All posts in “house”

Bath Trap

Bath Trap

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Bath Trap

So imagine if you will, the construction company is building your dream house. Sounds like the Twilight Zone, everyone has different skill sets, mine is bugs and entomology. We or a pretreat company sprays the ground to treat the soil for termites before they pour the concrete. When the plumber comes along later, how do they deal with that mess from the bath trap. Generally they remove it away and don’t worry about it. Now I wonder where are the termites going to come into the house. Either on the outside of the home or where there is a hole.

Termite season

Termite season

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Termite season

Its termite season, as soon as monsoon hits and rain begins to fall. Those mud tubes seen in the picture are a sure sign. Now if they are inside and more noticeable its time to call ProBest Pest Management. If your home was built before they started raising the stucco, it is good to have an inspection yearly but at least every other year. Termite are crafty and often not visible, so a termite inspection by a Pro is often the best medicine again these little girls. 24/7/365 they are lurking for a way into your home and all they want is food = your home.

So what do you look for?

  • Those telltale tubes up the outside wall.
  • Those same type mud tubes inside, either at baseboard or the ceiling, these can be drop tubes or damage on walls. Subterranean termites always go with with the grain of the wood and always have dirt with those galleries.
  • Any damage that you are concerned about.
  • Any painting that is damage from behind.
  • Anything that you are concerned with call our office or send us a picture [email protected]
  • Termite Season is here, are you prepared – call ProBest today 602-249-7378 or 623-414-9176

Termites can cause significant problems, so watching you single biggest investment is worth it. If you watch a home for someone else it is equally important. Along with a 401K, it is an asset to you or a loved one. Pest control is also handy to have, as the technician is there on a consistent basis and can catch many issues.

 

Drywood Termites

Drywood Termites

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Drywood Termites are not a real BIG problems here in Arizona because Drywoods  get all their water from the wood. The most obvious sign of termites are the pellets they leave behind. Subterranean Termites use their fecal material with their waste to build tunnels and tubes. The fecal pellets from these termites are rounded with concave grooves, primarily from their anal glands reducing the amount of water escaping.

Subs:

Subterranean termites eat with the grain of the wood, while Drywood Termites  eat across the grain. You can always tell subs versus drywoods – dirt or soil is always included with damage of subs. I remember a building Daytona Beach, Florida – huge building with multiple floors and upstairs wood floor with piles of Drywood pellets. They were obvious little pyramids all over the floors. In this case the only (only method to absolutely get rid of them is fumigation. You tent the entire building and put gas inside. Here is Arizona you can get lucky from time to time and find the termites.

Drywoods:

On occasion I have found them in windows and or walls. Either take out the wood or use a product that can seep into the wood. This can only occur if the wood has never been painted or varnished. You can spray, paint or foam the unsealed wood, just follow label instructions. As you can imagine these Drywood Termites are quite common in areas with water like Florida and California. However, you won’t find them in colder climates and the actual size of the colony is limited to about 3000. Subterranean termites can usually have over 1 million, while Formosan termites (another type of Subterranean) can have 16 million or more.

Remember that the bugs will inherit the earth, one way or another they will be here forever. So call ProBest for all your bug needs 602-249-7378 or 623-414-0176

Cricket Poo

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Cricket Poo can be mistaken for termite activity. Cricket mess under a hand lens appear to have sharp jagged edges. Often black in color while termites use soil and water which when mixed in their poo, used to build tunnels and tubes. I see this kind of activity inside garages on the foundation step up and along foundations outside homes. Termites construct their tunnels over surfaces such as slabs and drywall or 2x4s in homes.

People mistake lots of things as termites, I get calls on Mud dauber soil nest, They build these almost ball looking things which they then pack with incapacitated spiders and then lay their eggs inside. When the egg hatches the little baby larva eats the paralyzed spiders. Termites build little tunnels or tubes about the size of pencils and the little girls make their way throughout these tubes to contain moisture. The arch enemies of termites are ants and they fight if they interact. But you really don’t need either of these two on your property.

If you run into something and you don’t know what it is, call us 602-249-7378 or 623-414-0176 or send us a picture at [email protected]

Carpet Tack

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Carpet Tack is usually reserved for carpet, however I recently saw something unique in bird avoidance. By the way as you can see it isn’t working. It was a good try but the nails are not long enough to persuade the birds from landing. Also these are probably sparrows, not pigeons so it really needs to be bird spike. The technique of bird spikes is that they prevent the birds from landing, hence bird deterrent.

Leave it to the professionals when it comes to the outside of your home, we have been providing excellent work for almost 40 years. We have all the tools necessary to plan and carry out the work. I have experimented with many things, especially when it comes to woodpeckers. So call us and at least get an estimate before you attempt this on your own. Often times it may be less expensive and it will diffidently look better. Call 623-414-0176 or 602-249-7378 for a free estimate, save yourself the hassle.

Sub Termites

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Sub Termites

Sub Termites – They are creepy and they are always trying to find wood = your home or business. 24/7/365 ALWAYS LOOKING. Look for signs and don’t encourage them to come to your dinner plate. Stop them by eliminating what they want.

  1. Check your home monthly for sign of bugs/pests.
  2. Don’t over water.
  3. Reduce plants,  bushes and trees under the eave of the house.
  4. Don’t plant vines.
  5. Maintain a few inches of space between stucco and ground or rock.
  6. Look for tubes, grass eating termites and castles. Don’t put items over the expansion joint in garage, make it visible.
  7. Once every few years have a Pest Management Professional do an inspection. Pay them its worth it.
  8. Don’t cheap out – your home is an investment. Make it last.

Sub Termites    Sub Termites     Sub Termites

Kitchen tubes

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Kitchen tubes termites

Kitchen tubes and termites, always a freaky thing to discover. This was of course unusual and of course there was a shower bathtub on the other side. This makes it difficult to treat, almost making it impossible to get to the bath-trap. Maybe the possibility of angle drilling, but whoa pipes in the way.

Checking your home monthly for signs of termite tubes is helpful in determining an active infestation. Check for signs outside at the foundation and check inside for any signs of soil/dirt tubes and stains. In Arizona termites become more active after monsoon and the rains. This year we have had a lot of rain, so keep an eye out for signs.

 

It’s not the appliance but the hole that lets in the critters.

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The appliance and the hole.

The appliance and your home. It’s the hole that affects the entry of the pests. Often the wall socket is surrounded by the cover but may still allow pests. The cover may fit tightly but the technique is to fill in that gap with caulking. By sealing the outside, you stop the pests outside. But if there is a gap and they encounter it they may get in. Home-sealing is still the best option and helps to add one more line of defense against the possible invasion of pests.

Home-sealing eliminates the holes or crack that scorpions, ants and spiders may take into your home. You can do your own sealing or hire a professional company to do it. It is better to be done in the winter if you you-re doing it as it HOT and messy. You can do the inside any ole time and its easy enough to do, pull the cover down or off and caulk.

appliance

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.

Seal it up

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Seal it up, your house that is.

Do you know what the biggest thing you can do to stop pests from getting into your house – seal it up. We have a lot of pests in Arizona that can get into our homes, from scorpions to rodents. So it is absolutely essential to seal up your home or business. Now I don’t suggest you do it now, it’s to hot but is can be a great winter project or better yet call ProBest Pest Management at 602-249-7378.

We have tried several caulks to see what works best, the more silicone the better. The only issue you will use all your muscles to squeeze it out, so pick a section of house and take your time. Also use a hose to maneuver the caulk where you want it. Scorpions are the biggest headache we have in Arizona. The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) has some suggestions and useful information at their site, check them out.

seal it up

 

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