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general

Why do Carpenter Bees drill perfect holes?

Carpenter Bees are known for drilling perfect holes. Carpenter bees do not build beehives in order to lay their eggs, instead they drill holes in wood and choose to deposit their unhatched eggs there. They tend to drill perfectly round approximately 1/4-1/2 inch holes in their favorite woods like redwood, cedar, pine and cypress. They also have been known to build their nests in wooden frames, usually door frames and window frames, rafters, siding, porch ceilings and the eaves of houses. Carpenter bees do not eat the wood, instead they drill holes for nests to lay their eggs and to provide shelter for their young. Although they are often drawn to most types of wood, they have a natural attraction to wood that is raw and unpainted. The fact that the wood is unpainted draws the carpenter bees because in order to drill the best hole, they need to drill against the grain of the wood. They also prefer wood that is at least 2 inches thick. A thin piece of wood would not allow them to obtain the perfect results needed to build a good nest.

Once the carpenter bee drills holes that are approximately 1 inch deep, they then make a right-angled turn and continue their drilling with the grain of the wood. Since carpenter bees do not have teeth, they use mandibles that they use like teeth to tear away at the wood in circular patterns. This allows them to drill perfect holes which are sometimes several feet long and containing multiple chambers for eggs, all leading off of the main tunnel path. The length of the carpenter bee holes could be impacted by the fact they tend to reuse the same hole multiple times for several batches of eggs.

Carpenter bee holes are about the diameter of a finger which allows easy access in and out for bees but also keeps larger predators out. One of the first signs of a carpenter bee nest being nearby is the evidence of very fine sawdust either outside or beneath the hole as well as the presence of several bees lurking around in the area. These lurkers are guarding and protecting their nests and are prepared to battle with any other species that tries to take over and invade their habitat. After all, building perfectly round holes in wood for nests takes both skill and a lot of time.

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Categories
fleas insects

Why are two applications good for controlling fleas?

There are many products presently available on the market for flea control. Everything from sprays, to chalky powders, collars worn on the animal, smelly shampoos and baths. If you search the internet you will also find advice on home remedies, methods your ancestors used, and some methods that sound like the concoctions of witch doctors. Flea control has modernized, and by demand the array of forces to control these pests available to consumers is incredible. Many of these OTC products are not equipped to handle infestations. For infestations the most popular or recommended modern methods of flea control are utilized through professional services rendered by pest control companies, and administering medications to your animal either topically or orally for additional control as well as prevention.
Fleas are a common insect-parasite that are not only an itchy inconvenience, they are also a disease risk for you and your pet. Animals can develop dermatitis, anemia, and parasites known as the tapeworm. Your first servicing or treatment against these bugs are an important step to eliminating them. However, the first treatment will not usually rid the infestation completely. A second treatment is key to most infestations, and considerably one of the most necessary defenses against these nuisances. Let me explain why this second treatment is so important. Fleas not only visit your pet, they also reside in your carpets, rugs, and upholstered furniture. Fleas are first introduced to your pet typically through the outdoors. Fleas prefer warm and moist conditions with temperatures which within the range of 70 degrees or higher. Once a flea jumps on its host, it will bite for a nice blood meal, and begins to reproduce.
The life cycle of a flea has started. Adult female fleas lay eggs once the female has fed on its host. It only takes one meal. One single adult female will then lay 25-50 eggs each day. These little white eggs which can resemble salt, are actually quite slippery unlike lice, some eggs may remain in the coat but typically most eggs usually fall off the host. The eggs fall from the coat into the environment, and will later hatch in a few days on your favorite rug or lawn. These larvae can grow into adults rapidly in as little as five days, and up to a month. These adults will then jump onto the host to mate and feed, and the cycle continues leading to more and more fleas. Adults represent just 5% of the flea infestation, and the eggs represent 50%. The life cycle of a flea is typically 18-28 days in favorable conditions.
The best way protection for your household against the flea is professional servicing of your home. Your flea control efforts should be implemented in a way that targets the entire life cycle because your first treatment is only a mild defense. The first treatment will eliminate the adults, but does not treat the eggs. It is important to have at least a second treatment that your pest control specialist will schedule to target the larvae. Sometimes additional services beyond the second treatment may be necessary, you should evaluate the need for continued pesticide after your second treatment with your pest control specialist.

W.J. Arnold. © 2016

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Thisi work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://wjarnold.carbonmade.com/.

Categories
general

What is quarterly service?

Quarterly service is designed to maintain a pest free environment. It is a standing service, available to the client, that will keep all pest infestation at bay. While each pest infestation is unique, a quarterly service will provide customers with the peace of mind that pests have been terminated and the chance of a new infestation taking place is minimal because of reoccurring service from a well established and extremely knowledgeable and reputable company. It is a piece of mind that can only be provided by a consummate professional.

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Categories
bees insects

What can you use to keep carpenter Bees Away?

The Carpenter bee – Xylocopa violecea are natural professional woodcutters that are prevalent throughout North America in the United States. Although there are many species of the Carpenter bee, one of the most common is big and resembles the familiar bumblebee. In order to keep Carpenter Bees away, it’s important to understand how they operate. The carpenter bee is a pollinator, that forages around flowers and shrubs, under the eaves of buildings, and makes a loud buzzing sound. This bee though it looks like a bumble bee, can be quite destructive because it will bore into wood to make a nice home for itself, causing damage to the wood on your property. They appear aggressive, harassing or attacking people, however, they rarely sting unless they are female.

Carpenter bees burrow in your property most often through cracks in your walls, however, they do bore holes into any suitable wood for nesting by drilling holes which are approximately on average ½” wide. They will drill chambers from there which become their nest. The female bee will sting when defending her nest. Carpenter bees can be difficult to eradicate because the bees will often return to the wood location where they were born.

Focusing on prevention is the first step in eradicating these pesky bees. Carpenter bees generally prefer untreated or soft wood, so treating the wood outside your house may be a good idea. Painting the wood is also a good way to prevent carpenter bees as they like woods that are unfinished or weathered. Painting those untreated surfaces and filling in any areas that have holes or cracks with caulk is a good step to deter carpenter bees, and will keep them from making their homes in the wood.

Next, you may want to consider treating the wood with sprays that are designed to repel the carpenter bees. There are many different brands and types of sprays which effectively repel carpenter bees. Outlast NBS 30 Additive is an effective low toxic option which is formulated to help deter Carpenter bees from borrowing into your wood. It is also understood that Carpenter bees don’t like citronella. You can also make your own repellent with citronella oil, and lavender oil, jojoba oil, and tea tree oils. Spraying that mixture on the areas of the house or garden that needs repelling.

If you are wondering what sprays kill carpenter bees, there are plenty of options, and many wasp or hornet sprays will work against Carpenter bees also. You can spray these directly on the bee. Or these sprays can be sprayed into the holes where their nests are. You will want to seal the holes immediately with caulk if you are spraying the nests, and nighttime would likely be the best time for this option. W.J. Arnold. © 2016

https://my.carbonmade.com/portfolio/projects/6040653

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://wjarnold.carbonmade.com/.

Categories
insects termites

Why are stoops, a dirt filled porch, ideal for termite infestation?

Termites are small insects which are harmful for humans in many ways. These termites can eat the wooden furniture in homes and lead to damage. These termites eat clothes and make holes in them. These termites can bit on the skin of humans and lead to pain and infection. There are many types of termites and they are spreading in large numbers.

Spreading places

Termites are mainly spreading due to dirty places. Dirty places have all the required items for termites to grow. They get their food from dirt and grow in huge numbers with the passage of time. They start to spread and make their lines on walls and continue to spread to different places. You can see large bulks of termites which have many types of termites in them. Some types have wings and these fly when the shelter is removed. Some types are not having wings but these types move faster and find another shelter for safety.

Elimination of termites

It is important to use protective measures so that termites could be eliminated. Different types of sprays are available in the market which can be used for elimination of termites. Many types of sprays which can kill insects are also effective for killing termites. These sprays are quick in action and kill the termites on the spot. However these are not killing the whole colony and area of termites.

It is important to use such chemicals in sprays which can kill the termites slowly. When a slow killing spray is used for elimination of termites then the poison will be taken to the whole colony by some termites. As a result the entire colony will be infected with the poison and eliminated in a short time period. You can select such slow killing poisons to be used in sprays so that termites can be eliminated.

Termites can be eliminated by using sprays which will fill the soil. You can use these chemicals and mix them as per directions and make small canal around the walls. Then you can fill the canals with chemicals to make sure that termites could be resisted. When your home is covered with a protective layer of chemicals then termites will find it hard to get entry.

If any types of termites get entry in the home then you can use sprays on them to eliminate them. Slow killing chemicals are good for elimination of termites as these will spread the poison in the whole colony and kill it in a short time period.

Copyright © 2016  A6HH5DPZUU5WM CC-BY-SA-4.0

Categories
insects mosquitos

Which pest is considered the world’s deadliest animal and why?

The Mosquito: Nature’s Assassin

Ask anyone what the world’s deadliest animal is, and you’re bound to get replies ranging from the merely uninformed to the downright ludicrous. The rogue’s gallery typically consists of the usual suspects such as various types of snakes and spiders, as well as sharks and jellyfish, with many suggesting (and not wrongly so) that, indeed, Mankind is the deadliest animal to roam this green planet of ours. After all, are we not the ones who wage wars and plant bombs?

 

But the abovementioned transgressors do not form the subject of this article. No, the notorious star of our show is a much more insidious specimen altogether. One that is responsible for more deaths than any other animal, an estimated 1 million people every year.

I am talking, of course, about the mosquito and, if the abovementioned figure seems ludicrous to you, consider that mosquitos spread a host of deadly diseases including malaria, dengue fever and yellow fever.

 

Mosquitoes came into the spotlight again recently with the outbreak of the dreaded Zika virus – a pathogen that has been linked to microcephaly in babies – in Brazil, causing global panic.

 

A contributing factor with regards to the high mortality rate associated with mosquito-borne diseases, is the fact that outbreaks often occur in developing regions with poor sanitation and limited access to healthcare. For example, sub-Saharan Africa currently has the highest malaria fatality rate (some 90%) with countries like Mozambique, Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast being known for the presence of malaria mosquitos. The humid, wet conditions in these countries – as well as the prevalence of bodies of stagnant water – make for the perfect breeding conditions for malaria mosquitos. The symptoms of malaria are flu-like in nature and include headache, fever and chills. Organizations like Malaria No More are working toward bringing about the end of death caused by malaria.

 

Even in malaria-free areas, mosquitos are considered pests, their bites (or, more accurately, the antigens in their saliva) resulting in red, swollen, maddeningly itchy and often painful bumps on one’s skin. Many a sleepless night during the summer months can be attributed to this irritating nocturnal visitor.

There are many different ways – with varying degrees of efficacy – of keeping mosquitos at bay. From creams and aerosols to citronella-scented candles and electronic plug-in devices, many companies have made it their mission to help people ward off these pesky parasites. However, in regions affected by malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases, it is imperative that the proper prophylactics are taken prior to visiting the areas so affected.

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Categories
insects mosquitos

What Texans Need To Know About The Zika Virus

According to the CDC[1], as of June 22nd of 2016, US States have reported up to 820 cases of infection by the Zika virus including 42 for Texas alone. If you still don’t know, Zika is a virus that spreads via bites of infected mosquitoes, specifically the Aedes mosquito, to humans, though an infected person can also pass it on sexually. It can trigger Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults and, most heartbreakingly, it can cause severe fetal brain defects leading to microcephaly if contracted during pregnancy.

Fortunately, all of the cases reported so far for the States fall under the ‘Travel-Associated’ category and none have been reported as ‘Locally-Acquired’. But, there are signs of looming trouble ahead. With unusually warm weather and alarming rate of spread of the Zika virus, it is only a question of when and not if Zika carrying mosquitoes will invade the States. Both NASA[2] and CDC[3] have released maps showing this to happen as soon as July this year:

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Figure 1: Zika Risk Assessment map by NASA

        So, how can we protect ourselves from this impending invasion? By listening to and acting upon the advice by CDC[4] as it is actively monitoring the situation. According to the CDC, the first order of protection is to prevent oneself from mosquito bites by:

  • wearing full-coverage clothing preferably treated with permethrin
  • staying indoors unless necessary to go outside especially during early morning and evening
  • using Screens and Mosquito Netting to prevent mosquitoes entering the house
  • using EPA-registered insect repellents and pesticides such as DEET, Picaridin and IR3535
  • drying out pools of stagnant and/or dirty water or covering the top with oil
  • keeping pools and household reservoirs of fresh water covered as Aedes mosquitoes breed in freshwater
  • getting professional pest control to help identify and rectify often overlooked areas

If, God forbid, one is infected with Zika[5], one should be on the lookout for common symptoms including fever, rash, joint pain and/or conjunctivitis and should consult a doctor immediately and follow the doctor’s advice. Usually, the illness is mild and might resolve in a week, but, vulnerable people with compromised immune systems and pregnant women should take special care including postponing traveling to areas known to harbour the Aedes mosquito.

Therefore, only with constant vigilance and constant effort we can protect ourselves, our loved ones and our communities from this horrible menace. May God bless us and spare us all!

Copyright © 2016  A3GR31WPP4NY8Z CC-BY-SA-4.0

[1] http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/united-states.html retrieved on 28th June, 2016

[5] https://www.cdc.gov/zika/symptoms/index.html retrieved on 28th June, 2016

Categories
devices insects

What is an insect Monitor and what is it good for?

Well, if you are like me, you want to live in your home with the added insurance of having no bugs. You also don’t want to have visitors and have the embarrassing moment of seeing a bug or bugs. Whether those bugs are crawling around on the floor or flying around your house on a sunny day. As a homeowner, pest control is high on my list of priorities. My family has a love of lying on the floor with big pillows for movie nights instead of expensive family outings to the movies. And I promise you, nothing can ruin a movie night like a bug crawling across the floor to see what’s the movie of the night. Or to get a few kernels of that delicious butter popcorn. Who wants that? No one I presume.

This brings me to the reason for this article. In order to prevent this bug or any bug from ruining your family movie night, calling your local pest control company to place insect monitors is the best option.  I venture to say one of the major defenses against bug crashers.

What are insect monitors you ask?

Well, insect monitors span a large scale of complexity. They can be very technological or they can also be as simple as traps for example. A glue trap would be an example of an insect monitor or traps that are placed in an attic for those visitors that refuse to live outside the home.

Now let’s talk about what they are good for. As mentioned before, there are bugs looking to crash your family movie night or your family barbeque. Insect monitors are good to prevent bugs from entering your home.  Or if they, meaning the bugs, have made it into the home, the insect monitor will eliminate those bugs and further prevent any new population that may try to form. How important is that? That question is sarcastic of course. Every homeowner would love to have a home free of insects.

Why call your local pest control company?

Because they are the professional. They know the right spots to place the monitors. They also know best which monitors meet your home’s individual needs. Don’t bring a bat to a gunfight! Protect your home from the movie watching, popcorn eating bugs! Call your local pest control company and start the protection process now.

Copyright © 2016 ANR1T6OEYJ3W2 CC-BY-SA-4.0

Categories
fly insects

What is a filth fly (diptera) and what kind of habitat does it prefer?

Filth flies is a generic name for various species of flies that live on decomposing material. The kinds of flies that make up filth flies are subject to interpretation; I decided to go for a broader definition of the term, that includes medium size species like the house fly to large species such as soldier flies.
Like their more distant relatives, the mosquitoes, filth flies may live around people and cause harm.  Filth fly is a generic term for various species of fly, large or medium-sized. Their larvae look like worms and are called maggots. The most common is the house fly, (Musca domestica), gray with a lined thorax and red eyes. Blow flies and bottle flies are larger, with metallic blue and green colors. Their larvae usually live on dead animal tissue, such as carrion, roadkill, near  plants which process meat products. Adults prefer sugary food sources, but they still come in touch with dead animals where they lay their eggs. Soldier flies are large flies with black wings and “elbowed” antennae. Their larvae, or maggots, and pupae are over one inch long, dark brown and flattened. Flesh flies look a bit like the house flies, with stripes on their thorax, but they are larger and may have a checkerboard pattern on their abdomen. In some species the tip of the abdomen is red. Flesh flies usually lay their eggs on dead animals or dog waste, but their name comes from their habit of laying their larvae in open wounds. The female does not lay eggs, but keeps them inside the body. When it finds a suitable food source, it deposits the maggots, which soon burrow under the surface of the carcass or other feeding material.

Filth flies are to be found worldwide. They are to be found anywhere they may find their favorite food sources, which are all sorts of decaying and decomposing matter: plant or animal waste (such as manure), garbage, carrion, sludge, all organic debris or rotting material. They are more present in rural areas than in urban areas, especially near farms, slaughterhouses and meat-processing units. Adult flies do not consume solid food, but instead lick all sorts of liquids, spreading their saliva and vomit wherever they may go. Also, they eat relatively much and defecate a lot.  They may carry diseases to human food sources and preparation areas and contaminate them.  Food sources for them and their larvae may be infested with pathogens. Filth flies are known to carry germs for over one hundred diseases, such as hepatitis, polio, dysentery, typhoid, cholera, anthrax, tuberculosis and others. Among the germs they carry are Salmonella, E. coli, Giardia, and  eggs of parasitic worms such as the roundworm Ascaris, whipworm, hookworm, dwarf tapeworm and pinworm.

In order to get rid of filth flies one must, first of all, eliminate their food sources from the environment (such as pet feces) or access to trash or dead animals. Secondly, access to human habitation must be restricted. Still, flies may travel miles and still are able to get inside buildings alongside humans or through cracks and holes.  Therefore, we may need pest control measures.

Copyright © 2016  A2KF6VIT1OQA9Z CC-BY-SA-4.0

Categories
insects mosquitos

What can you do to protect yourself against the Zika virus?

Protecting yourself from the Zika virus

 

What is the Zika virus?

 

The Zika virus is a kind of disease bringing virus that is similar to dengue and chikungunya viruses, and likewise as these other viruses it is mostly and principally spread by certain species of mosquitoes when they bite you. Although Zika is a disease with mild symptoms that usually last for only a few days, like a rash in certain parts of your body, a relatively mild fever, some joint pain, and maybe conjunctivitis (red eyes), and it is even also possible to have been infected and not present any of these symptoms, yet the real danger of this disease presents itself when a pregnant woman gets infected, as a connection has been found between Zika infected pregnant women and microcephaly (smaller than normal brain size) in their newborns. Zika, unlike other mosquito borne viruses, can apparently also be transmitted through sexual contact between a Zika infected man and his female partner.

 

How do you prevent getting infected with Zika?

 

Since the main transmission methods are mosquitoes, and also since there are no known vaccines to the virus, the way to protect yourself from getting infected with the Zika virus is to avoid getting bit by mosquitoes in general, specially if you are living or staying within an area that is known to have ongoing Zika infections. There are a few well known strategies and methods to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes, and they can be combined in order to achieve maximum success at avoiding bites. The first and simplest method is to wear long sleeved shirts and long pants while outdoors or while in areas where mosquitoes thrive. Also by staying in air conditioned areas, or rooms protected with mosquito screens on all windows and doors, most mosquito bites can be avoided. If you are sleeping outdoors or in a place without proper mosquito screening then sleeping under a mosquito netting will be your best option. If this isn’t possible, or while staying outdoors, then you should be using some form of approved mosquito repellant on your clothes and exposed skin areas or also on the bed sheets if possible. Buying and using permethrin (which is an effective kind of insecticide against mosquitoes) treated clothing and other gear may also be something to consider, or maybe treating clothes and gear yourself with permethrin.

 

Taking steps to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in or close to your home is also a way to prevent Zika and other mosquito borne infections. Eliminating stagnant pools of water, or getting rid of places or objects where rain water could be pooling and where mosquitoes could be breeding, for example, is a smart move. Any other steps taken to control mosquito populations in and around your house would be advisable as well, and a quick web search will show you quite a few ways to help you on that issue.

 

Another thing to avoid getting infected with Zika virus in the case of sexual intercourse with a man that has been infected by Zika virus in the previous few weeks, is to use a condom in any case of vaginal, anal or oral sex with them.

 

Something that smart and responsible people should do if infected with Zika virus, is to also avoid being bitten by mosquitoes for a few weeks after the infection onset in order to avoid infecting other mosquitoes with the virus and in this way helping to avoid the spread of the disease.

 

Daniel Barsa

This document is licensed for commercial use with modification.