All posts in “kitchen”

Drains & Restaurants

Drains & Restaurants

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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.

  1. Daily cleaning, certain areas.
  2. Weekly cleaning.
  3. Inspection by someone who cares, not just someone that wants to go home.
  4. Inspection by management. If you set the standard – staff will comply.
  5. A German Cockroach can get by with just a speck of grease, don’t forget in between appliances.
  6. 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.
Roaches

Roaches

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Roaches

Not my favorite bug, Flies are the worst but roaches and their messiness are just disgusting.  German Roaches come inside your home via boxes, they hang tight until they get into your homes from warehouses that contain food stuffs. Then when you leas expect them, they come out to set up shop at your place. So here are a few facts:

  1. They prefer to hide in boxes and are brought into homes.
  2. They are always inside homes, unless lost (OK I’m guessing on that) but they are not an outside bug.
  3. They will eat anything.
  4. They are difficult to get rid of, breed like crazy.
  5. They lay an egg-case with about 30 little eggs inside.
  6. They are a tan color and they have little black stripes on the head.

What to do to keep them out?

1. When bringing home groceries, take product out of the box and put in Tupperware.

2. You can freeze the box, that would kill anything inside. Then put in Tupperware.

3. If you notice one, call a Professional ASAP. Notice #4 above. Oh and don’t use aerosol bombs, those things have their place but often pushes them deeper into cracks and crevices.

4. If you store stuff in garage, don’t use plastic – mice can get into them.

 

 

 

Fail ultrasonic device

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FAIL

Fail or what? Thanks to a Facebook friend Michael Brinkman

So the question is answered? Does the pest ultrasonic devices actually work? NO

The bigger question for me is, clean your house please? This is disgusting and nasty, the roach droppings are everywhere. Look at the top of the pepper shaker gross.

Fail

Photo by Michael Brinkman

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

Play – anywhere, anytime

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Play – Anywhere, anytime

Anywhere you might play, eat, sleep etc. Have you hear the sentence – “You Are Within 3-6 Feet of a Spider Right Now”? A 1995 popular article by famous arachnologist Norman Platnick begins, “Wherever you sit as you read these lines, a spider is probably no more than a few yards away.” From a 1999 Sierra Club book on spiders: “Wherever you are, there is a spider within a meter of you.” From a 2001 book on nature in the city: “Even in Manhattan, you are never more than three feet from a spider.” These are just some of the myths surrounding the sentence because it really depends on where you are. So what about bugs then, you probably have them all around you and you don’t realize it.

Maybe a silverfish in your attic, a cockroach under a kitchen cabinet, maybe an earwig off the back patio or your children are at play. The reason is that they outnumber us and by big numbers, its just that they are so small and often not visible to our naked eye.

play

Anywhere you play

You can always call A Pro…

So pest control often plays a part in the management of these pests, here in Arizona we have Bark Scorpions and they can sting and cause pain and fear. They normally don’t kill anyone but the sting is painful and can cause more serious trouble to younger children and older adults. Black ad Brown Widow spiders can cause significant more damage and I recommend wearing gloves while doing work outside or in the garage or attic. Cockroaches, flies and rodents can spread diseases and can seriously damage your intestinal tract. That is why I call myself a Public Health Professional and I’m here to stop those bugs and pests from getting to your family and friends. As always if you have questions, have a picture a picture or just need some advice give us a call 602-249-7378

Ants come a crawling…

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You know that old adage about the mechanic that never fixes his own car, cause he’s so busy or the pest control operator that never practices what he preaches – not me by the way. But by allowing that tree or bush to touch your home you may allow the ants to come into your home by the the millions.

ants

ants trees

That colony could have lived in that tree for years, never attempting to go into your home but that new highway just afforded them that option. In their social hierarchy, some members forage  for food and if they come across a new source like your kitchen it could all be over for your peaceful setting. They will take some food and make their way home leaving a pheromone trail for others to follow.

Did you know?

  • There could be 1 million in their colony, maybe more.
  • There are 1 million ants per person on Earth.
  • All those ants you see are female.
  • They have great eyesight but their antenna’s are the thing that really helps them in finding food.
  • They live about 45 –  60 days but probably have lived on Earth for over 1oo billion years. Queens may live 30 years.
  • If you weighed all the ants it would be more than all the humans. WOW, right?
  • The Maricopa Harvester ant is the most venomous insect on Earth and guess where it lives? Clue is Maricopa… and it’s sting is equal to 12 bee stings.
  • The Red Imported Fire Ant in Florida builds rafts to float during massive rain storms.
  • Their worst enemy is ProBest technicians, no just kidding but it’s other ants. Our technicians are good at what they do, but remember the ants are always on guard against intruders.
  • They can make their nest almost anywhere, don’t make it easy for them. Think about the types of landscape and decorations you place around your home.

Spring Is here and the bugs may be at your door

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Spring is here

So Spring has finally arrived ohhhh and we finally see that April the Giraffe had her baby boy. It’s a Facebook thing and this Giraffe has been expecting for well over a month and I all think we wish it would arrive and that includes April. This season is a time of rebirth, the trees and bushes start the process of new leaves and the animals including  starting the process of new babies. As Spring goes into Summer the temperatures will push the bugs into cooler climates such as your home or business. So please keep an eye on eaves, roof-lines and sheds where we see more activity from honeybees etc.

I was sitting in my car on the overpass at the US 60 and Gilbert Road last week and a swarm flew right into and over us, glad my windows were rolled up. Watch the video on Honeybees . Take some time to smell the flowers life is to short to miss the fun stuff – relax take some time.

Spring blooming cactus

Spring blooming cactus

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQi9pZ8jE9M[/embedyt]

Trust a Pest Management Professional

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NPMA - Trust a Professional

ProBest is a member of the NPMA – Trust a Professional

Trust A Professional:

Do you know what you get when you purchase a service from ProBest Pest Management? Not only do you get a Professional service but you get the knowledge of 75+ years of the staff at ProBest. Two members are Associate Certified Entomologist from the Entomological Society of America. We do a lot of little things to prove value for the price you pay, and hey we are not the cheapest but we do great work. Cheap is not always the best! I have a saying “buying the same hammer that a carpenter buys doesn’t make you a carpenter” or “Honesty shouldn’t be the best policy, it should be the only policy”.

Referrals are BIG at ProBest, and we pay out when you refer someone to us. That is the true test of a great company, how about reviews – we have some really great ones at are http://www.youtube.com/ProBestPest check them out along with some really cool videos. Thanks for those referrals and reviews.

professional

professional

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_BmcJGS27Q[/embedyt]

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

IPM

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