Nov 26, 2012 | Uncategorized
Pests may not be something that intrigues most adults but most kids enjoy watching and learning about insects and other bugs. If you have a pest explorer in your home, we have just the read for you.
PestWorld.org has a FREE eBook where your little explorer can join “Millie, an 8 year old insect lover, as she solves real-life pest mysteries with her father, a pest professional.” Your kids can follow Millie and her dad as they help Mrs. Romero identify the pest in her home, where they came from, and a treatment plan to get rid of the pests.
Download this FREE eBook today…you and your kids will both enjoy this pest mystery!
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.
Oct 17, 2012 | Pest Control
The fear of insects is normal. For some, the fear can be so severe that it can be diagnosed as entomophobia, a fear or aversion to insects. This fear can confine people to their homes without the ability to enjoy the great outdoors and interfere with the quality of life. Experts say that 1-2% of adults in the US has some degree of entomophobia.
But not all bugs are to be feared. We speak a lot about the harm and damage that pests can do to your health and home but we also want to point out that not all insects are bad. The preying mantis is pest control in itself. Preying mantis’ are predators that catch and feed on other insects. Although termites can do thousands of dollars of damage to a structure they are beneficial for the eco-system. Termites help break down decaying trees. Termites can break down wood on a massive scale and prevent trees from piling up and killing the forest. Ladybugs are another natural pest control. Ladybugs eat other insects that do not have a too hard shell.
Although some bugs can be beneficial it is still very important to protect your home. Continue your pest control service to keep bugs in their natural environment instead of your home.
Check out our blog 5 Bugs to Love
Oct 3, 2012 | Pest Control
At this stage in your life, you probably think you know quite a few facts about nature – the sun rises in the east, dolphins can communicate with each other, and bees gather honey from flowers. So, it may come as a surprise to you that you may have to reconsider what you know. Keep reading for some myth busting – Northwest style.
5 Common Misconceptions About Insects:
1. Bees get honey from flowers
When bees buzz through your garden, they gather nectar, a complex sugar, which they carry to the hive in a “honey stomach.” Once they deposit it into the hive, other bees break down the sugar and pack it into the cells of the honeycomb. Finally, they fan their wings over the honeycomb to evaporate water out of the nectar and the end result is honey!
2. All spiders make webs
Many people think that all spiders spin webs of silk to trap their prey. It is true that all spiders produce silk. On the contrary, hunting spiders, which include wolf spiders, jumping spiders, and trapdoor spiders among others, actually track down their prey instead of making webs.
When most people think of animals, they often mean furry creatures such as dogs, cats and even more menacing lions, tigers and bears. Perhaps because of the unusual appearance of most insects, which have exoskeletons among distinctive features, people tend to assume these arthropods are of a different classification. Though they may not have skin or fur, insects are animals just like dogs, cats – and us!
4. A cocoon and a chrysalis are the same
Growing up, we learned stories of homely worms turning into beautiful butterflies after emerging from their cocoon. Actually, the term chrysalis defines this transformation stage between larva and adult, otherwise known as a pupa. Only butterflies can come from a chrysalis. It is its cousin, the moth, that emerges from a cocoon made of silk.
5. Daddy longlegs are spiders
Daddy longlegs, also known as harvestmen, walk around on eight legs as all spiders do. However, not all eight-legged creatures are spiders. Spiders have two distinct, separated body parts, whereas the harvestmen have one. They also do not have silk or venom glands as spiders do.
Melissa Brown
[email protected]
Sources:
http://insects.about.com/od/teachingaboutinsects/tp/15misconceptions.htm
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/exhibits/always-on-display/butterfly-rainforest/butterfly-qa
Sep 10, 2012 | Pest Control
Insects and other pests may inspire a myriad of thoughts but fashion likely does not come to mind. Still, the array of colors and shapes found in the insect world may already have invaded your closet! Take a look at these bug inspired fashions below that are crawling down the hottest runways.
If these outfits don’t pique your interest, perhaps these jewelry options below may intrigue you. Bug jewelry comes not only in artful bug designs but also feature actual insects!
Bugs are “in” this season but you don’t want them “in” your home. Call Northwest Exterminating or visit www.callnorthwest.com to learn how we can help you. If you want to see more artsy insect creations, please visit us on our Pinterest page.
Melissa Brown
[email protected]
