This Week’s Pest Control Videos & Links

Harlem Shake ( bed bug inspection edition)

Harlem shake videos have been the craze as of late, and even bed bug inspectors have caught on. See for yourself:

Winning the Roach & Ant Battle

We all know how much of a nightmare dealing with ants and cockroaches can be. Here are a few tips on winning that battle from Suburban Exterminating in Long Island, NY. More…

Liquid vs. Bait Termite Treatment

Termites are one of the leading causes of damage to your home. Dealing with them can be tricky at times, but fortunately there is help. Here is a good discussion on bait and liquid treatments. More…

Bats, Leave It To The Professionals

Although beneficial to the environment, bats can be a serious pest control problem that needs to be left to the professionals. More…

Cooler Weather Brings Mice & Rats Inside

With this recent cold spell much of the country is experiencing this week, it’s a sure bet that rodents like mice and rats will be headed indoors looking for warmth and shelter. More…

Pest Of The Week: House Dust Mite

House dust mites (Photo credit: Gilles San Martin)

One of the leading causes of asthma and other respiratory allergic symptoms is the house dust mite. These teeny, tiny mites are so small that they are best seen through a microscope; although they can sometimes be seen by the naked eye, in large numbers, if they are placed on a dark background. House dust mites are rectangular in shape, and are a creamy blue color. House dust mites are most commonly found in the carpets, furniture, mattresses and bedding of your home.

Since house dust mites reproduce and multiply so rapidly, pest control professionals, and health officials warn of serious health problems that they can cause. Typical symptoms of house dust mite allergies include itchiness, sneezing, inflamed or infected eczema, watering/reddening eyes, or sneezing repeatedly and frequently.

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Anthony Ball

Waiting for the lights. (Photo credit: kimubert)

Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans was full of twists and turns as the Baltimore Ravens edged the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 34-31. One of the most memorable twists to the game happened to be when the power to half of Mercedes-Benz Superdome, including the scoreboard, went dark with 13:22 left in the third quarter. The game was literally stopped as the players, announcers, and fans where all left scratching their heads.

After nearly 35 minutes of head scratching, wondering what had happened to the power, the game resumed. The San Francisco 49ers, who were down 28-6 just before the blackout, staged a monumental comeback, only to fall short in the very end.

The game will be one of the most memorable in years, primarily because of the power outage. What went wrong?

Could Superdome Pests Have Caused Power Outage?

While weather related reasons cause the majority of power complications, it is not uncommon for small animals and other pests to disrupt transformers and fuses; causing temporary loss of power. We also know that pests can infest sports arenas, like Cowboy’s Stadium. What pests could have caused the Super Bowl power outage?

“Nice rats, nasty rats” (Photo credit: ressaure)

Rodents

Rodents are notorious for wrecking havoc on power systems. Could a few squirrels have got tangled in the electrical equipment in a Superdome substation? Could a malevolent rat have chewed through a major power cord?

Rodent caused power outages happen more often than you might think. I was on Arizona State University’s campus a year or so back, when the power went out on half the campus. An apparent rat found its way into one of the substations and shorted out the equipment. It can happen!

Termites

Could termites be the culprit of the Super Bowl XLVII power outage? Termites may have weakened the structure of the power line poles that were carrying the electricity to the Superdome.

Bees & Wasps

Bees or wasps love to build their hives in well hidden, concealed areas; like that of a circuit breaker box or parts of a substation. If a hive was large enough and the infestation destructive enough, a bee or wasp infestation could have brought the power down at Super Bowl XLVII.

Bird Pests

Bird pests, like pigeons, wreak havoc on the structure of buildings. A well placed nest, or a build-up of droppings, can easily cause a circuit to trip; or spark a short in a power feed to the Superdome.

Snakes

Since hurricane Katrina, snakes have been an increasing pest problem in New Orleans. Tree snakes, which are non-indigenous to New Orleans, frequently cause power outages by crawling on electrical lines.

Raspberry Ants

Crazy Raspberry Ants, are usually only found in some 20 counties in Texas, but were recently discovered in Port Allen, Louisiana. These destructive and malevolent ants are so small; they can  easily get through the plastic casing around the electrical wiring. Raspberry ants have caused street lights in Houston, Texas to malfunction.

As a kudeta, these pesky ants may have been looking to take out one of the city’s biggest icons, the Superdome, and to announce their arrival to New Orleans.

Other Theories Behind The Power Outage

The 49ers Were Responsible- Previous to the blackout, the Ravens had just gone ahead of the 49ers by a score of 28-6 with a 108 yard kickoff return. Someone in the 49ers organization knew something had to be done and quick. That’s when they pulled the plug. With their malicious goal achieved, the 49ers rallied to cut the deficit, but eventually fell three points short. The same strategy is extremely effective when you pull the plug on the XBOX when you’re getting blown out in Madden.

Super Bowl Heist- Picture Ocean’s 13, but instead of robbing a Vegas casino, Danny Ocean and his team of professional thieves set their eyes on the Super Bowl box office where the average price of a ticket is about $3,000.

Another Harbaugh Brother- Jay Harbaugh, the often forgotten about Harbaugh brother, was tired of John and Jim getting all the attention. In an attempt to steal some of the limelight away from the two Super Bowl coaches, Jay cut the power to the Superdome.

More Commercials For CBS- Forbes reports that the price for a single advertisement during Super Bowl XLVII was over $4 Million. The extra 35 minutes caused by the delay would have generated hundreds of millions of extra dollars.

Beyonce Did It- Beyonce forgot to unplug her curling iron before she took the stage for her Super Bowl halftime performance. You know that thing had to have been sucking down a lot of juice; getting her hair to look the way it did.

New Orleans Voodoo- New Orleans is well known for the dark arts like voodoo, and the Superdome is built only a few hundred yards away from a cemetery. There are only so many voodoo commercials you can air before New Orleans will strike back.

Buffalo Wild Wings Got Carried Away- We’ve all seen the Buffalo Wild Wings commercial with the football fans wanting an overtime game. They send the signal into Buffalo Wild Wings, and all sorts of mischief happens. Sprinklers mysteriously turn on, preventing an obvious score. Could someone have sent the signal to BWW during the Super Bowl?

Marketing Campaign by Oreo- A few minutes into the blackout, Oreo sent out a tweet that read, “Power out? No problem. You can still dunk in the dark.” This tweet was retweeted over 15,000 times, giving the cookie company even more exposure.

Bane Did It- This has been one of the most frequent conspiracy theories floating around out there. Bane, of The Dark Knight Rises fame, looked to take over Gotham… I mean New Orleans… by interrupting the big game.  Bane has publicly denied any involvement in the Super Bowl blackout.

Statement Issued Regarding Power Outage:

The following statement was issued in regards to the Superdome power outage:

“A piece of equipment that is designed to monitor electrical load sensed an abnormality in the system,” the statement said. “Once the issue was detected, the sensing equipment operated as designed and opened a breaker, causing power to be partially cut to the Superdome in order to isolate the issue. … Entergy and SMG will continue to investigate the root cause of the abnormality.” 

Congrats to the Baltimore Ravens

By edging out the San Francisco 49ers, the Baltimore Ravens are your Super Bowl XLVII champions. Congrats on the great season!

Related articles

• Super Bowl power outage: What went wrong?
• Officials: Cause of Superdome blackout unknown
• NFL commissioner: Super Bowl power outage not Beyonce’s fault

Anthony Ball

Pest Of The Week: Pocket Gophers

Pocket Gopher by Tooth and Nail (Photo credit: USFWS Pacific)

Pocket gophers have dark brown fur, large heads, powerful necks, very short tails, and very large, broad front feet with enlarged claws, which they use in combination with their teeth; to dig and push mounds of soil to the surface. They are approximately the size of a small rat, and can reach 10 inches in length. Because this rodent uses it’s two exterior, fur-lined cheek pouches to carry food materials, it has earned the name Pocket gopher. More…

This Week’s Pest Control Links Round-Up

Guide To MPMA PestWorld 2013 In Phoenix

PestWorld will be coming to Phoenix, AZ October 23-26, 2013, and over 3000 pest management professionals are expected to attend. If you are one of the 3000 PCO’s, here is you guide to the nearby restaurants, hotels, events, and activities.

America’s #1 Nuisance Pest: Ants

It’s no question that ants are a nuisance, but did you know that ant infestations are on the rise. According to a recent survey conducted by the NPMA, 100% of people polled encountered an ant situation during the year: and 54% said the problem is growing. More…

How To Avoid Food Infesting Pests

Pantry pests like beetles, and Indian meal moths will infest your flour, cereal, grain, and sugar. For a few tips on how to keep them out of your food, click here

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie… 3 Practices To Avoid Mice Infestations

Sealing your gaps and cracks, taking out your trash, and setting a few mousetraps are all strategies in to combat mice infestations. For more information, click here.

Organizing Your Attic Can Prevent Pest Problems In The New Year

Modern Pest Services suggest your New Years resolutions should be to organize your attic to keep pests out. Here’s how…

FMC Pest Wire Top Tweets

FMC Pest Wire shares with us their most popular tweets from the past few weeks, here.

Crickets Chirping

Male crickets will commonly chirp, or rub their wings together against each other. The sound is designed to keep other males away from their territory, and it also is designed to attract females to the male for mating purposes. While the sound of crickets chirping may be pleasant and appealing to female crickets, it can be entirely bothersome to our own ears. More…

What Are Indian Meal Moths?

These pesky moths are notorious for damaging your clothing by munching on a variety of fabrics from silk to wool. More…

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• The New York Pest Expo Defies Weather, Exceeds Expectations
• Know your enemy
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Anthony Ball

Keep Santa Safe From Chimney Pests

Tonight is Christmas Eve. That jolly old elf named Santa Clause will be making his way from rooftop to rooftop, down chimneys, delivering toys to all of those good girls and boys. Are your chimneys free of pests so Santa can safely make his deliveries?

Imagine poor Santa getting stung by swarms of bees, bitten by rabid raccoons, or attacked by nesting squirrels!

The truth is chimneys are a favorite hiding place for pests like rodents, bees, wasps, birds, and bats. Here’s everything you need to know about chimney pests; so you and Santa can have a safe, pest free Christmas.

Common Chimney Pests

Raccoons– are a common chimney invader. They frequently use chimneys for the birthing of their litters. Raccoons are very territorial and will compete with other raccoons for your chimney. When another raccoon enters, and kills the mother and her litter, it is very loud and scary. Raccoons can carry rabies, something Santa doesn’t want to contract.

Birds— are the some of worst offenders when it comes to invading your chimney. They love making their nests inside. When Santa comes down your chimney, you may have a scene straight from an Alfred Hitchcock movie.

Honey Bees—are very selective when building their hives. If you seldom light a fire throughout the year, you will find bees building hives in your chimney… Santa could be stung!

Chimney Pests

Africanized “Killer” Bees—are not as selective when building their hives. All they need is an open space, sheltered by a wall with a small opening they can use for an entrance. Killer Bees are the most dangerous of chimney pests because they are very aggressive, are easily agitated, and attack in swarms. SCARY! Santa could be killed. Learn more about Africanized “Killer” Bees by clicking here.

Mice—commonly fall down chimneys while looking for food on your rooftop, but usually won’t live inside. Santa could get the Hantavirus or plague if bitten by one of these guys.

Bats– occupy chimneys during daylight hours grooming, sleeping, and resting; waiting for nightfall when they emerge to hunt insects. They carry rabies and other diseases Santa doesn’t want any part of.

Wasps—build paper nests in places they find secluded; like your chimney. Some wasps like yellow jackets can be aggressive; and may attack poor old Saint Nick. They’ll head for Santa’s mouth, nose, and eyes first.

Rats– may carry a number of pathogens, which can result in the spread of disease. This is something that causes major concern for home owners, and Santa. They usually fall down your chimney on accident while scavenging for food.

Squirrels– build a type of nest, known as a drey, commonly found in forks of trees. However, they may also build nests in your chimney or in the exterior walls of your home. Santa could catch Lassa fever, and other diseases, if he comes in contact with their droppings.

Flies—will make their way down your chimney looking for food, warmth, and harborage… Just like any other flying insect.

Santa Gets Attacked By Chimney Pests

Here’s a rather humorous account of Santa being attacked by chimney pests on Christmas Eve: http://www.bulwarkpestcontrol.com/community/chimney-pests-attack-santa.htm

Dangers Of Chimney Pests

Small rodents like rats, squirrels and mice, can easily get trapped in a metal chimney liner by accident. Once a rodent falls down your chimney, they will be forever trapped until a professional remove the critter. This is because chimney liners are not made for animals to grab on to with their claws… They will continue to slide back down to the bottom. Here are the dangers:

• If left inside, they will die and cause quite an unpleasant odor throughout your home.
• Dead animals in the chimney will attract maggots and flies.
• Open fireplace dampers may allow wild animals and dangerous insects to enter your home.
• Some wild animals like squirrels and raccoons can be very defensive and dangerous when trapped.
• If inside, they can also cause damage to your home as they try to escape.
• Wildlife can bring in fleas, infecting the family pets.
• Can carry rabies and other diseases like Hantavirus, Lassa fever, and plague can be contracted simply by coming in contact with their droppings.

Keep Out Chimney Pests

How To Keep Pests Out Of Your Chimney

Installing a chimney cap is the first preventative step that needs to be taken. It should include a wire netting that wraps around the sides of the cap; and serves as a barrier to animals that may like to make a home in your chimney.

Preventative treatments, like pest sprays, should be applied around the chimney top. Most pest sprays will work for flying insects like bees, wasps, and killer bees. When a bee detects a poison, it’ll return to the hive and report the bad conditions; thus choosing a different chimney or location to start a home.

How To Get Rid Of Chimney Pests

If pests do happen to make their way inside your chimney, it’s best if you contact a pest control professional as soon as possible. This is for your own safety. Seek the help of a wildlife removal company, or a bee removal company in your area.

If you discover you have a beehive in your chimney, the last thing you want to do to get rid of the bees is light a fire. Upon doing so, the bees will simply gather at the top of the chimney for as long as the fire lasts. The heat from the fire will melt the honey down the sides of the chimney causing a more permanent honey smell, attracting more bees each year.

It’s also important to note that the beehive is not always in the chimney flu itself, but in-between the flu and the chimney wall. In this case lighting a fire is pointless. Also, if it gets hot enough the heat may still melt the honey.

Merry Christmas From Bulwark Exterminating

The bug buys here at Bulwark Exterminating would like to wish everybody a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year. May your chimney be pest free, clear for Santa to deliver all of his goodies; and may your Christmas be pest free!

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Anthony Ball

Pest Of The Week: The Deer Mouse

Peromyscus maniculatus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Deer mice are one of the most common rodent invaders in the United States. The Deer mouse get’s its name from its appearance. Its color resembles that of a deer with a dark tan back, and white legs and underbelly.

Deer mice are only distantly related to the common house mouse. Although closely resembling other species of mice, the Deer mouse has larger eyes and (often) two-tone coloring, which is typically a darker color over the back; with a white abdomen.

This rodent pest is very agile, and an excellent jumper and runner. Deer mice live in burrows that they make themselves, or occupy the abandoned burrows of other animals. They are active year round and don’t hibernate during the winter months. They do however prepare for winter by putting on body fat and storing seeds. They will eat fungi, fruit and seeds, as well as insects like the grasshopper, the beetle, the leafhopper, and a wide variety of caterpillars.

The Deer mouse is a known carrier of the Hantavirus, Lyme disease and bubonic plague. As such, this rodent pest has become the target of exterminators and homeowners; in the western United States.

Weekly Pest Control News: December 7, 2012

A Pest Control Florida University Recent Study Finds New Facts on Bed Bugs

After being chewed on by a bed bug, the human body can experience low blood volume, anemia, and have incorrect levels of iron and hormones. For a few more scary bed bug facts, click here.

Tips for a Pest-Free Holiday!

For a few things you can do to ensure your festivities are free from holiday hitchhikers, click here.

How To Inspect For Bed Bugs

Many of us will be traveling for the upcoming holidays, and fear bringing bed bugs home. Knowing what the signs of a bed bug infestation are will increase your chances of preventing a large-scale infestation from occurring. The sooner you notice the signs the faster you can call for help. More… 

School Yards Need Bird Pest Control

School custodians and University maintenance teams have their work cut out for them. Not only is there destruction from students and trash to pick up, but there are buildings to protect. Pest birds are a large problem in schools. More… 

The Twelve Pests Of Christmas

Click here for the Twelve Pests of Christmas, set to the classic Christmas carol.

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Walnuts have been called a super food before, but Are you Forgetting something?

Super Food attributed to Fighting Flu and Increasing Memory and Learning... in mice.

Better down a couple more of these Scooby Snacks. According to the report given on July 10, 2010 at the International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease (ICAD) in New York, mice that eat walnuts are showing results that suggest walnuts could improve brain function. The research however is only being carried out on mice. (Thus the reason your pest control guy found it first) Mice that included walnuts in their diet showed “significant improvement in learning, memory, emotional regulation and motor coordination compared to the mice with no walnuts in their diet.” However, we cannot conclude that it will have the same results in humans, until we have had further studies.

Read Full Article Here

But don’t be shy in trying this out.  The Walnuts possess many other Super Food attributes.  The are high in antioxidants, with a good dose of healthy fatty acids, and a sprinkle of copper.  According to one super food diet you should grab a handful of these nuts each and every day!

How many should I eat per day?
Grab your nutcracker and eat six.

http://lilypink.wordpress.com/2010/01/18/superfoods-diet/

_

Bulwark Exterminating is happy to endorse the walnut. All Natural, totally nutty, and wrapped in a lot of potential.  That’s a pretty big package for one small nut.

…And you may want to reconsider using walnuts in your mouse traps.  You’d only be helping your enemy get smarter.

I was lucky enough one day to receive this phone call from a customer complaining about rats and mice.  She wasn’t sure if they were rats or mice, but nevertheless, it was quite comical. She wanted to know all about our service and how we treated for them. I told her the technician would put out glueboards and mouse/rat traps. She seemed very upset, I asked her what was wrong, she said she didn’t want to kill the rats or mice, she just wanted us to move them to a different location. I couldn’t help but laugh, however, I laughed to myself.  I spoke briefly with a manager to see if there was anyway to catch them without hurting them, but the answer was no, which I already knew, but it doesn’t hurt to ask, I got back on the phone with her and told her we don’t offer that kind of service.

I told her not to look at the glueboards or look in the traps, but to call us and we would send a technician out there to check them for her. She seemed okay with that and we sent a technician out to check out her rat/mouse problem, which she definitely had. She has not called to complain since that phone call… I was glad to help in anyway I could.  Hopefully her problem is that of the past.

Jill Booker

Las Vegas

I was in San Antonio Texas to do my Thursday termite route. I went to a customer’s house at 10 am to do his free termite inspection. I rang his doorbell and proceeded to ID myself as Randy with Bulwark Exterminating and that I was there to do his free termite inspection. He asked me where I was going to start and I told him I would do the outside then come back and do the Interior.  He asked me if I brought a ladder because the home didn’t have a pulldown and that’s where he was hearing a chewing sound coming from. I told him I did indeed have a ladder and I would bring it when I was coming inside. The home was a two year old two story, xx home. I drew a diagram of the outside as I inspected it. After I finished I knocked and then went inside. I inspected the inside and then went into the attic to see I what he was hearing.

I climbed into the attic with my flashlight and could see a lot of mouse droppings but no termites. I climbed down and went to find the customer. He asked me if I found anything and I told him I had good and bad news.  What’s the good news he asked. I told him, you have mice in your attic not termites. He said that’s great, what’s the bad news. I told him” You don’t have any Insulation in your attic.”

He said “You have to be kidding me.”

“I’m being 100 % honest,” was my reply.

He climbed up the ladder and looked around with my Flashlight.  “Someone stole my insulation out of my attic!” he exclaimed very loudly as he came dome. “How am I supposed to pay to fix this?”, he said to himself.

I informed him that since there wasn’t a trace of insulation in the attic that it most likely was never done. He said “But they have inspectors to check that.”

I agreed with him and told him “Sadly, it must have been missed.” I suggested that he call the xx office in the subdivision (they were still building in the neighborhood) and tell them about it. He called and they told him all homes were insulated when they were built and that if his was missed then they would insulate it and set up a time for their inspector to come look at it. The customer told me that his electric bill was always really high and he couldn’t understand why but now he knows why,… thanks to some mice.

He was a happy man when I Left.

Randy Schulle

San Antonio, TX