well as fruits. Clearly, it is unwise to apply lawn pesticides simply at the sight of upturned sod, so investigate further before taking action. Go to the area near the observed damage and slice out a square foot of turf that's about six inches deep. Turn it over and look for grubs. If none were present, then applying an insecticide for their control would constitute an unwarranted use of pesticide. Also, below the "5-7 grub per square foot" threshold, it is accepted that grub presence on turf would not cause enough damage to justify pesticide application. So, give your turf environment a break! If digging done by raccoons and skunks in the absence of significant grub presence is extensive and intolerable, reach for the phone instead of the pesticide. Trappers licensed through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (Nuisance Wildlife Agents) are locally available for hire to take the offending animal from your property. On the other hand, if you live in a suburban location where the high populations of skunks and raccoons makes trapping prohibitive from both an economic and a practical standpoint, then welcome to the flipside of idealized American suburban living in the 21st century. You may wish to consider the installation of a less manicured landscape as well as a sturdy garden bench from which to view the local wildlife in exchange for visions of an unbroken carpet of flawless green.

Gerald G. Giordano
Senior Horticulture Consultant/Extension Community Educator
CCE Westchester Hort Team

Grubs:
Q. I've found more than eight grubs per square foot infesting my lawn. I see visible turf damage. What should I do?

A. If the use of pesticides is unacceptable to you, boost turf health in order that it may better withstand grub presence. You can do this by raising the mowing height to 3 1/2 to 4 inches to promote a deeper, more extensive root system. To alleviate compaction and increase your soil's organic matter content, core aerate and top dress with composted cow manure in the period from around Labor Day to early fall. Also, check the pH to be sure that levels do not fall below 6.0. or rise above 7.0. At low and high pH ranges, nutrient levels become less conducive to turf health. Microorganism activity also slows resulting in a myriad of deleterious effects such as a reduction in the breakdown of organic matter. A pH level of 6.8 seems to be ideal for turfgrass. Use appropriate amounts of lime to increase pH or apply acidifying agents such as ground sulfur to lower pH, when necessary. In Westchester, higher pH levels (above 7.0) are not the norm in the absence of the over-application of liming agents or the introduction of exotic materials to the soil environment. Instead, soils tend to become acidic over time requiring periodic liming. Optimum turf health also requires irrigation. Be sure that your lawn receives one inch of moisture per week including rainfall.

While proper cultural practices can help your lawn better withstand grub damage, it will likely not prevent all occurrences of such damage. If the injury caused by the presence of damaging populations of grubs on your lawn is intolerable to you, judicious pesticide application still appears to be the most successful means of control. Contrary to popular belief in some circles, alternative pesticide controls such as the application of Milky spore, Paenibacillus popilliae, have not achieved an acceptable degree of practical effectiveness in our area. In addition to the mixed populations of grub species encountered in Southeast New York which have not proven to have been controlled by Milky Spore, relatively cooler soil temperatures and the high populations of grubs which must be tolerated for adequate proliferation of Paenibacillus popilliae seem to make the use of Milky Spore products impractical here. Cornell guidelines suggest that a select number of chemical pesticides may be more useful in bringing damaging populations of grubs under control. Contact your local Cooperative Extension office for further information.

Note: The use of parasitic nematodes (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora), a biological control, may be worth trying if applied in the evening in August or Early September. Be sure the soil is moist as from recent rains or irrigation and water the lawn immediately after application.

Gerald G. Giordano
Senior Horticulture Consultant
CCE Westchester Hort Team

Canada Geese:
Q. I have large numbers of Canada geese frequenting my front lawn throughout most of the year and I've also noticed them in large numbers in open mowed areas and on ponds of some nearby parks. What can we do to get rid of them?

A. Resident Canada geese (the variety of Canada goose that does NOT migrate great distances in the fall and spring) have dramatically increased in numbers over the past few years. Try the following suggestions to minimize population numbers on any given property:

1. Modify the landscape to create as few “open” and maintained spots as is practical. Replace an area of the lawn with shrubbery or wildflowers, or simply reduce the amount of mowing, thus allowing it to grow and become a natural field. Canada geese are much less likely to remain in an area where they cannot clearly see for a distance of at least 25 - 30 feet.

2. Modify the shoreline around a pond. Place large stones, or tall grasses and trees around the pond to make exit and entrance more difficult and limit the field of vision.

3. If possible, modify water levels to flood nesting areas, or eliminate islands where geese commonly nest.

4. Plant less desirable vegetation including pachysandra, vinca, ivy, myrtle, and hosta to help to discourage Canada goose grazing.

5. Fencing that is strategically placed to limit the movement of geese from one area to another can be an important management tool - especially if it is done when geese have molted and cannot fly from one area to another (usually around June).

6. Varied, infrequent scaring techniques featuring sudden, loud noises (e.g. the sound of sirens, firecrackers, gun shots*), or movements (lights, specialized tape / streamers on poles) may help to scare geese away from a site for a period of time.

7. The regular use of trained dogs such as border collies, offers another means to scare Canada geese off of properties. The Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation has effectively used this technique for several years on some of their golf courses and parks.

8. A repellent made from a naturally occurring compound found in grapes and orange blossoms is currently available for use in New York State and may act as a short-term deterrent of Canada geese (Consult with your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office for more product information). The use of this product can prove costly.

When developing a suitable management plan for Canada geese it is important to rely on a multi-faceted approach. Sound long-term management of many pests - including Canada geese - often takes a period of time. Be patient, persistent, and please DON’T FEED THE GEESE!!

For more information about goose management, visit: http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/wildlife/geese.pdf
For more frequently asked questions about wildlife damage management, visit:
http://wildlifecontrol.info/ccewdmp/faq.htm

*It is important to note that Canada geese are protected by the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, making hunting illegal without appropriate federal and state licenses. In New York, both federal and state permits are also required anytime one intends to destroy eggs or nests, capture, handle, or kill Canada geese. Federal permits can be obtained from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Permit Office in Hadley, MA (413-253-8643). Permits to kill geese are not issued unless USDA-Wildlife Services has determined other techniques were not practical or effective. Once the federal permit is issued, application to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) is automatic. A state permit will be issued by the Special Licenses Unit in Albany. Additionally, local laws or regulations may also restrict the us of firearms and many other management techniques. For further regulatory information on Canada goose management in the lower Hudson River Valley,call the Region III NYS DEC Bureau of Wildlife at (845) 256-3098 or the USDA-Wildlife Services Office in Albany at
(518) 402-8985.

Richard W. Harper
Extension Community Educator, Integrated Pest Management
CCE Westchester Hort Team

Formosan Termites:
Q. There has been an email circulating about the spread of Formosan termites into previously non- infested areas of the US. It reports that Louisiana is attempting to rid the state of wood mulch created from (Formosan) termite-infested trees destroyed by the recent catastrophic hurricane. Is there any truth to this email? -

A. The email message of which you spoke has been deemed a hoax in the following recent communication from Lori Bushway, Leader of Adult Outreach, Department of Horticulture at Cornell University in a communication she sent to Cornell Cooperative Extension Educators and related personnel. See the communication below. It includes the original haox email and the opinions of various experts on this subject.

"An apparent hoax has been circulating about Formosan termite-infested mulch from New Orleans.

Subject: Mulch Warning

If you use mulch around your house be very careful about buying mulch this year. After the Hurricane in New Orleans many trees were blown over. These trees were then turned into mulch and the state is trying to get rid of tons and tons of this mulch to any state or company who will come and haul it away. So it will be showing up in Home Depot and Lowes at dirt cheap prices with one huge problem; Formosan Termites will be the bonus in many of those bags. New Orleans is one of the few areas in the country were the Formosan Termites has gotten a strong hold and most of the trees blown down were already badly infested with those termites.

Now we may have the worst case of transporting a problem to all parts of the country that we have ever had. These termites can eat a house in no time at all and we have no good control against them, so tell your friends that own homes to avoid cheap mulch and know were it came from.

Comments from Barbara Thorne, termite expert at the University of Maryland:

I would not worry too much until some clear examples of this emerge. Only mulch that has sat still for a while will become termite infested. In the case of New Orleans, from what I understand, wood has been chipped and then moved out fairly quickly to make room for more. The higher risk is movement of construction debris and tree stumps, but I just talked to a termite expert from New Orleans last week, and he said they are moving such stuff (mostly) to massive dump sites relatively locally.
In short, lots of scenarios could play out here, and in about 2-3 months I think we'll have a good read on possible progressions, but the termite experts I've talked to so far are not overly worried.

Comments from Michael Merchant, Urban Entomologist Texas Cooperative Extension:

I have just conducted a little research today on the subject of this email in response to some media requests. I spoke with Louisiana termite researcher Dr. Gregg Henderson, Louisiana State University, and he informed me that there is indeed a quarantine on all wood waste from hurricane devastated areas of southern Louisiana. The quarantine specifically addresses the concern about Formosan termite-infested wood products being shipped to new areas. The state is currently debating how or whether large quantities of wood material can be treated prior to shipping to overflow landfills in Mississippi that do not currently have Formosans. However, the bottom line is that Louisiana neither encourages nor condones the sale of wood waste in mulch from the hurricane damaged areas.

If anyone is chipping, bagging and selling mulch from southern LA it is being done under the radar and illegally. The same would be true for Texas where there are also large quantities of wood from Hurricane Rita-affected areas that also have Formosan termites.

Part of the email message circulating around the Internet is accurate at least the part about Formosan termites being found in damaged trees and the POTENTIAL for Formosans to be transported in wood mulch. However, the mulching process is highly destructive to termites and the likelihood is low of transporting a viable mini-colony of Formosans in this manner. Having said that, Formosan termites have been known to be shipped in this manner at least once.

The essence of this email is a hoax, in my opinion. I believe it very unlikely that the large retailers mentioned would be buying and distributing termites from illegal sources. A far greater, and better documented risk is the sale and distribution of recycled railroad ties.

Railroad ties are commonly sold throughout the south for use as landscape timbers. Unfortunately, despite their creosote treatment, Formosan termites can easily inhabit the center (untreated) areas of railroad ties. Texas recently enacted a quarantine for this type of wood coming from Formosan-infested areas; however we are still in the process of developing enforcement protocols and I am unaware of whether inspections and stop-sale orders have yet to be enacted.

Despite the fact that I consider risks of Formosan termite infestations in mulches to be low, I am recommending that consumers be alert to the presence of termites in bagged or bulk mulches. If you open a bag and find it infested with termites you might consider resealing the bag and placing it in a larger black plastic garbage bag and exposing it to the hot sun for several days. Raising mulch temperatures to 120 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour or more is generally sufficient to kill all insect life.

Another way to ensure that you don’t introduce unwanted termites into your landscape is to purchase garden mulch from a reliable, local source. Many municipalities now produce and sell mulches produced from city yard trimmings and landscape waste. This should be a safe source for mulch and is a great way to close the circle and encourage recycling of a valuable resource that would otherwise end up in a landfill."

Gerald G. Giordano
Senior Horticulture Consultant
Extension Community Educator
CCE Westchester Hort Team.

Find out more about beautiful Westchester County on the County Home Page.

For more information please e-mail westchester@cornell.edu

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