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.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
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!
Monday, March 5, 2012
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.
•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.
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.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
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.
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.
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