All posts in “monsoon”

Monsoon rain & dust

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Monsoon rain & dust will start soon and we all know what that will bring? Termites and more bugs including more mosquitoes and flies. It’s time to store your outdoor equipment before the winds grab it. Check your windows for gaps and repair, keeps the Monsoon rain & dust out. What should you do, now to avoid the mess. Remember the Boy Scout motto “Be Prepared”.

  1. Check your yard for containers that may hold water.
  2. Fill in potholes that may hold water.
  3. Double check drip irrigation and flood irrigation for issues.
  4. Clean gutters.
  5. Repair screens, make sure they are in place.
  6. Check door sweeps and gaskets.
  7. Remember stagnant water is the enemy, flowing water good.
  8. Best time to treat for mosquitoes is when they are in the water.

Monsoon and Termites

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Monsoon brings out the bugs

Well the monsoon has arrived and with all that rain comes the bugs. I usually say the bugs come in for 2 reasons, #1 not enough rain or #2 too much rain. Just like us the bugs need water, food and shelter and guess what that may be our home of business. Termites become more active this time of year mainly due to the increase of water, on the East Coast water is more abundant and they just seem to be active all year long. Termites create a tube in which to enter a home but that tube can often be hidden and that is the main reason to hire a Pest Management Professional to do that yearly inspection. If you live in the South I recommend a yearly inspection especially for your peace of mind.

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All that water.

So when the ground becomes saturated the other bugs make for dryer land and sometimes that just happens to be your home or business. This picture below was from last week and you can see our parking lot is flooded. If this was your home this might be right up against your foundation. The more water and over time this may diminish your active termiticide.

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It’s termite season in Arizona.

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They are munching at wood 24/7/365 and frankly speaking you know it’s just a matter of time before they get to your home. Termites consume wood or cellulose and convert it into energy to live. So what should you look for:

  1. Mud tubes on your foundation.
  2. Mud tubes or small little holes in your

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What is the BIG question for this time of year?

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I think the question I get asked the most at this time of year is “Why am I seeing more bugs in my house than any other time of year”?

 

So lets imagine that you are a bug and all of sudden it rains and I mean it rains hard. Your home becomes wet or flooded, you react by trying to go higher and that might be your home. You see the bug doesn’t know your house from a tree or a rock.

OR

It doesn’t rain and the bugs that you feed upon aren’t coming by your place, so you have to go out looking for food. That bug comes to your home and climbs and climbs just looking for food.

 

So if we can think like a bug, attack you where you live or hangout – then we stop you. If I was a bug this is where I would hangout and this is one area we treat.

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Why am I seeing mosquitoes in Arizona?

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I have noticed lately especially after the rains that we have had numerous calls about flying biting mosquitoes. With all the monsoon rains, a lot of the things that hold water have had the chance to really set things in motion for the issues with biting pests.

Water can accumulate in any container that can hold water, fountains that aren’t working and any indention in the ground. So again I will mention surveying your property monthly or at the very least when the rains occur.

Remember the 3 things that most living things need:

  • Food
  • Shelter
  • Water

Some mosquitoes are well suited for inhabiting local areas but some can travel up to mile just to feed. So tip over those devices that can hold water, don’t forget saucers for planters.

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Photo by PPMA

Termites and their sneaky way into our homes

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Those termites will find any way into the house, sometimes it just works out that it is a pipe. Originally a pretreat was done and this should work for many years, if the pretreat was done correctly. So as you are doing your monthly inspection, it would be wise to check any pipe penetrations through your foundation slab.  I actually found one swarmer (reproductive) or alate termite walking around inside the shower.

It’s monsoon season here in Arizona so termites are usually a little more active, so please check your home or give us a call at 602-249-7378 or 623-414-0176.

Boy o boy when it rains in Arizona, it really rains.

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This was just a shot of a parking lot of a church which couldn’t handle all that rain. All this rains triggers the subterranean termites to become a little more active, so what signs should you be looking for?

  1. Mud tube or tunnels on the foundation stem wall of your home.
  2. Small pin sized holes with dirt/mud around the opening and maybe the presence of little white or maybe black swarmers.
  3. Mud tube or tunnel inside the home.
  4. Sometimes and not very often in Arizona, swarmers.

What do you want to know by ProBest Pest Management!

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DrBugKVBdidyouknow1

Desert subterranean termites

  • Southwestern U.S. – Colorado and Gila deserts.
  • Lives on grasses, dead cacti, desert plants and can attack fences and other wood products.
  • This termite becomes active during and after the summer rainy season (monsoon), from July to September. This termite does swarm, however I have only seen 2 indoor swarms and generally swarms at dusk, after a rain.
  • These termites will openly build very narrow, free-hanging tubes from ceilings, shelves and overhangs. Don’t be surprised if you see tubes as long as six to 12 inches or longer in length. These tubes are often reused by these termites even when there is no feeding activity. They also build tubes over the foundation walls.
  • Generally speaking this termite causes very little damage to homes and buildings. This doesn’t mean that you should ignore them, they will continue to eat your home until you treat for them.

Palo Verde bug?

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We have a fairly huge beetle (3-4 inches) here in Arizona called the Palo Verde bug – it is a long horned beetle (named because their antennas are long) and by all standards a good size bug. I can only imagine getting hit by one while riding your motorcycle. It would probably knock you pretty hard, maybe hurting your head or at the very least disorienting you and knocking you off the bike.

The larva are cream colored , typically with a brown head, and feed on the roots of trees, which causes branch dieback. In the wild the most commonly affected tree is the palo verde and just after monsoon the mature insects exit and look for mates. These adults don’t eat and essentially are only interested in mating.

So if you see one, don’t panic and be aware that within a few weeks the adults will die and come out once again during the next monsoon.

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