All posts in “furniture”

Carpet & termites

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You return home from vacation and there it is Carpet & termites. Now what do you do, call ProBest Pest Management of course 480-831-9328. This is a result of a crack in the foundation and the termites found their way into the home and through the carpet.

Easy fix for a termite company, take up the carpet and treat the crack in the slab. Termiticide does fail and once that crack begins to expand it moves the barrier treatment. So don’t just look around the foundation edge of the house or the ceiling, if you spot something like this connect immediately so we can assess the root cause.

If you ever decide to take up carpet and replace with tile or wood and you find cracks in the slab, call us. It is easier to fix the problem before the time is in place, never looks the same.

Aprehend Bed Bug

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Aprehend Bed Bug

Aprehend® Bed Bug – Fungal spores biopesticide – natural fungal disease new technology. When the bug comes into contact with a treated surface, the fungal spores stick to its feet and body and are taken back to its harborage areas. The spores transfer easily between bed bugs by direct contact, targeting bed bugs that do not leave the harborage area. After 24 hours, the spores will germinate, like seeds, and penetrate directly through the cuticle of the bed bug. Once inside, the fungal disease grows in the blood system, killing the bed bug with 3-10 days.

The fungus in Aprehend® is called Beauveria bassiana GHA. It is highly effective against bed bugs. Biopesticides are usually inherently less toxic than conventional pesticides. Biopesticides generally affect only the target pest and closely related organisms. In contrast to broad spectrum, conventional pesticides that may affect organisms as different as birds, insects, and mammals. Convenient for businesses as well.

The EPA summary on risk to human health is as follows:

When applied as a pesticide to control bed bugs indoors, EPA concludes that use of Beauveria bassiana GHA will not result in unreasonable adverse effects to humans.

The Aprehend® SDS uses the signal word ‘Danger’ because some of the components of the oil formulation are ‘Petroleum Distillates.’ These products should not be inhaled. For this reason, respiratory protection must be worn during application of Aprehend® and residents and pets should not re-enter areas where application has taken place for 4 hours. This ensures that all spray droplets have settled and no longer pose an inhalation risk.

How do you get bed bugs?

Bed bugs need to be introduced into an environment. They do not jump or fly but are excellent hitch-hikers and can be transported on clothing, luggage, used furniture and various other objects. Risk for bed bug exposure increases in several of the following situations:

Purchasing or using second-hand furniture and mattresses
Entertaining or being an overnight guest
Staying in hotels, college dormitories, boarding schools
Children coming home from summer camp

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Bed Bugs spreading across the US

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bedbug spreading

Bedbugs are spreading rapidly and continue their march across the US. I don’t always get creeped out with pests but BedBugs do it for me. I think about accidental infestation, maybe a lone bedbug falls into a pocket or shoe and I bring it home.

Take care traveling, check out the room and if you think you see something contact management. Don’t bring in used furniture without looking it over really well. Check out our webpage https://callprobest.com/bedbugs and the Nation Pest Management Association has a site “All Things Bed Bugs”

Other NPMA Bed Bug Info & Facts:

Bed bugs can lay one to five eggs in a day and more than 500 in a lifetime.
Bed bugs can survive for several months without eating.
Bed bugs can withstand a wide range of temperatures, from nearly freezing to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bed bug draw blood for about five minutes before retreating to digest.
Bed bugs hatchlings are so small they can pass through a stitch-hole in a mattress.
Bed bugs can ingest seven times their own weight in blood, which would be the equivalent of an average-sized male drinking 120 gallons of liquid.
Bed bugs are found in all 50 U.S. states.

Has the Stink got you, have you tried Earth Care odor bags?

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I run across some really stinky little issues from time to time, like a rodents who died within a home. So its one of those things that isn’t easy to fix, so I often recommend the odor bags. I have used these bags many times and have never been disappointed in their use.

Easy to use to remove dead rodent odors, urine and feces odors, skunk odors, musty mildew odors, and cigarette smoke odor. Doesn’t have to come into contact with dead rodent or odor causing agent and works even if carcass is not removed. Bags are easy to use and last an average of 3-4 months in use and contain no chemicals, toxins or fragrances. Simply place the bag near the odor and in 24 hours the odor will be gone. Earth Care does not mask odors it removes them. Its contents are bio-degradable, non-flammable, non-toxic, safe around children, pets & mother earth.

A friend on mine recently had an issue with bats, so I recommended he try hanging some bags near the spot where the bats had been nesting, here’s what he said:

I did exactly what Keith said and I was pleasantly surprised as to the results, odor gone. I’m sold on these bags. W. Davis – Florida

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.

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

Are head lice a thing that pest control companies handle?

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Are head lice a thing that pest control companies handle?

Head lice are often associated with school children or children in general. There is a big difference between Bed Bugs and head lice.

Bed Bugs versus Head Lice
Bed Bugs don’t live on the host.	Head Lice die after 24 -478 hours after falling off host.
Small, reddish brown insects no wings	Head Lice look like small grains of rice
Hide and come out to feed at night	Oval bugs attach themselves to the hair in order to feed
Hitch a ride on furniture	Spread through contact
Live anywhere, beds, cracks, etc	Live on hair not scalp
Professional Pest Control	Lice treatment at pharmacy

Here are some recommendations concerning Head Lice control

Use a product from a pharmacy recommended for head lice. Seek the advice of the Pharmacist.
Wash hair and comb out the head lice with a lice/nit comb.
Head lice do not transmit any diseases.
Wash bedding in very hot water and hot cycle for drier.

If you encounter Bed Bugs then seek a Pest Management Professional at http://www.pestworld.org but Head Lice can be handled by medications and a little work of your own. By the way don’t use kerosene, gasoline or anything else you might have laying around your home – somebody can get hurt.

Bed Bugs are just GROSS!

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Bed Bugs are just GROSS!

“the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray” Robert Burns

The jest of the saying is to always expect the unexpected, in other words, just because you think you’ve done all you can for something to go right….something can still get messed up (always have a plan B). So when traveling prepare to encounter Bed Bugs and take action before the trip and the return. Our technicians are always on the lookout so that they don’t bring bugs back home, if we do a Bed Bug job that day we inspect our clothes to prevent accidental infestation.

German cockroaches can cause serious sanitation issues & asthma.

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German cockroaches can cause serious sanitation issues & asthma.

German roaches can sneak into your home by way of boxes, bags or even used clothes or furniture. The picture below which by the way looks like an American Cockroach also can spread germs and bacteria. This picture just grosses me out every time I see it. Here is a story recently published on chocolate – Bugging out chocolate allergy linked to roaches.

What are the 6 kinds of Bed Bugs?

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What are the 6 kinds of Bed Bugs?

OK I’m stealing this from Jeff Tucker with BASF but I thought it was great and I added one to the mix.

Live Bed Bugs
Frozen Bed Bugs
Heated Bed Bugs
Steamed Bed Bugs
Dead Bed Bugs
Gone