All posts in “sheds”

Spiders

Spiders

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Spiders

Wolf spiders are one of the fastest spiders, at least from my point of view. These arachnids have excellent eyesight and hunt down their prey. They don’t build webs and hunt alone. I have seen some about 2 inches, which is big enough for me. I’m not a BIG fan of spiders in general. These spiders are hairy and when their young are born they climb up on Mom’s back until old enough to fend for themselves. There are about 124 species of Wolf Spiders in the US and range in color from brown to black. They are venomous and usually use the venom to attack their prey, they can bite humans if they feel threatened and may react if squeezed or mishandled. So please wear gloves gardening and working in sheds and garages. Remember spiders eats lot of bugs and are considered good.

So what do you so to prevent running into them:

  • Keep the clutter down, interior and exterior.
  • All screens should be in place.
  • Keep doors sweeps in place, and closed.
  • If you store boxes in attics, open them outside or in garages.
  • Keep bushes, plants away from house.
  • Trees should not touch the house.
  • Cut down on lighting, but if you must have lights use yellow bulbs. This will keep the prey at bay.

Cricket Poo

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Cricket Poo can be mistaken for termite activity. Cricket mess under a hand lens appear to have sharp jagged edges. Often black in color while termites use soil and water which when mixed in their poo, used to build tunnels and tubes. I see this kind of activity inside garages on the foundation step up and along foundations outside homes. Termites construct their tunnels over surfaces such as slabs and drywall or 2x4s in homes.

People mistake lots of things as termites, I get calls on Mud dauber soil nest, They build these almost ball looking things which they then pack with incapacitated spiders and then lay their eggs inside. When the egg hatches the little baby larva eats the paralyzed spiders. Termites build little tunnels or tubes about the size of pencils and the little girls make their way throughout these tubes to contain moisture. The arch enemies of termites are ants and they fight if they interact. But you really don’t need either of these two on your property.

If you run into something and you don’t know what it is, call us 602-249-7378 or 623-414-0176 or send us a picture at [email protected]

Do you plant right next to your home?

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probestpestmanagementIMAG1122

When you plant bushes, trees or plants next to your home, are you creating an environment for pests and termites? Probably so. My rule of thumb is not to plant anything within 2 feet of your structure. Normally this is what I call the dripline of your home, that is the area of the roof over hang. Sometimes we really don’t have a chance, the picture below is an example of this. Because of the sidewalk there isn’t any room and when and if a termite job is required on this home, all those plants will probably be destoyed or hopefully they can be moved. The other issue is when the plants attract pests, could they then move into your structure? So think before you plant and things should be OK on the bug side…

It’s winter – who’s knockin on your door?

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It’s winter – who’s knockin on your door?

 

Even in Arizona it gets cold or at the very least cooler, so making sure your home is bundled up tight to prevent pests from getting in  is important. So what have you done?  One of the biggest costs associated with a home is the loss of heat or cool air depending on the time of season. It is also a entry point for pests like ladybugs that try to overwinter in homes and sheds. Installing new windows, sealing and crack and crevices or installing door sweeps are excellents ways of saving money and keeping those pests out.

When was the last time you checked to make sure mice or rats weren’t getting in, they don’t like cold weather just as much as we don’t. So checking your home for holes or opening that rodents and birds can get into. There are many new devices available to seal holes and even garage door thresholds.

Storm shield is designed to keep out rain and bugs and is more durable than door-mounted weather-stripping, our floor mounted, and precision-engineered vinyl threshold provides a tight fitting, long lasting barrier between your garage door bottom and the floor. The weight of the door presses down on it to keep out most rain, rodents, leaves and insects.

It really works, we have tested it…

They may be small, they may have small mouths but they work 24/7/365 – termites

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They may be small, they may have small mouths but they work 24/7/365 – termites

         

So here are 10 interesting facts you might not have known about termites:

  1. Termites eat wood twice as fast when listening to heavy metal music.
  2. Although many people think termites resemble ants, they’re more closely related to cockroaches.
  3. Termites have the biggest nests.
  4. The largest termite in the world, the African species Macrotermes bellicosus, reaches a length of 5 inches. WOW glad they’re not here!
  5. Did you know that ProBest often works with manufacturers on the testing of new termiticide products, currently still in testing are 16 sites in North Phoenix testing the new Termidor HE Copack
  6. Termites don’t eat plastic or concrete, but if there is a crack in the concrete or a hole in the plastic then they can enter the home of business.
  7. Termites can create small pin-like holes in the swimming pool liners; I have personally seen this on one occasion.
  8. There about 2,500 kinds of termites living all around the world. With only 50 being found in the US.   
  9. Termites have been around since the time of the dinosaurs
  10. This last one was fascinating – Research conducted in southwestern deserts and desert grasslands by New Mexico State University’s Walt Whitford estimates that without the action of termites, cow pies would smother the land, covering 20 percent of the surface in 50 years.

 

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