All posts in “spiders”

Yet another reason to avoid caves… spiders

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Yet another reason to avoid caves… spiders

I know, I know they are just spiders but sheeesh they are so ugly looking and just menacing.  “Trogloraptor spider discovered deep in Pacific Northwest” and here is another article with a picture “New Spider species sent to San Francisco“.. This spider is about the size of a half-dollar coin and somewhat resembles a Brown Spider from Arizona. This spider has a unique raptorial claws suggesting this spider is fierce and specialized as a predator. Trogloraptor hangs beneath rudimentary webs beneath cave ceilings. I’m absolutely positive if I been cave exploring and noticed the webs I would have freaked out.

Teach your children well, bugs can be nasty!

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Teach your children well, bugs can be nasty!

 Yesterdays answer is the Arizona Brown Spider—

This morning as I listened to the news, I heard a report about the fact that Arizona may continue to get hotter and by 2040 we could have over 3 weeks of greater than 115 degrees. I will tell you it is a dry heat but that is really hot and uncomfortable. With the increase in higher temperatures we will continue to see an increase in bug activity. The other problem I see is the movement further North of some bugs, like Africanized Bees. This recent event happened in Texas and they estimated over 100,000 bees in this hive.

Wolf Spiders have also been on the move, we have received numerous calls on them getting into homes. Home sealing is a great way to stop them before they get into your home.

Scorpions are also a major bug in Arizona and children should be taught early on not to mess with them even if they look dead. Often times they are just still and can very quickly sting anyone touching or messing with them.

Just hanging out, waiting for a cricket…

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Just hanging out, waiting for a cricket…

Black Widow Spiders

The more food (prey) on your property might increase the probabilities of scorpions and or spiders. Spiders are good for pest reduction but they also pose a clear and present danger to the homeowner and family. Most webs are in out of the way areas, sheltered porches and sheds. I have seen them under stone benches and planters. Webs can be several feet across, with guywires well beyond that and the web itself is crinkly to the touch. The Black Widow hangs upside down waiting for prey to come in contact with the web.

Always wear gloves when doing work around the house and shed.

Spiders of all kinds – are on my list…

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Spiders of all kinds – are on my list…

 

So you know I absolutely hate spiders, all kinds all shapes so I can epathise with the cat. But some of these are somewhat funny, remember back to the giraffe. My Mom probably created my phobia regarding spiders as I think all my family has this aversion.

Wednesday Madness – picture guess????

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Wednesday Madness – picture guess????

 

     I have this love and hate relationship to spiders. I hate when they are in crawlspaces or any where within my house but they can look fascinating in pictures. They can have artistic and creative webs and now their webs are being used in research.  So comment below to tell me what kind of spider this is, please! Here are a few of those artistic close-up and macro pictures of some spiders…

         

Check out Artur Celes photography – he is a gifted and unique photographer

Sometimes it takes an extreme effort in Pest Management…

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Sometimes it takes an extreme effort in Pest Management…

 

         

These little spiders just love to cause me sleepiness nights. We have battled these spiders for a few years and although the battle is not over they continue to be a scourge on this home. I have investigated and used different pesticides over the years and actually have found that a wettable powder formulation has worked the best. Its a block wall home and the wettable powder sets on top and prevents them for a few months and then they make their way back. This home is located on a waterfront lake and the spiders just hang out waiting for food to fly right on there webs.

I haven’t given up but it is fair to say that this is an ongoing pest control if I ever have seen one. (Thanks to George for taking these pictures)

It gets weirder and weirder, that’s all I can say!

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Its get weirder and weirder, that’s all I can say!

 

“Man sets house ablaze while killing spiders with blowtorch” It continues to surprise me and by now you would think it wouldn’t faze me but come on folks. What was he thinking?

I guess I was thinking it just seems to be the Bed Bug hysteria but I was wrong, wouldn’t a broom been just as easy? This also cuts across almost every state in the U.S. Please think before you do anything like this, it may seem fun but in this case = no home!

Watch out Spiderman – the Brown Widow is on the move!

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Watch out Spiderman – the Brown Widow is on the move!

 

For some time now the Brown Widow spider has been making its way across the U.S. and taking over the area of their cousins the Black Widow spiders. The University of California Riverside has put together some handy (pun intended) OK don’t be putting your hands in any hidden areas – widows live out of the way in hiding places, at their website for Invasive Species. Please check their site for some very informative and useful information.

Courtesy of UC Riverside

The bite of a brown widow spider is minor in comparison to that of a black widow, but it continues on with some rather weird facts…

Pest Control – bed bugs, scorpions,black widow spiders, rattlesnakes – we have it all

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Pest Control –  bed bugs, scorpions,black widow spiders, rattlesnakes – we have it all!

 

I know I have probably said this before but I love my job, every day is new and exciting and you never know from one day to the next what you will be doing. A typical day in the life of Dr. Bug may consist of inspections for bedbugs, termites and wildlife issues.

  • Today for example I started out investigating the root cause of where the termites were entering the building, this is a unique example of building construction allowing gaps and possible entry points for termites into that structure. This coming week I’ll have a chance to look at the problem via the roof and use a brand-new termiticide called Termidor dry. Typically when treating for subterranean termites it is essential to get the material into the ground where they live, this product allows for the introduction of a dry formula into tubes and galleries with the potential for distribution into the colony.
  • I have been working with Channel 3 for a bedbug story and we finally have located a family deserving of some special care, stay tuned for an update from both Channel 3 and progress on some bedbug work.
  • The next stop was another bedbug dilemma, I really feel bad because in most cases the family or person who has the bedbugs wasn’t the one who brought them into their home. The problem with bedbug work is that it is time-consuming and labor extensive.
  • I may get two e-mails from people supplying me with pictures of various bugs, or I may get several calls asking for my opinion about various pest situations. it may be spiders on a tower, or what type of spider is in my home. It’s all in the day of the Dr. Bug.

Now my everyday may not be as exciting as “Billy the Exterminator” or that guy from “Call of the wild” but I’m dealing with everyday people with everyday lives with everyday problems and trying to solve them one day at a time in an efficient manner to the benefit of that customer. So all I can tell you is stay tuned because everyday isn’t boring in the life of the bug guy.

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