Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Carpenter Bees Standing Guard

Have you ever been minding your business outdoors, doing yard work or just sipping iced tea when suddenly out of nowhere you are attacked by a large angry buzzing black bee. if so you have encountered a female carpenter bee standing guard of her nest. without realizing it, you've come to close to the nests entry hole and the mama bee feels as though you are a threat to the larvae inside. She will defend the nest aggressively. Many people make the mistake of thinking that if they kill this fiercely protective creature then they have solved the problem, but complete eradication of a carpenter bee infestation is much more involved than that. A carpenter bee population if left ignored year after year may grow to include hundreds of holes. Each of the holes penetrates the wood an inch or two and then makes a 90 degree turn. At the end of the turn will be numerous larvae. It's the larvae that complicates the process. Larva may end up hatching way after the adult bees have been treated. By this time the chemical used to kill the adults has worn off and the larva have a good chance of survival. Carpenter bees will instinctively inhabit the same nest for generations so even if you kill of the initial population, without tending to the larva within the nest then you will have bees in the same location year after year. each hole has to be treated individually with a product that will remain long enough to kill larva as they hatch. Click for more on the habits of the carpenter bee .

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Will tossing the Mattress Get Rid of the Bedbugs?

No. It is a myth that Bedbugs live in the mattress. They actually hide during th day in cracks and crevices around a room. At night they sense the heat of the human and crawl onto the bed by way of a bedside table or the legs of the bed or an adjacent wall. (bedbugs cannot fly or jump) Getting rid of the mattress will help if there have been eggs laid in it but that is not necessary. There are casings that can be put around the mattress that will seal in the bedbugs and prevent them from escaping if they do hatch. They will die in place. The real key to a successful bedbug treatment is not so much what you do as how you do it. knowledge of the typical places that a bedbug will hide is a must. A detailed attentive application of pesticide or extreme heat in these areas will go a long way toward total bedbug eradication. http://www.catopestcontrol.com/content/occasionalinvaders

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

New Safer Termiticide

Atricet, the newest environmentally sound and effective termiticide on the market has been introduced by Dupont. Altricet is specifically formulated to work on biological processes unique to termites. Because human beings do not possess the biological process that Altiset targets it poses no risks to human beings and pets.
Read More http://www.catopestcontrol.com/content/Termitetreatment/infobox/news/template/default/active_id/11

Monday, April 18, 2011

South Jersey Pest Control Company Responds to Economic Down Turn

South Jersey Pest Control Company responds to the economy. Tom Murry of Cato Termite and Pest Control in Southern New Jersey stated recently that his company will embark on a massive pricing overhaul in response to recent economic down turns."Insects, rodents and wildlife don't stop invading properties just because a homeowner loses his job." says Tom Murry. Mr Murry maintains that while the average homeowner or renter has experienced an income reduction in the past few years, the need for pest control remains constant.As the owner of Cato Termite and Pest Control, Tom Murry has recognized the need to accommodate the decrease that many of his current and potential customers may be experiencing."It's our way of supporting the economy. If prices are too high for the average home owner than services can't be provided, money doesn't change hands and the economy remains stagnant." Mr Murry explains. "When we drop our prices, more people can afford our services, more money changes hands and the local economy has a chance to recover."

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Ten Things You Can Do to Live Roach Free

It is true that roaches can be tough to get rid of. Some will say if the infestation is bad enough then being roach free is a hopeless prospect. That doesn't have to be the case.
Roaches carry more than 50 disease spreading pathogens including the salmonella bacteria, typhoid and E. coli. No one should have to live with roaches.
When treating a roach infestation, a good result depends on a good partnership between the pest control provider and the resident who lives with the roach infestation. There is much that can be done to insure a complete and lasting resolution to roach extermination. It is important to Keep in mind that roaches like any animal have predictable habits and tendencies. Knowing what these are and acting accordingly can go a long way toward getting the most out of your pest control treatment.
Roaches thrive in environments where conditions are just right. They love warmth,nooks and crannies to hide in, darkness, moisture and plenty of tasty morsels to feed on.If conditions where roaches thrive are made less than ideal you can increase the odds of success for the pest control provider and reduce the chances of a future infestation.
Here are ten important steps to take to live roach free.
1) Take away the roaches food and eliminate moisture. Roaches will eat any type of food that they can find but they are particularly fond of grease.
2) Check around for any pools or drips of grease that may have accumulated around your stove. If you find any, scrape the excess and use a heavy duty degreaser to eliminate all traces of grease.
3) Check behind and under all appliances, including the refrigerator and trash containers. Look for crumbs, spills or any other food residue and clean it thoroughly.
4) Store all food products in airtight plastic or glass containers or in the refrigerator.
5) Clean up spills immediately and never leave out glasses, cans or bottles that contain soda, juice or beer.
6) Check for leaks under the sink, or in water lines that lead to the refrigerator and repair any that are found.
Now that you've taken away their food and drink it's time to tackle the housing issue. Roaches are nocturnal creatures. They come out at night to mate and to search for food and water. During the day they hide in dark cracks and crevices. The more cracks and crevices there are, the more housing you are providing for the roaches.
An important step toward roach eviction is to declutter.
7) Eliminate piles, clear surfaces and keep everything up off of the floor.
8) Go through all of your belongings. If it is not currently useful, get rid of it. Get rid of your stuff and you'll get rid of the roaches that hide in it.
9) Inspect the premises for cracks in and around base boards, lighting fixtures and where the walls meet the floors. Neatly caulk all obvious cracks and crevices.Especially those that may lead to outside.
10) Consider a maintenance contract with a reputable pest control company.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

When Should I Call a Professional?

Spend a little time in any hardware super store and you'll come across a myriad of products for do-it-yourself pest control. From sprayers to gels to traps and baits, everything the professionals use is available for sale to the layman. Or is it? Yes and no. Many of the products that you see for sale over the counter do contain the same or similar active ingredients as are available only to the licensed professional. That raises the question, why do professionals even need a license if what they use is no different from what anyone can buy? It's because of the concentrations of the chemicals that are available in your local supermarket or hardware store vs those that are available only to trained, licensed and certified professionals. What is found in the products that are available to the public are very low percentages of the pesticides available to professionals. Over the counter products contain small traces of these chemicals, often not even enough to kill the pest that they are intended for. Many times small concentrations of chemicals will deter a pest and cause it to move to another location in the same home. Later when it is rediscovered the home owner believes he has another infestation when really it is the same hoard of roaches, colony of ants or nest of mice. Some insects have a survival mechanism that causes them to breed faster once they have come in contact with these weak chemicals. So in reality the home owners attempt to fix his problem has only made it worse. High concentrations of pesticides are often required to thoroughly eliminate longer established colonies of insects such as bees, termites and ants. Most states have very strict guidelines for handling these higher concentrations and for good reason.Pest control is far more involved than just plopping down large amounts of poisons any place where you've seen the pest. Knowledge of the pests biology, nature and habits is essential in achieving effective results with the least amount of effect on the environment. pest control products applied wrongly are often completely ineffective on insects and animals that may never come in contact with them.So when can a layman attempt to
do his own pest control? It depends on the type of infestation, the degree and severity of the problem at hand. Many infestations can lead to dangerous situations for people and damage to the property so number one is safety.Ask: Is this situation threatening to humans or property? Termites, or a possible rabid raccoon on the property as well as rodents that may chew electrical wires are examples of dangerous infestations that require immediate professional intervention. If you are inclined to want to treat a pest control problem on your own do so immediately upon discovery of the situation. Early intervention is the single most agreeable factor on the side of the do it your self pest control novice. If you do not see results right away you may want to consider calling for professional help. The longer an infestation is allowed to grow on a property the more difficult it will be to overcome. Some home owners may have thorough and lasting effects with swift and proper use of over the counter products. If this is not the case, the longer you put off calling a professional the worse your problem becomes. Delayed intervention for the sake of saving a dime may end up costing more in the long run.
For information on how to prevent infestation in your home go to http://www.catopestcontrol.com/content/PreventivePestControl

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Keep your family safe from the lyme carrying deer tick.

Many people have a false sense of security when it comes to the lyme disease carrying tick. They think that if they stay away from areas where deer roam then they won't be exposed to the deer tick. That is not necessarily true. A variety of ticks and fleas are also carried by smaller woodland animals such as rabbits, squirrels,possums, raccoons and mice. These animals may intrude upon your property carrying the ticks and fleas with them. The ticks and fleas then leave the animal and lay in wait in tall grass on bushes, in piles of lawn debris and in ground cover. They wait for another animal and when they sense it's heat they jump onto the new host. They are often carried into the home where they will breed and attack other family members and pets.
There are several things that can be done to reduce the odds of a flea or tick infestation in your home. Where light colored clothing when working in the garden especially around tall plants and overgrown trees or bushes. Light color clothing will enable you to see a tick or flea more easily. Keep landscaping trimmed so that people do not brush up against it as they walk on paths and patios. Provide a hardscaped area for family use such as a deck or a patio. Keep the yard tidy and free of debris piles.Keep fencing in good repair to limit the odds of animals coming on to your property. Keep grass mowed short. Always check children and pets when they come in from outdoors. For more on ticks and fleas go to:Read more on TICKS AND FLEAS
 

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Springtime is tick time!

 Do you know what to do to protect your family against Lyme carrying ticks?
  * Cut back vegetation and remove plant debris debris to reduce shade and moisture.
    * Keep grass mowed short.
    * Compost or bag leaf litter.
    * Avoid use of ground cover vegetation in frequently used areas.
    * Reduce cover for mice. Prune trees and shrubs. Clean up storage areas.
    * Use pavement, stones, mulches, and water-conserving landscape techniques.
    * Move swing sets away from the woodland edge.