EPA Bed Bug Summit 2011

Next Tuesday is the second Bed Bug Summit being offered by the US Environmental Protection Agency in Washington DC. I plan to be there, pending snow and ice predicted for my area those days. I attended the last summit in 2009 and found it to be extremely interesting, and as the months and years went by and the ideas that were born at this summit grew, productive. The last Summit was about ideas, a national brainstorming if you will, but this one I hope is a Summit about solutions. We have protocol and procedure in place. We know about the chemical resistance and crazy genes these bugs have. We know about the research and we know about the turmoil these bugs are bringing to cities across the country. Now it is time for action. The government needs to understand we need solutions. We need a relaxing of the rules if you will to introduce effective chemicals to the market. We need research dollars. We need answers.
We shall see....we shall see.

Flies in the Winter Time?

Were you ever sitting at your dinner table or maybe watching the evening news when something catches the corner of your eye and you look to see a fly hovering about? Did I mention it was winter time? Believe it or not, it is not that uncommon for flies to emerge during warm days in the winter and come out to cause you some winter time stress, because we all know that they usually emerge when guests are over or you are preparing dinner, and what's more disgusting for either of those two events then some big lumbering flies hanging about?

The culprit in this winter time mystery is most likely a cluster fly. These buggers breed in earth worms and once seen inside the house, are most likely entering from a hole or gap in the house and have already set up shop in your cozy abode. So what do you do to get rid of them you ask? Vacuum. If you are seeing them in the winter, the best approach to get rid of your fly problem is to use a vacuum with a hose attachment and suck them away. Once it gets warmer outside, have a look around your windows and roof line and where the pipes enter the building to see if there are any gaps that these flies can get in and seal them up.

Cluster flies are not doubt an annoyance, but with a little diligence and caulk, you can start the control process with the ultimate result of eliminating from your structure. Easier said than done!

Head Lice

So you open your child's folder and in it your find that letter that every parent hates to see. Head Lice have been found in your child's class. OMG. We'll don't panic. Talk to your child and let him or her know not to share hats or play hair dresser with the other children and check your child's hair daily until the panic passes. Most times the school nurse will find the problem in time and the child will be treated at home and all is ok sooner than later. There is alot of info on the web to study up on lice and a boat load of products should your child get the lice. The treatment at home can be daunting, but not as bad as people think. So the phrase of the day is, Be vigilant.

Moving with Bed Bugs

So your fed up and decided to move out and away from your bed bug infested apartment, dorm room or home. The question is how do you move and not bring the bed bugs with you? The ones hiding in your clock radio or your clothing or your book bag and furniture. All you are doing is moving the bed bugs into a new home. Unless...

What we need is a large scale moving system where moving trucks are fitted with commercial heaters and insulated to hold heat in. The process would be simple. Move out, load the truck up, and then put the heaters on for about 5 hours. Move into your new home with a bunch of baked, and yes dead, bedbug. There would need to be consideration given to how much stuff you have and how packed the truck is that would contribute to bake times, but it is worth a second thought.

Another way is to tent that truck and fumigate the items. It would cost you about five hundred dollars, give or take, and should kill off any hitch hiking buggers. The drawback is you need to fume for 24 hours and vent. This contributes to a longer moving process.

Any one else with some thoughts?

Facts about Mice In Your Home

Mice are commensal rodents which means, " Living with humans". The problem is, we don't want them to be commensal, we want them outside. This is why we spend over one hundred and twenty million dollars a year on rodent control in the United States.
Once in the home, mice set up shop close to food. This usually means your kitchen is transformed to a Hilton Hotel over night. Mice will only travel about 10 to 25 feet from their home, which is why they can be found mostly in the kitchen. They will also snuggle up to a room, such as the bed room, if you are a bed snacker. Mice are also very active, if they find a snack, they will travel back and forth to this snack about 20 times a night. Mice are terrific at gnawing things and they also like to make a mess with their droppings. It is important to act quickly if you suspect a mouse problem in the home as they can reproduce e quickly and a few mice can grow to large numbers fairly fast. If there is one fact to remember out of all the facts about mice and that is they need to be eliminated from your home once they are found. Happy hunting!

Find The Best Bed Bug Elimination Company.

Finding the best company out there to eliminate your bed bug problem will take some work on your part. The problem is that there are a million pest control companies out there, but only a handful who really take bed bug control to a new level. Companies like Cooper Pest Control in the Northeast is a perfect example of a company who takes bed bug control to a new level, in fact, they wrote the book on it. The book is appropriately entitled, "The Bed Bug Handbook". Coopers also has a fantastic website dedicated to bed bugs and their control called Bed Bug Central. This website gives advice to home owners and offers products for sale to help the consumer deal with this or protect yourself against this growing problem.
Other companies like A3 Pest control, Stern Environmental, and others seemed to have understood the problem early and geared up to tackle the problem head on.
Aside from research online, you will want to ask for referrals and look on sites like Angie's List and the Better Business Bureau to be sure there are no bad marks against the company.
Be leery of companies who charge a little but promise a lot. Bed bug control is expensive, hard, and disruptive work for both the bed bug control company and the home owner.
So as you can see, shopping for a bed bug control company can be just as tedious and stressful as shopping for a car or home, put as much work into it as you would shopping for big ticket items like that and you should be fine.

Mice In The Ceiling

Laying in bed and hearing the pitter patter of little feet above? It could be mice in the ceiling who have made their home int he attic. Treating the attic for mice can be tricky. Mostly because of the insulation that may be in between joists that the mice are scurrying under. You should bring out all the guns to rid your attic of the mice. Snap traps, glue boards, and bait should be used. Be prepared to deal with the smell of dead mice if they die in areas that your are unable to retrieve them from. Another important safety topic is the length of time the mice have been up there. If you encounter a high amount of mouse droppings then stop the mouse catching effort and concentrate on safely cleaning this up. This may require a professional as mouse droppings can be very dangerous, especially in high amounts. Happy hunting.

Fall is a time to reflect...

a quaff swims like a trash can, and with the summer coming to an end, it is time to reflect back on the season we had. At least in my area, it was either very rainy or very dry. Bad for the landscapers, but good for pest control. Rain stirs the occasional invaders up and the dry spells get certain critters looking for some liquid nourishment. Fall also reminds me of the cold season coming up and the rodents that will be on their way to find a warm spot to spend the cold months in. This is again, bad for the landscapers and good for the pest control businesses. Not to say we won't be busy with bed bugs, but it doesn't hurt to have a pest or two to fall back on.

Rodents Can Cause Fire

We spend a bunch of time on how to kill mice and rats and what they are and where they hide. This is all important stuff, especially on a blog dedicated to pest control information, but one thing that I think should be said and the public may not be too aware of it, mice and rats are fire bugs. Pest control professionals know that they are, I've seen this countless times in attics and basements where the insulation around wires have been gnawed on or crewed through all together, and this is why it is so important to keep mice and rats out and trap them if they are inside. If you have a pest control company, make it the first thing you say during a rodent inspection. Inform the client and recommend they get a good electrician in to repair or replace the wires that have been gnawed on. An ounce of prevention can go a long long way.

Dorm Room Bed Bugs Means Back To School

The right of passage for many a college freshman is the being on your own in a dorm or apartment. I must now scare you, be afraid, be very afraid. Dorm room bed bug problems are becoming as prevalent on college campuses as the very degrees they offer. If you are a freshman going into your new dorm room or if you are a senior returning to the dorm or apartment, the first thing you should do is check your bed and other furniture before you move anything in. If mom and dad have some dough, then I would ask them to hire a bed bug dog to inspect the dorm room or apartment. This will benefit mom and dad when it is time to come home for the holidays, I am sure they don't want any bed bugs hitch hiking home with you. I would invest in some climb up interceptors and a good mattress and box spring cover to help keep the bed bugs off the beds. This is an epidemic and colleges around the world are battling the problem head on. Don't rely on the college or the college's pest control vendor, rely on yourself. Be your own advocate and research good bed bug blogs like The Bed Bug Resource for insight. Sleep tight.
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Big Roach

My sister called me freaking out because she found an American roach in her bathroom and now my nephew will not use the bathroom. American roaches can be intimidating and down right scary, but they don't always mean you have to panic right away. These large roaches are known in the city as sewer roaches, many times they appear when there is street work being done or pipes out int he street are being replaced. They can also appear in the home if there is a broken sewer line that you may be unaware of. In the latter case, these big roaches can be a blessing in disguise, alerting you to a much larger problem.

So having said all that, how do you get rid of them? Call in your local bug guy or gal and have a good residual put down, place some sticky monitors, and some granule baygon or niban bait. If the problem persists, call you plumber.

Wasp and Bee Season

Coming into August and September and the same old insanity begins. The Bees and Wasps go crazy. Good luck sitting outside with a can of soda or having a picnic in peace. So what can you do? First thing you can do is take a stroll around you home to see if you can identify any wasp nests that are in the yard or around the property, carefully! Look at window shutters from afar, notice any buzzing brutes flying in and out from under them? Look around fences and along roof flashing. Anywhere there is constant bee activity can mean a nest. As I have said int he past, be extra careful if you are going to spray these nests down yourself. Hiring a professional is the safest bet, it will cost a few dollars as bee work is expensive, but you will save yourself a potential trip tot he hospital. Getting rid of nests close to your home won't eliminate the pests bothering you outside while partying at the summer Bar-B-Que, but it will help alleviate them some and keep your guest safer.

Ground Bees and Wasps

Tis the season for cicada killers, the large wasp that looks as if you can saddle and ride it into town. Cicada killers over winter int he soil and emerge around this time of year, late June or early July. These ground nesting bees are no doubt intimidating and if you are unfortunate enough to have many of these bees infesting one area you may want to consider calling in the pros to treat the area. They may spray the wasps directly or they may dust the holes with an insecticide dust. If there are only a few wasps and they are not in the way, then I would leave them alone, maybe they will help limit that crazy noise the cicada makes all summer, although, after this years world cup and the horns that accompanied it, we may be used to crazy sounds.

Univar Grows Again

The pest control distributor extraordinaire has grown again with the acquisition of Southern Mill Creek distribution. This is a perfect pairing for Univar who will be able to expand in some of Southern Mill Creeks markets and bring Univar's great product line and service to these areas. One of the cool perks that Univar will bring to it's new customers is their website Pestweb, which offers a wealth of information.

The distribution market seems to be, now with this acquisition, shrinking, with some of the bigger distributors being Residex and Univar. One thing I have to say about all these pest control distributors and the industry in general is that it is a tight nit community and a pleasure to belong. Good luck.

Japanese Beetle Season

We are coming up on the season of the Japanese beetle. These little metallic buggers can cause some damage to plants and the roots in the soil where their grubs grow. As always, a flying insect is the most difficult to control or eliminate, treating the plants and flowers with a chemical will help to protect these favorites of the Japanese Beetle, and there are also Japanese beetle traps. I have heard though, that these traps can cause more problems by attracting more beetles than they trap. It is up to the consumer whether or not they want to buy traps to try to catch them, but you can hire a pest control company with plant and ornamental categories on their license to spray these items down.

Watch out for Mosquitoes

It's that time of year again and being proactive in your mosquito control is essential. With all the rain we get, it is important to walk around your home and look for any free standing water that can be collecting and possibly breeding mosquitoes. Places like buckets, old flower pots, and even your gutters can be breeding grounds. By eliminating these areas of concern you can help in keeping the population down. There are some effective products on the market now like mosquito traps that are becoming more affordable, also some better over the counter products to consider. Remember that being vigilant in keeping the breeding grounds few and far between will also help in your efforts of having a scratch free summer.

JP McHale Pest Management

Was introduced to a new blog that is kept by a company called JP McHale Pest Management. The companies history is one that is common in the industry and the success of the company can be attributed to the owner realizing what a great industry this is and what potential is in pest control. It ultimately became a true family business and the story can be read here.
JP McHale serves the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut areas. Check out the blog and if you are looking for a pest management company in the above areas...give' em a call!

Get rid of ground nesting bees

Ground nesting bees can be a dangerous opponent in that on a hot sunny day, while mowing your lawn, a foe can be getting ready to ambush you. I am having a problem at my own house with bumble bees who have taken up residence in a hole in the ground. The hole is probably an evacuated mouse or mole hole, but it has found new life with these ground nesting bees. My way to take care of this was to dust this hole with insecticide dust. Doing any kind of close work with bees should be done at night and using a flash light with red cellophane wrapped around it. Bees can't see red and this will help you to find the hole and treat it. Honestly, I would recommend hiring a professional for bee work of any kind as they can be nasty and aggressive. If you decide to do it yourself, pest control product can be found on the web at any DIY pest control products website. Be careful...observe your foe first looking for flight patterns. Never get in the way of a bees flight pattern. Never underestimate a bee and his hundred or more friends.

Little orange bugs

Little orange bugs, red mites, red dots, brick dust bugs, these are some of the ways I've heard others describe clover mites that like to make there way into offices and homes. They are famous for leaving the orange smear as the kids crush them on the window sill. Clover mites are harmless and are more of a nuisance. Some ways to stiop these small ornage bugs from creeping in is to remove a 24 inch or so swath of grass from around you home perimeter. They don't like to make that long 24 inch hike. If they are inside in great numbers, use a vaccum hose attachment and suck them up. You can hire a professional exterminator to spray the outside of your home with what they call a power spray and this could help. The last , but mostly unpopular thing to do is to let your 5 year old loose on them and let them smear away.

Bees and Wasps

Keep an eye out for bees looking for a place to stay. I just had an experience at my house, sitting on the back porch in the late afternoon, a bee flew up under my siding! I hate bees, so I kept my eye on the area and sure enough, more bees coming in. I got my bulb duster and gave it a shot. This of course ended my sit on the back porch as the bees were agitated that I messed up the entrance to their home. It is best to nip this in the bud before it becomes a full blown hive or nest. I will take a walk around to see if there are any more flight patterns, and then treat some areas that look like they may become an attractive home for bees. I have to say, I hate bees and wasps.

Carpenter Bee Control

Carpenter Bees are scary and intimidating for those trying to enjoy the beauty of spring time. People often encounter carpenter bees as they lumber around the hole their better half is tending to and when stumbled upon by one of us humans, they dive bomb us to scare us away. The funny thing is, the male carpenter bee can't even sting and the female needs to be provoked a great deal before she will sting. To exterminate carpenter bees you have to find their hole first, look for frass or wood fibers to locate the hole. It is best to approach the hole at night using a flash light with some red cellophane tied onto it as the carpenter bee can't see red light. Then, using a hand duster, dust the hole lightly and let the dust do it's job. It may take a few days to get rid of them. If you continue to see them, there may be other holes near by. If the carpenter bee holes are high up, you may want to consider hiring a certified pest control company. If they are low enough and you are brave enough, you can buy the supplies you need online via a do it yourself pest control supply web site and do your thing. As always, use extreme caution when dealing with bees. If you are allergic, run the other way and call the pros.

Termite Control Companies

Looking for a good and honest termite control company? Start by word of mouth. Ask friends and neighbors if they have had termite issues and who did they use and did they like them. When choosing a termite company, be sure to get several quotes. A company like Orkin or JC Ehrlich will give a different quote and warranty than a neighborhood or smaller termite control company. Be savvy and understand that the bigger companies are sending out salesmen in most cases and they will be looking at their commissions, the smaller company will be sending a technician is many cases or the owner and although still looking at profits, they may be more reasonable. Compare the prices they give and keep an eye on the guarantees offered and then choose. Once you get the job done, it is important to keep the warranty active each year with paying for your termite renewal. This acts as an insurance policy. If the termites return down the road, they will come out to treat the area until the problem is resolved.

Termite swarm

Can the flying ants that are really swarming termites eat my furniture? I actually got this question once. This came from a customer up north where the termites swarming are subterranean termites. These "flying ants" as people like to call them cannot eat your wooden antique, their main goal is to breed, which they really can't do unless they have soil. The problem is if you have a swarm then chances are you have the termites that do the damage too. Have your home inspected by a licensed professional and if you want for fun, go poke around yourself. All you need is a good flashlight and a screw driver. Happy Hunting.

The Bugs Are Waking Up

Spring time brings with it the awakening of of all the ants, bees, and flies that are associated with the season. It also sparks the the start of the busy season for many pest control companies. Swarms of termites, ants crawling on kitchen counters, and over wintering bugs trying to get out all initiate call to the bug man to save the day. Naturally there are the do it your self crew who will be perusing the Internet for do it your self pest control products to exterminate that pesky bug that the wife wants gone. Spring means new life and I am glad it is on its way. However you decide to get rid of your bugs, remember it is important use caution and to shop around for the right product or company. Happy Spring.

Flying Ants

Tis the season for those pesky flying insects that swarm and cause panic in the home, but are they flying ants or swarming termites? The months of early spring can often times bring with them termites that will swarm and ants and if you are unsure, the picture to the left can help you determine. Ants will have an elbowed antenna and a pinched body. If you are unsure, it is always best to have a professional out to check. If you had to have a choice, ants would be what you are rooting for, as a swarm of termites mean that you have an established termite colony near or in the home. The question is for all your home gamers is if a termite job is a do it yourself king's kind of job. I would have to say no. Termite work is involved and needs to be done the right way with the right chemical or bait, so I would not recommend doing it yourself, although there are products on the market for it. If you are going to invest money in the job, invest in a good termite company.

Little Flies and Gnats

I remember getting a call for small gnat like flies in an office and the customer wanting relief from them. It was a seventh floor office and there were offices above. So they weren't coming from a leak above and they were not coming from a broken soil pipe since the bathroom was down the hall. As I took a closer look at he fly and noticed the window sill full of plants, I soon put two and two together and decided that they could be fungus gnats. The soil was very wet and I told the customer to stop watering the plants for a while and in the mean time I placed a glue monitor I had in on of the pots to see what I would find. I said I'd be back in a few days to see how things are. I returned with some yellow glue traps as recommended for adult fungus gnats and a potato, I read that the larvae will migrate to the potato and start to feed on it, leave it for a few days and remove it, and remove a bunch of larvae. With the proper water management and some trapping techniques...the problem was resolved.

The Bug Man

The bug man, as many pest control professionals are affectionately called, is the face of the pest control industry. Professionalism, knowledge, and good relationships are all components of a good pest control person. Being professional means being neat and well groomed. Having passion for your job, as this shines through to the customer, and keeping your equipment clean and organized. Knowledge should be something that the professional never stops pursuing. Going to seminars and classes, keeping your credits up to date, and reading and researching are all important things to do. Your customer will know when you are B.S.'ing them, and many of them might even know as much as you might these days with the Internet out there. Good relationships are the foundation of any business and should be cultivated. Remember to send customers hand written thank you notes. This takes some time and a stamp, but it pays back a ton. Remember your customers birthdays and send a card. Holidays...send a card. Just some food for thought.

What works best for ants?

I've always been a big advocate for baiting for ants to gain control and eventually elimination. Sprays like Termidor and Phantom are both also very good as they act as non-repellents and will affect the ants nesting area as they wander back to their homes. If you are a do it yourself fanatic, then you may have to go the baiting route as baits can be picked up from your local home improvement store or from your local over the counter pest control company. Many times ant control products can be picked up online as well. Be sure to always follow label instructions if you are going to be a weekend warrior and be mindful of children or pets. One thing I can tell you that you absolutely do not want to do and that is spray some Raid on them in a panic. This is oily and can cause a slipping hazard and many times can chase the ants elsewhere.

Where did my roaches come from?

I never had roaches before. My house is as clean as a whistle. It can't be a roach. These are just some of the statements people make when they see a roach and they wonder where in the world are they coming from? Roaches can come from just about anywhere. You can bring them into your home on a shopping order when they hitch hike from the grocery store in your bags. They can sneak into your pocket book when you place it down at the bank. One can crawl into your pocket while riding on the bus. As you can see, these "buggers" are sneaky, and if you see them and catch the problem early enough, your success of getting rid of them is greatly increased.
Sometimes you are the unfortunate recipient of your neighbors problems. If your neighbor has a bad roach problem, even if you live in a row home, they can often find their way into your home via cracks and crevices in the foundation or along the joists in the basement.
The neighbor issue is more of a tricky situation because you can't force them to do anything. If this is indeed the case, then being as diligent as possible with a proactive pest control program in your home would be your best bet. Pheromone traps, baits, and insect growth regulators will help keep the levels in your own home down.

I started my pest control business...now what?

So you've been killing bugs long enough and feel confident you can do this yourself. You've started your business. Now what? Advertising your business is important, but being the best asset to your customer is how you will grow. Knowledge and skill is important, but customer service is how you will be remembered. Being on time, respecting your customers property by putting on shoe coverings and remembering not to plop your spray tank down on your customers carpets. A big smile and being genuine is what sets you apart. Listening and hearing what your customers tell you. Remember...this is a big deal to them...ants on the counter might not be that big a deal to us, but to your customer...it is the end of the world. Put yourself in their place and realize that they can sense when you are blowing smoke up their...you get my point. Be all of the above and at the end of your service, slap a cheap magnate with your company name on it on their fridge, asking permission of course...this will keep you name and number visible and ready to refer to that neighbor who calls asking, "Who took care of your ants last week?" Good luck and success.

Pest Control Blog Grows

I've been keeping this pest control blog since 2006 and have attempted to load it up with good information regarding a variety of pest like bed bugs, bees, roaches, mice and everything in between. I am attempting to grow the blog's readership and followers and would appreciate visitors becoming followers of the blog via the new button added on the right hand side middle of the page. I know how exciting this information sounds, because what can be greater than updates about bugs, but it would be a help and it would be appreciated. Thanks to everyone who have followed this pest control blog over the years and I hope to grow it and continue to bring new and refreshing pest control content on a regular basis. Regards. Bill.

Flies in the Winter

Ever notice that you could be sitting in your office or eating breakfast at the table and floating on by you see a fly? Can this be? It's winter time after all. Well unfortunately, flies tend to overwinter in the warmth of the walls of your home or office and on warmer days, they decide to see how things are going out in the world. These flies are a nuisance and can be down right annoying. Most times they are slow and lumbering, so they are easy to swat or suck up with a vacuum hose, but still...they are flies. How can you avoid this mess to begin with. It's hard. Sealing up holes around the home or office and around the flashing of the roof etc. is your best bet, but not always practical, especially if you have a large office building. Chemical treatments can also work, but must be timed right to do any good. For active problems, you can always use fly lights to catch them. Point is, unless you want to shell out the money for a power spray or for someone to do a thorough building seal, you might have to get used to your new found fly friends.

Mice-What You Need To Know

Mice...what you need to know. What is there really to know except that I want to get rid of them and fast? Well, for one thing, they can reproduce like crazy. Look for one mouse to breed up to 60 mice each year. Now multiply 60 times 60 every 2 months, you are looking at mega mice. This is under ideal conditions of course, but even a fraction of this could be devastating. This is why it is very important to aggressively treat for mice at the first signs of them. Good luck and happy hunting.

Trapping Mice Without the Mess

Trapping mice can be one of the best way to get rid of mice because you can physically see your success, you know how many you have caught and out in the trash they go. One problem that was always tough to get around was the placement of snap traps. Mice dropping would be noticed on counter tops or in cabinets and placing snap traps in these areas could be potentially messy and dangerous, reaching for the sugar could result in having your finger snapped. Now there is a product from Kness called the Snap-E Mousetrap cover. It holds 2 snap traps and looks like a sleek vent cover, about a foot long, and can be placed in these areas. The customer never sees the dead mouse and the mess is contained in the Snap-E cover. As always Kness designed them for their snap-e-mouse traps, but any old wooden snap trap fits and works. I like the snap-e because of the ease of setting.

Indian Meal Moths or Mealy Worms

Here is a question I get often. How do you keep mealy worms out of my dry good? Here's the spooky part. They are already there when you buy the product. So if you start to notice moths in the kitchen or dark beetles of worms in your dry goods, you will need to throw the food away unfortunately. It would be a good idea to go through the rest of your dry gods to make sure they were infested via the original infestation, and if anything is found, toss it. If you have active moths, the best thing to do is vacuum them down if possible. Dry goods include; dry milk, baking powder, flour, cereal, oats, rice, pasta, pet foods, bird seeds, spices, and the like. Happy hunting. There are stored product pest monitors and lures, but these are used mostly in commercial establishments.

Flies in the fall and winter inside

What is with these flies that are lumbering around the office or house during the fall and winter months? Most likely they are cluster flies. These flies overwinter in the nooks and crannies of the walls of an office building or house and become a nuisance during a warm day or throughout certain times of the colder months. The best and most time consuming and expensive way to eliminate them is to build them out. Caulk and seal ever hole that can be found. This becomes a problems when you have a multi story office complex or a suite of offices with open ceiling space above the drop ceilings. Power spraying during certain times of the year outside will help knock the numbers down...on the inside you can use traps and there is a product called the cluster buster that is a window sill trap that uses a powder to act as quick sand and trap the fly. Using a vacuum with a hose attachment will suck them down. The fact is...you can try your best to knock the numbers down...but there may always be that one fly who you will be swatting at every once in a while.

Baiting a mouse snap trap.

We had an interesting turn of events in an account that was having a mouse problem. It was in an apartment setting in the kitchens and it was clear that the mice were nesting in the insulation of the small stoves that were set up in the kitchens because there were pieces of the soft insulation on the floor under the stoves. Our tech took this material and hooked it onto the trigger of the snap traps, where there was no visible insulation, he used small pieces of cotton. In two days he returned to find that there was a decent catch rate, for ever five traps he set under and behind the stove, he caught two to three mice in the heaviest of the infested units. Sometimes it is worth using what the mice are targeting for food or nesting material in your quest to catch them with snap traps.

The perfect mouse trap.

What makes a perfect mouse trap? What product would fall into this category? Snap traps, glue boards, electric mouse traps, live traps? The fact is, there is no perfect mouse trap, because if there was, a big chunk of the pest control industries business would be gone. An integrated, multi-faceted approach is your best bet when dealing with these critters. Be a detective. Are the mice darting under the sofa and suddenly disappearing? Maybe the mice are living in your furniture. Lots of warmth and nesting material there. If this is the case, throw everything you can at them. Snaps, glue traps, bait. This approach works for any area you are seeing live mice or droppings. Never put out just a few snap traps. Be generous, this is the theme through out my blog. The more mice traps the better. This has worked for me and will work for you. One thing to always consider is the safety of your family and pets. If you have a curious cat, you may want to put the snaps and glue traps in out of the way areas. Use Bait with caution or use bait that can be treated with vitamin K by your vet. The fact is mice can be controlled and eliminated, you just need to think like the mice and place out plenty of tools to do the job.

Scabies and Lice Information

Although Scabies and Lice are not really a pest control issue, alot of times a pest control person will get questions or be sought out for advice. The issue is most times resolved very easily through your family doctor who will prescribe a cream or shampoo to apply. There are, however, some things that must be done on the side of the individual to protect him or her self and their family members. The bed where the infected person sleeps should be vacuumed and all the bedding stripped and laundered. I would suggest tossing the pillow and buying new. Vacuum sofas and be sure to launder hats and clothing that the person wears regularly. There are sprays that you can get, but if you are diligent with your cleaning and using the products your doctor suggests you should be fine.

Bait for Mice

The cool weather of fall and winter will be bringing mice inside to infest homes across the country. Some tips to discuss before baiting is exclusion. Most pest control experts preach this and it is most important in keeping the mice out. Exclusion in easy, for the most part, needing only a good pair of eyes and some steel wool or copper mesh and caulk. Start at one point of your home and look from the bottom up along the outside wall perimeter. Any holes or gaps visible? Stuff and seal. Wires or pipes entering the home, caulk around them, gaps under the doors or garage doors? You may have to install a weather strip.

So we are all sealed up, but a mouse scooted by as you were bringing groceries into your house and now the infestation has begun. Using caution if there are children or pets, I would use snap traps for this segment since we are discussing bait. My philosophy is mix it up alittle. The old stand by peanut butter is great, but mice love candy, chocolate, bread, meat, bacon. Use all of the above and use them sparingly. Just a smear of peanut butter, or a smear of chocolate. This will make them work at getting that first taste which will be their last.
Another idea is to use nesting material, tie a small piece of cotton of the trigger, let them grab at it and snap! Another important thing to do is not be stingy when placing traps out. Use a bunch to increase your chances of a catch. Good luck.

Wasp alert

Late summer and early fall are times when bees and wasps seem to be more active, often times crashing picnics and outside parties. Using common sense like keeping sweets and sugars covered and keeping soda cans covered will help to keep these buggers away, but they have a keen sense and a sweet tooth. Using caution around wasps and bees during this time of year is important also as it seems they are more aggressive this time a year. If you are brave enough to try to go on the offensive I would say use a wasp spray that shoots at least up to twenty feet away, but with bees and wasps, I recommend hiring a professional.It's not worth the potential sting.

Get Rid Of Ground Nesting Bees

When dealing with ground nesting bees you want to determine what kind of bee you are dealing with and how to control that kind of be; and if it is worth the risk. The following is a list of some common ground nesting bees:

1. CICADA KILLER: This is a large and robust looking wasp that can grow as large as 1 and 5/8 inches long! Quite an intimidating looking wasp, but generally they are content with going about their business of digging holes in your dirt leaving holes with sandy looking dirt around the outside of that hole and stuffing unsuspecting cicadas in that hole to feed their young. Females can sting, but rarely do. They have been known to get caught in clothing or disturbed by lawn equipment and nothing happened except maybe scaring the jeepers out of the human. The males will aggressively defend their female, but they do so by intimidation, they can not sting. If these ground nesting wasps are found and not bothering you, I would say leave them alone. If they are bothering or or are in great number, then a chemical spray will be necessary. Pest control companies can power spray the area for you or you can give it a shot yourself with a pump sprayer from your local home store. Be careful, read the label, and use caution. Like I said, the females can sting and for a wasp that is over an inch long, you can imagine what that sting must feel like!
2. YELLOW JACKETS: These wasps usually take over a vacated rodent burrow in your lawn and often times you discover these nests by mistake wile mowing the lawn or while your kids are playing outside. Yellow jackets can sting repeatedly and control of them should be left to a professional. Dusting the entrance hole with a good insect dust is your best bet for elimination as they will pick this dust up on themselves as they enter and exit the hole, bringing the dust into the nest and infecting the rest of the wasps. They are aggressive and dangerous.
3. DIGGER OR THREADWAISTED WASPS: These wasps are found hovering about an inch off of your lawn and there may be many of them. They appear and stay all day and usually are gone by evening. These wasps are not aggressive as people have been know to walk right through these wasps with no problem. They can sting but rarely do. Control can be accomplished by spraying while the wasps are active via a power spray that a professional can provide.
4. BUMBLE BEES: Another bee that takes over vacated ground space from rodents or other holes in the ground. Nests can be detected by the males hovering around the entrance to the nest, but often times this is not the way they are found unfortunately, it is more like you stumble upon a bumble. These are aggressive bees and can inflict painful stings. If they are found, but not in a area of danger for you or your family, it is best to leave them be, as they are useful pollinators.

This is a shot list of some of the more common ground nesting bees and wasps that you may encounter during your summertime. As I always say when dealing with bees or wasps, it is best to leave their control to the professionals. If you do decide to tackle a problem on your own be sure to do so with a partner who watches from a distance and who can call for help in the event that things get dangerous.

Small Flies

Are you experiencing small flies at home? All of a sudden it seems like you are being invaded by gnats? The first thing you have to determine is what kind of flies they are. For a home owner it is best to do this by process of elimination. You can rule one kind of fly out by looking closely at the eyes, if they are red then they could be fruit flies, problem is not all fruit flies have red eyes. Look for any fruit, fruit juice, apple skin peels, etc that may have fallen or spilled. Look in your trash can for spills that may have leaked in between the trash bag and the can, or look on top of the trash can lid for splashes. Fruit flies can breed in the littlest of spills or pieces of fruit. The other kind of flies you could have would be drain flies. Unfortunately they can be more difficult to get rid of. They often breed from the slime that forms on the inside walls of your drain pipes. They can come from the kitchen or bathroom drains. I suggest getting some double sided tape and lining some foam drinking cups with them, put them over all your drains before bed and then look at them in the morning for any that are caught. If you caught some then that is your problem drain. Enzymes for the drain can help to get rid of the slime or a good still drain brush. If you found nothing then they could be coming from a broken soil pipe in the basement. A plumber can research this for you with a camera scope. Hope that this is not your source as it is a very expensive fix. The last possible source of your small flies could be soggy plants. Fungus gnats can come from your indoor plants that you may be over watering. Use the same double sided tape or glue trap and place near or inside the dirt of the plant.
All of the flies above can be fixed by repairing or getting rid of the source. Spraying is only a very temporary fix of a fix at all. Cleaning up the source would be your absolute best bet. The drain enzymes mentioned above can be found online or possibly at your home store. DF 5000, drain gel, and nulliFly are good options for this fix.

Wild Life Control

The control of various wildlife issues around the country is a tough business for pest control operators, especially for one man operations. When catching raccoons, ground hogs, squirrels and the such, a pest control person needs to be available to come back to the live trap daily to check it, which takes a ton of extra time and often makes the cost very expensive to the consumer. If you are careful and do some research online, you can almost catch whatever wildlife that is bothering you yourself with a live trap bought at a home center. Some things to consider is the fact that some wildlife may have rabies, and you also need to consider if you will be brave enough to release it back into the wild, far away from your home of course. This option presents a double edged sword. Do you pay a high cost for wild life control? Do you have the knowledge to tell if an animal is presenting a rabid behavior, and if so, are you prepared to put the animal down? These are legitimate questions that need to be answered before you become a trapper, so weigh your options and if need be, spend the money.

Ant trail tracker

One problem I find when dealing with ants is the fact that they seem to just appear on your kitchen counter top or the ants appear in the bathroom, and finding their source becomes a problem. One method I use is sprinkling some advance ant bait granule or a little sugar and watch where the ant takes the bait to. This can help with more effective bait placements or the use of a good crack and crevice treatment.

Japanese Beetle traps and controls

How do you catch Japanese Beetles or get rid of them? It's not as easy as placing out Japanese beetle traps around the yard, it takes an integrated approach and this can only help in control at best. Treating the grubs is your best method, there are several chemical controls for this approach and you can also investigate nematodes that are available commercially to attach the grubs. As with any insect or bug, using an integrated approach is the best way to handle an infestation. Research is the key. Traps are not bad as a one pronged approach, but be sure to use other methods. Happy Hunting.

Mosquito Safety

Mosquito safety is an important thing these days with west nile virus and other mosquito born illnesses and disease ever present. Using repellents with DEET and some of the more advanced traps out there are wise choices if spending time outside or in your back yard. You can help keep mosquitoes at bay by being diligent in making sure that there is no free standing or stagnant water around your property and if you know of abandoned houses that might have old pools it is best to report that problem to your local vector control agency.

Get rid of Ants on The Counter

Ants crawling around in your kitchen? Want to get rid of them in a hurry? My advice would be to be ready for a battle. Don't grab for a can of Raid, but rather, a can of the new "Phantom" in a can would be my suggestion. Phantom is a powerful tool in the battle of the bug. My next word of advice would be to pick up some dual choice ant bait stations and place them in the areas you were noticing the ants in the first place. Use enough bait stations for them, don't be stingy. As always...read the label and use caution when using any kind of chemical product. Good luck with the ant battle.

Water Bugs and Shads and how to control them.

The oriental roach goes by a couple of different aliases. The water bug, the shad, the black beetle to name a few. They can be scary to stumble upon, in the dark, scurrying around the floor. Some people experience them crawling up the walls of neighborhoods or along the pavements. No doubt they are creepy. So how do we get rid of them. IN the good old days, there was a great product called Baygon Bait, which recently was re-released under the same name. This was a granule bait that pest controllers would sprinkle under water heaters or corners of the basements, or in cracks and crevices of the outside areas they are being seen. The next day would be like a mass grave. Dead shads all over. The control is pretty much the same these days. The scatter baits seems to be the best to control these roaches, another bait is called niban bait. This too is a granule that works well. A good inside perimeter spray also will help control the roaches, since their tendencies seem to be to crawl along the floors, although they will cluster on walls and in between joists as well. Like all insect control you want to be careful and safe and thorough. Good luck and happy hunting.

June Beetles

Here come the June beetles. June bugs are active during the day and found flying around during the day. They are metallic green in appearance. To treat, though, you will need to wait until August to start a regiment. Controlling the beetles grub is the best defence against this bug. Chemicals labeled for Japanese Beetles will work against the grubs.

Ants Are Marching

Killing ants are easy and hard all at the same time. We are past the preventative phase where putting a good ban of chemical around the outside perimeter will help to keep the population at bay, and placing out a good bit of granule ant bait. Now it's time to go on the offensive. Phantom and Termidor are both fantastic products to knock down a trail of ants. These chemicals are non-repellent and work in a sneaky manor. The ants walk right over the chemical and good bye ants. Incorporating a good sugar based bait like maxforce ant gel works wonders and the granule baits like Advance ant bait works well also. These are professional products that can be found online, but similar products can be found at your local home store. The trick to any control is using enough product. Put out many many ant baits, put out plenty of placements of gel baits, don't be afraid to use too much. The biggest thing is safety. Pets and children need to be thought of first and foremost. Use caution. Now kill the ants.

Wood Drilling Bees

Carpenter Bees are scary and intimidating and if left to their own devises for too long, destructive. The female drills a perfect hole into your home, fence, etc, and lays her eggs in that hole. The male carpenter bee "protects" the hole by hovering around the area and dive bombing anyone who goes near it. Treating these bees can be tricky. Pest control technicians will often times power spray the area if it is large enough, or if it is only a few holes, they will dust the holes and seal them up. This can require ladders which makes it a dangerous do it yourself project. Looks for drip marks on your home as this is where the frass is dripping out of the hole. This will alert you to where the bees may be hiding behind siding or fascia board. If you have exposed wood, painting it with a heavy latex type paint can help deter them.

EPA's Bedbug Summit

Last week I attended the bed bug summit that was sponsored by the EPA and found it to be very interesting. The brightest brains from across the pest control industry was there along with representative from the hotel industry, schools, HUD, apartment industry and government, all gathered to discuss what Dr. Potter calls the "perfect Storm" Bedbugs. After listening to a rather bleak summary of university findings on the effectiveness of our chemicals against these critters and other presentations from various government agencies, we broke into groups and came up with recommendations to present to the EPA so they can start to get a handle on the importance of this issue becoming a "pandemic" and effecting the economy in a negative way. When you think about it, bedbugs can be linked to public transportation, furniture and mattress delivery services, laundry mats, schools, hotels, motels, theaters, anywhere the public gathers, and with no real silver bullet to kill these bed bugs it is a scary future. Maybe the EPA will ease the requirements or costs of registering products or let us bring back the old stuff that worked. One thing that everyone agreed on was the fact that we need an aggressive public awareness campaign to get people away from the stigma attached which will hopefully lend itself to early intervention. One thing is for sure, it will only get worse before it gets better.

Boxelder Bugs are Back

It's that time of year again when the red, orange and black bugs start to take their territory. Looking for the perfect silver bullet to get rid of those pesky box elder bugs that seem to over take the sunny side of your building or home? Well I wish I could deliver, but I can't. This problem needs to be dealt with by good old fashioned elbow grease. Inside you need to vacuum them away, outside you need to spray them down with soapy water. Mix up a cup or two of cloths detergent in a gallon sprayer, lightly mix so not to get over run by suds, and spray away. Get them as they cluster in clumps and watch as they fall away dead.

Bees in the ground

There are several species of wasps and bees that tend to dig into the ground to either nest or lay eggs. Cicada Killers, digger wasps, yellow jackets, and so on. If you have a case of the giant cicada killers and they are far enough away from you and not really bothering you, I would say to leave them alone. They are very seasonal and do no harm. If they are patrolling the area right next to your walk way then you may want to shoot some insect dust into the hole, at night, carefully. Same goes for yellow jackets, but again, extreme caution. Digger wasps and the wasps you see flying low to the ground can be controlled via a god surface spray. Most times though, I recommend hiring a pro when dealing with wasps or bees.They can be harmful if managed incorrectly.

Ants Ants Everywhere

Controlling ants can be one of the most aggravating things to try to accomplish every...but it can be done. There is an arsenal of products out there that can be used, many of them can be found on your local do it yourself pest control products website, or you can simply call your local pest control company. The products range from granules like Advance and Maxforce to gels like Terro and Uncle Alberts. There are your ant bait stations like Advion or Maxforce ant and of course sprays like Phantom. With all of these products out there why is it so hard to get rid of them? Mostly because there are such great numbers, people misapply products or they start the control too late. So be diligent and generous in your treatments and as always, use caution and keep safety first.

Kill Ants Dead-Tips From The Pros

I've been in the pest control industry now for 16 years and killing ants can be either one of the easiest tasks or the hardest tasks to deal with, considering which kind of ant you are dealing with. If you are dealing with the regular old pavement ant, at this time of year, a good sugar based ant gel bait is your best bet. Go outside and look for the trail that is heading into your house, or locate the trail inside and put a few dabs of ant gel along the trail and watch these little ants go crazy. Terro and maxforce ant gel are great products. Uncle Albert's Ant bait is another one believe it or not. As always you want to be careful of pets and children when placing these products down, so be careful and read the label. The biggest question always asked is where do you find the stuff the professionals use. Most do it yourself pest control products websites will sell to the public so long as it is not a restricted use product like tracking powder. You can also look at your local home center, although the pro products are the best. Happy Hunting!

exterminating supplies

Consumers are always looking for the next best DIY project to tackle and pest control is not safe from these weekend warriors, but they want the real stuff. Exterminating supplies or pest control supplies are easy enough to find online at the many DIY pest control products websites. Sites like EPestSupply or pestproducts.com have what you are looking for, so long as it is not a restricted use product. All states have there own laws and it is best to check to make sure it is ok to apply pesticides without a license, but in most cases if it is not restricted use, then you are ok. One word of caution is just that, use caution. These chemicals are dangerous and need to be applied per the label. So use your head and go to battle with what ever pest is pestering you.

Orange and black bugs

Here they come, the red and black or orange and black Halloween bugs or boxelder bugs. With the warm weather descending upon us, the boxelders that were over wintering will be scurrying over to the boxelder tree with in the next few months to start the process again. Get the old soap and water sprayer out or consider some of the DIY products you can find online for box elder bugs. These are the most insane to get rid of bugs out there I think, so the battle begins.

Ant Elmination Tips from the Pros.

There are right ways and wrong ways of ant control and many times homeowners, while trying to be over zealous, do things the wrong way. First of all...don't ever use ant sprays and ant baits in the same areas. I am a big believer of ant baits anyway. If you are faced with a boat load of ants on your counter tops then take a damp paper towel and wipe them up. This will take care of a good amount of what is there now and give you time to place some effective ant baits. You can approach this two ways...as an ant commando...or as an ant spot specific agent. The first way would include a total program. I would get some good granule maxforce or advance ant bait and sprinkle it around the outside perimeter of the home, being careful of children and pets. Then on the inside I would use some ant gel baits along with some ant bait stations in the area you originally experienced the ant problem. The reason I am against spraying is because it often time leaves an oily residue and it also will repel the ants. The goal of the baits is to get them to bring this bait back to the nest and cause a longer lasting control. Ant baits can be bought at your local home store or you can often time order professional ant bait online via a do it yourself pest control supply website. Happy hunting and good luck.

Are Termite Renewals Worth It?

The question is, are termite renewals worth the money? I like to think of it this way. Most termite jobs are expensive, many times invasive, and involves moving items and a mess. A termite renewal is an insurance policy or a yearly warranty, for lack of a better word. Usually you pay ten to fifteen percent of the job on a yearly renewal basis. This guarantees that if termites return, the company will come out and treat the area of concern. Liquid termite jobs are not a sure fire treatment, even though the termite technician may have done an overly thorough job. The problem is, you can't see what is going on under the slab. The liquid termite juice may be splitting at a rock or other obstacle under ground, leaving the perfect non treated area for termites to re-infest. Same goes for termite bait. It may take some adjusting of placements, etc. So I would argue that termite renewals are worth the money. At least for a few years so that you are relatively sure the treatment has worked. If you don't pay the renewal, the company can charge you the full price again. Yikes!

Box elder bug sure fire elimination

Is it true...a sure fire way to finally get rid of the bug that has plagued society for years and years? Can it be as simple as a bait or a pheromone that will kill off for good this bug we all hate? Well unfortunately no. With the warm winter days comes the boxelder bug slithering it's way into the offices and homes across America like an unwanted flu or cold. How can we stop them? Vacuum them. I have an old shop vac that I keep only for boxelder bugs on the outside of my home, and another little carry along canister vac with a hose for the inside. This system instantly eliminates the pest and everyone is happy. Short of cutting down a ton of trees or using sprays that don't really work, vacuuming is the best way to do it. Keep you house and box elder problem clean with your handy every day vacuum.

Mice in my furniture

Here is a question I get pretty often. Can mice live in a sofa or puffy chair? The answer is yes they can. If you tip your couch over you will see a dust cloth stapled to the bottom. Mice can get through this and burrow in the stuffing, settling into a pretty posh environment. Get a strong flash light and start to explore if you think this could be the case, or set up traps and place some bait in the area of the sofa. Tamper proof bait station are required and safety is your best friend. Good luck and happy hunting.

The best to keep mice out.

The best way to solve a mouse problem is never to have gotten one in the first place. So what is the best kind of product out there to keep mice out of your home or garage? Door sweeps and weather stripping is your first like of defense against mice. You'd be surprised how a small gap under your garage door can invite a mouse or rat in for a long winters nap. The nest is sealing gaps. Using products like stuf-fit, a copper wool product, or regular old steel wool will do the trick (steel wool will rust though ). Any kind of expanding foam product to keep mice out will also do wonders or even some good old fashioned caulk. Won't the mice just eat through the foam like a piece of bread? No. Mice are lazy and will look for the next easiest route of entry.

Wings in my living room

Have you ever left for work only to come home to a mess of wings all over your carpet or kitchen floor? Maybe you came home to live flying ants that are taking over your house. If you experience this kind of phenomenon in the months of March, April or May, the chances are you have a swarm of termites. This is a pretty sure sign that the termites that do damage to your wood are near. The first thing I would do is to identify if you actually had a termite swarm or an ant swarm. The differences are made clear online. This will educate you and could possibly save you money. There is a big difference in price for an ant job as opposed to a termite job. Next thing to do is call for three or four estimates. Ask questions about the product they use for their termite control and if they use baits or not. Once you get your quotes then ask around for any other companies that friends or family may have used in the past and had a good relationship with, then get some prices from them. Some things not to do is panic or rush into it. Take your time, do your home work, and all should be fine.

Mice in cold weather

Mice and rodents in general are not big fans of the cold, in fact, most start looking for shelter when the first signs of the frigid cold start to show. As many of us know the shelter they seek is often times our very homes. They sneak in, usually through a crack or crevice, and set up shop in our kitchens. Aside from catching them once they are in, one was to help raise the chances of catching them is to make it as uncomfortable as possible for them. If they are getting a constant meal of crumbs every night and water that is left in a cup in the sink, then why would they go after the bait you are setting for them on the traps? Make sure your kitchen and living areas are barren waste lands. Keep the landscape bare and that will usually increase the chances of bait acceptance on snap traps or poison bait in general. Happy Hunting.

Catch Mice

People seem to think that the only way to catch a mouse is to slap some peanut butter on the trigger of a mouse trap or squeeze some cheese on there. Mice love to eat anything, and the more choices you give a mouse the better the chances will be that you catch them. Chocolate syrup is popular, string tied to the trigger or a piece of cotton ball for nesting is another. If you notice the mice are chewing through your cereal boxes, then give them what they want and attached some cereal to the trigger. Bacon, bread, and beans are good. Try mixing chocolate and peanut butter together. Be creative as trapping and catching mice is an art. If you get good at it then you will be rewarded with a mouse free home.

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.

Small Flies

Being bothered by small flies? Can't seem to find where they are coming from? Small flies can be very bothersome because they seem to appear out of no where and never seem to go away. You have to ask yourself some questions and maybe do some investigating as well. Have you had any leaks lately? If so then the area that is wet could be breeding these flies. Go to the area of the original leak and make sure all is dry. Maybe you have a leak and you don't know it. Check under your sinks, look in the pipe chase closet where the pipes for your bath tub and shower are located, if you have a soil pipe in the basement that runs above ground, look for obvious cracks, check the basement and garage for any free standing water, If you have a fridge that has a catch pan underneath it to catch moisture, check it and make sure it is dry. As you can see there are quite a few areas that can be breeding these flies, and as you can tell already, they love moisture. If you find any of these issues then once the problem is corrected the fly problem will go away shortly there after. The flies can be fruit flies in which case you will want to look under things like your fridge or stove or anywhere a piece of fruit might have fallen and rolled to. These flies can breed in something as small as a teaspoon full of spilled fruit juice. Next take the trash bags out of your trash can s to make sure they inside of the trash can is dry and free of any spills. Again, once the rotten fruit is gone the flies will follow. Look for old and forgotten bags of potatoes or onions. Stuff like that. The other problem can be your plants. If you have alot of live plants in your home and you accidentally over water them, this over wet soil can breed fungus gnats. Check your soil, correct the habit or over watering, and the problem will go away. Small flies can also be coming up from your pipes. The lining of you pipes get gooked up with slime and buildup that breeds these flies. Garbage disposals are notorious for this. One way to check is to simply place paper cups over all your sink drains and then the next morning look to see if any flies were caught under the cup. If not, repeat the process when you go to work and when you come home check under them again. Last and worse case scenario of all is the possibility of a broken pipe under your home. This is the most expensive to correct. If this is the case and the plumber comes out to fix the problem be sure to absolutely insist that they not only fix the pipe, but that they also excavate all the wet soil and replace it with dry fill or your problem will continue forever.
So with all this information, how do you get rid of your small flies? Most of them can be taken care of by correcting the source or moisture. There are also enzymes you can buy like drain gel if they are coming up from your pipes. Correcting the problem is the best way to battle and win the war against the small flies. Good Luck.

Provoking Mice with Provoke

There is a great product on the market that can assist you in luring mice to your snap traps and other mechanical traps. It is called Provoke and it is formulated by Bell Labs and it has been working like a charm. I used to get frustrated when I placed out all these traps in an account that clearly was being over run with mice and caught only one, and that was if I was lucky. I did find that my success rate increased big time when I started using Provoke and so I thought it would be a good idea to put it out there. Most professionals already have heard of this product, but many homeowners have not. If you currently have been having a rodent problem and you have a pest control professional treating the situation you can ask him (delicately) if he or she has tried provoke or if you are trying to trap the mice yourself then you can look for the product online or at an over the counter pest control product store. Either way, it is a useful tool to have in the battle.

Ground Wasps

The little black wasps that hover close to the ground are back. I watched a person walking down the street near a field look over and realize these ground bees were hovering around and he went crazy. flapping and running like the world was ending. Fact is they are not that aggressive and usually leave you alone. They are around for a short time, then they are gone. If you feel the need to treat them a simple garden spray will do.

Bird Mite Panic

Bird mites become a nightmare when home owners find a bird nest in a vent or under an air conditioner and they remove it, only to find these tiny bird mites all over that suddenly start biting anything in their path. In a previous post of mine entitled, what else, Bird Mites, there is a link at the end of the post that gives a level headed insight into the bird mite and shows us that although pesky, can be controlled without bombing your house with fumigants. Some have asked about products that can be bought to help in the crusade in getting rid of them. Sterifab would be a good product that you can find at an online pest control products store and a professional product that is sold is Talstar that is a miticide on the label. If you think you need to spray I would recommend calling a professional. Mixing and using professional chemicals can be dangerous and caution always must be used. Having said all this, you can rest assured, bird mites can be controlled and eliminated by using your head and not your heart.

A better mouse trap

Is there really a better mouse trap out there? Can mice ever be stopped? We can do our best to exclude them from our living space and when they do invade, we can do our best to get rid of them. Electronic mouse repellers only work for a short time if at all, all the others take patience and brain power. If you have a mouse problem the best advice is to buy an arsenal of mouse control products and throw everything at them. Don't be greedy. Buy alot of product and use it all. Don't be afraid of over kill. Use snap traps, glue traps, baits, mechanical traps. Use caution also. If children or pets are present. Be very careful. You'll never catch all the mice in your house with three snaps traps set under your sink. Go to town and happy hunting.

Roach traps

As nasty as roaches are, they are one of the easiest pests to control in my opinion because of the great arsenal of products available for their control. Baits, sprays, glue boards, and pheromone traps. Victor has a great trap that attracts roaches using a sex pheromone that can be used effectively as a monitoring tool to see how a control program is going, or for use in extremely sensitive situation to knock down the population. With pheromone traps and a good IGR like gentrol, you can rid a site of their roach problem. Be sure to stress the word patience in this case. Happy hunting.

Big ground bees

Big ground bees around this time of the year (late July and August) could usually be identified as cicada killer wasps. These "big bees" are solitary ground bees that dig a hole in the ground, leaving a pile of sandy like earth outside the hole. This hole is where the wasp will place a paralyzed cicada and lay it's egg in the paralyzed body. So how do you get rid of these mad scientist bees? Well, usually if then bee is not in an area that disturbs you then it is best to leave them alone. They are not aggressive bees. If they are in an area you frequent then you will want to treat the entrance hole. This is best done with a good professional grade insecticide dust. It should be done at night when the bees are not flying around. It should be done very carefully. Be sure to wear long sleeves and pants, eye goggles, gloves. Approach with an escape route in mind. If you are nervous you can purchase a tool that allows you to dust the hole from a far distance called a bee pole. These professional products will need to be bought online at a good do it yourself pest control products website or an over the counter pest control supply store or distributor. Be careful and good luck.

Get rid of fleas

Getting rid of fleas doesn't have to be a secret, in fact, flea control is one of the easiest things to do in the pest control business, it just takes a detailed person. Begin with picking a day to do the treatment. On this day you, your family, and any pets will need to be gone for at least a few hours if not more. On the day of the treatment arrange for your pet to be taken to the vet to be dipped and treated with a product like front line. Now it is time to vacuum like there is no tomorrow. From the top of the house to the basement. Vacuum under beds, under furniture, every nook and cranny. Vacuum on top of cushions, on top of sofas, stairs, all over. When you are done vacuuming then take the bag out and throw it away outside in the trash. This is a must. Next is the treatment. The treatment will be slightly different if you have a cat or a dog. Cats get up on the top of cabinets or might like to sleep up on window sills, where dogs usually won't go much higher than the sofa or the bed. This is why if you are dealing with cats you will need to fog. Both animals will require a good carpet spray. The spray you buy will need to have both and adulticide and an insect growth regulator in it like precor or nylar. Spray as directed paying close attention to areas your pets frequent more often. Spray the stairs heavy and if your cat jumps down off of the bed or other furniture pieces then spray the carpet in this area a little more as the flea eggs will fall off during these jumps. Now if you are dealing with a dog your job is complete. If you have a cat then you will want to fog. Use foggers with both adulticide and an insect growth regulator. Be sure to extinguish all open flames when fogging. I used to request that customers shut off the main gas valve which would automatically extinguish any flames. Be sure to contact your local utility company. Use the foggers as directed. Any of these products can be found online at a do it yourself pest control products website or a local hardware store. If you have a back yard then you should spray that as well with a good outside spray labelled for fleas. When you return be sure the carpets are dry and crack the windows to ventilate. Good luck.