All posts in “bedbugs”

“Cheap” What a word in Pest Control!

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“Cheap” What a word in Pest Control!

“I do not prize the word “cheap.” It is not a badge of honor. It is a symbol of despair. Cheap prices make for cheap goods; cheap goods make for cheap men; and cheap men make for a cheap country.” William McKinley

So today I had this call about Bed Bugs, I was not the first person there and apparently not the last and here is the real story. The person has had the bugs for several months, maybe a year at this point and has been spending time elsewhere. They had spread into at least 2 bedrooms and 1 living room, I quoted $900 and recommended encasement’s and bagging what they could. They told me the previous company quoted $400 for only the master bedroom but they decided they liked my option better and booked the job. The next day they called to cancel –  they had found someone to do the entire home for $500.

To do this job correctly will take 4 -5 hours and it will be done on hands and knees to make sure you get to the bed bugs, where they hide.

What kind of job do you think they will get for $500? They only have to miss one white egg or translucent nymph?

You get what you pay for and in the creepy world of bed bugs you need a PRO! Like ProBest…

         

Photo’s courtesy of National Pest Management Association

Don’t Tick me!

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Don’t tick me! 

 

Most of the North  didn’t get the cold weather this year and so the ticks are going to be out in force. Here  in Arizona the temperature rarely dips cold enough to really freeze out most of our bugs. Reader’s Digest did an article called “13 things ticks won’t tell you“, if your camping this year I would highly advise you to read the readers digest article and prepare accordingly.

Have a safe summer and play safe!

One of the key techniques in identifying ticks are that they have eight legs but recently I encountered bedbugs in a home and just so everyone is aware bedbugs also have eight legs. So if you find something in your home it is essential to determine where you are fining them and if possible bring a sample into your local pest control professional.

If you find them under a bed and you have pets it is probably a good indication that you have ticks or if you’re fining them in your bed it is probably a good indication that you have bedbugs. No guessing the first part of any good treatment is always in identifying the problem.

Pest Control – bed bugs, scorpions,black widow spiders, rattlesnakes – we have it all

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Pest Control –  bed bugs, scorpions,black widow spiders, rattlesnakes – we have it all!

 

I know I have probably said this before but I love my job, every day is new and exciting and you never know from one day to the next what you will be doing. A typical day in the life of Dr. Bug may consist of inspections for bedbugs, termites and wildlife issues.

  • Today for example I started out investigating the root cause of where the termites were entering the building, this is a unique example of building construction allowing gaps and possible entry points for termites into that structure. This coming week I’ll have a chance to look at the problem via the roof and use a brand-new termiticide called Termidor dry. Typically when treating for subterranean termites it is essential to get the material into the ground where they live, this product allows for the introduction of a dry formula into tubes and galleries with the potential for distribution into the colony.
  • I have been working with Channel 3 for a bedbug story and we finally have located a family deserving of some special care, stay tuned for an update from both Channel 3 and progress on some bedbug work.
  • The next stop was another bedbug dilemma, I really feel bad because in most cases the family or person who has the bedbugs wasn’t the one who brought them into their home. The problem with bedbug work is that it is time-consuming and labor extensive.
  • I may get two e-mails from people supplying me with pictures of various bugs, or I may get several calls asking for my opinion about various pest situations. it may be spiders on a tower, or what type of spider is in my home. It’s all in the day of the Dr. Bug.

Now my everyday may not be as exciting as “Billy the Exterminator” or that guy from “Call of the wild” but I’m dealing with everyday people with everyday lives with everyday problems and trying to solve them one day at a time in an efficient manner to the benefit of that customer. So all I can tell you is stay tuned because everyday isn’t boring in the life of the bug guy.

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Who takes the heat on pesticides?

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Who takes the heat on pesticides?

It’s difficult for me to side any other way than to say Pesticides are good! Many will disagree but the fact is that pesticides have saved countless lives throughout history. I was reminded of this through my distributor “Univar Environmental Services” in a story they posted in their monthly newsletter.

  • When mosquitoes are controlled, you help prevent West Nile Virus transmission.
  • When products help ensure proper termite control, they save you from massive property damage.
  • Helping to keep cockroach allergens at bay lowers asthma triggers for children.
  • And fewer ticks and rodents can mean less Lyme disease and Hanta Virus.

It all adds up to Univar supplying both the products and services to help you improve your customers’ environments.

Professional Speaker – Pest Control Expert

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Professional Speaker – Pest Expert

Does your organization need a Professional Expert to talk before your group, our resident expert Dr. Bug aka Keith V. Birkemeyer is an expert on bugs and critters of all kinds! ProBest can tailor a pest program or service on whatever your group may desire.

Bed Bugs

Scorpions  

    Termites

Southwest Pests of Concern         

Wildlife of Arizona             

Arizona Brown or Brown Recluse Spider?

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Arizona Brown or Brown Recluse Spider?

Don’t get me wrong, bugs travel. Pretty obvious with West Nile Virus and more recently Bed Bugs. Keep an eye out for anything unusual and as always call me – I love this stuff!

Just the facts please…. provide info to expedite the treatment!

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Just the facts please…. provide info to expedite the treatment!

Today I received a new lead from an online referral site and I’ll tell you I love getting referrals but I need more information. So here is a list of things to tell the bug guy when they show up at your home.

  1. When you call the office please tell the receptionist what you’re experiencing, for example are you being bitten. It is really important to answer the questions like Who, what, where,  when, why and how. To me its almost like being a detective, we need all the information so that we can make an intelligent recommendation on treatment.
  2. After receiving the information the technician comes up with the treatment plan and discusses this with the homeowner.
  3. We have talked about this before but before the technician arrives please reduce clutter and vacuum the area (if you have a bag vacuum please throw it away). I remember years ago in Florida, someone had vacuumed and put the entire vacuum with bag into the closet. I was amazed at the numbers of fleas in the closet and elsewhere in the home, but they were concentrated within that closet.
  4. A lot of the treatment plans may include a followup visit – remember this occurrence took time to build up and probably will take time to completely solve it. Don’t think for one minute that we are magicians and can make this outbreak disappear overnight, won’t happen…. This usually surprises me the most, even after discussing this with some customers they are upset that they still might see the occasional roach or two. I learned many years ago, we attempt to eradicate at least 97% on the first visit to get control but depending on a variety of circumstances this number may change. Sanitation is a leading cause of failure, if the place has grease or oil everywhere all the pesticide in the world won’t change the outcome. The pesticide will lose it efficacy and the roaches will have plenty to eat and not be affected by the product.
  5. Work with the technician and follow any advice, he has probably seen it all so it won’t be a big surprise to him. Clean behind the stove and refrigerator yearly, pay particular attention to the fan motor (warm and probably close to the overflow pan).

What’s sleeping in your bed?

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What’s sleeping in your bed?

The more I watch TV the more it scares me, I hate those commercials that say “How old is your bed, if your bed is over 8 years it has 10 pounds of stuff in it”, just what I don’t want to hear. It’s bad enough thinking about dust mites or worse yet Bed Bugs but you spend a great deal of time in that bed.

When the Great Bed Bug scare came I decided we needed to invest in some mattress and box spring en-casements and let me tell you I can now sleep without the thought of those critters jumping around more than counting sheep. There are a few side benefits about these en-casements, here they are:

  • They keep things in and things out, now remember Bed Bugs just don’t live on beds.
  • They keep out urine, sweat and anything else you might spill on them. Accidents happen like babies sprouting a geyser or the accidental dog or cat issue.
  • Allergens especially within the bed can be kept to a minimal amount.
  • These en-casements are not like years of past, they are crinkly and make noise. They aren’t as hot either.

So think about an en-casement as a way to protect and maybe extend the life of that mattress and box spring.

              

ProBest Carpet Cleaning

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Why did ProBest Pest Management get into carpet cleaning: Bed Bugs are the main reason.

The Bed Bug epidemic has spread across the USA at a rapid pace and people react with a sense of urgency and frustration. Often times people panic and react by immediately throwing things out and this leads to the spread of eggs and adults throughout the home including carpets. ProBest Pest Management decided to offer a service of pest treatment with carpet cleaning as a way of total and complete eradication. What better way than to steam everything including the carpets if needed. We offer steam, limited pesticides and follow-ups if needed.  ProBest immediately sought certification and so far 2 employees are “The Clean Trust” certified.

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