Bug Blog
Waterfowl and Predators
Here in Delta, the word predator in the context of waterfowl means coyotes, raccoons and skunks. To waterfowl these predators are the major reasons that wildlife numbers are down. Changes in agriculture land in South Delta have created numerous problems for nesting birds, as the habitat they need to nest has been taken away. Predators, which can reproduce very quickly, create huge populations of animals out there after the birds. The transformation in the landscape has made it easier for the four legged killers to find the nests, especially since the amount of nesting cover in some areas is down and in other areas totally gone. Much of the accessible nesting cover is the smaller regions, which allows predators to find and destroy nests much easier. Studies in waterfowl ecology and waterfowling have revealed that there is a connection between the amount of grassland nesting cover and the percentage of nest success. It was found that areas that had up to 40 percent grassland had higher waterfowl nest success. The reason for this success is that the hunters are not able to find all of the nests in these larger size tracts. Not only upsetting waterfowl populations, they also affect the population of all species including upland game. These larger populations of predators destroying wildlife also carry diseases. As we have all heard, these predators will also go after our pets.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/waterfowl-predators-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-waterfowl-and-predators-1.23143266
Woodlouse, just won’t leave
Yes those little bugs that look like mini turtles with that segmented shell are woodlouse, an arthropod found in moist places such as dirt, stacked logs, leaves and under boards or other rubble that lies flush on the ground. In nature, they live comfortably outdoors but given the opportunity they will get into your carport, through sliding glass doors, garage and other damp environments such as a basement and crawl space. The best way to prevent woodlouse is eliminating their hiding places because if there isn’t damp harborages, the sowbugs will leave or die. If you would like to reduce the number of woodlouse invading your home here are a few things you can do:
1) Make sure exterior doors close tightly, the weather stripping and door sweeps maybe missing or damaged. If you have a crawlspace, make sure the vents are open and free of obstructions to allow ventilation.
2) Waterproofing might help remove dampness on basement walls. A dehumidifier can help reduce the dampness in a basement.
3) Keep dirt, leaves and mulch away from the concrete foundation of your house, at least 25 cm away. This usually stops pests from nesting to close to the house. Trim branches of shrubs and trees if they cause dampness or shade near the foundation.
4) If you are one of those lucky people that still have a working fireplace, stack firewood off of the ground and away from the house.
5) Have your downspouts cleaned and make sure they drain away from the foundation.
6) Chemical treatment is not always necessary indoors if the affected areas can be dried out and any woodlouse can be removed with a vacuum or broom.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/woodlouse-just-wont-leave-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-woodlouse-just-won-t-leave-1.23142273
King Tides and the Aftermath
With the tide levels being so high lately, I wanted to touch on some of the pest issues we would most likely have if the water swamped out homes. Flooding and cold weather can cause big headaches, as well as pest infestation. Many families would certainly be advised to avoid direct contact with floodwater and beware the invasion of the undesirable pests into their homes. To begin with, ants can be a major problem throughout and after flooding. When water is forced through the ground, thousands of ants would be forced out of their nests and seek the closest dry ground which may happen to be your home. Subsequently, as floodwaters retreat, your property may become seriously infested with all the ants we have in Delta (carpenter, paver, pharaoh, odorous and thatching ants). Next, we would have rodents that are forced from their normal habitation into areas that provide food and shelter such as our houses and other buildings. Rodents (mice, rats, moles, voles and squirrels) will try to escape to higher ground and warmer surroundings, which could be your crawl space, basement, walls, attics or even your car. In extraordinary situations, rodent concentrations can pose grave health problems for those involved in the clean-up. Other pests after flooding include flies and cockroaches. Floods often cause sewer systems to malfunction or just overflow. The raw sewage attracts flies, which would quickly multiple in decomposing organic waste. Although we don’t see many cockroaches, they too would seek shelter after a flood, and they can carry diseases into your home.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/king-tides-aftermath-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-king-tides-and-the-aftermath-1.23140974
Ants – Only the healthy survive
Ants in a nest work together like cells in a body, with healthy ants acting like white blood cells killing off other ants they recognize as a threat. Researchers have shown that ants kill colony comrades infected with potential diseases. In this way, ants can guard their colony from the occurrence of an endemic. Ants can smell when members of their own nest are sick or fatally ill. If one ant becomes a danger to the whole colony, ants have designed a way to deal with it: kill their infected co-workers. If a fungus, for example, reproduces in the body of a single ant, it will become a source of infection for the entire colony. These ants literally disinfect their colony mates in a fatal way by injecting the infected ant with an acid, which kills the fungus and the ant. The colony isn’t as ruthless as it may seem, the pathogen-contaminated ant will be rigorously cleaned to get rid of the fungus’ spores but if this doesn’t work then the sickly ant is killed. Scientists have discovered that infected ants give off smells that signal its mates that they are fighting a pathogen. When ants are sick, they produce extra hydrocarbons on their exoskeleton that signals that they are sick.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ants-only-healthy-survive-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-ants-only-the-healthy-survive-1.23139541
The Dangers of Rodents
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
I’m quite often asked how common are mouse infestations? Well statistically 85% of homes show some evidence of mouse activity at one point in the life of the building. Still this doesn’t mean that you should set-up a mouse eradication program but if you’re spotting the little rodents then it is time to do something about it. If you do have a mouse problem it is dangerous and should be dealt with, because mice in your living space are unsafe. Mice can carry diseases that are harmful to you, your family and your pets. Because those mice are drawn to food, those potential diseases are that much closer. Also, rodents are actually a fairly common cause of electrical issues because they don’t know what they are gnawing on, so they have no suspicions about chomping right through them. Here lies the greatest concern, what if they cause enough damage to start a fire? It is believed that almost 10% of all house fires may be caused by rodents. So start with the basics: makes sure the floor and countertops are clear of food, seal and store all dried products in hard plastic containers. Next, buy the small mice snap traps, and seal up gaps in the walls behind the stove and under the sinks. If you are a renter, demand the problem is taken care of by your landlord.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dangers-rodents-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-the-dangers-of-rodents-1.23138597
Still Sleeping – Carpenter Ants
Recently a couple contractors have contacted me about their house renovation projects, more specifically finding carpenter ant satellite nests inside homes as they reworked the framework. During the winter months, the existence of carpenter ants actively moving around in the house is a clear indicator of an indoor infestation. Carpenter ants do not always have to have moisture and wood decay for nesting. While it is true most nests and most damage will be in decayed wood, nests may be in sound wood or even in dry cracks and joints between structural elements or in existing cavities such as hollow doors. Since the main nest is shut-down for the winter, the satellite nest in the house remains somewhat active. Carpenter ants, like all insects, are cold blooded, ants active in the winter must be originating from a warmed source. The carpenter ants typically wait until the nighttime hours to come out and search for sources of moisture in places like bathtubs, dishwashers, sinks, and toilets. However, on particularly sunny days, carpenter ants may appear from the nest and explore other parts of the home.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/still-sleeping-carpenter-ants-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-still-sleeping-carpenter-ants-1.23137275
Go Green Rodent Control
There are a number of alternative methods of rodent control other than rodenticides but you still need a measure of care and competence to obtain the most effective results. All non-chemical methods have risks or are not a sure-fire way to get results, as this depends on using the methods properly. Both live and dead rats and mice can spread infectious diseases and parasites. Of course, it is vital with every method chosen to do the basics of excluding rats and mice from food and access to shelter, making sure they cannot return.
Here are a few chemical free rodent control devices:
1) Cats and dogs – Our pets are not effective controllers of rodent populations in neighborhoods, well-fed pets in the home environment will have little motivation to hunt or access to many of the places the rats and mice frequent in a home. Rats and mice can even thrive in the presence of pets, living off their food and water, particularly when they are kept outdoors!
2) Live traps – These have a spring or electronic release catch that closes the door on a cage or container when a rodent triggers the mechanism capturing it live.
3) Electrocution traps – These are enclosed traps that sense an animal entering, close the entrances and send an electric charge through a metal plate on the floor of the container that kills the rodent.
4) Glue or sticky boards – They are boards of varying sizes covered with very sticky glue, often mixed with food smells, designed to immobilise an animal that walks on them.
5) Rodent repellents – Ultrasonic rodent repellents 200- 91,000Hz.There is some evidence that ultrasound have a limited effect when used in very small spaces.
6) Spring/ snap traps – Traps that are designed to kill rodents with a spring release. Caution is required as children, pets and wildlife can set them off.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/go-green-rodent-control-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-go-green-rodent-control-1.23135329
Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite
Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite, wake up bright in the morning light, to do what’s right with all your might. At home we said “Good night sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite, if they crawl on the wall take a spoon and eat them all”. This is solid advice, sort of. Bed bugs have become progressively more of an issue in homes because of international travel and those second hand stores. By studying what bed bugs look like, you are able to identify them and save time and money in the long run. It normal takes about 3 and a half months for a bed bug to go from an egg to a reproducing adult but it can take longer if it’s current situation isn’t optimal. Female bed bug can lay hundreds of milky white eggs; one at a time or in bunches, and these eggs are hidden in cracks and crevices such as under baseboards, in the box spring, behind the headboard and a myriad of sneaky places. After several days, the eggs turns into the nymph stage which goes through 5 stages of growth (usually 5 weeks) and they shed their exoskeleton each time. The nymphs change from a light white-yellow colour into the reddish-brown colour. Once the adult bed bugs have developed, it needs to feed before it can start breeding.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dont-let-bed-bugs-bite-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-don-t-let-the-bed-bugs-bite-1.23134051
7 New Year’s Resolutions for a Pest Free 2018
The wellbeing and cosiness of our homes is a chief priority. If you’ve noticed a few bugs that are determined to live in your home this blog is for you.
1) Healthy Indoors – Air indoors is up to 100 times more polluted than outdoor air. This is partially due to dead bug bodies and bug droppings that are clogging up the filtration system. Have your heat ducts cleaned out and changing the air filters once every two months.
2) Lose Untidy Weight – Untidiness is a welcome sight for insects. Spiders and bed bugs deliberately seek out cluttered areas where they can live without being noticed and clutter that sits around gathering dust just gives insects more spaces to hide.
3) Get Organized – If you want to get serious about controlling the bug population around your home it’s time to consider regularly scheduled pest control treatments. We can help you create a routine pest control treatment plan that is monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly.
4) Enjoy Your Outdoor Living Spaces – if screening in a porch has been on your list for some time, now is a great time to get it done. You can enjoy the outdoors without dealing with wasps, hornets, mosquitoes and flies.
5) Learn Something New – learn more about the micro ecosystem around your home to protect it against insect attacks. Start by studying your own yard, understand the plants you have and pay close attention to the kinds of bugs they draw.
6) Stop Smoking – Fill in air leaks around your home, hot air escaping from your home can cost you in wasted energy, but it also shows that there are cracks and crevices that bugs can get through. Focus on areas around the front doors and windows. If any windows or doors rattle that’s an indication that they aren’t airtight.
7) Spend Less – A little precaution before a crisis occurs is preferable to a lot of fixing up afterwards (a stich in time saves nine). Regular pest control treatments not only prevent problems before they happen, issues can also be caught early to reduce damage and expenses.
Happy New Year from Randy at Go Green Pest Control
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-new-years-resolutions-pest-free-2018-randy-bilesky/?published=t
Predator Pee to Keep Raccoons Away
So does predator urine or coyote urine actually help keep unwanted raccoons out of your yard. First of all, who is collecting this urine and is it even real. My research suggests that the urine is collected from animals in game farms, zoos and preserves (fully regulated by the appropriate state agencies). The urine is collected via floor collection drains in pens and cages. A coyote is one of the raccoon’s biggest predators therefore the thought is that the coyote urine would be a beneficial repellent against them. The coyote urine is usually in a plastic dispensing bottle that is sprayed in areas that raccoons are known to hang out. The scent is supposed to stay potent for at least a month or two. It’s mess free and it’s supposed to be guaranteed to work. Well, does it actually work, the theory is sound but I’ve used it and it hasn’t worked and repeated field tests again prove that the urine does not affect the behavior of wild animals, a.k.a. raccoons.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/predator-pee-keep-raccoons-away-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-predator-pee-to-keep-raccoons-away-1.23131980
