construction Archives - Arizona Pest Control - Pest Management Services

Bath Trap

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Bath Trap

So imagine if you will, the construction company is building your dream house. Sounds like the Twilight Zone, everyone has different skill sets, mine is bugs and entomology. We or a pretreat company sprays the ground to treat the soil for termites before they pour the concrete. When the plumber comes along later, how do they deal with that mess from the bath trap. Generally they remove it away and don’t worry about it. Now I wonder where are the termites going to come into the house. Either on the outside of the home or where there is a hole.

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.

Construction

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Construction is a trying mess from time to time with me. Sometimes I wonder what they were thinking, or not thinking. This photo is a prime example of the problems that Termite companies experience. Where are those termites coming from and sometimes in construction you may find the prime cause of the issues.

Once in Florida I ran across a wood floor with sleepers, which kept the wood from sitting on the concrete and possible affected by water or condensation. But it turned out to be saw palmetto roots coming up through the slab after it was buried and not removed.

If you’re building a home check the soil before they pour the cement and request stuff to be looked over. It’s your house.

Termite video

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Termite video

Termites are small and white, and are termed social insects like ants. Colonies have males and females in the colony at all times. In Africa and Australia mounds are often built and can be 20 or more feet high. In nature termite take wood, break it down and redistribute back into the ground. Termites look for wood/food 24/7/365, constantly looking for a food source. Here is the Southwest or Arizona a termite infestation is not a cause for immediate panic. The infestation needs attention, but due I think to the lack of water the damage isn’t going to happen overnight. So you have some time, contact a Pest Management Professional like ProBest Pest Management 602-249-7378 to discuss options. So as I said it takes time, compare options – use Termidor and look at the reputation and reviews of the company.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tymdqc5XBBE[/embedyt]

Most destructive insect?

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I’ll would bet that most people would say termites but not so, it turns out to be the desert locust. This locust you may recall is the one from the Bible and can eat its own weight in food a day. It is estimated that a large swarm could eat 20,000 tons of grain and vegetation per day. (“The Handy Biology Answer Book”)

In the U.S. I’m still betting on the termite, estmates suggest over 5 billon in damage each year. Termites are in search of food and when they find it they will eat and eat. 24/7/365 that is their schedule and they won’t waiver unless the building is under water.

What can you do to discourage termites from finding your home as a food source:

Check water drip and irrigation systems to make sure they are working properly.
Don’t plant plants or trees to close to the foundation of your home.
Don’t allow stucco to come in contact with dirt or stone, you need to see the foundation.
If you noticed any wood in the ground left over after construction, remove it.
Don’t stack wood against the home.

PPMA King/Queen Sub-termites

Floating slab pics

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It is essential for a termite treater to understand and know what slab they are treating. Floating slabs are concrete slabs with a deepened and reinforced perimeter. This type of foundation is called a floating slab because it floats on the soil. They are used as foundations for home, businesses, sheds, car garages, additions etc.

Post tension slabs give the best protection from my point of view, cables are run throughout concrete and tightened up. Concrete is less likely to crack and allow termites to enter.

How can you remove honeycomb from a structure?

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How can you remove honeycomb from a structure?

Honeybees can take up residence in any home if there is space available and sometimes they don’t make it easy to get to them.We don’t always remove the honeycomb, it is not always necessary. Maybe the bees haven’t been there very long or it is just impossible to get to as the case above is. depending on the location you may have to cut stucco, or come in from the inside out and this all involves dismantling and construction. All of this is time consuming and somewhat dangerous unless you know what you are doing.

Sometimes it is necessary to call in someone with more construction ability than I have. If it involves cutting stucco or getting into a brick structure then I think you need a professional that understands construction and building plans.

What can you find in your foundation slab?

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What can you find in your foundation slab?

This is the stuff that makes a termite treater go crazy, you never know what the construction crew left behind.

Pigeons

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Pigeons

pigeons

pigeon

When people design buildings I don’t think that give any thought as to what may come to the building. After the construction is complete you find out pretty fast that other things take place that may not be very nice or clean. This area in question looks wonderful until you notice that the birds are landing and popping over the edge right into the path of children and other pedestrians. Gross and ugly to a wonderful design… Now what would happen if you owned a restaurant and the patio wasn’t covered now there is an issue with patrons getting feathers or worse yet poop on their table.

There are screen options to cover the rafter and prevent the birds from landing and doing their business on the clients. There are bird spikes and track material as well as a host of options, so please give us a call to give you some preventive options to consider ProBest Pest Management 602-249-7378

Termites and your slab of concrete!

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Termites and your slab of concrete!

So what happens when a pipe burst underneath your slab under your home? Well something like this picture above, no not the giant hole, the customer or the plumber dug this out. The point I want to make is that when you alter the slab it is very important to treat the soil beneath the concrete for termites. Sometimes if you fail to treat it may void your termite warranty. I also like to treat this while it’s in a state of repair and before you put tile or wood floor on it. I hate to mess up tile or wood floors with drill holes.

All posts in “construction”

Bath Trap

Termite video