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There I was in the middle of the SWARM!

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So there I was in my car in the middle of I-17 on Sunday afternoon sitting in traffic. Somebody wrecked , actually it was some type of 5th wheel and it blocked the entire interstate. 2 hours of real boredoom until the termite swarm happened. A little bit of rain and I noticed some flying bugs and all of a sudden one landed on the car and it was a termite swarmer.

Desert subbterranean termite – mature colony is about 150,000, each colony can contain multiple secondary queens. The readily build mud tunnels over materials to reach wood. Thanks to ABC15 for the picture posted to FaceBook, check out their story.

Tricky termite treatments

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Tricky termite treatments

Pavers, flagstone and tile always make a termite treatment more difficult. Sometimes it almost impossible, these pavers are in fact put in place with cement or sand. It is possible to drill but it also is worrisome because you might crack the paver. It is essential to the treatment to get the termiticide to the area where the termites may try to get into the home.

I also run across built in cabinets and they pose another obstacle to getting the termiticide to that expansion joint. What other issues do you think we run across on our daily termite treatments and do you have any unusual obstructions at your home or business?

Hey, what’s that hanging from my ceiling?

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Hey, what’s that hanging from my ceiling?

With all the rains we have had it is not surprising to any of us that termites are still very active. This is a frequent little phenomenon that happens here with our desert termites. They find their way into our homes and follow the wood grain, hit the next 2×4 and then follow that grain and rather than return the longer way they attempt to go back down from where they are at the moment. Tricky little bugs, right?

So before you just clean it up and disregard it, check it out – is it dirt and do you see any little white 6 legged ant type critters. Surprise, it’;s probably termites – give us a call to make sure 602-249-7378

What has smooth galleries and small pellets?

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What has smooth galleries and small 6 sided pellets?

Drywood termites do and yes I found them under a crawlspace in downtown Mesa, Arizona.

Drywood termites are social insects that live in colonies in sound, dry wood. Each colony consists of offspring from an original pair (male and female). There are three growth stages – eggs, immatures and adults. Drywood termites are larger than local, southwestern subterranean species. Drywood termites tend to cut across wood grain destroying both the soft spring wood and the harder summer growth. Subterranean termites typically follow the grain of the wood, feeding primarily on the soft spring wood. Since they don’t live in the soil you must either get rid of the wood, if possible or fumigate. Some liquid treatments may work as long as the wood has not been painted or varnarished.

How can you deal with these Arizona woodpeckers?

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How can you deal with these Arizona woodpeckers?

Is there anything more annoying than a woodpecker who decided its time to bang on your house while your trying to sleep? I have a chimney just outside my upstairs bedroom door and it actually has a metal cap on the top and this woodpecker really knew how to wake me up. I was lucky because it was an easy fix – I installed 2 Daddi Long leg spiders on my chimney and it stopped the woodpecker from getting the chimney cap. There are other products available but you’re going to love this – the woodpecker protective coating spray doesn’t work on our Arizona woodpecker. These repellents do generally work on the other 23 varities of woodpeckers in the U.S.

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.

Are you refurbishing your Home?

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Are you refurbishing your Home?

So this last week I decided to replace a piece of carpeting in my dining room. I never liked it in the dining room to begin with and finally decided to put in tile. After removing the carpet I noticed a very large crack and YES I had the termite expert (Mike) come to my house and drill it before putting in the tile.

Nothing looks worse than tile that has to be drilled after you notice the termites.

So a piece of free advice – if you are replacing a floor with wood or tile, take the time and treat for termites. Most termite companies would prefer not to drill a new tile, it will never look the same.

A few pictures of cracks in the concrete…

Before replacing a floor take the time to have it fixed, I don’t like drilling new wood or tile floors. Trust me on this one, please!

Some tricks for keeping out Pocket Gophers….

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Some tricks for keeping out Pocket Gophers….

So you have these mounds in your yard, what could they be and why be concerned? Pocket gophers feed on plants in three ways: 1) they feed on roots that they encounter when digging; 2) they may go to the surface, venturing only a body length or so from their tunnel opening to feed on above ground vegetation; and 3) they pull vegetation into their tunnel from below. Pocket gophers eat grasses, shrubs, and trees. They are strict herbivores, and any animal material in their diet appears to result from incidental ingestion. So that means that any bush, tree or even grass is on their menu and who likes replacing and spending money to do it.

If you see one mound go after it immediately – it will generally only get worse.
Some exclusion is possible, make sure it is deep enough.
Some plants may discourage resistance.
Some repellents are available.
If you can’t handle the problem, call a Pest Management Professional.
We use a special tool device, see a recent home seal on this tool.

Mud daubers are not Termites!

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Mud daubers are not Termites!

I sometimes get called to homes to find that they see a Mud dauber nest and not a termite mud tunnel.

Picture #1 is a Mud dauber wasp nest and there are a variety of shapes and styles but basically a glob of dirt molded by the female wasp to hide/protect her eggs. She will lay an egg and usually provide it with paralyzed spiders.

Picture #2 and #3 are Subterranean termite mud shelter tubes, typically much more slender in size.

http://en.wikipedia.org

The good news – if it is a Mud dauber – just scrape the mud off the house – that’s it. The bad news if it’s termites – I think you should call ProBest Pest Management!

Sometimes those termites drive you daffy…

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Sometimes those termites drive you daffy…

Every once in awhile you get that termite job that is either unique or somehow just different. No matter what you do, the termites continue to do some damage in a home.

Scenario

House is about 20 years old, no record exists for a pretreatment with the state – in Arizona (Office of Pest Management)we are required by law to report all termites treatments. I actually wrote a home seal “Termite Sleuth on the Job” same house – continued issue but in a different area.

Treated entire house with Termidor, down drilled all attached slabs and garage and have drilled various areas within the home on the wooden floors. I’m almost convinced that no pretreatment was ever done. No further issues along the exterior of the home, only on the interior and once we drill the area we notice activity later. Now I did mention Termidor, but if it isn’t where they are moving through it – it won’t work. So without taking the floor up I decided to use some bait stations – FirstLine™ by FMC. I used another product in Florida and have learned a few things on bait systems after some time in Arizona. I place the units in areas where there is some shade or something with a bigger footprint to help hold cooler temperatures and maybe water.

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