All posts in “pests”

Lizards

Lizards

Lizards

These lizards are can often be found at South Mountain doing pushups on the boulders and the lizard in the picture is a Chuckwalla. They range in size up to 16 inches, and they live in the Southwest here is Arizona from California all the way to Southern Utah and Nevada. We do have a lot of lizards here in Arizona, but nothing as big as those Florida Iguanas.  Those were in the news recently when it got really cold and they were dropping from the trees. A friend has one in Payson, she named Stan, it hangs out daily and soaks in the sun.

In regards to pest control, we don’t treat and shouldn’t treat for them as they do more good than harm. They eat plants like annuals and perennials and will feed on insects. Occasionally they find their way inside, usually by mistake. Just let them out to continue to do what they do.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are back and can be a real pain in the bod. Not on my list of favorite bugs but I guess they have a purpose. Not exactly sure what it might be but everything in its place. Annoying but they kill about 1 million people per year. Screens probably reduce the numbers to houses more than any other device.  How about a few facts:

  1. Only the females bite. OK they suck…
  2. Listed as the deadliest animal on earth, from Malaria to Zika virus.
  3. Been on this planet for about 210 million years.
  4. All mosquitoes water to survive, not a lot but just enough to lays eggs. Limit water sources and you limit mosquitoes. Unless your neighbors don’t care.
  5. What is the best time to kill them, in their larval stage? Kill them in the water where they can’t fly away.
  6. Mosquito in Spanish means “little fly”.
  7. I’ve read that mosquitoes prefer beer drinkers.
  8. That little bump you get on your skin is actually from their saliva.
  9. To avoid them completely you must stop breathing (CO2), get rid of body odor and your body heat, and stop moving. Ha try that….
  10. Worldwide 2700 species and in the USA only 176 species.

 

Snakes and Wildlife

Bat Rescue

Bat Rescue at a DayCare, this Big Brown bat couldn’t make it home. She decided to take a rest in a corner of the playground and we couldn’t let her stay there. The children are the most important factor in this relationship. We sent out a technician and he captured her in a webber broom and transferred to a bucket. We then took her to Liberty Wildlife (our partner in the rehab business). This gave her a quick physical and will hold her overnight and then take her back to her home territory.

We extended Professional Courtesy on this Bat Rescue to her since she’s in the same business, killing mosquitoes and bugs. Did you know that a single bat can eat 1,200 mosquitoes each hour and maybe up to 8,000 each night. Bats can live up to 40 years. Bat droppings in caves can support whole ecosystems, including bacteria useful in breaking down wastes. Here in the desert many species of cactus including the Arizona Saguaro and Organ Pipe cactus rely on bats to pollinate.

Some useful tips:

  1. Never pick up a bat, it could be sick and bite.
  2. Call a Professional like this DayCare, I then explained to the kids the process and they were excited to learn about bats.
  3.  If you decide to use a plastic figure owl, it need to be moved frequently. Pigeons and bats become familiar with them not moving.
  4. Shining light on an area 24/7 can be useful
  5.  Again as I have mentioned previously, do a monthly inspection of your house and at night with a flashlight. Look up and chek all areas.

Bug Season

Bug Season is fast upon us here in Arizona, scorpions never had a chance to freeze and much of their food lived as well. Cockroaches, earwigs, ants, beetles, caterpillars, spiders all may have overwintered. We have some warm, Ok HOT temperatures and they are probably more active during evening hours. Rodents would come out at night as many other wildlife would.

There are a number of great reasons to have a Pest Control treatment – we have scheduling software so we can come as often and regular as you think necessary. We can also offer customized service packages based on our recommendations. We know bugs/rodents/birds etc and we know their habits and wants. Its about knowledge not just the spraying.

$45 anytime you call for under 2000 square foot home and there are some exceptions. Honeybees, bedbugs and termites are just a few because they are didn’t that general bugs.

 

Roachy

Roachy the Official spokesbug

Monsoon rain & dust

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.

Sewer Gas

SEWER GAS REALLY STINKS for property managers, facility engineers, Realtors and business owners because it:

  • Smells bad,
    • Bad smells = lost revenue from failed home sales, new leases and lease renewals
    • Smells Bad = lost revenue due to bad social media reviews from customers
    • Bad smells = lost revenue from time wasted fielding complaints by staff and customers alike
  • Irritates mucousa of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs,
    • Irritated mucosal membranes = Lost revenue from absenteeism and presentism due to infirm staff with headaches, eye irritation, sneezing, coughing and general malaise
  • Corrodes metal,
    • Corroded metal = malfunctioning smoke alarms and fire panels
    • Metals Corrode = Reduces lifespans for electronics like computers and televisions
    • Corroded metal = displeasing aesthetics for building finishes and contents
  • Is combustible,
    • Build-up of combustible gasses can lead to fires and explosions and the associated loss of life and property.
  • Smells like the additive to natural gas,
    • Methyl mercaptan from sewers in the living space = false claims of a natural gas leak, unnecessary building evacuations and eventually a “cry wolf” culture, where people will not take an actual natural gas leak seriously.
  • Means there’s unrestricted access for sewer critters,
    • Dry traps = unhindered access to the living space for cockroaches, sewer flies, etc.
  • and more.

Simple dry plumbing traps are the #1 cause of sewer gas infiltration.  

You could always avoid this issue by manually fill up traps with water every week. Or, you can say goodbye to dry plumbing traps and sewer gas infiltration for months by saying hello to patent pending SEWER GAS SOLUTIONS ™. Visit www.SewerGasSolutions.com to learn more or to place an order today.

Our Sewer Gas Solutions ™ patent pending evaporation barrier product is intended specifically for use in unused or underused plumbing drains traps.  Fill the trap with water, pour our product in a quantity to completely cover the surface of the water, forget about that trap for 3-6 months (please don’t leave your buildings unattended for 3 months or more, because all sorts of other issues can occur).  (Snowbirds) Then, when the happy buyer/tenant moves in, they can start using the sink or toilet and other fixtures as normal and our product will eventually flush through.

Below are the product highlights. 

  • Say goodbye to dry plumbing traps & sewer gas infiltration by saying hello SEWER GAS SOLUTIONS (TM).
    • PU Productions was founded by two industry-leading scientists, a chemist, Paul V. Anderson and an environmental scientist, Derrick A. Denis, with nearly half a century of combined experience in indoor environmental quality (IEQ) investigations and testing.
    • After investigating thousands of complaints ranging from odors and headaches to perceived natural gas leaks and damaged building materials, the problem became crystal clear.
    • Evaporated plumbing traps and the resulting sewer gas infiltration are a common and costly bane to building occupants, managers and owners.
    • We dedicated ourselves to creating a simple-to-use and cost-effective solution to this problem.
    • Sewer Gas Solutions (TM) patent pending evaporation–inhibiting product is the result of over 5 years of research and development.
    • It provides an inexpensive, long-lasting and easy-to-use method to prevent trap water evaporation in commercial, residential and industrial plumbing traps including sinks, floor drains, tubs, showers, toilets and the like.
    • It is Green. It is compounded with Certified Organic ingredients and Natural Botanicals.  By preventing the need for trap primers or excessive trap filling, it saves water. 
    • It is not hazardous. The ingredients are used in foods, food processing, cosmetics, medicines and more. You could drink it without lasting ill effects (although this would result in loose stool). You could rub it on your skin and you would be moisturized and smell fragrant (but this is NOT RECOMENDED, as it is not the product intention).
    • Sewer Gas Solutions™:
      • Won’t damage pipes,
      • Won’t congeal into a pipe blocking mess,
      • Won’t cross react with common products that get poured in the drain (bleach, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, etc.),
      • Won’t grow bacterial and mold,
      • Won’t attract pests (in fact it inhibits them primarily by keeping the water in the trap that blocks them),
      • Works at normal Earth temperature ranges (Phoenix hot to Pinetop cold), 
    • It is easy to use and saves you money. Fill your trap with water, add some product, forget about that trap drying out for months. 
      • No more manually filling every week.
      • No more trap primer woes.
      • No more costly installations of valves or plugs that either get stuck closed and result in flooding when the water comes on or get stuck open and do no good at all.
      • AC on or off, vacant or occupied, summer or winter, Sewer Gas Solutions (TM) patent pending evaporation–inhibiting product is proven to work.
    • Visit www.SewerGasSolutions.com to learn more.
Cricket poo

Cricket poo

Cricket poo often is confused by a lay person as termite damage or frass. Cricket feces is black odd shaped star looking almost ripped edges. Termite feces is used with tunnel making or with Drywood termites hard shell ribbed edges. Subterranean termites mix the dirt and poo together in the building of the termite tubes and/or tunnels.

The Art of Pest Management is with the knowledge and what and how pest occur, that by the way is why you pay me. Because I KNOW. I continually run into people that say the previous person said this and that is wrong. They might say its bed bug and I go and its springtails or even ticks. That’s another treatment protocol and generally a lot less money.

Expert

Expert

Expert: In my days of traveling to give presentations to pest control technicians across the world, I ran into all kinds. The one thing that always got me, if you traveled to speak you were the expert. The biggest audience was in Mexico with over 500 attendee’s. And it had to be translated because you know who couldn’t speak Spanish. I really enjoyed the comradery and since I had hands on experience it was easy to relate to me and my talks.

Expert

ProBest Expert

I want to share another feature/benefit of ProBest Pest Management, there is this site for Pest Control people across the world. They can go there to ask questions, ask for help in identifying other bugs and ask questions on day to day operations. It’s a cool, informative site. I like it because one of my technicians is a member and an (A.C.E.)  Associate Certified Entomologist and he is constantly helping people on this site. Makes me proud to have him onboard as a supervisor and resident expert on bugs.

There are a lot of bugs out there and by the way they weigh more than all of us, so be careful. #1 bug threat to man = mosquitoes and #2 probably fleas. So the world needs the Public Health expert to stand against the bugs. Bugs come in many sizes, shapes and nastiness, so bee careful and let the Expert just do it for you.

ProBest name change

ProBest name change

ProBest name change. So I’m sure everyone has heard about this certain company that recently told everyone they were changing their name. It was all a publicity stunt to grab attention to their name and the fact that they more than pancakes. It was a great idea and we all know that they have burgers now. Names can tell what the company does and its even important in our line of work. So with that in mind:

Interstate House of Pests or Interstate House of Bugs —- names changed to prevent me from being sued? So what do you think? “I don’t care what you call me, as long as you call me” 602-249-7378 — ProBest name change —

ProBest name change

Remember we handle a plethora of bugs and pests, scorpions, ants, bees, rodents and termites and a lot more. We LOVE helping people and businesses and we offer value and we are accredited with the BBB. We are also a QualityPro company since 2005, earned by less than 3% of companies in the United States, the QualityPro designation demonstrates a commitment to excellence and provides consumers with an easy way to identify and be confident in their selection of a quality pest management provider from the National Pest Management Association.

I’m just kidding and I like the name ProBest Pest Management, so no name change but spread the word…

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