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.

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.