All posts in “rain”

Monsoon rain & dust

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Monsoon rain & dust will start soon and we all know what that will bring? Termites and more bugs including more mosquitoes and flies. It’s time to store your outdoor equipment before the winds grab it. Check your windows for gaps and repair, keeps the Monsoon rain & dust out. What should you do, now to avoid the mess. Remember the Boy Scout motto “Be Prepared”.

  1. Check your yard for containers that may hold water.
  2. Fill in potholes that may hold water.
  3. Double check drip irrigation and flood irrigation for issues.
  4. Clean gutters.
  5. Repair screens, make sure they are in place.
  6. Check door sweeps and gaskets.
  7. Remember stagnant water is the enemy, flowing water good.
  8. Best time to treat for mosquitoes is when they are in the water.

Monsoon and Termites

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Monsoon brings out the bugs

Well the monsoon has arrived and with all that rain comes the bugs. I usually say the bugs come in for 2 reasons, #1 not enough rain or #2 too much rain. Just like us the bugs need water, food and shelter and guess what that may be our home of business. Termites become more active this time of year mainly due to the increase of water, on the East Coast water is more abundant and they just seem to be active all year long. Termites create a tube in which to enter a home but that tube can often be hidden and that is the main reason to hire a Pest Management Professional to do that yearly inspection. If you live in the South I recommend a yearly inspection especially for your peace of mind.

monsoon

All that water.

So when the ground becomes saturated the other bugs make for dryer land and sometimes that just happens to be your home or business. This picture below was from last week and you can see our parking lot is flooded. If this was your home this might be right up against your foundation. The more water and over time this may diminish your active termiticide.

monsoon

Ideas on Home-sealing

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My Top 5 home-sealing tips – remember its the knowledge that counts…

Ideas – but first you have to know a few things….

  1. The inspection is crucial and you need to know what you are looking for,
  2. What tools do you need – flashlight, probing tool, step ladder and are you up for the check – maybe easier to call a Professional.
    ideas

    ideas

  1. Caulking the j-trim
  2. Filling in the holes where pipes and wires go into the home.
  3. Using hardware cloth on roof/ceiling weep vent holes.
  4. Don’t just think down but think up, check the roof and lines coming in.
  5. Check the garage door, both the bottom and the sides – use StormShield.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ovgr7Zrvu8&feature=youtu.be

Does it get cold enough to kill pest/bugs?

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Over the last few years it certainly hasn’t been cold enough in Arizona to freeze out the bugs. Some insects actually have a type of antifreeze or so called blood within their bodies. They crawl into a nook or hiding spot and if it is cold they just don’t come out. If it warms out they will come out and possible go in search of food.

  • If it rains and they get flooded they search for drier land, that might be your house.
  • If it is really hot, they might be more active and search for food.
  • If its cold for only a few days, that might not be enough to kill them, Especially scorpions or the hardier of the insects.

Filling in those cracks or holes around your home will help to keep them out and also keep the cool or warm in. Caulking is an excellent tool in keeping those bugs out – buy and use the clear caulk. It really works well.

Photo by NPMA

Photo by NPMA

 

It’s termite season in Arizona.

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They are munching at wood 24/7/365 and frankly speaking you know it’s just a matter of time before they get to your home. Termites consume wood or cellulose and convert it into energy to live. So what should you look for:

  1. Mud tubes on your foundation.
  2. Mud tubes or small little holes in your

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What is the BIG question for this time of year?

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I think the question I get asked the most at this time of year is “Why am I seeing more bugs in my house than any other time of year”?

 

So lets imagine that you are a bug and all of sudden it rains and I mean it rains hard. Your home becomes wet or flooded, you react by trying to go higher and that might be your home. You see the bug doesn’t know your house from a tree or a rock.

OR

It doesn’t rain and the bugs that you feed upon aren’t coming by your place, so you have to go out looking for food. That bug comes to your home and climbs and climbs just looking for food.

 

So if we can think like a bug, attack you where you live or hangout – then we stop you. If I was a bug this is where I would hangout and this is one area we treat.

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What do you think about all this rain in Arizona?

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To be completely honest I love rain and you’re probably not going to like my reason for it. The rain brings out the bugs and I LOVE it, the termites become more active and bugs in general just love the water opportunities.

So with all this water, what can you do to prevent the inevitable onslaught of the bugs.

  1. Don’t allow stagnant water to gather on your property. This means any amount, I’ve seen mosquito wigglers in a glass bottle on the side of the road.
  2. Don’t allow wood to touch the ground and especially near the house. This includes firewood stacked against the home.
  3. If you notice puddling, fill it in and that also warrants a check on potted plants – they can collect water as well.
  4. If you have a fountain, as long as it is operating it is OK but when it doesn’t work the water can then become stagnant.
  5. Check your foundation slab for termite activity.

Fungus among us

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fungus

fungus

 

 

 

 

 

Fungus – Not always something you see in Arizona, fungus growing on the side of a foundation slab of a house. If weather conditions exist then it is possible for fungi to grow and it only matters on location and the amount of water present.

So keep an eye on your property and if these conditions are present it is time to evaluate and access the how and the why?

Boy o boy when it rains in Arizona, it really rains.

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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?

  1. Mud tube or tunnels on the foundation stem wall of your home.
  2. Small pin sized holes with dirt/mud around the opening and maybe the presence of little white or maybe black swarmers.
  3. Mud tube or tunnel inside the home.
  4. Sometimes and not very often in Arizona, swarmers.
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