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Doors and bugs

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Doors and bugs

Doors and how bug get in? Have you ever noticed the abundance of flying bugs near your front porch door, it’s the light? Its not just the flying insects but spiders love to hang out near the abundant food source. So if you switch to a yellow light the bugs will reduce in numbers. This is actually a IPM or Integrated Pest Management solution to reducing pesticide in and around your home. You will notice I said reducing the amount of pesticide because you may still have to use it judicially on key areas of pest concern.

 

Doors

Large mosquito or Crane Fly?

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One of the calls I get this time of year concerns this little fellow above, the Crane Fly. It looks like a mosquito on steroids and are in the same Order Diptera (= two wings) as mosquitoes. Crane Flies are found throughout the world, in Arizona generally right after the Spring rains we see them and then all of a sudden they are gone (usually living only 10 – 15 days). The larvae are found near water and eat organic materials and become food for fish and other small insects.

Just after emerging from her pupa case she seeks out a male, mates and lays eggs in moist soil. So hang in there they won’t be around long. Oh I almost forgot they don’t bite so no worries.

 

 

 

My favorite bug in the news – “Kissing Bug”

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“Kissing Bug” aka Triatoma, Assassin Bug, Cone-nose, Wheel Bug, or Ambush bug and sometimes called the Masked Bedbug Hunter “Arkansans spot the dangerous “kissing bug“. This bug is considered a predatory insect, it generally goes after other bugs and suck their fluids right out of their bodies. It gets that Kissing Bug name from the way they attack humans at night if they get into your home – they go to the area of our bodies that allow easier penetrations, like our mouth.

There are a variety of species (7000) and most look cool with their coloration but watch out for their piercing sucking rostrum. They live in the Southern States and Mexico. They transmit Chagas Disease with that painful bite wound where people accidentally scratch and introduce the organism into their bodies .

Best way to keep them out of your home:

  • Make sure screens are in place.
  • Don’t leave doors open.
  • Use door sweeps or correct low thresholds.
  • Home-seal and prevent them from sneaking in.

Will people ever learn?

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I have to tell you, sometimes I worry about people. Why you ask? Because of stories like this “Feeding Alligators: dangerous unlawful.”  I guess it doesn’t really surprise me, that is why those shows on TV are so riveting. You know someone is going to walk up to that Buffalo like he knows what he is doing and then POW…. I guess that is why all those warning labels are on things, to stop that one person who was thinking – should I really do that or not. Selection of the fitness!

So what kind of tips can I give if you own a house and want to keep those critters out:

  1. Don’t encourage them to live with you, don’t stack stuff around the outside of your home.
  2. Check weep holes and secure them – no open holes.
  3. Don’t create harborages, don’t set your shed on the ground. This is a possible site for all types of animals.
  4. Don’t leave doors or windows opened, things can crawl in. That is how I captured the snake below, someone left a door opened. She was about a foot long and is currently over 6 foot.

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A year in review, my Top pest control job for 2013.

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Flies may disgust me but Bed Bugs just plain and simply creep me out!

Without a doubt it has to be – wait for it, da da Bed Bugs of course. Names will be changed of course to protect the real parties, I’m kidding I would never release names. This was a rental unit and honestly I have never seen this many Bed Bugs ever! If that wasn’t bad enough they also had German Roaches and disgusting can’t even describe this home. The German Roaches were eating the Bed Bugs, gross. The Bed Bugs were everywhere, the bathrooms and the kitchen areas. Not as plentiful in those areas but you could spot them hiding in places where generally you shouldn’t be finding them. The cockroaches were having a grand ole time, they were fat and also hanging out everywhere. You could see them in door frames, door hinges and dressers just waiting for a Bed Bug to come by.

OK so you’re pretty grossed out, this isn’t the worst of it yet. We started our portable steamer and started our crack and crevice work and then that is when I noticed the blood running. It could have been the Amityville house, OK maybe not that bloody but again gross. It is my opinion that we were probably dealing with hundreds maybe thousands of Bed Bugs.

I’ll say this again, Bed Bug treatment is probably not a Do It Yourself job – call in the Professionals. Don’t let it become this situation above, one Bed Bug is all it takes and boom – out of control. Don’t panic – just call a Pro.

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The tips for keeping the bugs out, what are they?

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To a Pest Management Professional the slogan – Integrated Pest Management is really important. Why, you ask? Because it is at the heart of what we do, everyday! I don’t think that many of us that really want to harm nature and there is a fine line to doing that and protecting us from the bugs that could kill us.

At its core is this principle – “Integrated Pest Management is a process involving common sense and sound solutions for treating and controlling pests. These solutions incorporate three basic steps: 1) inspection, 2) identification and 3) treatment. Treatment options vary from sealing cracks and removing food and water sources to pesticide treatments when necessary.”

But you and I both know that it isn’t always easy controlling certain pests like cockroaches in apartments, so its take everyone’s cooperation and help to solve the dilemna. The same goes for scorpions, home-sealing is just one step to controling these beasts.

So heer are a few tips to help you in your mission to keep your home or business bug free.

    1. Home-seal your home or buisness (fill in cracks and crevices).
    2. Fix any leaking pipes.
    3. Don’t stack firewood or any material against your house, the idea is to be clutter free.
    4. Keep trees and bushes clear from your home.
    5. De-clutter.
    6. Don’t bring in used furniture until you check it completely.
    7. Repair screens and door thresholds.
    8. Those holes at the roofline are to allow the attic to breath, don’t let birds or wildlife make their home there.
    9. A clean home is less attractive to wildlife and pests.

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