Roach Voyeurism

More than few years back, I attended a German cockroach symposium. I was excited about attending for one reason. The featured lecturer was the world's foremost authority on the German cockroach. That nasty little creature that infests kitchens everywhere, and causes asthma in children in extreme infestations.

After the attendees were seated, a side door at the front left corner of the room opened and a short, disheveled man with thick-lensed glasses entered the room and took to the podium. He wore a string tie (the type cowboys wear) and cowboy boots, but the words he spoke were New York-flavored. The PHD'ed expert told a few lame insect jokes then went on to explain that he had been living with cockroaches for an extended period of time. He then gave a signal to some one hidden behind a wall, and a screen descended from the ceiling and covered a portion of the front wall. The attendant turned on the video, and the same cockroach expert standing in front of us appeared on the screen dressed in blue jeans and enclosed in a see-through plexiglass room. Along one wall were kitchen-type cabinets, and on the floor for sleeping was a futon. But what took our collective breaths away were the thousands of cockroaches. German coackroaches were on the good doctor's legs, his shoulders, face, hair, everywhere. Seems he had sequestered himself in the plastic enclosure to study the living, mating, and repoductive habits of the German cockroach. The researcher waved to the camera like a kid waving to Mickey Mouse--big, face splitting grin, and when he waved cockroaches flew from him in every direction. How long did he spend with the roaches? I can't remember, but I do know he started with just two. I'd say this guy loved his job or was a little bit whacked, or both. Either way, because of researchers like him, great strides have been made in German cockroach control. New generation baits like Dupont Advion, Whitmire Advance, and MaxForce roach bait do a marvelous job of eliminating cockroach infestations and keeping them away.

You Do It Pest Control carries a wide variety of cockroach control products and treatment techniques. Check it out at: http://www.youdoitpestcontrol.com/

Bugzilla out --

My Kingdom for a Fly Swatter!

The only good fly is a dead fly. They hang out in all sorts of nastiness, from the carcasses of dead animals to Dumpsters to feces, then they land on you or your food. Try to enjoy lunch in a fast food restaurant on a hot summer day. Chances are you'll have to shoo flies away from of your food. Walk into any stable anywhere, and you'll be greeted by hundreds if not thousands of buzzing stable flies. There are numerous fly species: house flies, little house flies, face flies, black flies, blue bottle flies, carrion flies, black flies, green bottle flies, (deep breath), cheese skippers, flesh flies, blow flies, black blow flies, sand flies, cluster flies and many many more. Some flies suck blood (black flies), and others are scavengers. Filth flies (scavengers) have nasty habits that make them efficient vectors of sickness and disease. Pathogenic organisms are picked up by flies from garbage, sewage, and other sources of filth and then transferred to humans. Filth flies are known to spread organisms that cause typhoid, paratyphoid, dysentery, infantile diarrhea, cholera, pinworm, tapeworm and other diseases.

Maxforce Fly Granular Fly Bait is an excellent product for controlling flies around Dumpsters located adjacent to restaurants and supermarkets or processing plants. Maxforce Fly Spot Bait is labeled for horse stables. It is a liquid spray that can be applied to stable walls without evacuating horses. This is the product to use if you want to give your horses some long term relief from those annoying, ubiquitous flying creatures.

You Do It Pest Control carries many more effective fly control products. Visit http://www.youdoitpestcontrol.com/ and browse the fly products section.

Bugzilla out --

Why Most People Shun Pest Control Companies

You've taken off early to meet the bugman at your house at 4:00 p.m. because you have a humongous hornet's nest under your deck in the backyard, and you have to unlock the backyard gate so he can treat and remove it--the last thing you want is for your kids to get stung. You've told him to not be late because you need to pick up your kids at the daycare center after you meet him. After dodging in and out of ungodly traffic, you arrive home, unlock the gate, then sit on the front porch to wait for your guy. 4:30 rolls around and he hasn't shown. You call him, but it goes to voicemail. Finally, you curse under your breath and take off to the daycare center to pick up your kids. And guess what, you're late too!

The aforementioned scenario is just one of the reasons more and more people are doing their own pest control. And why not? The same products exterminators use are available at http://www.youdoitpestcontrol.com/ . And it takes only about an hour per month to keep your home pest free. Complete instructions for treatment for numerous insect and rodent pests are on the website.

Other reasons why people are turning to do it yourself pest control are:

1. Too many different technicians in their home.


2. Don't trust that background checks have actually been done.


3. Not effective.


4. Unreliable.


5. Too expensive (from $400.00 per year and up)


6. Pest companies drive gas-powered vehicles to deliver service (wasteful).


7. Unprofessional.

When one looks at the pros and cons of using a pest control service, it's easy to see why more and more people are electing to do their own pest control.

Bugzilla out --

Slap Happy -- the mosquito dance

It's the weekend, the temperature is just right, about eighty degrees at 5:00 pm, not a cloud in the azure sky, and you're drinking an ice cold beer while tending to 2-inch steaks on the grill on the deck. Friends are over, and you're swapping stories, engaged in gossip, and just having a happy ol' time. Suddenly, you slap your neck, then your leg, then your arm. Your guests start waving at the air. Mosquitoes have just turned your happy outing into a slap-happy one. But it didn't have to turn out that way. Preventative measures and a yard and shrubbery treatment would have rendered your outdoor gathering virtually mosquito-free. Mosquitoes are attracted to mammal carbon dioxide emissions, and typically are more prevalent during the late afternoon/early evening hours. During the heat of the day they tend to rest on the undersides of leaves and debris. To lessen mosquito presence around your home, eliminate bodies of standing water auch as birdbaths, cans, flowerpots, clogged gutters, stagnant fishponds, etc. If the body of water cannot be eliminated, or you wish not to eliminate it, adding a mosquito dunk to the water will keep it larva free. The best time to treat for mosquitoes is midday when they are resting on the undersides of plant leaves. Turn the spray nozzle on your sprayer so that it sprays upward, treating these areas thoroughly. Mosquitoes are vectors of such serious diseases as West Nile Virus, malaria, and yellow fever.

Next time you plan an outdoor event, remember to treat for mosquitoes before hand! For information and a full line of mosquito control products go to: http://www.youdoitpestcontrol.com/

Bugzilla out --

Eco Products -- any good?

When "eco-friendly" pest control products came on the scene in the early nineties, I was skeptical. The ones I tried smelled like flowers, cinnamon, or peppermint. The odor was so strong, you could hardly stay in the room after it had been treated. Kind of like being around someone wearing way too much cologne or perfume. Gave me a headache, and the customers compained that it gave them a headache too. Also, the products did not last as long as traditional pesticides. Now, 10-15 years later eco products have evolved to be a viable substitute for synthetic compounds. The Ecosmart Corporation formulates the most popular brand of green pesticides. Ingredients include peppermint oil, wintergreen oil, rosemary, chrysanthemum, and other botanicals. The smell has been toned down and the residual effect has been increased. Ecosmart products work by blocking an essential nuero-transmitter insects have that humans don't, called octopamine. The insect's nervous system is disrupted and they die. So if you want to go green, you might have to treat every two to three weeks instead of four to five weeks, but the effects of Ecosmart products on the environment and your personal living space is benign. And the smell isn't overpowering now. Go for it!

If you're looking for "Green" do it yourself pest control products, You Do It Pest Control carries a full line of Ecosmart and MotherEarth products.

Bugzilla out --

www.youdoitpestcontrol.com

Argentine Ants @ 70 mph

Argentine ants can and do get everywhere. Sometimes it seems like there are millions of them. I've seen Argentines trail in lines 3 to 4 inches wide. I've found them in sugar bowls, peanut butter jars, dog food, heck, I've even seen them in freezers. One day in the mid-90's, when I still owned my company, I got a call from a frantic lady screaming into the phone that she was infested with ants. In a soothing voice I assured her that one of my representatives would be right over to take care of her problem in a few hours. I asked for her address and she said she was in a Mercedes on Interstate 5. I paused. The ensuing conversation went something like this:

"Where did you say you live, Ma'am?" I asked.

She said, "I live in Encino, dammit!"

"Give me your address and I'll have one of my guys over in a couple hours."

"I have ants all over my panty hose in my Mercedes, you dimwit!" She yelled.

"I'm sorry ma'am I should have known that. Have a nice day."

"Don't hang up," she said. "I'm sorry. Please. I'll pay you $500.00 to treat my car. These damned ants are everywhere!"

"Where are you?" I asked.

"I-5, going 70 mph, with ants crawling all over my private parts!"

"Get off at the next ramp and pull into a parking lot or something, then give me a call."

The frazzled lady pulled into a Ralph's supermarket parking lot, called and gave me her location, and I went out and treated her car for Argentine ants. Seems she had parked her car to where the hood was in contact with some bushes. The ants used the limbs as a bridge to the car. The lady had left a half-eaten bag of chips on the center console, and the ants were hungry. BTW, I didn't take $500.00. $250.00 was enough.

When treating for Argentine ants, it's best to use baits. Gels and granulars are available at http://www.youdoitpestcontrol.com/ . And next time you've parked in the bushes, make sure you check your car for ants before you sit down!

Bugzilla out --

Honey Bees

Without honey bees agriculture would suffer greatly. These beneficial insects pollenate plants and trees from A to Z. Any eco-conscious exterminator would only kill honey bees as a last resort. A beekeeper should be called to remove bees from a wall or otherwise inaccessible area in a structure. The rapid movement of the bees' wings keep the honey cool. If the bees are exterminated the honey will rot, resulting in a strong unpleasant odor. It also will attract ants and other insects, and then you'll have another problem.

For those instances where the bees cannot be extricated, locate the hive, drill holes in the wall and inject Drione dust or Delta dust using a bellows or centrobulb duster, or use a contact insecticide such as EcoEXEMPT KO. Afterward, cut open the wall and remove the bees, honey and hive. For more pest control products for bees check out the catalog at You Do It Pest Control.

Bugzilla out--

Bed bugs!

Tell the truth. You thought those little bites in the middle of the night were little love nibbles from your partner and, expecting some early morning delight, you languidly rolled over to a slumbering lump of flesh. But the biting continued. You sat up, turned on the nightstand lamp and threw back the covers (cue the psycho shower scene music) to discover numerous red swollen bumps on your legs. "Bed bugs!" you screamed, and your partner rolled over and mumbled "not now, honey". No? Not exactly? That scenario may be a little over the top, but bed bugs have made a dramatic comeback recently. Infestations are popping up everywhere: from high end hotels to flop houses, from one bedroom apartments to mansions, from New York City subway benches to the Marta Transit System in Atlanta. What gives? Why are they back? One word can explain it--actually two words: international travel. Bed bugs hitch rides on travellers' clothing and luggage. Hotel guests unpack, and voila! The Olympics this summer will be a rip-roaring time for global bed bug distribution.

The sole food of bed bugs is the blood of warm-blooded animals, and humans are the preferred host of the common bedbug. They hide in cracks and crevices and are a very hardy lot. It usually takes more than one treatment and hot-water-washing of all bed linens and clothes. There are a number of good pesticides including eco-friendly ones, and if you elect to treat yourself instead of breaking the bank with an exterminator check out You Do It Pest Control. They carry a wide variety of products, and seem to know what they're talking about. Can bedbugs be eliminated? Sure they can. Just be thorough when you treat, and the next time you travel, first thing, check the hotel bed for blood spots or the actual bugs around the seams of the mattress. If you find evidence, demand another room immediately, then check that one out too!

Bugzilla out-
www.youdoitpestcontrol.com