Pest Control and Bug Exterminator Blog

Are your pests under control?

Pest control is any process or method used to “control pests”. The once popular terms of exterminator and extermination have become the softer more gentle term of pest control.  Perhaps to become more socially acceptable, but the new term is more accurate.  Exterminating ants in their entirety is not likely.  Controlling ants is achievable.  Keeping pests out of a home with regular pest control service is attainable.  Keeping bugs from infesting a structure is do-able.  Exterminating every roach in the city is not realistic.

History of Pest Control -

Some believe that pest control has its roots in agriculture. (Pun intended) Humans need to keep crops free from pests. Insects can destroy crops. Herbivores will clear the farmer’s field. In order to maximize food production, pest control was implemented to protect the harvest from ants, crickets, moths, grasshoppers, rats, mice, gophers, rabbits, beetles, and the list can go on. But pest control, probably goes back to before agriculture.  A hunter would still need to protect his food from vermin.  Storing food in a sack hanging from a tree to keep raccoon, coyotes, or other prehistoric pests from eating your dinner would be a pest control method.  But at the core, I still believe that man has never wanted to cohabitate with creepy crawling things like spiders, roaches, and scorpions.  So beyond the need to control pests there is simply a desire to live without pests.

Pest Control:

Preventive measures to fortify an area against potential unwanted species .

Ideology of Pest Control Methods

While a majority of people may not want to live with pests, I also believe that most don’t wish total annihilation of the insect kingdom.  Bugs are an essential part of the food chain, and the break down, consumption, and recycling of matter in general.  Eliminating all pests from the world may seem ideal for some, but the re-percussions of such a mass extermination may destroy the world all together. So pest control methods today are used to protect specific areas with an attempt to limit the effects to the target pests.  Others believe the most ideal form of pest control is that of “making your home less desirable to the pests.” They propose that keeping a home clean and  minimizing the potential for providing food and water for pests will keep pests from wanting to invade your home. Unfortunately certain pests will eat just about anything.  Roaches are not picky eaters. A roach will make human hair, fingernails and toenails their staple food if needs be. Little Black Ants survive on plants, so any interior plant make an inviting meal. Termites eat wood. Crickets eat cotton, silk, and wool. Silverfish and firebrats consume glue, wallpaper paste, bookbindings, paper, and photographs. Lice, fleas, and ticks are pests that live on mammals. Human homes are pretty inviting to pests.

Pesticides have been developed to provide structures a force field made of products that are engineered to target pests, not mammals. Pest control products today are checked and tested by the EPA. Strict requirements most be meet in order for a pest control product to be labeled for general use. EcoSmart products are designed to break down over time, to have low impact on the environment.

So if you’d like a pest-free environment, cleaning your home is a good step, but ultimately it won’t be enough once bugs have found your home. Further, once an ant has scouted out a new food source and brought in the ant cavalry, those marked marching lines will remain for up to year. Regular pest control service is intended to prevent pests from infesting a given area. Pest control emergencies can be avoid if homeowners would maintain a bulwark around their home that protects them and wards off insect intruders.  Do-it-yourself pest control methods can be implemented successfully if the individual is consistent and persistent in their treatments. But certain pests will require more.

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Michael Gurevitz has been featured in a number of recent news reports for his research into practical and useful uses of scorpion venom. His research has found varying types of venom and varying effects based upon the chemical proprieties of the venom. Documenting and researching these properties has further proven that some toxins can target specific mammalian channels, and others will attack insect channels that are non existent in mammals, i.e. humans. But Michael hopes to take this information to a whole new level by identifying how these toxin interact with sodium channels, which make up mammal and insect nervous systems.  That information could lead to a pesticide based on scorpion venom and a morphine like medicine based on scorpion venom. But what are benefits of using scorpion venom and are there possible cons?

On the subject of venom toxins Raymond St. Leger, an entomologist at the University of Maryland, states that they are “a resource with almost limitless potential,…But you need a way of getting them into the insect.” Herein lies one problem. Genetically altering a plant to produce a similar compound to the scorpion venom will be useless as a pest control technique if ingesting the plant and its newly acquired compound does nothing to the pest because it is ingested rather than stung/injected into the blood stream. Exterminators that will hunt and manually inject the compound are going to hard to find. Clearly this is not the intent. The objective is to develop a pesticide that will be absorbed through an insect’s exoskeleton. The pest control products need to penetrate into the insects and attack their nervous systems, leading to paralysis and death. Determining the venom’s effective life span and how long it will take to be absorbed will determine the success of this natural alternative.  In order for a pesticide to be effective it must have a decent residual, something many natural products lack.

Individuals must further investigate the human health effects of occupational exposure. What dangers do these bio-pesticides and bio-insecticides poise with frequent and regular use to the applicators? What danger does this put on those that milk the scorpion’s venom? Adam Seever, put it this way, “I know it may seem backwards, but I don’t focus on how the products we use will effect my customers. I focus on whether they are safe for my technicians to use on a day in and day out bases. If my techs are safe then the customers will be safe as well.” On a pound per pound base is the scorpion venom more or less toxic then your average pest control product? Lastly, the most severe problems that occurs with products and even with scorpion toxins are caused by a mammals allergic reaction to the products. This varies on a case by case base, but one must wonder if this reaction would be higher in a pyrethrin based product or a scorpion based product.

The response that Michael Gurevite gave us on the potential allergy’s and dangers of the scorpion venom is as follows:

“In the venom of scorpions of the Buthidae family, to which the Israeli yellow scorpion belongs, one can find a large variety of peptide toxins that affect ion channels. We work on those that affect sodium channel. Among these toxins there are different classes divided according to their pharmacological effects (alpha and beta), and further divided to groups by their ability to compete for the same receptor site, and their activity toward mammals and insects. Some of the toxins would be active against practically all animals, some show preference for mammalian channels, and some are anti-insect selective. All these differences in activity and preference are those that interest us at the molecular/structural level.

The desert bark scorpions belong also to the family Buthidae, the most common is Centruroides sculpturatus in Southern US and Mexico. Their venom contains mostly toxins of the beta class that affect mammals and insects. We work on toxins of both the alpha and beta classes.”

Hopefully Michael’s research pays off. It is very fascinating that he is documenting these effects and classifying them on a molecular level to the point that he can determine a “alpha” or “beta” class. This will in no doubt be beneficial in developing more pest solutions that will only effect insects and not humans. Or taking that one step further, that can target specific insect species.

And yes there is a sinister side of this in that we could use the scorpion’s sting against itself. Imagine the novel title now, “Scorpion’s recruited for Scorpion Control.” And homeowners that deal with scorpions would welcome the opportunity to use an effective scorpion insecticide against scorpion infestations in Phoenix, Austin, and Las Vegas. Especially using their closely related Buthidae family members for Scottsdale scorpion extermination.

There is also a potential that the research could lead to a scorpion based “morphine”, or other scorpion related health care products. Scorpion venom has even been tested in fighting off cancer. Could it be possible that a pesticide and a cancer “fighting” agent could use the same chemical makeup? Perhaps some day sooner than you think.

What are your thoughts on scorpion venom being used in pest control products?

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Scorpions are particularly active this time of year.  Why?  Because it is mating season and birthing season.  Luckily scorpions only give birth once a year.  Unlucky that they can give birth to over 100 baby scorpions!  And as interesting as it might be to see all of those baby scorpions hitching a ride on the mama scorpion’s back, you certainly don’t want that mother load entering your home and dropping off her little spawns all over your house!

Mother Scorpion with baby scorpions on back. Scorpions are unique among pests because scorpions give live birth. They do not lay eggs like most. Instead the mother births the live babies and then carries them on her back until they are mature enough to fend for themselves.

Scare tactic? Yes, but it the truth!

Just read the following email:

I’ve had a major issue with scorpions this past couple months. Been in my house for 5 years and this is the first time I’ve seen any scorpions. Am currently using ****Competitor****’s pest defense but haven’t seen any improvement. Maybe looking to change companies. I’ve been fighting them myself with a blacklight at night. I tend to kill about 1-2 a night and have also killed a mother with babies on its back. Needing some peace of mind since I have 2 small children.

Charles – Mesa, AZ

Charles has every right to be concerned.  Scorpions can be very dangerous, especially to small children as their bodies may not be able to metabolize the scorpion venom.

This cry for help was sent to us yesterday:

I am tired of dealing with these creepy crawlers.I live in a apartment and we have reported our several incidents to our front office they have sent their own pest control company but they have done a poor job even after their second visit in a three week span we still continue to kill scorpions around our house. I am in desperate need of some relief!

Arturo – Phoenix, AZ

And Niki from Las Vegas wrote the following:

Hello, We are finding very lively scorpions in our home almost on a daily basis. I believe them to be the bark scorpion. We have had a regular exterminator and I have advised him of the problem but what he is doing does not seem to work. Do you have a solution?? I am finding very small babies now which I don’t think is a good sign. thank you.

Niki – Las Vegas, NV

Is there a pest control solution to scorpion problems?

We believe that there is a pest control solution available for scorpion problems.  After many hours and treating over 20,000 scorpion infested homes across the US, we have developed scorpion control. That’s right, its not a pest control solution its a scorpion control solution.  When you’ve got scorpions search for scorpion control service.

Learn more about SCORPION CONTROL.

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2009 will be a Bad Scorpion Year.

Recent reports in Phoenix indicate a rise in scorpions stings being reported to the local health facilities.  Online traffic to scorpion related pest control sites, like Austin Scorpion Control.com and Las Vegas Scropion Control. com have seen a large increase in visitors.  And local pest control companies in Las Vegas, and Phoenix confirm that scorpion calls are up.  All signs point to a bad scorpion year.

What’s the cause?

Scorpion sitings and stings are likely on the rise due to colder wetter weather.  The wetter weather produces more vegetation, more pests, and in turn more food for scorpions.  Scorpions are arachnids and like spiders they feed on other insects. So when the insect population booms, so does the scorpion population.  The reason a colder winter generates more scorpions stings and calls is because the scorpions are heading indoors.  Scorpions can go inactive for the winter, but if the weather changes from cold to warm and back to cold, or if the ground freezes early, then the scorpions that have not gone inactive or the inactive scorpions that become active again with the changes, immediately look to find better warmer harborage.  And what better place to find constant warm weather then your home?

So the scorpion rise is due to the wetter weather and the general rise in pests.  The scorpion stings and calls are due to more scorpions moving indoors. Most scorpion stings occur indoors.

Can you control scorpions?

That all depends on who you ask.  Many people say you can’t control scorpions.  Many pest control professionals will tell you that in order to get rid of scorpions you have to kill off their food supply, i.e. the other bugs. So what they are saying is that they are only willing to give you a generic pest control treatment and nothing specific to control scorpions.  With that approach they are probablly right in that they can’t really control scorpions.  But some companies believe they can and do control scorpions.  They call it Scorpion Control Science.

Are Scorpion Stings Dangerous?

Scorpion stings can be very dangerous.  The toxins are rarely fatal in humans and for most the sting isn’t much worse then a bee sting.  However, scorpions stings can be fatal to those that have an allergic reaction.  It is estimated by the American Athsmatic society that up to 5% of the population could have an allergic reaction. It is advised that if you experience any severe reactions to the scorpion sting that you call your local poison control for assistance.

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