2012 | Page 6 of 32 | Northwest Exterminating

Research: Peppers to Deter Deer Mice

Nov 7, 2012 | Wildlife

Researchers in Missoula, Montana are testing to see if hot peppers will keep deer mice from eating grass seeds. Research scientist, Dean Pearson with the U.S. Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Research Station is trying out different methods of attaching powder from the bhut jolokia pepper to the seeds of native grass. The bhut jolokia pepper is one of the hottest peppers known to man. Some success has been found in using the pepper to keep mice away from the grass seeds after planting.

The team of researchers will return to Missoula next spring to see if the peppered seeds have survived the hungry mice. Benefits to this would be cost effective agriculture applications and the use of native seeds instead of exotic seed.

To read the full article click HERE.

5 Tips to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Nov 5, 2012 | Going Green

At Northwest, we are committed to creating healthier living and working environments. Below, we have some practical tips you can try at home to improve your carbon footprint!

1. Don’t drink bottled water

You may just be using one bottle of water a day whenever you head to the gym, but multiply that by a couple billion and you realize that all that plastic is a waste! Though recycling them is a great option, an even better one is to get a reusable bottle and an in-house filtration system to get water from the tap.

2. Unplug it!

We have habit of leaving electronics plugged in when we are at work or not using them. A great way to save energy would be to unplug our cellphone chargers, laptops, TVs and anything that won’t be in use. Using a power strip can make this process simpler for you – one flip and it’s on or off!

3. The Three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Following these three steps can help you spend less money, make less of an impact on the environment and get creative! Reducing means using less wasteful products, reusing means making use of what you already have and recycling means making your old stuff into something brand new!

4. Cold water works wonders

You may not want to shiver when you shower, but when doing laundry, washing with cold water reduces energy output. Many laundry detergents nowadays are available just for the purpose of being used with cold water so don’t worry about not getting your clothes as clean.

5. Use the microwave less

Using fresh foods or foods that don’t require microwaving eliminates waste in many ways. First, you don’t use the energy the microwave requires. Additionally, many microwaveable items come with packaging that uses paper products and plastic. Reducing how often you use the microwave ensures that you avoid using these products as well.

Hopefully these tips will get you motivated to go green! Aside from these tips, Northwest Exterminating offers many services that are environmentally and customer friendly! We want to protect your homes from pests, while keeping the environment healthy. Our Green Services include TAP Attic Insulation, Green Pest Control, Complete CrawlSpace, Green Mosquito, and Green Termite Solutions. If you want to know more, please visit www.callnorthwest.com/green-services

Melissa Brown
[email protected]

Sources:

http://sustainability.publicradio.org/consumed/tips.html

http://www.wikihow.com/Reduce-Your-Carbon-Footprint-at-Home

Ants Have 4-5 Times Higher Sense of Smell Than Other Insects

Oct 31, 2012 | Pest Control

As humans, we are often amazed at the ability of pests, specifically ants, to locate food. If there is food available, ants will find it. New research is now available to help us understand how ants have been so successful in our ecosystem.

A study led by Lawrence Zwiebel at Vanderbilt University found that ants have 4 to 5 times higher odor receptors than most insects. Odor receptors are unique proteins that distinguish between different odors. Ants showed more than 400 odor receptor genes (the largest of any insect species) compared to fruit flies at 61, mosquitoes at 74-158, and honeybees at 174.

New information is being released daily to help us understand the make-up of pests. The more we know and understand pests, the better we know how to control them. Call a professional ant exterminator in your area who is knowledgeable, efficient, and effective in treating ants. Call Northwest Exterminating.

Source: ANI News

Top Ten Ways to Keep Insects Out of Your Home

Oct 29, 2012 | Pest Control

One of the questions that our representatives get asked the most is “How To Keep Pests Out of The Home“. We regularly offer tips to readers on how they can keep pests out but here is a list of the Top 10 Ways to keep pests out of your home.

Top Ten Ways to Keep Insects Out of Your Home

Go around the exterior of your home and seal up any areas where insects could enter your home. Check around windows, doors, plumbing entrances, fan vents, and electrical entrances. If your home has window screens make sure they are intact and if areas are torn or damaged replace them.
Make sure to trim all hedges, trees, and other landscaping back away from the home. Creating at least a one foot barrier will keep insects from using easy methods to enter or get close to your home.
Always remember that insects are living creatures just like humans and they need food, water, and shelter. Inspect the perimeter of your home, as well as the interior, and pay close attention to areas that could potentially provide all three of these needed resources.
All food and beverages should always remain covered or sealed in air tight containers. Following this simple step will eliminate the risk of insects being attracted to your home. If you have fruit out in your kitchen make sure you eat it before it over ripens or store it in your refrigerator. If food or drinks are dropped or spilled make sure that they are cleaned up immediately.
Routinely empty all the trash and place it outside in garbage cans with tight fitting lids. All trash cans inside the home should also have lids.
Make sure to keep all pet food sealed in air tight containers.
Remove extra clutter from your home. Get rid of items that are old and damaged and find a great charity to donate the rest.
Keep all doors and windows closed while not in use.
Make sure to change all your exterior lighting to low sodium vapor light bulbs. Most insects are attracted to light but they are less attracted to low sodium vapor lighting. Also make sure to point your security lighting away from your home and not directly on it.
Don’t Bring Them In! Be careful whenever you travel, move, or bring home the groceries that you check everything before bringing it into your home. Especially as it gets colder make sure to check and clean all your firewood before you bring it in your home.

So there you have it. Northwest Exterminating‘s Top 10 Tips for Keeping Pests Out of Your Home. For more information, visit our website at callnorthwest.com. If pests still find there way into your home, call one of our professional exterminators to help you identify the source of your issue and get rid of the problem.

Bug Inspired Halloween Costumes

Oct 26, 2012 | Pest Control

If you’re a lover of tasty treats and creative costumes, then your favorite celebration is right around the corner! Halloween is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. This festival celebrated their new year on November 1 and marked the end of summer and harvest as the dark, cold winter began. Over time, Celtic areas became overtaken by the Romans and many Roman Catholic and Celtic traditions were intertwined. In the 8^th century, Pope Gregory III designated October 31^st as All Hallow’s Eve, the day before a Catholic holiday known as All Saint’s Day.

Though today’s celebration is more about dressing up and having a good time, many of the older traditions and superstitions about Halloween remain the same. One of the superstitions regarding Halloween is that anyone who has seen a spider on this evening has encountered the spirit of a loved one watching over them. In actuality, you probably will not see too many spiders around this time because most of them have already laid eggs and died. In fall and winter, spiders might be found in the dark corners of your home or basement as they prepare to begin laying eggs again. If the site of these creatures troubles you, Northwest Exterminating has experienced technicians who can scare these pests away from your home!

Northwest Exterminating can take care of pests in the home for you, but if you would like to embrace pests in a different way, maybe some of these costumes will do the trick!