All posts in “pests”

Did you know that rodent teeth continue to grow?

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This story is from Grant County, Washington and just highlights the need to understand rodents. I have on occasion had people tell me “I don’t care if I have rodents or birds in my attic”. “I don’t care if they are under my crawlspace, they are not bothering me”. Well maybe not today but how about tomorrow? What happens when they leave, what parasites do they leave behind? What damage can be done to the structure? “911 outage in Grant County possible caused by rodents”

  1. Rodents incisor teeth continue to grow and they need to keep them in check.
  2. Fleas, ticks and other critters make their homes in the nest or on the bodies of wildlife.
  3. Animals/wildlife seek shelter within our homes but it is very important to keep them out. They produce feces, urine and other bodily secretions daily – you don’t want or need them in your home.
  4. Mice urinate almost continuously, if this becomes airborne you have the chance to breath it in. This is how Hanta Virus is spread.

Home-sealing is a key to keeping them out.

StormShield

Are bats using their friends to search for food?

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“Bats eavesdrop on each other to find foods”

I have to be honest I think bats are cool, I was out on a trip into the desert many years ago. We were actually on a trip to find some tarantula’s and scorpions and the bats were enjoying the early evening hours. There were many bats and I noticed a lot of flying insects we even threw up a shoe to see if they would go after it and they did. (No bats were harmed with the shoe throw)

So just because something looks creepy doesn’t mean that it is. Don’t harm animals, wildlife or snakes. Call a Pest Management Professional to help remove it and relocate it if possible.

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Beware the venomous spiders, DANGER!

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Photo by PPMA

Photo by PPMA

I’m not a big fan of spiders, so when I’m doing work around the outside of my house I always wears gloves. I suggest anytime you do work around the yard, attic, outside or in the garage wear gloves. It’s been a long time that a death has occurred in Arizona but you really don’t need the aggravation or pain of a bite. What do you look for with Black Widow Spiders?

  1. Irregular webbing, sticky.
  2. A spider hanging upside down.
  3. A Black spider with a red hour mark on its belly, or we have the Brown Widow and it has spots sometimes.
  4. They like dark and quiet areas.

Do I really need pest control?

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Each of us have to ask that question and maybe even answer it differently depending on circumstances. What are the question?

  1. How often do I see pests?
  2. What are the pests?
  3. Termites are a different type of treatment, requires a strategy?
  4. Is it a time time event, like bedbugs?
  5. Do you see scorpions or venomous spiders?
  6. Can I keep pest out by doing IPM techniques?

If you live in an area where the pests are dangerous then I suggest contacting a local company and getting their opinion. We have scorpions in Arizona and it is tough to keep them from getting into your home. If I lived in an area where Brown Recluse were active I would have service monthly. Answer those questions above and check out the National Pest Management Association website for details on where to locate a reputable pest control company.

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All of a sudden I have flying things all over my home, what are they?

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This last week a lady dropped by our office and mentioned these flying things all over her home. Unfortunately she didn’t bring in any dead critters, but we asked a few questions and here are my questions and answers.

  1. When did you first spot the bugs? Maybe a week or so ago.
  2. Were they all over or where did it begin? Mainly in the living room.
  3. Near a door? Yes the frontdoor.
  4. It just started getting colder did you bring in any plants? OMG yes I just brought in some plants.

Pest work can be like detective work, ask the right questions and hopefully you get the right and helpful answers. She went home put the plants in the garage and all those flying things simply disappeared. Case solved!  Didn’t even need to use any pesticides, IPM at its finest.

 

 

Great information on Mothballs.

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http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pi254

I’ve always been worried when I hear stories about people throwing them into attics or crawlspaces.

This product can be dangerous and shouldn’t be used without reading and following the label and sds.

Freaky little bug?

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Freaky Creepy bugs, what nightmares are made of:

Freaky is the word. Tailless Whip Scorpion They are nocturnal arachnids found here in Arizona. Most people who do see them are generally freaked out because they look so strange. They look like a flattened spider. They commonly use their long, delicate, whip-like, antenniform front legs as sensory organs to search for prey in the dark. I have seen some with large grasping hook like legs while other appeared to just have grasping legs without the spines. They don’t have stingers and technically they really aren’t spiders but they are in the same Class Arachnida. They have no venom. They do look rather odd but they eat cockroaches and other small insects. Have you seen any at your home?

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Freaky Thanks to Andon for the photo

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