Better Business Bureau Celebrates 100 years of Trust!
1912 BBB is founded under the name of Minneapolis Ad Club’s Vigilance Committee
1916 The name Better Business Bureau adopted – thank goodness because that other name is to tough to say.
Arizona – No frost, no ice and no snow = bigger, badder bugs!
I absolutely love living in the south, warmer temperatures and no shoveling snow or slipping on the ice. I did grow up in Ohio and was fortunate enough to have a Cub Cadet lawnmower snow plow to help me avoid work. Yes it’s hotter than hell here in Arizona during the summer months but gladly I will endure the HEAT versus the cold and snow. The best thing for a bug guy is that the bugs seldom die and this year we didn’t have any real cold and frigid weather to speak of.
So guess what, yep the bugs are going to be out if force this year. So what does that mean for the average homeowner? The crickets and feeder bugs, you know the kind of bugs that scorpions love to eat – are going to be huge… Bark Scorpions eat small insects, spiders and sometimes other scorpions depending on conditions. They feed at night and often hang out on retaining or block walls which hold the Arizona heat. The idea here is to identify, reduce the numbers and where they live, stop them from getting in and pesticides if needed.
Spring is almost here!
Spring is almost here, at least in Arizona and soon we will heading to those wonderful 120° temperatures. So the BIG question are you ready for Spring Cleaning? Here are a few tips on preparing for the summer heat ahead of us all.
- Check all out building for pests, like bees or termites.
- Check the eaves of your home for bees and cracks in which bugs hide.
- The Spring is a great time to caulk and seal your home against unwanted pests, it’s cooler and we all know we don’t want to do it in the Summer.
- Check for any nesting around the home, rodents and birds use nesting material and will often drag it in through opening in the walls and ceilings.
- Use a cobweb broom to knock down interior dust webs.
- Trim those trees from against the home.
- Never stack firewood or wood against the home.
- Clean your carpets.
- How about some plumbing spring cleaning – here are some tips from Benjamin Franklin Plumbing
If you need any help feel free to call us at 480-831-9328 ProBest Pest Management
So who will survive December 21, 2012?
The Mayan Calendar indicates or at least ends on that date, really the Mayan’s indicated a change. So whatever that is I’m sure we will adapt. But it got me to thinking about who would survive and you know it will be the bugs.
The insects have been around forever – What is the Evolutionary History of Insects? Written By: Michael Anissimov The evolutionary history of insects, like that of many other invertebrate groups, is poorly understood. For many decades, it was thought that they branched off of millipedes and centipedes, which are known to have colonized the land as early as 428 million years ago, during the Silurian period. But recent genetic studies suggest that insects more likely split off from crustaceans sometime around 410 million years ago. However, thanks to the high oxygen levels of the Carboniferous period, about 320 million years ago, some insects grew to huge sizes, such as the griffinfly Meganeura, which had a two foot wingspan. But when oxygen levels went down, these insects promptly died due to an inability to circulate sufficient oxygen through their bodies. Read his entire article by clicking on his title above or his home seal by clicking his name.
Cartoon by http://www.Bizarro.Blogspot.com
So who’s planning to be around on December 22, 2012, I guess we will see. So here’s looking at you, I hope.
Arizona 100th Centennial – Celebration
Join ProBest Pest Management and Post Office this Tuesday Feb 14th all day for FREE Cake to celebrate 100th Centennial of Arizona.
425 W. Guadalupe Road #110 between Stapley and Gilbert Roads, Gilbert, AZ 85233 480-831-9328
Tips for Finding A Pest Control Pro
- Always deal with a qualified and licensed pest management company. Consider asking to see the license or other credentials of the pest control professional that comes to solve your pest problem.
- Evaluate pest control companies that are members of national, state or local pest management associations.
- Consider an NPMA QualityPro company. Visit www.npmaqualitypro.com for more information.
- Ask friends and neighbors to recommend pest control companies they have used successfully and how satisfied they were with the service.
- Be wary of the exterminator who comes to your home uninvited and offers to give your house a free inspection for pests. He or she may try to scare you into authorizing immediate and costly treatments.
- If a sizable amount of money is involved, get bids from several pest management companies.
- Don’t rush a decision. Since you are paying for professional knowledge as well as skillful application of pesticides, look for someone whose judgment you can trust.
- Before signing a contract, be sure to fully understand the nature of the household pest to be exterminated, the extent of the infestation, and the work necessary to solve the problem.
- Find out if the pest control company has liability insurance to cover any damages to your house or furnishings during treatment.
- If a guarantee is given, know what it covers, how long it lasts, what you must do to keep it in force, and what kind of continuing control, prevention and management are necessary.
- Buy value, not price. Beware of exterminators that offer bargains that sound too good to be true.
- Homeowners can call state pest control regulatory agencies for information regarding the status of pest management companies. In most states the regulatory agency is the State Department of Agriculture.
ProBest Pest Management 425 W. Guadalupe Road Gilbert, AZ 85233 480-831-9328 or 623-414-0176
10 Common access points
While many entry points are not obvious, a few are. Let’s look at a quick checklist of the more common ones:
1. Under garage doors; where the door does not meet the concrete pad. Replace the seal.
2. Crawlspace vents; repair or replace if screens are ripped or vents broken.
3. HVAC penetrations; where HVAC refrigeration lines go through the foundation and around the unit itself.
4. Hose bibs; where water line goes through foundation or wall.
5. Under first course of siding; occasionally you’ll find an opening between the sill plate and footer.
6. Door frames; openings between door frame and structure.
7. Plumbing vent cover missing or broken; reinstall or replace.
8. Under entry way doors; adjust or replace door sweep.
9. Wire/cable through wall or foundation; seal around opening.
10. Basement and crawlspace doors; seal all openings.
This information taken from an article in B&G EquipNet Technical Newsletter November 2011 by William H. Robinson, Ph.D
I would also like to state a few others that we all should be aware of:
- Never stack firewood against the house, it will attract pest including rodents, spiders and ocassional pests.
- Window screens.
- Weep holes, screens in place or repaired.
- No trees touching the home.
