All posts in “Integrated Pest Management”

All of a sudden I have flying things all over my home, what are they?

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This last week a lady dropped by our office and mentioned these flying things all over her home. Unfortunately she didn’t bring in any dead critters, but we asked a few questions and here are my questions and answers.

  1. When did you first spot the bugs? Maybe a week or so ago.
  2. Were they all over or where did it begin? Mainly in the living room.
  3. Near a door? Yes the frontdoor.
  4. It just started getting colder did you bring in any plants? OMG yes I just brought in some plants.

Pest work can be like detective work, ask the right questions and hopefully you get the right and helpful answers. She went home put the plants in the garage and all those flying things simply disappeared. Case solved!  Didn’t even need to use any pesticides, IPM at its finest.

 

 

A great explanation of IPM, what is IPM?

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“An ecological approach to pest management that effectively manages pests in a way that minimizes adverse effects on people and the environment. IPM (integrated pest management) emphasizes an understanding of pest biology and behavior, and employs a number of different strategies designed to reduce the things pests need to survive and reproduce, including food, water, living space, and a way into the building.”

Purdue University’s IPM Technical Resource Center

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Stored product pest ideas

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Stored product pest

Stored product pest

Stored product pest include such pests as Beetle, Moths and Weevils. Another pests that deserves a distinction of menace also includes rodents like mice and rats. I really like the idea of using glass bottles to store products away from the pests that might try to get to them. You get the benefit of reducing pests and you can see what the product is. One additional idea is to take a grocery item and immediately freeze it and then store it in an see through container.

Just another great idea that incorporates IPM or Integrated Pest Management.

Hey somebody finally gets it, pesticides and the need to use them

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“EPA pesticide bans threaten you and the economy” by Alan Caruba.

Not killing pests, insects and rodents, is a great way to put everyone’s health in jeopardy. New York City announced a new war in May against rats and will spend $600,000 to hire new inspectors to deal with an increased population. Lyme disease and West Nile Fever are just two of the diseases that require serious insect pest control. A wide variety of insects spread many diseases from Salmonella to Hantavirus. Termites do billions in property damage every year.

I’m a big believer in IPM or Integrated Pest Management – the use of all things in your toolbox before you get or have to use pesticide. There are many things out there that can kill you and all I’m saying is that we have to use common sense in our actions. Everyone touts these GREEN oils and products and if they all worked as well as pesticides I would think we as an industry would use them more and more. But the facts are not conclusive yet that they hold up as long or kill as efficiently as pesticides do. We are using more and more inside versus pesticide because we promote outside first and inside only as the last option.

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The trend of GREEN, what do I mean?

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As Kermit the Frog has said numerous times “It ain’t easy being Green”. The trend over the last 10 years or more is to lean against the use of pesticides unless it is absolutely needed and I agree. Now with that said, I do believe that pesticides are needed. Numerous people die every year from diseases brought on by vectors like mosquitoes or fleas. Along with that number are the people that are stung or biten by things like scorpions, bees and spiders.

“Green Buildings” Have potential to improve health of low-income housing residents.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the protocol of using tools to stop the pests from gaining entry before using pesticides. It still allows the use of pesticides but after using those tools to keep them out. Examples of this include home-sealing, eliminating hiding spaces and rocks on your property and installing or updating garage or door thresholds/door sweeps.

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I want you to spray inside my home… is it necessary?

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Not always!

“Rodents winning New York City rat race, but humans are fighting back.” I have to tell you I get a bit frustrated when I hear these remarks. If you have been ready this home seal you know I’m a advocate for Integrated Pest Management or IPM but sometimes that takes into account the use of pesticides.

I’m constantly talking with people about inside and/or outside service, I switched many years ago to an outside service program. I spend just as much time on the outside as I did doing both inside/outside. There isn’t the need with a few exceptions of performing inside service.  So here is my approach:

  1. On calling the customer, they have an opportunity to tell me about any interior issues.
  2. Upon arrival for their service, I ask if they have any issues.
  3. I always walk around with a webber broom, gives me a chance to look the home over before I begin the service.
  4. I’m a technology minded service provider, I investigate and try the new products. This is often done in cooperation with the Pest Control Industry Manufacturers.
  5. Example: I went to a home a month ago, another company had been treating this home for German Roaches for 2 years and they still had them (they were spraying only). I used Avert dry bait as a crack & crevice product – this month the owner advised me that he had seen one about a week and a half ago but none lately. NOTE: this is what you pay me for – I know bugs and how to get rid of them…… Its about knowledge.
  6. There are a few occasions when you must use products inside homes, yes I know there are people out there that think there are do it yourself products or GREEN products that will rid your home of everything. In my opinion some work but many just won’t last long enough.
  7. Many schools are getting on the IPM program and if it good enough for our children and our schools why wouldn’t it be good enough for your home. Just think about this, every time you use a compressed sprayer within your home you are releasing a pesticide within your airspace – is that good? Just face the facts IPM is the way of the future.

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Preventing Asthma And Allergy Symptoms

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More than nine out of ten allergists surveyed (97 percent) believe a pest-free home is an important step in preventing asthma and allergy symptoms, according to a recent survey conducted by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) supported by a grant from the National Pest Management Association (NPMA).

The AAFA survey of allergists also revealed the following: Press Release

  • Nearly 8 out of 10 allergists surveyed (76 percent) say, aside from dust mites, cockroaches are the most problematic household pest for patients suffering from asthma or allergies. More than half of allergists surveyed (57 percent) rank rodents as the second most problematic, and nearly two-thirds (63 percent) rank stinging insects as third.
  • More than 9 out of 10 allergists surveyed (95 percent) regularly advise their patients to reduce their exposure to pest allergens in their homes.
  • 9 out of 10 allergists surveyed (90 percent) would recommend that a patient with a pest problem consult with a pest management professional.
  • When asked to provide open-ended comments about advice they give to patients who have a sensitivity to cockroach allergen, the most frequent advice cited by allergists surveyed was to contact or hire a pest management professional.
18_American Cockroach on Sponge

Photo by PPMA

Do you know how bugs sneak into your home or business?

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Bark scorpion entering a building under a door

Dawn H. Gouge, Ph. D. University of Arizona MAC Experiment Station

Given the space or lack thereof – bugs will make their way into your home or business. Pests have adapted to us, just look at German Roaches they will use exploit our weaknesses and hitch a ride home to our kitchens or businesses.  Bed Bugs are very much the same, they will hide in luggage or shoes and boom they are in our house ready to feed off any family member they can find.

Home-sealing is by far the best way to keep out those pests. Caulking, door sweeps and fixing screens are an excellent way to keep pests out. IPM or Integrated Pest Management is the way to think when it comes to protecting your family.

Does your pest company still power spray or spray inside monthly?

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There are several things happening around the U.S. which may impact pest control in your specific area.

  • The EPA has been trying to reduce the use of rodentcides, mainly due to secondary poisonings. My hope is that people use common sence in placement of poisons, don’t randomly throw packets throughout attics or crawlspaces. ProBest has not used any of those packets since 2005 and we have swtiched to Terad3 in rodent stations.
  • The restrictions of pesticides continue, power spraying of Permethrin type chemicals are just one of the ways the EPA is limiting chemical usage.

The use of IPM or Integrated Pest Management continues to be the choice of real prevention of pests. So here are a few tips to reduce the use of pesticides and allow them to continue to be used in the future.

  1. Be aware of placement especially of rodentcides. I’m a big fan of not using any rodenticide within a structure, use of snap traps can be just as effective.
  2. Use pestcides that can be hidden and placed where insects will find them, crack and crevices, block voids and wall voids.
  3. Don’t spray any flowering plant.
  4. Follow IPM standards.
  5. Always read and follow label and use directions.
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