Flies in the winter. Yes.

All of a sudden seeing flies in your home? They could be cluster flies. Cluster flies find protection in your home during September and October, looking for a crack to get into and a warm void to over winter in. When you get a warm day in the winter these flies come out. Sometimes they are just s few, sometimes there are many, but most times they are confusing and scary to the home owner. These flies can be controlled with spraying voids, and you can also try to cut them off at the pass by sealing holes and fixing screens outside before they come in, although this can be grueling and hard to get all the holes. I usually just recommend a vacuum with a hose attachment to suck them up as they become visible.

Products that work to kill roaches

Roaches are tough to get rid of if you do a sloppy and not so thorough job, but if you decide to give it a go yourself or you are looking for some products that will help get rid of that roach problem that is plaguing you, then here you are. To start with there are many roach control gels out there. Maxforce, Maxforce FC, Maxforce FC Select, Dupont Advion Roach gel, Avert roach gel, Magnetic roach food, Avert dry flowable, Maxforce roach bait stations, Advion Roach Bait Stations, Gentrol, Gentrol Point Source, Sprays and mixtures too numerous to mention. Yes, there are many products out there that controls and eliminates roaches, the trick is in the application and thoroughness of that application. Good luck and happy hunting.

Prepare for a bed bug treatment the right way.

Whether you live in a home or an apartment, there are steps that must be taken to get some decent results from a bed bug treatment. The preparation can be intensive and take much time, but it is worth it in the end. First thing to do is get your clothing ready for laundry. Every piece of clothing in any drawers, any clothing or fabric stored in boxes or bags, curtains, blankets, sheets, bed skirts, bedding in general, pillow cases, furniture covers, towels, coats, anything fabric will need to be bagged, sealed, and brought to either the laundry mat or if you think your washer and dryer can handle it, then so be it. The clothing should go through a wash and then placed in a hot dryer for about 45 minutes. With the shear volume of clothing, it is almost worth the money to have a laundry mat handle it. Shoes that can not be put in dryer should be put in zip lock bags, sneakers should be placed in dryer for 45 minutes. If you have other clothing that can not be washed, then it should go through the dryer for 45 minutes, leather coats should be taken to the dry cleaner. The clothing that comes out of the dryer should be put in NEW bags and sealed, with the old bags tossed away. At this point any clutter under your beds and in closets should be placed in zip lock bags. Find a website that sells bulk bags in different sizes as you will need to place alot of things in zip lock bags. At this point all clutter is up off the ground, out of closets, and any loose items bagged. Now it is time to vacuum. Vacuum under furniture, beds, entire carpets, all over, thoroughly. Place some talc powder on the rug and vacuum up to hopefully coat any bedbugs in the vacuum. Now toss the bag in the trash outside of the home.
Some theories state that taking up the rug and tossing is good. Some just say that taking the rug back away from the tack board is ok. I guess it will depend on the severity of the problem. This will give access to the pest control professional to treat in between the tack board and the wall. If you feel comfortable taking back the rug then do so, if not the pest control person may do it, either way, make sure it is done. Take pictures and anything hanging off the walls and turn around for treatment. Take drawers out of dressers and night stands. Make sure the drawers and the inside and underneath of these items are treated. If you have any cardboard boxes or paper bags used as storage, take everything out of these items and place in zip lock bags and throw away outside. Eventually these bags will need to be inspected or treated as the pest control person sees fit. Books should be zip lock bagged or tossed. Magazines zip lock bagged or tossed. All electronic items, especially from the bedroom, need to be zip lock bagged and sealed. Be sure you get a tight seal on these bags. If you have an attic or above the house crawl space, make sure the pest control professional treats and inspects this area, make sure vent covers are taken off and treated, make sure the pipe chase covers for bathrooms are removes and treated, make sure outlet and switch plate covers are removed and treated. Once the treatment is done, be sure the pest control person puts a box spring and mattress encasement on both the box spring and mattress. Do not skip this step. You may have to live out of bags for a while as the follow up treatment should be no more than 10 days out. Be sure that you factor in several follow ups. It is worth an inspection contract to be sure they are gone. They are not easy to get rid of. Don't be afraid to follow the pest control operator to make sure everything is getting done. Chances are you will be shelling out a thousand or more dollars for a proper treatment to be done, that's a lot of money and you have the right be sure it is being done the right way. The above may seem extreme, but it needs to be done. God luck.

Bedbug Trap is Here

There is going to be an arms race when it comes to bed bug traps with the introduction of the CDC 3000 bedbug trap and the NightWatch bedbug trap. Both use the same concept of human type pheromone, heat, and CO2 to attract the bed bug. The traps will be steep to begin with at a price of five hundred dollars a pop or more, but the benefits will out way the cost. The trap can confirm the presence of bed bugs and it can confirm the success of a bedbug treatment. Both of these reasons can justify the cost in my opinion. They will also be able to act as a tool in the fight against bedbugs. The CDC 3000 website has a video on it showing how the trap works that can make you a believer. Finally...a tool that is useful in this battle.

Doctor Austin Frishman

I was at a seminar this past week at Univar USA where Doc Frishman was giving a talk about roaches, bedbugs, and everything in between. It's truly a pleasure to attend his seminars because I always learn something new and because he is such an icon in the pest control industry. He cares a great deal for the pest control technicians and for this industry and it comes across so strongly in his talks. It's so nice to be part of an industry that, as large as it is, feels closely knit.

Red and Black Bugs

This is one of those times of years where you start to spy red and black insects or orange and black bugs known as boxelder bugs or Halloween bugs. These box elder bugs like to hang around with lady bugs as well and even stink bugs. They all like to hang on the sunny side of your building or home, get into any crack or crevice, and drive you nuts. How can you eliminate these bugs from your life? There are several sprays you can use, and you can also do your best to seal out and bug proof your home by sealing every crack and crevice you can find around your home. Along with keeping the bugs out, you will also increase your energy conservation. Insect proofing the home won't work completely, but it will help eliminate many of the box elders from getting inside by about seventy five percent. Good luck and fight the good fight.

Where to buy exterminating and pest control supplies.

Exterminating supplies are sold by distributors, over the counter pest control supply companies, or do it yourself pest control supply websites. Not everyone can buy exterminating chemicals as they may be what they call, restricted use products. You must have a license to buy these chemicals. Other than that, most insect baits, mouse traps, and bug spray chemicals are able to be bought by the public. Sometimes the companies selling the exterminating products, as policy, will require a license, and others do not. I know in the area I live there is a company that is an exterminating company, but they also sell to the public. Distributors such as Lesco (John Deere) , Residex, and Univar will require a license as they will not sell to the public. Then there are your DIY websites like epestsupply, pestcontrolamerica, and diypcs are online websites where you can shop. Another place to consider is your local home improvement store. They will sell your basic roach control supplies or mouse control supplies.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

Baiting for Mice

Baiting for mice with poison has always been a questionable practice in my opinion, especially in a household environment for a few reasons. One thing is of course safety. Poison can be deadly and the average homeowner is not always the best at reading directions let alone a label. I see visions of mouse bait packs being tossed behind fridges and sofas and every which way. This is not good. The next reason is once the mice get into this tasty treat then they die. They die inside. The old wives tale where they run outside to look for water is not true. The last time I looked we all had a pretty good supply of water in our own homes. Mice will die behind your walls, under stoves, in your sofa. They will die anywhere. Then they smell, and depending on what time of year it is you will also wind up with a bad fly problem. I think you can have just as good a result if not better in trapping the mice with glue traps and snap traps. You have more flexibility with these items and they are much safer. Once you catch the mice you can toss the trap and count your dead. Happy Hunting.

Food Roaches and thier control

German roaches have alot of nicknames like food roaches, dirt roaches, and plain old roaches. There are many tools in the arsenal to control and kill these roaches that reproduce at a rate of about 40 babies per egg. Some things that are effective against roaches would include gentrol point source, phantom, maxforce roach gel, avert roach dust, victor pheromone traps. These products speak to an integrated approach to the control of roaches. One thing you do not want to do is spray with a repellent or agitating chemical. This would simple disperse the roaches to other areas and render the baits ineffective. Phantom is a product that is non-repellent and works pretty well on these insects. Baits are always very effective, especially when used in conjunction with gentrol. Good luck and happy hunting.

Mites

The word Mite can instill fear in just about anyone who fears the itchy buggers. Mites are truly scary because they are unseen. Many times mites are not even a pest control issue, but a medical issue, when dealing with scabies for instance. Other household mites include bird mites, dust mites, rodent mites, straw mites. The great thing is that all of these mites have a treatment. The best way to get rid of a mite problem is to find and eliminate the source and treat at the source. Then take care of the residual mite problem or the secondary infestation as needed.

catching and trapping mice

Mice can nest in furniture, bedding, sofas, and chairs. Mice can get in via the slightest crack or gap and once they are in they make themselves at home. I've heard of stories of mice who clear out a hole in the stuffing of sofa cushions and drive homeowners crazy as they try to figure out where they are hiding. The fact is, unless you are extremely lucky, finding a mouse nest can be impossible. The best defense is a good offence. So at the first signs of mice, which will usually be droppings or food destruction, make a list of products that you will order on your friendly "do it yourself" pest control products website or to pick up at your local home store. To save and buy in bulk I recommend the websites. Keeping the safety of children and pets in mind, you will want to pick up snap traps and glue traps. Mice are curious creatures, so you should have no trouble trapping them all if you set up and follow a good trapping program. If you actually see a mouse scurry across the floor, then I would place glue traps in that area. Next you will want to identify areas of heavy mouse poop. IN this area set up many snap traps. Use an assortment of attractants on the triggers. Chocolate syrup, cheese, peanut butter, and cotton are great ones. A product called Provoke by a company called Bell is formulated specifically for mice and works wonders. The trick to a trapping program is not to be greedy. Place out alot of traps. It might look ugly for a while, but it will increase your success rate. If after a few days you only have caught a few mice, then the next step is to clean up the mouse droppings with bleach water (wear gloves), and take the traps up. Look for more signs of droppings. If more occur then start the process over. If there are alot of droppings in an area you will want to consult a professional for cleanup as massive amounts of droppings can be harmful.

Lice

Back to school time is here and with it comes the possibility of your children coming home with something other than homework. Lice is one of those things that can send panic through a household, but it doesn't have to. Start with prevention. Be sure to ask your children not to share hats or scarves. Wash hats and outer wear on a regular basis. If your child does contract lice or if someone in the classroom has lice, follow the recommendations the school nurse sends home. It is important to know that lice are feeble and can't survive very long off of it's host. Use a knit comb and a product prescribed by your pediatrician for lice and you will be good to go. Once fantastic website that I will share with you is www.headlice.org . This will help you more than you can know. Good luck and rest easy. Panic only brings ulcers.

Online Pest Control Products

Do it yourself pest control product websites have been around since the start of the Internet I would suspect. They serve a purpose so that consumers can buy the product that professionals can buy to use on pest problems they are experiencing. Just like those who like to change their own oil or hang their own ceiling fan, there are those who want to tackle their own pest problems. Many times they want to use the same pest control products that the professionals use, but many distributors require a license to buy direct from them. This is the why I think DIY pest control product websites are so popular. As always, if you are a die hard DIY guy and buy your products online, be sure to read the label and be extremely careful with how you use the product.