The first termite job of 2010

You know how every year they make such a big deal about the first baby born in the new year? The local newspaper covers the story and the time is recorded right down to the minute. Well although termite work may not be quite the story or nearly as joyous, I’d like to announce that I had the first subterranean termite job of 2010 and I couldn’t be any prouder.

Labor took just under 3 hours and the job was born at 11:58 am January 1st. There weren’t any critical complications but I had some issues to work through for sure. In the end I slapped a termite treatment sticker on the fuse box and pronounced it a completed job.

Being the proud technician I took plenty of pictures and I want to share them all with you. In lieu of gifts or congratulatory cards we ask that you get a termite inspection for your home as soon as possible in pestcemetery’s name.
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Posted in Termites | 4 Comments

The mysterious above ground ant tunnels

Do ants make tunnels like termites?

It’s a common question and even some exterminators too quick to respond will answer incorrectly. Ants DO make above ground tunnels in which they travel and I suppose it provides them some protection. Many termite jobs have been sold to unaware homeowners by misinformed pest control salesman and I’m sure a few by those who did know but took advantage. Ant tunnels are not as common as termite and with a quick look on the internet one might say they do indeed have termites and be all to willing to get a job done to save their home from damage. There are a few differences in the tunnels and in just a few minutes you’ll be able to tell which is which and hopefully save you from wasting money on a pest you may not have.
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Posted in Ants | 13 Comments

Fox

Would you consider killing a fox pest control? Does that make you a little uncomfortable and perhaps ask why would anybody want to kill such a creature? We all remember the story of Mokhairul Islam from Bangladesh who killed 83,000 rats in one year and most people would have no problem with that. After all he did get a color TV out of the deal and rats are disgusting right? Most Americans are basically animal lovers (at least way down deep) and the fox is such a beautiful animal certainly not like a rat or big hairy spider so when we hear of people killing over 90 foxes in one season it tends to upset us. It seems that in Australia the fox problem is such that citizens have taken matters into their own hands and two young cousins Ash Saunders and Brady Hayes along with mates Josh Lidgerwood and Todd Vogelzang seem to have taken the lead in eradicating the problem. They didn’t use guns but the story did not say exactly how they killed the slyest of creatures except to say they tracked them with 4 dogs. Like Mokhairul the boys received praise and reward for their pest control efforts but I wonder if the same would be true in the U.S.A.
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Posted in Occasional Pests | Leave a comment

Pest control in apartments in 6 minutes

Of all the commercial jobs a pest control professional faces apartments have got to be one of the toughest. This is pretty remarkable when you think of it. Even the smallest mom and pop companies do service for high tech accounts such as flour mills with tight restrictions, elder care facilities, restaurants and other high maintenance jobs. Large companies do all of these but also tend to get such bids as hospitals, factories, stadiums and even whole countries. What all companies get regardless of size is apartments; This common client can be the source of the worst frustration for any route and where the fruits of your labor are seldom rewarded.
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Posted in Spraying around series | 6 Comments

Making mound cakes with fire ants

Granule treated mound with new mound on left

Granule treated mound with new mound on left

Fire ants are growing problem in the United States and are being reported farther north with each year. For those who are not familiar with this species of ant the first thoughts of finding them in their yards are filled with fear. This anxiety is fueled no doubt from tall tales and rumor as well as misinformation found on the good old world wide web. Reports of this aggressive ant eating little children and ponies may sound far fetched but I experienced this first hand when I lived in Baltimore many years ago.

Our branch got word that a large shipment of Christmas trees was being shipped to the area from the deep south and that these trees were infested with the dreaded stinging insect. We didn’t have the internet at the time but that didn’t stop the rumor mill from churning out impossible stories and the city buzzed with wary anticipation. I guess the trees came but the ants either died or lost interest because we never got call one. That didn’t stop people from getting yard treatments, preventative sprays (which came with an annual contract of course) and insecticidal granule sales went through the roof. Somewhere in the cloud of stories that swirled about granules emerged as the number one defense against this unholy beast and I think it still is the consensus #1 treatment today for homeowners.
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Pest control crossword

crossword puzzle pestcemetery.comEveryone enjoys a brain teaser once in awhile and solving pest control problems can be just that more times than not. I’ve put together a quick crossword puzzle for your enjoyment. Hopefully you won’t be able to come up with the answers to quickly but if you’re stuck for a few days I’ll know I over did it.

Click the link and enjoy;

Crossword Puzzle: Pest teaser

PS. I’d really appreciate some feedback, if you liked the puzzle let me know in the comment section below. Post your times and see if you were faster than our other readers. I’m working on it being able to open up right on site but for now you’ll be taken to a fun little puzzle creation site where I made it.

Posted in In my opinion | Leave a comment

Pest Poop 101

It may sound funny but your average bug man who’s been around for any length of time has probably taken a course on poop. Let’s face it, sometimes it may be the only evidence left behind (no pun intended) from which to identify your pest problem and thereby go about the business of solving it. I’ve had hundreds of clients over the years who purchased mouse bait, glue boards, traps and the like because they found small black fecal droppings on there counter tops. After about a week with no rodent but plenty more droppings they called me in and within minutes I let them know they need a roach job, not a mouse call.
For this article we’ll just handle just the most common id problems but if you need to verify something not listed please use the Ask the Bug Doctor page where you can also upload a picture and I’ll be happy to help.
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Posted in Tech Tips | Tagged , , , , , | 151 Comments

“What’s this brown crap the exterminator put in my cabinet?”

While the title might be a be harsh it is a direct quote or close proximity I’ve heard so many times over the years about roach bait remnants that exterminators leave behind in peoples cabinets and drawers. . The brown substance referred to is roach gel bait designed to be put in out of the way roach hiding places with a syringe or bait gun where they will eat the bait and die. The problem is that the spots are not always so hidden and now each time the customer opens a drawer or cabinet they see this ugly dark brown streak or smear that looks sloppy and unprofessional to say the least. At first the goo is a tannish brown, almost golden but over a short period of time the dried glob turns hard and black and looks as if it is in the state rotting decay. Just the thing you’d want to see in the morning when you reach for your box of cereal.
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Posted in Tools of the trade | Leave a comment

Using snail mail to Ask the Bug Doctor

Over the years I’ve been asked to identify many insects and while most customers save the critters in a baggy or jar till the next time I come out some go so far as to put the sample on ice and hope the wife doesn’t find it before I do. Others leave the bugs on the floor just how they found them I guess so as not to disturb the forensic process of the crime scene. By far the most challenging way I receive bugs to look at is always through the mail. I’m not exactly sure what kinds of equipment the letters go through as they are sorted but I’m sure one of the machines is a masher/flattener or maybe some big hairy guy with a hammer. It never fails that when I open the envelope the bug falls out in about 20 pieces & I have no idea of how to even start reassembling the insect puzzle.
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Posted in Flies and Gnats | Leave a comment

Is green pest control like the metric system?

map of metric system user countries pestcemetery.comAlmost every country in the world uses the metric system of measurements, the exception is the United States. As the story goes the U.S. was in line back in the 1970’s to become only the 2nd country to convert but the change came with resistance from several key sectors and now it is the last. I remember as a kid going to math class and trying to learn the conversions but just as suddenly the curriculum was dropped. (I was thankful for sure) Weather reports were done for awhile in both celsius and fahrenheit but it was felt there were too many numbers being thrown at the audience. Metrics again, were taken out. Manufacturers were probably the key to keeping the meter out of your daily language because they found a superior way of measuring in ‘decimal inches’. The decimal inch is actually 4 times better than measuring in millimeters unless you were to use 1/2 or 1/4 millimeters which only adds fraction and defeats the purpose. By 1988 the push was gone and an amendment was made to establish the metric system in government first and then the public once a foundation was set. Typical of our elected leaders, the system has all but faded away. Maybe that’s not all bad, a 4 year political term in metric would be about 8 months longer and I’m not sure we could stand our elected leaders for that long.
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Posted in In my opinion | 2 Comments

How to treat your air vents for bugs

What do you do when you’re chasing a spider or a roach only to have it escape into an air vent? If you douse the opening with Raid or poof some boric acid dust into it guess what will be coming out in about 10 minutes when the air kicks on. That’s right, you’ll either have the smell of your aerosol and or any airborne pesticide particles floating around your living area and this sometimes can go on for days. This is not good and for obvious reasons you should ALWAYS avoid spraying anything into air vents or air returns.

I’m often asked to spray in air vents but my usual reply is; “Sure, I can do that and when I’m done can I spray in your fish tank?” Of course the answer is always NO and a look of puzzled concern always follows. I explain that both actions are about the same because I’m putting pesticide in a place where you cannot avoid breathing it and I have no control of where it goes. Just as your fish will surely take ill it would be no less irresponsible for me to treat your vents in this way.
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Posted in Spraying around series | 135 Comments

What ever happened to toxic mold?

It doesn’t seem all that long ago when meetings were being called, informational flyers were sent and the nightly news had at least one story about the dreaded new wave of death that was sweeping the country. Stachybotrys chartarum also known as “Black Mold” was the equivalent of the Bird flu of a few seasons ago or even the Swine flu epidemic which we are (allegedly) experiencing now. Lawyers of course were on the forefront of the movement and high profile cases such as with Tonight show co-host Ed McMahon’s successful litigation of $7 million dollars the ball was rolling at full speed. (His case didn’t even involve a pest company) Still, with the greenish black substance of death lining your wall or hidden behind the shower silently growing all across the fruited plain what the movement lacked was a target to pin the blame on.
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Posted in Termites | 2 Comments

Structural terms used in termite reports

termite scoping house pestcemetery.comI’m not a contractor nor do I play one on TV but as a termite inspector it helps to know certain structural terms so that anybody reading my WDO (wood destroying organism report) can quickly know what area I’ve noted. This helps tremendously if you need a contractor to come out and fix some damage and it is most definitely a plus should the state inspector be called out or God forbid litigation come about as the result of a wood destroying insect issue.

As a home buyer it also gives you a clearer picture of what was found and where and you can make better buying decisions as a result. For instance if your inspector noted ‘heavy roof rot’ on the roof boards near the front of the home you might run from that house thinking the roof was ready to cave in with the next rain fall. If however they stated it was ‘heavy wood rot’ on the fascia over the front door area you could rest a bit easier because you’d know that it is in all likelihood not that terrible.
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Chalk talk episode #1 Insect foggers and how German roaches survive

In my travels I come across many spent insect foggers. I find them in attics, crawl spaces, cars and campers just to name a few spots. Each can has a story I’m sure but almost all I’m afraid that were used for german roach control have the same ending. While I’m sure thousands of roaches died in the deadly mist, many more just found this assault a minor inconvenience and thrived once the cloud was gone.
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Posted in Roaches | 3 Comments

Bark Scorpions – Is their bark worse than their bite/sting!

ProBest pest mgt logo pestcemetery.comThis article was written by Keith V. Birkemeyer from ProBest Pest Management and blogger extraordinaire. His insights on scorpions come from years of service in Florida and Arizona where scorpions thrive and really need the attention of a professional. You can see Keith’s expertise on his blog Probestsblog blog and is well worth your time. Besides informative articles, he has news stories, guess that bug, pictures and more. One of my favorite articles is “Top 5 questions asked of Probest’s Pest Management“. Oddly enough the #1 question has to deal with his subject in this article. Enjoy.
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Posted in Scorpions | 5 Comments