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fleas insects

Five strategies for Successful Flea Control

Pests are one of the major pain area in today’s household. Irrespective your house is an old one or new one you often get to see pests. They not only are dangerous but can really get you in trouble if they get access to food items. I am very particular about them and take proper care to ensure that my house is pest free. I have a contract with a pest control firm and they get to visit my house once in three months. There are few things which I like a lot about this company which I will share with you.

  1. They are very particular about their schedule. They are suppose to visit once in every three months and they are always there after making a call one day ahead of their visit. That gives us time to do necessary preparation to ensure that our life sails smooth when they do their job.
  2. They clean each and every corner of my house and upholstery. They know that the really reason for pests is dirt. These are the areas which we often miss while doing routine cleaning or dusting.
  3. They use a combination of traditional and new Biological control method where they use insecticides and also encourage harmless natural enemies to grow to control pests. Which means that they are not only killing the pests which are there but also ensuring that such pests do not multiply as rapidly as they are capable of.
  4. They choose the perfect pesticides which is the least toxic to children and easy to apply and clean. That gives us our peace of mind as we are sure that even if our kids come near to these pesticides they won’t get much harmed by them. They also ensure that they clean out everything before they leave for the day. They also use protective clothing and equipments during the entire process.
  5. They also train the house owner how to react to a situation when they get to see any kind of rodents and pests in house. That way we know how to get rid of the pests and what to do so that they do not multiply in numbers.
  6. They also dispose of the unused pesticides and empty pesticides containers when they leave.

This way we get a house which is free from pest as well as free from any kind of hassles. I am really happy with this pest control company and I have also recommended it to few of my friends and relatives.

Copyright © 2016 Nidhi Gulati CC-BY-SA-4.0

Categories
ants insects

How often should service be rendered to get Crazy Ants under control?

It is recommended that you service your property every 30 days to control these pests. In order to understand why this is necessary, let’s take a look at these crazy ants for a moment. The crazy ant, – Paratrechina longicornis, is a species of ant, that according to Entomologists is not native to the United States. Although it is not entirely known where it originally came from it is thought to have arrived in North America from Africa, Asia or the Carribean. These ants are named the crazy ant because of their characteristic erratic movements and behaviors. The crazy ant is a recognized pest common to the northeastern areas of the United States, as well as the southern states, and additional states out west such as Arizona and California. The crazy ant has also been spotted in Hawaii and Canada. Crazy ant adults are typically 2-3mm in size with longer legs than other ant species.

Crazy ants will feed on an assortment of things, and so they are known to be quite omnivorous. Crazy ants have been studied to eat just about anything, including garbage and composts, sweets to include fruit. They are attracted to grease, meat, plants, and liquids. Their favored environments include places like your trash, rotting trees, foliage, and soil. They nest in rotting wood, under large rocks or timbers.

The crazy ant doesn’t fly, but these pests are still able to reach new heights. The crazy ant has been found in high floors of taller buildings, as well as the lower floors. The crazy ants are also found in kitchens. These little insects are not just a nuisances, these ants can mean big trouble. An infestation can invade a building creating considerable damage. Additionally, these bugs are well known to short electrical units. They often will forage long distances from their nests, which makes eradicating infestations a little more challenging. The crazy ant workers carry food on their backs over long distances in order to feed the colony. These colonies are fairly moderate in size, with anywhere from 8-40 Queens usually residing in a single colony. Queens lay their eggs in the nest, that the worker ants will care for. Crazy ant life cycle is approximately 68-74 days. Crazy ants do not sting, but they will bite. This isn’t a concern beyond initial discomfort as most people only have a minor reaction to the bite. Less than 1% of the population will need medical attention from these bites.
If you have crazy ants, controlling them is necessary to prevent bigger problems from arising with these destructive pests. The crazy ant reproduces quickly making the job of eliminating them more of a challenge. Contacting your pest control specialist is the best-recommended option for treating your property for crazy ants. These ants aren’t attracted to the typical ant baits or red ant baits. Commercial products have been studied to have very little impact on crazy ants. After treatment by your pest control specialist, any crazy ants that survived will simply move their colony or start another. This is why treatment is recommended every 30 days because these ants often will return to re-invade, which is one of the great challenges for eradicating them.

W.J. Arnold. © 2016

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Categories
rodents

What is the efficacy of performing rodent control the same way all the time?

Rodent control methods’ effectiveness will vary with each job. Therefore, it is important not to get too comfortable with performing rodent control the same way each time. Each situation should be individually evaluated and managed.

Determining the rodent species, and adjusting the control methods based on that determination, is a good first place to start. Pest control management focuses on eliminating access to a pest’s food and water sources, their entry/exit routes, and their shelter or safe spaces. Knowing the pest species means you know the approximate size, diet, and shelter preferences of the rodents, all of which can help you select the most effective methods.

The physical layout of the affected building / home, as well as other physical factors, such as season, the recent weather, and the surrounding environment, should all play a factor into choosing control methods as well. What works well for a barn in the country in the summer might not work or a studio apartment in the city in the winter!

Finally, rodent species are known for being smart and agile. Using the same methods over and over again will condition the survivors — they will begin to recognize the various traps or baits, and they will avoid them. Changing up methods, locations, time of day — anything! — will help prevent the rodents from becoming too familiar with the control equipment you’re using. Keep them guessing, and at the same time, be patient as they investigate the new items in their environment. It may take several days or more before they become comfortable enough with the baits or the trap to actually engage it.

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Categories
bees insects

When should a beekeeper be called during insect control and why?

It is said that Bee stings are the largest killer of humans in the United States, and people of many age groups become victim of bee venom and every year not less than a 100 people die every month due to venom from various insects and bees. Apparently many do not take precautionary measures nor do they call the pest control for proper steps to clear off for safety. But one more important thing is to be kept in mind is to have a beekeeper around to manage and to properly guide as to how bees can be controlled. A beekeeper is a professional in Apiculture and even knows deep about many bees and their details as to how good their honey is and also about its venom and to know if it is deadly or is potential to take human life. If the bee which is to be controlled of a good breed and can be accumulated in a area to be bred in Apiculture methods it could be mutually beneficial to the person and to the beekeeper. When bees are disturbed they often become angry and can sting whatever comes near them so a beekeeper is very necessary to be around in order to properly guide which poison or as to how to distract the bees and control them in order to not destroy their existence nor get a sting in return.

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Categories
insects rodents schedules

Importance of regular pest control inspections

Controlling pests has always been a matter of paramount importance since the beginning of colonial life. People have always been keen to keep their home free from a variety of pests including roaches, spiders etc. There are a variety of reasons for this being an obsession. Aside from the damages done to properties and resources, pests also spread deadly diseases including the deadly malaria and any disease that has an insect as the vector. In a year more than 5000 people are hospitalized in USA alone following insect stings. Pests are the bane of human existence since the medieval times itself where the spread of plague were rampant. Pests contaminate everything including the groceries and kitchenwares which is not very easy to recognize and prevent.

This is where regular pest inspections come into play. By regularly inspecting our surrounding through professional help, we are saving ourselves from a lot of worry and suffering when the problems actually surface. As pests also degrade wood and timber, it also saves money as only a fraction  of the repair cost would be needed to prevent the pest problems than actually curing it.Inspections should be done either every six months or once a year. It is something most of the people overlook and considered a waste of money. As the old adage goes, prevention is better than cure

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Categories
hiding places insects rodents

In pest control what is a hot zone?

Hornets,Termites Carpenter Ants, Spiders, and Mice. These are just a few of the critters that are considered pests, and they all share some things in common. In trying to control pests there are “hot zones” in which these animals may thrive. Homes that are leaky, and have poor construction, would be an example as the animals may have an easy way to enter. So if you don’t want a squirrel or a Raccoon in your attack, make sure to have it sealed well. Often times pests love moisture and high humidity areas, because they’re fond of damp wood, you should check your pipes, roof and window sills for water leaks.This would be an example of a hot zone. Certain materials are pest Hot zones for example like cedar shingles and stucco, which animals can scale and birds can wiggle into Another example of a pest hot zone, is a building that is shared with other tenants. If you live in a multiunit building, any pest control measures you take individually will be ineffective in the long term simply because insects travel from one apartment to another. In many cases the entire building must be eliminated at one time to truly fix the problem.

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Categories
ants insects

The Basics of Ant Control

When going into battle it is important to know your enemies and ants are no different! As children you have seen these tiny creatures featured in your favorite cartoon or in a book carrying off your favorite picnic food, but in real life these nuisances are anything but cute.  Like they are cutely depicted, ants are social insects working together in a colony much like a platoon. To win the war you must kill the queen ant.

There are different types of ants. Carpenter ants unlike termites chew the wood to make homes but do not use the wood for a food source. Carpenter ants tend to lurk in humid locations with damp wood in beams and foundation. Tiny black ants, when found inside homes are commonly found in kitchen and bathrooms.

The ants want to bring sweet, fatty foods to their dear queen so that they will seek out these foods in our homes. Some make their nests outside of our homes and travel inside for a quick bite like the small black ants or sugar ants as sometimes called. Others, will take up residence in our homes like carpenter ants. Ants leave trails of pheromones to find their trails back to their nest as well as to return to the food source.

There are steps that you can take to prevent an infestation in your home. Keeping surfaces clean and food in airtight containers is very important, because once you have an ant infestation it is very difficult to remove them entirely. Although difficult it is not impossible to rid yourself of these pests. Creating a barrier around pet food that is left out. Rinsing out food containers before throwing them away. Trimming trees and shrubs so that they do not touch your home will help to prevent carpenter ants from entering.  Repairing, caulking and sealing cracks and crevices to block all entry points. Cleaning the entry points with chemicals to prevent the ants from following their pheromone trails. After the entry points are blocked and clean you should spray a non-repellent residual insecticide around the perimeter and entry points. Ant baits are also successful for the ants that have colonized inside of your home.

Finding the ants nests is an important step in ridding yourself from the ants infestation completely. Following the ants trails should assist you in locating their home. You may also set out desirable food to entice the ants. Placing ant baits closest to their ant colonies for the best results in eliminating the queen and killing the colony.

In the event of a major infestation contacting a professional pesticide company is the most important!!

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Categories
carpet beetles insects

Top 5 Effective & Versatile Mosquito Control Solutions

It’s no secret that mosquitoes are a hazard, no matter how old you are or where you live. Especially with the current outbreaks of the Zika virus, it is even more important for people to protect themselves and their loved ones from these pests. Of course there are professional solutions, but you can up your chances of escaping their wrath with a few simple steps:

  1. Control Water  – Unfortunately, mosquitoes need water just as much as we humans do. They use it to breed, and before you know it, a few can turn into hundreds. While we can’t get rid of our pools and water sources, we can help protect them. This includes dumping/flipping anything unused that can hold still water: planters, dog dishes, kiddie pools, and anything else that can water can sit in. If there is an area in your yard with sitting water, you can fill it in with dirt or hire a professional. Also, with pools and garden ponds, use filters and clean often so that they can’t breed. And ALWAYS cover everything you can!

  2. Become a Fan of Fans – Like their favorite water supply, mosquitoes prefer still air, as well. The more air circulation, the less likely they will hang around. Though it may sound a little crazy, placing fans outside will help deter the mosquitoes from even landing. And the bonus is a nice breeze to cool you and your guests!

  3. Red Cedar Mulch – According to Tractor Supply, spreading this particular mulch around your garden/home not only improves the aesthetics, it also helps to deter mosquitoes from coming close. Simply spread the mulch in planted areas, but they also suggest brewing some in water to make a spray for cemented areas.

  4. Pinion Wood – We all know that citronella candles help ward off the little critters, but they also suggest burning pinion wood in a pit or fireplace too. If you combine the candles with the smoke from the pinion wood, they won’t stand a chance!

  5. Common Household Items – With a little bit of luck and some simple mixing, you can create your own mosquito repellants. Tractor Supply recommends spraying your lawn and garden with equal parts: stale beer (⅓), epsom salt (⅓), and mouthwash with alcohol (⅓). In addition, many, including my grandma, swear by Avon Skin So Soft. You can spray it all over your body, with little chance of having a reaction, and it’s safe for kids and pets! Finally, to capture any that have managed to make it past all your barriers: set containers with lemon scented dish soap away from the populated areas in your yard. The mosquitoes will be drawn to the lemon scent, thus away from your loved ones!

 

(Source: Home Remedies to Get Rid of Mosquitoes, Tractor Supply Co. 2016, http://www.tractorsupply.com/know-how_outdoors_outdoor-living_home-remedies-to-get-rid-of-mosquitoes)

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