All posts in “rats”

Rattlesnake Rattlers

Rattlesnake Rattlers – What’s inside the box?

Rattlesnake Rattlers – I don’t advocate killing things unless you have to. Now with that being said, if you have rodents inside your home, they must die. End of story, why you ask? Because they can cause serious health risks, they urinate and cause other potential issues like asthma. I technically didn’t kill this rattlesnake, it crawled into a rodent station that had a snap trap within. I probably should have saved the skull but didn’t think that far but the rattlers were impressive. Also I somewhat relived I didn’t run into this snake when it was alive. It must have been a good size, probably a good 5 foot.

Rattlesnake Rattlers

A few of my accounts just relocate the snakes, taking them for a ride to a somewhat further distance away from the house or business. I was out the National Cemetery and there was a small 1 footer which I moved to a field just down the road.

Jumping cholla cactus

Jumping Cholla cactus

Jumping Cholla – If you live anywhere in the desert you know about these cactus. They will attack if you get close. OK they won’t attack but it seems like it. Its like they are magnetic. But a question was asked recently why don’t rodents or coyote’s ever have them attached? Or better yet why not Pack Rats? It’s called behavior modification, they learn and they learn quickly. It’s amazing cause almost every time I’m in the desert I get a few. I kneel to check a rodent station and get one in my knee or there might be bits and parts inside the bait station. Sometimes I even get them in my shoes, right through the soles and you think its a rock but surprise a needle shooting pain.

The dangers of the desert

So a word of caution, there are many things in the desert that can do you harm, rattlesnakes, Africanized Honeybees, rocks and cacti – so use extreme care.  I seem to find almost all of these dangers as I’m doing my work. Stay tuned for a resent find in a rodent bait station.

I have seen Pack rat middens or dens full of this stuff, how do they do it – I have no idea. I was training a technician once and mentioned to be careful, I had no sooner turned around and he had them from toe to waist on his right leg pants. Painful and barbed, did I say ouuuuuch? But yet the animals seem to be impervious or maybe it’s just that they are smarter. You decide!

jumping chollajumping cholla

 

Danger – rat bait

Danger – rat bait off site

Danger – rat bait off site – to any child, and/or pet, off site transfer of rodent bait. I’m not sure if this is a consumer or what is going on, as most bait must now be contained and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen soft bait in those containers. But what happens when a child or pet gets into this bait? I was never a big fan of those throw packets, because people would throw them almost anywhere. I’ve seen packets being moved by rodents to an outside vent, dropping into yards where anyone could get at it. Also we need to be aware of what pests it is, is it a Pocket Gopher, Pack Rat or ????

I see tin cats used to capture mice – not rats because they are not big enough, I also see mice stations used for rats. So the first step must be identification and then what works the best to eradicate or better yet prevention. The IPM plan of attack – where are the rodents coming from and why are they in your yard. As always consider SAFETY first, this is a dangerous step to take to get rid of mice.

Always Read and Follow all label and Use Directions – This is the Law. Failure could put people and pet lives in jeopardy. As always we are concerned about the possible movement of bait from a container, this could pose extreme concerns for wildlife, communities etc.

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Mice in Phoenix, AZ

Mice in Phoenix, AZ?

Mice in general do their best to make it into our homes and businesses in Phoenix. What can be done to keep them out? I often read stories from the news sources on what people do to get pests out of their home. From the guy who torches his mattress, to the person using 25 aerosol bombs for bed bugs. And yet some people think having them in the house is cute. Remember these critters carry diseases and pathogens on their bodies. ProBest Pest Management often gets the call after the person has pretty much in their opinion done it all and can’t catch that one single mouse.

mice Phoenix

They know more than you think?

The bad problem is that that mouse already is wiser to our tricks and since they are now smarter it often takes more time. Mice will generally range for about 30 feet while rats may travel over 100 feet and remember they urinate and spread feces as they run. Often times people don’t put out enough traps, or they think it’s only one and it turns out there are more. If you see one estimate a few and take charge or better yet call a Professional. So don’t think that we can get them out in 24 hours, we will bring our A game but we will get it done. Mice are curious and that is in our favor, we might need traps, glue boards or mechanical traps but we will succeed. So my advice, don’t wait call a Professional right away – we have the tools. 602-249-7378

A few facts:

  • Mice rely on whiskers to touch and their noses to smell.
  • Their eyesight is weak.
  • They prefer to stay near the wall using their whiskers to feel there way.
  • They are curious while rats are shy.
  • Mice may visit multiple sites feeding on many food areas nightly.

Pandemic – How close are we?

Pandemic

Just what exactly is a Pandemic, according to Wikipedia – an epidemic of infectious disease that has spread through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. One of the most devastating pandemics was the Black Death, killing over 75 million people in 1350 caused by fleas carried by rats or gerbils (new information). Mosquitoes continue to kill over 1 million people each year and have killed more people than anything else.

pandemic

pandemic

I don’t want to be the doomsayer, but the World is a scary place these days. Maybe more scary than the days of duck and cover which I don’t think I ever did in school. We did have Fallout Shelters in our school and I recall them being stocked with food and water. I also need to stop watching those shows on TV like “How the World will End”. What scares me the most is the ability of some to get their hands on weapons, like the IED in Manchester? Is it possible to acquire something and infect mosquitoes and to then transmit it to humans. As Rodney King said “Can’t we all get along”? I’m trying hard to not get political and in this day when people don’t just have ideas but are willing to fight in an instant instead of debating the virtues of their opinion.

Are we the smartest?

We are the smartest on this planet and yet often times the most opinionated and less likely to concede that our thoughts could be wrong. How will it end? I don’t know but anything could spark that moment – a trigger on the bomb, someone with a pandemic and the ability to spread it or as

Abraham Lincoln said “…At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”

The Doomsday Clock is set to – two and a half minutes to midnight, the Clock is ticking, global danger looms.

Rodent Design Service – Arizona

Is a rodent eating the fruit

Probably the most difficult thing to control is a mouse or rodent within your home or business. I hate the fact that a mouse urinates as it walks or runs, disgusting. It is really important to home-seal, to prevent them from getting into your home or business. Along with the fact of the mouse and their presence, don’t forget that they carry diseases and parasites like fleas or ticks. OK just a few facts on reproduction:

Mice – reproduce up to 8 times in their lifetime with 4-7 pups = 56 babies per year.

Rats – reproduce 4-7 litters per year with 5-12 pups per year = 84 babies.

rodent

rodent

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Rat borne diseases

Rat borne diseases can be a serious threat

With the advent of commercial type construction it seems that our cities are a megalopolis of people. So we come into contact more often with rat borne diseases. Most noteworthy you recently might remember a child died from Rat Bite Fever and many people have heard of rats biting people across the world. These types of diseases including rat bites and scratches can result in death and rat-bite fever. Rat urine is responsible for the spread of leptospirosis, which can result in liver and kidney damage. While it can also be contracted through handling or inhalation of scat. Especially relevant is that they are still animals and can return to a wild nature and they will bite and scratch.

So if you see one rat or mouse it is time to consult with a Pest Management Professional, call ProBest today at 602-249-7378

rat borne diseases

rat borne diseases

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_BmcJGS27Q[/embedyt]

Restaurants and the need 4 pest Control.

Restaurants

The other a friend and myself visited a Pizza Place restaurant, before I even ordered I visited the bathroom. One of the cleanest bathrooms I’ve been in – in my life. That my friends is how I decide if I’m going to eat at a restaurant. Nothing would upset my intestinal track more than a sloppy disgusting dining place.

I’ll tell you another pet peeve, when an owner calls and I say you have to clean before I’ll take the account and when you come back nothing is done. Easy enough for me, I just won’t do the establishment, period. They are never going to be happy and neither will I. Restaurants should be cleaned at the end of each shift, they should then be cleaned weekly and then again on a monthly schedule depending on how busy they are. Each cleaning schedule can and should focus on certain things, again depending on the restaurant.

restaurants floor drain messy

restaurants floor drain

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVy2xklnqEw[/embedyt]

Rodents on the upswing in Arizona

Rodents on the increase

The last couple years the mice and rats have gone crazy, don’t know if it’s all the rain or great weather here in Arizona. Years ago 2002? Ahwatukee just south of Phoenix had a issue with roof rats and guess what they are back this time in Phoenix. I have suggested for years to do a monthly inspection of your home. Look for holes and think like a pest. If that hole is about the size of a dime, a mouse can get into your home. Believe me if they can possible squeeze in they will. Mice and rodents inside your house is not a good thing. Call ProBest Pest Management 602-249-7378 if you see anything suspicious.

Also be careful about wiring for your home, landscape, pool and your vehicle.

rodents

rodents ducks

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJBxdJPydRA[/embedyt]

PestBlots

What do you see? Pestblots

PestBlots is a video from PestWorld.org. This site also serves as the official website of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). It is a non-profit group committed to the protection of public health, food and property. This site serves as a complete resource for consumers, media, educators and pest control pro’s. Furthermore common household pests to do-it-yourself pest control tips, PestWorld.org provides timely info and tools to better serve our visitors’ pest control needs.

Therefore, please utilize PestWorld.org as your main resource for info on bugs, rodents, pest control, and the growing pro’s pest management industry.

Pest control pro’s are invited to visit NPMAPestworld.org to access the NPMA’s member website. This site provides timely news, valuable information and access to all NPMA member benefits.

NPMA - Pestblots

ProBest is a member of the NPMA. PestBlots

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsqNSkaJlcE[/embedyt]

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