This was just a shot of a parking lot of a church which couldn’t handle all that rain. All this rains triggers the subterranean termites to become a little more active, so what signs should you be looking for?
With all the talk about Ebola this last month DW author (Helena Schwar)website wrote a very interesting article “Top 10 most dangerous viruses in the world“.
#3 Hantavirus – rodents
#5 Lassa virus – rodents
#7 Crimea-Congo fever – ticks
#8 Machupo virus – may be transmitted by rodents
#9 Kyasanur Fiorest virus – ticks
#10 – Dengue fever – mosquitoes
So do you see a pattern here, I do and its related to my job – Public Health Professional. We are very fortunate here in the U.S., we don’t have as many issues with these pests as some countries do. So stop and think about what we could do to protect ourselves even further against these deadly viruses.
As Americans we often think of bugs and we scream or roll our eyes in disgust. I know people around the world have been eating bugs for years and our cave people probably had to eat them. A company in Denver, Colorado came up with an idea – to promote them in eye catching and funny packaging.
“Will Americans buy bug snacks? Maybe… If they’re funny and cute.” As we approach 7 billion people around the world I think we need to really consider some new and novel ideas for food.
Check out these sites for some great ideas on insect funny food: http://littleherds.org/, http://hotlix.com
“Free Food” After an initial bite, the review is in: “It tastes like coconut. Tastes like food, not like bugs.”
Photo by PPMA – Maybe a few ant eggs for dessert?
I love history and all that is related to it, so a ride into the heart of the Wild West is worth it for me. Tombstone is nicknamed “The Town to tough to die” can you imagine walking down the street where those famous Law Men and the Gun Slingers walked. Make sure you visit the Tombstone Cemetery and maybe have lunch at Big Nose Kate’s saloon. Normally I wouldn’t include a commercial but it had all the facts, great day trip for all.
4383 fatal work injuries in 2012 actually down from 2011 which had 4693- topping the list and transportation incidents led the way.
Bees are number one on the list U.S. Labor Department reports. “Bee stings are behind most insect -related deaths for workers.”
Work related
So a word or two of caution to all of you who trim trees, work in fields or right-of-ways – always know your surroundings. Be diligent and check out what is around or near you, check out the rocks or culverts just as if it were electric lines etc.
Bee Safe!
Here in Arizona one of the best methods for keeping out scorpions is a home seal. Use caulking and fill in any holes that are open.
“Ohio State scientists say tiny Antarctic insect has smallest genome of insects so far.” I have a friend that owns a pest control company in Alaska and does his fair share of pest control – by plane of course. That is to say that they often have to travel by plane just to reach the facility or what have you to service.
I have seen midges especially in the summer just attacking anything that has warm blood. But these little midges spends 2 years in its larval stage frozen in the ice and amazingly can turn off 25% of its genes when it hibernates. WOW, is about all I can say.
Every once in awhile somebody hits me with this statement, I can answer it with just a few short words:
Scorpions
and those other occasional pest like mosquitoes, flies and roaches….
The statistics are there if you want them. But as I have mentioned often, bugs have killed way more of us than anything else. As I have said numerous times you don’t always have to use pesticides. There are those that would say you never ever should use pesticides. There are times and a place for the use and sometimes it is just cost effective to do it plain and simple. IPM or Integrated Pest Management is the best way – it just makes you think about it in a way that makes complete sense. Use what you have by ways of home-sealing, door sweeps etc and if you must, then use some pesticide. (Always read and follow Labels, SDS and labeling use directions).
Recently the ticks have become unbelievable – sometimes just 100’s in a home. Just a few weeks ago Flagstaff had some issues at a camp – “Tick-borne disease temporally closes Flagstaff’s Camp Colton“. Maybe they should consider Tick Boxes TCS
I know there are those that think some type of oil will kill everything, they just don’t last and seldom work as a true pesticide does. But again I realize that not everyone will agree but do you have some opinions or facts I’m not aware of?
One thing I have noticed over my years is that those termites just keep on going, much like that Energizer Bunny. They are searching 24/7/365 and won’t stop until they find food, they may turn and go another way but they keep on going.
In nature they just set off in search of food, they follow roots and sometimes get to concrete and turn left or right and follow it again until they find wood or food.
So if you see trails like this, or mud tubes or down tubes hanging from a ceiling it is time to call your Pest Management Professional.
Call ProBest Pest Management at 602-249-7378 or 623-414-0176 for your termite or pest inspection.
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.
Don’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.
I took away a few stones and you can now see the tiny little termite mud tube, just to the left of pipe.
A closer view of that sneaky little termite tunnels coming up the foundation of the home.
