Asking the Bug Doctor could pay off

Our recent upgrade of pest cemetery has been very exciting. After a lot of hard work and admittedly still some work to do, we think it’s been worth it. Not only can you browse the supply store and pick up a much needed item you can also get real time advice for your specific situation or pest. It’s only been a few days and I’ve already gotten many questions from readers. Clicking the ask the bug doctor tab brings you to a simple page where you can anonymously type any question you may have. Your question does not automatically show up on the site as in the article comments but from time to time I will use some questions and responses to feature as an article. We hope to have a picture upload feature soon (some of that work we still need to do) and that as they say might be worth a 1000 words.

Recently a reader named Mike had a disagreement with his boss and found my article Severe termite damage-how fast do termites damage wood? His question was not how fast but how much damage in weight does a termite colony do in one year.
Continue reading

Posted in Termites | 2 Comments

The silent crickets of Waco Texas

It sounds like a bad cowboy and western movie from the 1950’s or some historic event that just wasn’t quite up to the same level as say, the Battle of Little Bighorn. While not an earth moving event that got lost in the historic shuffle of how the west was won ask anybody in Waco Texas their opinion of the impact of crickets on the area and you’ll get the same bleary eyed look of worn out disgust.

For whatever reason certain regions have massive amounts of specific insects and crickets have called Waco their home for many many years. If you google ‘crickets in Waco’ you only get a few related stories, (one from 1983) of the actual insect itself that plagues this town on an annual basis and the rest of the returns are for restaurants, hotels and bars that have crickets in their name. Apparently people have become quite numb to this nuisance and so the head lines and stories are short and could be summed up with “here we go again.”

While the weather is warmer the cricket population seems happy to hide in cracks and crevices by day and remain relatively tame coming out in the evening hours to feed. As the temperature drops the crickets get busy and start coming out in a big way looking for warmth, mates and laying more eggs for the next generation. One female can lay as many as 2000 eggs so you can see why the problem can quickly get out of hand. Crickets are omnivores and eat just about anything including other dead crickets. While most information on crickets indicates they do carry some diseases it’s not considered fatal to humans. Dead crickets and cricket fecal matter seems to be the main culprit but excessive handling is not recommended.
Continue reading

Posted in Pests in the news | Leave a comment

A TV Costs 83,000 Rats

Actually, the 14 inch color television set was a prize won by Mokhairul Islam a 40 year old farmer from Bangladesh. The contest? Who could kill the most rats and Islam out distanced the 2nd place contestant by a wide margin. Over a period of 9 months Islam killed 83,450 rats while the runner up Fakhrul Haque Akanda only bagged 37,450. While Islam used mainly poison baits Akanda employed traps and many of those he invented. To prove the number of rats each man killed they both saved the tails of the rats they killed and when the tallies were in the grand prize went to Islam.

“I am so happy to get this honor,” Islam told The Associated Press after receiving a 14-inch television and a certificate amid cheers at an official ceremony packed with 500 farmers and officials. “I had no idea that the government gives prizes for this.”
“This is an exciting moment. I will continue to kill them,” he vowed.

Continue reading

Posted in Rats and Mice | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Bed bug eggs hatching

Bed bug eggs are very small, about 1mm in length which is the equivalent of two grains of salt and white in color. Eggs hatch in one to two weeks and start out sticky so they can be laid just about anywhere, on any surface. Female bed bugs can lay five eggs per day which is about five hundred in her lifetime of about one year. Spraying for bed bugs does not kill the eggs and vacuuming may at best only suck up a few because of their size, location and glue like substance. Heat treatments will kill all stages including the eggs but so often eggs and other stages are missed and reinfestation only takes a short time.

If you are considering do it yourself bed bug control be ready for an intense battle and prepare yourself for a lot of work. Missing only a few (which almost everybody does) is acceptable if you are talking about earwigs but is just a bump in the road for the bed bug population in your home. The eggs and the bed bugs that hatch out do not need mamma to be able to survive and the nymphs are born hungry. Since this site is geared to help, you can click the links to arm yourself with the knowledge you’ll need but I thought you also might like to see what you’re up against with the video below.

Good Luck!


Continue reading

Posted in Bed Bugs | Leave a comment

Carpets, Not Just For Breakfast Anymore (how to kill carpet beetles)

Sometimes the name of a pest just doesn’t do it justice, carpenter ants don’t build things, deer mice don’t have antlers and carpet beetles can be found in so many more things than just your rug. Of course the name animal fibers such as wool, furs, silk, feathers, felt and leather, foodstuffs and cereal, pasta, nuts, blankets, hair, dead carcasses, abandon bird nest and oh yes carpet beetle might be a little long so I guess we’ll just have to live with it.

Not easily found

carpet beetle and larvae pestcemetery.comCarpet beetles are a common pest but infestations can go long unnoticed. The adult beetle is seemingly harmless and is most often seen dead on a window sill or away from the original infestation point. The larvae prefer to eat in darkened quiet areas typically on clothing not worn often in a dark closet or the edges of carpets and under furniture. The eggs are woven in tiny sacs that blend in with the surrounding fabric and hard to spot. Although the larvae are easily distinguished because of their dense hair covered bodies and what looks like a stinger (actually more hair) what most people find is just shed skins and not the larvae itself. Both the larvae and the adult tend to wander so finding one of these may not be the best clue as to where the original infestation is. Dead mice or a old bird nest in the attic could be your source just as easily as the wool sweater in your dresser.
Continue reading

Posted in Fabric pests | 1 Comment

Lawn shrimp and Forrest Gumps day off

lawn shrimp size pestcemetery.comThe call doesn’t come in very often but it seems to happen around this time of year after we have heavy rains that some homes have waves of shrimp coming in under there front or garage door. This creature which is not an insect but a crustacean is so odd that the reaction of customers can be one of panic or amazement. Much like the movie Forrest Gump when he hit the mother load of shrimp after the big storm those ‘shrimp’ are already there just under our feet but the excess moisture gets them moving and that’s when we see them. Lots of them!

Terrestrial Amphipods (Lawn shrimp) are relatives of Hermit crabs and more traditional sea creatures we think of but have adapted to live on land and do just fine. There are about 90 species of Amphipods in the U.S. and Canada and none are harmful that I know of or even considered a pest. Also called ‘house hoppers’ or ‘big red fleas’ this creature needs semi aquatic conditions and eats organic or decaying animal matter. Sometimes confused with springtails, homeowners or pest control professionals alike will spray the yard for control but this often misses the mark. Amphipods also live on beaches, their hopping and resemblance to fleas leads people to believe a beach area is infested with the blood sucking insect but it is just the harmless Amphipod.
Continue reading

Posted in Occasional Pests | 32 Comments

pestcemetery.com gets a new look

old logo pestcemetery.comPest cemetery has been upgraded and I’m excited to share it with you. For all my faithful readers who have been with me since the first post 2 years ago I hope the new changes will be to your liking. We have tried to make it more user friendly, easier on the eyes and simpler to participate with your thoughts. To all the new visitors I say welcome and please feel free to sign in to the RSS feed so you’ll be alerted to the new articles as they come out.

New features in the site include a supply store where you can purchase books and selected pest control tools and supplies. Ask the Bug Doctor page is designed for you to send your pest control questions and pictures for our advice and solutions to your pest control needs. A share button is available and I hope you use it to let all your Facebook, Twitter and other social media friends know when you’ve found an article or information that may might find useful. We are also proud to have advertisers who offer such products as organic gardening, pest control supplies and flea treatments for your pets.
Continue reading

Posted in In my opinion | 1 Comment

The perils of the paper wasp-how not to get stung

I’m not sure if I’m 100% qualified to write on this subject. The truth is I get stung more by paper wasps than any other stinging insect and I don’t see this trend changing anytime soon. The main reason is that while we see many paper wasps nests under the eaves of our homes and avoid those, there are many more nests in the bushes and foliage that we walk by everyday and don’t see. Then when we go to trim or need to walk through the area disturbing the bush we are perceived as a threat and one or two of them will fly out and sting you. In my job I’m always making my way through shrubbery or pushing past palm fronds so I guess getting an occasional sting is inevitable.
Continue reading

Posted in Bees and wasps | Leave a comment

Anatomy of a cancellation

Today isn’t going down on my list of all time best for a couple reasons. One, I was treating for paper wasps on the side of a home and took camouflage/cover near a palm tree to avoid getting stung. Well I’m sure you guessed it, there was an even bigger nest in the tree and I got whacked in the collar before I knew what hit me. The second reason is not more than ten minutes later I received a call that a rather large account was canceling their service with my company.

The customer is a medium sized apartment complex with only 65 units but the work was steady and with the newest management company that came in I was finally getting paid on a regular basis. I service the account so I can’t blame my technicians and although it’s not the largest job I do by far, the sting of losing a customer no matter how big is just as bad. Of course I’ve gone through the range of thoughts as to why this happened and being human I blamed them in my mind and narrowed it down to a conspiracy of the manager and the maintenance man. As my 12 hour day wound down to the end I began to have more rational thoughts about it and perhaps tomorrow I’ll even have changed my mind or found out the real reason with a phone call.
Continue reading

Posted in Choosing a pest control company | Leave a comment

The 12 hour tick time bomb

Have you ever found a tick on your body? If you’re like most us I’m sure you have and like us your first reaction was a deep gasp and a look of horror. Your mind quickly races through the days events searching for the time you could have picked it up but just as fast your thoughts turn to yanking that horrible beast out.

Perhaps visions of Lyme disease wasn’t in these first few minutes of this harrowing episode but when it comes to ticks and anyone who has had one lodged in their skin the thought comes soon enough. “Did this tick carry the disease? Do I have Lyme disease? How will I know?” are just a few questions and without the right answers those thoughts quite often turn to fear.
Continue reading

Posted in Ticks | Leave a comment

Foreclosed homes and termites

Buying a foreclosed home has always been a bit on the risky side and is not something that should ever be attempted without at least some professional help. These homes are generally left in disrepair and there may be no telling what truly needs to be fixed. Everything from the roof to the septic should be looked at because the banks almost always sell these homes as is and you cannot go back and claim non disclosure for unseen problems.

Termite inspections are essential when buying a bank owned home and just because you’ve read this article or you might know a little about termites and what to look for don’t be fooled. There are some hard luck stories but most of these homes were neglected when the occupant lived there and such things as wood rot and termite infestations were left unchecked and festering for long periods of time. Those conditions only get worse when the home is sitting empty sometimes for years. In some cases the damage is real obvious and leaves little to the imagination, other times there may only be the tiniest visible evidence but in either case my advice is to hire a pro.
Continue reading

Posted in Termites | 24 Comments

The Deadly Cicada Killer

Ok, so here’s an insect that is about 2 inches long, as thick as your thumb, looks and sounds like a mini Black hawk helicopter so what’s not to be afraid of? I mean even its name triggers our worst fears.

CICADA KILLER

cicada killer catches her prey pestcemetery.com Now add to that about 250 of them flying around your yard at low levels like humming birds on steroids and most people run for the hills!

Each year exterminators from Colorado to New York city get frantic calls regarding these invasions and most often the caller is disappointed by what they’re told. Control measures are very limited when it comes to the cicada killer and most bug guys won’t tackle the job. Instead they tell you that this huge beast is relatively harmless and should be left alone. I don’t know how many times I’ve told someone this and before I know it the phone goes silent and I just know their finger is quickly dialing another number from the book looking for help. The truth is, there is very little you can do.

Things that don’t work

I don’t have any scientific data to back this up but these are things I’ve tried to get rid of the cicada killer but didn’t work.

 

  • Yard sprays
  • dusting each hole
  • yard foggers
  • bug zappers
  • citronella candles
  • packing dirt back in holes
  • granules
  • tennis rackets (but not for very long–they get mad)
  • cicada killer climbing on hand pestcemetery.comAbout the only thing that will deter them is a nice thick turf as they tend to like sparse and open sandy areas. Cicada killers also come back to the same area each year so once they’ve chosen your yard I’d be breaking out the fertilizer. Cicada killers gather each year by the hundreds in a large group called a Lek. Kind of a big mating party and when they are done the female usually begins to dig her burrow not to far away. This is where she’ll lay her eggs in chambers on a cicada that she has caught, paralyzed and drug down into the hole. Thankfully this frenzied activity only lasts a week or two but underground the eggs hatch in just a few days and the cycle is reborn. The larva eat the cicada and then spin a silken cocoon in which they’ll pupate in over the winter. Adults emerge in late June to July and you guessed it, a Lek party and it’s back to your yard.

    Now as exterminators it is our job to try and educate as much as possible and over the years I have demonstrated that this huge wasp is of no harm. I have walked through the buzzing hordes and even had them land on my outstretched hand all the while the lady of the house is shrieking from behind the closed kitchen window. Nothing seems to soothe the fear that these creatures conjure up and if I’m asked once, the harmless cicada killer pestcemetery.comI’m asked 1000 times; “Are you sure there is nothing you can do?” Being licensed in lawn spraying I agree to begin a fertilizer program to thicken the yard so as to discourage next years Lek. I also smile as I show her the receipt and circle ‘insect treatment included’ and even though I’ve gone to great lengths to persuade the lovely lady of the house it is only then that she sighs and shows any sign of relief.

 

Posted in Bees and wasps | 4 Comments

Home made spray rigs

I’m constantly amazed at the ingenuity and perseverance of the do it yourself pest control people. There are so many home made contraptions to catch or treat everything from flies to fleas. Some of these ingenious devices are truly amazing while others look downright dangerous or hopelessly complicated. My favorite is the beer can on a wire to catch unwanted mice and the ones that worry me the most are home made insecticides that even a chemist would have trouble figuring out.
Continue reading

Posted in Tools of the trade | Leave a comment

Severe termite damage-how fast do termites eat wood?

No structure is safe

hunt cabin pestcemetery.comIn the last 26 years I have seen some pretty extensive termite damage to homes and commercial structures. Some on buildings that have long been forgotten but most on homes that are lived in and the damage was happening right under everyones nose. Just this spring I was asked to try and stop termites from attacking a $20,000.00 boat in storage. Upon inspection we found that the termites had built tunnels right up the trailer tires and almost completely gutted the interior. The simple answer was to hook up to the hitch and move the boat and while this didn’t make my customer all that happy the advice was free and the termite problem was solved. Recently I also treated a 100 year old ‘bunk’ house that is now being used for a hunting cabin. There is so much damage I’m not sure what’s holding the place up but like so many other buildings I’ve seen it’s still standing after all these years and may even be around for another 100 years.

Conditions need to be right

For severe damage to occur there usually has to be a couple of ripe conditions. Moisture is a key element that termites need and if your home provides a steady stream or source your chances go way up. Access is another element and for homes with wood to ground contact, cracks in the foundation or moist crawl-spaces this is nosevere damage pestcemetery.com problem. Now I have seen perfectly sound homes (except for the termites) that didn’t seem to provide these elements and it looked very solid and yet we found extensive termite damage. Termites compensate very well and will actually bring moisture up from their underground world into the feeding area to supply what they need to keep from drying out. Access may only be an unseen crack or seam in the foundation no thicker than a business card which allows them to go unseen for years. As a general rule homes that contribute these needs tend to have the most damage but in the termite business you can take nothing for granted.

How fast can termites eat my home

There is no hard and fast answer to this question because it depends on how large the colony is, if it’s just one colony attacking the home and the factors listed above. Most termite colonies take two to three years to become large enough to swarm which is considered a mature colony of 60,000. Subterranean termites can over the years easily get into the millions so the difference of how much wood they eat can be huge. Most estimates say the average colony can consume one foot of a 2×4 in about six months and a home that is about 2300 square feet has about 17,000 board feet of lumber. With some quick math the shocking answer is that it would take an average colony 8500 years to consume your home. This calculation is not for the Formosan termite which is called by most experts the “super termite” and far out paces these numbers. It also may be different because of your home size or amount of wood available.

Tell us what you think

I wrote this article because this question comes up quite frequently in my job. Having never done the math before I was quite surprised at the answer and I’m sure the next person who asks me will be shocked as well. While this number may lull some to sleep don’t let that be you. Termites are ferocious eaters and even in a few short years significant damage can be done. Termites that have free run of a home that never gets treated just don’t stop on their own and work 7 days a week 365 days per year. If you have seen any homes like this I’d love to hear about it. Just leave a comment below and tell us what you’ve seen. Hopefully your story is just one you heard about and not about your own home or worse yet, your boat.

Posted in Termites | Tagged , , , , | 30 Comments

When pests cross the property line

One of the more difficult problems in pest control is stopping bugs that come from a neighbors property. No matter how many old pesticide cans you get from the shed and spray you just can’t get to the source. In many instances the best you can achieve is to keep it at a low roar but that often changes if the conditions next door change too.

Common problems from adjoining property

Now this is by no means a complete list but these are the most common pests that build up in one location and venture off to other locations either in search of food or more real estate. They also can be very difficult because each of them require control efforts getting to the nest site or breeding source in order to eliminate them.

Getting your neighbors help

good neighbors pestcemetery.comIn a perfect world this wouldn’t be a problem and besides if you are having pest issues I’m pretty sure they are being bothered as well and probably even worse. This can be pretty tricky however and you need careful how you approach them. Asking them to cut down a Boxelder tree might be a tall order but even more difficult might be asking them to clean up all those piles of dog doo to stop the flies. The key is not to start off the conversation by blaming your neighbor. Instead describe the problem you are having and see if they don’t agree that they are having it too. Tell them how you’ve eliminated all the standing water to cut down on the mosquitoes or how you had your yard sprayed for fleas and how much it helped and maybe it would benefit them. Speaking in this way won’t put them in an awkward position and they just might be grateful for the tip. You might even be armed with your your bug guys business card or let them know he’ll be stopping by to follow up and you’ll have him stop by. Not all neighbors will or can cooperate for different reasons but it’s worth the try so you can get to the source of both your problems.

Not getting your neighbors help

Unfortunately this is probably where most homeowners will find themselves.bad neighbor pestcemetery.com Perhaps because the neighbor can’t afford service or they are unwilling to take the sanitation measures needed but in any case you are left sharing in their pest problem. In these cases you’re better off to arm yourself with knowledge first before you load up with gallons of spray. Knowing the habits and needs of the acrobatic ant will go along way to keeping your home ant free. Understanding the seasonal millipede or boxelder invasions allows you to set up effective barriers before they get their start. With even just a moderate amount of information you can reduce these invaders presence on your property far better than just a ‘spray and pray’ approach. Traps, lures, baits, physical barriers and using the correct products may make the difference when you can’t get a neighbors help.

Without being able to get to a source or having a product that will be carried back you may be in for a long battle. This is why roaches in apartments are so difficult to eliminate or rats that infest whole city blocks. At this point don’t forget that your local bug man can be of great help. They can set up the most effective barriers to protect you and your family because of their knowledge and access to products that are far superior to what you can buy. You may not eliminate the problem but you will be better off with their professional service.

Posted in Occasional Pests | Leave a comment