All posts in “AZ”

Fountains and bees

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Water Fountains and bees

Anytime we think we are safe in the water, wait that was the Shark headline. Honeybees need water just like us and they will take it from anywhere they can find it. Water fountains aren’t the perfect place and neither are swimming pools. Swimming pools can be a sting of a place if you surface and the bee tags along she may decide to sting you and ouch.

This circumstance is difficult to adjust, the bees don’t want to move and generally speaking they won’t. I have tried placing a water dish with stones so they can get a drink, gradually moving it away from the other source.

 

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Have you ever seen Termite drop tubes?

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This was just a cool shot, termite drop tube inside the bathroom coming down a window area.

Arizona termites doing their thing.

Seen something like this – call ProBest Pest Management 602-249-7378 or 623-414-0176

Honeybees in your pool?

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Do you have a pool? Just like us, insects and critters need 3 things – water, food and shelter. The problem is that they don’t know the difference between a natural source of water or a swimming hole or fountain.

Here in Arizona there are many crevices from rock or cactus which may allow a swarm to take up residence close to your home. The water of your pool or fountain just becomes handy for them and they will come to your water source. So lets assume you live beside a mountain and there are bees coming there everyday, what do you do? So this becomes a bigger issue because you don’t have any idea where they are and you don’t have permission to deal with them, unless they are on your property.

I have seen people create a separate water device away from the pool, like a fountain or just a container that you replenish daily. This may be enough to pull them away from that water source to that dish or container. But to my knowledge there isn’t much I can do to keep them away from the water.

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pool Photo by PPMA

University of AZ – grant for $250,000 – Part 3

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I have been doing IPM since purchasing ProBest Pest Management in 2005 and this event sparked a thought concerning the old ways of pest control. How many remember when the Bug Guy aka Pest Management Professional sprayed inside baseboards, remember the buildup of wettable powder pesticide. I always thought this wasn’t good, pets and babies play on carpets and floors. The brochure of events brought this home with the following:

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a sensible, environmentally-friendly, and effective way to solve pest problems. Pests are managed by the most economical means and always with the least possible risk to people, property, and the environment.

Why IPM?

  • Common sense – uses simple methods to keep the school clean and maintained to prevent pests. Understand the pests and make them unwelcome.
  • More effective – uses multiple methods focusing on remedying the reasons why pests are there in the first place. Provides long-term solutions to many pest problems.
  • Lowers risk – reduces potential exposure to pests and pesticides.
  • Cost effective – pesticides are used only when needed. Many IPM tactics have long-term benefits.

University of AZ – grant for $250,000 – Part 2

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 How to do IPM?

  • Identify pests: not all creatures are pests. Proper identification helps you decide what to do about them.
  • Keep records: records give information about past pest problems, so you know when and where to look for them and what to do.
  • Keep pest away: maintain cleanness and deny food, water and shelter.
  • Non-chemical methods: managed pests by setting barriers, trapping, physical removal (by hand, vacuuming) or changing physical conditions (e.g. moisture, aeration) to make an area unfavorable for pests.
  • Use pesticides as the last resort: use least hazardous pesticides or application methods (self-contained baits, gels used as crack-and-crevice treatments, and exempt from U.S. EPA registration-25B). Use only if pests continue to be present and other methods are insufficient to manage the infestation. Regularly scheduled pesticide sprays are usually not necessary.

University of AZ – grant for $250,000 – Part 1

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whatisipm

 

I recently attended the EPA Big Check event at the Metro Tech High School in Phoenix to witness the grant of $250,000 to the University of Arizona. I recently home sealing “IPM – the way of the future, why don’t schools get this?“and again want to emphasize the benefits of IPM: This facility works this program to its fullest potential – Integrated pest management works inside & outside school buildings.

  • IPM reduces pest problems – this was very evident at Metro Tech as they support this to the highest degree.
  • IPM encourages the use of safer pesticides when needed.
  • IPM enhances the campus landscape and reduces plant and tree losses.
  • IPM creates a healthier campus for improved academic achievement & reduced absenteeism.
  • IPM can reduce athletic field injuries & pest-related asthma symptoms.
  • IPM is cost-effective.

This information was published as a program handout to the attendee’s and I thought would be valuable in spreading the news of IPM

Hot, Hot and really Hot – did you know this?

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This sign was posted on the door to myVeterinarian Office and I thought I had to post this and pass it along. It wasn’t designed for Arizona I’m guessing, cause it should read 115 – don’t even think about walking the dog. The dog would explode into flames. I know not allot of  people think about things before they do it, so please remember the sign – the concrete or asphalt is HOT.

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What do you know about the Gila Monster?

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What do you know about the Gila Monster?

Gila monsters are found in the SouthWestern United States. The states include Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah and Nevada. There are several deserts that span this region and these include the Mojave and Sonora. Gila monsters are lizards and are often called beaded lizards that prefer rocky areas & tend to avoid large, open areas. In these rocky areas they will find burrows & spend large amounts of their life in them. Living in a burrow helps them avoid the extreme heat during the daytime & the cold night. They will eat whatever they can when they can in an effort to store up fat for when it is harder to get food. These lizards just like snakes need to be left alone and relocated if possible.

This little piece of artwork is on exhibit at the Chandler Environmental Education Center. Check the schedule calendar on the left side of home seal for dates for the Bug Zoo – 3 – 6 year olds.

Termite Tubes and more termite tubes….

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Termite Tubes and more termite tubes….

 

          

Bigger and bigger, the termites are munching away at this home. Our termites in Arizona are not as aggressive as the Eastern US termites so typically we don’t have extensive damage to homes.

Ring-tailed cats and a Black-footed ferret in Arizona

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 Ring-tailed cats and a Black-footed ferret in Arizona

The ring-tail (Bassariscus astutus) is a mammal of the raccoon family (thus not actually a cat), native to arid regions of North America.

Much like the common raccoon, the ring-tail is nocturnal and solitary. But it is timid and seen much more rarely than raccoons. It is omnivorous, eating fruits, berries, insects, lizards, small rodents, and birds. Foxes, coyotes, raccoons and bobcats will prey upon ring-tails. Hawks and owls may attack the young. They produce a variety of sounds, including clicks and chatters reminiscent of raccoons. A typical call is a very loud, plaintive bark. As adults, these mammals lead solitary lives, generally coming together only to mate. The Ring-tail above is in the collection at Tonto Natural Bridge, just north of Payson, AZ.

Black-footed ferret – A number of years ago I actually ran into one of these at a soccer field but it was deceased. It was in poor condition and at the time I had no idea what it was  and I decided to do some homework to see if I could decide what it was. At least that is what I think it was. The endangered black-footed ferret is a member of the weasel family.

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