All posts in “flies”

Snakes and Wildlife

Bat Rescue

Bat Rescue at a DayCare, this Big Brown bat couldn’t make it home. She decided to take a rest in a corner of the playground and we couldn’t let her stay there. The children are the most important factor in this relationship. We sent out a technician and he captured her in a webber broom and transferred to a bucket. We then took her to Liberty Wildlife (our partner in the rehab business). This gave her a quick physical and will hold her overnight and then take her back to her home territory.

We extended Professional Courtesy on this Bat Rescue to her since she’s in the same business, killing mosquitoes and bugs. Did you know that a single bat can eat 1,200 mosquitoes each hour and maybe up to 8,000 each night. Bats can live up to 40 years. Bat droppings in caves can support whole ecosystems, including bacteria useful in breaking down wastes. Here in the desert many species of cactus including the Arizona Saguaro and Organ Pipe cactus rely on bats to pollinate.

Some useful tips:

  1. Never pick up a bat, it could be sick and bite.
  2. Call a Professional like this DayCare, I then explained to the kids the process and they were excited to learn about bats.
  3.  If you decide to use a plastic figure owl, it need to be moved frequently. Pigeons and bats become familiar with them not moving.
  4. Shining light on an area 24/7 can be useful
  5.  Again as I have mentioned previously, do a monthly inspection of your house and at night with a flashlight. Look up and chek all areas.

Pesticides

Pesticides

Pesticides are a tool of the IPM or Integrated Pest Management. It is important to understand and implement the correct usage of any chemical used. I recently attended a workshop where this subject was addressed especially with the idea of IPM or Integrated Pest Management. Always a great idea to rehash the options you have when using them. I have always believed that IPM works and should be the basis of any pest treatment. I also wish to address the belief of some that IPM means no pesticides, that is incorrect it simply means that you use the other tools first and if you must use them you do so in a manner that is minimally evasive to the structure.

Pesticides     Pesticides

Thank you to Dr. Michael R. Wierda for supplying this information, info to talk with him included with the sheets.

 

ProBest name change

ProBest name change

ProBest name change. So I’m sure everyone has heard about this certain company that recently told everyone they were changing their name. It was all a publicity stunt to grab attention to their name and the fact that they more than pancakes. It was a great idea and we all know that they have burgers now. Names can tell what the company does and its even important in our line of work. So with that in mind:

Interstate House of Pests or Interstate House of Bugs —- names changed to prevent me from being sued? So what do you think? “I don’t care what you call me, as long as you call me” 480-831-9328 — ProBest name change —

ProBest name change

Remember we handle a plethora of bugs and pests, scorpions, ants, bees, rodents and termites and a lot more. We LOVE helping people and businesses and we offer value and we are accredited with the BBB. We are also a QualityPro company since 2005, earned by less than 3% of companies in the United States, the QualityPro designation demonstrates a commitment to excellence and provides consumers with an easy way to identify and be confident in their selection of a quality pest management provider from the National Pest Management Association.

I’m just kidding and I like the name ProBest Pest Management, so no name change but spread the word…

Facts just the facts

Facts: remember the show – “Just the Facts please just the facts.

A few Facts.

  1. All scorpions are venomous but only about 25 species are known to have venom capable of killing a human being. We only have one in Arizona that is a concern however there have been no deaths attributable is some time.
  2. Termites were once classified in a separate order from cockroaches, but recent phylogenetic studies indicate that they evolved from close ancestors of cockroaches during the Jurassic or Triassic.
  3. New reproductive termites are winged, and able to fly. This is the time when most people think they are ants, but unlike ants they have straight antenna and no pinched waist.
  4. Scorpions are known to be one of the oldest animals on earth, 430 million years ago and emerged from the Oceans.
  5. Arachnophobia is the fear of Spiders. It is one of the most common fears in the world. It probably affects about 10% of men and 50% of women.
  6. Houseflies existed 65 million years ago! I hate flies!
  7. In Arizona we have wind scorpions or the Arizona sun spider, these eight-legged creatures aren’t technically spiders at all.
  8. Boxelder bugs can congregate on buildings and home, they are a real threat except to some plants and the best measure to keeping them out is home seal and vacuum when they do get inside.
  9. Did you know that the Arizona State Bug is the Two-tailed Swallowtail Butterfly?

Facts

Play – anywhere, anytime

Play – Anywhere, anytime

Anywhere you might play, eat, sleep etc. Have you hear the sentence – “You Are Within 3-6 Feet of a Spider Right Now”? A 1995 popular article by famous arachnologist Norman Platnick begins, “Wherever you sit as you read these lines, a spider is probably no more than a few yards away.” From a 1999 Sierra Club book on spiders: “Wherever you are, there is a spider within a meter of you.” From a 2001 book on nature in the city: “Even in Manhattan, you are never more than three feet from a spider.” These are just some of the myths surrounding the sentence because it really depends on where you are. So what about bugs then, you probably have them all around you and you don’t realize it.

Maybe a silverfish in your attic, a cockroach under a kitchen cabinet, maybe an earwig off the back patio or your children are at play. The reason is that they outnumber us and by big numbers, its just that they are so small and often not visible to our naked eye.

play

Anywhere you play

You can always call A Pro…

So pest control often plays a part in the management of these pests, here in Arizona we have Bark Scorpions and they can sting and cause pain and fear. They normally don’t kill anyone but the sting is painful and can cause more serious trouble to younger children and older adults. Black ad Brown Widow spiders can cause significant more damage and I recommend wearing gloves while doing work outside or in the garage or attic. Cockroaches, flies and rodents can spread diseases and can seriously damage your intestinal tract. That is why I call myself a Public Health Professional and I’m here to stop those bugs and pests from getting to your family and friends. As always if you have questions, have a picture a picture or just need some advice give us a call 480-831-9328

Restaurants and the need 4 pest Control.

Restaurants

The other a friend and myself visited a Pizza Place restaurant, before I even ordered I visited the bathroom. One of the cleanest bathrooms I’ve been in – in my life. That my friends is how I decide if I’m going to eat at a restaurant. Nothing would upset my intestinal track more than a sloppy disgusting dining place.

I’ll tell you another pet peeve, when an owner calls and I say you have to clean before I’ll take the account and when you come back nothing is done. Easy enough for me, I just won’t do the establishment, period. They are never going to be happy and neither will I. Restaurants should be cleaned at the end of each shift, they should then be cleaned weekly and then again on a monthly schedule depending on how busy they are. Each cleaning schedule can and should focus on certain things, again depending on the restaurant.

restaurants floor drain messy

restaurants floor drain

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Children Medical issues

Children and Medical Issues

Children and Young adults may be susceptible to infestations of cockroaches, rodents and other pests. PestWorld is the official website of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). In addition to general pest control resources, you can search for pest operators in your area. Find detailed information on specific household pests to help you prevent problems and issues surrounding their presence.

If pests are present within a home a wide variety of allergies and asthma issues may develop. They can also along with possible internal stomach issues. Certain bugs like cockroaches and flies can spread salmonella and other diseases merely buy walking over food. We haven’t even discussed rodents and the issues they cause , but beware that many diseases can be spread by them. The possibility exists that if rodents and bugs can walk across the food they have the potential of spreading disease and pathogen. Using screens, sealing holes and entry points can help to keep out those un-welcomed guests.  Keeping up with the dog or pets is also crucial – keep the yard clean. Nothing as bad as flies coming in from the poop outside to your food.

Cockroaches children asthma

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What are my 2 toughest pest complaints?

I probably get more calls about these two things than anything else and to make matters more exasperating not much can be done.

 

#1 – Honeybees coming to your pool or other water feature to drink. This is tough, because in the big picture we probably don’t have a clue where they are coming from. Now the good news, generally speaking the bees are not in defensive mode. What do I mean by that statement? When bees swarm or are out looking for water or flowers they are not defending their hive and won’t be as aggressive as if they were defending their home. A lone bee out looking for food is just looking for food, while the bees at their home are on guard against possible intruders. They have bees that are just guard bees and just like we would defend our homes they are pre-wired to be on guard against intruders. With the extreme HEAT here in Arizona they need water just as much as we do. So please don’t panic, just try to avoid them if possible. Now it may be difficult especially if they are near your pool or water feature, one thing you might try is placing a dish in shaded area with a few rocks to keep them from drowning. Refresh the water frequently and maybe they might move.

 

#2 – Mosquitoes are almost impossible to control once they become adults. The prime time to get them is when they are wigglers or in their larval stage within the water. Some mosquitoes will fly over a mile to get to their food = you or your pet. Check your property for stagnant water, any amount can raise a family of mosquitoes. One area often overlooked is the catch basin for potted plants. I have a back door that opens in and I’m constantly getting flying insects that get sucked in when I open that door. I use the device below once a flying insect makes it into my home. I highly recommend it, after just a few days the glue board has a variety of flying insects. By the way this also fits into my IPM program. We do sell them at my office – ProBest Pest Management 480-831-9328.

FlyWeb

Large mosquito or Crane Fly?

20150314_085528

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.

 

 

 

Insects and other vermin consume food on the street

It turns out that millions of tiny bugs are consuming the equivalent of 60,000 hot dogs per year over a 150-block strip in Manhattan.

Just when you thought it was safe to go out into the streets of New York City – this amazing factoid “The bugs on a single NYC median can eat 14 pounds of food per year” Actually it is a good thing, if they didn’t eat all this stuff it might bring out more and possibly dangerous things like rodents.

My thoughts are just one rodent in the house is one to many. Wherever you live  there is probably a  Pest Management Professional

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