Bug Blog

Go Green Pest Control Tsawwassen Sunfest Parade 2018

Wasps and Hornets are our friends

Well this year’s hot weather has produced wasps and hornets by the billions, in fact the worst in recent years. By late August, the new wasp and hornet queens begin their hibernation ritual leaving millions of workers to a meaningless existence and a heavy addition to sugar. So, are these creatures really that bad, yes they will sting us if we get to close to their home, but they are here for a purpose. The biggest problems wasps have are us humans. Wasps and hornets are vigorous pollinators next to the other stinging insect – the bee. They are insects of astonishing, diverse and explicit splendour. Wasps are well-organised, accommodating insects engineering complex paper nests that are continually expanding. They safeguard us from garden destroying creatures like caterpillars and greenflies. And lastly, we all know now that added sugar in our drinks is an evil on to its self, so the next time you are drinking your cocktail or refreshment on the deck and have wasps circling you, it is only a reminder that sugar is not good for us but great for them.

Bald Faced Hornets

AKA – bald hornet, white-faced hornet, white-tailed hornet, spruce wasp, blackjacket, and bull wasp. Colonies can contain 400 to 1000 workers and builds a characteristic large hanging paper nest up to 58 centimetres in length. Workers aggressively defend their nest by repeatedly stinging invaders. Males in this species are haploid (carrying two complete sets of chromosomes) and females are diploid (two sets of chromosomes or double the haploid number of chromosomes in the germ cell). Worker females can lay eggs which develop into males. Matricide (the killing of one’s mother) might occur after sufficient workers have been raised and queen-destined eggs have been laid, in order to give workers a reproductive advantage. Nests are layered hexagonal combs covered by a mottled gray paper envelope -this paper envelope is built by collecting and chewing naturally occurring wood fibers. The wood fiber mixes with their saliva to become a pulpy substance that they can then form into place.

Aug 6th 2018 Tsawwassen SunFest Parade ROXIE the raccoon Go Green Pest Control

Aug 6th 2018 Tsawwassen SunFest Parade ROXIE the raccoon Go Green Pest Control

The Tsawwassen Sun Festival is a three-day celebration of fun in the sun, the pride of the Sun Festival is the annual Rotary Parade which heads down 56th Street from 16th Avenue to Winskill Park.

August –Bed Bugs!!!

Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite. But if they do, then take your shoe and hit them till they’re black and blue (or take a spoon and eat them all) – the old saying is becoming more prevalent now that bed bugs are slowly returning in numbers. Bed bugs are found in dirty, as well as, the cleanest bedrooms I’ve seen. It is really important that if you find or are bitten by bed bugs that you get them treated immediately before they get way out of control. These insects move quickly anywhere people are, hotels, motels, medical facilities, movie theaters, thrift stores and used furniture stores. Bed bugs are not poisonous, but for some their bites leave behind itchy bumps that cause severe discomfort. When traveling do a quick check before you unpack: check creases, cracks, and crevasses in and around the bed and headboard. And when you return home take all your travel clothing including shoes, cloth bags and throw them in the dryer at a high for a half an hour. That way if you are carrying any bed bugs or their eggs the heat will kill them.

https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/august-bed-bugs/

gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy L. Bilesky BsF CPA

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/august-bed-bugs-randy-bilesky/?published=t

Tsawwassen Sunfest Parade

Rotary Club of Tsawwassen Parade along 56th street 2018 Aug 6th

Ants Vs Wasps – and the winner is!

Army ants, known for their aggressive foraging techniques, will go to long lengths to get what they want. The name army ant or legionary ant are named for their foraging groups, known as “raids”, in which huge numbers of ants forage simultaneously over a certain area. The army ants do not build permanent nests rather the ant colony moves almost continually over the time it exists. Amazing pictures show how millions of army ants’ work together to invade a hornet nest. As the invasion takes place, the weight of the ants walking upside down causes the ants to loss grip on the soffit yet the shear strength and bond between the ants creates a hanging bridge. When this type of attack happens, most of the hornets escape but the ants do not leave until they’ve completely plundered the honeycomb, carrying hornets, and their pupae, larvae and eggs. For ants, it is more effective to follow the trail over a bridge that goes down and then up than in an inverted upside down walk. Also, it is more likely that upside down the ants can’t carry significant loads.

gogreenpestcontrol.ca Randy Bilesky BsF CPA Tsawwassen Delta Ladner B.C.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ants-vs-wasps-winner-randy-bilesky/?published=t

Ticks and Allergies to Steak

As with any tick bite, don’t panic when getting it out but also realize that you may develop alpha-gal allergy – tick-bite-induced allergy to red meat. Only some people who’ve been bitten by ticks develop an allergy to alpha-gal, a substance in red meat. There’s no cure for red meat allergy, which include various kinds of red meats, and even sometimes milk. So, wear bug spray if you’re going to be in an area where ticks are common. The use of insect repellents with 15 to 30 percent deet, 20 percent picaridin, or 30 percent oil of lemon eucalyptus will provide the greatest protection.  Wear long pants and long sleeves, and tuck your pants into your socks. Keep your lawn grass cut, because ticks love tall grass and clean up brush and weeds. Check yourself for ticks at the end of every day and run the clothing through a cycle in a hot dryer to kill any ticks that may be clinging on, and leave your shoes outside in the sun.

gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky BsF CPA

https://business.google.com/u/2/posts/l/09867655829811115361?hl=en-CA&utm_source=google&utm_medium=MerchantPanelCreatePostAction&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiQyMKqqtHcAhXVIzQIHbNmDdcQ47sCMAB6BAgFEAc

Japanese Beetles – 3 myths busted

Japanese beetles feed on and destroy nearly everything in a landscape, but opinions differ on the best way to battle them – pesticides, picking them off by hand or pheromone traps. Here are three myths.

  1. A) Traps lure Japanese beetles from kilometers around. No! Most attractants lure beetles from no more than 100 meters, the traps only lure beetles that are already near the yard.
  2. B) Traps make things worse by luring more beetles than they hook. No! Traps are placed incorrectly. Don’t place the traps next to ornamental plants, set traps about 9 meters from plants to lure the beetles away preferably next to a non-flowering tree or shrub.
  3. C) Insecticides will kill off Japanese beetles. Yes but they kill beneficial pollinators. Pheromone traps provide a visible means of combating Japanese beetles without having a negative effect on the environment. Traps are effective in one yard alone, but it’s better if they are also in surrounding yards as well.

Yellow Jackets: What not to do!!!

Now is the time of year that Yellow jackets are most aggressive. Taking precautions at this time can help you avoid being stung. Look before you sip your drink. Yellow jackets are attracted to sweet foods and drinks like soda and juices.

Cover trash containers and keep them away from eating areas. Yellow jackets forage in garbage for food scraps and drink containers. Wear heavy clothing when walking in wooded areas. Yellow jackets can sting through lightweight fabrics.

Use our Yellow jacket traps at least 20 feet away from your outdoor activity areas, to keep the yellow jackets away from where you are. Try to remain calm in the presence of yellow jackets. Move slowly and deliberately and gently brush the yellow jacket away if it lands on you.  Ok, now are the things you should NOT DO! Swat at yellow jackets. They are more likely to attack and sting when aggravated. NOT DO! Smash a yellow jacket. When crushed, they give off an alarm pheromone that can cause others in the area to attack. NOT DO! Yellow jackets are attracted to perfume, scented hairspray or lotion, or brightly colored clothes if you are going outdoors. NOT DO! Let children play in overgrown or wooded areas. These are prime nesting sites for yellow jackets. Call us at Go Green Pest Control to remove a yellow jacket nest; this can be a very dangerous task for an unskilful individual.