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IPM less pesticides

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IPM less pesticides

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), (IPM) integrated pest management is best defined as “a long-term, effective, and holistic approach to managing pests of all kinds by carefully combining various interventions (e.g., education, code enforcement, rodent proofing, poisoning) in ways that minimize environmental hazards and deficiencies that affect people’s health.”

IPM less pesticides = the new way to manage pests, all the tools to get rid and prevent pests. If you do a home seal, this reduces the risks of pest and reduces pesticide usage. So lets say you have scorpions and you’re thinking what can I do as the homeowner?

1. Home seal.

2. Consistent pest control, not random whenever you think about it.

3. Caulking holes and ????

4. Clean up back yard, no fruit and trash.

5. Black lighting for scorpions.

All these things mitigate the use of pesticide, therefore this = less pesticide usage.

Aprehend Bedbugs

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Aprehend Bedbugs

One of the great products on the market today is Aprehend a non-toxic mode of action with a 3 month residual. Aprehend bedbugs is really unique in that it requires very little contact with the Bedbug. The product is made up of fungal spores (Beauveria bassiana). It is applied as a spray in a narrow band where they come into contact with the spores. These spores transfer from one bug to another via body contact sticking to their feet and body. Then they take it back home. The Bedbugs are killed with 4 to 10 days, the fungal spores germinate in 20 hours after contact with the bug. Even the ones you don’t see and then penetrate their cuticle.

The thing about this product is that it will not cause unreasonable effects to humans. See the picture below and they are into 70,000 treatments in the field. In my book better than pesticides and less invasive than heating the entire house to +160. In nursery homes, senior centers the people would have to leave those areas and return after 4+hours. See the instructional guides for further information concerning prep that must be done. Also with the use of biopesticides such as Aprehend Bedbugs as it affects target pests, small quantities are effective and decompose faster.

It fits in nicely to our use of (IPM) Integrated Pest Management. Tests results have shown great success and after 5 days of exposure 100% mortality of bed bugs and remember it is effective for up to 3 months. So if you’re a motel/hotel you can be proactive, treat either side of the room in question and rest easy. Call ProBest Pest Management today for a quote 602-249-7378 or 623-414-0176

Scorps how do they get in?

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How do the scorps get in?

Scorps in the Phoenix Valley. Is this is typical for construction here in Arizona? Not only do you have to check outside but you must also check inside your family home?

So this little Scorpion (let’s call him Fred) one night was out lurking about for food. He came down the block wall where he was living because he had learned about this nice cool spot. He had heard about the crickets singing and chirping all night long.

Fred crossed the endless chasm of rocks and finally made it to the house. He started up the foundation where he found a crack. Now he was inside the wall, he started climbing the 2×4 wall studs, making his way to the attic of the house. Fred made his way under the insulation, he couldn’t really see anything. It was dark under all that insulation and it seemed to be everywhere. All of a sudden he fell, he had made it to a light. There was plenty of room around that light because no one had sealed it properly. Now he was in even bigger trouble, he had fallen into the bathtub and he couldn’t get out since it was very slippery porcelain.

The little child Kylea was running around the house and saw something in the bathtub, she leaned over to touch it and Fred stung her. Fred was just doing what he was born to do, survive an attack by something bigger.

Is it to late?

Well it’s to late for Fred the scorpion, the owners didn’t put up with him and gave him a sea burial. Better yet, they called ProBest Pest Management 602-249-7378 who did a home seal, specialized foam treatment and continuous monthly pest control. They also taught their child to learn the different bad bugs in the Valley.

The moral of the story, hire a pest professional to combat the bugs. Don’t wait until you, your family or pet is stung.

Scorps

IPM?

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The success is IPM – Integrated Pest Management

We have often talked about IPM, and just to be clear it is Pest Control. Using all the tools at hand before you have to use pesticides. Technicians don’t prohibit the use, we just leave it for the end if the other techniques don’t work.

Here is an example – you have ants in the kitchen, you have sealed and caulked every possible opening along the entire wall and somehow they continue to get in. Furthermore you tried a pesticide outside (I suggest Termidor outside only) and that didn’t work either (you must understand the bug). So now the only option is to bait within the house, hide it in an area they frequent and bingo they are now gone. Use the tools and success, with minimal intrusion and pesticides. As a result most pesticides are useful, use them with caution and use as directed. Always play it safe read and understand the label.

Home-seal and prevention.

Do a monthly check of your property.
Seal any cracks or holes on the home, use caulking or steel wool if rodents are involved. Remember mice need a hole the size of a dime. Rats require something in the area of a quarter to gain entry. Seal it with steel or copper wool and calking or cement.
Remove, replace any wood rot and seal it if possible.
Keep trash receptacle closed and clean and away from house.
Keep bushes, trees and vines away from the house.
Keep wood trim painted or sealed to keep away pests.
Keep water usage to a minimum, make sure you’re not collecting water in certain areas.
If you have a crawlspace keep it clean and dry, always good to keep it ventilated as well.
Once a year have a termite inspection done, they can also perform a pest inspection.
When in doubt, or maybe you don’t understand the pest – time to hire a Professional.

IPM

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJENY7zpsGc[/embedyt]

Home-seal 10 tips

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Home-seal Top 10 Tips video

Home-seal is the best method to keep out the bugs, nothing works better. It seems that almost anything you do and the scorpions still get inside. But I consider it whatever you can do to reduce the numbers. Sealing is #1, then pest control to reduce population of feeder bugs. Black-lighting to reduce population on your property. Then finally patching any holes, including weatherstripping on doors and windows. Often times we unknowingly do things that help the pests, planting trees and bushes to close to the home, over watering to close to the foundation and not repairing or replacing screens. Home repairs and upkeep is important to keeping the bugs out.

Home-Seal Storm Shield

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suiWKtQ97zs[/embedyt]

Does black-lighting or exclusion work to control pests?

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So what in my opinion really works the best to control pests from getting into homes, without a doubt home sealing or exclusion. Here are my Top 3 ways to control scorpions and those other bugs that may want to make your home theirs.

Home seal or exclusion.
Black-lighting to reduce the population.
Consistent monthly pest control.

You hear me talk about IPM all the time and I’m telling you it works. Rather than spraying pesticides all the time, you can reduce the risk by helping your Pest Management Professional by doing a few things to improve the situation at your home. By black lighting you reduce the numbers and by doing so you reduce the numbers that might make it to your home. By sealing your home you again reduce the numbers that make it to your home and reduce the numbers that could make it in. The next way is to reduce the numbers of the food (crickets, roaches) and ultimately the scorpions themselves.

Now with all that said, I do believe in pest control but as I stated above it needs to be done in a consistent manner. If you have scorpions I think especially in Arizona it needs to be done monthly. I also believe that outside service is the most efficient along with home sealing and black-lighting. There are some in my professional that still don’t get it, they are the ones that still treat inside each month or power spray each month. Now don’t get me wrong I still occasionally do the inside ie: German Cockroaches or ants and if you have ticks I may decide to power spray. There are always exceptions to the rules. But soon the lack of water or water quality issues are going to trump the constant overkill of those outdated and impractical pest control techniques. (my opinion)

Garage Door Rodent Guard and StormShield

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Part of our IPM approach to keeping the varmints out. Call us to get a quote 602-249-7378

Why you shouldn’t bug spray in your home every month?

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Over the years I have been an advocate of spreading the news about outside versus inside bug spraying. I’ve actually walked away from people demanding it be done. I’ve held to my guns that it just wasn’t necessary or good for you. This story “Indoor pesticide exposure tied to childhood cancers” is the proof that science and pest management has come towards an IPM approach to issues such as this. I have stated for at least 10 years that indoor spraying just isn’t necessary, there are exceptions like German Roaches that may require a one or two treatment service and there are now gels and dry baits which can be used. I remember 20+ years ago when I would notice a dry powder forming around the edges of rooms and you know that this becomes airborne when children, pets or people walk over it. Breathing that just can’t be good for you! Soapbox alert……

IPM is an abbreviation for Integrated Pest Management.

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.

Trust me on this folks, stop the every month inside spraying of homes and businesses, your lungs and body can thank me later. Many schools have adopted this program and thanks to a few here in Arizona we are on track to promote more and more schools towards these programs. “Integrated Pest Management – The most effective way to manage pests in your school by AZ Cooperative Extension office U of A

What are my 2 toughest pest complaints?

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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 602-249-7378.

Why does Canada have some tougher rules on pesticides?

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Over the years I have noticed that Canada is tougher on pesticides than we are in the States and was just curious why that was? “Citronella safety debate”

Back in 2004, Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency completed a review of citronella-based insect lotions and sprays and said it was not convinced the products were safe.

I’m a fan of being on the safer side of things, but we must also weigh the risks that the bugs bring. It turns out that the people often are the lead in these laws. They fought to keep pesticides out of lawn and gardens applications and this ban (Canada) took effect in 2009. I also found this article “Organic pesticides can be worse than synthetic: study”

OK my point is this, I believe pesticide in moderation or IPM – use the tools available, then if you must, then use pesticide.