All posts in “house”

Ant Invasion

The ants go marching one by one, remember the old saying?

How many times have you sprayed something on the ants and they just coming back? It’s not about killing the ones you see, it’s about killing the Queen. You can spray until your fingers go numb, but I’ve got the secret – oh and that’s why you pay me to come to your house for the ants and other bugs. OK just kidding, but you really have to know the bug in order to have the right ammunition to annihilate them. You must get something to the Queen and take her out.  Call ProBest Pest Management and we can solve those ant issues 602-249-7378

ant

ant

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Weather is colder, will it bring in the rodents?

Weather is getting colder, are you letting Pest in?

Now that the weather has changed, will the cold bring in the pests? A hole the size of a quarter for a rat and a hole the size of a dime for a mouse, that’s all it takes for them to make it inside your home or business. Have you walked around your home and made an inspection for rodents of bugs? Most people probably don’t think about pests until they are in the home. Then it becomes a crisis, so let’s all take a few minutes to make our inspections or hire a Pest Management Professional.

 

I have a great offer, send an email to [email protected] for your free E copy of “Ten Tips to keep the bugs out”

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weather

 

Termites AZ?

Consider checking for termites in obscure places?

Well it’s that time of year again, monsoon and we know what that brings? Yep, its the termites and the bugs and they’re back. This was found in a bath-trap area under a bathtub. You really have to think about and I often say you have to think like a termite. All they want is food, a good place to hang-out and water – hey that sounds like me. In this case we found them in a door frame and it didn’t look like they were coming in from the outside foundation. With just a little investigation we located them under the bath-tub in the bath-trap and as I mentioned you have to really think like them.

 

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termites

Below, another tube coming from an interior door way – probably a crack under carpet.

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Happy Labor Day

What are the most dangerous pest in Arizona?

Dangerous?

I know that the title can be subjective, what is and can be hazardous? I think something that can bite or sting is right up there. It could be a dog, snake or bug or someone who is driving recklessly. But in my day to day it’s the bugs that can be the most dangerous. Let’s say you’re cleaning the garage, you put your hand into a box handle and something bites you. That is bad news cause it could be a Black Widow spider. I personally would rather be stung by a scorpion than bitten by a Black or Brown Widow. So wear gloves (IPM) and always protect yourself when gardening or moving stuff. That storage shed that you haven’t been in for 1+ years might hold a few bugs or pests including honeybees.

Scorpion dangerous

Scorpion dangerous?

 

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The Ghost of Scorpions Past!

Is it a Ghost or to much Diatomaceous Earth?

Ghost or an imprint of a scorpion on a couch at a new clients home? Do you how it happened, not exactly sure how this happened but here is my 2 cents. The scorpion was either in the attic or the ceiling and fell and then deposited dust onto the furniture. So how do you scorpions get into the attic?

These pests crawl in under the stucco where that jtrim attaches to the foundation, they then crawl up the wall into the attic and fall out in any opening that is available. That is how in my opinion how you find them in toilets, bathtubs and showers, because that material makes it impossible for them to climb on. So a home seal is the best protection to keeping them out of your house.

ghost scorpions

ghost scorpions

 

Dryer Lint

Dryer lint may cause fires

Your West Valley newspaper recently did an article on a recent home fire resulting from a dryer lint and  dryer vent and the damage caused by it “Peoria Fire – Medical responds to dryer fire, reminds people to clean vents”.

 

More than 15,000 fires are caused by that buildup of lint in those vents yearly, and ProBest Pest management has a air system device to clean those vents. This procedure is simple, we insert a device into the hose area of the dryer vent and the air forces the lint back at us cleaning the hose system. We also recommend installing a metal hose versus the old plastic type you may have. A simple clean out can take care of years of lint and crud build-up. I cleaned mine, it hadn’t been cleaned since I bought the house in 2003 and probably not cleaned since it was built in 1987. It was time and I got almost a full 5 gallon bucket of lint from that build-up.

Dryer lint cleaning vents

Dryer lint cleaning vents

So call ProBest Pest Management today to get your dryer vent cleaned 602-249-7378

Seal to keep out the bugs?

SEAL – You have to think like a bug

Seal – One of those things that can be done to prevent bugs from hiding on your property is to seal as many of those hiding places that you can. This includes those block walls around your property, I once found about 50 cockroaches living in a crack along side a home with a block wall. I used a little dust and they came running, it was a sight to see and of course I had to show the homeowner.

We often get into a debate over inside and/or outside, I try to think like this – where do the bugs generally come from? Outside most of the time, so let’s prevent them from getting in and cut down on the pesticide in the home. Now doesn’t this just make more sense? Now if they come in a bag of food, then you have to decide on the best option inside. Many times it might be ants and the use of a bait is right up the alley to get to the Queen ant and no harm no foul with having to spray the whole house.

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Seal

 

Termites and your toilet – Ohhh what a crappy problem

Any toilet or pipe penetration in the slab will do

Toilet pipes lead the way in. Pardon the pun. Any penetration in your concrete slab allows that tiny chance that the termites may make their way into your home. Typically not usual but it does happen. This goes for any crack in the slab, have you noticed tile or carpet buckling, it may be a crack. If you replace carpet or linoleum and you see a crack have it treated before putting down new tile. I hate to see drill holes when it was preventable. So if you see something like this, give ProBest Pest Management a call at 602-249-7378.

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Save money home-seal and keep the bugs out

Save money

Do you want to save money? Home sealing is a critical and often overlooked piece of pest control! Sealing can save you money in the long run by saving on electricity and seeing fewer insects within the home or business. If you do a few things you can help yourself, blacklight to reduce numbers on your property. Pest control will help to reduce the food prey, which means that the scorpions may move on. Keeping clutter away from or reduced prevents hiding areas. Home-sealing prevents them from getting in.

We require an estimate, where we will look for entry points & propose a fix. For a typical home of 150 lineal feet (outside perimeter) your price would be $600 instead of $900 = a savings of $300! This includes a return visit to check caulking. Enter your contact information on the form to claim your coupon for $2 off per lineal foot!

 

 

 money probest2014-05-01 09.02.55      Home Sealing Special

 

Rats, they will do whatever to get in…

Any hole may be BIG enough to let them in

Probably no single pest creates fear as much as rats or rodents, so why the fear? My first thought is due to the fact they live in some nasty places, like sewers. They also have been named the culprit in the Plague which killed 2/3 of Europe back in 1358 or so. I have people say “I can live with with a mouse in my house”. They can and do spread disease, so I recommend keeping them out of your home. So what can you do?

  1. Seal  any holes in your home.
  2. Check weep screens and those louvers in the attic.
  3. Keep the clutter down in your yard.
  4. Keep the grass mowed and keep the weeds from taking over the yard.
  5. Don’t allow trees to touch the house.

Here are a few facts about rodents:

  1. Mice don’t drink, they get all the moisture from their food.
  2. Consume or contaminate about 20% of the world’s food supply.
  3. They actually gnaw wires and are known to cause fires.
  4. Rats are omnivorous, they feed on grains, seeds meats and just about anything they can get to.

 

As always if you have any concerns give ProBest Pest Management a call 602-249-7378

rats

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