All posts in “stucco”

Slab Issues

Slab Issues

Slab Issues

Slab issues can affect the home in many ways, crack and penetrations allow termites access.  This picture is the start of the problems, after the pouring of the concrete. A plumber will disrupt the soil and the termiticide and this of course allows termites into the home. From my point of view I would like the plumber to leave the dirt alone and keep the termiticide in place.

 

How do those scorpions get into your home?

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One of my favorite calls relates to how scorpions get into bathrooms or showers. People tell me they come up drains and that is incorrect. Arizona Bark Scorpions enter your home by crawling up stucco and gaining access into your attic. They then crawl around and under the insulation and finally they come to a recess light or something that was cut through the ceiling drywall. See all those cracks and if your home isn’t sealed well enough they will fall right into your house. Sometimes there are lights or fans right above the bath or shower and they just fall in. So here is my advice, pull down the plate that covers these holes and caulk the hole. This should be done on the top floor ceiling or if you live in a single story house the ceiling. On our website is a list of things we attempt to seal when we perform a Home-Sealing.

Who cares about bugs and rodents?

Who cares about bugs and rodents?

 

Each and every day I’m reminded of the valuable service ProBest Pest Management offers, why you ask? Let me share some of my most memorable days of Public Health:

  • Customer called me because they couldn’t even get into their home because the fleas were so plentiful.
  • In all my 20+ years I had never seen Bed Bugs until 2009, that year we received our first call. In 2012 I witnessed over 1000 Bed Bugs in a very small home – I was amazed and also creeped out and itched all day. We were able to alleviate the problem but it stills worries me that people will put up with something like this until it virtually becomes a real BIG problem.
  • A young woman continued to call about Ticks, we treated her yard but she wouldn’t let us inspect her home. We did find ticks inside under a couch and solved the problem after finally finding the source.
  • I may have mentioned this before but a mobile home with at the every least 5 million cockroaches. I’m not kidding, I felt almost hopeless for this family. It took some time but I think we did a good job for them.
  • I once had the task of doing some Drywood Termite work in a church, the tower or steeple had more pigeon feces than I had ever seen. It was probably 10 foot deep and went down walls and was just gross, we fumigated the building and they had someone remove the feces and prevent them from gaining entry anymore.
  • Sometimes architecture often allows entry points into a structure, stucco not properly sealed or pipes or cable opening not sealed. I once particpated with a fumigation for cockroaches and never thought about rodents until the job was completed. Many, many dead rodents, by the way do you know that rodents love cockroaches?

Well anyway you get the picture, Public Health equals quality pest control.

plainandsimple

How do the bugs or rodents get into your home?

Can you guess how many ways the bugs or rodents can get into your home?

Lets see how many ways we can come up with:

  1. Garage Door, homeseal or garage door seal if possible.
  2. Do you ever bring firewood into the home?
  3. Do you have pets?
  4. Do you ever bring in plants or flowers?
  5. Do trees touch your roof?
  6. Are there holes in your stucco where pipes go into the home?
  7. Are the weep holes sealed?
  8. Are the shingles or tiles in place?
  9. Are your door seals in good condition?
  10. Do you have door sweeps in place?
  11. Are your screens in place?
  12. Are yout attic vents in good condition?
  13. Do you have a chimney guard in place?
  14. Does your stucco go all ythe way to the dirt or stone? You should be able to see your foundation.
  15. Do you have a wood fence and does it connect with your home? Its best if there is no dirt to wood contact.
  16. Do you have siding on the home? This could allow bugs or rodents the option to sneak underneath.
  17. Do you have shrubs or trees to close to the home?

Common-Rat-Entry-and-Harbor

Picture from this site http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us

Can you think of any more, make comments below and thanks….

What are they thinking?

What are they thinking?

It’ just not a good idea to stack anything up near the foundation of your home. This goes for stone & rock, mulch, firewood or for that matter anything that blocks the foundation from view. The reason that the stucco doesn’t go to the dirt is so you can see the foundation and spot any trouble before it happens.

Termites can sneak up the foundation wall and begin to eat your home very quickly, so please do those monthly inspections and we won’t be seeing you!

But we are always there if you need us ProBest Pest Management 602-249-7378

Darn Woodpeckers………… What to do?

Darn Woodpeckers………… What to do?

Woodpecker products help repair damage caused by woodpeckers to wood structures, plus they provide an aromatic, non-toxic, natural bird deterrent that works against woodpeckers and other birds that peck. When the birds drill, they are met with a nasty taste and odor, making it undesirable to peck there again. These products work on most of the 23 U.S. woodpecker species, with the exception of the Arizona woodpecker.

Isn’t that always the way it works?

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