All posts in “bubonic plague”

Why worry about the pests?

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Throughout history we humans have done some terrible stuff to each other, wars only to mention one. But did you know that compared to all the wars ever fought the bugs have killed more of us.

  1. Yes number one the list is Mosquitoes, they have killed lots of humans and animals. Malaria, Dengue Fever and Yellow Fever are among the biggest threats to us still to this day.
  2. Fleas probably rank as number 2 and may have contributed to killing 1/3 of the people in Europe during 1340’s  known as Bubonic Plague, still with us today.
  3. My number 3 may not have killed as many as above but worldwide cause more damage to food, foodstuffs including grains and other type products. Rodents including mice and rats may spoil 1/3 of all grains worldwide and may directly lead to food shortages or starvation than any other insect or wildlife.

So yes I worry that as we progress as a society that we consider the wise use of pesticides. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is very useful within the confines of general pest management but there are reasons why pesticide use must continue. This article “Kissing Bug disease prompts growing concern in U.S.” shows that the concerns are justified. Here is Arizona we deal with Bark Scorpions and there is no magic bullet to stop them. The only method is home sealing and proper use of pesticides, so until that day arrives where we can target this critter I see no alternative than to spray them before they make it into our homes.

What do you want to know by ProBest Pest Management!

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Basic House fly facts:

  • Houseflies lived over 65 million years ago!
  • The easiest and simplest  way to keep flies out of your home is to keep things clean. Don’t leave food lying around, make sure you take out the trash every day and wipe up spilled messes right away.
  • They prefer corners and edges or thin objects to rest on. Indoors, they rest on floors, walls and ceilings during the day.
  • House flies are the most common of all flies and always found in the company of humans and are inactive at night.
  • Houseflies have no mouth but it has an eating tube through which it vomits a drop of fluid from its stomach and deposits it on its intended meal – GROSS. This fluid is then sucked up along with the nutrients it has dissolved, leaving behind untold numbers of germs.
  • Female houseflies can lay 2,500 eggs in just a month.
  • Adult houseflies can live 30 – 60 days.
  • Houseflies are a perfect host for all types of bacteria… proven carriers of such germs as gangrene, Typhoid, leprosy, tuberculosis, amoebic dysentery, bubonic plague, and listeria, just to name a few.

The war on bugs, whose winning?

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“Entomologists study ways to kill urban pests”  Why is this important, I’ll point out some remarks made in this story. Please read the story lots of great information.

  1. “There is definitely an economic impact to bed bug infestation,” Romero said.
  2. Psychological effects are often underestimated. Romero said having bed bugs can cause sleeplessness and anxiety.
  3. There is concern over chemicals in insecticides that could be harmful to humans, but Romero said they must be used properly and according to procedures.

Here are some factors that I see and read daily.

  1. Hanta Virus (weekly reports)
  2. Bubonic Plague
  3. WNV (West Nile Virus) from mosquitoes also Malaria or Dengue Fever from around the world
  4. Africanized Bees
  5. Ticks (Lyme Disease)
  6. Assassin bugs (Chagas Disease)

So as we continue the fight against those bugs/insects/pests that can kill us if not kept in check, new manufacturing continues to create new molecules to destroy those killers. What can you do?

  • Check your home monthly.
  • Keep trees and shrubs trimmed and away from your house.
  • Repair screens and keep doors closed.
  • When traveling – keep an eye out for various bugs like Bed Bugs.
  • If you encounter a pest, do some investigation and have it checked – don’t panic.

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Promoting the proper use and handling of pesticides

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I ran across some great information (BASF ran a home seal) and wanted to pass it along as it pertains to all you Do IT Yourselfers (DIY) pest control folks. The pest control industry is regulated and yes, I know there are some out there that just can’t seem to be honest and ethical about it. The use of pesticides – read the Label and understand before you use it, the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) or (MSDS) and all use directions.

So here is the homeowner site from “Pesticide Environmental Stewardship” site. You know my stance on the use of pesticides, they are essential to our lives. There are some that would argue and honestly I’m sorry that they just don’t understand the big picture. Without pesticides death would constantly be knocking at our doors. I’m not kidding we often hear of Hanta Virus and Bubonic Plague here in Arizona. Even West Nile Virus (WNV) rears its ugly head occasionally and in others states Lyme Disease.  There are some that advocate oils and organics (if you want to argue – put your money where your mouth is and send me some to test – has to be labelled for scorpions) but they in general just don’t hold up long enough. If my tests are proved wrong I’ll tell you about it. We have scorpions in Arizona and in a perfect world we could exclude homes and do other things to keep them out and by the way we do that with home-seals. But not everyone has that kind of money, wish they did. I advocate Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and prefer to do our work from outside (trying to limit the amount of pesticides within homes and if possible outside as well).

Don’t get me wrong here; I don’t advocate power spraying unless there is a need. We do it every once in a while on ticks but if possible we recommend that the pets to get properly treated and try to solve the issues to the benefit of our customers. That is the reason why we are members of PESP and QualityPro, to protect and serve our customers from the bugs that might be harmful and nasty.

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How do bug explosions happen?

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How do bug explosions happen?

 

Many of us have heard of the plagues of certain insects occurring across certain areas of the world.

In Exodus, Pharaoh refused to let the Hebrew people (or Israelites) leave Egypt. The 10 plagues were a divine demonstration of power and displeasure designed to persuade Pharaoh to “let my people go,”. Some of these plagues were insects of animals: such as frogs, gnats or lice, flies and locusts.

Bubonic Plague peaked in Europe between 1348 and 1350 with fleas carried by rats. It was probably carried by Oriental rat fleas living on the black rats that were regular passengers on merchant ships. All in all, the plague reduced the world population from an estimated 450 million to a number between 350 and 375 million in the 14th century.

1889 – locust swarms crossing the Red Sea covered 2000 square miles, and contained an estimated 250 billion locusts. Now, if only there was a good recipe for locusts.

In 1931, a swarm of grasshoppers descends on crops throughout the American heartland, devastating millions of acres. Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota, already in the midst of a bad drought, suffered tremendously from this disaster.

Around 1940 locusts devoured the entire wheat crop in 20 districts in China, causing the starvation of 6 million people.

Jan 20, 2011  When mice run out of food in Streaky Bay, Australia, it leads to a mouse plague of Biblical proportions. The sea is the only place safe from the rising tide of rodents. I just had to share this one – watch the video – its freaky…

Aug 9, 2011 Brown Marmorated stink bugs, rise to new levels in Midwest.

A plague of these insects can occur when conditions cause their populations to suddenly explode. Usually this happens under drought or very dry conditions, since their egg pods are vulnerable to fungus in wet soil. When the soil is very dry, swarms can develop. With rodents and other mammals it all depends on the circumstance involved, more rain, more food and the right condition exists and the population increases.

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What you don’t know – could KILL you!

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What you don’t know – could KILL you!

 

I love home seals, you can get information in a manner that is easy to read and categorized to whatever genre you want or need. For example this home seal tries to relate the stories that might influence you daily about bugs, obviously you don’t come to this home seal to learn about food or restaurants. I glean the stories from the internet that I think could affect us in our day to days lives. Examples – http://naturalunseenhazards.wordpress.com/ this home seal is for people like wildlife professionals, hunters, camper and hikers; I also enjoy reading this home seal http://www.successful-home seal.com/ it gives me assistance in writing and topics; I also try to stop by http://www.pestcemetery.com each week because my friend Jerry Schappert writes about pest control. So why all the who ha, because within the last month several stories scared me to death almost?

Hantavirus outbreak at Yosemite National Park

Second case of bubonic plague in the West has been confirmed — in a girl in Colorado

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 2012 has been the worst year for the West Nile virus since 2003.

Your Pest Control company is the front line to keeping those bugs that could harm you at bay – maybe we should have a “Pest Control Technician Day” or “Hug your Technician Day”.

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