Bedbugs+Suspend+Kicker=success

Pest control professionals are scrambling for any ounce of control when dealing with the ever growing bedbug epidemic. One combination that has been easing on down the road has been a product called suspend and kicker. Mix them together and what have you got? Decent reviews...at least so far. The time it takes to get the population to start dying off is lessened when you combine the two. Bayer is the manufacturer of both of these products and both products are labeled for bedbugs and for treating the areas of the mattress where bedbugs hide like the tufts and buttons. I have said many times that bedbug jobs should be left to the professionals and I still hold true to this conviction, but at least you can be more informed as to what is working out there.

Ground Bees

There are several kinds of bees that dig and nest in the ground. Some like Cicada Killers dig out a single hole, leaving what looks to be a mound of dirt or sand, and kills a cicada and buries the cicada and the bees egg in the hole. Cicada killers are very large looking bees, but they generally won't bother humans unless provoked. Some ways to control them would be to keep your lawn thick and well maintained to prevent the Cicada killers from finding adequate areas to nest or in some cases a chemical treatment will be necessary. Professionals often times will dust the holes or do a power spray. This treatment will need to be followed up on the follow year.
Another ground bee is known as the digger wasp. These wasps can appear to be hovering over the lawn and can appear in great numbers at times. They are not an aggressive wasp generally and the control is similar to the cicada killer, and that is to dust the holes or apply a broad range pesticide.
The ground nesting bees to watch out for are bumble bees and yellow jackets that will nest in abandoned rodent borrows or other holes in the ground. These bees are very aggressive and will attack and cause harm. Before mowing your lawn be sure to survey the lawn to make sure there is no bee activity coming or going from the ground. This is often the way humans are attacked. The above picture shows what a yellow jacket nest under ground can look like. These nests should be handled by professionals. They will most times dust the entrance hole using a dust stick to keep a distance and treat the holes this way. Do not use gasoline to try to kill them yourself. This is dangerous and will contaminate the ground.

Bedbugs-Gianaris Bill Passes!

The bill that state Assemblyman Gianaris proposed to help battle bedbugs with knowledge and communication has passed unopposed on May 8, 2007! It required the Schools in Queens to notify parents of any outbreaks of bedbugs in schools which would allow other parents to keep their eyes open for any potential bugs that may be brought back home inadvertently. It would also offer parents prevention techniques and treatment options to help in the battle. This is a fantastic idea that the nation should adopt. Without education and communication, the bedbug problem that is already out of control will continue to flourish.

Mice and furniture

I had an interesting question asking if mice could live in a mattress. The short answer is yes. To be more specific, mice can nest in sofas, mattresses, chairs, anything that is soft and provides a protected nest. I remember one specific time when I was on the road I had a customer who was having a bad mouse problem. I was catching them in the traps and I was able to pinpoint the area they were coming from to a wall where the sofa was. I found no holes so I decided to inspect the sofa and sure enough when I lifted up the cushions they had collected lots of nesting material and were nestles in the corner of the sofa under the cushions. It doesn't matter if there is a lot of activity like getting up and down from a sofa because the mice get used to this movement and it stops scaring them. So to answer the question, yes it is possible for a mouse or mice to live in your furniture and it should be on the list of areas to inspect when preforming a rodent control program.

Gypsy Moth

There has been alot of buzz lately about the extremely hated gypsy moth as of late. These buggers were actually brought to the United States back in the late Eighteen Hundreds in an attempt to boost the silkworm industry but unfortunately they escaped into the wild and we have been suffering the results ever since. The best was to control these pests would be to use an integrated approach targeting the several stages of development to gain the best control. Gypsy moth traps and lots of them work well. Really the best and fastest route is to spray the tree with a labelled insecticide. These situations call for a professional with a power spray rig and the appropriate licenses.

Mosquito Repellent

What kind of devises work as mosquito repellents and what is good mosquito control? Some things that don't work at all would be things like "bug zappers" that electrocute bugs. Most times these machines wind up killing more beneficial insects other than mosquitoes and they will attract more mosquitoes to your yard. Citronella candles don't really work that well especially out in the open like on a deck or in the yard. You need several to have even a slight affect. They work better in semi enclosed areas like a sun room or screened in porch. Now for some effective control. There are machines out there now that emit carbon dioxide which attracts mosquitoes and then sucks them in with a vacuum. Some of the brand names are Mega Catch or Mosquito Magnet. These are pricey but effective. Another method is the old fashioned fogging that professionals do. They also sell mosquito dunks to applied to areas of large free standing water like big puddles where mosquitoes will breed. These products prevent reproduction. These are some of the methods to consider this summer as you prepare for that outdoor barbecue or picnic.

Mosquitoes

My two boys just came in from the deck and were eaten alive by mosquitoes! Welts all over them. It got me thinking about the nasty insect and I thought I'd write a post about how to try to keep them from multiplying. You've probably heard this a hundred times before, but it is important. You must go around your house and look for free standing water. It can be a puddle in a bird bath or as small as water in a toy that is laying on the ground. They don't need much. With all the rain that has been falling around the country it is important to try to keep the population down by emptying this water whenever you see it. Flower pots, smoking "butt" cans, tires, and other kinds of outside furniture can gather water. Rain spouts that are clogged up are also a big culprit. You have to have an eagle eye when searching out these posts but when you do you will be glad you did.

Pest Control Products and Pests They Control

So what's a good arsenal to have in your corner?
Termites: Advance TBS, Termidor, Premise, and Firstline.
Ants: Maxforce Ant Bait, Advance Ant Granules, Advance Dual Choice.
Roaches: Dupont Roach Bait, MAxforce FC Select, Victor Roach Pheromones.
Waterbugs: Niban
Bees: Delta Dust, Drione Dust, Apicide.
Mice: Contrac Meal, Contrac Blox

Just a few products to ponder.

Honey Bees Die

Will this become an epidemic? Some think so with speculation that the American food supply is at risk. Will we be reduced to the diet of prisoners, just having bread and water available? Hopefully it won't come to this point, but some are saying that the worst case scenario can result is such a drastic diet. Honey bees pollinate 90 percent of the flowering crops in the United States. Crops like Apples, Nuts, Asparagus, peaches, and blueberries, just to name a few are among the bees favorites. The bees also pollinate plants like alfalfa...and who eats this yummy meal you ask...why cattle of course. If the cattle can't eat then the bees are also affecting the beef supply. It can become a vicious domino effect if the honey bee problem is not resolved soon. This phenomenon is being called the Colony Collapse Disorder and it's not just contained in the United States. Other countries including Brazil and parts of Europe are also reporting this dilemma. Hopefully in time we will find out what is causing these bees to die and correct the problem before we start paying more for an apple than we are paying for a gallon of gas!

Fleas

Fleas are the most annoying insects to have in the home but one of the easiest to get rid of if you are willing to do the work. First off you must clean everything up off the floor and all the stuff from under the bed and off the floor of closets. You get the point. Next thing to do is vacuum like there is no tomorrow. Every inch of your home will need to be vacuumed. Be sure to throw away the vacuum bag as soon as you are done vacuuming. Next thing to do is get a product that has an insect growth regulator in it as well as an adulticide to kill all stages of the flea. Fleas develop in stages and it is important to break this life cycle. If you have a cat you may want to consider getting foggers with an Insect growth regulator in it to get the area up high that cats often frequent like high cabinets. If you have a dog you can get away with just a carpet spray. Be sure to have the cat or dog treated or dipped and try to use a product like front line for a few months. If you treat thoroughly and follow the labels on the products you should do a good job of eliminating the fleas. Some products pest control operators use are Ultracide, Precor, Precor Plus foggers, and Nylar. Do it yourself pest control places have products to use and you local Home Depot or Petsmart will have products to consider also.