All posts in “pests”

Mosquito Dunks

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Mosquito Dunks

Mosquito dunks and how to use them. I thought this was a great idea. First off they contain No Poison.  They are based on the naturally occurring bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, var. israelensis, or Bti. It is considered to be one of the most environmentally sensitive mosquito and blackfly larvicides used in mosquito control. Made with Bt-israelensis (Bt-i), a highly specific biological pesticide, this product represent a major breakthrough for people and the environment when compared with the traditional toxic chemical approach to mosquito control. Will NOT harm people, pets, wildlife or fish. One note I will make is that the time to kill mosquitoes is when they are in the larvae and pupa stage, in the water.

Wonderful for use in water gardens, flower pots, bird baths, rain gutters and decorative ponds! http://npic.orst.edu/ingred/bt.html

The mosquito female finds the water, lays her eggs and then when they hatch the oil does its job, death to the wigglers.

Mosquito dunksMosquito dunks

Fake News

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Fake News

Boy oh boy, nobody can win these days especially with all that FAKE NEWS out there. So I wanted to clear the air about pest control or termite control.

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR! Pest Control

Let’s start with Pest Control. Do you know what my biggest liability is, its not the pesticide its driving to the appointment. Everyone is complaining about the low wages, so what did we do? We raised the minimum wage to $10.50 – Let’s think about this for a minute – that means that the business must make more than that per hour to make money. The business must also take into account all those things that they must pay for (insurance, workman’s comp, vehicle if needed and then auto insurance, chemical, additional employees like schedulers etc and according to a NPMA survey that is about 32.8%) I recently saw a poster on a pole out in Surprise for pest control for $25 – NOBODY MAKES MONEY ON THIS!

How long do you think a person can spend at this account? How long will they be in business. Are they even using chemical/pesticide? Are they insured, (liability, workman’s comp and auto insurance) probably not? If you hire an unlicensed person and they mess up, who will pay for their mistake?

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR! Termite Control

Termite control – I recently saw an advertisement for $275 – I also remember an article from Florida that suggested termite treatments should be the range of $1000 to $1500 based on the cost in 1930 something. What do you really get for $275?

Termidor HE Label – “Structural termite protection is achieved by establishing a continuous treated zone along the exterior foundation of the structure.” When I read this and interpret it, to me it says there must be a complete barrier around the structure. So either the garage must be drilled or across the garage door must be drilled  and what about patio’s?  In my book either the patio is drilled or the outside of the patio is trenched. Now to achieve the label how can you sell it for $275? YOU CAN’T! Again you get what you pay for….

So why is this FAKE NEWS – because I don’t think you are getting the right deal for what you pay. Someone isn’t giving you the right pesticide, all the pesticide you are supposed to get and all the areas the label requires. Now I used the Termidor HE label, but check out the offer and see what they are supposed to give you and then compare the options.

Trivia fact – Termites have been reclassified into the same order as cockroaches, they are more closely to roaches than ants. Did you know that?

Fake News

It’s all about the you being the Handyman of your HOME

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Are you the Handyman? How do the bugs get in?

Who is the handyman? Your home is your castle. The premise of todays pest control or management is to prevent the bugs from getting in. IPM is the Gold Standard of that service and we have talked about it a lot. Seal them out, no its not going to keep everything out but it will help. Exclude those holes, seal the jtrim, check the screens, repair the windows and employ a reputable consistent Pest Company like ProBest Pest Management 602-249-7378.

Homes and businesses require constant upkeep, doors needs flashing, garage doors have trim that may need repair. That roof might need checking from time to time. The pool may need a check by a pool service, you don’t need mosquitoes biting your toes. Termites can be sneaky, so get an inspection at least every few years depending on your

 

Handyman

Pest Professional

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Why do most pest  DIY projects fail?

Pest Professional – In my opinion the person forgets the scheduling and the next reason is lack of knowledge about pests. Scheduled treatments are a must because anything can happen in between. I’ve heard from plenty of customers that said my other half started doing it and then kept forgetting. Regular pest treatment are crucial to see and stop anything that could become an issue. Knowledge is the key to proper and successful pest management. If you have no idea what it is, how can you treat for it? Don’t try spraying for Africanized Honeybees because they may attack and injure of possibly kill someone. Better yet let a Pest Professional tackle the problem. ProBest Pest Management 602-249-7378

Pest Professional

Ants

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Ants inside or outside

Ants can be a real pain in the tush, they seem to show up at the weirdest or most wacky of times. Most of the time when inside, they can be eliminated by using a bait such as TerroPco. Did you know that the Maricopa Havester ant sting is considered the most venomous of all insects. I think they don’t get a lot of publicity because they seldom sting. You may notice them by their large area that is void of debris or vegetation.

The key to keeping them out of your house is cleanliness.  If  they come inside use a bait to get to the Queen ant.

ants

Strange fruit

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Strange fruit – I’ve never seen this

This strange fruit is a grapefruit tree at a clients home, I noticed it while doing a pest treatment. I spent a lot of time in Florida and now here in Arizona and I don’t recall anything this obscure and just plain weird. I see some pretty unique things along my path daily but this one was just different.

This just struck me as odd, but little limb is doing its best to live its dream. Maybe we should all do what the little tree to doing. But you will notice there is no fallen fruit for rodents to be eating. One of the ways to discourage animals and wildlife is to keep your yard clean, no clutter and keep an eye on the property each month. No surprises!

StrangeStrange

 

Doodlebugs / Antlions

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Antlions = Doodlebugs

Doodlebugs you might notice especially under sheds or awning small funnel shaped pits, yep it’s the antlions trap. The antlion waits on unsuspecting prey to fall into the trap and then attacks. These little assassins reside just about everywhere in the US, well maybe not Alaska but check them out anyway. They are way cool!

Now another bit of information, there are bugs that transform into more beautiful things. Monarch Caterpillar into a beautiful Butterfly, Dragonfly Triad into a beautiful Dragonfly and then this Antlion terror larva into a Lacewing, check out some pictures online to see what I’m talking about.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er7EeBBwako[/embedyt]

Doodlebugs

Silverfish / Firebrats

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Silverfish / Firebrats

Silverfish / Firebrats can infest various and obscure places, this one was is in an outside rodent station. Usually found within structures and notorious for eating books, book bindings, papers and old documents. The quickest and easiest way of transporting them into your home is by way of old storage boxes or materials which they love to infest. Silverfish are usually uniformly silver, while Firebrats are mottled gray-brown color. They are usually associated with damp areas, active at night and hide during the day. Mainly nuisance pests, usually causing little damage. They do not cause disease and they don’t come up drains. The best method is reduce the dampness and they will usually disappear.

I think if you have a crawlspace and/or attic, this would be the first place to check. Those areas are noted for undisturbed and dampness, depending as well on geological areas of the country. I would then check areas of bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchen and basements  and don’t forget to check stockpiles of books or magazines. I also think baits work best on getting rid of the little pests.

So here are a few tips:

  1. Fix any leaks.
  2. Caulk any opening in wall and any areas where they could slip in.
  3. If you see 1, take action. If your system doesn’t get rid of them – Call a Pest Management Professional such as ProBest. 602-249-7378

Silverfish / Firebrats

Bug t-shirt

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Bug t-shirt

Bug t-shirt, what a great idea. A little friend of Dr. Bugs zoo came by to check on our favorite buggy friends and his Grandma had just bought him a new t-shirt. Of course I wanted one but I’ll have to check and see if they come in my size. We have a few children that come by weekly to check on Hagrid the Bearded Dragon, the snakes, cockroaches and tarantula. Post Office was the original best idea and the bug zoo (to keep the kids entertained)  the 2nd best idea.

Bug t-shirt

Other shirt and shoes maybe?

I often see spiderman shoes and clothes but this was the first bug out shirt I’ve seen. Hopefully we will see more in the future, every kid loves bugs, right? I did when I was growing up. I do have a few shirts with bugs on them, my Beatle’s shirt and my spider shirt but that’s it.

Poop – What is it?

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Poop?????

Is it Poop? Not the best and most visible pictures, I need a new camera. Any ideas? I have been called a few times by people believing this to be from termites, not. I find this at the bottom of stucco and pretty readily found in Arizona.

poop DSC03764

Ok so we know its not termites, well here it is drum roll please – cricket poo. Somehow the crickets get into the wall and their feces falls down the wall voids. This is also a big sign that you need pest control because the next problem will be scorpions. I’m only guessing here but I’ll bet that scorpions love to eat crickets.

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