pipes Archives - Arizona Pest Control - Pest Management Services

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Winter Weather

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Winter Weather

Winter weather generally means all of us are cold and that means critters as well. So as we are trying to maintain our houses, pests are trying to get in. Any hole or opportunity will allow them inside. I would recommend the use of IPM, the art of using everything at your fingertips and then getting to pesticide if you have to.

Do a monthly or at least quarterly check of your property.
Seal any cracks or holes on the home, use caulking or steel wool if rodents are involved. Remember mice need a hole the size of a dime. Rats require something in the area of a quarter to gain entry. Seal it with steel or copper wool and calking or cement.
Remove, replace any wood rot and seal it if possible.
Keep trash receptacles closed and clean and away from house.
Keep bushes, trees and vines away from the house.
Keep wood trim painted or sealed to keep away pests.
Keep water usage to a minimum, make sure you’re not collecting water in certain areas.
If you have a crawlspace keep it clean and dry, always good to keep it ventilated as well.
Once a year have a termite inspection done, they can also perform a pest inspection.
When in doubt, or maybe you don’t understand the pest – time to hire a Professional call 602-249-7378 or 623-414-0176

The picture is of bait in a rodent station and as you can see activity is taking place. The bricks show that something is gnawing at it, the next visit may or may not show more evidence but rodents should on the down swing.

Recessed lights

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Recessed lights, vents or any device in your ceiling allows an entry into your home for pests. As you check your light, vents etc look for space between the ceiling and the device. Those holes they make in the drywall are often larger that the device fitting through.

Use a caulking material and make that gap go away. This also helps in keeping the cold air in and the warm air in depending on the time of year. Those Recessed lights etc are a quick way in for numerous pests, so fix them and this also will save you money and who doesn’t like that. Remember that scorpions only need the thickness of a credit card to sneak in. Owning a house takes effort but together with a reputable honest Pest Company such as ProBest Pest Management 602-249-7378 it will be a breeze.

Hole = entry points for rodents

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Hole the size of a dime = mice entry

Hole = As long as the diameter is the size of a dime and the mouse can fit its head through the opening he/she can make it in. Equally important is how you prevent the reoccurrence – don’t just fill in with foam, it must contain something that will prevent eating like steel or copper wool. Fill the opening and mix the wool within so the rodent will not gnaw through.

Hole the size of a quarter = rat entry

As long as the diameter is the size of a quarter and the rat can fit its head through the opening he/she can make it in. A crawlspace home may have more entry points and you must crawl and investigate those possibilities. Or hire a professional to do that service, hire one that is knowledgeable about pests and housing construction. Also be aware of termite issues and be prepared to further explore any signs.

Rodents include rats, mice and rabbits – they all may gnaw wires and be potential carriers of diseases. They may also carry parasites and remember when they are gone the parasites may remain behind and go after humans. I also believe especially in crawlspaces that all entry must be prevented, I’ve seen cats and other animals living in these areas and for sure they carry other critters like fleas and ticks.

Active Arizona Termites

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Active Arizona Termites

Our Active Arizona Termites like water and there generally isn’t a lot of it for them. So after it starts raining they get a little more active. So keep a sharp look out for them. Arizona termites are sneaky. They often follow lines such as this metal bracket or they will follow concrete lines and or pipes. So what should you look for?

Wood to ground, this gives termites a free pass into your home.
Excessive moisture, don’t water to near the foundation of the house. Check drip irrigation and only water was is necessary for the plant if possible. In Arizona we often use flood irrigation, so be careful you are not interfering with the termiticide along the foundation of the home.
Don’t store firewood or wood on the ground.
Look for visible signs of termites, mud tubes, tunnels and/or drop tubes and damage.
Garages are a noted area, so keep a watch for termite tubes coming up the foundation or in the expansion joint.
Sometimes you might see little spots of dirt, check it and if it continues to grow get a pest professional to take a look. Our Arizona termites make some funky little drop tubes, it’s their way of trying to get back to the ground.

How can you keep the scorpions out of your home?

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probest2014-05-01 09.02.47

Home sealing is the way to go, hands down and here is the way to handle the scorpions.

Inspect the outside of your home, high and low. Look for honeybees or wasp nest. Are the weep hole screens in place?
Check for entry spots where scorpions or bugs can get into your home.
1. Use a mirror and check the jtrim (that’s the thing that holds the bottom of stucco up). Ideally it should be flush against the foundation, the holes are OK and are there to allow the wall to breath and allow moisture to escape.
2. Make sure you check corners, use some type of foam (use rigid not expanding foam) and secure in place with caulking.
3. Repair leaky pipes, check flood irrigation and drip irrigation.
Check window and/or door screens.
Install garage door sweeps, call ProBest or check out our webpage https://callprobest.com/home-seal
Remember scorpions need water, food and shelter just like you and me. Get rid of their food source, crickets and other small bugs. Consider calling a pest professional like ProBest Pest Management? Setting a schedule is essential, we won’t forget and we will call you in advance.

What’s hiding under your bathtub!

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Its not always easy getting to a possible infestation from termites, but you have to do what you have to do. Sometimes there are breaks in the concrete where pipes come up. Finding the termites is esential to the cause and must be solved before leaving the job. Never give up!

Rodents aren’t just a problem in NYC, how about Arizona?

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“Harlem says rats to blame for telephone woes“, you may think they have their issues and yes they do but we also have issues with rodents. There was a issue a year or so ago where rabbits were chewing/gnawing on vehicle wiring and that can be a real headache if you need your car in a hurry.

The front incisors of rodents never stop growing, In fact, continuously growing front teeth is a trait shared by all rodents from the tiniest mouse to the largest rodent. Observing mice & rats who have nothing to gnaw upon, its been found that these incisors can grow up to five inches per year.
Rats have strong teeth that allow them to chew through glass, cinderblock, wire, aluminum and lead.
Rodents need to chew four to five hours each day just to keep their teeth gnawed down to the point that they are able to eat. If their teeth grow too long they will die of starvation.
There is a very high sodium content in electrical and cable wiring. This makes the wires taste good to the rodents, but can lead to wire failure & is a fire hazard. Check your home-owner’s insurance policies to see if it covers fire if it is a result of rodents chewing on wires.

Photo – Univar Environmental Solutions

Some tricks for keeping out Pocket Gophers….

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Some tricks for keeping out Pocket Gophers….

So you have these mounds in your yard, what could they be and why be concerned? Pocket gophers feed on plants in three ways: 1) they feed on roots that they encounter when digging; 2) they may go to the surface, venturing only a body length or so from their tunnel opening to feed on above ground vegetation; and 3) they pull vegetation into their tunnel from below. Pocket gophers eat grasses, shrubs, and trees. They are strict herbivores, and any animal material in their diet appears to result from incidental ingestion. So that means that any bush, tree or even grass is on their menu and who likes replacing and spending money to do it.

If you see one mound go after it immediately – it will generally only get worse.
Some exclusion is possible, make sure it is deep enough.
Some plants may discourage resistance.
Some repellents are available.
If you can’t handle the problem, call a Pest Management Professional.
We use a special tool device, see a recent home seal on this tool.

How do the bugs or rodents get into your home?

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Can you guess how many ways the bugs or rodents can get into your home?

Lets see how many ways we can come up with:

Garage Door, homeseal or garage door seal if possible.
Do you ever bring firewood into the home?
Do you have pets?
Do you ever bring in plants or flowers?
Do trees touch your roof?
Are there holes in your stucco where pipes go into the home?
Are the weep holes sealed?
Are the shingles or tiles in place?
Are your door seals in good condition?
Do you have door sweeps in place?
Are your screens in place?
Are yout attic vents in good condition?
Do you have a chimney guard in place?
Does your stucco go all ythe way to the dirt or stone? You should be able to see your foundation.
Do you have a wood fence and does it connect with your home? Its best if there is no dirt to wood contact.
Do you have siding on the home? This could allow bugs or rodents the option to sneak underneath.
Do you have shrubs or trees to close to the home?

Picture from this site http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us

Can you think of any more, make comments below and thanks….

Termites and your slab of concrete!

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Termites and your slab of concrete!

So what happens when a pipe burst underneath your slab under your home? Well something like this picture above, no not the giant hole, the customer or the plumber dug this out. The point I want to make is that when you alter the slab it is very important to treat the soil beneath the concrete for termites. Sometimes if you fail to treat it may void your termite warranty. I also like to treat this while it’s in a state of repair and before you put tile or wood floor on it. I hate to mess up tile or wood floors with drill holes.