Thursday, October 23, 2008

Get rid of roaches

Roaches are not a pleasant thing to deal with, in fact, most people panic when they find them in their home. They worry about how they got them and if they are dirty etc. The fact is roaches can come from anywhere. You can bring them home on a shopping order or one can hitch hike home with you on your shoe. One gravid roach, or roach with children, can get bad fast. So what is one to do when faced with such a problem? I can tell you what not to do. Do not spray and do not set off foggers. This will only spread or push the roaches deeper into hiding. Yes you may kill some, but the drawbacks are worse. Baiting is the best way to control them. Gel baits work best. Maxforce or avert gel are good ones. Avert dry flowable bait is good also. Bait stations work effectively also. The best way to handle bait gel is to put dots in corners of cabinets or behind splash boards, always using caution and keeping safety in mind. Another good tool is the victor roach pheromone traps. One very effective tool to incorporate into your plan is gentrol. This is a growth regulator that will prevent the roaches from reproducing. A comprehensive and integrated approach is the best way to go with roaches. You can buy some of these products at your local home store or hardware store, or online at a do it yourself website. Good luck.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Signs of a mouse probelm

How do you know if you have a mouse problem? What kind of signs should you look for? First and fore most would be droppings. If black specks start to show up in areas then it could be mouse droppings. They look like skinny tic tacks with points ends. Another sign is holes in boxes or other food products. The next would be gnawing. The last would be simply sighting them. Sometimes unusual activity from a cat or dog can alert you to a problem as well. If you suspect a mouse problem then buy some product to start the elimination process of call a professional, as mice can get out of hand quite quickly. Happy Hunting!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Mice in cold weather

I'm going to start to angle the blog posts to mice, rats, and other rodents as we are all brought into the colder months. Ever wonder how mice know your house is warm and decide to come in and set up shop for the winter? It's a simple as shutting off the lights in your garage during the daytime and look as how many areas light is still coming in. These are all perfect areas for mice to enter. Same goes for your own front door. How's that weather stripping? Missing? If mice are scurrying along and suddenly feel heat escaping from under the door, they come right in. Heat escapes from space around pipes and wires that are coming into your home. Heat escapes under doors. Heat escapes and mice love. So the best way to prevent mice from coming in is to seal off all these kinds of holes and gaps to the best of your ability. Regular old foam will work, or a product called Stuf-fit, even caulk. Just plug up the holes.

Electric mouse killer

Building a better mouse trap has long been a goal for men to strive for. After all, the US patent office has thousands and thousands of patents filed for mouse traps. One traps that has come down the pike is an electric mouse traps and an electric rat trap. These traps basically kills the mouse or rat with an electric shock, making more humane than a snap trap. The drawback to these traps is that they are expensive and they require batteries to maintain them, adding to the expense. With the cold weather finally hitting the east coast, the questions and concerns about mouse and rat control start to ramp up as people search for was to keep mice out and catch the mice they already have. Tis the season.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Pest Control

The idea behind pest control is just that. Control. When faced with an infestation, the best approach to take is an integrated one, analysing the situation and incorporating a number of measure to try to eliminate the problem or at least to get control of it. Some situations, like bed bugs, may just be able to be controlled, depending on the situation and the willingness of the client to do their part. One thing I find and many of my colleagues express dismay in is the customer who expects you to come in with a magic wand and with one service get rid of their problem with no follow up and no cooperation on their part. Sometimes this can be done, but it's a rare case when you can walk in and get complete control in one visit. This is one of the reasons it's called pest control and not pest elimination, although there are some companies that advertise this. Perception is key.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Exterminator. A perspective.

Exterminator, pest control technician , pest control operator, pest management professional, the bug man. We've been known by many names over the years, but no matter how fancy or foul a name you give us, one thing is for certain, you have to have a knack for the industry. You can hand anyone a B&G sprayer and say go to town, but the pest control industry is so much more. You need an analytical brain and a sharp eye for detail. There are alot of things to consider when faced with an infestation. Customer services, earning the trust of your customer, determining the best and the safest approach to your problem, understanding where the problem may have originated, and sometimes, how to diplomatically ask the customer to do his or her part.
Over the years I've worked for pest control companies, I've owned my own business, worked for Univar, a pest control products supply company, and presently work as a support services manager, where the department of pest control falls under. Just as the names of our professional positions have changed, so has the industry and it's philosophies. I've seen Dursban TC come and go, Baygon bait come, go, and come back, and great chemicals like Termidor come to market. I am sure that there are colleagues out there who have been around since the days of cloridane too. With all these changes one thing has stayed the same. The fact that the pest control industry is a united group of men and woman who really love what they do and, although sometimes under appreciated and under paid, still continue to do a great job to help the public. Hats off to us all!

Friday, October 03, 2008

Mice Rats Rodents

Winter time is here and with it brings the potential of a mouse infestation. Why to be proactive by winterizing your home so to speak by using a popular monitoring tool, the glue board. Your garage is an easy access point for mice as is your basement. These areas often times have openings or pipes and wires that enter with gaps where mice can enter. Step number one would be to seal these gaps. Next I would say to place out these glue traps under and behind things. Check them often to see if anything was caught. The best thing to do is to pick up a bulk pack from your local pest control supply shop or online at a do it yourself web site. They come in boxes of seventy two. Catchmaster and Victor are two good brands.