Aug 31, 2011 | Pest Control
More pest facts that will impress your friends at your next party!
- Insects are such a good source of protein that it is considered a delicacy in several countries. Keep that in mind for your next dinner party.
- A bee can fly at an average of 15 miles per hour.
- A baby cockroach can run side by side with its parents.
- Ants stay awake their whole life.
- Crickets sense of hearing comes from their knees.
Aug 29, 2011 | Pest Control
In metro Atlanta we have gotten many calls throughout the summer regarding the “gnats” that seem to be a constant problem. There are a number of types of “gnats” that may be responsible for these sightings, we’ll discuss a few here.
- Fruit flies – the red eyed wonder, can become a large problem if not taken care of. They are often called vinegar flies because of their attraction to fermenting sugars that are found in fruit. Although the adults are relatively short lived, they produce hundreds of eggs and can become a problem overnight. Their easily identifiable red eyes range from the brighter variety to a maroon color.
- Phorid flies– the coffin dancers or humpbacked flies. These species of flies can become a nuisance around proteins that are breaking down, typically animal proteins. They are known as the coffin fly because of their attraction to decaying bodies such as road kill. They are not as numerous as the fruit fly, however their source of infestation can be much more repugnant.
- Fungus gnats – can become a problem in office buildings especially when one individual takes care of the plants. When that person is out on vacation or leaves, everyone forgets to water the plants, so everyone waters them at the same time creating a perfect environment for fungal growth. Another cause is the doubling of pots, one decorative and one functional, which hides the fact that the plant is actually root bound. The roots will produce a fungus which can attract the flies also.
- Drain or Moth flies – generally found in organic debris that is very wet. A favorite hiding place is the wet mop following the cleaning of a floor. This species will actually lay their eggs in the moisture area of a drain and the larvae move to the gelatinous material in the “j” part bend of the pipe. There they hang onto the debris using a small hook that keeps them from being washed away.
That’s quite a diverse and interesting group of flies. These are just the most common but nowhere near the only ones that may inhabit a structure. If you are seeing flies around your home call Northwest Exterminating to locate the source.
Aug 26, 2011 | Pest Control
We often receive phone calls from panicked homeowners who are seeing cockroaches in their homes. Not only are cockroaches unattractive but they are also a health concern. Cockroaches are known to carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. Knowing how and why roaches are getting into your home is important for the health of you and your family.
Cockroaches are extremely resilient pests. Once they have invaded your home it can be difficult to get rid of them. Knowing the reasons why they are taking up residence in your home is vital to keeping them out. The biggest attractant for cockroaches is food. This can be human food, pet food, bird feed, even cardboard. Ensuring that these items are tightly sealed is imperative in keeping the roaches out. If you have found roaches in your food, throw out the food source immediately. Remember, cockroaches are known to carry diseases.
Just because your food storage areas look clean doesn’t mean that you are out of the woods just yet. Cockroaches can survive for 3 months without eating. In the meantime, they are looking for damp, dark, wet places to hide. Cockroaches take up occupancy in items such as boxes, shelves, and books to protect themselves from dangers such as humans. Many of these items are found in garages, basements or other areas of the home that are not normally inhabited.
Keeping a clean home is the key to keeping your home cockroach and pest free. Wipe down counter, sweep and mop regularly so that pests aren’t attracted to your home. Be sure that trash is sealed properly and taken out on a regular basis so the strong odors don’t attract unwanted guests. Look for water such as pet water bowls or leaky pipes. Where there is a water source…there is a pest.
A clean home and regular pest control is the most effective way to keep cockroaches out of your home. Once a cockroach moves in, it invites others, hatches eggs and soon after you have a full blown infestation. Take quick action by calling your local pest control company, such as Northwest Exterminating, so we can help you identify the source of your problem and act quickly to get the issue resolved.
NorPest Green is Northwest Exterminating’s green solution to eliminating pests in your home while maintaining the lowest environmental impact possible.
Aug 22, 2011 | Fire Ant
Just because the odorous house ant is most active in the summer months does not mean your problem with them will go away with the warm summer temperatures. In fact, odorous house ants often enter structures during rainy weather or fall temperatures. You can find these ant nests in walls voids, around hot water pipes and heaters, crevices around sinks and cupboards. Outside, they feed on insects, honeydew, plant secretions, scale insects, and mealy bugs but inside they are in search of human food. Foods such as sweets, high protein items, meat and cheeses are all ideal for the odorous house ant.
The odorous house ant can have hundreds of colonies that are made up of several hundred to 100,000 ants. Colonies have several queens and produce 4-5 generations per year. Reproduction occurs in the nest, and colonies spread to new locations by budding off workers and queens.
Odorous House Ants are a particularly pernicious pest because they can infest block foundations and areas under garage slabs. In such protected locations, control efforts become extremely difficult. It is not unusual to drill slabs or block foundations in an effort to rid a home of these pests. Drilling is a last resort, after baits and nonrepellent products have already failed to control the problem.
Homeowners can significantly reduce their ant problems by ensuring that vegetation is not in contact with the structure. Any ground cover such as ivy or wild strawberries should be cut back at least 5 feet from the foundation. Ants may still enter the home, but removing the vegetation will allow a treatment zone to be created around the home that will be more effective at preventing pest entry. Ants will also be more easily seen trailing on the exterior, if the vegetation has been pruned back from the structure.
Aug 15, 2011 | Wildlife
There are more than 130 species of mason bees found across North America. The mason bee gets its name from its mason-like habit of carving out sections of mud or plant fiber that is chewed into paste and using it inside their nests. These bees are most active from spring to late summer and are found in heavy forested areas.
As with many other types of bees, mason bees collect pollen. Mason bees prefer the pollen from the flowers of fruit trees. In some area, mason bees are cultivated to pollinate orchards. This particular bee is a hard worker! 2 or 3 females can pollinate the equivalent of an apple tree in one season. Mason bees are not harmful creatures. Although they have stingers, they do not attack unless they are handled and feel as though they are in serious danger. They are so non-threatening that they do not even defend their nests.
Mason bees can range from black to metallic blue or green. They are known to be good flyers, even flying in cool or rainy weather. They are attracted to hollow nests in wood and flowers but do not hollow these nests out themselves. They find nests that have been previously hollowed out by other wood boring insects. This can be soil, wood, even empty shells. Every female is fertile and constructs her own nests. Unlike many other bee species, there are no worker bees in the mason bee family. Once the female bee is finished laying her eggs, she plugs the entrance and seeks out another nest. The female bee lays the female eggs in the back of the nest and the male eggs toward the front. Once the bees are ready to leave the nest, the males emerge first and then wait on the females. Once the females come out, they mate and the males die.
