Keith

Gotcha – one of those ah ha moments, what do you think?

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Just when you thought you had heard every story in the book, I have a new one for you. The office staff in the United Kingdom thought there was a dead pigeon or something stinking up the place. So like any responsible person they called in a Pest Company to check their chimney. Ohhhhhh nooooooo – what do you think they found, yep a burglar had tried to get in and got stuck and died. “Pest Control man called called in to check stench in offices found dead burglar wedged in chimney“.

I’ll bet that will be a story to pass along to the Grand-kids, Guess what I found in a chimney once? No not Santa Claus but a burglar….

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Photo’s from the public and more…

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Probestpestmanagement474      probestIMAG0581

Eyed Click Beetle                                               Princess pretending to be a tree branch.

 

What does a headline really mean?

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I ran across  a story the other day “Crazy ants that destroy computers are immune to insecticide“. The article is well written but I just don’t like the headline. Ants can be difficult to control but we have many tools in our arsenal. Sometimes we try to control the ants we see walking around and sometimes we can use products such as Termidor to go after them, but it is vitally important to get them all and that is the biggest challenge. Ants that might forage within a house or even outside can be controlled by using baits, but they must take the bait and bring it into their home.

There are many active formulations on the market and to be immune from them all is highly unlikely. Invict Blitz Ant Granules might serve the bill. I would like to see a better title maybe like this one –  Crazy ants that destroy computers and electrical equipment are very difficult to control and eliminate. On a side note I’m probably worse at titles so who am I to complain, right?

I think I wrote an article years ago about some Crazy ants at the Jacksonville Zoo, (Bugs on the , what’s it all about….) check out his article.

Andy Patrizio is a freelance technology writer based in Orange County, California. He’s written for a variety of publications, ranging from Tom’s Guide to Wired to Dr. Dobbs Journal, and has been on staff at IT publications like InternetNews, PC Week and InformationWeek..

 

Just another house in flames, as homeowner attempts to rid home of Bed Bugs.

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A New Jersey homeowner used a combination of a space heater, hair dryer and a heat gun to get rid of the Bed Bugs BUT that set-up caused an explosion and BOOOOOOM. Please use caution and common sense in dealing with Bed Bugs. Please check out our website and the National Pest Management Association for helpful tips and the way to contact a Pest Management Professional near you.

 

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Yep, those cockroaches learn another trick to stay alive!

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Most of us learned in our early years that cockroaches would survive a nuclear attack, I know its hard to believe but they have adapted well to us and our ways.

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Well it appears that they have learned to avoid some of the sweet baits, which we (Pest Industry) may be using. “Wily Cockroaches Find Another Survival Trick: Laying Off the Sweets” By James Gorman – The New York Times – Science section.

One thing I didn’t notice with the research was that in certain time periods cockroaches prefer different food like proteins and will readily avoid anything sweet. So I think the research will continue and will continue to offer us new products to keep roaches at bay.
 

 

What is “Community Emergency Response (CERT) Program”

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The City of Chandler Fire Department’s response was to establish a local Community Emergency Response (CERT) Program as part of the City’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and local homeland security response. Our program is nationally recognized and is one the premier programs in the valley.

The Chandler CERT program’s mission is to ensure that disaster preparedness education and information is made available to the residents of Chandler through training and community outreach programs. Our purpose is to increase the knowledge and preparedness of Chandler’s residents by teaching them how to deal with natural or man-made disasters up to 72 hours or until help arrives to assist them.

 

So your asking yourself, why is Dr. Bug talking about this group? Well I’m glad you asked. This week I gave them training on “Things that bite or sting, or are just plain creepy”. I applaud a group that thinks outside the box, but as a Firefighter or Volunteer you don’t what to get injured or bring things home with you.

So my hat’s off to them for attending the class and as always I’m here to share what I know about bugs.

Cockroaches: An Asthmatic’s Worst Enemy.

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Cockroach. Just the word is enough to send a shiver down anyone’s spine, and it’s no mystery why. Besides being unpleasant to look at, these creepy critters readily transmit disease, produce offensive odors, and trigger severe allergic reactions. Plus, they’re everywhere – according to the National Institutes of Health, detectable levels of cockroach allergens can be found in at least one location in 63% of all US homes.

For asthma sufferers, this is especially problematic – exposure to the insects can aggravate symptoms, trigger asthma attacks, and make life miserable. The link between cockroaches and asthma has been extensively studied, and experts agree that they pose a significant risk. Cockroach allergens are found in the feces, saliva, shells and shed body parts of the insects. It may sound strange, but dead roaches pose a greater risk than living ones! That’s because all of the aforementioned toxins readily diffuse into the air, and into your lungs – even if you’re not spotting the bugs on a daily basis, you still might be exposing yourself to the allergic culprits without knowing it.

Unfortunately (and ironically), the chemicals used to eradicate roaches can exacerbate asthma just as much as the pests themselves. Luckily, there are plenty of steps you can take to make your home a roach-proof, less-triggering place – without all the nasty chemicals. Read on to learn about how to kick the creepers to the curb for good, and get relief from the asthmatic complications they cause.

1.      Don’t Let Them Get a Free Meal – Cockroaches will eat anything – crumbs from last night’s pot pie, stale dog food, and even the glue from book bindings! Obviously, you shouldn’t burn all your books, but you should restrict their access to food. Keep your kitchen clean – clean up crumbs and spills, make sure food is kept in tightly-sealed bags or containers, don’t leave pet chow in Fido’s bowl overnight, and take out the trash regularly.

2.       Keep it Sealed – If there’s food and moisture in your abode, chances are that roaches will want in – but if you don’t provide any entrances, they’ll be out of luck. Carefully examine your home for cracks in the walls, ceilings, and floors; the openings around pipes are also common entryways. Close up any crevasses with a caulking gun, and make sure to fix leaky pipes or faucets – cockroaches are attracted to water.

3.       Get Rid of the Grease – Grease and grime are irresistible to cockroaches, and the longer you go without cleaning your counter-tops, drains, ovens, and vents, the greater the risk of unwelcome visitors. Don’t give in to the temptation of leaving your dirty dishes to sit in the sink overnight, and clean vents, counter-tops, and drains often.

4.       Vacuum. It’s not so much the roaches themselves that causes problems for asthmatics – it’s the microscopic particles they leave behind. Once you’ve made strides in roach-proofing your home, it’s important to tackle the debris. Vacuum your floors frequently, wipe down furniture with a wet washcloth, and consider investing in an air purifier to improve air circulation.

5.       If all else fails, call a professional. Tackling a roach infestation takes a massive amount of time and energy, and it may be weeks or even months before your condition starts to improve. If you’re still having problems, reach out to a pest control company – but do some background research beforehand to see if they may offer low-toxicity, environmentally-friendly  treatment methods. Do NOT try and take matters into your own hands with harmful chemicals – they will only make symptoms worse!

 

Cockroaches have been creeping around longer than mankind’s entire existence – hundreds of millions of years longer, to be exact – but that longevity need not translate into misery. By taking preventative measures against these meddlesome insects, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from asthma attacks and other pulmonary troubles.

Zoe Camp is an avid home sealing for http://www.justnebulizers.com and a student at Columbia University who spends her time researching and writing about health care, specifically pulmonary health issues. She hates cockroaches as much as you do.

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Photo courtesy Univar

Which is worse – bite of spider or sting of a scorpion?

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I know you really want a straight up answer but nothing is ever so simple. It depends on the spider and scorpion: basic facts

  • Both are venomous, they inject venom.
  • Just like a bee sting – you could be allergic and die from just one bite or sting.
  • Emperor scorpions – the ones they sell in pet stores, if they stung you it would be like a bee sting – again unless you’re allergic.
  • Tarantula – even though they can be huge and scary, probably wouldn’t kill you. (Just for the record, if one got that close to me – that in itself could kill me).
  • As I said lets do a little comparison – Black Widow spider versus Bark Scorpion. On average, four people in the U.S. die every year from spider bites and none of those deaths are caused by black widow spiders.Symptoms include  five days of pain, muscle cramping, night sweats,  incoherence and unusual delirium. There was a case in Colorado in 2011 where someone was possibly bitten by a black widow 19 times and died, but the coronor ruled it natural causes.
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