Kill Ants Fast

Easier said than done sometimes, killing ants fast is a tough thing to do once they have found their way into the home. If you are faced with a swarm of ants on your counter tops or anywhere in the home it is best to look around and be sure that you remove anything that will attract the ants. Wipe up any spills, put away any food or drink, sweep up any crumbs. Now it is time for the one two punch. Using bait of the gel and station variety is a good way to start. It won't be a fast solution, but what we want to do if get some food back to the nest to knock the population down . Gel bait on wax paper will keep the mess down, and the bait stations often times have a different bait that is protein based and depending on what time of year it is it is important to offer the ants both. After a few days of baiting, you may want to look for a good residual spray to take care of any stragglers. Some folks don't like to use chemicals and will only bait, this is ok too, but be sure to keep the bait fresh and eventually the ants will die off. If you do use a chemical spray, be sure to read the label and follow the directions.

One other technique is to have a walk around the outside to see if you can see any trails of ants going into a crack or crevice of the home along the perimeter. If you find this, use the gel bait and place along or right in the trail and also try to find a good granule bait to sprinkle near the trail. After a few days of baiting, again, use the spray to spray the protect the perimeter.

This may sound like too much work or a little complicated to get rid of ants, if this is the case don't forget there is always your local pest control company who is willing to help.

Stink Bug Traps Dead Inn

Premiering in April 2011 is a product by Agbio that is called the Dead Inn Stink Bug Trap. As we have heard over and over again on the news and radio, this year is going to be an especially bad stink bug season, so a trap like the dead Inn looks to be a welcome addition to the arsenal of stink bug control products out there. Agbio is touting the stink bug trap to have been tested by leading universities with great success. Aside from mechanical alterations to your property and chemical treatments, using a trap is a great way to help lower the population is placed strategically around your property. So hopefully this year won't be as horrible as they are predicting with the tools being offered and the services the professionals are gearing up to deliver.

Real Estate Bed Bug Inspections

Are bed bug inspections on the horizon to be able to sell your home? We all know that this has been the case for termite inspections. Whenever you sell your home it is required that the buyer is able to hire a certified termite inspector to check the home out and be sure that there are not any problems with regards to termites.

There are some differences of course between bed bugs and termites, the biggest on is the fact that termites do incredible damage and can cost the home owner expensive structural repairs. Bed bugs on the other hand can do no damage, except for maybe some mental anguish, although I would venture to say that to eliminate bed bugs completely it is just as expensive if not many times more expensive to get rid of bed bugs.

I think that with the canine dog inspections out there these days to inspect for bed bugs, it would make sense to at least offer this inspection to potential buyers, although this would never happen unless mandated by law. Bed bugs have become such a problem and if it were me I would want to know if the home I am getting ready to shell out major bucks had no termite or bed bug problems.

Get Rid Of Ants In My Kitchen

Spring time is the season when ants and other buggers decide to come out and start the process over again in preparation for the fall. What a life. But what happens when these little ants invade your personal space, like your kitchen, and take over your counter tops and trash cans? Ants in the spring time are looking for food and where better to look than the kitchen. Salts, Sugar and protein, all found in that one place we all get together to make meals and all are items that attract ants. So what do we do? There are web sites that offer ant bait for sale and I would start with this. Spraying with products like Raid and other sprays often times will repel them to other areas of the house while killing only a few. The bait will keep the critters in the area and allow them to feed on the bait which will ultimately be taken back to the nest and start the process of killing the others. Be sure to use different varieties of bait, both stations and gel, and use a generous amount. Don't skimp. If you see ant activity outside near the home you will also want to get some granule ant bait and sprinkle outside as well, getting them from both sides. If all else fails then you can hire the pros. Be sure to ask them to use a product like Phantom for the inside and Termidor for the inside, these work best against ants. No matter what you do, be sure to have patience. Remember, ant colonies are huge, the few hundred that you see now is just a sampling of what is hiding back at the ranch.

Stink Bugs in Philadelphia

Get ready, get set, go go go. That is right, we are gearing up for what looks to be one of the worst stink bug seasons here in Philadelphia and up and down the I-95 corridor. Pennsylvania is the first state to have found these buggers stinking up place back in 1998 in the city of Allentown and they have been bothering the heck out of people ever since.

Introduced from the lovey lands of Asia, the brown Marmorated stink bug has no natural predators like it's cousin the green stink bug, this makes it difficult to keep them in check.

It is looking like this will also be the year of do it yourself stink bug manuals, traps, and even professional pest control companies are getting into the mix. If it were me, I'd put my money on the professionals. There is one company in New Jersey who is taking the stink bugs on in full force. So it is best to research the company and be sure they know how to control bed bugs and eliminate them from your life.

How to Move Without Bringing Bed Bugs With You.

Deciding to move away from a bed bug infestation in a personal decision that could involve the fact that the landlord is not supportive of your bed bug problem or your next door neighbor has them and won't do anything about them and you keep throwing good money after bad trying to get rid of them in your own home. What stories I do hear more and more these days are stories of moving, thinking you have resolved the problem, and waking up in your new home with bites. That is right, uprooted your life and brought the bed bugs with you. So how do you avoid transferring bed bugs with you to a new location if you are moving?

Start with your new location. Hire a bed bug canine to inspect the new location before signing any leases or mortgage papers. Ask your new neighbors if there has been any problems. Once you know the new place is clear, then you need to make special arrangements with the moving company. Let them know that you want to fumigate the truck contents before moving them into the new location. This will require 24 hours of storage in a secure location. Most larger pest control companies like Western Fumigation or any fumigation company at this point will work with you and the moving company to get this accomplished. It's a little pricey, but worth the money. Another option is to hire a few moving pods and have the pods fumigated if the moving company is nervous about the fumigation in the truck.

The other way to go is to hire a "heat truck" to move your items. These trucks are usually smaller in comparison to moving trucks, so it may take a few days to move all your items and several heating charges. Basically the items are placed on the truck, moved tot he new location, and heated for several hours to kill any bugs inside.

What not to do is have your items moved to an off site location to be unloaded into a heat or fumigation chamber, then once heated or fumigated, placed back on the truck to be taken to your new location. What if bugs fell off of the items onto the truck floor while moving the stuff? You are back to square one at that point.

I never said it is easy to move away and leave the bugs behind, but it can be done if you are smart and methodical.

Large Bees in my Wooden Fence

One thing that is a problem in my house is the fact that each year I get the large bees in the wooden fence that is around my property. We just bought the home about a year ago and this year my plan is to treat the areas before they start to become a bother. I always hated the way they would fly at you randomly and almost dive bomb you as you are walking by or just trying to enjoy the sun on a lounge chair.

These are known as carpenter bees, and they don't just infest fences. They often times will nest in wooden siding, sheds, the fascia board or wooden window and door frames around the house. They seem to love, well, wood. The carpenter bees are not eating the wood, they are excavating out a nest to care for their young. The holes are perfect circles and many times have frass or wood dust dripping from their holes. Left untreated, they can eventually cause some damage.

Treating carpenter bees can range anywhere from dusting a few holes with some insecticide to calling out the pros and power spraying entire areas of a house. Sometimes there are just too many holes to treat and too many that are hidden to treat independently. The best time to treat is either before they begin their active season in spring or waiting until near dark and spraying the holes carefully. The male bee can not sting and the female needs to be badly provoked, but she can give you a wallop.

Once the holes are sprayed then wait again until mid summer, if more are noticed repeat the spraying and then after another few weeks seal the holes with some wood putty.

It has been noted that covering wooden surfaces with a thick paint may help, but I have seen these bees go through that as well.

Do I Have Termites?

This is the time of year when traditionally termites swarm. Early spring. That time of year when you will be able to confirm if last years treatment worked or if a new termite infestation is brewing. It's the time of year when you leave for work int he morning and come home to a room full of half dead what look to be flying ants, but could very well be, termites. Termite swarms are easy enough to identify by comparing them to picture online or at one of my earlier posts about termites, and it is worth the research so when you call the pest control company out so they don't' sell you on a termite job that can cost and arm and a leg. If they are in fact termites and you get a swarm inside then you can be pretty sure that the infestation has been established for some time and it is prudent to have a termite job preformed. Be sure to get a few quotes and check that companies references.

EPA Update

Been a while since I posted, as you can see there was no rush to report on the EPA Bed Bug Summit as there was not much to report on in my opinion. The day consisted of mostly reports on how industries and associations have implemented preventative measures and some scientific genetic talks about the bug. No meat and potatoes was offered in my opinion. Nothing new to offer with regards to treatment and of course no talks of new chemicals to treat the bed bugs. The EPA needs to let the professionals who are licensed to do a professional job with a professional chemical that needs to be brought back or let a manufacturer design some new chemistry. Did I mention we are all professionals? It is sad the EPA doesn't trust the industry.
The next day consisted of some brain storming sessions. Not sure where this will wind up heading once all the ideas are compiled. These can all be sound at the EPA Bed Bug Summit website.

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.