Of Termites, Mud Tunnels and the Need for the PMPs to Reconsider The Basics

Numerous termites mud tunnels criss-crossing the wall of a new villa

Details of the mud tunnel imprints on the wall behind a heavily damaged cabinet

Mud tunnel emerging from the corner of the door frame and air con vent

Emerging from a cable outlet plate

Mud tunnels and termites infestation also present on the the wooden baseboards 

After the Eid Holidays, I was requested by property owners and by our PMP partners for technical support to conduct inspection and assessment of grandiose, newly built properties. These costly properties exhibited active termite infestation and were affected by sporadic termite damage. Mud tunnels, live termites and damaged wooden components litter the inner scape of the property, much to the dismay of the property owner. In one conversation, the property owner confided "we had this property treated for termites during its construction, this property is just a few years old, we have been cheated by the company." Thus, the adage, PREVENTION is Better than CURE, but in relation to these technical support visits, I would like to say that "the post operative procedures will be more traumatic than the initial operation itself." To rectify the extensive termite damage will be costly.     

Thanks for your support and careful attention. 

If you need Pest Management Training, Technical Field Support, On-Line and On-Site Consultancy, please feel free to send me an email: odelon.reyes@gmail.com

The Desert Tree (A Poem of Appreciation and Inspiration)

The Desert Tree

The desert tree,

Standing tall daily.

Facing the rays of the sun,

Enduring the blows of the wind,

Awaiting the fall of the rain,

Resisting the onslaught of marauding termites,

Welcoming the arrival of nesting birds,

Providing shade to the tired explorer.

The desert tree, 

Standing tall daily.

(a poem of appreciation and inspiration)

Awesome creation! Awesome CREATOR!  

 

A Rainy Summer Day Hike at the Al Shawkha Trail, Ras Al Khaimah

 

Thick, dark clouds blanketing the Al Hajjar mountain trail sky

The sunrise was not visible on the mountain trail 

Varying degrees of gray and blue enveloped the rolling mountains of Al Hajjar

Light beams piercing the darkness 

Rolling thunder, rain shower, gusty wind while hiking. Magnificent!

 A sampler of the strong gust of wind on top of the mountain trail

Truly awesome! Thick clouds, thunderstorm, strong gust winds and RAIN: the weekend weather forecast for the Shawkha Trail, RAK. The intensifying summer conditions has prohibited me from going up the trail for the past months. The news of summer rain is such a welcome relief! It quickly led me to prepare my gear! I will never miss this chance to be drenched in summer rain, fill my ears with the intense sound of the mountain wind and the roaring thunder, and march in my boots on the wet mountain rocks, sand and soil.

No wildlife photographs today just the magnificence of the scenery of my rainy day mountain hike. 

Awesome creation! Awesome CREATOR!

The heavens declare the glory of God. The skies above proclaim His handiwork (Psalm 19:1, ESV)    

An Encounter with the Eurasian Hoopoe at the Dubai Creek Park

 

The Hoopoe is also called the Hudhud

The Hoopoe displays a distinct crown of feathers 

Notice the distinct black and white zebra pattern on its wings

The long, downward curve bill is mainly use for foraging

The Hoopoe is a solitary forager which feeds directly on the ground

Striding on the park grounds in search for food

Morning has broken, the sun was beginning to fill the sky with its radiance, the grass was still moist on the grounds of the Dubai Creek Park but the birds were already out-and-about. High upon the tree branches you could hear the chirping and squawking of different bird species. It was not the chirping and squawking birds that caught my attention during this expedition, but it was the awesome solitary forager, with its grandiose crest and zebra stripes, the Hoopoe or Hudhud.          

The Eurasian Hoopoe Bird or Hudhud (Upupa epops)

The hoopoe got its name from the sound of the cry of the bird. 

The Eurasian Hoopoe is pinkish-brown in color, with striking black and white, zebra pattern wings, a long, down- curved beak or bill and a long pinkish-brown crest with dark brown markings.  This grandiose crest is raised when the bird is excited. 

Distribution of the Eurasian Hoopoe 

This majestic bird is found in Europe, Asia, North Africa, Northern Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East.  \

Biodynamics Notes

Hoopoes or Hudhuds are solitary foragers and feeds directly on open ground. It strides thru open ground and probes the ground with its long, down curved bill. Insect larvae and pupae are detected by their bill which can be directly extracted or dug further from the soil with the aid of its strong feet. They can also locate insects on the surface of piles of leaves, on stones and the bark of trees.  

The Hoopoes can scoop insects and beat them on hard, rough surfaces to remove the undigestible parts like wings, legs and other insect parts. 

There diet is composed mainly of insects, small reptiles and frogs, and sometimes seeds and berries. 

Hoopoes are monogamous, with this bond lasting only for a breeding season. The female bird stays with the eggs inside their tree hole nest while the male forages for food. The brooding female produces a foul smelling secretion that resembles rotting meat which deters predators. (Stinky nest defense mechanism).

The males are territorial. They are observed to stab rival birds with their long bills. They can joust in mid-air which may result in the blinding of their opponent. (That is some serious rivalry!) 

These majestic birds are truly awesome! 

Awesome creatures! Awesome CREATOR! 

(This feature on the magnificent Hoopoe bird is specially dedicated to my lovely, graceful, smart and ever supportive collaborator and daughter, Odette, who is celebrating her birthday on July 12th. Happy happy birthday awesome young lady!) 

A Carpenter Bee Encounter at the Warzan Desert in Dubai

Its another busy day for the Carpenter Bee 

Truly engaged with the flower of the Sodom's Apple

The wonderful burst of desert blooms available for the Carpenter Bee

Look at the yellow thoracic overlay on this Carpenter Bee

The yellow pubescence on its thorax is characteristic for Xylocopa pubescens

Busy...Busy... Busy as a Bee (Carpenter Bee that is)

On my early morning expedition on a patch of desert in Warzan, Dubai, I was fascinated by the hovering, circling, landing and flight of  two species of Carpenter bees, the black Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa spp.) and the Canary Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa pubescens) on the blossoms of the Sodom Apple (Calotropis procera). These large bees tend to circle around the Sodom Apple before it lands, it will gather nectar for just a few seconds and then fly and circle again on the plant. I have to patiently wait and stay still, minimize my movement, wait for the bees to land on the blossoms and utilized those precious seconds to capture the "bee moment". 

The Black Carpenter Bees, Xylocopa spp, and Canary Carpenter Bees, Xylocopa pubescens (APIDAE)

The Black Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa spp.) are large and robust bees, with a shiny black, metallic sheen. Its thorax is covered with black hair and the dorsal side of its abdomen is glossy and bare. Females have a black head while the males have a white marking on its head and a dense bunch of hair on its hind legs. Their wings are shiny black. Females can grow up to 40mm. 

The Canary Carpenter Bees, Xylocopa pubescens are also large and robust bees. The females can grow up to 25mm and the males up to 18mm. The females have mainly black abdomen and the thorax is covered with a yellow hair. The males are more covered in yellow hair. Females have black compound eyes while the males have greehish-yellow eyes. Wings of females are shiny black and the male wings are speckled and lighter in color.  

Distribution of Carpenter Bees

The genus Xylocopa is distributed worldwide and there are around 500 species reported.

The Canary Carpenter Bees  are found in the Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa, South Asia, Spain and Greece in Europe and on the Middle East. The species tend to inhabit warm areas as it requires a minimum temperature of 18°C.

Biodynamics Notes

The Carpenter Bees got its name due to its nesting behavior, where all species burrow into wood,  bamboo or any hard plant materials. The fertilized females bore into the wood, excavates a tunnel to lay eggs. They do not eat wood. During nest construction, they discard the pieces of wood or re-use these pieces to make partitions for their cells. 

Carpenter bees are mainly solitary species. They do not live in large colonies like the honey bees and bumble bees. However, they tend to be gregarious and several nests are often located near each other. 

Carpenter bees are not as destructive to wood as termites, they cause only cosmetic and little damage. The female excavates new tunnels in wood for egg-laying or she enlarges or re-uses old nest. (Female resourcefulness at its best). It drills parallel galleries in dry wood, dead trees, wooden doors and windows of abandoned houses. It builds nesting cells by combining wood pulp with its saliva. Significant damage can occur when the same piece of wood are targeted year after year. Holes on the wood surface can trigger moisture intrusion which can result to wood rot and decay.  In the UAE, they are mainly observed outdoors, constructing their nests in Sodom Apple, Acacia trees and on date palms. 

The Carpenter Bees may be large, distracting, and the loud buzzing sound is quite disturbing but take note that the males are harmless and they do not have a stinger. The females are capable of stinging but are very docile and will not sting unless directly handled or provoked. 

These robust bees have short mouth parts and are major pollinators of numerous flowering plants.

So dear PMPs if they are not a direct threat to you and to your customers, please DO NOT KILL THESE BEES! Kindly allow them to pollinate the beautiful flowers and gather the needed nectar.

Observing these robust bees as they forage on the Sodom Apples blossoms in the warmth of the desert sun was quite an awesome treat. 

Awesome creatures! Awesome CREATOR! 

Thanks for your support and careful attention. 

If you need Pest Management Training, Technical Field Support, On-Line and On-Site Consultancy, please feel free to send me an email: odelon.reyes@gmail.com

A Robber Fly (ASILIDAE) Encounter at the Maleha Desert Trail in Sharjah

A Robber Fly in the desert sand awaiting for its chance to pounce

The grayish-white color and the large pair of eyes allowed me to spot it on the reddish-brown sand 

Land. Search. Target Locked. Take off.

The sun is up and it is beginning to get scorching hot outdoors. Heading back to the drop-off point, I observed a large grayish-white fly, resting on the reddish-brown desert sand.  A Robber Fly landed just a few feet from my path! It is my first time to encounter a grayish-white Asilid in the desert. You can feel excitement heating up as I am focusing for a shot. 

Robber Flies (ASILIDAE)

Robber flies are robust, powerful dipterans with sharp eyes, strong spiny legs, quick reflexes and agile flight capability. These true flies are fierce predators of other insects. They got their name from their behavior of pouncing on unsuspected insect victims. Literally "robbing the insects of their lives"! This is done while the insect prey is in-flight!

There are 7000 species reported to belong to the family ASILIDAE worldwide. 

Biodynamics Notes

Robber flies wait on the ground, sand, stones and on branches of vegetation and scan their environment for potential prey. If an insect flies within its vicinity, it will reposition itself, assessed the situation and decides to lock or not on the target and attack. Once locked on its target, it takes off and pounces on the victim, grabs it with its powerful and spiny legs, lands on the ground or unto a branch, and then it pierces the victim with its sharp mouthparts. It then injects a venom which immobilizes the insect, which will start to digest the bodily fluids of the insect and allow the fly to suck-up its prey. (This is what you call intense predatory action)

Robber Flies pounce and attack: beetles, grasshoppers, butterflies, moths, other flies, spiders and even dragonflies.  

By the way, Robber Flies are also called ASSASSIN FLIES!     

Awesome creatures! Awesome CREATOR!