IPM Manual for Structural Pests in British Columbia
Glossary
Abdomen - The body of an adult insect is divided into three segments. The abdomen is the
third, or tail end, segment. The reproductive organs are in this segment.
Action Level - When a particular pest control treatment should be applied to keep a pest population from reaching intolerable or damaging numbers.
Aggregation Behaviour - Some insects prefer to aggregate or collect in areas where there are others of
the same species. Pest managers take advantage of this behaviour by placing
baits or traps where the pests are most concentrated.
Anticoagulant - A compound that prevents blood from clotting. An animal poisoned with an
anticoagulant bleeds internally and usually dies.
Biological Control - The use of natural enemies such as predators, parasites or disease organisms to suppress populations of pests.
Broadcast Spray - An application of a pesticide over an entire area.
Broad Spectrum Pesticide - A pesticide that will kill a wide range of pests; the opposite of a selective pesticide.
Crack and Crevice Treatment - The application of a pesticide to only the cracks and crevices of a building.
Cuticle - In insects, this refers to greasy or waxy, waterproof layer coating the hard, outer skeleton.
Dessicating - Drying or dehydrating. Desiccant dusts cause insects to dry up and die.
Foragers - Usually the older members of an ant or termite colony who travel out of the next to gather food.
Frass - Insect excrement or castings, including chewed wood and other debris.
Injury Level - The unacceptable level of injury or damage from a particular pest population.
Insect Growth Regulators - Insect hormones, or their synthetic versions, that control the development
process in insects. The two main types are juvenile hormone analogs and chitin
inhibitors.
Juvenile Hormone - A hormone that enables an immature insect to develop normally into an adult. An
immature insect will not develop properly if exposed to synthetic juvenile
hormones as happens when they are used as a pesticide. See Insect Growth
Regulators.
Larva (plural: larvae) - The immature stage in the life cycle of any insect, after it hatches from the
egg. Common insect larvae are fly maggots, beetle grubs and caterpillars.
Microbial Control - The use of fungi, bacteria or other disease organisms as a treatment to suppress pest populations.
Microencapsulated Pesticides - The pesticide active ingredients are contained in a microscopic polyurea shell.
The shell extends the life of the pesticide by slowing the rate at which the
pesticide vapours escape to the air.
Nematode - A class of worms, sometimes called threadworms. Nematodes used in biological
control are microscopic. They enter insects through the mouth or spiracles and
feed inside, usually causing the host to die.
Nymph - The immature stage in the life cycle of an insect, after it hatches from the egg (see larva). This term is usually used used for insects that do not have a pupa stage between the final larval stage and the adult stage (e.g., cockroaches, silverfish).
Parasite - An insect or other animal that lives in, or on, a larger animal by feeding on it. Some, such as parasitic wasps, kill the host in the process of development; others, such as fleas, may weaken the host, but do not usually kill it.
Perimeter Spray - A spray applied to the outside foundation of a structure to prevent pests from entering.
Pesticide Resistance - When a pest population is no longer affected by a pesticide it has become
resistant to that pesticide. This happens over several generations of exposure
to the same pesticide. All of the individuals most susceptible to the pesticide
are killed, leaving behind the pesticide tolerant individuals to breed.
Pheromone - A chemical compound secreted by insects to influence the behaviour or
communicate with others of the same species. Synthetic versions of these
pheromones, usually sex pheromones, are used as lures inside sticky traps to
detect the presence of particular species.
Predator - An insect or other animal that catches and feeds on smaller insects or other organisms. A predator usually must eat a number of prey to complete its development.
Pupa (plural: pupae) - The immobile stage of an insect life cycle, when the larvae changes to the adult
form. This change happens inside a leathery pupa case, which, in some species,
is further protected inside a silken cocoon.
Re-entry Time - The length of time that people must stay out of buildings or areas that have been treated with a pesticide.
Reproductive Potential - The maximum number of offspring a female can produce, if there were no natural enemies or diseases affecting them.
Sanitation - The act of cleaning in and around buildings and landscapes. For structural pests, sanitation measures remove food and water sources and breeding sites for pest populations.
Satellite Colonies (Nests) - Extensions of a main carpenter ant colony, where older larvae and pupae are
reared. Satellite colonies do not have a queen. Carpenter ant nests may have
several satellite colonies up to 200 m from the main colony.
Social Insects - Insects, such as ants, termites and bees, that live in colonies. They divide the labour in the nest so members have different functions, such as queens, workers or soldiers.
Space Spray - A pesticide that is applied as tiny droplets. The droplets float in the air in a localized space.
Spiracles - The breathing openings in the thorax and abdomen of insects.
Swarming - Mating behaviour in honey bees and some kinds of ants. Winged males and queens mate outside the colony and then the queens found a new colony.
Thorax - The body of an adult insect is divided into three segments. The thorax is the middle segment. The legs and wings (if present) are attached to this segment.
Volatilization - The chemical process of passing from a liquid state to a vapour or gas, such as when vapours are released from a liquid pesticide.
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