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What do you know about ticks?

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In Arizona we run into ticks very often, they are commonly found on dogs, cats, pets and the abundant wildlife we have in the desert. A common way for them to migrate is on the wildlife, such as Ground Squirrels, rodents or even birds which might visit your yard and the tick(s) might actually fall off.

With Bed Bugs becoming more of an issue these days it is extremely important to know what they both look like. So before thinking you have Bed Bugs identify and then plan your attack strategy.

Keep the grass trimmed and keep bushes and trees away from the house.
Keep an eye out for your pets and if you locate a tick remove it correctly.
If you see rodents, take care of them immediately.
Ticks will enter your home so sometimes it is necassary to use pesticides – call a Pest Management Professional for any help in this matter.

How about a kids trip in Arizona for BUGS?

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First off I don’t like promoting someone else especially in my own backyard but I must. ORKIN – you know them as the BIG boys of pest control have created a roving bug exhibit. They have a bigger budget than I do, so if you want to see a smaller exhibit you will have to stop by ProBest in Gilbert for that. Now I haven’t seen this exhibit yet, but it is on my agenda of must see!

Orkin’s Summer Pestology on exhibit at Arizona Science Center from now until September 9, 2013.

Beware the Bite, how mosquitoes can be a real problem?

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They bite and cause all sorts of disease so what can you do to prevent problems? This man in Arkansas “Bitten by Bugs: man becomes part of scary WNV statistic”. I’m amazed constantly about people wanting to ban all pesticides, we just need to be cautious and use them in a manner consistent to their labeling.

Here in Arizona I see issues with ticks, bed bugs, assassin bugs and mosquitoes, so what can we do for mosquitoes?

Be Aware of stagnant pools in your area.
If the water doesn’t move it can get mosquitoes, so check areas like flower vases or drainage areas.
Shut your doors and screen your windows.
If you have areas that dry out but occasionally fill with water and it is difficult to treat, use mosquito dunks – the only product with BTI, a bacteria toxic only to mosquito larvae, that lasts 30 days and treats 100 square feet of surface water. The best time to treat for msoquitoes is when they are the water.
Where repellent when outside and/or dress accordingly.

Why is a termite inspection important?

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Termites are one of those things that I’ll bet most people don’t ever think about. Over 5 billion dollars are spent on damage every year, so I think it is important. The Office of Pest Management offers this article on termites and Wood-Destroying Insect Inspection Report here in Arizona. If I was spending my hard earned money, I think I would like an opinion about something I may or may not know much about.

Thanks to Univar Environmental Solutions for the picture.

What was my favorite Scout Merit Badge?

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I’ll bet you are going to answer Insect Study? Well it actually wasn’t that one but First Aid to Animals.

The main reason is that it wasn’t created until 1985 and I received my Eagle Scout award in 1971. I especially enjoyed hanging out with the Veterinarian, we went on rural farm calls and he gave me a chance to check out a pregnant cow. I learned a great deal and had an awesome time for several months one summer.

So what Merit Badge was your favorite?

I do teach a few Merit Badges at our office in Gilbert, AZ. They include Insect Study and Reptile Study. So if you are interested please feel free to contact my office 602-249-7378 or 623-414-0176.

When you need a Professional Speaker on bugs, who do you call?

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From the age of probably 15 I knew I didn’t have a problem speaking to any crowd. My first taste of this type of endeavor was a public speaking contest with The American Legion and my talk was about conservation. While only placing 3rd with the state, I thought I had done a pretty commendable job.

Really enjoying a topic as I do bugs, makes it easy and I can most of the time discuss just about any bug out there. If I don’t know the answer I can always find out and get back to the person asking. I had a chance to work for a Chemical Manufacturing company and had the opportunity to speak in many different countries about my knowledge of the bugs we encounter here in the State’s. My largest group was approximately 500 people.

This last week I spoke to a group on “Biting and Stinging Pest” here in Arizona. We live with bugs everyday, I heard once that we are within 5 feet of a bug every minute of our lives. Scary isn’t it?

Are you a Realtor or Broker, how about a Property Manager and could you use some additional knowledge about insects? I think all of us could use a little more knowledge and should continue to learn until we check out. Do you know what to do if you encounter Africanized Honeybees or Bed Bugs?

Call ProBest Pest Management for an appointment 602-249-7378 or 623-414-0176.

Diseases are all around us, what can you do to prevent them?

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New cases of things that you probably thought were gone rebound from time to time. California has recently issued a notice about Bubonic Plague from the Sacramento Bee by Bill Lindelof “El Dorado warns of plague danger, urges avoidance of rodents“.

Every once in awhile we run across Hanta Virus or the Plague here in Arizona, the risk is really an issue in places where deer mice or rodents are on the run.

So what do you do?

Seal up holes in you home, don’t let the rodents in.
Check your home monthly for issues.
If you notice rodent droppings, use care in cleaning them up and try to figure out how they are getting in.
Don’t allow trees to touch your home, it makes a great highway for all type of things.
Don’t store stuff against the outside of the home.
If you have a cabin, use care in cleaning up – dust and urine can become airborne and can carry all sorts of stuff.

Picture provided by Univar

Are termites on the prowl around your home?

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Subterranean Termite Tube

Termites are always on the lookout for water and some sort of wood, so they can eat. In Arizona inspect your home especially in the monsoon season when the rains come. The more irrigation or water increases your chances that you will see termites. They build these little tubes or tunnels to go from the ground up into your home.

About the only way sure way to control these termites is by placing a pesticide barrier between them and the wood, often this means hiring a Pest Management Professional. You need a complete exterior treatment and I suggest Termidor or Transport.

The blame game continues…

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For some time now, the crisis concerning honeybees as been on the forefront of most news agencies and the internet. The concern has been blamed on cell phones, parasites to pesticides and now the EU has decided to ban 3 new pesticides. “EU bans pesticides that ahrm bees“.

“The insecticides — imidacloprid and clothianidin produced by Bayer, and thiamethoxam by Syngenta — are used to treat seeds and are applied to the soil or sprayed on bee-attractive plants and cereals.”

“”Pesticides have been identified as one of several factors which may be responsible for the decline in number of bees.”

Frankly I don’t know the cause, I’m concerned on several different levels – #1. in Arizona we have Africanized bees and you really don’t know until you investigate and sometimes not even then until they become aggressive and #2. Bees pollinate up to 80% of our food products and without them there would be serious problems. So before we ban pesticides lets please do some quick research to really get to the bottom of this potential life threatening issue – to all of us.

Do you think Bed Bugs can infest your car?

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One of the many things that we offer to residents in Arizona is that your car will probably be hot enough to kill Bed Bugs. We definitely don’t want you leaving pets in your car because temperatures can reach 150 to 200 degrees without a lot of effort here in sunny Arizona. Temperatures can easily exceed 50 degrees from the outside temperatures depending if you actually locate a cactus to park under. OK that is actually a joke but if you live here you try to find shade anywhere you can. Temperatures above approximately 113 – 120 degrees should be hot enough to kill these little biters.

This story appeared in MYFox9.com Minneapolis-St. Paul “Bed Bugs in your car? It’s a real problem“.