All posts in “moths”

Funky Caterpillar

Funky Caterpillar artwork

Funky Caterpillar and metal artwork is the new normal for outside decorations, I love some of the new stuff including this Caterpillar. Nice planter and decorative at the same time. Adds a little color to the home and you don’t have to have any real bugs. You know you can always call ProBest Pest Management 602-249-7378 if you see any critters within your home?

I don’t mind these decorations but no sense in living with the bugs. I have seen decorative rock, wire ants and even birds and flowers. What kind of artwork is at your home?

Funky Caterpillar

Pests hanging out?

Where do pests hang out?

Are there pests  hanging out on a tree nearby your home, this moth is home is warm climates. Caterpillars are known as horn worms and the adults may resemble hummingbirds due to their size. Can be found throughout the south as far as Argentina. The adults frequent deep-throated flowers, similar to that which hummingbirds visit. This moth really isn’t a pest but if you have trees touching your home you might be inviting them into your home. What is that tree housed an any colony, they would travel up a limb and right into your home and you might not know where they are coming from. What about Roof rats, another bridge right into your home. Ohhh and don’t get me started on vines on your home, you know what I would say, right?  What about those flies, yuuuuck!

There are good bugs.

Often times we just see a bug and we are prepared to exterminate it. This shouldn’t be our first thought, there are many bugs that aren’t pests. Butterflies and moths pollinate several different species of plants and flowers. Ladybugs eat a ton of aphids and spiders keep down those occasional invaders like crickets and earwigs. Hoping that in the future we can just pick a DNA strand and pick off whatever bug is eating our food or coming at our homes and businesses. This would allow the beneficial bugs that chance to continue to do what they do, protect and eat all those nasty bugs. The technology might be just around the corner, no harm to beneficials and only those that are a menace. Can you imagine a farmer having a plan to just take out the harmful bugs and leaving behind the good bugs. I’m sure the Praying Mantids, ladybugs and spiders will thank us later.

pests Rustic Sphinx moth

pests Rustic Sphinx moth

 

 

Amazing science – pantry pests gut microbes may be able to consume plastic.

Pantry pests harbor plastic-chomping bacteria” A few insects use their guts to break down wood and various other harder to digest type food – top one in my mind are termites. Termites use a protozoa to break down cellulose which they gather on a daily basis.

 

It is amazing to me that animals, insects and other forms of life adapt to human life on this planet. Can’t wait to see what is next? Anyone else heard of any amazing type critters?

The most common pests and how to eradicate them from your home

Household pests are tricky to deal with. If you don’t know what to look out for they could go unnoticed and cause serious damage to your property, belongings and general health. The trick is to catch them early and eradicate them before they get the chance to breed and establish their residence.
This list of common household pests has been provided by the expert team who provide pest control in North London, their experts have provided advice on how to get rid of various pests from your home.
Mice
The bane of the kitchen, mice are active all year round and usually nest in areas that are warm and quiet. They often chew up furniture and find their way into food packaging. In addition, they can spread disease. If you’re suffering from a mouse infestation, cleanliness is key. Make sure your kitchen floors and work surfaces are spotless; place packaged food into containers; and put some mouse traps in the most common problem areas.
Moths
Moths are certainly one of the most annoying pests; however, it’s their larvae that does most of the damage. When they lay their sticky eggs on clothing and upholstery it can be very destructive. If you have a moth infestation, clean all of your clothes and ensure your closet is dry and ventilated. In extreme cases, store your clothes in plastic boxes until the problem goes away. Make your own moth traps by hanging up flypaper and putting a little fish oil on it to attract them.

Cockroaches
Cockroaches usually live in warm houses and come out during the night. They often hide in cracks and crevices in the kitchen and will feed on virtually anything. Getting rid of cockroaches requires poisonous bait; however, this can also be harmful to humans, so it must be used with caution.

Bed Bugs
While commonly found in bedding – hence the name – bed bugs can also live in small cracks and crevices. Controlling them can be very difficult as they spread quickly, so if you ever have bed bugs acting fast is the key to success. Wash all of your bedding on a high temperature, and then take apart your bed frame and disinfect it. Vacuum your entire room and give it a thorough clean for safe measure. If the problem re-occurs call an exterminator straight away.

Rats
Of all the pest, rats are without a doubt the most dangerous. Typical signs include droppings, smear marks and teeth marks on cables and furniture. Rats have been known to start electrical fires and can also spread diseases, so dealing with them straight away is paramount. Sometimes traditional pest control products won’t work and you’ll have no choice but to call the professionals. Qualified pest controllers can not only eradicate pests, but could pest-proof your home and this is certainly recommended if you have a recurring problem.

Guest post by Aaron Higgins North London Pest Control

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Most insects are a benefit to man, what are the bad ones or good ones?

 

I think if we had to say bad, the number 1 bad guy would be the mosquito and #2 would probably be the flea. But what about the good ones, such as honeybees except when they attack and ants. Some may fit into both categories such as honeybees – great honey and they pollinate but may also sting and hurt. I guess I can think of the good and bad as somewhat of a trade off, we need pollination and yet people die from bee stings each year. Termites are essential in the forest, composting trees and wood into vital nutrients within the soil.

Top 5 bad in my opinion

  1. Mosquitoes
  2. Scorpions
  3. Fleas
  4. Flies
  5. Rodents

Top 5 good in my opinion

  1. Honeybees
  2. Ants
  3. Butterflies or Moths
  4. Ladybugs
  5. ____________      Can you name a few more?

44_Bumble Bee

The Puzzle of Pest Management.

 

I love those shows on TV about crime, I always try to solve it before the end. Probably why I enjoy Pest Management – “the attention is in the detail”, right?

How did those termites gain access into the ceiling?

There is a mouse in the house and how did it get in?

There are moths flying in the pantry, did we bring them home?

Did we pick up our fruit or did we encourage rodents into our yard?

So become a detective and stop those pests from getting into your home, home-sealing is a must plus it will help save money on heating/cooling. Put the puzzle together and solve the buggy issues.

Photo by PPMA

Photo by PPMA

What did they use in the older days of bug control?

What did they use in the older days of bug control?

 

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From dusters to moth devices that could be placed within closets or dressers to rodent repellers. These products were for the DIY or Do It Yourselfers and some worked very well and others didn’t. Did any of these work for you? Comments please!

Nuclear fallout – issues with Fukushima

Nuclear fallout – issues with Fukushima

 

The minute I read this I immediately thought of Godzilla, but apparently “The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant disaster is causing “nuclear butterflies” to emerge across Japan.” The story “Nuclear Butterflies” cause stir: Mutant insects traced to Fukushima“. Can you see the rest of the story Mothra versus Butterflies and of all places but Japan itself. The home to these stories from the 1950’s and 1960’s genre.

On a more profound note, I hope the terror and damage is continuing to be taken care of by the cities and government of Japan. My heartfelt prayers continue for these folks that endured that devastating earthquake, tsunami and then the nuclear power plant catastrophe.  I have some friends from Japan and hope they are all doing well.

Something buzzing you at your local store?

Something buzzing you at your local store?

 

           

So yesterday I was shopping here in Gilbert and noticed this lovely little set of bug traps. These traps catch a variety of pests but are designed to capture stored product pest such as Indianmeal Moths to beetles to flies. Depending on the type of store,  food stores probably at greater risk for grain damage and other types of warehouses which may contain flowers, seeds or hides.

Stored product pest are commonly referred to as pantry pests, if located in a product purchased from a store recently you can contact the retailer who then contacts the manufacturer and the possibility of the lot being recalled or destroyed is good. I’m a big fan of freezing the items and then putting it into Tupperware or some type of sealed container. Stored Product pest damage approximately 10% of the world’s annual production of stored grains, In 1981 the loss was was estimated to over 1 Billion dollars in the U.S. Remember by the time you see the flying adults it’s probably to late, the larva are the ones to catch (they eat and damage) the adults only want to reproduce.

         

By the way there are plenty of different types of pests that eat this type of food, we are only scratching the surface with these two moths. Have you seen something like this, what would you do if you brought it home and it was infested? Do you have a scary of unique story about stored product pests? Comment below.

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