All posts in “pests”

Insects and other vermin consume food on the street

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It turns out that millions of tiny bugs are consuming the equivalent of 60,000 hot dogs per year over a 150-block strip in Manhattan.

Just when you thought it was safe to go out into the streets of New York City – this amazing factoid “The bugs on a single NYC median can eat 14 pounds of food per year” Actually it is a good thing, if they didn’t eat all this stuff it might bring out more and possibly dangerous things like rodents.

My thoughts are just one rodent in the house is one to many. Wherever you live  there is probably a  Pest Management Professional…

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Happy Halloween

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The spider problem continues to be really BIG out here in Arizona. But not to worry – ProBest Pest Management is here to stop those pests and spiders.

Call us today at 602-249-7378 or (623) 414-0176

Enjoy the Scariest Night of the year – Happy Halloween!

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Cooler weather might bring in the rodents.

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Well the heat is finally going away and the cooler weather is right around the corner. Thank goodness – I’m not sure it was the heat or that humidity but whatever I’m thankful it is getting cooler.

Termites continue to pop up around the valley and if the weather doesn’t get real cold the pests will continue. So now would be a great time to tackle those little chores around the house to prevent pests from getting in. What can you do?

  1. Home seal.
  2. Check sheds or other structures.
  3. Repair window screens or door screens.
  4. Install door thresholds or sweeps.
  5. Install garage door seals.
  6. Trim trees away from home.
  7. Repair drip or flood irrigation systems.

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mud dauber wasp not termites

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Mud dauber waspmud dauber wasp

 

 

Mud dauber wasp – Every once in a while we get a call from someone thinking they have termites. The picture is a mud dauber wasp, the female constructs this nest out of dirt. Shen then paralyzes a few spiders and deposits an egg within – providing lunch for her offspring.  Mud daubers don’t generally sting or defend their nest but that isn’t a reason to harass them because they can sting if provoked. You might find them collecting water to help build their nest.

 

Just wait for the baby wasp to hatch out or use a shovel to dislodge the mud nest.

Why is it important to keep out the bugs and rats?

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From almost the dawn of man, rodents and bugs have been trying to stay close to us. Why you ask, I think the main reason is that we tend to want to stay dry and we collect things like food. Animals, bugs and us want the same things:

  • Food
  • Water
  • Shelter

So when we moved into caves, they followed. When we moved into houses, they followed. So as we became smarter so did they. Bed Bugs probably were Bat Bugs to begin with, they moved into caves because we did. When we moved into houses they followed.

 

With that movement came pest control, OK a version of it somewhat. When early man found Bat Bugs they might have thought of moving or washing the antelope skin they were sleeping on. Da da pest control, we might never really know who was the first to step on a bug but Pest Control it is!

Photo by PPMA

Photo by PPMA

Sometimes I can’t believe everything I read, what do you think?

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Rant and rave post:

 

First off this story is out of Canada but could be taken right out of the news here in the US. “Homeowner wants city to cover the cost of termite inspections” and ultimately corrective procedure measures and the cost.

Here is my opinion: you own the house it is your responsibility – where and when did it become part of the Governments responsibility? Just this last week my truck windshield was hit by 2 rocks or stones in one day. I think the Government should reimburse me for the cost of replacing my windshield. It is their highway and they put the rocks on the side of the road. See the difference, oh wait there isn’t a difference – sh– happens folks and it is the cost of driving or owning a house.

Now with that said, I can see maybe the local extension office getting involved with opinions and advice but this clearly is the role of a homeowner. Come on people, the Government is too BIG as it is – where does it stop. Comments please.

Drywood termite - Photo by PPMA

Photo by PPMA

 

 

Some Uberfacts for you.

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I recently found the Twitter site – @Uberfacts and on FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/UberFacts

 

They listed a few facts that are amazing  – There are 14 billion insects for every human on Earth. That equals 980,000,000,000,000,000,000 total on the planet. So if you are concerned about a few how about calling ProBest Pest Management 602-249-7378

 

Kind of scary if you think about it. Picture8

I had a water leak in my house, what do I do about my termite warranty?

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Sometimes no matter what you do to protect yourself something bigger happens – like a water leak within the home. I came home a few years ago to find water coming out of the garage of one of my neighbors home. I knocked on their door and nobody answered, so I shut off the water at the meter box. The bathroom toilet fill line busted and was spraying water within the home .

The pictures below are not as serious, the water hose on the outside of the water developed a crack and during one of our notorious monsoons it finally burst. You will notice that the termite tube came right up behind that hose – was it an accident or did the termites do that on purpose? How about the river rock, did that allow termites further access?

My opinion: termites do like water and if a pipe is dripping I think this affords them opportunity. So if you have a leak within the home, call and seek advice.

probest20140806_075656_resized_2Don’t stack river rocks or small stone to the stucco, this hides the foundation and makes inspections difficult. Its impossible to see anything behind the meter box.

20140806_075701_resized_2I took away a few stones and you can now see the tiny little termite mud tube, just to the left of pipe.

probestpestmanagement20140806_075713_resized_2 A closer view of that sneaky little termite tunnels coming up the foundation of the home.

Have you ever taken a real close look at a Cactus in bloom?

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The beauty of the cactus is a wonderful spectacle to behold but watch out for those stickers, spines, barbs and the nasty ends. We have some wonderful cacti in Arizona, many bloom at various times of the year to trigger the reproduction mode and they attract many flying insects. People often ask and are concerned about all those flying insects – my answer is simple let them do their job and they will generally leave you alone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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