All posts in “IPM”

What does IPM Integrated Pest Management have to do with Bed Bugs

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IPM or “Integrated Pest Management is a process involving common sense and sound solutions for treating and controlling pests. These solutions incorporate three basic steps: 1) inspection, 2) identification and 3) treatment. Treatment options vary from sealing cracks and removing food and water sources to pesticide treatments when necessary.”

Bed Bugs and you – TIPS

Encasements keep the bed bugs trapped inside the mattress or box springs until they die if missed during the initial treatment.
Prevent bed bugs from hiding inside beds, making an infestation harder to find and treat.
Offers a first line of defense to stop bed bugs, even before they have been detected by you.

Encasements are a valuable tool to homeowners and people who either travel or have guest stopping by often. Encasements will also help to make that mattress or box spring last a little longer.

Photo by PPMA

Bugs are bugs, right?

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Arizona Vegetable IPM Update “Aphid Identification, lettuce dieback, wheat herbicide sensitivity“. By John Palumbo, UA Research Scientist and Extension Specialist. (Western Farm Press) He’s got a point and in the business of bugs a very important point –

This is where the accuracy part comes in. Just because you can find a few winged aphids on produce crops does not mean these species are important to leafy vegetable and cole crops.

Most people call and say I got bugs, and when we ask questions they are hesitant to answer. There is a big difference between American Roaches and German Roaches and really, really important in the treating scheme of things. Yes you can kills bugs with any pesticide generally but you may not solve the problem or you may make it worse. I’ve seen floors covered with Diatomaceous Earth (DE) and still have bed bugs and I’ve seen people use can sprays to kill ants and still have ants. So here are my keys for pest control and they are fairly simple:

Identify the bug
Understand their biology
Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Use the right pesticide if necessary

Did you know about School IPM programs?

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There are a lot of friends and industry members that read and follow my home seal (thank you), so I wanted to be sure to update you on a fellow site that is full of resources. IPM Institute

“Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a prevention-based, highly effective approach proven to reduce pest complaints and pesticide use by up to 90% in schools and other public buildings. IPM practices such as sanitation and exclusion also improve food safety, fire safety and energy conservation.”

Every day, 49 million children attend school in the United States, served by nearly seven million teachers and staff. But they’re not alone. Schools are also frequented by a number of pests including cockroaches, mice, dust mites and more. Asthma is epidemic among children, impacting nearly 6% of school children nationally with rates as high as 25% in urban centers. Cockroaches are potent asthma triggers.

I have said numerous times that it is absolutely important to use care in the delivery of pesticides. I believe so much in that principle – that we hardly ever treat inside homes any longer. With that said I still think there is a place and a necessity for the use of pesticides. Here are a few examples when it might be necessary:

Africanized Honeybees inside the school
Invasion of German roaches (probably from boxes delivered the night before)
Rodent/wildlife loose in school
Bed Bugs

How tight should your home be sealed?

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More and more people and designers of homes are asking this question. The house must be able to breath and allow the flow of some air to go both ways. I work with a company right here in town that deals with Environmental issues daily http://www.csceng.com/ Phone: (480)460-8334

Clark Seif Clark Inc. (CSC), and they have been helping clients deal with complex environmental issues for over 16 years. It is not an easy job. Part of their responsibility is to help protect the health and safety of building occupants.

GREENPRO a part of QualityPro, encourages those firms that seek to demonstrate their commitment to the environment may earn this enhanced certification by meeting additional standards related to risk reduction in pest management. As a pest management provider, GreenPro gives you the opportunity to prove your credentials to customers that are looking for a truly integrated pest management approach to reduce and eliminate their problem.

As a member of GREENPRO we also participate with EPA Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP), “Healthy Housing“,
Green Restaurant Association and USGBC LEED Building Certification.

Home- sealing if done correctly can keep those little bugs and critters out of your home. Even restaurants can be sealed to prevent infestations from becoming an all out issue. Businesses can also receive a better review for using GREEN products and services.

Stay tuned for an article next week from Clark Seif Clark on issues relating to how tight should a home be sealed and other great information. * On a side note he mentioned storing products in a garage and when a a/c units come in, does it suck the fumes into the house through door seals etc.

What are some ways to discourage insects trying to enter your home?

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What are some ways to discourage insects trying to enter your home?

One of the things that Pest Management Professionals try to utilize are IPM or Integrated Pest Management techniques. These basic ideas include using non-chemical methods to reduce the bug population around your home.

This can be as simple as removing firewood from close to your home to maybe next to a block wall and making sure its not directly on the ground.
Trimming trees to prevent ants and other crawling pests from just walking right on it.
Using yellow lighting or sodium vapor lights on structures or businesses will help to reduce flying insects.
Keeping stone or dirt away from the stucco of your home so you can clearly see the foundation.
Sealing up any cracks and crevices where bugs love to hide, this may include those block wall bump-outs.
Keep trash cans away from doors where people come and go often.
Check your property often and stay ahead of the insects.

If you store lots of firewood a device like this can keep it off the ground and you can always cover it with a tarp.

How to get ready for the Spring bug season?

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How to get ready for the Spring bug season?

The more feeder bugs could equal more scorpions or spiders on your property and eventually inside your home, pest control is important.
Check your home for cracks and crevices where bugs and rodents try to get in.
Don’t store stuff around the foundation of your home.
If you do have firewood, store it on something and away from the house.
Check your storage areas for pests.
Don’t over water things, to much water may kill plants and encourage more bug activity.

As always if you become overwhelmed don’t let it go and hope for the best. Call a Pest Management Professional who can either give you advice or give you a hand. A great site for information on seeking a Professional is http://www.pestworld.org

Is your building pest-proof? San Francisco sets standards.

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Is your building pest-proof? San Francisco sets standards.

First-ever national guidelines published on designing buildings to prevent pests.

“The standard definition of ‘green building’ has mostly included considerations around location, energy use and recycling materials,” said Melanie Nutter, Director of the San Francisco Department of the Environment. “

The Pest Industry has over the years recommended (IPM) Integrated Pest Management now the City of San Francisco steps up to do the right thing. United States Green Building Council (USGBC) updates LEEDS Standards 2/29/2012 home seal and What’s all the fuss about pest control and IPM? 5/16/2012 PESP

Good job and kudo’s to the City of San Francisco…

ProBest Pest Management has GREEN options available.

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GreenPeople.org is the world’s largest online directory of green, eco-friendly, and holistic goods and services, non-profit organizations and eco-events, serving consumers since 1998.

GreenPeople Directory businesses are reviewed against stringent stringent eco-criteria, examining ingredients, supply sources, organic or other certifications, and the effect the product or service has on the environment. We weed out toxic, or ‘greenwashed’ products or services, resulting in a trusted directory of 20,000 members and growing.

Protect Your Family.
Preserve the Planet.
Eco-Effective Pest Control.

As individuals across the world make great strides to preserve our planet and increase consumer awareness for environmentally responsible initiatives, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) is excited to offer the world’s largest and most credible green certification program for pest management professionals – GreenPro.

The GreenPro certification means that your pest management provider must comply with a multitude of qualifications to ensure that you receive a safe and effective service each time they arrive at your door.

Established in 1994, the Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP) is an EPA partnership program that works with the nation’s pesticide-user community to promote Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices.

ProBest Pest Management Gold membership is reserved for PESP’s outstanding environmental stewards. These members’ demonstrated commitment to pesticide risk reduction makes them models for other PESP members. Gold members may develop an IPM strategy, demonstrate significant and sustained progress in reducing pesticide risks, and independently measure the progress of their IPM implementation.

It’s us versus them, what an I talking about?

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It’s us versus them, what an I talking about?

You know the old adage, “you get what you pay for.” I quoted a termite job this week at $795 and they had a bid for $315 – why the BIG difference.

I was quoting a Premium Termiticide not just some cheap crap!
There is no one that does a better quality job than ProBest!
ProBest belongs to several higher standards – ie; QualityPro (QualityPro Schools, QualityPro Food Protection and QualityPro – GreenPro. ProBest is also an industry member of the National Pest Management Association and Arizona Pest Professional Organization. ProBest also is a member of the Better Business Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce of Gilbert. ProBest also has reviews all over the web, Kudzu, MerchantCircle and Manta. We also have background checked all employees yearly since 2008 through Crime Free Circle – providing you with peace of mind.
No person or company is perfect but we put ourselves out there to prove and help you make an intelligent opinion about our service. We may make mistakes but we endeavor to make it right.

United States Green Building Council (USGBC) updates LEEDS Standards

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United States Green Building Council (USGBC) updates LEEDS Standards

LEED is now in the process of developing it’s 2012 revisions to the standards and will publish their 3^rd draft revision shortly.

LEED has also accepted in their latest draft a provision for companies who have earned the GreenPro designation, allowing them to automatically qualify for LEED points as long as a GreenPro service is provided.

ProBest Pest Management Earns EPA’s PESP Gold Level Designation

Altriset is a new reduced-risk non-repellent termiticide that provides excellent control of subterranean termites with minimal impact on the environment.

All posts in “IPM”

Is your building pest-proof? San Francisco sets standards.

“The standard definition of ‘green building’ has mostly included considerations around location, energy use and recycling materials,” said Melanie Nutter, Director of the San Francisco Department of the Environment. “

Protect Your Family. Preserve the Planet. Eco-Effective Pest Control.

Protect Your Family.
Preserve the Planet.
Eco-Effective Pest Control.