Ant Control Tips

 If you are experiencing an ant problem, identifying the ant species may be of help when trying to choose control methods. In this article, we review how to identify a few main species and control options available.

There are several species of ants that you may encounter invading your home or outdoor area.  Some of the more common types are carpenter ants, pharaoh ants, sugar ants, black ants, house ants, thief ants, odorous house ants, argentine ants, crazy ants, ghost ant, acrobat ant, big headed ant, pavement ant and red imported fire ant.

Carpenter ants in the United States are some of the largest ants and there can be several different types of carpenter ants infesting one home or business at a time.  You will want to look for a black or red black in color and and they are typically about 3/8 to ½ inch in size.  And you will typically see worker ants.

Carpenter ants are polymorphic meaning that the same species can have multiple sizes of workers.  One of the best methods of identifying carpenter ants from other ants, is to look for their specific characteristics.  They will have a waist with only one node and a thorax with an evenly rounded upper surface.

The Argentine Ant is thin and brown and the size of a grain of rice. If you have trouble determining whether or not you have an Argentine Ant, bring a sample to your local extension service and they should be able to tell you.  The Argentine Ant gets protein from eating insects, but prefers the honeydew liquid that is made by aphids, scales, mealy bugs and whiteflies.  You will often find him under boards, stones, tree stumps and potted plants, searching for his favorite meal. The Argentine Ant may begin to move indoors in the fall, as his food sources dwindle during that time. Although it may be difficult to completely eradicate the Argentine Ant, you can discourage him from sharing your immediate space, and from ruling your outdoor living areas. 

One of the most dangerous ants to have invading your home is the Red Imported Fire Ant. When dealing with a fire ant infestation indoors, it is important to utilize all methods of control and be safe about chemical applications.  Fire ants look like ordinary house or garden ants, but have some distinguishing characteristics. They can vary in size within one nest, from 1/16 to 1/5 inch long. Fire ants are dark reddish brown in color on the head and body, with a darker abdomen. Fire ants are extremely aggressive when disturbed, and if one bites you, you’ll know for sure you’ve been bit.

Options for indoor control include products like; gels, baits, dusters and sprays.  Some of the household ants that will be affected by these applications aresugar ants, Pharaoh ants, Cornfield Ants, Argentine Ants.  Gels and baits are good because your chemical pest control is contained to one area and are not spreading the chemicals onto numerous surfaces in your home.

Outdoor ant control may include products such as granules, liquid sprays and baits.  Granules are able to be broadcast or used to treat individual mounds.  Liquid spray insecticides may reduce populations of other nuisance insects in your area. Look for products that can incorporate in insect growth regulator to reduce the resurgence of ants on your property.

How to Control a Roach Infestation

 

No matter what the season; summer, spring, winter or fall, roaches never seem to take a holiday at all. Roaches come in many shapes and sizes and thrive without much attention at all. There are simple steps that you can take to minimize the opportunity for roaches to flourish in your household.  In this article, we discuss ways to keep roaches under control for the do it yourself pest controller.

There are over 3,500 species of roaches, but some are more likely to be the pests that invade your home.  There are only about 12 species of roaches that are the regular invaders of homes. Roaches belong to a suborder of insects called Blattaria, which means “to shun the light”. The actual word “cockroach” comes from the Spanish word, “cucaracha”, which means “crazy bug”. Texas can boast the most cockroach species of any other state, having as many as 30-35 species. Common household roaches are German, Banded, American, Oriental, and Woods Cockroaches.

Roaches are not only unsightly, but their excrement and decomposing bodies are triggers for allergies and asthma. Cockroaches can also carry diseases like dysentery, typhoid and poliomyelitis, as well as gastroenteritis. It is therefore imperative for your safety and sanity to keep cockroach infestations under control.

Follow the quick and easy steps below to minimize cockroaches in your home:

• Make sure that your home is sealed from cracks and crevices that can allow any roaches in your home in the first place. 
• Check weather stripping, windows and screens, and utility entry points.
• Caulk where you can to seal any opportunity to let the outside pests in. 
• Check any pipes for even the smallest leak. 
• Keep garbage bins sealed and away from your home 
• Cut back any flowers and brush in direct contact with your home.
• Limit access to all food AND water sources for the roach 
• Store pet food in sealed plastic or metal containers
• Keep your dishes washed and dried daily  
• Do not leave water in the sink over night
• Wipe down counter tops as soon as you are finished using them
• Put trash out nightly 
• Enforce NO FOOD restriction in every room except for the kitchen dining area 

 

 

Treatment options for a cockroach infestation include:

• Glue or “sticky” traps that can be used to monitor  for any cockroach activity and species identification
• Boric based products that can be left on tops of cabinets or behind appliances to treat the stray few that wander into your home
• Insecticide sprays on a seasonal basis to stop cockroaches from becoming a full fledge infestation
• Gel based products can be used inside lower cabinets and crevices that may be allowing entry
• Cockroach bait traps set out seasonally can also provide effective long term control solutions

 

Following a regular regimen using the above combination of prevention, monitoring and seasonal treatments can keep your home cockroach free. Your family will thank you for it.

Mosquito Borne Diseases

If you have battled the terrible creature called mosquito, then you already know, it’s a daunting task. It is not one to be taken lightly. Mosquitoes are tiny, but quick. They seem to multiply in the blink of an eye. If you see one on Saturday, given favorable weather conditions, you’re likely to see 100 on Sunday. The reality of an infestation of mosquitoes is as terrible as the myth accompanying them.  And should the tiny mean bloodsuckers make it into your bedroom any given evening, you can say bye bye to any actual REM sleep. In this article, we will discuss mosquito borne diseases and methods to control a mosquito infestation.

According to the American Mosquito Control Association:

Mosquitoes cause more human suffering than any other organism -- over one million people worldwide die from mosquito-borne diseases every year. Not only can mosquitoes carry diseases that afflict humans, they also transmit several diseases and parasites that dogs and horses are very susceptible to. These include dog heartworm, West Nile virus (WNV) and Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). In addition, mosquito bites can cause severe skin irritation through an allergic reaction to the mosquito's saliva - this is what causes the red bump and itching. Mosquito vectored diseases include protozoan diseases, i.e., malaria, filarial diseases such as dog heartworm, and viruses such as dengue, encephalitis and yellow fever.

A mosquito has four life stages; egg, larva, pupae and adult.  The first three of the mosquito’s life cycles occur in water.  The adult stage, you already know about.  Mosquitoes need water or damp marsh like areas to hatch from their eggs.   Therefore it stands to reason, that in order to stop mosquitoes in your habitat, you need to limit their access to standing water. 

The female mosquito lays her eggs on the water and they hatch in one to three days or remain dormant until they are flooded.

In order to survive, the larvae or "wigglers" that hatch must live in water. This stage lasts from five days to several weeks.

The larvae transform into pupae or "tumblers." During this stage, they do not feed but still move around while breathing. The adult mosquito is developing and will emerge in two to three days. Mosquitoes will over winter in either the egg stage or as adults.

Use the following guidelines to minimize your exposure to infected mosquitoes:

• Reduce breeding sites for the mosquito: The mosquito needs water to lay it’s larvae, so make certain that they is NO, nunca, nada, standing water anywhere in  your area.
• Wear mosquito repellant:Use an EPA recommended mosquito repellant for you and your family.
• Avoid being outdoors at dusk/dawn:which are mosquito high activity times and wear dark clothing and long sleeves if you are.
• Check and double check screen and cracks around your home:Make sure that the mosquitoes cannot gain access to you in your home by installing good screens and using weather stripping to seal doors ways.
• Treat standing water with products containing the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis, var. israelensis

 

If you have used all of the above tactics and continue to have a serious mosquito problem, consider using a regular regimen of mosquito targeting insecticides or a mosquito misting system, which allows for an automatic misting of mosquito insecticides on a scheduled basis.

Fly Problems? How to Treat a Fly Infestation

Summertime is prime time for flies to increase activity and become a problem for the do it yourself pest controller. There are many of types of flies that can cause a problem in our homes.  There are house flies, fruit flies, blue and green bottle flies, and moth flies.  Flies are prolific proliferators and eat most anything. Some flies can lay 150 eggs at a time, every 5-6 days.  Not only are they annoying, they can be carriers of numerous diseases and pathogens. In this article, we discuss ways to treat and limit a fly infestation.

Ohio State Extension Program says:

Domestic flies, often called "Filth Flies," are not only a nuisance by their presence, but are important from a human and animal health standpoint.  House flies may spread diseases such as conjunctivitis, poliomyelitis, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, anthrax, leprosy, cholera, diarrhea and dysentery. They may serve as intermediate hosts for parasitic tapeworms on poultry or parasitic roundworms on horses.

Luckily, there are a now plethora of pest control products to address our fly pest problems available to the general public. There are insecticide sprays, fly lights, fly baits, fly traps and treatments. Some treatments such as contact sprays are good for the immediate treatment of unwanted flies. Whereas other fly treatment options, such as fly traps and fly lights provide an ongoing support system to keep fly infestations under control.   

It is important to determine if your fly problem is only a fleeting instance, or associated with an ongoing breeding site. The treatment method for each situation would be different. For instance, have you only had fly issues during a gathering where food was outside for extended periods of time or do you constantly notice fly activity in and around your home?

For the first situation, you may only need to spray the outdoor area that will be used for your gathering a few hours before guests arrive. For the second situation, you may have a fly breeding site in or around your home.  In that instance, the breeding site would need to be located and eliminated. But you would also want to use a combination of baits and residual insecticide sprays to control the existing fly population and stop them from entering your residence.

There are other easy steps you can take to stop a fly infestation from happening in the first place:

• Be certain that your windows, screens and entry ways are sealed tightly and in good repair.
• Spray your entry ways and sills with a residual insecticide
• Use time released pyrethrin sprays
• Do not locate trash cans located near any entry ways.
• Empty cans regularly, and wash them out weekly with a good bleach bath.
• Use only trash cans with locking lids
• Keep food covered at all times
• Wipe up any crumbs, etc immediately
• Don’t leave produce on the counter without cover
• Check any cracks between your appliances and counter tops to be sure that there are no trapped food particles
• Keep the backs of cabinets clean and clear from excess storage items or clutter
• Review under sinks and appliances to be certain that there is no accumulation of food or moisture
• Do not leave any standing water or food build up in drains
• Regularly flush your drains to remove any ‘gunk’ that may be building up on the insides of pipes.

Controlling Pests on Pets

Pet lover’s, who also live in the deep and humid south, know how expensive and time consuming it can be to keep your pets safe and free from insect pests.  Mosquitoes that can carry heartworms and cause allergic reactions, while fleas and tick that carry a number of vector borne illnesses, as well as tape worms. A conscientious pet owner can easily spend $400 a year, minimizing they’re pets exposure to dangerous fleas and mosquitoes. In this article we will discuss the insect risks to our furry family members and ways to control infestations in our home and yard.

Both fleas and mosquitoes are extremely difficult pests to control in the warmer weather of the south. Given the opportunity, mosquitoes, ticks and fleas will completely take over your home and yard to make it their own, leaving your family pet as a 24 hour buffet.  The ideal situation is to make sure that your pet has protection against these nuisance pests and that they are also controlled for the sake of your family.

To keep your pet safe from mosquito borne diseases: It is imperative that your canine be on a heart worm preventative. There are options for injections that can last up to six months, or monthly ‘pills’ that you are able to administer at home. Although, no product can claim 100% efficacy, this dramatically reduces the possibility that your dog will develop heartworms. You should also try to keep your family pet inside during high mosquito traffic times, like dawn and dusk. If you are using a topical flea and tick controller application, there are some that include mosquito repellant as well. There are natural options that can repel mosquitoes and minimize the possibility that he is bitten at all. It is said that lavender, peppermint and geranium essential oils repel mosquitoes. Other reported effective natural repellents include lemon, cedar, eucalyptus, myrrh, neem and rosewood. You can try this by putting a few drops between the dogs or cats shoulder blades or on their collar.

In order to minimize fleas and ticks on and around your pets, monthly topical repellants are a good option. Especially the water proof types for pets that are in and out of doors regularly. Natural repellants such as Lavender, lemongrass and geranium repel ticks.  Lavender, lemongrass, peppermint and citronella are said to repel fleas.  Be sure to consult with your veterinarian to see if your pet is a good candidate for topical applications. Newly developed products offer fewer side effects than when they were initially developed. Be careful of strong pesticide applications on your pet, they can be toxic.

You must also be diligent about keeping fleas and mosquitoes out of your home and yard.  Mosquitoes need moisture to breed, so remove all standing water. If mosquito insecticide sprays, mists, or foggers are used for treatment of your home or yard, remove your family and pets until the area has dried completely.  Some products like Diatomaceous earth and Insect Growth Regulators offer control with less impact on our environment. Although, they will not kill the insect pests immediately, they will help you keep your insect populations under control. 

Use IGR's for Flea Control

Insect Growth Regulators are a relatively newer class of pest control agents that have less harmful effects on our environment. In this article, we will discuss ways that Insect Growth Regulators can be used to control flea infestations for the do it yourself pest controller. Insect growth regulators were developed by entomologists as they studied the growth cycle of insects. Insect grow regulators are much more specific to insect development and therefore have less impact on other life forms, including mammals. Insect growth regulators can perform their magic my mimicking juvenile growth hormones in insects and either altering the production of chitin (the compound insects use to make their exoskeleton) or by altering an insect's development into adulthood. In some cases, the insect will develop too quickly, in other cases, IGR’s stop development. Most other pesticides work by delivering neurotoxins to the pests, and since basically most animals neurological functioning is similar, the pesticides are toxic to numerous organisms. IGR’s circumvent this by delivering the chemical directly relative to that pests biology to alter development. This gives the do it yourself pest controller an additional tool against pests that can be used with much more peace of mind. Why Use Insect Growth Regulators: • They Target Specific Pests • Less impact on our environment • Decrease chances of insects developing resistence • Breaks the life cycle of the pest In regards to controlling flea infestations, IGR’s are a godsend. Fleas have four life stages and have different needs in each. The different life stages have different requirements for the flea, and different requirements for controlling the flea. A pesticide that kills the adult flea may have no effect on the developing eggs or larvae. But the IGR acts on the immature stages of a flea’s life cycle. Flea eggs deposited on or flea larvae crawling onto treated surfaces will not develop into adult fleas. If an IGR is not used, you will have adult fleas again bouncing around your home within four weeks. By using an IGR, you have broken the life cycle of the flea and can effectively contain your flea infestation. The do it yourself pest controller must also be certain to treat outdoor areas and pets for fleas at the same time that the home is treated so that your fleas are not being continually reintroduced to your living area. If your yard is infested with fleas, you can be sure that they will find their way in doors, so it is important to contain the outside infestation as well. Indoors, there are some items that you will not want to spray with pesticides, such as bedding, pillows, stuffed animals, etc. Be sure to wash all of these items in a hot water cycle on your washer to kill any fleas/eggs that might have found their way there.

Termidor-You Can't Afford Not To

Termidor®b> is 100% effective at controlling 100% of termites in three months or less - a statement no other termite control product can make. That's why since its introduction in 2000, pest management professionals have made Termidor America's leading termite control, with more than one million structures treated. It's the product's unique "Transfer Effect™," allowing Termidor to achieve 100% control of termite populations at the very low rate of just 0.06% active ingredient. And because Termidor is a non-repellent - undetectable to termites - the pests freely forage through treated areas, unknowingly ingesting, picking up and transferring Termidor throughout the population •A 20 oz bottle of Termidor Termiticide will make 25 gallons of finished solutions. •Apply product at a rate of 4 finished gallons per 10 linear feet. •Product will treat 62.5 linear feet of structure for termite control •This is the same active ingredient in Frontline Drops you put on your pets for fleas and ticks. •Kills all types of drywood and Subterranean and Formosan termites

Demand CS Insecticide

Demand CS Insecticide Knockdown For Almost Any Insect! Check out what Demand CS can do for you.... For superior control of general and nuisance pests including mosquitoes, ants, flying insects and spiders, harness the power of iCAP™ Technology with Demand® CS Insecticide - A Powerful Insect Repellent. With a unique capsule suspension of the active ingredient, lambda-cyhalothrin, Demand achieves knockdown of most pests within 15 minutes, and delivers unsurpassed residual that lasts several months, even at extremely low use rates. •Demand CS Insecticide can be used against cockroaches, crickets, darkling, hide and litter beetles, mosquitoes, pill bugs, scorpions, spider mites ticks, ants, bees, box elder bugs, carpenter bees, carpet beetles, centipedes, cigarette beetles, clover mites, cockroaches, confused flour beetles, firebrats, silverfish, fleas, flies, grain borers, millipedes, flour beetles, weevils, sowbugs and wasps. Just about anything! •Can be used in homes, restaurants, hospitals, and even outdoors! •Demand CS Insecticide, is concentrated and microencapsulated for a long residual (200+ days) and can also be used outdoors.

Leaf Footed Plant Bug

Click HERE for more info

Fight Fire Ants Article

Click HERE for the full article

Non Toxic Bed Bug Solutions

If you have ever had the unfortunate experience of finding your home invaded by bed bugs, I can pretty much bet that you NEVER want to experience a bed bug infestation again. But, since bed bugs can go up to a year without a meal, you have to be dedicated to monitoring for any bed bug activity that you may have missed. In this article, we discuss some easy and non toxic DIY ways to keep bed bugs out of your home.
First of all, if you have treated for a bed bug infestation, you need to monitor that the bed bugs do not return. One easy and effective way to do this is to use bed bug monitors that are inexpensive and easily accessible from online pest control suppliers. Some of the monitor traps use carbon dioxide and heat as an attractant. You can check your traps regularly to see if any stray bed bugs have survived your treatment and are beginning their little bed buggy activities in your home again.
Interceptor traps are another easy way to keep one step ahead of the bed bug. These traps can be placed around legs and supports of beds and sofas can potentially confirm an infestation or minimize bed bug access to your bed.
Mattress encasements and pillow encasements are a must. They limit the bed bugs’ access to the small seems and crevices on your mattress that often serve as their hiding places. Having a mattress encasement will allow you to be able to better monitor your bed for any bed bug activity.
High temperature steam cleaners are also available from online pest control suppliers. You can get in to a routine of regularly steaming your bed, furniture and drapes with a high heat steam to diminish the possibility that hatching eggs, or dormant bed bugs can reestablish themselves into your home.
Get into the weekly schedule of performing high heat washing of all pillows, shams, comforters and dust ruffles. Although it may seem like a pain now, as you know, it is much easier than having to treat you entire home with bed bug chemicals.
Regular vacuuming is a good preventative measure as well. The key to using vacuuming with bed bug control is to empty the canister contents into a sealable plastic bag. Once you have sealed the bag, place it in a deep freezer for at least a week before relocating it to the trash bin. That way, in case you have vacuumed up any bed bugs or eggs, they will be simply moved to a different area of your home by way of the vacuum.
Performing all of these easy and non toxic methods on a regular basis will help you rest assured that your home is bed bug free and your family is well protected.

Vector Ban--BYE BYE Mosquitoes!

Andrew Klein Discusses Bed Bugs in New York City

Klein, president of Manhattan-based Assured Environments, discusses the rise of bed bugs in commercial accounts, sustainability and NPMA's Bed Bug Committee.

Courtesy of PCT Online!

Gentrol Insect Growth Regulators Help Out!

Gentrol® IGR Concentrate
•Insecticide Concentrate travels deep into wall cavities, cracks and crevices
•Reaches pests that other treatments neglect.
•Can be used in: apartment buildings, bakeries, bottling facilities, laboratories, cereal processing facilities, manufacturing plants, mausoleums, meat and produce canneries, nursing homes, restaurants, schools, locker rooms, stores, taverns, warehouses, pet stores, as well as various modes of transportation, such as aircraft, buses, trucks, trailers, rail cars and marine vessels.
•Heavier than air - will move on air currents that help carry it deep into cockroach harborage sites.
•Attaches itself to organic matter, such as cockroach food sources.
•Can cause female German cockroaches to abort the egg capsules they are carrying and return to their pre-pregnancy feeding habits.
•Decreases cockroaches' tolerance to insecticides.
•A valuable tool in helping cockroach baits work faster and more efficiently, making it one of the Best Pest Control Products available to kill cockroaches for good.
•An integral part of your Integrated Pest Management program.

Gentrol® IGR Concentrate Target Pests

Bed bugs, cockroaches, stored product pests and fruit & drain flies.

•Contains the Insect Growth Regulator (S)-Hydroprene, which disrupts pests' normal growth pattern.
•Labeled for use as a spot and crack-and-crevice treatment in all areas of food handling establishments.
•May be applied as a general fogging agent or general surface spray.
•Long-term control 120 days.
•Breaks the endless clean-out/reinfestation cycle.

How It Works

Gentrol® IGR Concentrate travels deep into wall cavities, cracks and crevices, reaching the pests that other treatments miss. (S)-Hydroprene, the active ingredient, prevents pest larvae from progressing to the adult stage either causing sterility of adults or preventing the emergence of insects from the pupal stage preventing future infestations. Stored product pests encounter (S)-Hydroprene the same way they encounter insecticides contacting a treated surface.

Outdoor Fire Ant Control

When attempting to control ants with chemicals, the most basic options are direct application to the mounds or a broadcast application. With a broadcast application, there is more insecticide used and greater risk to the area ecology so it should be used only where there are extreme numbers of mounds. It must be noted, that to reduce your ant populations, you must kill the queen. So either application of chemical control must meet that objective to be considered a success. In this article we review direct and broad cast applications for ant control.

Mound Treatments:
If you are planning on using the individual mound treatment, you must be sure that the chemical goes deep into the mound to reach the queen. If using Liquid Treatments, drench the mound so that the liquid chemical is able to seep down into center and reach a many ants as possible. All ants in contact with the chemical insecticide should die in less than a day. Be aware that spring and fall are the preferred application times because of the moderate temperatures of 70 – 85 degrees. Hot summers find the ants resting deeper into their mound making it more difficult to reach them. If you must make application during the hot summer months, chose early morning or cooler evening times. Follow all directions on the chemical application of choice to ensure the efficacy of your product. Mixing incorrect ratios might serve to worsen your ant problem instead of curing it.

NCSU.edu recommends the following rates of application for liquid chemical control:
Apply the drench at a rate of approximately 1 gallon per 6 inches of mound diameter. At this rate, for example, a mound measuring 12 inches across would receive 2 gallons of insecticide drench. The amount of drench applied is more important than the concentration of insecticide in the drench. Thoroughly wet the ground to a distance of about 2 feet around the mound. Sometimes the drench does not kill all fire ants in a treated colony. The surviving ants will construct small mounds within 10 to 15 feet of the parent colony. Several days after the application, search the area around the treated colony for new mounds and treat them with the insecticide drench. Keep children and pets away from the treated area until it is dry (or as designated on the pesticide label).

If you chose to use Ant Baits for your mound treatments be aware that the baiting product may be compromised by exposure to very hot and humid conditions in a relatively short amount of time. Consider using baits in spring time before weather conditions are extreme. Also, you can put ‘food’ out near suspected ant foraging sites to gauge where your bait would be best utilized. Then sprinkle bait around the mounds according to label directions. An application of liquid chemical maybe used 5-7 days after baiting application to make sure all ants are effectively controlled.

Broadcast Applicatons:
If you have reached the conclusion that a broadcast application of chemical is your best option to control your ant problem, consider weather conditions before application. Most broadcast chemicals will need water to be applied for them to be effective. Apply the treatment directly before a rain is forecast and save yourself some work. Consider using broadcast applications during a spring and fall rotation to keep your ant problem to a manageable threshold.

Click HERE for a full listing of appropriate chemicals for ant control.

Introduction to Bird Control

How to Do a Professional Termite Inspection

Termites can cause thousands of dollars of damage to one of our most precious investments, our homes. They can silently invade and expand while the home owner is unaware. One of the best things that the DIY Pest Controller can do is a thorough home inspection. In this article, we will review termite home inspection tips of the professional pest controller.
If you see swarming termites, that is a pretty clear indication that you have a termite problem, but it is important not to wait until you see swarms to act. There are areas that should be inspected every six months to ensure that termites have not moved into your home.

Exterior:
Review any possible entry points such as siding, cracks in mortar, expansion joints, foundation voids, and porches. You are looking for any signs of activity which includes tubers (mud colored shelter tubes that are created by termites). These tubes may be located in the corners or cracks themselves, so get close and wear your glasses. Pay particular attention to areas where the earth comes into contact with wood, stucco, or veneer. They will follow cracks and edges as “guidelines”. Your windows, sills, garage doors and frames are all areas that can conceal the tubes. Look for wings, pellets, or ‘bodies’ on sills. Moisture problems in any of these areas could increase termite susceptibility.
Also, review areas that have mulch and timbers that are near to your home. You may find actual living termites in these areas and this will let you know it’s time to make sure you have adequately protected with a chemical barrier.

Interior:
Your interior inspection will consist of squeezing into small spaces that no one wants to be in armed with a high power flash light. Your basement and crawlspaces need to be reviewed for the same signs of activity such as tubers, wings, bodies, actual damage to wood, and pellets. The foundation walls, joists, and sub flooring are all areas that need to be viewed and inspected. The cracks/corners where they meet are areas that tubes can be concealed. Also, if you are aware of an area directly behind a flower box or dirt filled porch, pay careful attention because this is an welcome entry point for termites. You may have to move some insulation aside by hand to view the structure underneath. Your attic is not normally the primary entry point, but an inspection of it as well will give you even more peace of mind.

Many treatment and prevention products only previously available to the professional pest controller are now available to the do it yourself-er. You can easily review your options for termites such as; chemical barriers, baits, traps and gels to keep your home and family well protected.

Keep Flies From Entering

Nothing is a more unwelcomed sight than to have flies zooming about inside of your home. Not only is it annoying but an unwanted fly problem can be very embarrassing as well. The presence of flies is somehow tied to notions of unsanitary. One way to keep flies under control is to limit their entrance into your home in the first place. In this article, we will discuss how to keep flies from entering your home.

First of all, be certain that your windows, screens and entry ways are sealed tightly and in good repair. If there are tiny cracks, crevices or tears in the screens, you are handing over your home to flies for their pleasure. If one fly can make its way in, you can bet more flies will follow. Try spraying your entry ways and sills with a residual insecticide so that if a few flies move in, they will die where they land. Time released pyrethrin sprays are another option. Pay attention that you do not have trash cans located near any entry ways. Flies LOVE trash cans and are very opportunistic. Make their lives a little harder by extending the area that they would have to travel from meal to meal.

While we are discussing trash cans, make sure that you empty yours very, very regularly. Sitting trash decomposes and emits more enticing odors to the fly. Giving them ample time to reproduce and begin another generation. So empty cans regularly, and wash them out weekly with a good bleach bath. Using locking lids can also limit access to your trash as a breeding and feeding site for the fly.

When cooking, be sure to keep exposed food covered at all times. Wipe up any crumbs, etc. as soon as they are made. Don’t leave produce on the counter without cover. Check any cracks between your appliances and counter tops to be sure that no food particles have made their way down. Keep the backs of cabinets clean and clear from excess storage items or clutter.
Check under sinks and appliances to also be certain that there is no accumulation of food or moisture, further limiting the fly’s access to a man made fly buffet.

Keep all drains free from any standing water or food build up. Regularly flush your drains to remove any ‘gunk’ that may be building up on the insides of pipes. Drain flies particularly love this type of environment. Don’t forget to check bathroom shower and tub drains for build-up of soap scum, hair, etc. It sounds gross, but remember, you are making your home completely unappetizing for fly existence.

If you are able to remove all food sources and breeding site, your fly problem can be limited to one or two strays who accidentally gain access to your home, instead of a replay of horror film proportions.

How to Control Earwigs

Earwigs are generally a nuisance pest, and don’t cause much stir for homeowners. But last year, Houston saw an invasion of earwigs in previously unprecedented proportions due to an unusually hot summer. With an unusually warm winter, be prepared for a hotter summer. In this article, we discuss earwigs and what to do in case earwigs try to move indoors again.

Earwigs are omnivorous insects and one of the few that actively hunt for food. They will feed on insects, plants and ripe fruit. Earwigs can live for up to one year from hatching. An interesting fact about earwigs is that the mother actually does attend to her eggs, and sometimes the hatchlings until their first molt.

Earwigs are distributed throughout the Americas and Eurasia. The common earwig was first found in North America in 1907. Presently, earwigs are usually found in the southern and southwestern states, although the spine-tailed earwig has been found in Canada.

The earwigs are normally nocturnal, and generally like dark, cool and moist crevices or debris to shelter in. They will often be found in mulch, dense ground cover or loosened tree bark. While earwigs like cool places, they do not like freezing temperatures and cannot survive under extreme conditions.

During the extremely hot Houston summer, it is believed that the earwigs all moved indoors to receive relief from the excruciating heat as their normal safe zones heated up and dried out. If we experience more unusually hot summers, we can expect the masses of earwigs to continue to seek shelter in air conditioned and damp places.

So how is the DIY pest controller to keep earwigs at bay?

One of the best ways to control earwigs is to keep them out of your home in the first place. To keep earwigs out of you r home, try using an insecticide perimeter spray around your home to limit earwig entry. Another option is to use a granular insecticide and sprinkle it in a three to six foot band round the home. If you have mulch around your home, sprinkle the insecticide directly into the mulch.

If you are able to keep them out, you will have less reason to expose your home interior to insecticides.

Remember, Earwigs are attracted to damp areas, as are many other pests. So try to minimize any areas which may be holding excess moisture. Check your crawl spaces, leaky faucets or water run off from your air conditioning units. Inside, be sure that you basement is as dry as possible. Don’t invite trouble.

Mother D - Diatomaceous Earth! Effective and Earth Friendly!

MotherEarth D is a broad spectrum desiccant dust with 100% high purity freshwater diatomaceous earth for long lasting control of crawling insects.


Diatoms are harmless against humans and pets and are completely natural.

MotherEarth D is made of the highest-quality diatomaceous earth, lasts virtually forever if left untouched and provides long-lasting control of insect pests.

Mother Earth D should not be the only product used in the fight against bed bugs as it does not kill quick enough. For best results, use a contact kill such as Sterifab or Bedlam in addition to the dust product.


Diatomaceous Earth is a naturally occurring substance composed of fossilized shells and water plants. Since it is not toxic to the environment or humans, it has numerous uses in pest control. In this article, we will discuss diatomaceous earth and its various uses for the do it yourself pest controller.
Since diatomaceous earth has very sharp edges and tiny pores, it acts as a desiccant. If you can imagine that diatomaceous earth is like tiny shards of glass and the bugs that walk over and through it end up have their waxy protective layer removed, and they in essence dry out or are cut up. Diatomaceous earth acts as a physical control of pests, not a chemical control. Therefore, Diatomaceous earth is not toxic to our environment, humans or animals, but direct inhalation of it should be avoided, as with any other tiny particle substance.
Diatomaceous earth is relatively inexpensive, making it an excellent choice for the DIY pest controller. The only down side to diatomaceous earth is that, if you are using out of doors, it is important to realize the wetting the diatomaceous earth will make it ineffective, and reapplication will be necessary.
Let’s discuss some of the popular uses for diatomaceous earth.
INDOOR USE
DI will work to keep your indoor pests under control. Indoor insects that can be targeted are ANTS, COCKROACHES, EARWIGS, SPIDERS AND OTHER CRAWLING INSECTS. Using a hand duster, lightly apply in dry areas where crawling insect pests are found or may hide, including cracks and crevices, along baseboards, around sinks, cabinets, refrigerators and stoves and in attics and basements. Direct contact with dry dust is required for effective control. DE is not a bait, you cannot place a small amount of DE in one area and expect the pests to “find” it. Place the DE in areas where there is known pest activity. If you are using vacuuming in your pest control regimen, placing some DE in the vacuum canister will kill those pests that are captured by the vacuum. This will help you to not simply relocate indoor pests to another area in your home. DE can serve as a ongoing control for BED BUGS once you have addressed the initial bed bug problem with appropriate chemical measures.
FLEAS: To control fleas infesting pet areas, thoroughly treat floor and bedding in and around pet's sleeping quarters. Treat surrounding cracks and crevices, baseboards, furniture, carpeting and wherever fleas are suspected. Apply a thin coat of dust to rugs and carpets. You should rake (not sweep) nap back and forth, causing dust to enter rug or carpet. Let product sit overnight. Repeat application as necessary and vacuum every 3 - 4 days for effective flea control. DE will kill fleas and help deodorize carpet or rug.
If you have a vacation or summer home that is closed up regularly, applying DE to the home before it is retired for the season will offer long term and non toxic pest control without great expense or effort.
OUTDOOR USE
DE is effective for the treatment of outdoor ANTS, EARWIGS, MITES, SPIDERS AND OTHER CRAWLING INSECTS. Try using a hand duster or other equipment suitable for application of dusts, dust lightly in areas where insects are found such as windowsills and doorframes, around foundations and along ant trails. Direct contact with dry dust is required for effective control. Repeat treatment in problem areas as necessary for control.