Our newest addition is Haggrad – Bearded Dragon.
One of the coolest things we do at ProBest Pest Management is our Contract U.S. Post Office. The kids love coming to our little Bug Zoo, where we have a variety of bugs and reptiles.
Ask Dr. Bug……………
Last week someone mentioned they had flying bugs in their home, they brought in some samples and they turned out to be Whiteflies. I immediately put on my detective hat and began to ask questions. Had they brought in any plants recently and bingo that was the answer I thought I would hear? A lot of times if we just think about what conditions may have changed and we may get to the right answer.
Whiteflies usually occur in groups on the undersides of leaves. All stages suck plant juice and can damage the plant if numbers are high enough. A few years ago someone had a similar occurrence and they had a potted plant at their front door. Every time they opened the door the whiteflies got sucked right into the home.
Got a question or need some help to identify something, send it to [email protected] and I’ll help to identify and give you some options on control.
Dr Bug wants to thank Ms. Kelli and Mr. Mike and all the young adults for a great session at the Chandler Environmental Education Center. They came from the Extended Family Disability Services, LLC in Chandler, AZ and supplied me some pictures of our time together. I wanted to share these pictures, I had such a great time. Not everyone enjoyed the snakes but hopefully they learned something about the bugs and reptiles.
I made some new friends today and I hope we can get together again for some Bug Zoo type activities.
Everyone is welcome to stop by the office, we have all kinds of critters and from time to time we change things around. Typically snakes, bearded dragon and a spider but we change it up.
ProBest Pest Management 425 W. Guadalupe Road #110, Gilbert, Arizona 85233 602-249-7378
Dr Bug
Arizona Vegetable IPM Update “Aphid Identification, lettuce dieback, wheat herbicide sensitivity“. By John Palumbo, UA Research Scientist and Extension Specialist. (Western Farm Press) He’s got a point and in the business of bugs a very important point –
This is where the accuracy part comes in. Just because you can find a few winged aphids on produce crops does not mean these species are important to leafy vegetable and cole crops.
Most people call and say I got bugs, and when we ask questions they are hesitant to answer. There is a big difference between American Roaches and German Roaches and really, really important in the treating scheme of things. Yes you can kills bugs with any pesticide generally but you may not solve the problem or you may make it worse. I’ve seen floors covered with Diatomaceous Earth (DE) and still have bed bugs and I’ve seen people use can sprays to kill ants and still have ants. So here are my keys for pest control and they are fairly simple:
- Identify the bug
- Understand their biology
- Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
- Use the right pesticide if necessary
German cockroaches are the scourge of the kitchen and sometimes the bathroom. Let them in and they are there to stay until you call ProBest Pest Management that is. Many people attempt to solve their roach problems and sometimes it works but you have to understand their biology. So maybe you kill a few here or there, you should realize that that is only the tip of the iceberg. I don’t recommend the use of bug bombs; they tend to make the roaches go deeper and further away for the time being. So here are a few tips to keep them out:
- Don’t keep boxes in the pantry; put the food into plastic containers.
- Don’t allow food to sit around.
- Keep the kitchen free from dirt and grease.
- Pull out the refrig from time to time and clean it, an extra tip – clean the condenser coils it will save you money.
- If you see one, look deeper. Don’t panic but don’t underestimate the finding.
Cockroaches often deliver babies by way of an egg case or ootheca, these roaches either carry them to term, paste them to walls or drop them just before birthing occurs. Different species = different methods, different shapes and different design. Probably more than you wanted to know, but to the trained eye of your Pest Management Professional it is very important.
A species native to Asia has been located in Manhatten, New York, found by a Pest Control Operator. This species can also acclimate itself to colder weather, “Cold-tolerate cockroach from Asia found in NY“.
I’ve mentioned before “Insect and Mammal Invasive Species“, “Those Darn Illegals” and “The spread of Black Rats“.
The spread of non-native insects or plants can really cause major issues, justy look at those Quagga and Zebra mussel.
Photo by Arizona Game & Fish
To date, the largest known prehistoric insect is the dragonfly Meganeura monyi. It existed over 280 million years ago. Fossil remains were found in Commentry, France. When measured, the wingspan was a whopping 2 ft. 3.5 inches.
The loudest insects are male cicadas, which can be heard about a quarter of a mile away.
The insects with the biggest nests are termites.
There were three plagues mentioned in the book of Exodus in the Bible which were caused by insects – lice, flies, and locusts.
It takes 48 hours for a cockroach to digest its food.
These are products or materials that interrupt (break) or inhibit the life cycle of a immature pests. These products are often used with liquid sprays for restaurants (cockroaches) or for (flea) infestations in homes.
This isn’t the best picture but notice the German roach with curled wings, this is an indication that this roach came in contact with an IGR. Some IGR’s make the insect a darker color while others stop them from molting (shedding their exoskeleton) or reproducing.