All posts in “droppings”

Clutter

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Clutter in and around your home

Clutter in and around your home is an open ended invitation to come hang out if your a pests. Don’t allow cluttered areas because they are ideal in hiding pests including, scorpions, rodents and cockroaches. The ideal yard is free from trash, trees and bushes are away from structure and block walls and water is only on plants and not excessive. Wood is OK as long as it is on some type of raised platform and I would prefer it to not be against a block wall. The wood needs to breath and not hold moisture.

If your not using the wood its better to throw it out. Throw away trash, my theory is if you haven’t touched it in a year throw is out. Watch for cockroaches under garbage cans and don’t allow water to accumulate in containers which might promote mosquitoes. Mow the grass and keep the weeds down – We do weed treatments. 602-249-7378.

Clutter

Rodents in attic

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Rodents and your attic

The attic and mice or rodents can be a real issue for homeowners. By now you should know that flies are my evil #1 pests and rodents rank as #2. That whole thing of flies landing in your backyard and then getting in and laying on your food just grosses me out. But anyway back to rodents, mice urinate as they walk and rats and mice will defecate almost anyplace. They can track over the ground and then scurry across your food, they can spread salmonellae and other parasitic diseases.  They also are known for the carry of Black Death or Bubonic Plague.

Just one mouse or rodent in the house, is one too many. So what do you do to prevent rodents from getting?

attic

  1. Check your property for holes and entry points.
  2. Fix screen, windows and doors. Use thresholds and door guards.
  3. Check weep holes and replace, they do wear out.
  4. Don’t allow clutter around the house.
  5. Trim trees and bushes from the home.
  6. Don’t allow sprinklers to hit the home.
  7. Call ProBest Pest Management 602-249-7378 for help in any matter related to pests.

What exactly is “A Peace of Mind Inspection”?

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My theory is that no one knows everything, period. I can assure you I know bugs and that includes the pests that can damage your home. Termites are right up there and cause about 5 billion a year in damage across the U.S. While our termites here in Arizona aren’t quite the most aggressive in eating your home they still cause damage.

So my advice, get a yearly termite inspection. Most companies provide free quotes for termite treatment options. ProBest Pest Management offers free quotes and we charge a nominal fee ($45) for a regular home inspection. We may also provide some recommendations concerning conducive conditions which might encourage termites gaining entry into your home. This is different from a Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report ($57-$67) required generally for the sale of a home and we generally provide a free warranty if we don’t find termites at the time of the inspection * disclaimers, to the new buyers.

What do we look for generally? (not inclusive) – You can also look for these signs.

  • Termite tubes, tunnels, dirt on drywall and drop tubes from the ceiling.
  • Termite damage, baseboards and wood.
  • Termite pellets from Drywood termites.
  • Water damage, including stains from leaks.
  • In out brief tour of your home we may notice other things maybe or maybe not related to termites such as mold or smells indicative of mildew etc.
  • Feces (such as rodent droppings).
  • Screening not in place.
  • Home-sealing.

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Hantavirus is serious, what precautions can you take?

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Alert: New Mexico Health Department confirms fatality in NorthWest New Mexico.

Hantavirus is a deadly disease transmitted by infected rodents through urine, droppings or saliva. People can contract the disease when they breathe in aerosolized virus.

CDC Hantavirus site

Tips:

  1. Seal the home or cabin.
  2. Trap or use outside rodent bait/trap stations to reduce numbers, I also suggest TickBoxes.
  3. Reduce food sources, don’t leave out dog/cat food.
  4. Don’t allow clutter to get the best of your home.
  5. Trim trees and bushes.
  6. When cleaning cabins or homes, use a dust mask and follow the CDC guidelines on cleaning.
  7. Rodents cause other issues, be safe and follow CDC guidelines.

tickbox

Diseases are all around us, what can you do to prevent them?

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New cases of things that you probably thought were gone rebound from time to time. California has recently issued a notice about Bubonic Plague from the Sacramento Bee by Bill Lindelof  “El Dorado warns of plague danger, urges avoidance of rodents“.

Every once in awhile we run across Hanta Virus or the Plague here in Arizona, the risk is really an issue in places where deer mice or rodents are on the run.

So what do you do?

  • Seal up holes in you home, don’t let the rodents in.
  • Check your home monthly for issues.
  • If you notice rodent droppings, use care in cleaning them up and try to figure out how they are getting in.
  • Don’t allow trees to touch your home, it makes a great highway for all type of things.
  • Don’t store stuff against the outside of the home.
  • If you have a cabin, use care in cleaning up – dust and urine can become airborne and can carry all sorts of stuff.

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Picture provided by Univar

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