Nuisance wildlife causing you sleepless nights?

These adorable animals can invade homes and other buildings, dig up lawns, damage vegetable crops, and raid chicken coops and beehives.  How do we keep these critters out of our environment?

Exclusion

Raccoons, Opossums and skunks are known to take up residence in attics, under the crawl space of a home or perhaps underneath the floor of a barn or garage. The only truly effective way to control this situation is to make it impossible for them to enter.  You can do this by repairing such things as damaged air vents or by blocking crawl spaces with the proper materials. It is important, to exclude the animals as soon as you notice them, because it is common for them to raise their young in human dwellings. Young wildlife needs to be removed physically before starting repairs, to make sure they don’t get sealed in. Ground level exclusion work should be buried at least 12 inches into the ground and have an L-shaped bottom, to prevent them from digging their way back in. Skunks are especially good at digging under repairs that do not extend into the ground.

     Trapping

     All of these animals are easy to catch in live traps. Live traps can be made or are available commercially. Traps should be baited with strong smelling material, such as sardines, dog food or bacon. 

      Any live trap used for raccoons must be designed so that the raccoons cannot open the trap door.  Raccoons are very good at opening traps and have been known to undo latches that lock the trap door down, if they can reach the latches with their paws.

     When live-trapping skunks, it is important to make traps of solid material, such as wood or metal. Wire traps should be wrapped in burlap or plastic so that the skunk cannot see out of the trap once it is caught. The trap, if handled gently, can then be moved with little danger of the skunk spraying.

      Trapped animals should NOT be held in captivity or transported to other areas for release unless permission is obtained from the owner or manager of the land. Animals must be immediately killed or released.

             Pest Control Services

             Another option is to hire a pest control professional that specializes in handling nuisance wildlife problems. They will be familiar with laws and regulations that pertain to your situation. They can also dispose of the animal.

Skunk Odors

It’s extremely difficult to eliminate skunk odors completely, but there are several substances that can reduce the odor substantially.  If the odor is in soil around or beneath the home, the best neutralizing agent is chloride of lime applied to the soil. Be aware that this material does kill plants.

             When the odor is on materials, like clothes, hair or skin, tomato juice or vinegar applied liberally and thoroughly rubbed on the material will greatly reduce the odor.

             Inside a house, the only effective treatment is an aerosol mist deodorant. One of the most effective is neutroleum alpha, available from many pest control operators.

           *Michigan State University, OC0214

We all love birds, well those of us who weren’t traumatized by the Alfred Hitchcock film, and we don’t want harm to come to them.  Although your feelings may change when your home or place of business is being compromised by there presence.

California has several “pest” birds that can make life miserable, especially when they are affecting the health of patrons and employees of a business.

We have all visited a public park or walked on a city street that have been inundated with pigeon droppings, feathers and birds.

When we think about “pest” birds we usually think of pigeons.  Pigeons can be dirty and annoying but they are not the only prolific bird that cause problems.  Starlings, ducks and geese and harmless looking sparrows can also be pests and carry disease.

Here are just a few of the most common diseases the bird species can carry.

According to Bird-X Inc. out of Chicago, IL, these are some of the more common diseases carried by pest birds.

Histoplasmosis is a respiratory disease that can be fatal. It results from a fungus growing in dried bird droppings.

Candidiasis is a yeast or fungus infection spread by pigeons. The disease affects the skin, the mouth, the respiratory system, the intestines and the urogenital tract.

Cryptococcosis is caused by yeast found in the intestinal tract of pigeons and starlings. This illness can start as a pulmonary disease and may later affect the central nervous system. Since attics, cupolas, ledges, schools, offices, warehouses, mills, barns, park buildings, signs, etc. are typical roosting and nesting sites, the fungus is apt to be found in these areas.

St. Louis Encephalitis, an inflammation of the nervous system, usually causes drowsiness, headache and fever. It may even result in paralysis, coma or death. St. Louis encephalitis occurs in all age groups, but is especially fatal to persons over age 60. The disease is spread by mosquitoes which have fed on infected house sparrow, pigeons and house finches carrying the Group B virus responsible for St. Louis encephalitis.

Salmonellosis often occurs as “food poisoning” and can be traced to pigeons, starlings and sparrows. The disease bacteria are found in bird droppings; dust from droppings can be sucked through ventilators and air conditioners, contaminating food and cooking surfaces in restaurants, homes and food processing plants.

Ok, so how do we prevent these types of birds from taking up residence in public areas and in our homes?

There are several pest control industry solutions to bird control.

The most common are anti-perching systems.  One system uses durable stainless steel spikes.  It works well for Pigeons or larger birds such as sea gulls. It is used on ledges, signs, beams, pipes, chimneys, lights and more.

Another easy-to-use anti-perching system is made with a stainless steel coil.  It’s perfect for long, narrow, exposed ledges. It is also adaptable to most architectural details because of its flexibility.

Netting systems deny pest bird’s access to buildings, including courtyards, roof tops, overhangs, parking garages, etc.

Bottom line, if you have a bird control problem, call a pest control professional.  They have solutions that you can feel good about.

FYI…

  ]]> http://www.hydrex.info/pest-birds/feed/ 0 http://www.hydrex.info/is-tick-season-really-over/ http://www.hydrex.info/is-tick-season-really-over/#comments Sat, 29 May 2010 19:25:42 +0000 admin http://www.hydrex.info/?p=873

Is Tick Season Really Over?

They say tick season on the west coast runs from November – April.  Well I don’t know about you, but it is the end of May and I am still pulling ticks off of our Labradors at the winery and off of our horses at home.

These insects are not just a nasty nuisance, they carry many debilitating diseases. As a matter of fact, Sunny our yellow Lab, contracted ehrlichiosis, a tick borne disease that affects the nervous and blood system.  He has never fully recovered from the disease, although some canines do.  The likely culprit in Sunny’s case is the Brown Dog Tick.

The ticks that prey on the horses are most likely the Western Black Legged Tick. During the worst part of the season, horses can carry so many ticks on them that they actually become anemic.  Treating them with tick sprays can drastically reduce the number of ticks they carry.

 A couple of years back, I found a tick on my lower abdomen and the bite area became very inflamed and swollen.  The doctor I saw didn’t bother to test for diseases and immediately put me on a dose of antibiotics stating that, no matter what type of tick it was, if it’s causing a reaction you need to be proactive. The Pacific Coast Tick is the most prevalent tick in California.  It feeds on cattle, horses, deer, and humans.  Since we are heavily populated with cattle and deer in this area, it is important to check your hair, skin and clothing for these buggers after hiking or working in the yard in rural areas.

My father, a big time nature lover who lives on the east coast, contracted Lymes Disease 25 years ago.  It was most likely from a deer tick which are prevalent in the Connecticut area.  They are so tiny in their nymph stage that they can easily go unnoticed. The longer they stay in the skin, the more likely it is that they will transmit the disease.

The signs, or symptoms, of early Lyme disease are flu-like feelings of headache, fatigue, stiff neck, fever, and muscle aches. A large number patients notice an expanding rash,  from days to weeks after the bite.  LD is a horribly insidious disease with many debilitating side effects.  It is essential that you check yourself and your children and pets after spending time outdoors especially during tick “season”.

They say that your chances of acquiring Lyme Disease are low if the tick is removed within the first 48 hours. The way you remove the tick is important!

Ignore all the old school removal methods like applying Vaseline (to suffocate them), nail polish, alcohol or a hot match.  I have done ALL of these things, being raised on the east coast surrounded by marshy land, we were always finding these predators on us.

You should not handle the tick with your bare hands.  Find a pair of gloves and with a pair of tweezers, grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible, near the “head” of the tick. Pull gently and firmly in an upward steady motion until the tick releases its hold on the skin. Do not twist.  You do not want to break off the ticks mouth parts and leave them embedded in your skin!

Disinfect the area after removal and keep an eye on it for redness, swelling or a rash for about one month after you have been bitten.

If you want to have the tick tested, save it in a small plastic jar or zip-lock bag.

If you are not going to have the tick tested, flush it down the toilet. They are hard to kill and you don’t want to have it creeping back out of the garbage!!  Also, you DO NOT want to crush it because if it is carrying a disease, the fluid from it’s body could get on your hands and penetrate your skin.

Tick testing for Lyme Disease is a screen and will NOT definitively rule out or confirm the presence of the disease. Continue to watch for symptoms even if the tick testing comes back negative!

The tick can be alive or dead for testing.  Place the tick in a small plastic bottle or sealed plastic bag and enclose in an envelope or package suitable for shipping.

If you are going to have the tick tested the sooner the better.  Ask your doctor what site they want you to send or bring the tick to.

While controlling ticks can be challenging, the use of residual sprays combined with management of the areas (high weeds, etc, ) around the house have proven successful.

 The common house fly (order Diptera) can merely be an annoyance or  it can also be the carrier of diseases such as  typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera, poliomyelitis, anthrax, leprosy, and tuberculosis to name a few.

 The house fly is a scavenger that lives on fecal matter, discharges from wounds and sores, sputum, and all sorts of moist, decaying matter like spoiled fish, eggs, and meat.  They hang out in dumps, sewers and then come visit us!

 The most effective method of limiting your exposure to house flies is keeping your home environment as sanitary as possible.  If you own horses, remove manure daily (that’s their favorite!), do not allow garbage to build up and rot, dispose of weed and grass clippings and keep trash cans clean and tightly covered.

 Screens are our best defense in keeping flies out of the house.  Make sure there are no gaps above or below doors, and train family members to keep the door opening and closing brief!

 Ultraviolet-light traps, sticky fly traps and baited fly traps can eliminate a lot flies inside a home, but the old fashioned fly swatter is a cheap and effective method for eliminating the occasional fly.

 If the fly situation in your home is out of control, you can use a pyrethrin aerosol spray to knock them down. This is a temporary fix but it can buy you some time to work on sanitation and screening. Recent products developed for the commercial environment have shown very promising results. So much so that companies like Hydrex Pest Control are now offering fly management programs to our commercial clients.

Once mosquitoes have reached the final stage of their 4 cycle life they are very difficult to control.  In the battle against mosquitoes, the best defense  is a good offense.

Winter is winding down and it’s been a wonderfully wet one. This is the time of year to inspect your home and property for potential mosquito breeding sites.

As homeowners, the best chance we have at eliminating or at least lessening the number of mosquitoes we experience in the warmer weather is by destroying their breeding sites.  Adult mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water.  This is where the larvae grow, turn into a pupa and then into an adult.

Some Adult mosquitoes stay near their breeding sites. Others can travel long distances, even up to several miles. We can’t control other peoples properties but we can do our  best to control our own by removing any potential breeding sites.

Some are more obvious then others,  such as swimming pools, bird baths or clogged rain gutters. Less obvious places could be an uprooted tree that has collected rain water or a ditch that has gone unnoticed.

Make sure to dispose of old tires, plastic sheeting, trash cans, boats, wheel barrows and flower pot bottoms. The easiest way to stop these items  from collecting water is to turn them upside down when you are not using them.

Remove standing water on flat roofs, repair leaking faucets and air conditioners that produce puddles.

Ornamental pools can be aerated or stocked with mosquito-eating fish. Water movement helps because mosquitoes prefer quiet, non-flowing water for egg-laying.

We can fill or drain ditches and swampy areas and fill tree holes and stumps with mortar or sealant to prevent accumulation of water.  It is important to eliminate standing water and seepage around animal watering troughs, cisterns, and septic tanks. Also, be careful not to over water lawns and gardens to prevent water from standing. Mosquitoes can go through their life cycle in 10-14 days depending on how warm the weather is.

You know what Ben Franklin used to say; “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”   Happy hunting!

Ten to fifteen years ago, fleas were one of the biggest pests/slash money makers in the Pest Control industry.

The disappearance and reappearance of the flea has been a topic of much discussion among pest control professionals and educators and they have come up with several theories.

Some pest control professionals believe that the disappearance of the flea had to do with the development of on-pet flea applications.

Products such as flea shampoos, dips, powders and collars have been around since the 1960’s with limited success in flea control.

But the onset of spot-on treatments such as Advantage and the oral medications such as Sentinel put effective flea control in the hands of pet owners and in large part, out of the hands of the professional pest controllers. These products, when used properly, virtually eliminated fleas from the household.

The flea population lessened to the point where pest control businesses were no longer training new employees on flea control and flea treatments were cycling out of inventory.

But despite the advancement of customer applied flea control, the flea population over the last few years has been making a comeback.

The strongest theories regarding the resurgence include resistance, the increase of wildlife in              suburban areas and a lack of an integrated approach to flea control due to diminishing expertise.

Entomologist Nancy Hinkle, from University of Georgia states, “We’re never surprised when, when an insecticide is used intensively and extensively, to see insect resistance.” (1)

Dr. Gary Bennett. Professor at Purdue University agrees with the resistance theory.  “Because most of the components used are reaching the points in their lifetimes that you see resistance cropping up.”  (2)

Also, there is a case that the increase may have to do with laziness on the part of the consumer as far as keeping about with the frequency of applications needed to control the fleas and possibly not treating the household itself or their yards.

The wildlife theory operates on the principle that as cities expand and we take  away more  and more of the wildlife’s habitat, the animals are learning to adapt to living in suburban areas where food is plentiful and shelter easily found.  It is believed that these animals such as raccoons and opossums carry more fleas than rural animals and are sharing them with household pets due to their close proximity to one another.

Yet another theory is that the resurgence has to do with the lack of pest control expertise.  During the fleas approximately ten year hiatus, an entire generation of new technicians were not trained in flea control because there was no demand for it. 

So where do we go from here?  The fleas are making a comeback no matter which theory you side with.

As a whole, Pest Control professionals agree that this new generation of technicians must be trained to use an integrated approach to flea control and to understand the biology and life cycle of the insect and the relationship with its host.  The clients should also be informed that the products that they are using may only control the adult flea and not their eggs

Using integrated pest control,  technicians  not only treat the household environment but also the outside environment.  Technicians are also responsible for educating the consumer regarding upkeep after treatment such as frequent vacuuming, washing bedding and clothing and maintaining at home medications as recommended by the manufacturers of the products and or by their veterinarians.  As with most other pest problems, flea control is a cooperative effort between the home owner and technician.

   The Lobesia botrana,or European grapevine moth is officially residing in the wine country.  The pest was first reported in the United States from Napa County vineyards in October 2009. The moth is native to Southern Italy and is now found throughout Europe, North and West Africa, the Middle East, and eastern Russia.

   Any predator that threatens the wine grape is taken very seriously in these parts.  It is safe to say that the Northern California wine country is responsible for supporting thousands of businesses from tour companies, wineries and restaurants to retail stores and resorts  .  Napa County alone is believed to generate approximately 9.5 million dollars annually through the wine industry.

    These pests damage the grapes in three phases.  In May and June, the first-generation larvae web and feed on the flower clusters.  The second-generation larvae (July-August) penetrate the berry and hollow them out, leaving the skin and seeds.  Third-generation larvae (August-September) cause the greatest damage by webbing and feeding inside berries and within bunches, which become contaminated with their excrement.  Additionally, feeding damage to berries after ripening exposes them to infection by Botrytis and other secondary fungi.  Secondary pests such as raisin moth (Cadra figulilella), fruit flies, and ants may also be attracted to damaged berries.

    The California Department of Food and Agriculture quarantined 162 square miles in Napa Valley in an effort to stop the spread of the European grapevine moth.  The quarantined zone spans parts of Napa, Sonoma and Solano Counties. Grapes within the zone cannot be transported outside the quarantine boundaries, though the grapes can be processed on site.

It is important to report new sightings of the larvae or moth to CDFA at 1-800-491-1899.  While the European grapevine moth is not a structural pest control problem,  it is important that we are vigilant in reporting any suspected infestations of home or hobby vineyards, so that containment of this problem can be accomplished.

   Plant your own organic garden.  You know your veggies are fresh and will taste better than anything you can buy in the store.  Gardening is something that the whole family can participate in.  It will teach your children or grandchildren where the produce you shop for actually comes from and give them a better appreciation for the food that they eat.  Everyone in the household will notice how much for flavorful your home grown veggies are.  This may encourage the entire family to eat more vegetables.  Consider planting some fruit trees!  Remember, it is plants that remove carbon monoxide from the air we breath.

Gardening is also a great way to get low level exercise and relieve stress.

When can you plant?  In California we can plant most of the year! And remember, it’s never too late to plant the summer veggies.  You can go to the nursery and purchase started plants or  plant from seed veggies like green beans. Herbs will also grow well mid-summer. Fall is a great time to grow salad veggies like different types of lettuce, kale and spinach.

Plants are fed by the micro organisms in the soil.  Fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides can kill those organisms. We can use mulch to control weeds instead of chemicals. Mulch also conserves water by protecting the soil from direct sunlight. Grass clippings, straw and leaves make an easy and effective mulch that breaks down easily and helps feed the soil. Mulching is a form of Integrated pest Management or IPM, in that it helps to prevent pest weeds from growing in unwanted areas.

Green pest control may sound like an oxymoron, but there are many green choices available that are truly effective. Green in the pest control industry actually began in the late 70’s early 80’s when many companies implemented Integrated Pest Management (IPM) into their normal pest control practices. Since then we have effectively expanded these practices and implemented techniques such as heat treatment, cold treatment, diatomaceous earth products, baits and orange products. All of these techniques have their place in the tool chest of today’s pest management specialist. The industry continues to evolve into a greener more environmentally responsible industry by using IPM and alternative methods.

So just a friendly reminder, if you see a swarm, please contact Hydrex for a beekeeper

referral or contact the Sonoma County Beekeepers’ Association at http://www.sonomabees.org/ for a list a bee keepers in your area!

The Silent Destroyers!

Home owners, have you had your house checked for termites in the last year? The National Pest Management Association urges homeowners to inspect their properties annually.

What to look for:

*One of the most common and aggressive species, is the subterranean termite.  It lives in underground colonies of up to two million members and builds distinctive “mud tubes” to food sources.

*Look for signs of rotting wood around the perimeter of your house.  Keep your eyes open for the actual insect.  You can see a picture of the subterranean termite on our “pests” page.

*Dry wood termites are another common and destructive pest.  As the name indicates, dry wood termites infest dry wood such as rafters in an attic or an outside wood pile.  It is important to store any wood at least 20’ from your home.

*The dampwood termite is attracted to moisture, so it is important to keep your gutters clear and maintain down spouts that direct water away from the house.

According to the NPMA, termites create upwards of $5 billion worth of property damage.  Many home owners insurance policies do not cover wood-boring insect damage, so it is crucial to take preventative measures to protect your home.

If you suspect that you might have a termite problem, please contact Hydrex Pest Control for an inspection.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, honey bees pollinate 80% of our flowering crops which makes up about 1/3 of everything we eat. These crops include foods such as apples, broccoli, strawberries, nuts, asparagus, blueberries and cucumbers.

If honey bees disappear, the beef and dairy industries will also be affected because bees pollinate alfalfa, a mainstay for cows.

The honey bee population has been steadily declining for the last 50 years but has accelerated at an alarming rate since 2006.

If you aren’t sure what a honey bee looks like you can look them up on our website and see the difference between the various types of bees.

To learn more about bees and ways you can help, you can go to the website   www.sonomabees.org If you have come across a swarm of bees and need them removed, you can contact us at Hydrex and we can refer you to a beekeeper or you can go to Sonoma County Beekeepers Association website at www.sonomabees.org/swarm/index.html for a list of beekeepers in your area.

So the next time you want to swat a honey bee, try picturing our world without them!