All posts in “rats”

Cooler weather might bring in the rodents.

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Well the heat is finally going away and the cooler weather is right around the corner. Thank goodness – I’m not sure it was the heat or that humidity but whatever I’m thankful it is getting cooler.

Termites continue to pop up around the valley and if the weather doesn’t get real cold the pests will continue. So now would be a great time to tackle those little chores around the house to prevent pests from getting in. What can you do?

  1. Home seal.
  2. Check sheds or other structures.
  3. Repair window screens or door screens.
  4. Install door thresholds or sweeps.
  5. Install garage door seals.
  6. Trim trees away from home.
  7. Repair drip or flood irrigation systems.

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Rats and their gnawing dilema

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Rodents in general need to work down their teeth and this is often done on materials harder than their teeth. Every once in awhile I’ll notice some wiring on pool equipment that looks like it has been chewed on. This last month in Paris, France this habit took on dangerous overtones when a train accident occurred. Rats nibbled on signalling cables and this prevented a light to function correctly. “Rats blamed for rail accident“, luckily no one was killed but 40 people were injured.

 

Photo by Univar

Photo by Univar

All the talk about Ebola, what are the most dangerous viruses?

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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.

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Why worry about the pests?

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Throughout history we humans have done some terrible stuff to each other, wars only to mention one. But did you know that compared to all the wars ever fought the bugs have killed more of us.

  1. Yes number one the list is Mosquitoes, they have killed lots of humans and animals. Malaria, Dengue Fever and Yellow Fever are among the biggest threats to us still to this day.
  2. Fleas probably rank as number 2 and may have contributed to killing 1/3 of the people in Europe during 1340’s  known as Bubonic Plague, still with us today.
  3. My number 3 may not have killed as many as above but worldwide cause more damage to food, foodstuffs including grains and other type products. Rodents including mice and rats may spoil 1/3 of all grains worldwide and may directly lead to food shortages or starvation than any other insect or wildlife.

So yes I worry that as we progress as a society that we consider the wise use of pesticides. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is very useful within the confines of general pest management but there are reasons why pesticide use must continue. This article “Kissing Bug disease prompts growing concern in U.S.” shows that the concerns are justified. Here is Arizona we deal with Bark Scorpions and there is no magic bullet to stop them. The only method is home sealing and proper use of pesticides, so until that day arrives where we can target this critter I see no alternative than to spray them before they make it into our homes.

The most common pests and how to eradicate them from your home

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Household pests are tricky to deal with. If you don’t know what to look out for they could go unnoticed and cause serious damage to your property, belongings and general health. The trick is to catch them early and eradicate them before they get the chance to breed and establish their residence.
This list of common household pests has been provided by the expert team who provide pest control in North London, their experts have provided advice on how to get rid of various pests from your home.
Mice
The bane of the kitchen, mice are active all year round and usually nest in areas that are warm and quiet. They often chew up furniture and find their way into food packaging. In addition, they can spread disease. If you’re suffering from a mouse infestation, cleanliness is key. Make sure your kitchen floors and work surfaces are spotless; place packaged food into containers; and put some mouse traps in the most common problem areas.
Moths
Moths are certainly one of the most annoying pests; however, it’s their larvae that does most of the damage. When they lay their sticky eggs on clothing and upholstery it can be very destructive. If you have a moth infestation, clean all of your clothes and ensure your closet is dry and ventilated. In extreme cases, store your clothes in plastic boxes until the problem goes away. Make your own moth traps by hanging up flypaper and putting a little fish oil on it to attract them.

Cockroaches
Cockroaches usually live in warm houses and come out during the night. They often hide in cracks and crevices in the kitchen and will feed on virtually anything. Getting rid of cockroaches requires poisonous bait; however, this can also be harmful to humans, so it must be used with caution.

Bed Bugs
While commonly found in bedding – hence the name – bed bugs can also live in small cracks and crevices. Controlling them can be very difficult as they spread quickly, so if you ever have bed bugs acting fast is the key to success. Wash all of your bedding on a high temperature, and then take apart your bed frame and disinfect it. Vacuum your entire room and give it a thorough clean for safe measure. If the problem re-occurs call an exterminator straight away.

Rats
Of all the pest, rats are without a doubt the most dangerous. Typical signs include droppings, smear marks and teeth marks on cables and furniture. Rats have been known to start electrical fires and can also spread diseases, so dealing with them straight away is paramount. Sometimes traditional pest control products won’t work and you’ll have no choice but to call the professionals. Qualified pest controllers can not only eradicate pests, but could pest-proof your home and this is certainly recommended if you have a recurring problem.

Guest post by Aaron Higgins North London Pest Control

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A new species of rodent discovered

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“New rodent species discovered in Indonesia” and the scary part is that it is carnivorous water rat. I’m often astounded that we are still finding new species across the world and this just goes to show how small our world is.

On the bottoms of its toes are small, fleshy pads that may help it hold onto the streambed when hunting underwater.

So as your hiking or rock climbing and your run across something different, it might be unique and technically something yet to be discovered. Maybe, maybe not?

 

Gag reflex on eating bugs, can we as humans get by this?

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“Are insect farms the urban farms we need to feed the cities?”  Just imagine the possibilities of giant urban farms capable of raising protein without all the issues of methane gas or excrement in abundance.

I’m sure that this is something we just need to get past, the creepy yuck factor of eating bugs. I for one would probably eat bugs faster than I could eat rodents.

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Photo by PPMA (cicadas)

What do you want to know by ProBest Pest Management!

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Skunks

 

  1. Skunks generally forage at night and are considered omnivores (they will eat anything) eat plants, berries, grass, bugs, worms, eggs, reptiles & rodents.
  2. Skunks don’t have the best eyesight but have excellent hearing.
  3. Ther prefer to live in burrows.
  4. Skunks actually sneeze to clear out their noses so they can better smell plant food or animal prey.
  5. If you get sprayed, only time will help to fade the smell, tomato juice and/or vingear will help to mask the smell – by the way scientists believe its the oil that makes it last.
  6. Stay back if you spot a skunk, it can shoot up to 10 feet and less accurate to 16 feet.

Why am I lazy, I’m blaming it on my genes?

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I’m really not lazy but since everyone blames everything else on something else, I might as well think it to be hereditary. I do hate the gym but work is another matter, I love what I do. This study was of course done on rats “Study suggests laziness could be hereditary.”

By studying a population of rats over ten generations, researchers came to the conclusion that there is such a thing as a genetic predisposition to laziness, at least among rodents.

 

Since this video somewhat shows a rodent doing pushups I decided I had to share it. No rodents were harmed during the making of this video and this is my favorite video.

Nolans Cheddard Cheese – Seriously Strong

 

 

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