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Pesticide Label, read it please.

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Pesticide Label – Dateline: July 2015

Read the pesticide label, why you ask just read the story and lets be safe.

Owners of a Wok restaurant in Sunnybank, Queensland Australia decided to perform pest control on their own. The placed 24 aerosol bombs in their restaurant and BOOM!

“They send up a vapour or an aerosol so what happens is they’re highly explosive so you have to follow the manufacturer’s instructions,” he said.

Just an example is a fogger we use, 6 oz. fogs/treats approximately 5000 cubic feet of unobstructed space 25′ x 25′ x 8′. Now just for the record I want to explain how and why we might use a fogging device.

  1. Very seldom do I use a fogger and usually only on flying insects. My opinion is that it might drive the bugs deeper into walls and hiding areas.
  2. Depending on circumstances placement is essential to functionality.
  3. Lets use an example of German roaches, if you treat the area with a liquid first and get the roaches running a final step might be a fogger.
  4. Read and follow all label directions.
pesticide label

911 call pesticide label

 

OK what do you see?

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Well if you guessed Drywood termites pellets, you guessed right? Those little brownish colored things at the bottom of the picture are the fecal remains of wood eaten by Drywood termites. Subterranean termites mix their fecal material with the mud/soil and construct mud tunnels or tubes while Drywood termite fecal pellets are kicked out of their colony. These little pellets have little ridges and are fairly easy to identify. Drywood termites which are located within structures are often tented and just a side-note not usually a very big deal in Arizona but we do have them here. The more water we bring in, such as flood or drip irrigation helps to increase the humidity level and allow these termites to gain a strong-hold here. Even after a fumigation takes place, those pellets will continue to fall out – so the only real way to know that you still have them is by an actual swarm. Just one more thing to keep you from sleeping!

By the way this is generally not a “Do It Yourself” project, unless you are able to remove all the wood. In the case above it was a small shed, which I would just remove and rebuild. Which by the way falls into my model of IPM.

 

Water can cause a problem

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Water rot

Water rot

 

 

 

 

Water in wood can become an issue within  a home or structure. No fungus among us, why yes there is. That little bit of moisture can cause a few problems if not caught in time. Notice the wood splitting and since there is enough moisture the fungus can grow. What if the house has a pipe leaking or rain enters the house, it will take the path of least resistance, so always conduct a thorough investigation if you notice something like wood damage or wood splitting. As it meets the ground it might also continue to wash away any termiticide that was there. So termites might be on the way next.

Pollinator Health Updates

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Pollinator Health – Bee Aware Be Safe.

 

Did you know that there are more pollinators than just honeybees? Check out this website to find out what they are. There are a number of factors that are affecting honeybees these days and the USDA, EPA and the National Pest Management Association and others are working towards a plan to continue to save the bees.

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Fantastic tree in Phoenix, Arizona

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tree

tree

I think this is a Orchid Tree, Bauhinia variegate. The honeybees were going crazy, it sounded like a whirling buzzing noise and the tree was covered with bees pollinating.

When the bees are out gathering nectar and pollen generally speaking they will not attack, if you bother them or swat at them they may defend and sting you but they are not in hive defense mode. A lot of people panic when they see a few bees on a tree or bush, the honeybees are just there to gather the fruit of their labor. The same goes with water areas, this could also be your pool or water fountain. Swarms occur and should be left alone, they will probably move on. Let them be and more than likely they will leave you be. We as humans can come into contact with bees daily so just take care and if you notice them coming and going from your home – just check them out and see exactly where they are coming from.

Bee safe

A little fun at Valentine’s Day

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A zoo in San Francisco has a weird way to say I Love You to spurned ex-someone’s – “Zoo offers creepy way to get even with exes“

What about the feelings of the Hissing Cockroaches or Giant Scorpion?

OK so maybe they don’t have feelings, but if you get one (you can always send it to ProBest) send it my way.

I LOVE YOU, right….

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