Bug Blog
Do It Yourself Ant repellants
Retail ant repellents and killers are normally considered pesticides, and it’s hard to really know if all those chemicals are safe, in any quantity. Before your ant issues get way out of control, and I mean hundreds of ants swarming your house – you may be able to rectify the insect problem with “do it yourself” DIY materials. To begin with, use vinegar and peppermint, tea tree and lemon oils to help deter ants – in a more down to earth way. Scattering cayenne pepper or cinnamon along baseboards or cracks and crevices will discourage ants from coming inside in the first place. In my travels while performing pest control, I’ve seen people also use lemon juice, coffee grounds, baby powder, orange peels, Borax (with water and sugar), chalk, diatomaceous earth, cream of wheat, cornmeal, powdered sugar and Equal. Most of these will give you a temporary reduction in foraging ants but you need to be diligent with DIY solutions as they need to be reapplied often. Unfortunately, most of these solutions can become slightly and smelly. Of course, what you are doing will not kill off the ant colony, as they are likely to come back sooner than later. In some (most) cases you may be actually making the whole situation even worse. By applying the wrong DIY solutions you may actually causing a single ant colony to split into many colonies as some species of ants has several queens that are happy to build their own nest. The bottom line is if you are not seeing results from your do it yourself methods; it’s time to call in a professional. Here at go green pest control.ca, we will be happy to stamp out your ant problems.
go green pest control.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.c. Randy L Bilesky BsF CPA
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/do-yourself-ant-repellants-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blog-do-it-yourself-ant-repellents-1.23350239
Shoo Fly Shoo
Because flies only have two wings, they land frequently and transfer thousands of bacteria each time they land. How did they get inside, well besides the obvious – flying through an open window or door, the can enter your houses on food products and clothing. They are attracted to decaying organic stuff in drains and dead things in walls and attics. Because there is an associate between flies and filth, these pests transfer disease organisms when they touch food and surfaces. Flies contaminate or destroy over $1 billion worth of agricultural products annually in Canada. A single fly’s stomach contains billions of microorganisms, while another 500 million more cling to the body of a fly. Flies distribute diseases rapidly because they move rapidly between disease filthy garbage to our exposed food and kitchen work surfaces. Every time a fly lands, it can transfer hundreds if not thousands of microbes which can cause serious illnesses such as bloodstream infections, diarrhea, food poisoning, meningitis, salmonella, staphylococcus, E. coli, and shigella. These pathogens can cause disease in humans and animals such as cholera, bacillary dysentery, hepatitis and typhoid fever. The best way to prevent flies in your home is by keeping doors and windows closed, and screening windows, doors, and vents. Keep garbage cans clean and securely closed, and keeping kitchen working surfaces clean will lessen your chances of flies wanting to get into your house to begin with.
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/shoo-fly-shoo/
go green pest control.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy L Bilesky BsF CPA
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/shoo-fly-randy-bilesky-1c/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blog-shoo-fly-shoo-1.23347811
Yellow Mealworms
Yellow mealworm adults look like typical beetles, dark in color with a hard shell. You often find yellow mealworms in unkempt spaces, forgotten bagged or boxed items in kitchen pantries where the humidity is high and stored food becomes damp or grows mold. A female yellow mealworm will lay eggs in grain products such as bags of flour.
An infestation is usually a sign of poor hygiene. These insects foul all products they eat, which can lead to a lot of food needing to be disposed of. In the outdoors, they will consume grains, leaves, plants, insects and animal feces. They usually are not noticed until they have infested grain products in storage areas. Controlling mealworms usually involves removing the mealworm’s sources of food and shelter by using a vacuum to clean up and the removal of infested food products. However, a treatment plan may require the application of chemicals to eradicate the problem.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/yellow-mealworms-randy-bilesky/?published=t
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/yellow-mealworms/
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy L Bilesky BsF CPA
Pests that Sting in Summer
Pests that sting such as wasps, yellow jackets, hornets and bees, are as common as trips to the ice cream store in summer. These particular pests have stingers that can be more than just an excruciating annoyance; they send more than ten thousand people to the emergency room every year in Canada. For someone that has not been stung before, the actual sting can be very painful but not knowing if they are allergic to the venom can be scary, other severe health concerns include swelling, infections, nausea, and even death. If you find a nest on your property, removing it safely and completely can be difficult but if it’s in the attic or under the soffits then removing the nest may not be an option. In many cases, the key to killing off the hidden nest is making sure the queen dies. The queen never leaves the nest once she has drones or workers that help build the nest and secure food. The queen is usually deep inside the nest, laying eggs and giving off pheromones that keep all the worker wasps disciplined. Once the queen dies or is killed, the nest is effectively in the process of dying off itself. Returning workers will not detect the important guiding pheromones and will also die. But before they die, you might get a lot of aggressive wasps in your area. It is always a good idea to contact insect removal specialists to deal with wasps. Having a professional to come and look at the problem is always the best idea when it comes to wasps. If you see any signs of a wasp nest on your property make sure to contact go green pest control.ca and we will be happy to take the sting out of your problem.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Delta Ladner Tsawwassen B.C. Randy L Bilesky BsF CPA
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/pests-that-sting-in-summer/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pests-sting-summer-randy-bilesky/?published=t
Dragonfly Infestation
The Dragonflies are out now. Dragonflies thrive around ponds, swimming pools and streams that attract insects. They are not harmful to people so if a dragonfly accidentally enter an open window it will not live for long indoors. Although they will approach humans, they do not bite or sting. Dragonflies are beneficial, since the diet of immature dragonflies includes nuisance pests such as mosquito larvae. There are more than 5,000 species and we have 130 that can be spotted in B.C. Many species of dragonflies gather in swarms to feed or migrate, a phenomenon you can see in Delta in the spring and fall. Dragonflies have nearly 360-degree vision. They’re amazing fliers doing everything that a helicopter can and they are very hard to capture. As adults, they eat flies, mosquitoes, grasshoppers, butterflies, flying ants and even other dragonflies, which they catch while they’re in flight. Adult dragonflies live just five weeks. Your go green pest control.ca technician is trained to help manage dragonflies and similar pests. Since every building or home is different, your technician will design a unique program for your situation.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Randy L Bilesky BsF CPA Ladner Delta Tsawwassen B.C.
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/dragonflies-infestation/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dragonfly-infestation-randy-bilesky/?published=t
Oh, Pantry Moths !
Realizing a pantry moth swarm in your kitchen can be a bit of a horror show. Even worse, realizing that these moths have been in there for some time and you have baked, cooked and eaten them and their eggs, larvae and refuse (their waste material or skin cast-off during molting) for some time. Yes, pantry moths lay eggs directly on their food source, which can be your cereal, crackers, flour, pasta, rice and just about everything else that isn’t stored properly. Oh, and let’s not forget your animals dry food. Signs of pantry moth plague include webbing in the corners of packages or on the food inside, nasty odor, or gluey excretions that cause grains to clomp together. When you see small caterpillars or moths in or around your pantry or storage cupboards is a real sign of a moth invasion. Although you can throw out all the infected packages and seal everything up in plastic storage, this is usually not enough to stop them – as moths will lay eggs in cracks and crevices throughout the infected area. It is not recommended that you use pesticides to rectify a pantry moth infestation as this can be very dangerous, leave it to the pros. The pantry and cupboards can be vacuumed and scrubbed thoroughly with soap and water, but make sure everything is dry before you get the pest control specialists in. To help thwart pantry moth swarms, select containers made of tightly sealed metal, glass or food grade plastics. Flours, oats and nuts can all be kept in the freezer, this also extends there shelf life. If you have discovered pantry moths in your kitchen don’t hesitate to give us a call at go green pest control.ca and we will be happy to take care of your problem.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky BsF CPA
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/oh-pantry-moths/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/oh-pantry-moths-randy-bilesky/?published=t
Mosquitos – Bite!
It’s only mid-June, not even summer yet and the mosquitos are out in force. Two things about mosquitos that really bug me (pun intended), of course when they bite you and when they get inside your house, find your bedroom and circle your head like vultures when you want go to sleep. That characteristic buzz – when it sounds like they are about to fly right into your ear hole. I just happen to have that delicious O positive blood, which everyone wants to have – so I guess I’m a prime target for mosquitoes too. So being bitten is just the start, perhaps you might have felt the injection of their proboscis, that nasty needle that sucks out the blood and leaves a little reminder behind telling you that you have been hit be a smooth criminal. Now the itch begins, and as we all know, the more you fuss with the itch the worse it gets. So how can you stop mosquito bites from itching, well you can go out and purchase “after bite” or any of the retail products or you can apply a few home remedies. So, here are a few that are tried and true.
- a) Banana peel – the natural oils found within the banana’s skin, fleshy side works.
- b) Ice – reduces the redness and swelling, as well it helps with the itching.
- c) Oatmeal – relieves itching and swelling because it contains special compounds that have anti-irritant qualities.
- d) Menthol Toothpaste – the menthol acts as a cooling agent which keeps you distracted from scratching.
- e) Honey – has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce your temptation to itch.
- f) Aloe Vera – the vitamins and minerals found in aloe vera reduce the pain, swelling and itching.
- g) Baking soda – sodium bicarbonate may provide relief from a mosquito bite.
- h) Basil – a chemical compound called eugenol may relieve itchy skin.
- i) Mosquito potion – mix all the above remedies and make your own concoction.Gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky BsF CPAhttps://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/mosquitos-bite/https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mosquitos-bite-randy-bilesky/?published=t
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/mosquitos-bite/
Insects that live in our food
We have all heard about a number of insect pests that are attracted to our food – from moths to ants and flies to beetles and cockroaches. Some are easy to notice because of their size but there are some just too small to see, especially as eggs and larvae stages. Most may live their entire lives in the food they prefer. All these insects are referred to as stored product pests. This collective group of insects is responsible for a large quantity of monetary damage from the farm they were grown, to storage, transportation, processing, and delivery. They eat, sully and spoil around 15-25% of the world’s grain crops. Stored product pest can be introduced at any point of the food supply chain, from the seeding of fields to the pantry you store them in. Most of these insects are also linked to local bird populations and rodents (mice, rats and squirrels), scattering from the nests and animal foods in the same facility or buildings nearby. There are three main categories of these pests: beetles and weevils, moths and mites. Stored product pests can infiltrate any dried products, preserves and organic products from grains to cereals and pasta to dried meats. They can be categorized according to the products that they infiltrate and economically important for the amounts of grains they destroy.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/insects-live-our-food-randy-bilesky/?published=t
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky BsF CPA
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/insects-that-live-in-our-food/
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-insects-that-live-in-our-food-1.23337704
Did you Know That … Ants
1) Most ants live in hierarchical (ants ranked one above another) colonies with a single egg-laying queen, although some ant species will have multiple queens. The male ant’s entire job is mating, and female workers on the other hand, well they do everything else.
- Ants are actually very important arthropods, as they help to remove and recycle food waste that we drop in our day to day lives.
3) Did you know that in Columbia and Venezuela a species of ant, the big-bottomed ant, is on the menu at many restaurants, fertilized queens are served up brined and toasted. The ants are also thought to be an aphrodisiac (love drug that increases libido).
4) In some countries, medicinal oil containing crushed weaver ants is used to treat swollen joints and septic skin.
5) Formic acid, produced by fire ants, is a natural antimicrobial (kills microorganisms and stops their growth) and is also used in laundry detergents and hand soaps.
6) Some species of ants will steal other ants young and force them to work in their colony, and sometimes these slaves will revolt and attack their overlords or escape for freedom.
7) Dracula ants and the queens of one Stigmatomma ant species actually drink the blood of their own larvae, but stop short of actually killing them.
8) Odorous house ants, of which we have in Delta, give off a slightly funky lemon coconutty odor when crushed.
9) Most ants will bring their dying or dead workers (sisters) back to their colony only to kick them back out.
10) Some tribes in South America believe that when they die that they are reincarnated as ants.
11) Tree-dwelling Melissotarsus ants grow their middle legs upward to help navigate tunnels in their nests and they also can spin silk used to seal their tunnels.
12) Trap-jaw ants can jump forward but more impressively catapult themselves backwards, 100 times the length of their body merely by snapping their spring-loaded jaws.
13) Argentine ants have formed super colonies interconnected between continents around the world. One such colony was found to be 4,000 kilometers long with millions of queens and over 10 billion worker ants.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/did-you-know-ants-randy-bilesky/?published=t
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky BsF CPA
