Pests love celebrities too.

Halle Berry, Howard Stern, Queen Elizabeth, Renee Zellweger, Bradley Cooper, Maya Rudoplh….

What do these famous people have in common aside from money, fame and paparazzi camped outside their homes?

They have been overrun with bugs!

The only advantage a celebrity might have in conquering bugs is that instead of cleaning and treating everything, they just replace it!

Halle Berry Forced Out Of Home By Spiders

Halle Berry, who is deathly afraid of bugs, was forced to evacuate her Hollywood home a few months back when her gardener uncovered a nest of Black Widow spiders. The deadly spiders where living underneath a lawn chair near the actress’ pool. The Academy Award winning actress and expectant mother said:

“There were hundreds under this lawn chair that we would all sit on around the pool every other day.

“We found out there was a whole village, a colony of black widows… One of the gardeners decided he should clean it and when he looked under it it was like, ‘Argh!’

“I just left… I said, ‘I’m gonna leave and you’re gonna have to handle that because I can’t stand spiders…’ I don’t even like Daddy Long Legs.” 

Black Widow Spiders

The Black Widow spider is the most dangerous North American spider. They inject a neurotoxin when they bite which can be serious and even fatal. A bite results in extreme pain and cramping that can take several days to diminish.

Queen Elizabeth Overrun With Silverfish

Even the Queen of England must deal with pest infestations. It was well reported last year that the Queen’s Scottish home was overrun with “embarrassing swarms of wingless insects.”

Those wingless insects just happened to be silverfish, which commonly feed on discarded food, human hair, wallpaper, and clothing fabric. Silverfish thrive in humid or damp conditions. The only way to completely eliminate them is to remove the source of the problem.

Pest control professionals in Scotland helped advise the Queen’s staff, and ended up removing all the wood surrounding the pipes which were causing the damp conditions the silverfish love.

Silverfish

Silverfish are flat, gray, scaly insects that have the ability to squeeze into tiny cracks. They have an uncanny ability to hide or to gain entry into homes. They are extremely quick, and will dart away when you turn on the lights. Silverfish prefer to live in damp, cool places such as bathrooms, basements and laundry rooms.

Howard Stern Battling Multiple Bug Infestations 

Ants 

The popular shock jock Howard Stern has had the misfortune of battling pest infestations multiple times. Over the holiday, Howard Stern and his wife Beth Ostrosky were forced to flee their luxury resort vacation in Turks and Caicos when the villa they rented became infested with ants.

Stern paid $5800 a night for a little time away with his wife, in a private 3 bedroom villa with ocean access. It wasn’t long into his vacation before they found themselves itching to get back home. A few minutes after they settled in to relax with some transcendental meditation, they found themselves covered with ants.

Howard Stern reported:

“We’re talking covered in ants. They’re swimming over you-in a sea of ants–encapsulating you. They’re not even looking like normal ants. If they were normal ants I could handle it. They looked like flying fish.” 

Multiple pest control fumigation efforts were performed on the property, in hopes the famous couple would stay, but new ant infestations continued to swarm.

Beetles 

Upon returning home from their unfortunate vacation, the couple found their Manhattan penthouse apartment infested with beetles. A colony of dead beetles was found in their oatmeal, while other containers in his pantry had been overrun with live beetles.

Bedbugs 

Howard Stern has also reported on his Sirius XM Radio show that he has been “scratching every minute,” since his New York apartment and limousine have been infested with tiny, bloodsucking bedbugs.

Celebrities Attacked By Blood Sucking Bedbugs 

In addition to Howard Stern; celebrities like Renee Zellweger, Bradley Cooper, Maya Rudoplh, Aubrey Plaza, Lauren Hildebrandt, and President Bill Clinton have dealt with bedbugs.

Bedbugs can be a common occurrence for celebrities, who do a lot of world traveling for both work and leisure.

President Clinton’s bedbug infestation may be more of a case of having too many guests in his bed.

To read more about celebrities being attacked by bloodsucking bedbugs, click here.

Pests Don’t Play Favorites 

It goes to show you that bugs play no favorites. Even famous celebrities, with lots of money, are susceptible to their malevolence. Black Widow spiders, beetles, silverfish, bedbugs, and ants can affect anybody. Get pest control!

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Anthony Ball

Links Round-Up: 5 For Friday

Rasberry Ants Spreading Through Texas

The Rasberry ant (not raspberry) was first discovered in Houston, TX in 2002, but has now spread to 24 different counties in the state of Texas. They are now also found in North Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida. More…

NPMA Legislative Day in Washington – Clark Pest Control

Clark Pest Control participated in NPMA Legislative Day sending two executives, Here’s what they learned. More…

Bulwark Scorpion Control Makes The Evening News

With the scorpions making an earlier than usual appearance in Arizona this spring, residents were in need of some answers. CBS 5 News in Phoenix called Bulwark Exterminating for some those answers. Watch the video here.

Wolf Spiders: Pests or Diamonds

We’ve all had an experience with a wolf spider at least once in our lives. Here’s EnviroTech’s experience with the hairy looking spider. More…

Spring is Bee Season

Aww, spring is finally here… For some of the country anyway. Be on the lookout for hives popping up on your property. Here are a few tips on what to do, and what not to do, if you have a bee hive(s). More…

Pest Of The Week: Black Widow Spider

Female black widow spider guarding an egg case – Species Latrodectus mactans (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One of the most recognizable, and perhaps the most feared, spiders in the United States is the Black Widow spider. This distinction comes from the female’s notoriously venomous bite. While the female Black Widow spider is generally shy in nature, she can become aggressive and bite when she is provoked, or when she is protecting her young. Her venom is one of the most potent venoms found on the planet. Only female Black Widows will bite humans. The males, who are brown and white in color, cannot bite because of their size.

The female Black Widow spider measures about 1/2 inch in length, with a shiny black body, long thin legs and large oval abdomen with a red “hourglass” pattern on the underside. Black Widows make their webs wherever there is water or other insects. They are common among the garages, patios, sheds, and storage areas of a home. Professional spider control methods are successfully used to eliminate them from around the home.

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Anthony Ball

Spiders like the Black Widow spider and Brown Recluse spider have given all other spiders a bad reputation. These dangerous spiders strike fear in people, and justifiably so. All spiders are venomous to some degree, but that doesn’t mean they are dangerous. While all spiders are an eyesore, most spiders are harmless.

The problem with spiders is most of us don’t know which spiders are dangerous, and which ones are harmless… When we see a spider, we just run. How do we know which spiders bite? How do we know which spiders are dangerous?

The spider control professionals at Bulwark Pest Control have put together an informative infographic which helps us all identify the common spiders found in the United States, and whether or not they are dangerous.

Source:

http://www.bulwarkpestcontrol.com/community/guide-to-dangerous-spider-identification-in-the-us.htm

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Here’s Your Weekly Pest Control News & Links

Tackling NJ Bed Bugs Is No Easy Task

Battling bedbugs is no easy task, but Heritage Pest Control in New Jersey will be able to properly identify the locations of the bed bug infestations and develop a safe plan of attack against the pests. More…

Bulwark Exterminating Makes Best Of Yelp

Each year yelp.com, a customer review site, recognizes a few select businesses with a “Best Of” distinction. Bulwark Exterminating in Austin, TX was recently recognized as “Best Pest Control in Austin.” More…

Avoiding Springtime Pests in Portland, Oregon

Springtime in Portland, Oregon is beautiful; but one thing that can put a damper on that beauty is a pest infestations. Be on the lookout for Carpenter ants, bedbugs, and rodents this spring in Portland. More…

Brown Widows Moving in on Southern California Territory

Brown Widows have begun to take over the Black Widow spider’s territory in many areas of this country, including Los Angeles. These spiders can potentially be very dangerous. More…

A Texas Sized Stink Bug Invasion

Brown marmorated stink bugs are invading many parts of the Country, including Texas, and are keeping pest professionals busy. More…

Pest Of The Week: Pavement Ant

The shiny black Pavement ant ranges in size from 1/10 to 1/8 inch. Pavement ants move in an intentionally slow motion, and are typically difficult to disturb. These ants are notorious for creating problems under asphalt, or concrete slabs. As they build their shallow nests, they push small mounds of soil out through the cracks; and expansion joints. Nests may also be discovered under debris or objects on the ground, as well as near heat sources in structures; during the colder winter months.

These ant pests are attracted to lights, and as such may find their way indoors; at night. Once inside, worker ants cause a pest control problem, by foraging for food, and feeding upon grease, pet food and any sweet substances; they happen to discover. Outdoors, Pavement ants feed on fruits and the sweet honeydew, produced by common garden pests; like aphids and mealy bugs.

In spring, adjacent colonies fight, producing spectacular sidewalk ant battles.

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Anthony Ball

Newly Discovered Spider Named After Obama

Obama Spider (Photo by Jason Bond)

President Barack Obama has earned an itsy-bitsy honor.

Another cool quirk that comes with being the President of the United States… You get a spider named after you. After discovering 33 new species of spiders in the Southwestern United States, researches have named one after President Barack Obama.

This news coming just days after our 44th U.S. President was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year.

The newly discovered species, which bears the commander in chief’s name, is called Aptostichus barackobamai. Good luck pronouncing that one, so we will just stick to calling the newly discovered spider the Barack Obama trapdoor spider. This spider is a type of trapdoor spider that is known for burrowing underground and protecting its layer via a trapdoor made of silk.

The 33 new species of spiders were discovered by Auburn University Museum of Natural History and department of Biological Sciences.

Why A Spider?

The Amazing Spider Man and Obama (Photo credit: iamdavidmoore)

There are few details as to why this spider is named after president Obama. Many believe it is because the President is a huge fan of Spiderman in which he once graced the cover.

Not The First Species Named After President Obama

This isn’t the first time a newly discovered species has been named after the President. In 2012, a spangled darter fish was given the official name Etheostoma obama, because of the President’s efforts in the areas of clean energy and environmental protection. Then there’s the recently named and identified “Obamadon,” which is a lizard from the Late Cretaceous era.

President Obama also has dozens of city streets and schools named after him as well. For the complete list, click here.

The Barack Obama Trapdoor Spider: Aptostichus barackobamai

Researchers describe the Barack Obama Trapdoor Spider as one of the most beautiful trapdoor spiders in which they have ever worked with. The spider has gorgeous tiger-striping on its abdomen and measures about 15 millimeters long. It also lacks the spines on its outermost leg segments found on most other trapdoor spiders.

Trapdoor Spiders

Trapdoor spiders are seldom seen because they spend most their lives in underground burrows. As their name suggests, they build protective trapdoors made from soil, sand and silk, in which they hide behind. They will wait at their burrow entrances at night, until some unperceptive insect comes moseying by. The spider then jumps out, biting the unfortunate insect, and then drags it back into the bottom of its burrow.

Other Celebrities With Spider Names

You have officially reached celebrity status when you get a cool spider named after you! Along with President Obama, other famous people have officially reached celebrity status by being having spiders named after them. A few include: Stephen Colbert, Angelina Jolie, and U2’s front man Bono.

For a full list, click here.

Spider Control

As a bug guy I think it’s pretty cool to have a spider named after you; but having spiders inside your home is completely un-cool, especially is they are the dangerous Black Widow or Brown Recluse spiders. If you are seeing spiders, get spider control from Bulwark Exterminating!

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Friday Link’s Round-Up

Can You Identify Any of These Invaders?

Want to play a fun pest control game? Click here, and see if you can guess how many of these common pest invaders you might know, just from at their pictures.

Preventing Ticks

The Nation’s tick problem is growing. Here is an excellent article on understanding these tiny blood-suckers and how to keep them away from your home. More…

Tulsa Facing Invasion of Black Widows

Oklahoma Poison Control is now informing the State’s residents that there are more Black Widow spiders than normal this year. The mild weather has allowed the dangerous spider to thrive, and that means there numbers are up. More…

DC Laws Complicate Animal Removal

Animal removal within a commercial facility is difficult no matter what the situation. With the addition of complex animal removal regulations in Washington, DC, control has become a bit more complicated. More…

 4 Pests That Damage Ornamental Plants

Aphids, scale insects, mealybugs, and spider mites are all destructive pests that cause damage to your plants. To learn more about these pests, and what to do about them, click here.

Pest Of The Week: Odorous House Ant

The color of the Odorous House Ant can range from dark brown to shiny black, and the workers are typically about 1/8 inch long. The Odorous house ant gets its name from the strong odor it emits, when crushed. The unpleasant smell that results has been compared to rotting coconuts.

Odorous ant colonies can have up to 10,000 workers who forage for food in long, distinct trails. These long trails of ants are often seen indoors, as they crawl over household surfaces; contaminating everything along the way. The Odorous House Ant will eat just about anything sweet it encounters, however it prefers the honeydew produced by common garden pests, like aphids and mealybugs.

Outdoors the Odorous House Ant makes shallow soil nests under any material on the ground, within hollow trees, or in any other available cavity. Inside homes, these ants cause pest control problems, when they build their nests in wall voids, under insulation in crawl spaces, or within cavities in wood.

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Transcript From Black Widow Spider Control:

Black Widow Control Professional:

“Today we’re going to talk about black widows. The most common place to find them are right down by the J-rail, just all crazy mixed up down here by the J-rail, okay? Why? Because the J-rail offers goes into, inside of the wall, offers a lot of cool air coming out, cool, moist air coming out. Also is a great place for crickets to breed. Remember that crickets breed in these plants because there are water drippers on the plants, so there’s a huge population of crickets in the yard, therefore, that which preys on crickets will also do well, which is black widows, okay?”

“So, the black widow, if you walk around the foundation of the house, you’ll find a web like this purple web I have here, at the base down by the J-rail. Very common to find them right at the entryway, right at the entryway here or there, the other place.”

“So, how do you know it’s a black widow’s web if there’s no black widow in the web? Number one, they’re chaotic, okay? A chaotic web means that it has no order to it. If you remember the story Charlotte’s Webb, a lot of spiders create a pattern to their web, you know, a design in their web. Black widows have no pattern to their webs, none at all. It’s just all chaotic. Often times, you’ll find leaves and debris in the black widow’s web because the web is so strong; it’s the strongest web of any spider here in Arizona.”

“And, so it’s a very strong, sticky web. It’s low to the ground. Sometimes you will see severe infestations black widows with webs up in the eves. And you’ll actually be able to see her sometimes in the very corner; she’s trying to hide as much as she can, but usually it’s down by the ground because their number one food source is crickets. So, if the web is low to the ground and it doesn’t have any spider out in it, other spiders don’t usually recluse back into a lair, they don’t recluse back into a dark space. Most of them don’t.”

- Bulwark Exterminating Spider Control

Latrodectus hesperus with egg sac (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you have recently moved to Phoenix, Arizona, there are some notable insect, bug and pest control concerns, that are prominent in the region. These common pests include a variety of aggressive ants, as well as venomous spiders and scorpions. These dangerous pests, travel from the surrounding arid desert environment, to the shelter of lush gardens and plentiful food and water, that is common in populous Arizona cities; like Phoenix.

Below, is a list of the three Phoenix pest control problems, that I consider to be the most notable, dangerous and (at times) highly venomous:

Number 3: Not to be under-estimated, the Fire ants in Phoenix are highly aggressive, and (without hesitation) will attack anything that disrupts their nest. In fact, it is estimated that more than twenty million Americans are stung by Fire ants, every year. Furthermore, this dangerous pest will swiftly invade homes, yards and fields, consuming (almost) any plant or animal material; including other insects.

Black Widow Spider - Red Hour Glass

Number 2: Honorable mention and runner-up for most dangerous/most venomous pest problem in Phoenix, is the Black Widow spider. When disturbed, this spider will (most often) attempt to escape, rather than attack. Nevertheless, Phoenix pest control professionals strongly advise, that residents exercise extreme caution when confronted by an adult Black Widow spider; as they are highly venomous. How dangerous are Black Widow spiders? Well known prey of this pest include the other two members of this “Most Dangerous” list: Fire ants and scorpions!

Number 1: Likely the most feared of the local pests, is the Arizona Bark scorpion. Considered the most venomous of all scorpions in North America, the venom from a Bark scorpion can cause extreme and severe pain in adults, typically lasting between twenty-four and seventy-two hours. To the disappointment of local officials and residents, local studies are reporting that scorpion attacks are on the rise in Phoenix; and The Valley.

Just like much of the human population, common pests like Fire ants, Black Widow spiders and Arizona Bark scorpions, prefer the cooler temperatures of Phoenix properties, homes and businesses; over the blazing Sonoran Desert sun. As such, when the temperatures in Phoenix rise considerably, you can be certain that the number of calls for pest control will increase proportionately; as well.

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We all know that spiders are scary even when it’s not Halloween. So, what do the 5 Scariest Spiders dress up like on Halloween to give you a real fright? Well we took a peek at this year’s festive costumes of the Black Widow Spider, the Brown Recluse Spider, the Tarantula, the Camel Spider, and the Desert Hairy Scorpion. But who wore it best? Which spider/arachnid is taking home the scariest spider prize? Who needs spider control?

Check it out and vote below:

Black Widow cast herself as Lidsay Lohan (a repeat offender… referring to last year’s Halloween Treat) Sorry Scarlet Johansson but you won’t be playing the Black Widow tonight, but the shy Brown Recluse Spider may have found your cell phone. Sir Herman Cain gets props on his Godfather’s Pizza from the Tarantula. The military boys had enough influence on the Camel Spider that Ron Paul gets the Camel Spider vote. And well, the Desert Hairy Scorpion is feared enough so digging out a scary costume meant going for the gold in fear force names, Chuck Norris.

To Vote and Enter for our Halloween Treat

Two Options and 2 chances:

1- Login to Facebook and Vote on our Facebook Poll: http://facebook.com/bulwarkpestcontrol

2- Tweet your vote with a link to this post: “I vote _______ as the scariest spider: http://blwrk.us/ScarySpiders”

The Poll Closes on Halloween at Midnight. So vote by Oct. 31st.