Rodent season is upon us now and like with most pests, the first spotting of rats or mice sends us to the Google to find DIY solutions and home remedies for rodents, but which ones really work? Natural remedies that don’t work include: mothballs and peppermint oil. Rodents are pretty intelligent creatures. By using detailed […]
The first thing most people do when they have a pest problem is first to google the issue and then go out and buy what they need to “do it yourself”. Of course bed bugs are no different so I have accumulated a list of DIY solutions that work and those that don’t. Fact – […]
This year has recorded both Vancouver and Surrey among most bedbug-infested cities in B.C. Of course here in Delta we are a hop, skip and a bag full of bed bugs from catching up. Bed bugs are small, but can become such an annoyance in an otherwise joyful home. A normal treatment for bed bugs […]
In the summer, when the air is hot, insects are everywhere. But when temperature drops, the bugs seem to disappear completely until months later, like some kind of enchanted trick they reappear. Where did they go? Some survive as eggs, larvae, or pupae, while others live through the winter as adults. There are three different […]
Centipedes are elongated, with smooth, segmented bodies that have a pair of legs per segment. Centipedes most commonly are brown and reddish orange. Depending on the species, they range in size from 5 to 145 mm. They have small mouths and have big claw like edifices that contain a venom gland. Centipedes are carnivorous and […]
Muskrats are primarily nocturnal, but can be active during the day and are very sociable animals. They get their name from their likeness to stocky rats and from the musky odor created by their scent glands. Muskrats are aquodic animals that prefer marshes, where the water level stays constant. They find shelter in bank burrows […]
Infrared pest control is fast becoming a large necessity for battling infestation from unwelcome ants, rodents and other insects. For quick detection of ant activities and other pest infestations on your property, Go Green Pest Control uses a superior approach and the latest technologies. Over the past year, one of the most-used equipment in the […]
When observing ants, it’s easy to see that it wouldn’t take much to change the population of ants in a colony with a can of raid or the bottom of your foot. So which ants step up and take over duties of the ants you just killed. While we all know that ants have a […]
Fruit flies reproduce at amazing rates. Female fruit flies can lay over 500 eggs within their short life spans. Eggs are usually laid on damp, rotting or overripe fruit and vegetables. In one day, fruit fly eggs hatch into larvae known as maggots. Maggots then molt and less than a week the larvae change into […]
This year I saw the largest variety of beetles that I would rarely see outdoors, making their way indoors for moisture. In fact, I couldn’t identify several. Beetles belong to the insect order that is the largest of all insects. There are more than a quarter million species of beetles in the world and over […]
I have been asked several times to write down the steps to which a home needs to be prepared for a bed bug inspection and control. Be prepared to leave the home during treatment and for 4 hours afterward. Remove all pets from the home during the time of treatment except for fish tanks. Fish […]
People that have rats in their ceilings or walls can be kept awake for hours with the insistent scratching and fighting. Worse yet, when those people finally fall asleep those rats may just end up in their dreams as nightmares. But, new research points at rats experiencing their own dreams that maybe nightmares about us. […]
Ever seen a scorpion fly, they are nasty looking insects. They have engorged abdomen and reproductive organs, which resemble a scorpion’s tail and stinger. They sometimes hang suspended from a plant branch in order to blend into their surroundings before attacking smaller insects. Scorpion flies generally fly slowly and in irregular patterns although they have […]
Let’s forget spiders today and talk about your house and how it could be at risk for a rat infestation as fall sets in. As Delta rain starts to fall, professionals have warned that the rodents could seek shelter and warmth in houses in over welling numbers this year. Although not common, rats can chew […]
It’s almost fall and the spiders are heading indoors. Different spiders like moisture and are found in basements, crawl spaces and other damp parts of your house and the others like drier warm areas. Spiders come inside looking for prey and they all like to hide in dark areas. Almost all spider species are predators […]
This summer has been particularly bad for pantry beetles. Perhaps because of the hot weather a lot of doors and windows have let them in. Infestations of pantry beetles are not particularly seasonal, but can occur anytime throughout the year. When dealing with these beetles, quick action is very important because they not only damage […]
Fire ant populations have increased this year and now people are asking about control methods. The first method is a broadcast method. Fire Ant baits consist of insecticides on processed corn coated with oil. These baits are best used as a broadcast treatment because they are less expensive and control colonies even when mounds are […]
Wasp and hornet numbers are now beginning to rise after a slow start this summer due to the cold winter that led to some confusion among the stinging pests. A delay of about a month changed their usual pattern of appearance and now they are on the search for sugary indulgences. We are now seeing […]
Mosquitos are not just blood sucking beasts but flower loving doves. They rely on plant nectar to survive. Researchers have produced a sweet smelling potion called Vectrax that contains lethal doses of insecticide that is so seductive that mosquitoes will feed on it almost exclusively and die. Conventional chemical insecticides blanket spray areas where mosquitos […]
Rats!! Why rats, well they are extremely sociable and clever if they grow up being affectionately touched by their owners. Similar to cats, you pick them up and hold them, place them on your shoulders, and they respond willingly to fondling and care. They also like to play games, learn tricks, and they’re easy to […]
Delta has seen a surge in the skunk population this last year like no one has seen before. Why, climate change or just too much food and lodging available. As we know, skunks like digging under foundations to set up their homes, be it your deck or shed. But how many people know that, skunks […]
Most people think of fire ants as a mere annoyance but there is so much more to them. They can use their bodies to build rafts and bridges, fly hundreds of meters in the air to mate, and dig massive tunnels for the colony. Fire ants use their jaws to bite or latch onto your […]
This Saturday, August 19th is World Honey Bee Day (previously known as Honey Bee Awareness Day), bee keepers across the country join in a national effort to help safeguard declining honey bee population. Bee enthusiasts are celebrating honey bees but also promoting their involvement in sustainable farming. Bees play a vast role in our everyday […]
At this time of year our garter snakes can be found along streams, rivers, and lakes, marshes, and wet meadows. They spend their days basking in sun yet always prepared to dive under water to avoid predators. They use the position of the sun to orient themselves, and to be able to find their way back […]
Queen bumblebees exposed to thiamethoxam, a commonly used insecticide, are less likely to lay eggs or build colonies, which according to researchers could lead to extinction. Thiamethoxam or the name brand Syngenta is a broad-spectrum insecticide, which means it is absorbed quickly by plants and transported to all of its parts, including pollen, where it […]
There is a lot of different ant species in Delta but the best known is the carpenter ant. Most people think flying ants are a unique species, but almost all species of ants send out winged breeders in mating season. This is what they call the nuptial flight, when the ants take to the skies […]
Now that fire ants are showing up in Delta’s lawns and gardens, it won’t be long before they show up inside homes. Ants outside are an irritation, but if they get inside your home, that can become quite the problem. Since we have had a long string of hot and dry weeks, all insects are […]
Why are there so many mice out there now? I don’t know, but this summer should be called “the summer of the mice”. Usually, the house mouse makes its home in farmers’ fields, grassy fields and forests. They usually build nests in areas that are dark and protected with available food around i.e. your kitchen. […]
Sand, surf, sun, swimming, picnics, camping and little pesky stinging pests! Who can take the fun out of a beautiful summer day faster than a sting from a bee, wasps, hornet or a red ant? Almost everyone has been stung by one of these insects at least once in their lives and almost 1% of […]
The 45th annual Tsawwassen Sun Festival Aug 7 2017 The B.C. Day long weekend festival, Rotary Parade ran down 56th Street at 11 a.m. Go Green Pest Control entered with one of their vehicles and the award winning 2017 soapbox derby cart, the RAT ROD gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/tsawwassen-sun-festival-randy-bilesky?published=t
Mosquito season differs from year to year dependent on temperature, moisture and other conditions. Mosquito season starts slowly in late spring, when warm weather brings out the first of the insects, peaks in summer, and slows down in the fall. Mosquitoes don’t go away for good until the first freeze, followed by temperatures consistently below […]
A shiny black color, oriental cockroaches are a flightless insect intruders that gain entrance underneath doors, open doors or following utility lines, pipes, open drains or sewers. Although an outdoors species found living beneath mulch, leaf piles, storm drains, sewers or beneath stones, they can prosper in wall voids and crawlspaces. They are known for their […]
Bees that burrow into the ground make up 75% of all the solitary bee population. Ground-nesting bees in your garden are very beneficial because they aerate the soil, pollinate the plants and are predators to damaging garden insects. In fact, they are very efficient and effective pollinators to all flowering plants. Usually, this bee is […]
Now that the fire ants have made their way to Delta, I thought I would put together some tips on how to deal with fire ant stings. If you are sure that it was a fire ant that stung you, as you may have stood on top of one of their nests, the first thing […]
Lawn ants are a nuisance to people who want to walk and play on their lawn. They are a bit of horror when their ant hills begin to pop up and someone’s foot is bitten. There are a few types of ants that are common in our lawns, nesting in spaces that have appropriate soil […]
Well the population of fruit flies are beginning to build here in my pest control office. Yes, I can’t seem to eliminate them either. Fruit flies eat fruit (fresh or ripened) and vegetables and fermenting products. Their entire life cycle only lasts about 25 days. These flies hang out around the kitchens, garbage cans and […]
Although horntails look like wasps with their projection on the back of their abdomen they neither bite nor sting. They usually hitch a ride into people’s homes in structural lumber, wood products or inside of firewood that is stored in the home. Female horntails deposit their eggs into the trunks of coniferous and […]
Bats are one of the best at controlling insect populations by consuming hundreds of insects each night, but when they come into contact with humans, and then the problems may begin. Bats that live in social groups are probably the most troublesome type of bat infestation since there can be well over 25 bats in […]
Echinococcus multilocularis, this tapeworm had only been seen once in Manitoba has headed west and is now in Alberta. The tapeworm is a rare and potentially fatal, seen in coyotes and has spread to humans, according to infectious disease experts. In fact there have been four people infected in as many years. Individuals with low […]
This time of year wasp nest call-outs is steady. So why are people so concerned about wasps, especially when the nest is high up on the roof? Wasp stings are common, uncomfortable or significant pain and irritation, and most people recover quickly. The initial sensations can include sharp pain or burning at the sting site […]
Bed bugs are tiny pests that live by nurturing on human blood, typically at night. They are cagey, hiding in cracks and crevices during day light, and coming out when the lights are out to feed. Because of their size and painless bite, bed bugs may go unnoticed for some time. Tell tail signs that you […]
There are 10 different species of silverfish and only one species of firebrat and both are commonly referred to as bristletails (long appendages attached to the tip of the abdomen). Both silverfish and firebrats appear similar. Firebrats have longer antennae and tend to be a mottled gray color with patches of dark gray and lighter […]
These tiny pests have hundreds of species and their see-through bodies are usually green, red, black, yellow, or white. Aphids damage plants by sucking the sap from leaves, twigs, stems, or roots and sometimes spread plant diseases in the process. Aphid colonies can usually be found on the underside of leaves, the tips of branches […]
Foods like peanut butter, chocolate and cinnamon have been used as a bait to lure rats and other rodents. Rats and mice are a problem for agriculture, food storage and processing, and human and animal wellbeing. Now a collection of compounds found in foods is being used to create a long-life rat lures that […]
Kudzu bugs, mistake them for beetles, are a true bug because of their wing type and beak like piercing sucking mouth parts. Kudzu bugs like to feed on kudzu (climbing, coiling, and trailing perennial vines). They use their penetrating mouthparts to draw juices from the plant. They are considered pests because they have a […]
These termites get their name from the decaying, wet wood that they build their nests in. They rarely nest in the soil but prefer decaying wood; in fact, they rarely touch the soil as their cousins the subterranean termites do. Dampwood termites are most common termite found in Delta and are considered an economic pest. Damaged […]
Yes we all know now that it’s just the females that are so bothersome. They lock onto their victim using scent, exhaled carbon dioxide, body heat, and chemicals in the person’s sweat. Then she lands on an area of exposed skin and inserts her proboscis to suck your blood. Yes they are mosquitos’ not female […]
Spider bites have been associated and blamed for flesh eating disease (necrotising skin infection) in many cases worldwide and now here in our back yard. The Brown recluse spiders also known as fiddleback spiders or violin spiders and the venom from a white-tailed spider are the two spiders believed to transmit the disease. As a […]
Our community must share space with wildlife, including raccoons, which can become aggressive in their hunt of an easy meal and accommodations. I had a client who had a raccoon get into the attic. It damaged the attic and left urine that seeped into the ceiling of the house. The individual put in a claim to […]
There are nearly 200 species of wasps known in Delta. Most are considered solitary wasps and most of these have a comparable life history. They capture and paralyze insects, put the insect in a burrow and lay eggs on them. The eggs hatch and then the larvae feed on the paralyzed prey. Next, the larvae […]
Whiteflies are not actually a fly, but belong to the order of true bugs. Whiteflies have a couple pairs of chalky, moth like annexes as adults. They have a very quick reproduction phase and can inflict major harm to house plants, potted plants and plants in the garden. They were originally from tropical regions and are becoming […]
The Darwin’s Bark spider is appropriately named, because its body look like tree bark. This particular spider is an orb-weaver those assertions two extraordinary titles: the silk they produce is the strongest organic material ever discovered and its webs are the largest in the world. In fact, the silk is twice as tough as […]
Adult tiger beetles have big eyes and lengthy, sinewy legs. They have hostile hunting strategies and unbelievable speed. To catch its prey it can run over 100 times its length per second. The tiger beetle’s hunting procedure is imposing and violent. They feed other insects such as spiders and other insects larger then themselves. Their […]
51 years of North Delta Family Day The beloved annual tradition began as a parade to celebrate Canada’s centennial https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/51-years-north-delta-family-day-randy-bilesky?published=t
Kissing bugs feed on animals like raccoons, opossums, squirrels and rats. Two of the most common are the bloodsucking conenose bug, and the western bloodsucking conenose bug. Kissing bugs got their name about 100 years ago because they draw blood from the face of the victim. Conenose bugs will enter homes in suburban and rural areas and […]
This insect has a terrifying appearance with long, thin bodies similar to a stick insect. They are found outdoors near water and not indoors as they are incapable of reproducing indoors. The large pincers of the male dobsonfly are harmless but the female dobsonflies use their jaws for protection and can piercing the skin. Dobsonflies do […]
The Engelmann spruce weevil causes widespread damage to many kinds of evergreen trees. These weevils are dark brown with a prominent hooked snout of the weevil. The adults overwinter in debris beneath trees, and in the spring they ascend the vertical stem at the top of the trunk to feed and mate. Trees will lose […]
Rats are difficult to control and research because they are one of nature’s most impeccably adapted creatures, yet they are one of the least studied wildlife in cities. Rats are considered pests that spread disease, ruin our food, turn our homes into theirs and even mess with our cars. They live closely amongst us, in our […]
1) If you don’t see pests – you don’t have a pest problem. This is also called day dreaming. 2) Out of sight, out of mind. The pests that are hard to see or spot tend to be the toughest to get rid of. 3) Apply bug spray when the sun goes down. When you […]
Delta’s soap box derby a second-annual success 45 kids competed to be the fastest soap box racer in the municipality Delta’s second annual soap box racing derby saw 45 kids race down 6th Avenue in Tsawwassen on June 10. Go Green Pest Control’s Rat Rod Roxy cart, a blue 1930s Buick-inspired soap box racer, won […]
Over the past three years our planet has been the hottest on record, and the changing climate helps many pests thrive, consequently negatively affecting our health. Field mice can carry Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacterium that causes Lyme disease, and they provide the blood meals for blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, which can transmit […]
Flea beetles are small jumping insects, similar looking to pet fleas, found in home gardens early in the growing season. These pests can cause big problems for many vegetable plants. They damage plants by chewing hundreds of holes in the leaves, which make them look as if they have been shot by fine pellets. When […]
One night, all of a sudden, you hear scratching above your head in the ceiling. Your house is infested with rodents. Is it rats, mice, squirrels, skunks or raccoons? Rodent infestation is more common then you may think here in Delta, in fact one in four houses have or have had rodent activity. Here is […]
It’s that time of year where most of our furry four legged animals are reproducing. From mice to raccoons, Delta seems to be bursting with new life. A client spotted a patch of brown grass on their lawn and after investigating the dry patch; it turned out to be a rabbit nest foraged underneath the […]
Delta Optimist June 12, 2017 11:38 AM Racers line up at the starting gates at the second annual Soap Box Derby Saturday in Tsawwassen. Delta Optimist June 12, 2017 11:38 AM Racers line up at the starting gates at the second annual Soap Box Derby Saturday in Tsawwassen. The Rotary Club of Tsawwassen hosted, in […]
Wild animals rely on three main things for survival: water, food, and lodging, which can attract them into suburban neighborhoods. The most contact between wild animals and people is always in the summer. To avoid encounters with wildlife this summer here are a few tips. Clean up the property, close the gaps and sanitize their property. Cleaning around the […]
https://youtu.be/IIpN0vZxb6I Go organic, use less pesticide and plant flowers. These are the words used by researchers that have watched the decline of butterflies globally. More than 90 per cent of all plants need a pollinator to set fruit and seeds. Besides bees, butterflies play an important role as pollinator helping agriculture productivity especially in herbs […]
Meet the bombardier beetles a super hero insect that can shoot a chemical spray at prey or predator with a tremendous pop. It has two chambers in its abdomen; one contains hydroquinone and the other hydrogen peroxide. When the Bombardier Beetle needs it engage it firing apparatus, the two chambers combine the fluids to create […]
Cicadas produce exceptionally loud songs by vibrating drum like tymbals rapidly. They are generally 2-3 cm long and have large, clear wings with many wing veins. Their eyes are large, reddish or black and set apart on each side of the head. Cicadas don’t cause damage by chewing leaves, but do create damage as they […]
http://www.delta-optimist.com/community/tsawwassen-rotarians-jump-to-raise-funds-to-fight-polio-1.20350994
Dragonflies are considered beneficial predators eating countless number of insects such as flies and mosquitoes (hundreds a day). Dragonflies are considered one of the first winged insects, going back 250 million years. There are more than 5,000 known species of dragonflies, all with serrated teeth. Hovering like a helicopter: they only eat prey they catch […]
The most commonly encountered species is the cottontail rabbit. A female rabbit is called a doe, a male rabbit is called a buck and a young rabbit is called a kit (or kitten). Rabbit’s lifespan is on average 10 years. Rabbits are small, furry individuals that are ravenous plant eaters and classified as herbivores. They […]
There’s a new fruit fly in B.C., the Rhagoletis cerasi. The European cherry fruit fly is a significant pest of European cherries. It was here last summer and its also unclear how it made its way into Canada. The pattern on the wing of this fruit fly can be used to differentiate it from […]
Black gnats are small pests with dark coloring, although they are infrequently really black. Differing to general belief, these tiny flying insects are not children, they are adults. There are other tiny flies people think are black gnats but they are black flies, fruit flies, fungus gnats or phorid flies. Gnats typically are small and […]
I read a report from the UK that sounds pretty scary and could very well be here but we don’t know it yet. Decorative potted plants from retail nurseries have insecticides levels that could have an impact on beneficial insects and pollinators such as honey bees, mason bees etc. The pesticides included neonicotinoid pesticides in […]
As a male wasp, their duties are to eat, grow, occasionally help to protect the nest when the females are out shopping for food and finally to mate, then take off to party. But, when males idly hanging around the nest before leaving to do the mating game, female paper wasps seize the males and […]
We have dozens of different types of wasps in Delta, some so small, you don’t even see them. Most are both pollinators and predators of pest bugs. Common wasps, including the paper wasp, yellow jackets and bald-faced hornet, yet it’s the yellow jackets that scavenge on our food and garbage. Wasps create a new colony […]
Pocket gophers are medium-sized rodents ranging from about 15 to 35 cm in length. Their fur varies in color from black to brown to nearly white and is very soft. The pocket gopher got their name from the fur-lined pouches outside its mouth used to transport food. They are efficient tunnelers, making their way under […]
Is a squirrel, a fuzzy tailed rat, nobody knows. Squirrels cause the most damage in commercial tree seed and seedling orchards by debarking branches and eating tree cones and seeds. In Delta, they normally cause marginal damage to trees and seeds, but can completely damage destroy electrical wires, short out transformers and chew holes in […]
Pavement ants can sting and during the spring, are highly aggressive against other ants. Ants Pavement or paver ants usually make their nets under the driveway pavement, under patio pavers, indoors in walls and under floors. When they are found in walls, under floors, and in insulation the house usually is a slab-on-grade construction, foragers […]
The time of year, ant control is an essential when living with food indoors or outdoors. Scientists suggest that there are one million ants for every human on earth. Some ants flourish near moisture, others are enticed to food and water but all ants can enter through small crack or hole in your building’s foundation, […]
Bats are flying creatures no larger than a mouse that can live up to 10 years. A single brown bat can consume over 500 mosquitoes an hour and a colony of 500 bats can eat millions insects nightly. When bats make their homes in buildings they become a nuisance with their presence and the smells […]
Our social and emotional states are influenced by our sense of smell. There apparently is no evidence that humans have an inferior sense of smell to that of most animals like rats, mice and dogs. As the human brain developed over time to become larger, the olfactory bulb grew proportionally. The statement that humans can […]
The parasitic wasp uses its ovipositor, located on their abdomen, to locate and then inject its eggs next to the larvae of a preferred another wasp deep within a fig (not a fruit but an inverted bunch of flowers). When the fig gives off a perfume that attracts pollinating wasps, the wasp will lay her […]
Sowbugs are not actually bugs but crustaceans like lobsters and shrimp. They are flat, oval, about 1 cm long with 14 legs and two pair of antennae. Sowbugs have gills which need constant moisture, so they spend most of their time in damp places. They are primarily nocturnal, and eat decaying leaf litter and vegetable […]
What has antlers and sucks blood? A moose-quito! In Delta the risk of getting an illness or serious health effects from mosquito bites is very low, although West Nile virus is still out there. Mosquitoes bites, as we know, cause itchiness and irritation, thankfully only the female mosquitoes feed on blood to produce eggs. They […]
Sex chemicals blur male insects into looking for love in all the erroneous places. Each pheromone only targets a single pest species. That leaves helpful pollinators like bees and slayers such as ladybugs uninjured. Some farmers are now turning to the green substitute of pheromones, the alluring chemicals female insects use to attract males. By spraying pheromones […]
The Larder beetle, apply named as a pest of cured meats, will invade your home and moves into the shadowed areas to find its food. Historically a pest of cured meats in Europe, the United States, and Canada, refrigeration has decreased the economic importance of this insect; however, these beetles are still common in museums, […]
These sluggish flies appear in early spring and are collectively comprised of three flies: the cluster fly (gathering in clusters and give off a sickly, sweetish odour), the face flies (usually found near farm homes or homes located near pastures and finally the blow flies (the loud buzzing pest that is attracted by manure or […]
Spiders are excellent pest control agents. They do not transmit any diseases and rarely bite humans. Most spiders are nocturnal, shy, and avoid conflict by running away. Their web begins with a single thread, which begins the rest of the structure. The spider climbs to a starting point and releases a thread into the wind. […]
One of the hardest lawn pests to deal with, white grubs are the larvae of certain beetles. These grubs have fleshy, wrinkled, c-shaped physiques with tan or brown heads and six prickly legs. They will grow as long as 4 cm, depending on the species. The most common white grubs overrunning lawns in Delta are […]
Ladybugs are insatiable and proficient predators of insect pests and are our most beneficial insects. And here is even more good news, they do not sting, carry diseases, or infest our food. Ladybugs can live up to three years if the environment is just right. They hibernate in the winter living on stored fat and […]
Ants most commonly found in Delta are not hostile, although some can bite and sting. Our ants can range in colour from black to brown, red, yellow, or a mixture of them all. Ants sizes range from the Pharaoh’s ant of 1 mm to as large as the Carpenter ant of 13 mm. The can […]
The Sitka spruce weevil causes extensive damage to Sitka, White, and Engelmann spruce, Mugho pine and blue spruce. In the spring, the adults climb up to the top of the trees to feed and mate. These weevils spread by flying on warm sunny days. Their eggs are laid in small holes made in the bark […]
The Asian Gypsy moths are damaging insects, specifically the caterpillar feeds on the leaves of mostly conifers (evergreens) trees and some deciduous (leafy) trees, eating an average of one square metre of leaves a day. It gets its name from their talent of traveling by hitchhiking on various objects. The young larvae can be carried […]
Cockroaches have been a pest for millions of years, now residing in restaurants, food facilities, hotels and maybe your home next. Although they have wings, they can’t fly and that’s a really good thing. Cockroaches don’t cause structural damage but they can contaminate food and spread disease. Like us, they will live anywhere there is […]
Tent caterpillars are social insects and build silk trails while travelling between their nest, feeding areas and other caterpillars on a deciduous (trees that drop their leaves yearly) trees. You can see these silken strands when the sunlight shines through an infested tree. Caterpillar moths lay their eggs in late June or early August. The […]
So what are slugs and snails, well there are mollusks, like clams, mussels and oysters. They are also gastropods, which mean the foot located on the stomach is how they get around. They are rather similar, except that the slug doesn’t have a shell to protect it from dry conditions and the sun. Both have […]
This flat wingless bugs have two antennas on their head and three bristles at the back of their body. Silverfish have shiny silver scales that give their body a silver sheen. Firebrats bodies are gray or brown with bands of dark scales. They are both scavengers and love to eat crumbs, dead insects, starch, glue, […]
It’s almost that time again when the bloom of the termites hits the skies. Yearly, to spread their colony, termites swarm and piles of discarded wings can be seen in the aftermath. There are three casts in these colonies: reproductives, soldiers and workers. The Pacific dampwood termite leaves large oval fecal pellets in the nest, […]
The sawtoothed grain beetle is a small beetle, with a flat body that has six saw-like teeth on each side of the body, behind the head. This larvae and adult enjoys eating grains, flours, cereals, nuts, sugar, dog and cat food, and just about anything in your pantry that is in a can. Because […]
The Indian meal moth is also known as the Indianmeal moth, weevil moth, pantry moth, flour moth or grain moth (not to be confused with the meal moth, confused?). Its larvae are a common grain-feeding pest, feeding on grains, flours, dried fruit, cereals, nuts, sugar, dog food, and most other stored products in your cupboards […]
Cotton rats are mainly agricultural pests living in grassy areas and feed on plants. They nest on the ground or in shallow burrows making trails in the grass where they travel. Although cotton rats are not considered structural pests, they can infest homes, garages, barns and storage sheds. The cotton rat is on our radar […]
Mason bees are our native bee and are named for their use of mud (masonry product) in constructing their nests, which in nature, are made in naturally occurring gaps and holes in wood made by wood-boring insects. They are attracted by spring flowering plants and don’t make honey or even live in hives, but they […]
There is a fallacy that earwigs tunnel into your ears while you sleep, well they’re earworms not earwigs that do that. Earwigs have pincers on the back of their abdomens that are pretty scary, but they use them for defense and for fighting with competitor earwigs. Earwigs are active at night eating plants and insects. […]
Blue bottle flies look similar to the house fly but are shiny blue in color. Theses flies are usually found on windows and make brash, energetic sounds. They can spread diseases therefore are considered pests. Blue bottle flies deposit their eggs in decomposing organic matter, so its likely rotting material is close. Examine sewer pipes for […]
The general name hornet is often misrepresented for just about any species of large, ferocious looking and stinging insect. Bald-faced hornets are social insects, although not true hornets. They live in colonies that may contain between 50 and 500 members at their peak. They usually appear in late spring and by mid-summer their populations are […]
Fruit flies can appear to be brown or tan or any time of the year. Although populations tend to increase during the summer, indoor fruit flies are frequently active at all times of the year. They are attacked to ripened fruit and vegetables and fermenting products like beer, wine and spirits. The common fruit fly […]
Caddisflies are not actually flies, they have two sets of wings and there are over 1,000 types of caddisflies in Canada. Adult caddisflies are land-dwelling near fresh water, while larvae are water born. Adult caddisflies are similar in appearance to moths. They have diminished mouthparts and well-developed complex eyes. Caddisflies feed on fallen leaves and other detritus. […]
Millipedes are long, slim creatures. They normally live outdoors in damp soil under flowerbeds and gardens eating live and dead leaves, soft roots, decaying wood particles, small insects, earthworms and snails. Homeowners find millipedes that have entered through a garage door and are taking up residence in their basements since many are dark and […]
Daddy longlegs also go by the names harvestmen or opilionids. They have one body segment, two eyes, eight legs used to crawl, smell and taste. These original daddies’ are not spiders or even insects and can live as long as two years. They aren’t venomous and don’t create silk webs. Although there is an urban […]
It’s that time again when we start seeing bees and wasps, specifically, the yellow jacket queen. The only yellow jacket member to survive the winter is the fertilized queen. The queen over winters in places such as in stumps, under bark, leaf litter, soil cavities, and man-made structures. She will emerge in early spring, select […]
During March, I’ve been telling people to wait to begin many insect control procedures; I spend most of my time telling people to wait or later in the season that it’s too late to do anything for now. When it comes to controlling pests, timing is everything. When a control method is used at the […]
I’m often asked which insects that we have, that actually bite us. So here are the four main insects that may get into your house and bite you and your pets. 1) Bed Bugs – The adult bed bug are reddish brown, oval, flat and grow to 3 cm long. Bed bugs at night will […]
In the battle against the invasive emerald ash borer, Chinese parasitic wasps are beginning grown and released. Over the next couple months 10,000 to 12,000 of these tiny insects will be released and this isn’t the first time the wasps have been bred in Canada. The emerald ash borer is an invasive species and is […]
Mid-march is a busy time for pests as they leave their winter hiding spots in search of food and water. In the pest control industry, we use what’s called Integrated Pest Management to be effective and environmentally responsible when dealing with pest control issues because it focuses on eliminating the conditions that attract pests […]
Carpenter ants are plentiful in Delta, and are common pests in homes, sheds and other buildings. In spring carpenter ants are more active at night and by using a flashlight you can find the main nest outdoors. In structures, the presence of sawdust is a key clue in locating ant nests. The most common […]
A new program, south of the border, called Blue Collar Cats takes feral felines that come in to the shelters and pairs them with rodent infested businesses or homes in exchange for food and shelter. The moggies are cleaner and generally less expensive alternative to pesticides. The cats that are brought in, that don’t show a lot of social conduct towards humans […]
The Nutria is a large river rat, weighing over 5 kg’s and around 700 mm long; it is omnivorous, semiaquatic rodent and the only member of the family Myocastoridae. Originally native to subtropical and temperate South America, it has been introduced to North America in recent years. In parts of the Asian community, they […]
Rotarians set to jump out of airplane Four members of the Rotary Club of Tsawwassen to make the leap in May in fundraiser for the Rotary Foundation Tsawwassen Rotarians Randy Bilesky with Go Green Pest Control, Shane Todhunter and Vicki Paramanathan prepare to take a practice leap off the balcony at the Beach Grove Golf […]
Wood ants protect their ant colonies from disease by creating a strong antibiotic concoction made of tree resin and poison from their own bodies. Ants have all sorts of jobs, from guard to queen and forager to chemist. Now we know that there is an ant pharmacology helping ants evade epidemics. Ants live in colonies […]
The turkey vulture is a scavenger; its main goal is to cleanup animal carcasses. Its head, the colour of exposed flesh, is featherless and tapered perfectly used to tear apart its meals. This bird can detect mercapton, a gas produced by carrion decay, from more than one and a half kilometers away. Turkey vultures have […]
The zebrafish is a tropical freshwater fish belonging to the minnow family and is a popular aquarium fish. The zebrafish has a short gestation period, manipulable embryo, can produce a huge number of offspring, a shorter life span and has a transparent embryos allowing for better imaging. This fish has about a quarter of its’ […]
Starting January the Corporation of Delta has required anyone seeking a demolition permit to ensure the property is free of mice, rats, squirrels, skunks and raccoons. Frustrated by a growing rodent problem in North and South Delta, the corporation wants to keep rodents at bay because this is a public health and safety issue. Property […]
A fatal raccoon parasite that can cause neurological problems has infected several humans in the last two years. Although not all infected with this parasite lead to severe disease. The parasite can spread from raccoons to other wildlife, dogs or humans. Animals can become infected by digging through raccoon feces containing the parasite eggs. […]
Since the early ’90s, reported cases of Lyme disease have tripled and 2017 will be a particularly risky year for the disease. Symptoms of Lyme disease include red rashes or a fever. Mice are efficient transmitters of Lyme disease and infect up to 95 percent of the ticks that feed on them. An individual mouse […]
Barn Swallows build mud nests in eaves and overhangs on buildings. As a protected bird, once an egg is laid in a nest, the nest must remain intact until the hatchlings have left; you are encouraged to take proactive steps to prevent them from settling in and building nests, which can be both unsightly and […]
Our majestic goose can pose a costly nuisance for many property owners. Canada Geese are large water birds with a long neck, large body, large webbed feet, flat bill, black head with white cheeks and chinstrap, black neck, tan breast, and brown back. The birds graze on submerged aquatic vegetation by reaching under the water […]
The box elder bug is a North American species of true bug. The adults are about 12.5 mm, dark brown with red wing. They hibernate in buildings and homes in the winter and in the warmer seasons live in elder, maple and ash trees. Like many overwintering pests, the most startling sign is the bugs […]
There’s no end in sight to the boom in Delta’s rat population. So far this year, rat call-outs have outstripped other critter complaints from last year by a large margin and this trend may just continue. Previous mild winters have been fueling Delta’s rat boom. Yet, this year the cold weather has the rats hunkering down, clinging to […]
Are you prepared for signs of the winter activity of the moles, mice and voles that find our perennials, shrubs and trees to be pleasant eating. All live in sensibly built nests below ground. They all feed on plants, including roots, stems, leaves and seeds. They all will eat earthworms, insects, centipedes and each other. […]
Blue Herons spend nearly 90 percent of their time stalking for food. These large birds are a common sight along ditches on Delta farmland, where they hunt for moles, voles, mice, rats, amphibians, and fish. Standing about a meter tall, these s-shaped necked birds can bend their necks backwards, coiling onto itself and then extending […]
Birds, bird droppings and nesting materials can transmit over 59 diseases and ectoparasites (a parasite, such as a flea, that lives on the outside of its host) infectious to us and animals. These pose the most risk to the young, elderly and those living with auto immune diseases. Here is a breakdown of some of […]
Scientists have discovered that the gene responsible for the social organisation of colonies of the fire ant is likely to have evolved via a single event. Red fire ants can have colonies with a single queen while other colonies contain dozens of queens. There is a supergene version responsible for colonies with a single queen, […]
Woodpeckers peck at houses for one of three reasons: to attract a mate or proclaim territory, to seek food (insects in the wood), or to try to create a nest in the side of a building. They can be a major problem for many property owners once they settle on a property or structure. […]
Parabiosis is the cooperation between two species that is a mutually beneficial relationship, and in this case, sharing a common home where they both gain. One is a massive black ant and the other is a tiny brown ant. But together they form a perfect team to build, guard and keep a healthy shared nest. […]
Among the most intelligent of birds, the Northwestern Crows can pose a major problem to property owners. The black birds often gather in enormous flocks, creating noise and leaving their waste behind. They damage roofs and their droppings can eat into and deface a variety of building and vehicle surfaces. Crows often feed in exposed […]
While conducting a cancer study scientists stumbled on a game-changing weight-loss solution in two common cancer-fighting drugs causing a significant weight loss in obese mice, even when the mice continued excessive consumption of a high-fat diet. Two chemotherapy drugs – methotrexate and cyclophosphamide could be used to completely reverse obesity even in mice without cancer. […]
Common Garter Snakes spend the winter underground in dens. They can travel a few kilometres to reach a good den site, and these dens often are shared with other snakes. It is found along streams, rivers, and lakes, marshes, and wet meadows. Males emerge from the hibernacula (underground in dens) first, followed a short time later […]
Coyotes are crepuscular, most active at dawn and dusk, although they can be seen during the day as well. They are omnivores so they eat small mammals, pets’ food, insects and fruits and berries. They’ll rid your yard of rodents but coyotes don’t have a bias when it comes to small animals, so smaller dogs […]
There are over 800 species of ground beetles in Canada. They can be found on the ground under logs, rocks, wood, leaves, boards, and other debris preying on ants, aphids, caterpillars, maggots, slugs, and worms. Although beneficial to the environment, these beetles can infest buildings in large numbers yet only reproduce outdoors. When these nocturnal […]
Several thousand years ago in China, cats were attracted to ancient farming villages by small animals, such as rodents that were living on the grain that the farmers grew, ate, and stored. Since then the relationship between humans and cats was started. Not yet domesticated, these cats lived close to farmers, and the relationship was […]
Skunks don’t actually hibernate but remain inactive in their dens for days to weeks during extreme cold as we are experiencing. Skunks typically mate around this time of the year, and the kits are born in mid spring. They are mostly nocturnal carnivores and feed on rodents like moles, voles, squirrels, rats, mice and other […]
Carpet beetles (Dermestid Beetles, Skin Beetles, Larder Beetles), this time of year, yes and they are hungry. Measuring up to 4 mm they have oval-shaped black, white and yellow patterned bodies. The larval stage is this beetle’s damaging stage. Although the adult beetles feed on seeds, plants and flowers, the larvae consume fabric, fur […]
Scientists studying mice have discovered that a key purpose of sleep is to recalibrate the brain cells responsible for learning and they have discovered several important molecules that govern the recalibration process. Now there is more evidence that sleep deprivation, sleep disorders and sleeping pills can interfere with the process. The mouse brain can only […]
Aphids or plant lice, cause more damage to cultivated plants than any other insect. There are over 1,350 species of aphids damaging garden plants, houseplants, coniferous and deciduous trees, and decorative shrubs. Aphids feed on plant sap and prefer new plant growth. They often feed in large numbers and can quickly destroy gardens and flowerbeds. […]
Scientists do not know why tickling results in happiness or why certain body parts are more susceptible to the sensation than others, or why the best tickles occur at the hands of others. So rats were selected because young rats not only feel the sensation, but are also most ticklish on the belly and the […]
According to scientists, wasps have exchange buddies and compete for the best trade agreements. Female wasps have the first choice of cooperative partners. Dominant wasps even negotiate hours with the workers to guarantee they can spend time in their nests. A study looked at wasps across multiple nests monitoring how they apply the economic […]
Bedbugs are small, nocturnal, wingless, parasitic insects that feed on humans and other warm blooded animals. They can travel over 6 meters from their hiding place to you. They hide in small places such as baseboards, cracks in floors, under carpets, behind loose wallpaper, bed frames, sofas and behind picture frames. There are no health […]
A study used two strains of mice, and set them up as roommates in different combinations. They studied the effects by measuring difference traits such as wound healing, body weight, anxiety and depressed mood in both mice. They found that each mouse affected the outcome of its roommates in healing, weight, anxiety and depression. The […]
Gophers are small rodents that burrow tunnels and seldom appear above ground, when it does, it rarely ventures more than a few feet. Gophers are active during the day and are fossorial (live most of their lives underground). Gophers are herbivores (vegetation) eating tops of plants, roots and tubers of the plant. They eat, forage, sleep […]
There has been an outbreak of the dangerous Seoul virus, after contact with infected fancy-pet rats. Seoul virus is carried by rats and is a species of hantavirus that can cause a form of hemorrhagic fever. Symptoms can include fever, headache, back and abdominal pain, chills, impaired vision, redness of the eyes, or rash. […]
Ants are outstanding navigators that keep a straight path, plot the sun’s position and memorize their environment to guide their activities. Ants get their bearings correct regardless of the body’s direction and can find their way home under any condition. Ants may have tiny brains but their cognitive skills are outstanding in circumnavigating their […]
The unique appearance of the owl makes it very distinguishable with its large head and enormous eyes. The owl is a ferocious and powerful hunter and will only consume live animals. Owls are independent birds and do have predators to worry about. They are considered to be top food chain elements. Here are a few […]
In the last several weeks we have received several calls on silverfish infestations. Silverfish are unable to survive in low relative humidity so finding the source of the extra humidity is a start. Because we live in such a wet climate, many homes have silverfish inherently in the walls and ceiling do to captured […]
In the face of danger, opossums go into a catatonic state or playing dead, in self-defense. A nocturnal marsupial, they can recognizable by their pointed snout and rodent like tail. They are solitary creatures living in areas near bogs and marshes. Opossums are omnivores and change their diets as the season’s changes. They eat […]
Humans have a constant dilemma, how do we allocate resources based on responsibilities and energy. It poses a problem for ants as well. It has been determined that ants understand work-life balance better than we do. In a colony of ants only a percentage of them actually work while the balance is inactive conserving food, […]
The rabbits most commonly found in Delta are cottontails and hares. Being herbivores, rabbits eat grasses, clover, herbs, lettuce, peats, dandelions, and the leaves of saplings. But in the winter, their food includes the bark of birch, oak, maple, and dogwood trees, along with twigs, stems, and buds. They are mostly nuisance pests and can […]
Our bats, the only mammals capable of flight, eat great numbers of insects but are considered nuisances, when they choose to roost in homes attics. The little brown bat and big brown bat, roost together in large colonies and can spread diseases and damage your home. The bats droppings are called guano and they make […]
Feral cats are the offspring of domestic cats that have never actually belonged to a person or had any socialization with people. Feral cats are mostly fearful and have trouble acclimatizing to humans. They readily adapt to their environments and prefer to live in colonies. Feral cats can live on garbage, pet food, rodents, birds, […]
Pharaoh ants are infamous indoor pests, colonizing through a process called budding. Budding allows for the insects to spread infestations rapidly and into nearly any area. With pincer-like jaws, Pharaoh ants will bite leaving a painful welt that can last for hours, similar to a flea bite. While Pharaoh ant bites are not poisonous, they […]
South Delta seems to have lost the birds of prey to land development. Where have they gone and why? Most likely answer would be the reduction of farm lands hence the reduction of rodents. If you travel along highway 17 near highway 99 you now can see thousands of birds milling around, drawn in by […]
Now that winters here, you’re not the only one seeking a roof over your head. As temperatures drop, mice, rats and squirrels head indoors in search of nourishment and heat. There isn’t a home in Delta that hasn’t had a mice coming in and out, or living there at one time or another. Mice can […]
The number of cockroach infestations reported in the lower mainland last year rose by nearly 69% according to figures recently released. This is the twelfth year in a row in which pest control companies have seen a rise in the number of complaints received relating to these pests in B.C. Cockroaches pose a risk to […]
We all now know that BPS, found in baby bottles, drinking bottles and other places, is a replacement chemical for BPA. Now researchers have found that a BPS may have biological effects. Mice were used to examine the effects of BPS on nurturing behavior and related brain regions. Nesting mothers exposed to BPS during pregnancy […]
The unintended consequence of car manufactures going green makes them taste way too good! There are several systems in the new vehicles that can be damaged by rodents: electrical wiring harnesses, air conditioning and heating ducts, seat cushions, trunk and storage area carpeting and various fluid containers. Many composition materials that are eaten will contain: […]
Ground beetles are beneficial insects that help to curb populations of pests and weeds. They are infrequent invaders, normally seen in the fall; they enter homes in the middle or end of summer. These beetles are attracted to light and are noticeable when they gather around well-lit buildings. When they infest a building the worse […]
Mice skin cells are predetermined to be sweaty or hairy, and their fate is determined by competing signals, during the embryonic growth. Mice have different skin cells that develop hair follicles on their back and designated skin cells that develop sweat glands on their paws. The mice skin cells differ from their hairy backs to their […]
Pest exclusion is designed to stop pest issues before they begin and are a part of the IPM integrated pest management protocol. Pests need three things for existence: food, water and shelter, so it maybe your house, business or the garage in the back. Once these pests find a way in, getting them gone can […]
As I sit eating my toast with butter and honey, I reflected on those hot summer days this year and how many bees and wasps (hornets) I encountered. When we think of honey bees we think of honey, when we think of wasps or hornets we think about being stung. Of course both will […]
Now the snow is melting and the cold snap has come to an abrupt end, more rodents have been driven out of the wild in search of food and shelter. Delta’s community is surrounded in vast open farms, bogs, parks and virtually all homes have seen an increase of rodent activities, from mice to raccoons […]
In an experiment, surgeons injected cancerous mice with microscopic probes to locate the tumor. The nanoscale (highly interdisciplinary in nanoscience and nanotechnology) fluorescent probes that turn on when encountering cancer which help remove tumors in mice without harming healthy tissue. The switching on behavior is unique to nanoscale technology, which is measured in billionths of […]
A couple weeks ago when I was moving some firewood at the side of my house, I found carpenter ants hibernating inside one of the cut logs. These guys nest in logs, stumps, hollow trees and our homes. They like to tunnel into moist, rotting wood and other soft materials to make satellite nests, in […]
Masked Hunters you ask? These insects are true bugs, a collection of bugs with sucking mouthparts. When they make their way into homes, they frequent attics and crawlspaces where they can easily camouflage themselves and hunt for food. Thankfully, bed bugs and carpet beetles are their favorite food sources, although they will also feed on […]
Are you guilty of having a sweet tooth? I know that I am! But that’s okay, there’s no shame in chowing down on Christmas cookies or candy this season. With the furnaces cranked up now, the insects are coming inside and literally coming alive. But if you are leaving crumbs behind or those seasonal […]
Why not, if you can get an organic tree then you know that the environment is better off because the tree was grown without pesticides. Organic farming makes sense, those people that grow and harvest the trees are not subjected to the harmful side effects of pesticides, be it insecticides or herbicides, and it’s better […]
Scientists were put to the challenge of determining what a smile on a rat face looks like. Therefore, as scientists do, they experimented with lab rats by photographing their subjects while being exposed to things that might make a rat happy or upset. They looked for facial displays of happy feelings in rats that were […]
Rules #1, if you see a chaotic, twisted web, do not stick your finger in it or you may lose it. This spider is one of the most infamous spiders. The female Black Widows are the ones with the plump black abdomen with a red hourglass (or red spot) on the bottom. These widow makers […]
If you have ever had a silverfish infestation than it’s most likely that you’ve seen them in the sink or bathtub, that is because they are falling from the ceiling, electrical and plumbing fixtures and can’t get out. Living as long as 3 years and producing over 1000 eggs a year, these night crawlers can […]
Once mice have invaded a home, the residences are on high alert for noises and the little messes they leave behind. It’s that time of year again. Rats little brother the mice are infesting homes across Delta and people aren’t happy about it. This fall, I have received countless reports of mice invading homes all […]
A new study found female rats’ exposure to allergens during pregnancy had an effect on their pups. This new study could help explain how allergies effect the development of ADHD and autism in children. They have discovered changes in the rat brains of fetuses and rat pups exposed to allergens during pregnancy. The adult […]
Scientists have discovered that injecting young (18 year old teenager) human blood plasma into older mice (12 months old) helps to rejuvenate their bodies. The blood plasma made the old mice perform like young ones, running around in open spaces much like the younger mice. But that’s not it either; their power of memory and […]
The warehouse beetle is a pest that is truly insatiable feeder and a health hazard to us and animals, because of the long list of foods that it attacks and how it might affect us if we consume it. The beetle’s prime source of protein includes legumes, nuts, animal feed, barley, wheat, pollen, and stored seeds. […]
Now that our style of winter weather has come, rats and mice often seek shelter in homes and commercial buildings where they can stay warm and well-fed throughout the season. When it comes to rodents, it’s important for home and business owners to remember the importance of year round maintenance. During this colder weather, rodents […]
A study on rats identifies the tickle hub of the warm-blooded vertebrate brain, shows that exciting a certain region can provoke an outbreak of ultrasonic happy squeals. The researchers found that rats are actually enjoying it. The ultrasonic shrills the rats make are expressions of pleasure. The tickling triggers the “neurotransmitter dopamine” in the brains […]
There is now convincing evidence that pain can be transmitted socially. Rodents communicate distress and are affected by the distress of others. Pain odor signals may be transferred from one rodent to another by compounds left in the air. Odor may function as a signal that can transmit pain sensitivity from one animal to the […]
From a raccoon’s perspective, we humans make outstanding neighbors. When raccoons take advantage of the food and shelter we provide, they often get into trouble. Raccoons are an ever-present sight in Delta evening landscape. They have a malleability that allows them live in the wild, suburban setting too our urban jungles. Raccoons have the natural […]
How do pesticides get into our compost? Well, composting of pesticide-treated plants. We have laws that restrict the use of pesticides that should make compost safe from pesticide contamination. But, we still apply synthetic pesticides in our gardens and lawns (although we are not allowed). Many pesticides like herbicides, insecticides and fungicides will break down […]
Honey Bees are vital to crop pollination worldwide and to the global food supply. Honey bees are currently facing colony collapse disorder and Varroa mites: a deforming wing virus that renders a bee’s wings useless. And now, a new virus, dubbed Moku, has been found in a species of wasp that has the potential to […]
Weevils, these small vexations, are one of the most destructive pests across Canada; having a vast influence on our agriculture industry, food supplies, and ornamental plant life. They can defoliate and severely damage entire crop yields. They eat plants, grains and other stored foods and lay their eggs once they have done. They invade our […]
A nice warm dry house is the perfect setting for pests like rats, mice, squirrels, skunks and raccoons to spend fall and winter and conserve energy by escaping the weather. Make time to keep your home pest-free whether you’ve seen signs or heard pest activity or just want serenity at home. Pest Free step […]
New study shows that the Zika virus shriveled male mice’s reproductive parts by 90 per cent, severely reducing fertility. Zika virus ravages the testes of male mice, reducing sperm counts and fertility. The virus attacks the body structure where sperm are made and reach maturity. Experiments found output of useful sperm fell by three […]
Organisms that have been genetically modified have not led to increases in crop yields and chemical pesticide use has not dropped, reported by the New York Times. A genetically modified organism, is an organism that has had its DNA altered or modified with DNA from another organism, these organisms are referred to as “transgenic” organisms. […]
Adult carpet beetles are often carried into houses on plants and flowers. Black furniture carpet beetles cause the most damage during the larval stage, and the first signs of an infestation are adult beetles on windowsills. Their larvae can be detected by irregular holes found in carpets, fabric, clothing, and furniture. Carpet beetles tend to […]
If you are looking to buy a new (older) home or investment property, then you need a pest inspection report of the property just for the peace of mind. Here in Delta, properties are at particular risk of carpenter ants, which can be highly damaging to structure of the building. If any structure is affected […]
Cat-scratch fever, typhus and the plague can all be transmitted by fleas. They inflict painful bites that can leave itchy welts that last for days and the scratching can easily lead to open wounds, sores and infection. Fleas are little parasitic hitchhikers that survive on their hosts’ blood. Flea bites on humans swell up because […]
The majority of pharaoh ant invasions occur during winter rainstorms and summer droughts. These ants are most likely to enter homes in cold, wet conditions, a typical winter in Delta. A smaller peak in the level of infestation occurs during hot, dry conditions typically in August and September. Ants invade kitchens and dining rooms […]
When considering the four legged wildlife we have in the Delta region, the animals (considered to be pests) that I encounter most are raccoons, skunks, squirrels and rats. Each has their distinct territories, life spans and unique social life characteristics. -Raccoon’s life expectancy in the wild is between 1 to 3 years. Territorial sizes vary […]
So what happens when an ant colony with only one queen dies of natural or unnatural causes? The queen produces a variety of pheromones giving directions to the workers. One of the pheromones suppresses the ovary development of the workers, hence they don’t lay eggs. The main purpose of the queen is to lay eggs […]
Between climate changes, new home construction, old abandoned homes and more people and trash- the rats are getting the upper hand. Old houses or rundown, abandoned properties are popular rat reservoirs of rats. When those buildings are demolished, there’s a rat exodus. Then they’ll try to colonize other homes in the neighborhood. Plus, warmer climate […]
There is a specific gene tied to deer mouse’s sperm speed, which one day might help a possible genetic influence on male fertility in humans. The deer mouse has a gene that makes its sperm faster and more virile then the field mouse. The reason is that there is an expanded midsection in the sperm’s tail […]
As Halloween approach, we are seeing more insects invade our homes as they get out of the weather. Some are small and terrible, sending adults and children into a screaming fit or nightmare. Here are a few: 1. Twisted-wing parasite larvae eat their mother. When the babies are ready to come out, they eat […]
The naked mole rats, found in African countries has evolved to feel pain differently, and are mainly unaffected by pain from carbonic acid. This troll like rodent is highly resistant to cancer can live 10-30 years longer than mice and rats. They are small, hairless, and virtually blind and live in colonies up to 300, tunneling […]
Okay, one day you get back from work and there is an off smell in your house. You walk around the house but you can’t identify where the smell is coming from. Then it hits you, literally, the smell is coming from the crawl space and you been fighting rats (or mice) for the last […]
Many people confuse Springtails with fleas as they can great heights relative to the size of their bodies. These soil dwelling arthropods reside near food sources of dead, organic materials such as algae, fungi, and decaying matter, which may range from rotting vegetables to animal remains. Their furcula, which looks like a long clasp folding […]
Rodents use ultrasonic songs to claim territory and attract mates with high-pitched love songs. It has been discovered that mice and rats don’t use vibrating vocal folds in their larynx to make ultrasonic sounds but they do it in an unusually different way. Their singing method is similar to that of a jet […]
In Delta there are 3 common domestic or farmyard problematic rodents. These include the house mouse, Norway rat and the roof rat (black rat). Rats and mice are easy to detect and leave plenty of evidence. From chewing through a cereal box in your cupboards to feeding on fruit left on the counter, they can […]
The combination of fall rains and warmer weather has helped encourage the wasps and rat populations to flourish. The last several summers have been rather warm and dry which has changed the comings and goings of pest. The sudden abundance of food and water this late summer, early fall has meant an increase in many […]
Varage and craigslist are two great ways of buying and selling used furniture, I’ve done it myself many times. If you are the buyer you need to keep in mind that just because it may look nice on the outside, there may be bed bugs lurking inside ready to start a pest infestation. Try to […]
The Stoat is a small mammal in the family which also includes weasels, mink, otters, ferret, badgers, and skunks. The Stoat is also known as the short-tailed weasel and they can live up to 7 years of age. Stoats have a long, tube-shaped body and neck, short legs and a lengthy tail. Stoats prefer lowland […]
Drugstore beetles are also known as the bread or biscuit beetle and look like the cigarette beetles. Years ago, Drugstore Beetles used to be major pest concern in pharmacies, feeding on herbs used in medicines. Omnivorous eaters, they mainly feeds on cereal, flour, breads, cookies, seeds, grains, pet foods, spices, red pepper, flour, almost any […]
As the weather cools and days lengthen, your attention may be turning to cleaning up the leaves and re-organizing the shed. It’s time to take inventory of all the pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. You should check the labels for expiry dates (to toss out) and take note of the all the chemicals with multiple formulations […]
In my travels controlling rodents and wildlife, I am often asked what diseases the particular animal I’m dealing with can harbor. In fact, the spread of a disease between animals and humans is called a zoonotic disease. Six out of ten diseases in humans are spread from animals. Zoonotic diseases can be caused by viruses, […]
The great horned owls are super predators. They are the single most successful predator on the planet Earth and can live as long as 28 years. Their talons are the dangerous thing, with five hundred pounds per square inch of pressure that they can exert on their prey; similar to a golden eagle, or to […]
Recent results show tumors in mice were shrunk to half the size in 2 weeks. There was huge success in mice from anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitors and epidermal growth factor receptors. Statistically, sixty percent of people are detected in a late stage of the disease with a survival rate below 50 percent. This can change […]
Is it global warming, is it more space, is it better food, changing ecosystems, who knows but raccoons are moving north. They are as adaptable as any species of mammal and are very capable of using what’s available. Raccoons greatest strengths is its skill at finding and digesting a wide variety of food, from hunting and […]
As the winters become milder each year and construction continues to boom in Delta, there has been a vast increase in the rat population, some Delta residents say epic proportions and Delta’s dirty little secret. There is now a new(ish) method for getting rid of man’s oldest pest – rats; Dry ice is an apparent […]
Over the many years of experimenting with lab rats to help cure cancer and thousands of other research projects, rats have been subjected to alcohol. They have learned a lot about the consumption habits of these rodents. It is believed that rats do not get hangovers. It takes almost a thousand genes in rats DNA […]
“Voles are unique and best described as being a little bit like all the other rodents they are so commonly thought to be” stated by some wise guy. Voles are active day and night throughout the year, similar to squirrel behavior. Voles eat seeds, nuts, fruit, bark, bulbs, plants, insects and they will eat dead […]
Capybaras are the world’s largest rodents, which can grow to be about 150 pounds, they are friendly and once you get their scent glands removed, can be amorous pets. The capybaras kind of look like a gerbil on steroids and are herbivores, so they don’t see us as prey or predator. If you are interested […]
How do animals find their direction within their environment? Ground squirrels use information on the position of the sun when they hide and then return to retrieve their stash. The position of the sun serves as a reference point for the animals. Squirrels store their food reserves in several hiding places. Squirrels probably use the […]
Moles will attack your lawn and tunnel throughout it until it looks like a scene from a battle field in WW I. They are not necessarily dangerous, unless you capture one live then watch out for their teeth, they bite! Their submarine like bodies and potent front claws allow the moles to swim through dirt. […]
Although harmless to humans, crickets feed on food of both plants and insects, including other crickets. Crickets are nocturnal and therefore during the day they hide in dark, moist places avoiding predators. They can live in a variety of environments, including fields, trees, tunnels, sheds and even in your garbage. As the weather turns colder, […]
Maple, ash, oak, and pine you are not safe. Damage wooden furniture and wet or rotting wooden structures are the main target of this species of wood-boring insect. Unlike other wood damaging insects these critter leave behind a trail of fine wood sawdust. Although they are very strong flying pests, they are usually introduced to […]
In the war against weeds, the battle grounds have been lost and won by man since time started. Herbicides, pesticides, brushcutters and bobcats have been the go to solutions in recent history but now enter the latest weapon: the goat and sheep. Management of farms, woodlots, waterways or in thick vegetation where mechanized equipment cannot […]
I have received literally hundreds of calls about ants this year. Yards, houses and people’s lives have been attacked by these somewhat beneficial eusocial insects. Some yards have been invaded with not only hundreds but thousands of ants. I have seen driveways, pools, walkways and walls coated with ants. And to add insult to injury […]
If you listen to the radio at all, any station it seems, one of my pest control competitors has been advertising ad nauseam about preparing for the rodent invasion. Although we have several weeks of summer left, as the days grow shorter the four legged animals from mice to raccoons know that they need to […]
Rats can follow wind and other airflows with just a sniff and a tic of their whiskers. New research helps explain how the rodents can do everything from find food to predict weather. The term whisking is a phenomenon used with regards to tracking wind flow. Whisking is when whiskered animal moves its facial whiskers […]
Health Canada is advising Canadians to not use malathion products older than one year due to chemical changes in the product over time. Malathion kills insects by preventing their nervous system from working properly. Malathion is effective in killing mosquitoes, aphids, loopers, moths, beetles, leaf bugs and other pests. Alarmingly, when stored at elevated temperatures […]
These insects have leaf-like enlargements found on their hind legs. The pests feed on tomatoes, numerous nuts, citrus fruits, and ornamental trees and shrubs. Leaf-footed bugs can also damage crops as they feed. If you are a gardener, may notice withered, warped, or emaciated seeds where the Leaf-footed bugs feed. These insects can also damage […]
Like other flies, hump-backed (Phorid) flies have the capacity to transport diseases. The adult females lay their eggs in or on decaying organic materials, such as animal feces or carcasses, sewage, rotting food and plants, and the layers of scum that build up on the sides of drains. Because they breed in corpses (from rats […]
Two rat mating couples can, over an 8 to 12 month life span, generate 15 million descendants. The mating couple guards their territory from neighboring tribes who would invade if there were a sudden drop in population, the cause of poison’s rebound effect. A new birth control for rodents, particularly rats, could soon be available. […]
Why do they call them odorous ants? Crush one and you can smell an off citrus smell. Ladner and Tsawwassen seem to be pledged by these very opportunistic ants, they can live in a variety of nesting sites, moving constantly to avoid detection and unfavorable habitat. I find them in huge super colonies (100,000 ants) […]
It is true that wasps are beneficial since they do pollinate, although less than their furry cousins the bees do. Wasps also help gardeners because they capture garden pests, including caterpillars, maggots and larvae of other insects. Their prey is returned to the nest in large or small portions, chewed and fed to the larva, particularly in the […]
This time of the year, I get a steady stream of people calling about ants in the kitchen, laundry room or just crawling around everywhere in doors and out. Ants are also attracted to an area that offers shelter, water, proteins and carbohydrates and protection for their queen and their colony as a whole. The […]
. This summer has been very active for skunk families taking up residences under people’s porches, sheds and decks. The young skunks are now becoming quite active and this means: let’s play with our new stinky spray. Of course skunks are notorious for their anal scent glands, which they use as a defensive weapon. Skunks […]
https://youtu.be/hnFqOLR5IQo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnFqOLR5IQo&feature=youtu.be The age of the super lice has begun and it’s just in time for a new year of school. A study has found a set of three mutations that allow lice to survive the most treatments used to get rid of them, pyrethroids. This is the same insecticide we use to kill ants, […]
Depending on the type of wasp, they can sting with little incitement, especially the bald-face hornet, paper wasps and yellow jackets. These pests will sting when they become agitated; be it a soccer ball hitting the nest, cutting the lawn too close, trimming the shrub that their nest is in etc. and they will seek to defend […]
Here are a few household products that actually work well as organic pesticides. Lemon insecticide: Grated a lemon and add to boiling water. Turn off the heat and allow it to sit overnight before straining the liquid through a coffee filter. Spray on the top and underside of the leaves of the affected plant. Oil spray: To make, just […]
We have all seen or heard about the show hoarders. I’ve now seen several apartments that a hoarder has turned into a major insect infestation. Those people are living in such appalling conditions. There is the mental illness aspect to it, yet they may be hurting their family and pets. These hoarders collect paraphernalia and […]
If the baby skunk or skunks are out of their burrow for extended periods of time on their own, it is likely they will be deserted and will become orphaned and worth trying to catch. Orphans that have been without their mother may have become cold and dehydration. They should be warmed and then offered […]
The world’s most widely used pesticides, neonicotinoid insecticides, may be acting as birth control for male bees, leaving drones with less sperm for their queen. Neonicotinoids kill pests by messing up their nervous systems. Male honeybees called drones, only purpose is to mate with a queen. Poor mating can tax the productivity of a queen […]
The best organics to buy Some scientists say organic produce is more nutritious, helps you build more muscle mass and it burns more fat than conventionally grown food. I don’t believe any of that but one benefit of organic farming is that fewer pesticides go into your body and the environment. Best organic foods are: […]
Most of the bats found in Delta are important for farming because they consume crop pests as a normal part of their diets. Bats are the main nighttime slayer of insects, consuming 100 to 600 bugs per hour. Different species of bats prefer different insects, from mosquitoes to crop insects. Use these tips to […]
The difference between roof rats and Norway rats is all about where they like to live, in addition to differences in physical appearance. Scratching, whining, shrieking and bickering, roof rats brashly publicize their existence in the rafters, attics and kitchens they live in. Norway rats circulate in basements and lower levels of buildings, culverts and […]
The ladybug (Ladybird or Lady beetle or coccinellids) has an average lifespan of 2 to 3 years in the wild and hibernate in the winter? Adult ladybugs are round, semi-circle shaped insects with stumpy legs and antennae. Their dots and the amount can vary from species to species. In some the colouring is reversed making […]
This time yearly, clouds of winged ants arise from their nests for the brief saturnalia known as nuptial flight. The winged ants are the reproductive males and females of a nest, which take flight to mate. The winged ants are the reproductive males and females of the colony, which grow wings for their brief flight. […]
Below are a list of fruits and vegetables, from worst to best, based on the amount of pesticide found on the food. More than 98 percent of strawberry, peaches, nectarines, and apples tested positive for at least one pesticide residue. The average potato has more pesticides by weight than any other produce. A single grape […]
The Vancouver ban on neonicotinoids will come into effect on July 26. is a group of pesticides that is believed to contribute to bee mortality. Neonicotinoids were developed in the early 1990s as a safer alternative to DDT, but they kill bees by dropping their resistance to infection and waning their ability to reproduce. They are widely used […]
Despite what you are thinking, they are not true lice. Their name merely refers to the extraordinary possibility of finding them in old books and paper products. They require sufficient humidity and dampness to survive. Booklice are mostly seen from spring to summer. They are harmless until these pests produce large numbers of offspring, […]
House dust mites are related to the spider family. They live on mattresses, bedding, upholstered furniture, carpets and curtains. These miniature pests feed on the flakes of skin that our pets and we shed daily. They thrive in warm and humid environments. No matter how clean a home is dust mites cannot be totally eliminated. […]
Spider beetles are unscrupulous vultures of stored products. They tend to feed on old and mouldy stuff. The adult spider beetles are known to remain active in freezing temperatures. Spider beetles often gain access to warehouses, mills, grain storage facilities, and attics with rodent or bird nests. Since the pests feed on feces and like […]
IPM is simply balancing pesticide use with natural methods of pest control or maximising the methods supplied by nature to help reduce pesticide use. IPM ensures that pesticides are used with correct understanding for the surrounding biodiversity and land, as well as for the health of the user. You prepare to keep pests from becoming […]
1) One female mouse can have over 160 babies per year. In a perfect mouse world, females are able to have up to 12 babies every 2-3 weeks beginning when they’re 7-8 weeks old. 2) Tomcats don’t help much. Most cats are too well fed and just don’t care enough about mice, unless they need to […]
The Karni Mata Temple in remote Deshnoke India is infested with more than 20,000 rats and visitors come to worship the rodents; the reincarnated children of celebrated goddess Karni Mata. The rats, called kabbas, are protected by the buildings netting and grills to keep out predators such as raptors. The rodents scamper freely within the temple and eating […]
Cockroaches are among the oldest and most resilient occupants of Delta. They are highly malleable and can live wherever enough food, moisture, and heat exist. These insects enter buildings occupied by us to look for warm, damp environments close to sources of food and water. Cockroach habits range from basements to bathrooms, greenhouses, […]
In the world of insects, mega nests are always possible, yet dealing with competition from other colonies or natural enemies usually limits the size of their nest. Wasps, ants and termites can grow mega mansions if the conditions are just right. The Vespula germanica species of wasps, found in much of the Northern Hemisphere, native to Europe, […]
What do you do when you are in the outdoors and you found, which you think is, an abandoned wild baby animal. Our good-hearted efforts to save a wild animal may actually lessen its chances of survival. Well, it’s best to leave them in their natural habitat, untouched and only watch from a distance to […]
Other than the last couple weeks we in Delta have had an unseasonably warm weather, now finally summer is here. The recent weather has been the perfect conditions for spiders to prosper and become a nuisance in your home. Warmer weather escalates breeding for flying insects, which spiders thrive on. So, with spider population increasing […]
The striped flea beetle, which sounds like a rock band, are coming which means farmers have to change their control methods because this species are different and must be treated as such. They feed most on hot sunny days and attack a wide variety of plants including beans, cabbage, corn, eggplant, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce […]
It has long been known that certain animals can show empathy such as dogs, elephants, chimpanzees and dolphins. Now it has been discovered that prairie voles would console one another after experiencing stress. A study team set up an experiment where a pair of voles where isolated from each other and one of them was […]
There are cat fleas, dog fleas and human fleas. These pests inflict pain, are a nuisance and are capable of transmitting diseases to us and our pets. They can jump as high as 17 cm and a distance of about 45 cm horizontally. Once these pests enter your home, via your pets or you, they […]
This is the season where the birds are nesting and if your house looks inviting to new flying tenants then read on. There are many means of getting rid of these attic dwellers. Exclusion is one of the simplest ways of keeping the birds out; this mechanical removal of birds and their nests is a […]
When watering around your yard, keep in mind that excess water will cause some pests to move into your home and business to avoid the water. Moles, voles, gophers and mice will seek drier locations when they anticipate a lot of rain. After heavy rain falls get rid of standing water including bird baths, potted […]
Summer wasps are right round the corner. A warmer late winter as we experienced this year, causes hibernating queens to appear earlier. There are signs to be on the lookout for a developing wasp nest: watch for wasps around gutters, roof spaces, wall cavities, eaves, sheds, and garages. If a nest appears under the roof […]
These ants like to nest in moist wood or constructions already damaged by other insects. Most carpenter ant nests are found in decaying wood in areas such as windows, chimneys, doorframes and in hollow spaces such as wall voids. Therefore, with damp wood, appropriate temperatures and protection from predators, carpenter ant colonies can thrive. There […]
In the pest control business, we come across raccoons that think that a newly sodded lawn is open season on worms and grubs, underestimating their abilities can result in extensive damage to client’s property. When sod is laid, regardless of the time of the year, the fresh soil underneath coupled with high levels of moisture attracts worms and grubs to […]
It’s small, it’s ravenous and if you splosh it, it stinks. This one is one centimetre in size, it’s brown on it top side and brown or grey on its bottom side. The invasive and damaging brown marmorated stink bug poses a risk to fruit and vegetable crops, vineyards, as well as home owners. Biologists […]
Here is a list of the top 7 things property managers have to deal with. Property managers have a variety of work to do and have to deal with all the residents’ concerns but in the end they want the best possible living situation for all parties involved. Building Maintenance: Property managers are always concerned […]
Time to do the two step in your kitchen swearing you’ll send them to that great anthill in the sky. Here in Delta we are really are sitting on an ant hill. There are thousands of ant species, but around here we contend primarily with pavement ants, pharaoh ants, odorous ant and the carpenter […]
Pesticides are a long-term stress factor for bees. Honeybees collect their pollen from commercial crops and non-crop plants, which are often laden with pesticides during the growing season. In a 16 week study at 3 locations, pollen was collected comprising of samples from 30 plant families. The results showed that 31 pesticides were found in […]
Researchers are now using rodents to find out how exactly more exposure to cell phone radiation affects tumor growth. They exposed the mice and rats to radiation that are equivalent to the radiation that people get from cell phones. They gave the mice high doses of radiation every day for two years. The rats were […]
Hotter temperatures are arriving earlier this year, moving up the schedule for planting gardens and flowerbeds. As we are creeping ever so closer to summer, gardening here in Delta is picking up. You are reminded to be mindful of bee populations. A few simple steps as a homeowner can make us “bee” friendly to pollinators. […]
Just washing fruits and vegetables is not enough to ensure produce is clean enough to eat. We breathe chemicals, drink them, and we eat them. Food that supposes to be healthy and good for us, in reality, we are also ingesting poisons that can accumulate in our bodies and make us very sick. Pesticides overall […]
The gnats you see inside and around buildings are fungus gnats and dark-winged fungus gnats, they are often mistaken for mosquitoes yet they are actually true flies. They can be an annoyance and harm some ornamental plants and garden crops. Most gnats are delicate looking pests with long wings and spindly legs. Generally they are considered to […]
Common hard ticks found in B.C are black-legged tick or deer tick, the wood tick and the brown dog tick. The one tick we are most worried about is the black–legged tick. Blacklegged ticks cannot jump or fly, they climb onto vegetation and wait till an animal comes along and then they catch a ride. […]
Europeans believed that this insect would crawl into the ear canal of a sleeping person and bore into the brain. Although this is obviously untrue they can bite your skin to defend themselves. The earwig is actually a beneficial insect because it helps in the decomposition organic material and feeds on destructive insects. Earwigs like […]
May’s early hot streak follows the warmest April on record in Delta. May is off to a hot start, with sky-high temperatures shattering records. The warmer weather has created a boom in wasps and hornets. The warmer weather had been “incredible” for wasp breeding. Wasps have been off the scale this year, already I’ve been called […]
If you want to go green with only natural pest control products to keep insects, pests and rodents at bay here are a few ways. Diatomaceous earth is made of hard-shelled algae called diatoms. It kills most of the insects such as ants, spiders, silverfish, wasps, slugs and several others. It can be mixed with […]
I’ve only seen half dozen dampwood termite infestations in Delta over the last couple years. These termite colonies where found in a decaying stumps and where not a threat to the home owners. The presence of these dampwood termites usually indicates an ongoing moisture problem, so unless the foundation of your home is wet these […]
House mice often raise their offspring in a communal nest if they have similar litter sizes yet as soon as the litter sizes differ, there are fewer communal nests. The females want to lower their risk of being exploited. House mice are able to prevent social problems and still collaborate. These mice adjust their enthusiasm […]
These ants have a pungent odour similar to lemon-rotting coconut. Odorous ants move their nests around rapidly to avoid other ants, weather conditions or someone trying to kill them. These ants create large supercolony, with many satellite colonies in the immediate area. Other than being a nuisance, they have been known to contaminate food. They […]
Ideal conditions for creating natural habitat conditions for beneficial insects include plenty of flowers with nectar, weeds and plant shrubs. Happy insects require perennials to give them year-round food and shelter. If you don’t have the conditions for the beneficial insects, the plant-eating ones will make their way in. Beneficial insects come in four categories […]
Exposure to pesticides may increase the risk for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease). ALS, a progressive disease, affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. As the nerve cells that control muscles die, they lose the ability to speak, move, breathe and eat, according to the ALS Association. Three in particular were linked to […]
Bumblebees are large, fuzzy, very hairy insects that look like mini grizzly bears in black and yellow colors. They are considered to be one of the best pollinators. Bumblebees are extremely important foragers. Unlike honeybees, they are able to forage under cold, rainy and cloudy conditions. This makes them excellent pollinators of native plants and […]
Every year homeowners are alarmed by the number of sand dunes that seem to spring up from cracks in their pavement and between paving bricks. Pavement ants nest under sidewalks, driveways, and buildings. They may enter your home through gaps under garage doors, basement walls, or concrete floors. Pavement ants are one of the most […]
House sparrows are considered a pest by gardeners and bird lovers, and such given the nickname flying rats. The sparrow is partly responsible for declining populations of native birds such as the Bluebird, Chickadees, and Tree Swallows among others. House sparrows love pecking seeds and seedlings, buds, flowers, vegetables, and maturing fruits. The English sparrow […]
Many people feel it’s possible to control bugs without the help of an expert. However, doing so will require time and money most people wouldn’t want to invest. Few things are worse than unwanted guests that can become a major headache. This warmer weather brings an increase in pest problems and twice as many insects have […]
A new study suggests that the quality of the air has a role in fat gain. In the study, rats who breathed dirty air weighed significantly more than those that breathed filtered air, and after two weeks they weighed 15 per cent. The weight gain was due to body fat, heavier lungs and livers. The […]
Weevils are one of the most destructive pests in the lower mainland causing damage from the agriculture industry to our kitchens and back yards. Weevils like our warm, moist coastal weather. The main reason why weevils live in our homes is to escape cold weather conditions, and feed and breed within stored cereal grain products. […]
I looked down yesterday at my arm as I felt a mild sting. A mosquito was extracting my blood for its food. Of course there was a stagnant pond a few feet away which I assumed the mosquito had arisen from. The most common way to prevent mosquitos is to eliminate breeding sites. Mosquitoes breed […]
With Raccoons in the news a lot lately, I thought I’d write a little safety blurb on them. Raccoons can be quite dangerous if they get too close. If a raccoon approaches you, make yourself appear larger: stand up, shout, and wave your arms. If he continues to approach, throw or spray water, or anything […]
3 Pesticides vs All Endangered Species These three pesticides—chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and malathion—can harm 97 percent of the plants and animals listed under the endangered species act. These three pesticides kill insects by disrupting their brains and nervous systems. They affect animals, including humans, by disturbing the nervous system’s ability to carry signals and are now known carcinogens. […]
The sun is out, the ground is warm and it’s time to start planting your garden. So here are a few great, all natural, tricks for keeping the bugs off of your plants. Plant basil next to your tomato plant, this is a “natural” remedy for pest control. A lot of companion planting depends on […]
Call them what you will; vegan flies, vinegar flies, wine flies, pomace flies or plain old fruit flies, these pesky fly linger around fruit, be it ripe, overripe and rotting fruit. The fruit fly species are considered a domestic species and a general pest. Fruits flies are attracted by the yeast or other fungi from […]
As the temperature continues to warm up, we will see more raccoons looking for shelter and increasing their scavenging ways. Raccoons can be a daily annoyance for many Delta residences. They feed on grubs and larvae in lawns and gardens, get into waste and organic garbage bins, and on the constant hunt for pet food. They […]
I took a call from a lady who had ant hills popping up in her backyard. As it turned out, they were fire ants. Fire ants are difficult to exterminate although these ants can be controlled and managed. They can be controlled by following two steps: baiting in April – May and insecticides in September […]
This hot wave has brought out the carpenter ants in droves and the skies are swarming. Carpenter ants are social insects that live in large colonies of workers, males and queens. Commonly, the carpenter ants that you encountered in the home are the workers and are wingless foragers of food. Worker ants cannot fly and […]
It’s that time again when the insects are hatching and the insect police are setting up their road blocks. Spiders, do you fear them or perhaps dread them. Spiders do not transmit diseases to humans when they bite, although some species have highly toxic venom. Spiders are predatory feeding on almost any living creature including […]
The gypsy moth originated in Europe, and was introduced into lower mainland in about 1978. The gypsy moth can cause serious damage to many species of trees and shrubs by feeding on their leaves, flowers, or branches. This can cause trees and shrubs to grow less or cause them to die. Here […]
It’s spring and the battle against those pests that turn your yard and landscaping into a war zone has begun in earnest. Let’s take a look at who is capable of damaging your yard and what you can do. Raccoons are out of in numbers now looking for their evening helping of bird seed and […]
Bed bugs are the world’s best hitchhikers invading pristine homes and are not a hygiene-related pest. Now some have developed 15 % thicker outer shells that are able to resist some insecticides. The bugs use enzymes to break down the insecticides called metabolic detoxification. The cuticle slows the insecticide down giving the enzymes more time to […]
Strawberries for the first time in five years are number one in produce group with the most pesticide residue. Apples are number two, then nectarines, peaches, celery, grapes, cherries, spinach, tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers. Strawberries grown in 2014 showed that 7 percent of the strawberries had levels of pesticide residues considered […]
Rats spread disease, decrease agricultural crop harvests and are a general pest. Scientists at SFU have developed a rat trap that combines synthetic sex pheromones, food scents and baby rat sounds to lure rodents to the bait stations. They say it is 10 times more powerful than traditional traps using the scents of a male […]
A phobia is described as an extreme or irrational fear of or an aversion to something. There are several known phobias; the common ones are fear of rats, mice or spiders. It is now discovered that memories can be transferred to later generations through genetic switches, which turns genes on and off in response to […]
Beneficial bugs are natural predators to the common nuisance bugs that plague particular plants. Of all insect species, 95 percent that are found in lawn and gardens are beneficial or have no effect on the yard. There are two types of beneficial bugs: predatory insects are ones that hunt and kill their prey and parasitoids […]
Some say squirrels are rats with fuzzy tails. Yes they are larger than the average rat and their behavior is not at all like a rat. Squirrels build leaf nests and nests in tree cavities. They may breed twice a year, January and June, and have a 30-45 day gestation. They can have two or […]
A bacterial disease that can infect dogs, raccoons, rats, mice, skunks and squirrels is called Leptospirosis. Signs your dog has this disease are fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, severe muscle pain, stiffness, diarrhea, refusal to eat, lethargy, hemorrhage, jaundice and increased drinking and urination. Younger dogs have more complications than older dogs due to their weakened […]
World Rat Day is a holiday designed to distinguish the fancy rat as a wonderful pet and companion animal for people of all ages. The holiday is to honor and promote pet rats as the wonderful companion animals they are. These pets are sweet animals that deserve greater recognition and admiration. There even an […]
There are generally four common flies that we encounter here in Delta: the fruit fly, the house fly, the drain fly and flesh fly. Flies frequently come in contact with humans and some have the ability to spread disease-causing germs. There are about 100 pathogens that are connected to the common flies we see in […]
That fly that has been bugging you means spring is here. From ants and spiders to rodents and birds, once they’re in your home it’s hard to get them out. It’s time to start your pest control now before the season is in full swing. With the right safeguards in place, year-round pest control is […]
Ants use their antennae to send and receive messages similar to a cell phone. The ants’ antennae are their chief sensory organs. Their antennae are used to communicate to let their family and enemies by using chemical signals on their antennae. The ants’ antennae act as ears designed to send and receive signals. The bodies […]
The barn owl is a highly effective predator that can easily hunt down and eat over a dozen rodents a night. A nesting pair of owls with say four juvenile owlets in a nest, they can eat anywhere from 36 to 70 rodents every evening. By erecting a barn owl nesting boxes atop 20-foot poles […]
The mildest winter for years has given rise to an epidemic of moths and promises yet more misery for those of us trying to eradicate the tiny pests who munch through our garments. Moth populations have been rising over the years, not just because of warmer winters, we have more clothes than any previous generation, […]
Spring is here and next to the damage that the raccoons do to your lawn the moles are worst. Moles tunnel under the lawn and landscaping opening up the soil and allowing air and water to penetrate deeply, promoting plant root development. Of course when they tunnel they create ditches in the lawn and mounds […]
Pesticides, any substance that repels or kills a pest, come in many forms; be it natural or synthesized. The truth is that the skull-and-crossbones emblem should be on your glass of juice or cup of coffee, they all contain naturally occurring pesticides, as do many other foods we consume regularly. The term pesticides include many […]
Stink bugs product a “stinky” odour when crushed or disturbed. Of the 260 species in North America only one is harmful. Adult stink bugs are shaped like a shield. They thrive in temperatures of 21º C or above. Stink bugs are lively during spring and summer, and live in buildings the rest of the year. […]
There are over 50,000 different species of bees and wasps. These black and yellow energetic creatures are actually our friends and a very important part of the earth’s subtle ecology. Honeybees are pollinators and contribute more than 100 million kilograms of commercial honey in North America each year. Wasps play a vital role in regulating […]
Okay, here is a question to ponder. Would you prefer to live in a neighborhood that has a lot of rats or crime? There now is a link between rat infestation and the increased risk of depressive symptoms due to concerns the risk of rats spreading disease. Nobody likes living around rats, they are considered […]
The warm and wet winter has proved the perfect conditions for fleas and there has been a 50% in call-outs to deal with infestations. Fleas typically live outside but are carried into homes by pets or people, particularly those who have come into contact with wildlife such as foxes, rabbits, rodents or deer. Once they […]
Exposure to even small amounts of pesticides is impairing bumblebee’s ability to learn basic skills and preventing bumblebees from removing pollen from flowers. This affects the ability of the bees to both pollinate crops and their own food supply. Bumblebees exposed to a neonicotinoid insecticide can hamper the ability of bumblebees to develop the skills […]
It is illegal to keep raccoon’s as pets in B.C. and by feeding them inside or outside the home, people are in fact harming the animals. A number of people think they are helping raccoon’s by feeding them, sustaining their bad behaviour and inevitably end up killing them with kindness. Others will even attempt to […]
The Pharaoh ant is one of the most difficult indoor pests to control. Pharaoh ants are predominantly aggressive and robust against many store bought control treatments. Pharaoh ants mate in their nests and spread by budding or splitting the colony. They lack nestmate recognition so there is no hostility between colonies. A single colony may […]
March 20-30 is Pesticide Action Week. The goal is to raise awareness of the pesticides, promote changes and build a pesticide-free world. This international event has been around for 11 years and takes place in the first ten days of spring when agricultural pesticide use resumes. We are all exposed directly or indirectly to pesticides […]
Rodents didn’t kill off primeval primates 50 million years ago. Mysterious events led to the extermination of many species of primitive primates in North America, before a rise in carbon dioxide and average temperatures. A new study of fossilized molars shows that competition with rodents likely wasn’t the cause of these primate losses. Dental clues […]
Canada’s Pesticide Management and Regulatory Agency (PMRA) have decided to end the regulation that required testing pesticides on animals. Canada follows the US which made changes that which reduced its year-long testing requirement to 90 days. Health Canada regulations forced the pesticide industry to conduct year-long toxicity tests on beagles. The beagle’s docility makes it […]
Have the local rodents found your compost bin? Here are a collection of tips that will help keep those mice and rats out of your compost. First of all, keep the compost bin in the open, away from walls, ditches, and any other areas that hide rodents. Then… 1 Items to avoid putting into your […]
Here is some handy advice on keeping rats out of your garden this year. And remember if you put out food to encourage wildlife (bird feeder), rats are wildlife and will be looking for things to eat. 1) Clean up any bird food spills before nightfall. 2) By cutting back overgrown hedges, shrubs and bushes […]
The black carpenter ant invade homes in search of food. These ants excavate moist, rotting wood and other soft materials to make satellite nests. The presence of large, wingless or winged ants inside a home is usually the first sign of an infestation. This does not necessarily mean that a nest is present indoors. The […]
Dormant oil can prevent insect damage to your landscape from bugs emerging in spring. Dormant oil needs to be applied when the temperature is above 5 degrees and no chance of freezing usually in March. It needs to be applied when the trees are still dormant, before they open their leaves. The oil works by […]
Although centipede means 100 legs house centipedes only have 30. House centipedes are not true insects but relatives of spiders that can live up to seven years. And as we know spiders keep other insects in check, so keep this in mind before you smash that centipede you find scampering across the crawlspace floor. Centipedes […]
What’s the best thing about bugs? Bugs such as ants can taste like lemon, crickets are nutty and grubs can resemble the flavour of bacon. Pestaurants are popping up all over the world serving such mouth-watering delights as Grasshopper Burgers, Chocolate Chirp Cookies and Boston Clorm Chowder. Do appetizers such as panko fried meal worms, […]
Ant problems usually remain unseen until the problem has become quite large. Ants make their homes in dark unseen areas, walls, ceilings and floors. Many homeowners may not realize that they have a problem until it’s too late. Ants assault homes and apartments searching for food, warm dry refuge and removing them once they have […]
Barn cats can be a treasured benefit to help control rodents, which keeps your family and farm animals healthy. Rodents have been around since farming began and cats are the first line of defense. Rodent droppings can contain salmonella which can infect the farm animals, then cause illnesses in people when the meat or eggs […]
Why are raccoon’s nicknamed “trash pandas”, well it’s not just their ability to knock over trash bins and crawl their way in, it’s also because they have a scorched-earth approach to all the local wildlife they can fit in their mouths wrecking ecosystems (and your lawn). Raccoons also consume all kinds of worms, fish (in ponds) […]
Termites can cause a lot of devastation which is why you should not delay dealing with them. Of the several different types of termites, subterranean termites are the most destructive. While it may be difficult for a homeowner to know which type of termite they are dealing with, an expert pest control officer will know. […]
Gas analyzer for bed bugs Bed bugs remain one of the most infamous and hostile domestic pests. When these miniscule insects have invaded your home, it can take weeks or even months to get rid of them and there’s always a good chance they’ll return. Bed bugs are increasing in number throughout the Lower Mainland […]
What do you do when you have discovered that rats have infested your house? Head off to the hardware store and stock up on all those poisons that hail “success”. But, a few things that you should know about rat poison that may not make it so appealing: rat poison may only exterminate a portion […]
Pigeons often roost on the edges of balconies and ledges giving them plenty of chances to mess up your car or property their “guano”. Pigeons have become a common sight here in Delta of the last several years. The Rock Dove has pale grey feathers with two black bars on each wing. Now that Fed-x […]
Silverfish don’t drink: they absorb water from the atmosphere, up their bottoms. Cat’s prefer to play with mice rather than kill them, sometimes. Mice don’t need to drink water A “rat king” is when a group of rats become intertwined by means of their tails getting stuck together by a combination of faeces, blood and general […]
With winter still in full grip of Delta, there have been no need to be concerned about mosquito control and there is no reason to panic over the Zika virus. The Zika virus is spread by the same type of mosquito that carries dengue fever and West Nile virus. The Zika virus often produces no […]
Wasps are amazing creature that have evolved into simple yet very sophisticated insect. Wasps takes picture of the landscape around it so it can find its way home later. The venom that wasps have has a pheromone in it that causing other wasps to attack the stung individual. So if you do get stung, move […]
In Delta, I experienced an increase of 65% in rodent related calls in January from last year. The onset of winter drives rats and mice into man-made structures to avoid the wet cold night. It really is because of the change in the weather. When the weather was nice out, up until December when […]
Strawberries are one of the dirty dozen, one of the 12 fruits and vegetables with the highest pesticide residue. Strawberries are irresistible to pests, especially soil-borne pathogens. Most pesticide comes before the crop is even planted in the form of soil fumigants. These pesticides can drift into schools. Then in 1987 the first organic strawberry […]
Cuba has added organic honey to its list of agricultural exports. Because it is pesticide free, Cuba’s organic bee industry could act as protection from the problems hitting other honey exporters. Organic honey has become Cuba’s fourth most valuable agricultural export. All of Cuba’s honey is certified as organic and has a very specific, typical […]