Pest Control and Bug Exterminator Blog

In a lab in Montreal, Quebec (Canada), a McGill University researcher has successfully induced the growth, of what he calls “super-soldiers.” Using ants as an example, this researcher has demonstrated that the potential for Incredible Hulk-like results, exists in all species; including human beings.

He insists that any time you have a mismatch, between the normal environment of an organism and its genetic potential, it will encourage the development of new characteristics. Furthermore, these evolutionary changes can manifest themselves in dormant genes, that remain locked in place for millions of years, until one day they are triggered to re-emerge; by the introduction of a specific environmental condition or conditions.

“Birds with teeth, snakes with fingers, and humans with apelike hair – these are ancestral traits that pop up regularly in nature,” said the McGill University researcher.

Believe it or not, for the last thirty-five to sixty million years, ants have retained this “ancient DNA;” to create super soldiers. And, as the the result of a genetic slip they can appear in the wild, sometimes discovered in the deserts of America; and Mexico. These incredible freaks of nature, can grow to double or triple their normal size, with enormous oblong heads and giant vicious mandibles; that they use to aggressively defend their colonies from attack.

Will these gi-ants eventually get bigger and bigger, until one day they decide to invade cities and towns? Not likely. Thankfully, the laws of physics and the Square-Cube Law, restrict the size potential of an ant. Quite simply, the bigger an ant is, the less likely it will be able to support; its own weight. However, insect control experts say that their is some cause for concern, when hypothesizing the potential problem; of super ants. Because an ant colony is considered (by some) to be one giant organism comprised of many parts, it already requires a focused and aggressive pest control strategy; to eliminate. Therefore, an invasion of super ants might one day require the help of a super ex-terminator… like Arnold.

Image by Shelley & Dave via Flickr

As the chilly fall and winter weather arrives, families are getting cozy in their warm houses and homes. Not surprisingly, common pests as small as ants or spiders and as big as rats, have the exact same notion. A homeowner’s only hope against the relentless invasion of these pests, is to seal-off any structural, window and door cracks or holes, that could possibly allow pest invaders; to enter to the dwelling or structure.

The most likely points of entry for pests, are a building’s windows and doors. If you often leave your door or windows open, they should be fitted with a proper screen, that is free from any holes, cuts or tears; to avoid inviting a pest control problem into your home. When inspecting the interior and exterior of your dwelling or building, look for light shining through cracks and use your hand to feel for air

movement. If you discover problem areas, seal the cracks around window and door frames with caulking or foam, and apply weather-stripping and sweeps; to seal the moving parts of the door.

Aside from tiny pests like ants and spiders, small rodents like mice are a common pest problem, in the fall and winter months. These unwanted house guests can find their way through a hole, not much bigger than a dime. Once inside a structure and sheltered, they can quickly multiply into a serious pest, bug or insect control problem, for unsuspecting property and home owners. Therefore, as an added precaution and level of protection, it is recommended that glue traps be placed in the attic and other possible pest-prone areas. These sticky traps are able to grab both rodents and insect problems, so if pests do manage to invade parts of your home, you will know what you are up against; before a serious infestation develops.

Pest Pro Joe offers Do It Yourself pest control.

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After a recent visit from an exterminator declaring they were indeed infested with bed bugs the Wilmington Fire Station threw out mattresses, upholstered furniture and carpets, anything that might be housing the bed bugs.   And these little blood suckers cost more then a few drops of blood.  The total cost to the fire station was over $5000 between the loss of the furniture and the pest controller’s bill of $800+.

ABC reported on the matter first.  Also citing a CDC saying bedbugs are up by 500% over the last few years.  Considering that bed bugs had been virtually eradicated from the US over 20 years ago, that number doesn’t do the Bed Bug epidemic justice.

Fortunately doctors still have not found any serious health risks associated with bedbugs or the spread of disease through bedbugs.

Interesting points specifically about this bed bug case – Was it really necessary to throw out all the furniture?

Perhaps not, but throwing away old mattresses that need to be replaced anyways will certainly help cure a bed bug problem.  Perhaps consumers should consider the old adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

And prevention is easy.  A proper mattress cover will thwart any attacks made by bedbugs on your resting place. Yes, it really is that simple.  No need to pay $300 per room as some exterminators quote for bedbug treatments.

Get a mattress cover today so you can rest easy… pun intended.

The 2009 Ant Season has officially arrived. We are now receiving ant control requests from all over the US. Fire Ants, Harvester Ants, Carpenter Ants, and the new annoying Raspberry Ants. A few tips and things to remember when dealing with ants…

1- Most Sprays have an odor that will detour ants, but this doesn’t mean it will kill them. These sprays act as repellents, and therefore only keep the ants at bay. Further using such sprays may cause ant colonies to bud out and create more colonies.

2- Ant baits should be specific to the ants you are treating. Ants and their diets differ by the ant species and the time of year. So what an ant eats will depend on both the ant species and the season. This is referred to as bait acceptability or bait acceptance.

3- Your best bet is to keep the ants out of the house entirely with a regular pest control service.

Yesterday evening I left work and drove East into the eye of the monsoon.  The gray clouds were thick and scary looking, to the west of me it was raining so hard there was no visibility.  I recently read a short article that stated that the Box Elder Beetle population is extremely bad this Arizona monsoon season.  The article was produced by a local Arizona ABC affiliate and I must say that it would be a complete waste of time if you were to read it.  Let me summarize the article for you in so many words:

Reporter: “Beware the Box Elder Beetle they are everywhere.“   Atomic Pest Control Expert: “Don’t worry…they don’t harm anything, just wait them out…and slap some silly putty on any cracks your home may have.”

I guess I may be expecting too much from an ABC affiliated story.  Here is a little background on the Box Elder Beetle and some tips on how to control them.

Quick Facts…

• Boxelder bugs are a nuisance in and around homes from fall through early spring.
• The bug overwinters as an adult in protected places such as houses or other buildings.
• Removing female boxelder trees is the most permanent solution to the problem, although this may not be practical or desirable.
• Laundry detergents offer safe, effective control when applied directly to the insects.

The boxelder bug overwinters as an adult in protected places such as houses and other buildings, in cracks or crevices in walls, doors, under windows and around foundations, particularly on south and west exposures. In the spring when tree buds open, females lay small, red eggs on leaves and stones and in cracks and crevices in the bark of female boxelder trees. The eggs later hatch into young nymphs that are wingless and bright red with some black markings. These young bugs usually are found on low vegetation near boxelder trees until seeds are formed on the tree, on which they start to feed.

Boxelder bugs are primarily a nuisance pest, annoying residents by crawling on exteriors and inside dwellings on warm fall and winter days. They also may stain draperies and other light-colored surfaces and produce an unpleasant odor when crushed, but these are not major problems. They do not reproduce during this period. They may attempt to feed on house plants but do not cause any damage. On rare occasions, they have been reported to bite humans.

The most permanent solution to the boxelder bug problem is the removal of female boxelder trees from a neighborhood, although this may not be practical or desirable. Because boxelder bugs usually overwinter near the trees that they feed on, the removal of one or two problem trees may help. Screening or sealing cracks or other entrances into the dwelling is important. Once boxelder bugs have entered the home, control becomes more difficult.

When the bugs begin to congregate on building exteriors, these areas (including all resting and hiding places) may be sprayed with residual insecticides. However, most insecticides registered for treatment of building exteriors are not that effective against boxelder bugs. Laundry detergent and water mixes are cheap, safe and effective when applied directly to boxelder bugs. Drawbacks of detergent sprays are that they will kill only if they contact the insect directly, and they may damage vegetation.

Use a vacuum cleaner to control bugs that have entered the house. Household insecticidal aerosols and many household spray cleaners also are effective when applied directly to individual Insects. These measures provide temporary relief only. Bugs may continue to enter the home as they move about on warmer days throughout the fall, winter and early spring. Nuisance infestations should be finished by late May, as the boxelder bugs have either died or moved back to the host trees.

Source:F.B. Peairs, Colorado State University Extension entomologist and professor, bioagricultural sciences and pest management.

If you have worked in the Pest Control Industry long enough you eventually develop some level of respect for the “other side.” I often find myself amazed by the ability of these pesky little critters to adapt to their environment. Seriously, they sometimes all learn to live with each other despite their differences. Literally, living on top of each other. I know that is gross but after a while it was pretty cool treating a new home’s water box and watching the various “insects” scurry into the sunlight. You could tell if the last bug guy was not very thorough…because you literally would find a vast amount of insects in these water boxes.

I have seen black widows, wind scorpions, crickets, silverfish, scorpions, roaches, etc…all come out of one water box. It amazes me that prey would live with predator. But I guess “fight or flight” kicks in and foes become friends in order to survive, sharing the last known safe haven on the premises…at least until a thorough inspection is performed. This is my long introduction to my short paragraphs about how these pests are nature’s hidden miracle.

I think it is common sense how bugs and insects are important in nature. Bees provide cross pollination, while other insects help decompose organic structures to be reabsorbed within the cyclical tides of Mother Nature. I could go on and on about how this insect helps in this way, that way, etc…But I want to briefly talk about scorpions-who generally get a bad wrap.

I guess scientists have found a way to utilize scorpion venom to fight cancer. I have read that Senator Ted Kennedy’s doctors were considering using it as a preferential alternative treatment. So be nice next time you see a scorpion and think twice before you go “squash,” or contact a bug exterminator.

KT

Hopefully you enjoyed my tribute to the 90′s. One of the “Things that make you go hmmmm” I think are common misnomers that not-to-careful pest technicians utilize. This is probably a good reason why you may want to either learn about taxonomy, or use the vague word “pests” when referring to the “all too easily mistaken for insects” category.

These are the top “non-insects” labeled insects:

1. Spiders: Not an Insect…Arachnid.
2. Pill bug: Not an Insect…Crustacean/(Malacostraca)…more closely related to shrimp or crayfish.
3. Millipede: Not an Insect…diplopod of diplopoda.
4. Centipede: Not an Insect…Chilopod of Chilopoda.

Hopefully this will help you impress a customer next time she tells you that she was gardening and had been frightened by the many roly-polys, millipedes, or centipedes under the large rock she had just moved. If you really want to impress her you could tell her that pill bugs (roly-polys), relatives of the shrimp and crayfish need lots moisture and actually breathe through gills.

Maybe you will be better prepared for the customer’s home that you go to who has a bug collection who wants to test your knowledge. Believe me, there out there. I know customer’s ask questions, but this guy had approximately 300 bugs on a poster board in his garage of pests caught around his yard and wanted to see if I could name them all. Good thing I could name most of them…thank goodness for the PCT insect guide I kept in the glove compartment!

Well now you are armed with even more knowledge about insects and non-insects…..Go Get emmmmmmmmm Tiger.

KT

PEST CONTROL MYTH #4
An important part of your pest control treatment is dewebbing.  Dewebbing is the physical removal of spider webs from the many nooks and crannies around the perimeter of your home.  Some technicians believe that it is best to remove spider webs or deweb at every service.  This is quite alright depending on the expectations of your customer; who may not want to see any spider webs around the house; although you should inform the customer that there is a better way to handle his spider issue.  Pest Control Myth # 4 is that it is always better to deweb at each service.
The best way to deal with spider webs, especially new spider webs, is to dust the web and leave it intact; then schedule a callback service for dewebbing the following day or as soon as possible.

The problem with removing the web is that the spider will be quick to relocate, or possibly recreate his/her web.  Ultimately you decrease the likelihood of removing the root problem.  By lightly dusting the web you leave a gift for “spidey” when he/she returns home.
Part of what makes this effective is a thorough inspection of your customer’s premises and adequate notes and history about each customer.  This technique and the maintenance of an adequate pest barrier will ensure that your home is spider free.

If you would like to learn more about the spiders/pests in your area, please click here.

KT

While sitting in front of my computer screen thinking about what I was going to write about next; I watch a small little row of ants walk along the edge of my desk. Instinctively, the first thing I do is try to identify the pest. When dealing with ants it can be very hard to determine the specific type of ant based on its different physical characteristics unless you have a magnifying glass available or have the “eye of a hawk” as me and my cousins used to call it. I have read many books that would say this ant is this color, and that ant is this color, etc; but I have found that in the real world trying to distinguish based on color is quite a dreadful task as different types of ants can be within the same color ranges. Here are some characteristics about different ants that may help you identify your home’s native ant-lings. (Did I go there…yes I did; Ant-lings…LOL.)

Pharaoh Ant: Primarily indoors, known for splitting into different colonies, sometimes found in wounds of hospital patients.

Carpenter Ant: The largest, Biggest, humongous, enormous fellers. (Exaggeration)

Harvester Ant: Known for producing mounds with entry points that are at least approximately 2 inches in diameter.

Pavement Ant: Generally will reside under or around pavement.

Argentine Ant: Also a very popular ant, known for producing super colonies…these infestations can grow rapidly.

Odorous House Ants: When crushed emit a coconut like smelling odor.

Red Imported Fire Ant: These ants are very aggressive and secrete a toxin when biting. These ants are what we refer to as a “quarantined” species; so if you think you have come across them contact your local department of agriculture etc for removal. Each case is required to be documented and handled in a specific fashion.

For More Information please click here.