If you have wood siding please consider the following:
An IGR is a chemical that inhibits the life cycle of an insect. OK what does that mean, some IGR’s stop insects from molting their skin, while others can cause eggs to be sterile and some can stop the formation of chitin which aids in the construction of the exoskeleton. We often add an IGR into a product designed to kill that insect but for some reason that insect maybe because of the sheer numbers evades our kill. This IGR then acts upon those survivors by interfering with molting, reproduction and/or the break down of their skeleton.
An example of this would be a heavy infestation of German Roaches, our goal is to kill them all but sheer numbers dictate that this probably won’t happen. So if we kill 97-98% the IGR is there to help wrap up the remaining numbers. Many of these IGR’s are labeled as “Reduced Risk” meaning that they target the offending bug while not affecting other good bugs. You can actually use an IGR by itself and not use any pesticide, the kill might take longer but use are reducing the pesticide within that structure (IPM).
There are a few IGR’s that target specific pests, I’m going to mention a few because of their ability to work really well (my opinion). There are some new ones that work well and are constantly being tested for new pests.
Gentrol – Cockroaches, beetles and moths.
Precor – Mosquitoes and fleas.
I remember one I did way back in the 6th or 7th grade on Monocot and Dicot seeds. I think I got an A on it but it has been some time and by the way I did learn something. So this kid Simon Kaschock-Marenda did a project on Truvia, his original intention was to see if it affected the health of fruit flies. His findings may amaze or alarm you but hey isn’t that where ideas are born? I may have to try a little experiment myself.
Tip of the Day – Make sure your drains are filled with water to prevent infestations of American Roaches often called sewer roaches. That P-Trap needs to have water to prevent gases and things from coming up the piping.
So every once in awhile you come across something unique. This wreath was nice as it was but then this dove decided to add a little touch of class by building a nest right on top.The only problem was the lack of hygiene by Mama bird and the poo on the welcome mat.
So a little upgrade to an existing wreath, looks fine to me. Have you seen anything like this?
Photo by PPMA
These are bugs that invade homes from time to time, most don’t cause damage.
Crickets, earwigs and other pests that accidentally for the most part find their way into the home. This can also include mosquitoes and flies. So generally speaking a good outdoor program will do the trick, why run the risk of putting pesticide into your home air space. Many companies still tout this as the normal service and I’m here to tell you most work can be done from outside and work. Sometimes and I will say it again sometimes you may have to have work done inside but it can be targeted to the pest and limited to a specific insect. Its IPM and it works.
One of the techniques in learning what pests you might have at your home involves monitoring with glue boards.
By placing a few boards around the entrance to the garage may help you to identify what might be getting in. In this case we have some roaches and can quickly come up with a plan to stop them. Simple tools that may lead you to solving a pest problem.
I’m often reminded as I make my way through a kitchen of cleanliness and sanitation.
Besides a great cook or chef, cleanliness is of the utmost importance. Once a German Roach infestation has occurred it is important to address it immediately don’t let it continue because it will not take care of itself. Populations can increase quickly and nobody wants bugs in their kitchen or restaurant. So keep it clean daily, weekly and monthly. What do I mean that that last statement – someone should be responsible for daily cleaning, someone should be responsible for weekly cleaning and someone should be held accountable for monthly cleaning. This should also be a part of managements role within the restaurant. There are numerous spreadsheets available online for managing a cleanup of a restaurant.
Keep it clean cause nobody likes a dirty restaurant.
Well first off bugs, spiders and other critters with probably the exception of cockroaches don’t come up drains. Most critters don’t care to get wet I think, so it is my opinion that they come in from the attic. That S or P trap is designed to have water in it, if water is in the trap this will stop sewer gases and roaches from coming up. If you have a shower or bathtub that you don’t use often just remember to fill it with water occasionally. I also have recommended the use of 1 tablespoon of mineral oil almost as a cap to reduce evaporation of water in those traps.
So my recommendation is home-sealing, caulk and seal anything that goes through the ceiling drywall or wall and this will alleviate anything trying to get in.
When is one too many? Pigeons tend to gather where they feel safe and by the looks of this home – this is the one. I personally thinks it is time to call ProBest Pest Management 602-249-7378 or 623-414-0176.
One of the highlights of my day is spotting a lizard and hoping that they won’t have an upset stomach from eating any bugs I may hit with a little pesticide. They help me by keeping pests infestations down by making dinner of crickets and the like. We have some pretty big ones, not in comparison to Komoto Dragons of course but hey big is big – depending on who is saying what. I know some people don’t like lizards but I think they are helpful in keeping down insects that might make it into your homes. So please don’t harm them, they are trying to help.
