Let’s start with the least problematic species the little black house ant, aka; sugar ant.  These guys form trails heading from their entry point to a food source generally in the kitchen or garbage area.  They can also be seen trailing outdoors and nest both inside and out. They prefer to nest in decayed wood but are also known to nest in voids or cracks in cement.  

Although they are a nuisance, they do not cause damage to your house and can be controlled with baits.  Many of our bi-monthly pest control clients started the service to control ant invasions.  You can help prevent ant infestations by moving kitchen garbage outside, keeping counters clean and food sealed up tight.

Odorous house ants actually emit and odor similar to the smell of rotten coconuts when crushed. They generally go for sweet foods. Even though the name suggests these pests are common in the home, they are actually more of an outdoor pest. They can nest in walls voids in the home, but are usually found outdoors in nesting locations similar to other ants; under rocks, logs, planters, etc.  These ants are also considered a nuisance pest and do not physically damage the house.  Baiting can sometimes be difficult, because of this ants reluctance to take different types of baits.

Argentine ants are also very common and considered more of a problem because they can be difficult to control and because they can bite!  These ants are about 1/16th” long and can build nests under just about anything.  These ants sometimes crawl through dead animals or garbage, so they can be carriers of disease.  Argentine ants can be found indoors and out.  They trail heavily to and from food sources. Inside they eat just about anything that can be found in the kitchen, while outside they eat things like other dead creatures, honeydew from other insects and bee honey. They nest where there is a source of moisture, like under a kitchen sink, or in inside a potted plant. Outside you can find nests under rocks, garbage cans, concrete, or any place moist and sheltered from light. 

Spraying and baiting in combination is the most effective method of control for these pests. It is essential that garbage is stored well if it can not be disposed of right away.

Lastly let’s look at the carpenter ant which actually can do damage to your home. Carpenter ants frequently make their homes by hollowing out wood to make galleries and nests, which is how they got their name. Carpenter ants tear wood and clear it out for nesting, they don’t actually digest it like termites. These ants can also nest in wall voids, or other types of voids and build galleries through wood in your home. They feed on the same sorts of things other ants do; other insects and household food items. Typically larger than most other ants, the size of a carpenter ant can be an indication of the size and maturity of its colony.  Bigger ants come from more mature colonies.  

Keep an eye out for warning signs you may have a carpenter ant infestation. You may see the swarmers or their wings around window areas, workers foraging for food, or the debris pushed out of the galleries by the ants. This debris is called frass. It collects in small piles and looks like sawdust. Frass can include bits of other building materials or insect body parts. Sometimes the makeup of the frass can be a tip off as to where the ants are nesting. Look for darker colored frass indicating nesting in decaying wood, or pieces of wall insulation or foam insulating board.

If you suspect you have carpenter ants it is important to have a pest control professional come out and take a look.  If the nest is outside, a barrier should be sprayed around the house as well as localized treatments for the ants inside. If the nest is determined to be inside the home it can be controlled with traditional injections of pesticide in aerosol or dust form.

Well that is plenty of ant info for now. If you have any questions, feel free to give us a call at Hydrex Pest Control of the North Bay at (877) 696-1670!

This discovery may help answer some of the questions surrounding CCD or colony collapse disorder which has been being studied across the country since 2006.

SFSU biology professor John Hafernik has stated that at this time, the fly parasite has only been found in honey bee hives in California and South Dakota.  In an article written by Hafernik and colleagues in PloS One, they make the point that because this is an emerging parasite and because we transport commercial hives all over the U.S., there is a real danger that the parasite could spread throughout North America, potentially destroying huge numbers of bee colonies.

Apparently the fly lays its eggs in the bee’s belly and about seven days after the bee dies, fly larvae emerge from between the bee’s head and thorax.  One of the most interesting parts of this story is that after the bees have been invaded, they abandon their hives and head towards light.

Stay tuned for more information on the plight of the honey bee!

Look who is coming to Christmas dinner along with 2,000 of his closet friends!!!!  It’s that time of year and I don’t mean the holidays.  When the nights get cold or wet, the ants start heading indoors. The other thing that can attract them besides your cozy fire is the gingerbread cookie crumbs around the kitchen garbage can or that splash of eggnog that Uncle Charlie left on the counter.

Your best defense against an ant invasion is to clean up well and keep the inside garbage empty.  Also, keeping your pets food bowl elevated and putting an absorbent mat under their water dish will help eliminate some easily accessible food and water sources for the ant.

You can also check your house for cracks along walls or floors and use caulking to block access ways for the ants.  Weather stripping along the bottom of doors can also be helpful.  If you find that you have a real infestation going on, call your local pest control professional to perform and inside and outside treat and get it under control.  Many people use a regular monthly or bi-monthly pest control service to stay on top of ants and other pests like silverfish, fleas and even rodents.

So if you are sneaking Aunt Betsy’s fruit cake into the kitchen trash, remember to empty it daily to keep the ants from marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah! 

Happy pest free holidays to all! 

At Hydrex pest-control we offer rodent service and we also offer what is called an exclusion inspection. During the inspection the pest control technician checks under the house, all around it and inside including the attic to find possible rodent entryways. Mice can fit through any space the width of your pinky or larger.  So you really can’t expect to exclude mice entirely but it will cut down on the numbers by reducing known entryways.  Rats however can be excluded successfully because of their size.

If rodents are an annual problem for you exclusion work is a necessity.  Hydrex provides an estimate for the work that is needed and we also offer to do the work ourselves.  But with the report and estimate in hand, you can use your regular contractor or handyman if you have one.

You want to keep your eyes open for rodent feces and for suspicious nest looking areas.  In the attic they will use insulation for nesting, old newspaper etc.  Many times you can hear them traveling through the walls.  It is important to keep food items in the garage and other out buildings sealed tight.  If there is access to grain in livestock barns it’s like a neon sign for rodents “Get your free meal here!”.

Locked bait stations used by pest control professionals are very safe around pets and children. So if you have found some unwanted guests during this holiday season call your local pest-control company and send them packing!

Happy Holidays!

I grew up on the east coast where there was an abundance of woolly bear caterpillars.  When I was little my Dad told me that you could tell what kind of winter we were going to have by looking at the bands of color on the woolly bear. Much like the folklore of the groundhog letting us know when spring is coming. For years I would look at this cute little guy and tell people, “It looks like it’s going to be a long winter.”  I had to laugh when I started researching and discovered that I actually had it backwards. I thought the more orange he had the longer the winter but apparently it’s the other way around.

In any case I hadn’t seen one for a long time and when we saw the little guy in the picture above while hiking in Mendocino it brought back fond memories.

The scientific name for woolly is Pyrrharctia isabella.  Like other caterpillars, it hatches during warm weather from eggs laid by a female moth. Mature woolly bears overwinter under bark or inside cavities of rocks or logs. In the spring the caterpillar will spin itself a cocoon and in about one weeks time will transform into the Isabella Tiger moth.  This species is unique in that it has something called a thetymbal organ on its metathorax.  The organ has membranes that vibrate and produce ultrasonic sounds. They also have the same set up that allows them to hear.  They use these features for mating and warning against predators.

Does anyone have any insect folklore they’d like to share? I’d love to hear your stories!

Being in the pest control business, I can’t help but notice there are always two major players displayed during this holiday. You know who I’m talking about. Bats and spiders!

I have to wonder why certain other pests aren’t featured at this time of year. How about a RAT or a COCKROACH?!  Now there are some creepy critters that will startle you in the night. YES, a giant cockroach could be a superstar if he were only promoted properly.  I’ll see what I can do.

What pests do you guys think should be on the top ten for Halloween??

The males then search for existing burrows and fly in slow sweeping patterns low over the ground in search of  the flightless female. The females are almost always in their underground burrows that may be as deep as 4′ to 6′  into the soil. The male locates the females burrow by detecting a musky scent that she puts into the air (they should bottle that stuff!).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  With no courting required, the male enters her burrow, copulates, then the female plugs the burrow’s opening with soil and digs deep in the ground (So much for snuggling!). The eggs are laid  at the base of the burrow and don’t mature until the following spring or early summer. These beetles can live  as long as 10 to 12 years.  I bet they are doing rain dances under there!   So keep your eye to the sky and see if you can spot one these rainy weather flyers!

There are a couple of ways to determine if you have a flea infestation. Examine your skin for bites. Sometimes you will feel a bite as it happens but fleas jump so quickly you may not see the actual flea. Within’ a few minutes you will see a raised red bump. The bumps can be any size. Most are small unless you are allergic then they could be the size of a dime. There will be a reddish color to the skin around the bump and most of the time they will itch.

The other most common sign of flea infestation is you are noticing your pet is scratching excessively.  Sometimes you can see the fleas moving through their coats. When you check your pet, look in areas that they can’t  reach very well, like around the ears and under the upper part of the legs. Since fleas are fast look for flea droppings that look like black specks on the skin and fur.

You can also check your floor by rubbing a clean wet white cloth over it. If you have a flea problem the cloth will pick up flea droppings and show as tiny red streaks.

If you suspect you have fleas, action is needed immediately to prevent further infestation.  An infestation can get out of hand quickly so the faster you find them if they are there, the better off you will be.

Give your pet a bath and comb out as many fleas and eggs as you can.  After your pet is dry, apply a good flea control medicine. Time this with a visit from your pest control company so that your home and your pets are being treated at the same time. They will give you instructions on how to prepare for the treatment.

I know it’s a bummer dealing with these pests, but they can be controlled. Remember, the quicker you act, the easier they are to eliminate!

The Weta. The Whata?

The what-the- hella!!  I’m not trying to give you material for nightmares but dang this thing is Ugly with a capital U!  Of course these creatures are nocturnal but the good news is they don’t have wings!  Then again picturing them leaping about is not very comforting.  More good news, most of the species, there are about 70, are omnivores or prey on other invertabraes.

The weta are most commonly found in the Southern Hemisphere (excellent!), but similar species are found around the world (oh yay..).  Because of their ability to tolerate many different temperatures, weta are found in many types of environments including alpine, forests, grasslands, caves, shrub lands and urban gardens (Gardens? What?).

There are 11 species of giant weta.  They can be as long as 4″!  According to Wikipedia, a captive giant weta filled with eggs reached a record 70 g, making it one of the heaviest documented insects in the world and heavier than a sparrow!

Seriously though, there is nothing to worry about.  Yes, they have powerful mandibles and spikes on their legs that can inflict painful scratches but they are NOT interested in you as prey….  Just don’t sneak up on them!  Sweet dreams!