IPM Archives - Arizona Pest Control - Pest Management Services

All posts in “IPM”

Drains & Restaurants

Comments Off

Drains & Restaurants

Do you ever check bathrooms before you eat at a restaurant, I check drains and restaurants for a living? I won’t eat until I check the bathroom, if its clean then probably (probably) the kitchen is clean. If you have a restaurant, staff must be taught that part of the process is cleaning. Everyday a certain station should be cleaned and then someone needs to double check. If a customer gets something in their food, the reputation can be sullied in that visit and those reviews sites are not forgiving.

Daily cleaning, certain areas.
Weekly cleaning.
Inspection by someone who cares, not just someone that wants to go home.
Inspection by management. If you set the standard – staff will comply.
A German Cockroach can get by with just a speck of grease, don’t forget in between appliances.
Use a checklist, its not tough. If you start out clean and keep it that way.

The Public is your Critic

Only takes one complaint, and if its online – it is there FOREVER. Those Dirty Dining shows are proof of that.
Make the weekly cleaning game with free appetizers etc. If staff doesn’t consider it work – it won’t be.
Set the standard, if you don’t then no one else will.

Honeybee Danger

Comments Off

Honeybee Danger

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, it is very important to check your home inside and outside monthly. If you have our service, we meet you at the front door with a giant broom. It is intended to make the techs look up and to dust down spiders webs etc. The bugs originate outside for the most part.

Slab Issues

Comments Off

Slab Issues

Slab issues can affect the home in many ways, crack and penetrations allow termites access. This picture is the start of the problems, after the pouring of the concrete. A plumber will disrupt the soil and the termiticide and this of course allows termites into the home. From my point of view I would like the plumber to leave the dirt alone and keep the termiticide in place.

IPM less pesticides

Comments Off

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

Comments Off

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

Rat holes

Comments Off

Does your yard have rat holes, do you know what is happening in your yards or your neighbors? Rats or rodents in general can do a lot of damage to wiring and irrigation pipes. Their teeth continue to grow and they need to gnaw them down and they do it by using wiring and other harder items.

Now if that wasn’t bad enough consider for a moment that they might get into your home? They are not very clean and can distribute urine and feces everywhere. They can carry in parasites like ticks and mites. They can also damage any plastic in the home. The other issue in Arizona is the more rats you have the greater possibility of snakes. The snakes looking for food, often will trail them right into your yard or area and set up shop.

Now most snakes are probably OK but you don’t want those venomous ones like the West Rattlesnakes etc. If you don’t know what they look like don’t take a chance. Always, always use gloves and pay attention to your surroundings. Don’t just throw bait in the rat holes, they can and will kick it out. Poison Control is 1-800-222-2222 and as always call 911 immediately. We can help with snake removal so call ProBest once you are safe 602-249-7378 or 623-414-0176. Always take care, we live in a desert – caution.

QualityPro Green

Comments Off

GreenPro Green – QualityPro Accredited companies may offer GreenPro Certified service. GreenPro, a program developed by QualityPro, recognizes services offered by companies within our industry that are committed to providing commercial and residential customers with reduced risk, comprehensive, and effective pest control services. The GreenPro certification program standards were enhanced in 2015 to better meet the current and future needs of both commercial and residential customers. Now, QualityPro has a team of experts ready to determine whether services designed by QualityPro companies have met the GreenPro standard. The result? Certified service that is proven effective for your business, for your clients, and for the earth.

GreenPro Principles

GreenPro certified services minimize pesticide exposure to humans, nontarget animals, and the environment by:

Focusing on integrated pest management strategies such as habitat modification, exclusion, removal of food and water sources, sanitation, and making repairs.
Providing and documenting thorough pest inspection and monitoring services, as well as follow-up to ensure efficacy.
Regularly communicating with clients about pest infestations, conducive conditions, and ways to prevent pests.
Requiring GreenPro training for all company employees who sell or perform GreenPro service.

Services that include any of the following will not be certified as GreenPro:

Preventive pesticide applications that are based solely on the calendar.*
Routine, high-volume pesticide applications without justification.
Indoor pesticide applications without justification.
Rodenticides placed in a manner in which they are accessible to children and nontarget animals.

*Preventive applications linked to seasonality or times of year are permissible if they are clearly linked to the biology of the pest, and regional- or site-specific data on pest pressure and patterns of infestation.

Reprinted from GreenPro National Pest Management Association

Human Health

1 Comment

Human Health

Human health should concern us all, have you ever considered how far we have come? From throwing waste into the streets where everybody walks through it, to kids playing in the streets.

West Nile Virus can be deadly, Arizona has among the highest incidents of this mosquito-transmitted virus. In 2017, 109 confirmed cases resulted in 8 deaths. A University-County (Phoenix metro area) collaboration (supported by CDC) prompted control of 8 mosquito populations carry the virus, reducing disease risk. Published Arizona Pest Management Center.

I consider myself at the front lines of Public Health and Human Health. I also work closely with Arizona Pest Management Center on IPM.

Pesticides

Comments Off

Pesticides

Pesticides are a tool of the IPM or Integrated Pest Management. It is important to understand and implement the correct usage of any chemical used. I recently attended a workshop where this subject was addressed especially with the idea of IPM or Integrated Pest Management. Always a great idea to rehash the options you have when using them. I have always believed that IPM works and should be the basis of any pest treatment. I also wish to address the belief of some that IPM means no pesticides, that is incorrect it simply means that you use the other tools first and if you must use them you do so in a manner that is minimally evasive to the structure.

Thank you to Dr. Michael R. Wierda for supplying this information, info to talk with him included with the sheets.

Scorps how do they get in?

1 Comment

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