All posts in “birds”

Entry Points Rodents

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Entry Points Rodents

Often times we make it easy for entry points rodents access into our homes. Rodents will seek out any opportunity to get into the warmth and rain-free of your home. Why shouldn’t they, they are looking for the same things we are in life.

What should you look for?

Any holes, once a month check your home. Things settle and change.
Feces around pool pumps or a/c.
Nesting.
Bad construction, areas of access for birds and rodents.
Check sheds for opening and space beneath, I see lots of honeybee activity in those places.
Holes in the ground, indicating something present.
Check high and low, don’t let trees touch the home.
No vines or wood in the ground and then on the home.

If you are unsure on activity, call our office to discuss a professional inspection 602-249-7378 or 623-414-0176.

Windy Weather

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Windy Weather

What is up with this Windy weather, I have lived in Arizona for over 23 years and I don’t thinks its ever been this windy? Does it affect bugs? I’m not sure, but if its cold and windy with a wind chill I guess it would affect them. Here in Arizona unless we have a real deep cold, nothing dies. As we all know, scorpions take a lot to kill. Maybe the wind will send them somewhere else, I don’t think so. What do we do?

Reduce prey for the predators.
Create a barrier around your house and yard.
Web your house, checking above and below for any activity.
Check for ant mounds.
Consistent scheduling.
Use DE or some type of dust for crack and crevice work, where they hide.
Always check for additional critters, holes or something digging.

It’s not the service but the knowledge behind the service. WE KNOW BUGS. Anybody can spray but you need consistent with knowledge to tackle the problems. I have probably mentioned this before but we don’t work on our own vehicles, we know bugs not vehicles. Do what you know! This then is a benefit to the customer with the knowledge that comes with ongoing training and continuing education.

OMG

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OMG

I thought I had seen it all, OMG check out the designer shoes. I know I’ll get a ton of comments but come on, ugly right? I’m not a woman, but just because I wouldn’t wear them, right? Here are some facts on birds (not shoes):

Pigeons are highly sociable animals.
Pigeons often mate for life, and generally raise 2 chicks at a time.
Some pigeons can live 15 years.
They can find their way home from 1300 hundred miles away
Did you know Dodo’s are related to Pigeons.
They can fly above 6000 feet and fly at speeds of 77 to 95 mph.
Their name derives from Latin meaning young chirping bird.
They are everywhere except Antarctica, the Artic and the Sahara Desert.
Here is Arizona they can breed all year round.
I still wouldn’t wear those shoes.

Call us today to have us to your pigeon work, pest control needs, termite treatment or weed jobs 602-249-7378 or 623-414-0176. We are here to take care of all your pest needs. Call A Pro… Call The Best. PROBEST!

I need to give credit to the shoe designer – When the Japanese Artist Keiko Ohata decided to befriend a group of pigeons, she knew exactly she had to do it: design & wear a pair of shoes that would look like real birds.

Pigeon hideouts

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Pigeon hideouts

Boy it’s a pain when pigeons or birds set up your house as their house. Those birds won’t leave unless they are made to leave. It’s something called generational and that basically means that once born on your roof they will continue to stay FOREVER. They give birth, they raise their young and their young will stay on that roof.

So we call it exclusion, we use hardware cloth (not chicken wire) it’s the stuff that looks like fencing. We cut it at angles and secure it to the roof line in manner that looks professional and neat. I have seen many DIY jobs that look like crap, honestly. HOA’s can be very picky so its imperative to be judicious in design and work. I’m going to mention chicken wire again, don’t do it. It looks terrible and when people come to your to buy it – they won’t. Spend the extra money and hire a Professional expert to to do it right.

There is nothing worse than someone arriving at your front door – being greeted by poop. They then track it into your home. Then people lay on the floor or your dog tracks it deeper into the house. Call a Pro… Call the Best. ProBest! 602-249-7378 or 623-414-0176

By the way now is the time to do Pigeon work – it’s cooler.

Birds & Pigeons

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Birds & Pigeons

Birds & Pigeons I have to say I’m not a big fan of pigeons but birds in general are OK but in my line of work they just cause problems. Woodpeckers are like my nemesis. We build and we build without any thought to their homes etc. Termites, they love wood and what do we do, we make homes out of wood. Building goes up and the first complaint, the pigeons are pooping on us – in our outside eating areas to our business luncheon areas. I guess its just like me thinking about how we do our business? Sidebar – its like those garage cabinets, they are built in place – why staple the bottom board down? Gravity will keep it there, but termite work would be better if it wasn’t stapled or nailed down. Just sayin!

At some point, you’re going to say enough is enough. There are a number of new technologies available today to mitigate those pesky things. There are devices that continuously move, (a requirement for birds) they will get accustomed to devices that don’t move. Holographic devices that shine & detract the bird into thinking that a predatory bird came between them and the sun. Almost anything can be fixed, I was told recently that another company had said nothing could be done. It might take a few tries but something can always be done.

I think the key is, it needs to move. Stationary owls don’t do it, flashing things must move to flash and if its woodpeckers you may have to try and try again.

Bat Rescue

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Bat Rescue at a DayCare, this Big Brown bat couldn’t make it home. She decided to take a rest in a corner of the playground and we couldn’t let her stay there. The children are the most important factor in this relationship. We sent out a technician and he captured her in a webber broom and transferred to a bucket. We then took her to Liberty Wildlife (our partner in the rehab business). This gave her a quick physical and will hold her overnight and then take her back to her home territory.

We extended Professional Courtesy on this Bat Rescue to her since she’s in the same business, killing mosquitoes and bugs. Did you know that a single bat can eat 1,200 mosquitoes each hour and maybe up to 8,000 each night. Bats can live up to 40 years. Bat droppings in caves can support whole ecosystems, including bacteria useful in breaking down wastes. Here in the desert many species of cactus including the Arizona Saguaro and Organ Pipe cactus rely on bats to pollinate.

Some useful tips:

Never pick up a bat, it could be sick and bite.
Call a Professional like this DayCare, I then explained to the kids the process and they were excited to learn about bats.
If you decide to use a plastic figure owl, it need to be moved frequently. Pigeons and bats become familiar with them not moving.
Shining light on an area 24/7 can be useful
Again as I have mentioned previously, do a monthly inspection of your house and at night with a flashlight. Look up and chek all areas.

Construction errors

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Construction errors

I don’t think that most people in the construction trade think about a home after it is built. Many things that we think are architecturally beautiful often can be a haven for animals and birds. The corner in the picture is in a hidden area and birds can build nests and raise their young. Pigeons are generational, raising their young on a home which they will continue to return to forever. Birds like sparrows can take up smaller spaces while pigeons occupy larger spaces, pigeons love corners which allow them to protect their backs. Nobody can sneak up on them like hawks, eagles and other predators.

One of my pet peeves are those closets found in garages. They secure the bottom boards with staples and prevent the termite technicians from accessing the expansion joints. I think the boards would stay in place just by gravity and allow us the ability to pull up the board and drill the slab at the expansion joint. But I’m not a builder or carpenter and they are often mandated by City, County and State code laws. Maybe not directly related to birds or pigeons but an example of building issues associated with homes or sometimes businesses.

Whirlybird

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Whirlybird, newest technology in the constant war against the birds. The device reflects the sun as they attempt to land on your home. Bird scare devices are a popular choice when trying to rid your property of nuisance annoying birds. Using bird scare devices takes a great deal of persistence. They can be a valuable addition to your bird control tools. That is the reason that we use multiple devices and offer options, and a whirlybird is just another tool. There are numerous devices that offer a wide variety of frightening devices, including visual and audio products, which will help you get rid of nuisance birds .

The other thing to remember is that if we exclude a certain area, the birds may move. This causes considerable issues, but honestly I don’t always know which way they may go. The best part of working with ProBest is that we have seen lots of things work and many DIY fails. Call us today 602-249-7378.

Attic infestation

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Attic infestation, can be caused by many critters including mice and rats. But they are not the only ones, have you considered wildlife like raccoons, birds and bats. Remember mice only need a hole the size of a dime and a rat a quarter. I think everyone should inspect their home twice a year, maybe the attic once a year maybe at Christmas. Attic infestation can occur from a few days to months. Take the packages into the garage and open them up. You don’t or need bugs or rats inside your home. That in itself could cause you hours or time you could be buying me a gift. This also goes for sheds, check that shed at least once during the summer and once during the winter. The National Pest Management Association constantly updates articles at their site, check it out for Fall and Winter pests. They also included a Bug Barometer for the seasons. Walk around the outside checking for honeybees and holes underneath. If you spot holes, or poop it’s time to call ProBest Pest Management 602-249-7378. Nobody likes surprises that cost money so on Attic infestations catch it early = no need to pay. Even if your looking for an opinion or need something identified, give us a call.

Signs:

Open holes, check the louvered screens and weep holes.
Look around insulation for tunnels.
Look around for feces.
Look around for dead bodies or scavenging.
Look around for scratching.

Attic entry points

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Attic entry points, attics can and do cause a lot of issues. We often forget that our attics exist. Especially at Christmas time when we bring down boxes etc. and find that mice or pest have invaded. Reminder – always open boxes in garage, that way when something pops out it won’t be in the house.

Most people are aware if there home has holes leading into the attic area, but what about hidden ones? The people that build you home cut out the hole that the appliance must fit through. But they make that hole bigger and that is where the issue stems from. Scorpions can fall through those holes, as well as other bugs. I’m sure you have noticed a scorpion in the tub, they can’t crawl up the sides and probably fell in from the ceiling.