Remember last week on the 18th July Arizona termites – sneaky and they will get in
Once termites find their way in they will continue to seek out cellulose and if they find it in a painting they will attack and eat. So if you notice anything unusual on a wall or painting please check it out. Sometimes those hidden areas can surprise you.
There are probably no more issues than with a monolithic or floating slabs and some would say crawlspaces are easier to see.
I would venture to say that in my opinion Post Tension is probably better, the ability to pull concrete together helps to avoid the pitfalls of cracks developing. Crawlspaces can be tricky because I have seen some that were impossible to crawl, less than 18 inches high or so many obstacles in the way. But with the right height and limited obstacles crawlspaces can easily inspected. I would suggest a yearly inspection and that inspector can also mention things like:
Anyway you get the point, yearly inspections
I talk a lot about IPM because it just makes sense, you know the stories and how people just want the old way of pest control. Just like any business you have to change and adapt to those changes or you ultimately die from lack of business. I will admit it isn’t easy to walk away from money but Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is here to stay) and the the betterment of all of us.
Which makes more sense:
School & Home Integrated Pest Management July 2014 Newsletter – Thanks to the University of Arizona (College of Agriculture & Life Sciences.
Arizona has some rather sneaky termites but very capable of gaining entry into our homes. They usually make termite tunnels over the outside foundation but can also make their way in by way of that crack or where concrete meets another piece of concrete. This photo was the only evidence within this home but looks typical of those mud tubes or tunnels on the foundation.
So if you notice something that looks like this or a drop tube from the ceiling it’s time to call ProBest Pest Management at 602-249-7378.
If you have wood siding please consider the following:
An IGR is a chemical that inhibits the life cycle of an insect. OK what does that mean, some IGR’s stop insects from molting their skin, while others can cause eggs to be sterile and some can stop the formation of chitin which aids in the construction of the exoskeleton. We often add an IGR into a product designed to kill that insect but for some reason that insect maybe because of the sheer numbers evades our kill. This IGR then acts upon those survivors by interfering with molting, reproduction and/or the break down of their skeleton.
An example of this would be a heavy infestation of German Roaches, our goal is to kill them all but sheer numbers dictate that this probably won’t happen. So if we kill 97-98% the IGR is there to help wrap up the remaining numbers. Many of these IGR’s are labeled as “Reduced Risk” meaning that they target the offending bug while not affecting other good bugs. You can actually use an IGR by itself and not use any pesticide, the kill might take longer but use are reducing the pesticide within that structure (IPM).
There are a few IGR’s that target specific pests, I’m going to mention a few because of their ability to work really well (my opinion). There are some new ones that work well and are constantly being tested for new pests.
Gentrol – Cockroaches, beetles and moths.
Precor – Mosquitoes and fleas.
So every once in awhile you come across something unique. This wreath was nice as it was but then this dove decided to add a little touch of class by building a nest right on top.The only problem was the lack of hygiene by Mama bird and the poo on the welcome mat.
So a little upgrade to an existing wreath, looks fine to me. Have you seen anything like this?
Well almost anywhere!
These are meter boxes, usually they seek out areas that are hidden and away from people such as these closed meter boxes. I also always thought these boxes were to small, but I guess I would be wrong. Africanized Honeybees swarm 30% more often and maybe it has to do with space.
So bee careful out there, as they will make their home almost anywhere.
When you plant bushes, trees or plants next to your home, are you creating an environment for pests and termites? Probably so. My rule of thumb is not to plant anything within 2 feet of your structure. Normally this is what I call the dripline of your home, that is the area of the roof over hang. Sometimes we really don’t have a chance, the picture below is an example of this. Because of the sidewalk there isn’t any room and when and if a termite job is required on this home, all those plants will probably be destoyed or hopefully they can be moved. The other issue is when the plants attract pests, could they then move into your structure? So think before you plant and things should be OK on the bug side…
