“An ecological approach to pest management that effectively manages pests in a way that minimizes adverse effects on people and the environment. IPM (integrated pest management) emphasizes an understanding of pest biology and behavior, and employs a number of different strategies designed to reduce the things pests need to survive and reproduce, including food, water, living space, and a way into the building.”
Purdue University’s IPM Technical Resource Center
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:
Termites swarm as a form of reproduction and they are showing up everywhere in the Phoenix area and beyond.
This was what it looked like under almost every rodent bait station in South Phoenix yesterday. Termite swarmers (alates) break their wings off and then start to follow the opposite sex, ready to begin a new colony. The rain triggers the reproduction mode of ants, termites and other insects. Have you seen termites swarming at you home, if so now would be a great time for a termite inspection?
Rain = the beginnings of life…
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.
When your home was built the contractor probably was required to pretreat the soil before pouring the concrete slab. By AZ law a final grade was to be performed within a certain period, if you look in the electrical box you may find the two required stickers. One should be the original pretreat and the second is the final grade. Now that’s if they haven’t fallen off or are not legible. You can also visit the Office of Pest Management site at http://tarf.sb.state.az.us/index.php?ckset=ok – they started keeping track in 1990 I think.
Back in the day termiticides like Chlordane could last for 50 years, but in my opinion today I think it is closer to 15 years. Especially when placed under concrete without things that would break down the chemical. The outside of the home or that final grade is another completely different story. If nothing messes it up it might last 7 years but that doesn’t happen very often. Water, rodents, sun and the heat, people installing pipes or wires often disrupt that barrier. It is my opinion that you shouldn’t plant anything under the eaves of the roof line, roots and water may affect the home and you don’t need anything else to worry about.
So keep checking your foundation, clear away rocks or soil from the stucco area – you need to be able to see that foundation. Don’t stack firewood against the home or for that matter any other debris. As always if you need an inspection give ProBest Pest Management a call at 480-831-9328 or 623-414-0176.
I ran across a story the other day “Crazy ants that destroy computers are immune to insecticide“. The article is well written but I just don’t like the headline. Ants can be difficult to control but we have many tools in our arsenal. Sometimes we try to control the ants we see walking around and sometimes we can use products such as Termidor to go after them, but it is vitally important to get them all and that is the biggest challenge. Ants that might forage within a house or even outside can be controlled by using baits, but they must take the bait and bring it into their home.
There are many active formulations on the market and to be immune from them all is highly unlikely. Invict Blitz Ant Granules might serve the bill. I would like to see a better title maybe like this one – Crazy ants that destroy computers and electrical equipment are very difficult to control and eliminate. On a side note I’m probably worse at titles so who am I to complain, right?
I think I wrote an article years ago about some Crazy ants at the Jacksonville Zoo, (Bugs on the , what’s it all about….) check out his article.
Andy Patrizio is a freelance technology writer based in Orange County, California. He’s written for a variety of publications, ranging from Tom’s Guide to Wired to Dr. Dobbs Journal, and has been on staff at IT publications like InternetNews, PC Week and InformationWeek..
A New Jersey homeowner used a combination of a space heater, hair dryer and a heat gun to get rid of the Bed Bugs BUT that set-up caused an explosion and BOOOOOOM. Please use caution and common sense in dealing with Bed Bugs. Please check out our website and the National Pest Management Association for helpful tips and the way to contact a Pest Management Professional near you.
