Pests that sting such as wasps, yellow jackets, hornets and bees, are as common as trips to the ice cream store in summer. These particular pests have stingers that can be more than just an excruciating annoyance; they send more than ten thousand people to the emergency room every year in Canada. For someone that… Continue reading Pests that Sting in Summer

The Dragonflies are out now. Dragonflies thrive around ponds, swimming pools and streams that attract insects. They are not harmful to people so if a dragonfly accidentally enter an open window it will not live for long indoors. Although they will approach humans, they do not bite or sting. Dragonflies are beneficial, since the diet… Continue reading Dragonfly Infestation

Realizing a pantry moth swarm in your kitchen can be a bit of a horror show. Even worse, realizing that these moths have been in there for some time and you have baked, cooked and eaten them and their eggs, larvae and refuse (their waste material or skin cast-off during molting) for some time. Yes,… Continue reading Oh, Pantry Moths !

It’s only mid-June, not even summer yet and the mosquitos are out in force. Two things about mosquitos that really bug me (pun intended), of course when they bite you and when they get inside your house, find your bedroom and circle your head like vultures when you want go to sleep. That characteristic buzz… Continue reading Mosquitos – Bite!

We have all heard about a number of insect pests that are attracted to our food – from moths to ants and flies to beetles and cockroaches. Some are easy to notice because of their size but there are some just too small to see, especially as eggs and larvae stages. Most may live their… Continue reading Insects that live in our food

1) Most ants live in hierarchical (ants ranked one above another) colonies with a single egg-laying queen, although some ant species will have multiple queens. The male ant’s entire job is mating, and female workers on the other hand, well they do everything else. Ants are actually very important arthropods, as they help to remove… Continue reading Did you Know That … Ants

Late spring is when clothes moths begin to appear and they only have two things in mind, mating and laying eggs. The only thing worse than all those holes they create in your blankets, carpets, curtains, wool, fur, down and any animal-based materials is how hard they are to get rid of. The moth larvae… Continue reading Spring clean those Moths away

Delta will suffer an eruption of insects this summer, according to local environmental experts. They are warning us that the sheer volume of bees, hornets, wasps, ants, mosquitoes, spiders and leather jackets will be unprecedented this year because our weather. The mild winter – temperatures were higher than normal and a hot dry spring has… Continue reading Look Out – This summer will be a bumper crop of bugs

What can you do about fire ants, as they are really hard to get rid of – but you can control them? One of the more prevalent and effective treatments is to use ant baits, made specifically for fire ants. By applying fire ant baits in late spring and early autumn it is possible to… Continue reading Who owns your lawn – Fire Ants?

Established all the way back in 1896, Ladner Pioneer May Days, in Memorial Park May 27th 2018, is in a class by itself when it comes to longevity, almost as old as Delta itself. To put that in some perspective, May Days had already been held for more than 60 years by the time the… Continue reading Another Successful Year at The Ladner Mayday Parade

Ticks, like bed bugs, are ectoparasites (blood sucking parasites), living by feeding on the blood of mammals and birds. Ticks have a beak-like structure at the front containing the mouthparts. Because they ingest blood, ticks transfer at least twelve diseases that affect humans and other animals. In fact, they are the number one cause of… Continue reading The truth behind the Myths about Ticks

The odor of your local neighbourhood skunk is more rampant during mating season, but skunks are permanent daily residents here in Delta, so it’s not just the local greenhouse producing marijuana. Skunks are always close but they might be more visible now as the youngsters start making trips out of the den. As long-lasting residents… Continue reading Skunks, a year around smell in Delta

If the weather continues to stays warm, we may see a bumper crop for flying ants this year and it may happen sooner than normal here in Delta. If temperatures continue to stay high we could see a mass of flying ants which could cause a flying ant day like we have never seen. Flying… Continue reading Flying Ants – the skies may go black this year

So where do these flying stingers go after they have had months of beautiful warm weather, well the answer depends on the type of bee. Let’s start with the ultimate stinging machine, wasps. Wasps (Hornet and Yellow jackets) populations tend to become a major concern in late spring until early fall. Unlike other bees, they… Continue reading Oh where do the bees go?

Pest control manufactures are always looking for better methods when it comes to getting rid of pests. The goal is to eliminate insects and rodents without damaging the environment or non-targeted species. Improvements are also making the pest control industry more effective and less expensive. Scientific developments are making pest control nontoxic, inexpensive and more… Continue reading Pest Control – In the Future

Ants are like squatters -awful houseguests, unwanted, they get into everything and are in no rush to leave. Now we are headed into June, July and August, our hot months, the three ants you are likely to run into are the carpenter ants, the pavement ants and the grease ants. Of course the carpenter ant… Continue reading Summer Ants – Natural Habit is to Destroy

Its bug season again, spiders and mosquitoes and every other insect that bites or stings. Here are a few tips on using bug spray to help keep the bugs away. First, apply your bug spray smoothly and consistently but not too much (not to sure what to much is) – a thin film is enough… Continue reading Bug Spray Time Again

Similar to all the wild life we have in Delta; our local bats also look for comfy places that are quiet and near their food. So let’s add bats to the list of creators that like to use our attics as home, which include: rats, mice, raccoons, squirrels and a host of insects. The problem… Continue reading Going Batty – Bats in your Attic

Spring and summer brings with it perfect prospects for a nomadic life. Regrettably, some dwellings might set you up for an evil time once you get home and unpack your travel gear. Bedbugs, yes bedbugs – not an easy thing to spot even for a pro like me when you’re staying at a hotel, motel… Continue reading Summer Travel without Bedbugs

The cat flea is the most common flea found here in Delta and the country for that matter. When fleas get into your house on the back sides of your cat or dog, they will target you as well, causing itchy bites as they feed on blood.  Fleas can go without a blood meal for… Continue reading Fleas and your Pets

Everybody wants to do it, but most people are unable to do it right, composting is a brilliant way to dispose of waste (garden and kitchen), is odor-free, generates garden soil essences and will not entice vermin like rats and mice. Here in Delta, the city sells Delta’s Backyard Composter Program and Soil Saver composters… Continue reading Soil Saving Composting – the good the bad and the ugly

  This Victoria Day Long Weekend will be a good time to spend with family and friends and of course a couple barbeques, but our recent hot weather has brought out the mosquitos and wasps. Wasp nests and the sheer number of the wasp population have begun to grow rapidly and your BBQ might be… Continue reading Wasps and Victoria Day Long Weekend

You woke up because there was scratching noises coming from the ceiling of your bedroom, in the middle of the night. There are not many things worse than finding out that rodents are in your house, yet you can’t figure how they are getting in and what kind of mess they are leaving. Here are… Continue reading Rats and Mice – Do’s and Don’ts

In these warmer days of spring, a queen wasp emerges from its winter hibernation. The number one priority is to find suitable locations to build new nest, likely near the location that she was born. The new queen lays both queen eggs and drone eggs and by the end of the wasp season she will… Continue reading Garbage Bees- A new colony begins NOW!

The latest generation of rats – Gen Alpha loves soy-based wiring of newer vehicles. Rats that are seeking shelter discover a vehicle engine compartment is exactly what they are looking for, and then, they find the soy based wiring. Why soy, well it is environmentally commendable, as car manufactures are trying to be greener. Soy-based… Continue reading RCTWCS – Rodent chewed through wire covering Syndrome

Although these little ants live inside, they get their name because they spend most of their lives under cracks in pavement, bricks and pavement stone. Pavement ant nests can be as large as 5,000 participants and have numerous queens. These pesky ants will eat virtually everything, including other ants, insects, grease, seeds, honeydew, honey, bread,… Continue reading Pavement Ants, Again!

Carpenter ants are well known for their aptitude to destroy wooden structures. They are also a annoyance in homes as they search for food. Carpenter ants eat both plant and animal stuff. Their usual food sources are insects, other small invertebrates, and sweet body fluids from aphids and other insects. Protein and sugary foods found… Continue reading Carpenter Ants – Should you be concerned?

The bullet ant – Paraponera clavata, has the most painful bite of any ant, in fact it is described as being shot by a bullet. The pain is apparently excruciating at the sting point and the venom of the stinger can actually cause you to have severe muscle spasms. If you were to hang around… Continue reading The Bullet Ant – very nasty

The hummingbird moth flies and moves just like a real hummingbird. Similarly, they can remain suspended in the air in front of a flower while they open up their long tongues and insert them in flowers to drink the nectar (some of the pollen that gets stuck to their upper body transfers to the flower).… Continue reading The Hummingbird Moth

The role of honey ants is quite simple, get immense, plump and succulent. They become fuel tanks of the colony. It starts when workers bring them food and they gorge themselves, their abdomens become bloated with the liquid and they look like honey pots. This condition is called plerergate and their bloated bellies can reach… Continue reading Plerergate Honey Pot Ants

Many species of flower mantis are popular as pets. These mantises actually attracted more insects than the real flowers. Flower mantises are a species of praying mantis that mimic flowers, in this case, a rainforest orchid of Southeast Asia, to lure pollinating insects. Their changing colours are an example of destructive mimicry, a form of… Continue reading Not Your Average Pet

The Asian Giant Hornets is considered the deadliest of all the hornet species. Measuring a whopping 4 cm in length, the queen can be as long as 5 cm, they have a hideous “black tooth” used for burrowing and other scary things and the queen can produce as many 2,000 offspring monsters a year. They… Continue reading Asian Giant Hornets – The Killer   

  The Treehopper has been around for nearly 40 million years. This little insect is just a prodigy of weird! It looks like some sort of helicopter insect from an alien world. The treehopper is related to the cicadas and there are over 3000 species. Their most unique feature is the helmet, which comes in… Continue reading Weird Week Continues- The Brazilian Treehopper

The latest addition to the suicide bomber ant species has been discovered in the jungles of Borneo. This one ant wrecking crew species will attach itself to the intruder, self-detonate and cover its enemy with toxic gunk. This kamikaze tactic or self-sacrifice (trading a life for a life) is found in social insects, such as… Continue reading Ants, the original Tokubetsu Kōgekitai !

  If it isn’t bad enough that you may have a couple ants crawling around your kitchen or streaming into your house from the garden, but the real nightmare begins when, without notice (no posted signs), there are hundreds of flying ants coating your kitchen wall. A little background information, ants are social insects which… Continue reading ANTS – With WINGS !  

We have been anticipating the arrive of this new weapon again our local ant problems for some time. The product is called Scorpio, a dual action ant bait which is extremely appetizing feeder with spinosad, an active ingredient that is made from naturally occurring bacterium – that is toxic to ants. It is a commercial… Continue reading The new Kid on the Block for Ants – Go Green

  I know, this one is a little different but… ants like a treat after a hard day’s work. Researchers found that ants like an indulgence after working hard yet they will use restraint until the job is complete. Depending on the intensity of the tasks they performed, they allow themselves different quality rewards or… Continue reading An eye on the prize –Ants of course

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) is a highly infectious and fatal disease that affects wild and domestic rabbits of the species Oryctolagus cuniculus. Well now it has arrived in Delta, the disease assaults the organs and blood vessels of the rabbits, causing a lack of coordination and bleeding through the nose resulting in agonizing pain and… Continue reading Bunny Ebola

In the last several months, a new integrated pest control pesticide has become available to us in the professional pest control industry; yes our latest and greatest silver bullet. Although it’s been in the US for years, our government has finally given its consent to use this very effective chemical here, with a few extra… Continue reading A new Silver Bullet – Temprid SC

  If you haven’t seen these little armadillos, a.k.a. sowbugs, crawling around wet areas of your house and garage, you will soon. These little crustaceans breathe through trachea-like lungs in their paddle-shaped hind legs, called pleopodal lungs. These “cheesy bobs” are usually nocturnal and are detritivores, meaning that they feed mostly on dead plant matter… Continue reading When the Doodlebugs come marching two by two

Skunks are definitely not fun to deal with when you are trying to get them off your property. The usual non-lethal method to capture these animals is to use live traps, sometimes referred to as cage traps or a Heart traps. These traps require using bait: fresh eggs, fruit and canned tuna, to lure the… Continue reading Is there a safe way to release a skunk?

Squirrels are known to find nuts easily, hide them quickly, return for more and they never seem to forget their hiding places. When a squirrel rotates a nut between its front paws, they are considering a range of factors to reach the answer to a series of question: eat it now or bury it for… Continue reading Squirrels – Nuts about Nuts

We have seen an increase in the number of rodents in Delta with the beginning of spring, although these record setting rainfalls don’t seem to slow them down. But, rodents, wasps and flies are making themselves known in homes throughout South Delta as summer draws closer. The problems, including rats, have been on the increase… Continue reading April showers bring May pests

Silverfish are true pest insects which are very destructive, don’t carry any known diseases but have fangs – without venom. They may be unpleasant, but at least they aren’t hazardous. You may have spotted these flat silvery or brown insects scurrying in the bathroom, bathtub, sink, on walls, and across the floor. They can be… Continue reading Fanged Silverfish

  So why are the lifespans of most rodents, mice, rats and squirrels so short? Researchers have compared genes of long- and short-lived rodents; it would appear several novel (unique) genes influence longevity and healthy aging in mammals. Most rodent’s life prospect and early death during aging are predominantly high. Interesting, small rodents like mice… Continue reading Rodents – quick maturing / shorter life

  I have officially declared 2018 the year of the grease ant, or the cousin of the little black ant or a.k.a. the pavement ant. These ants, which usually make their homes under pavement, patio blocks and pavement stones, can also spend the entire year in your house. Yes, a year around nuisance. The colonies… Continue reading Grease Ants

  Well it has started up again; the invasive fire ant has continued to spread in the Lower Mainland, from the Vancouver airport runways to CP Rail burning soil on the Arbutus corridor and now South Delta. And the pest problem is no longer just the common European fire ant; the lesser-known species labelled the… Continue reading Impressive, Mr. Fire Ant

Raccoons might be charming, but like polar bears, African lions, crocodiles, rhinoceros, great white sharks and members of Hedley, they should all be watched on videos or behind protection zoo grade barriers. Now we all should know by now that these animals (dumpster sharks or raquirrels) are far from huggable squishy bears. These rascal tailed… Continue reading When Raccoon’s give you the Hairy Eyeball

Who would have thought that Rock Music would make carpenter ants destroy wood faster? Scientists have discovered that rock bands comprised of a singer, a couple guitars, a bass and drums produce a frequency of about 2.7 KHz that is both distinctive to rock music and that the heavier the sound the better the pulse.… Continue reading Ants Dig Rock ’n’ Roll

Spring is here and it’s time to chase down those dust bunnies, clean those murky windows and clean up (take inventory and purge) the kitchen. When you finally start in on the kitchen – it’s time to turn your messy Betty Crocker play station into a surgical operating room. Our modern kitchens can be, for… Continue reading Spring Cleaning Your Kitchen

https://youtu.be/tr7MF14j2K4 Here in Delta, we have to contend with birds coming from all directions. Besides the many farms we have, having the Vancouver Landfill kilometers away doesn’t help. There are many ways in which birds can cause a nuisance. Large numbers of birds in urban areas can cause problems due to their noise and fouling,… Continue reading Spicing Up Bird Control

https://youtu.be/DmecrHX3Fzg Pet rabbits owners are being urged to monitor their pets after several cases of Rabbit hemorrhagic disease have shown up in Delta, with no vaccine available in Canada. The disease is exclusive to rabbits as both humans and other animals are not susceptible to this disease. Rabbit hemorrhagic disease causes hemorrhages by distressing the… Continue reading Rabbit hemorrhagic disease in DELTA !!!

https://youtu.be/CS3k-G507Jw It’s about time that we in the pest control industries can show off are humane approach to animals. In Canada, the pest control is a growing industry especially with global warming; there are just that many more critters out there. It is estimated that the pest control industry in Canada is valued at over… Continue reading Being Kind To The Animals  

https://youtu.be/I119ZqhJkq0 Squirrel pox (fibromatosis), is a terrible disease that affects squirrels, although it is relatively rare. Squirrel pox makes these rodents sluggish and compromises their immune system, causing mange, scab or lumps, leading to a quick loss of body condition and subsequently death. In contrast to our chicken pox, squirrel pox is not a herpes… Continue reading Chicken Pox in Squirrels?

https://youtu.be/X2-WYtwIfYk Mating season is nearly over for raccoons and skunks, and very shortly they’ll be having lots of babies.  Skunk and raccoon babies are usually born in mid-to late April – up to mid-June. Mothers will go looking for a den where they can have their babies. Skunks like to have their little one under… Continue reading Congratulations on your babies!! Skunks and Raccoons

  https://youtu.be/jZj5F_u25-c March 19th begins Poison Prevention week that brings attention to the dangers of retail purchased poisons through the limited and proper use of fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, or rodenticides. An IPM or integrated pest management program (www.epa.gov/managing-pests-schools/introduction-integrated-pest-management) should always be used to control unwanted insects and rodents that include sanitation, trapping and environmental changes.… Continue reading March 19th Poison Prevention Week

  https://youtu.be/agPtVlVXu3I Often I encounter rat infestations where the rats have gotten into a house and totally run amuck. People are usually worried about the feces they leave behind but rat urine can be equally as dangerous as the diseases in feces. When people come into contact with rat urine there is always the chance… Continue reading Rat Urine – Yikes

https://youtu.be/6PywX6J2i-U Most newer homes have built in HVAC systems. HVAC is short for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. The system is used to provide warm air comfort and improved indoor air quality. Pests can cause many problems if they live inside a HVAC system. They can leave behind feces, urine, cadavers, fur, and exoskeletons which… Continue reading Warning for Home HVAC systems  

https://youtu.be/cHzTuLUfXG4 Yes every year we wait for the arrival of the odorous ants to appear. Late winter they magically appear almost every year in the beginning of March. The most distinguishable feature of this ant is their smell, once crushed they give off a distinctive unpleasant lemony or awful coconut smell. Similar to Pharaoh’s ants,… Continue reading The Odorous Ants Are Here

https://youtu.be/zSRFmesjpek The German cockroach is one of the most common roaches found in Delta. Cockroaches hitchhike indoors on luggage, boxes or packages. They like moisture, food, and warmth so sanitation is critical in controlling this palmetto bug. All it takes is bringing in one egg capsule, and in six months you will be calling a… Continue reading The Palmetto Bug a.k.a German Cockroaches

https://youtu.be/R89Ji19Em3c Ants attack and defend themselves by biting, stinging and injecting or spraying chemicals, such as acid, alkaloids and piperidines.  When some species of ant go to war, the oldest soldiers fight on the front lines, these frontline soldiers (females first) are really just cannon fodder as they are closer to death (just too old)… Continue reading Ant Wars -Royal Guards become Frontline Fodder

https://youtu.be/NjrGZk2LigI The introduction of artificial light represents one of the most drastic changes we have made to our environment. Plants and animals depend on earth’s daily cycle of light and dark rhythm to govern life-sustaining behaviors such as reproduction, food, sleep and shelter from predators. Scientific studies have suggested that greenhouse lights at night have… Continue reading Are Greenhouse Lights creating Ecological Dead Zones?

  https://youtu.be/aDQEea8wPmc The housefly is the most common insect we encounter. Other than being a nuisance to us, they can be a huge concern due to the impact they can have on consumer health. Their breeding, feeding and how they get around are quite different from most insects we encounter. Houseflies benefit ecologically from their… Continue reading The common housefly: did you know…

https://youtu.be/TZlIpxfSa4c Yes it’s that time of year again when squirrels are knocking on the door looking  for room and board. But of course they never ask, they just move into the attic and hope for forgiveness later. Attic: warm, safe and insulated – what more could a squirrels ask for. Yet, they are far too… Continue reading Eviction Notice: All Squirrels Must Leave

https://youtu.be/PtsQiGbiq8E The second leading cause of death of raccoons is distemper (the #1 is human intervention). Raccoons are susceptible to infection by both canine and feline distemper which causes the illness and death by two completely different viruses. Canine distemper is common when raccoon populations are large. The virus is widespread and mortality in juveniles… Continue reading Raccoons: Distemper and Rabies

https://youtu.be/DE7tfW8YqGk Leptospirosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria that can cause fatal infection of the kidney, liver, brain, lung or heart. Signs and symptoms can range from mild headaches, muscle pains, and fevers to severe bleeding in the lungs and a person to turning yellow from kidney failure. There are 13 different genetic types… Continue reading Leptospirosis: Rats to Dogs to Humans

https://youtu.be/rY6nWeHwvXA Delta’s long, harsh winter has resulted in a 150% increase in silverfish call-out so far this year. This carrot shaped, armoured plated creature is one of the most primitive of living insects in the world. They can live over three years and survive as long as a year without feeding. They require damp and… Continue reading Silverfish Outbreak

https://youtu.be/C0nJZLoolEU The best result of effective communication is combined understanding and purpose, when communication fails time is wasted and systems can fail. Communication is vital to ant’s survival. Ants are not ruled by their queen particularly but rather by communication amongst the colony. This can be seen when an ant searches for food, the ant… Continue reading Ants show the true meaning of effective communication

https://youtu.be/-eSr2Wn2Jt0 There is a new rat coming to town and it doesn’t take “no” very well. This rat can grow as large as 9 kg, has huge bucked teeth and are a dangerous invasive species that are breeding in massive numbers all along the coast. The nutria or coypu is a large, herbivorous and a… Continue reading The Nutria is coming – 9 kg Rats

https://youtu.be/GpV8WCYnNr4 When ants go out on food foraging missions or out to battle, sometimes some of the ants get injured. If an ant is injured, it will call for help by excreting a distress signal in form of a pheromone that indicates that it is hurt and needs to be treated. When help arrives, the… Continue reading Call the Ant-Bulance !!

https://youtu.be/SwEndJRljOQ We all know by now that bed bugs aren’t dangerous and don’t spread disease but they do feed on our blood, cause us rashes and allergic reactions. Now it has been discovered that bed bug feces contains a chemical that dawdles after the insects have been eradicated and these chemicals -histamines may cause allergic… Continue reading Next up – Bed Bug Anti-Histamines   

https://youtu.be/zXsW_eZJFgc Now that we have fire ants in our community, it’s time to learn how to keep them under control this coming spring through summer. Two things, first accept the fact that it is doubtful that you will ever get rid of them and you should understand what steps are required to keep them at… Continue reading The fire ants are coming

https://youtu.be/Uk_1TjskEFI I’ve had several reports of people seeing skunks out after it gets dark and that sweet smell of friendly skunks. Skunks are now out and about because it’s mating season right up to the end of March. They are nocturnal and don’t cover much territory, apparently in a radius of about 4 meters. Prior… Continue reading Valentines – Love Is In the Air for Skunks

Seoul virus is a type of Hantavirus found in Norway rats, one of the most common varieties of rats here in Delta (85 % Norway and 15% roof rats). The virus does not cause symptoms in the rats but it if we contract it; infections develop within two weeks (or up to 8 weeks) after… Continue reading Seoul Virus Found in Pet Rats

https://youtu.be/Wb8ys-ohsxU Ok, rodents are smart; believe me I know too well. When most people think of rodents, you may think of mice and rats but there are actually 1,500 types of rodents, including voles, moles, groundhogs, porcupines, muskrats and squirrels – just to mention a few. Although they are all naturally wild animals, some have… Continue reading Rodent Fun Facts – For a Change

We all like to get outside when the weather warms up (even in the rain), and mice and rats are no different. The pest control business usually slows down to a crawl this time of year when we go through cycles of freezing temperatures. This year is a little different because the rodents aren’t being… Continue reading Rodents are taking advantage of our wet temperate weather.

These unwelcome guests will shelter in chimneys, attics, garages, under decks, porches and under hot tubs. They usually breed in the end of January into February. Raccoons do not form bonding relationships but pair only to mate. Babies are born between April & July. Typically, a sow (raccoon mother) will have 2-3 dens already secured… Continue reading  Relocating Raccoons

Nicotine used in e-cigarette vapour is not as risk-free as originally thought, although vaping is considered less harmful to overall human health than smoking tobacco. Recent studies with mice have shown that vaping actually does cause considerable damage; although these results don’t necessary directly translate to the same risks in humans. A new study has… Continue reading Vaping damages DNA and more – found in mice!

Rats exhibit supportive behaviour just like us humans. It was discovered that rats are more motivated to participate in grooming with another rat if food was received from it and vice versa. They were found to groom willing food-suppliers more often than those rats that did not share food. As a result, the groomers then… Continue reading Rats – I help you because you helped me

Groundhogs a.k.a. woodchucks, land beavers or whistle-pigs, are large rodents known for their destructive burrowing habits.  Groundhog Day is a tradition celebrated here in Canada on February 2 each year. Groundhogs emerge from their burrows and if they see a shadow due to clear weather, they will retreat to their den and winter will persist… Continue reading Do Groundhogs really have a Crystal Ball?  

https://youtu.be/0BIjvK9DSa8 Although we don’t actually have mole rats here, they are fascinating and a very weird animal, by my standards. First, they are a cold blooded mammal, because they are unable to regulate their body temperature. Their incisor teeth can move independently of each other and even work together like a pair of chopsticks. They… Continue reading Naked Mole Rats diss Gompertz law

This Thursday is the first full moon of February which happens to be a super blue blood moon and more importantly for the discussion of this article – the moon of the polecat; yes the moon of the skunk. This is the time of year when skunks begin their mating ritual. Likely you haven’t smelt… Continue reading Super Blue Blood Moon – of the Polecat

  https://youtu.be/2_cClSVFugY I’ve heard about cockroaches in cars but mostly in large hot cities closer to the equator. Recently I had a client call, claiming that there were cockroaches scampering about on the floor and seats of their car. Not one to say no to a customer problems, I approached the situation with a little… Continue reading Yes it’s a Thing – Cars and cockroaches 

https://youtu.be/0C7E2i-WKfY Most resilient species of pests have already found ways to dodge the effects of frigid temperatures, regardless of how cold it gets outside. Actually, most of the insects that pester us during the warm months, like spiders, beetles and ants, are prepared for the frosty temperatures and wet soil long before the winter months… Continue reading Winter Vacation? In your home!

Ingrid Abbott / Delta Optimist JANUARY 23, 2018 02:26 PM I bet you didn’t know there’s a housing shortage for the Norway rats of Beach Grove. The local rats are finding it hard to find shelter from the cold due to demolitions and new construction so they decided our crawl space was a good place to call… Continue reading Social media is useful tool to learn about neighbourhood – Go Green Pest Control.ca

https://youtu.be/CQOpeBLEyN8 Guess who moved into the neighborhood, gophers! I’ve received two calls about moles that have turned out to be gophers. Gophers do not hibernate and their excavations continue throughout the winter. After examining the shrubbery in the immediate area, I discovered ragged tooth marks etched on fallen limbs and the bases of the shrubs.… Continue reading Gophers in Delta?

Bird feeders or Rodent feeders?   Birds are part of the wildlife experience in Delta. Attracting birds with a bird feeder invites that outdoorsy vibe into your yard. While birds love feeders, they are chaotic eaters and a lot of the seeds end up on the ground. Now some people may think that the wildlife… Continue reading Bird feeders or Rodent feeders?

https://youtu.be/omw5ldS4R3Y Bed bugs are attracted to heat and carbon dioxide emitted by us when we go to bed. They mainly feed on the blood of humans but can also use cats and dogs to get their fix.  As a rule of thumb (a broadly accurate guide based on experience rather than theory), bed bugs usually… Continue reading When do Bed Bugs Bite

https://youtu.be/5oH_nfTbFKM Squirrels use different strategies for caching different types of nuts. Nuts are an optimal source of fat and protein for squirrels. If given a choice, these are the nuts that squirrels prefer: pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, acorns, cashews, chestnuts, hickory nuts, macadamia nuts, and pine nuts out of pine cones. Squirrels use complex… Continue reading Squirrels – the kings of chunking

  https://youtu.be/8ZAxj7_jSXM Often I hear about dead ants in the bathroom, usually found in the morning. Likely this time of year, those ants are Pharaohs ants. These guys can live in the walls of your house for years undetected. They will venture outside in the heat of the summer but prefer the stability of a… Continue reading Bathroom Ants

  https://youtu.be/F2L2qKQgQgU Although we are in the throes of winter, don’t forget that children still can get head lice and pass it along. Head lice are not affected by cold weather as most insects are. Dry skin is a fact of life in the winter causing us to be itchy but if you see your… Continue reading Lice don’t take Vacations

https://youtu.be/mgPucZvVDYA When we get a unusually cold snap here on the coast it maybe tough on plants, but not necessarily on insects, as most can survive even record cold temperatures. Insects have developed tactics for surviving even in the chilliest of temperatures by hibernating in protected areas, be it under ground or in your house.… Continue reading Bugs die in Winter @ -22 Celsius  

https://youtu.be/9po3dqpIlJ8 Just like all rodents, when it’s wet and cold out, mice are looking for shelter, food and of course a warm place to do this in. Mice can adjust quite rapidly to new surroundings and are unrelenting when it comes to finding their basic needs. When it comes to mice, it is rarely a… Continue reading Squeak squeak, it’s not a mouse but mice!

https://youtu.be/YaWANT1RMbc Here in Delta, the word predator in the context of waterfowl means coyotes, raccoons and skunks. To waterfowl these predators are the major reasons that wildlife numbers are down. Changes in agriculture land in South Delta have created numerous problems for nesting birds, as the habitat they need to nest has been taken away.… Continue reading Waterfowl and Predators

https://youtu.be/Wk2pEfWb_l8 Yes those little bugs that look like mini turtles with that segmented shell are woodlouse, an arthropod found in moist places such as dirt, stacked logs, leaves and under boards or other rubble that lies flush on the ground. In nature, they live comfortably outdoors but given the opportunity they will get into your… Continue reading Woodlouse, just won’t leave

https://youtu.be/mRIkxzJ0QuA With the tide levels being so high lately, I wanted to touch on some of the pest issues we would most likely have if the water swamped out homes. Flooding and cold weather can cause big headaches, as well as pest infestation. Many families would certainly be advised to avoid direct contact with floodwater… Continue reading King Tides and the Aftermath

https://youtu.be/dq8-K1QsnLY Ants in a nest work together like cells in a body, with healthy ants acting like white blood cells killing off other ants they recognize as a threat. Researchers have shown that ants kill colony comrades infected with potential diseases. In this way, ants can guard their colony from the occurrence of an endemic.… Continue reading Ants – Only the healthy survive

gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky I’m quite often asked how common are mouse infestations? Well statistically 85% of homes show some evidence of mouse activity at one point in the life of the building. Still this doesn’t mean that you should set-up a mouse eradication program but if you’re spotting the little rodents… Continue reading The Dangers of Rodents

https://youtu.be/l4bK3LQC1XM Recently a couple contractors have contacted me about their house renovation projects, more specifically finding carpenter ant satellite nests inside homes as they reworked the framework. During the winter months, the existence of carpenter ants actively moving around in the house is a clear indicator of an indoor infestation. Carpenter ants do not always… Continue reading Still Sleeping – Carpenter Ants

https://youtu.be/aDObXKYxa38 There are a number of alternative methods of rodent control other than rodenticides but you still need a measure of care and competence to obtain the most effective results. All non-chemical methods have risks or are not a sure-fire way to get results, as this depends on using the methods properly. Both live and… Continue reading Go Green Rodent Control

https://youtu.be/nqmq8RQeSVs Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite, wake up bright in the morning light, to do what’s right with all your might.  At home we said “Good night sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite, if they crawl on the wall take a spoon and eat them all”. This is solid… Continue reading Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite  

https://youtu.be/tLwWI5f1ANk The wellbeing and cosiness of our homes is a chief priority. If you’ve noticed a few bugs that are determined to live in your home this blog is for you. 1) Healthy Indoors – Air indoors is up to 100 times more polluted than outdoor air. This is partially due to dead bug bodies… Continue reading 7 New Year’s Resolutions for a Pest Free 2018

https://youtu.be/uCP6LLKz5JY Returning from a Christmas holiday? If you or someone stayed in a hotels or motels, these can be hotspots for infestations of bed bugs, which can live happily in a bed and hitch a ride home on luggage, clothing and you. If these vampires get into your luggage and travel home with you, they… Continue reading Bed Bugs – Holiday Gift Fail

  So does predator urine or coyote urine actually help keep unwanted raccoons out of your yard. First of all, who is collecting this urine and is it even real. My research suggests that the urine is collected from animals in game farms, zoos and preserves (fully regulated by the appropriate state agencies). The urine… Continue reading Predator Pee to Keep Raccoons Away

https://youtu.be/TxZYF_ukkiI Go figure; guess what I got for Christmas, practical gifts indeed and a lot of things related to pest control, to boot. Here are guess a few: A Spider Catcher- a pole attached to some bristles that hold a spider securely while taking it outside and releasing it. Hmm- not many usually make it… Continue reading Things I got for Christmas

https://youtu.be/2xEquWsHIC8 A small group of rodents comprised of hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, mice, and rats are commonly found at pet stores and are make good family pets, some better than others. While they are all rodents, they do have varied necessities in caring for them and social contact and have differing merits as pets. Most… Continue reading Christmas Pet Rodents

https://youtu.be/lh2AFCs2jrk So do giant rats exist, well, the answer is yes but this is not a new breed of rat. Our urban rats, mainly the Norway rat (brown rat, common rat, street rat, sewer rat, Hanover rat, or Norwegian rat) comes in a range of different sizes. Giant rats are really rats that are at… Continue reading Do giant rats exist?

https://youtu.be/oVVe-rm6wYY Scientists studying hibernating rodents, squirrels and hamsters, have found they have evolved cold-sensing nerve cells with a reduced capability to detect temperatures below 20 degrees celsius, which allows their body temperature to drop for long periods of time without causing them to be stressed by the cold conditions, thus causing their seasonal nap. These… Continue reading Squirrels don’t feel cold

https://youtu.be/jxdJS_6i1iY Although there are months to go before starting your garden, it is never too early to plan. When considering what you will plant you should always be aware of the rodents that are waiting for a new crop of food. The types of damages caused by rodents can vary subject to the species of… Continue reading Planning your Garden Yet?

https://youtu.be/E07B1frNsVc Voles are active all day and night. These rodents are a nuisance because they attack our lawns and gardens to feed on plants.  Their entry and exit holes are merely round holes in the ground, where a mole will push up soil in a mound when it comes to the surface. Voles build a… Continue reading Vole Damage  

https://youtu.be/__x_NYcyNBw The fear of coyotes predates social media. The thousand-year history of coyotes in urban areas tells a story of adaptation, predation by humans and co-existence. Coyotes have been living near humans for at least 1,000 years, with rodents being the mutual denominator for both parties. It’s a simple food chain where human trash has… Continue reading The Urban Coyote

https://youtu.be/eS6u4K1ZVKk At this time of year, if you hear scratching noises it maybe a mouse stirring. Mice are looking for some nice Christmas presents as well and you might not know that you are giving them what they want. During the Christmas holidays, your house is most likely to have all the treats mice love,… Continue reading Christmas Mice

https://youtu.be/2fWpePNVZiw So it’s mid-December and the phone is ringing off the hook about moles.  Many homeowners in Delta believe that moles hibernate and are not active during late fall and winter months, well no! Their main permanent tunnels and nesting burrows are dug deep underground below the frost line allowing moles to still be active… Continue reading Moles, Why Now?

https://youtu.be/TM_n3wWj1KU Pests are animals that we consider to be damaging to us or our goings-on. We create circumstances where populations of these pests exist in much larger numbers than would ever be found in their normal environment and close to us. We provide them with more places for shelter, food supply, for some pests we… Continue reading Urban Pests

https://youtu.be/tHfx56qWtn4 Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society here in Delta has said there is a spike in the population of young barred owls and they can set-up shop basically anywhere they want. Their usual targets are rats, mice, moles, voles and pigeons. Barred owls have been culled in some areas of B. C. in order to reduce… Continue reading Delta’s Barred Owls population on the rise

https://youtu.be/TpOiYqfBq1w Every year around Christmas, the Pharaoh ants begin to show up in many houses throughout Delta. It’s the combination of the furnaces running a lot more and food, in form of crumbs, hitting the floor. Pharaoh ants eat food of all types, but particularly sweets with lots of sugar and carbohydrates. If you have… Continue reading Christmas Pharaoh Ants

https://youtu.be/LtHkYtsTnFw This casemaking clothes moth builds a case of silk that it drags around so it can feed on the go. The adult moths stay close to their source of food and are not lively in bright well lite locations. The fabric moths, such as the casemaking clothes moth can easily be confused with food… Continue reading Casemaking Clothes Moth

https://youtu.be/9018q6ZN0Ds Carpet beetle larvae cause damage to clothing, furnishings, and other natural fibers. The larvae feed on natural fibers but adults feed primarily on plant nectar and pollen. Larvae forage for food in dim and concealed areas. Infestations occur quickly and frequently go unseen until damage is extensive. The larvae feed mainly on animal and… Continue reading Carpet Beetle Larvae Damage  

https://youtu.be/Gv9DpRsDtGM A new study has revealed that ant colonies guard their nests more courteously than others, suggesting that ant colonies actually have personalities. Trees that have more lively, hostile colonies have smaller amount of foliage damage, signifying that the colony personality determines if the plant will live or die. Researchers discovered that certain types of… Continue reading Ant colonies have personality

https://youtu.be/mEa9msGpXmQ Although we in Delta don’t have a major termite issue, they still do exist here and will cause damage. Termites, like carpenter ants, are often referred to as a silent destructive force. Here is a list of some facts you may not have known about these creatures. Termites will feed on anything that contains… Continue reading Termites and Your House

https://youtu.be/XRB7mT1gLVs Winter solstice 2017 in Northern Hemisphere will be at 8:28 AM on Thursday, December 21. For most of us in Delta, that means getting out the big coats, scarves, gloves, hats and waterproof boots. Also, in the late fall months, male spiders leave their isolated nesting areas and explore our homes in search of… Continue reading Spider Facts -strange but true  

https://youtu.be/da6QHMQzbr4 Having discussed the effect that neonicotinoids have on pollinating insects in my last blog, researchers now found that these pesticides also cause migrating birds to lose their sense of direction and suffer up to 25% weight loss. In Canada farmland birds have declined drastically in recent decades and pesticides appear to be playing a… Continue reading Neonicotinoids and Birds

https://youtu.be/_Zy-s9wFLQk Neonicotinoids, what are they and what do they do? Neonicotinoids are systemic insecticides used to kill various insects including aphids, greenfly, blackfly, weevils and root-feeding grubs.  The neonicotinoid family include such insecticides as acetamiprid, clothianidin, imidacloprid, nitenpyram, nithiazine, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam, many of which can be found in your home garden insecticide sprays.  Systemic… Continue reading Neonicotinoids 101

https://youtu.be/-yacopZxNwU So further to my last blog on pests that you can find on your real live Christmas tree, here is a list of do’s and don’ts when you get your tree home. Do: Go ahead and shake your tree before setting it up in the home. Your tree can have anything from pollen to… Continue reading Home Sweet Home for Your New Christmas tree

https://youtu.be/VQIbfmpGmIs The holiday season is almost upon us. If you don’t already own an artificial Christmas tree and intend on buying a real live Christmas tree then you are in luck, the stands are already being set-up. Years ago the main concern with real live Christmas trees was candles burning the tree down, then there… Continue reading Christmas Tree Surprises

https://youtu.be/BL4hoXw3QSw Scientists are still researching the causes for the decline in bee populations over the last several years. The general consensus is that pesticides, fungicides, disease and a loss of habitat are all to blame. In fact, pyrethroids are mostly responsible for the decline in honey bees and other pollinators, but there little evidence that… Continue reading New Pesticides that spare Honey Bees

https://youtu.be/UAgd7k_Ae6s The Smokybrown Cockroaches gets its name from its even brownish-black colour and once mature can be as long as 40 mm. These strong fliers have wings that reach beyond their body and are attracted to light. They can be found in tree cavities, underneath mulch beds and ground hiding places, and around soffits and… Continue reading The Smokybrown Cockroach

https://youtu.be/GsK7V5GoxLo New to Delta, the Diamondback moth has been making its way through homes over the last year. This small moth is colored gray and brown with a cream-colored band and shapes of a diamonds on its back. The diamondback moth is considered a pest in areas that do not experience very cold winters. The… Continue reading Diamondback Moths

https://youtu.be/ccFg9gKQpFw Procyon lotor or the raccoon is well known for its nocturnal exploits specifically its love affair with garbage cans. Most home owners are forced to take protective measures so their garbage isn’t scattered nightly. In fact, this single event has made it into many movies and has earned it both our indignation and fondness.… Continue reading Raccoon – Procyon Lotor – Dumpster Diver

https://youtu.be/bhmL6a7l5qI Misconceptions, along with the burden of head lice itself, can lead to great discomfort, anxiety and embarrassment for those affected. Often, individuals feel embarrassed just talking about the condition, not realizing that having head lice is not an indicator of poor hygiene. The need for education and awareness regarding the condition and treatment options… Continue reading Head Lice

https://youtu.be/KOflbEs9_Yc There are plenty of myths surrounding which mouse control methods work the best to help drive out your unwelcome house pest. The common natural mouse repellent or home remedies include: cheese, peppermint, moth balls, ultrasonic sound waves, but do they actually work? Mothballs Keep Mice Away – No, mothballs are thought to be a… Continue reading  Mouse Repellents – Myths?

https://youtu.be/5hcPPWbefQ4 Well now we are locked down into full fall mode: short days, rain and gloom. So that also means that rodents are looking for long-term care facilities, so it’s time to think about the factors that can put your assets at risk of infestation and take the bull by the horns or rat by… Continue reading Rodents Long-Term Care Facilities

https://youtu.be/rAgqevyTtw0 Where do all those ants go in the winter? Just like the leaves falling in late autumn, ants seemingly disappear (or do they). Short of calling it hibernation, they will enter a dormant stage in which they lay low, feeding off the fats, carbohydrates and proteins they stored. Ants consume large amounts of food… Continue reading Where Do All the Ants Go?

https://youtu.be/zEoOkl7UYeg Carpenter ants are very active this time of the year setting up satellite nests in people’s homes so they can over winter their eggs. With so many shows about zombies out there now, I thought that this one would be fitting. I came across an interesting article about carpenter ants that get infected by… Continue reading Fungus in Ants’ Clothing

https://youtu.be/qL0MyEdtx0w Silverfish are nocturnal and secretive. The extent of an infestation may go on for long periods of time, allowing for very large populations. They reproduce very quickly and have destructive feeding habits, ruining paper books, clothing and wallpaper. Their preferred environment is damp areas mainly around the kitchen, laundry room, bathroom, attic and basement.… Continue reading Put your foot down on Silverfish

https://youtu.be/zZE7W5ACakk Half way through fall and most of the leaves have fallen, the snow is flying and the local ski mountains are opening up. As much as we love our nice comfortable warm houses so do ladybugs. Asian Lady Beetles or ladybugs are not native to the B.C. and populations of the bug have exploded… Continue reading Ladybugs Invade Your House!

https://youtu.be/07egJ4cjcjU Rodents like rats and mice use (USVs) to communicate similar to the edge-tone mechanism used in a police whistle. Rodents are the only species that produces a whistling sound similar to human whistling. A combination of “imaging technology” and “tissue staining” was used to produce a 3-dimensional image that shows the structures that make… Continue reading Rodents Like to Whistle a Tune

https://youtu.be/2Bn0FPlnVDc Just like the leaves turning colours and falling off the trees in fall, pests also have a preferred time they like to infest our homes. It doesn’t matter the time of year; there is always one kind of pest eager to invade your personal space. Fortunately, they are creatures of habit and we know… Continue reading Pests, when to except them!

https://youtu.be/Lu2pqL3sQBM Spiders, bats and other spine-chilling, self-seeking, fawning parasitic sycophants are about to invade your front doorstep tonight – Halloween. But tomorrow morning there still maybe real-life ghoulish pests in your house. Here’s a list of some household sycophants and tips to stop them from turning your home into a 24 – 7 – 365… Continue reading Ghostly Pests

https://youtu.be/GEQy9yUHb5Q Spiders and Halloween seem to go together like Santa Claus and Christmas. So what is the connection behind spiders and Halloween, perhaps witches? Spiders, black cats and rats are the evil companions of witches in the barbaric times. Not only have they been used to imply darkness and evil by inhabiting countless haunted houses,… Continue reading Halloween and Spiders

https://youtu.be/deQZ2KPaYlI The main species of bird we see locally which are responsible for spreading diseases are pigeons, seagulls, sparrows and starlings. Like most pests, there is a range of factors which contribute to how birds spread diseases. The main sources are their feces, feathers and nests. Of these three factors, bird droppings are the most… Continue reading Polly can make you sick

https://youtu.be/hi9o7uy0thM Mice are truly the most fascinating and cunning creatures that any pest investigator has discovered, making them one of the world’s most successful pests. But did you know that these small rodents actually sing to their mates with love songs. Although slightly exaggerated, they do use ultrasonic sounds to find a proper partner. It… Continue reading Those are mice singing in the attic!

https://youtu.be/xeJ9L7EQM3Y Although summer has passed, I’ve meant to write this one earlier. Slugs can be a big problem in any garden, taking one plant down at a time. The process for getting rid of slugs and snails can be a time consuming and a tedious mission for many gardeners. The best way to get rid… Continue reading Slug Remedies

https://youtu.be/WPHwmdr3Wus When rodents get into your car, absolutely nothing good could come of it. Those rodents are actually sharpening their teeth and feasting on car parts. When you go to start your car in the morning and you get the lights popping on warning of electrical problems, engine issues you don’t think about that some… Continue reading Double Whammy – Rodents Feast and Sharpen Teeth at the Same Time

https://youtu.be/5I9CqNXB578 Turn on a light outside and you invite all the local light seeking insects. There are several theories to explain why insects are attracted to light. For some insects, a bright light source is a sign of safety which are generally positioned on higher ground than the dangerous environment they are currently in. Light… Continue reading Lights On! Welcome insects!

https://youtu.be/-qVEIILIHmY Now that everyone is spending their evening indoors – rain- we are hearing more about people reacting to different things in their homes, from spiders to moth and everything else that moves. One insect over-looked is the house mite. These little creatures feed on skin shed by people during their sleep or everyday activities,… Continue reading House Dust Mites

https://youtu.be/Ojn1zY_RJWI Fall is the time of year when Pharaoh’s Ant starts popping up in the kitchen, bathrooms and around the furnace, boiler and hot water heater. These ants will forage and search high and low for any source of food. People try and eliminate the problem using google remedies and DIY retail store solutions. However,… Continue reading What are those Teeny Weenie Ants?

https://youtu.be/j7R88QSNmzE Of all the insects, cockroaches could be amazing at football! Why would cockroaches make good football players? Cockroaches are one of the world’s most boundless pests, found on almost every continent in the world. It may surprise you, but cockroaches are fast, at 1.6 metres or 55 body lengths per second or the human… Continue reading Cockroaches, One fine Football Player

https://youtu.be/4C_tt8coNy8 There is a theory that a pair of rats could produce nearly half a billion descendants in just three years, however, the population will always be restricted by food and shelter, disease, natural predation and fighting amongst themselves. But the rapid rate of reproduction amongst rats usually comes as a shock. This is the… Continue reading Planet of the Rats

https://youtu.be/xlgahrHNDOc Halloween is coming with all the ghouls, zombies, super heroes, creepy crawlers and spiders. Oh yes the spiders are out in force now getting fat for the winter. Oh their bites, spiders only bite as a defence mechanism but that bite can range from being just an irritation to causing severe health problems due… Continue reading Halloween Spiders

https://youtu.be/JKhJ6ovAJi4 Originating from South America, red fire ants arrived in Florida in the 1930s, attached to the lumber in a cargo ship and spread to other areas. There is an analysis that suggests the ecosystem in Texas and California was devastated by red fire ants, which wiped out two-thirds of local ants. The danger comes… Continue reading Red Fire Ants – History

https://youtu.be/Oet0H0dBdS4 Rats-rats-rats. Rats pass on diseases several ways, through a bite, scratch or other direct contact, although I have not heard of anyone being attracted by a rat. They can also pass on diseases if you breathe in dust contaminated with their urine, saliva or feces, or eat food soiled with their feces. Rats may… Continue reading Rat Warning

https://youtu.be/ceQBjpYXqNU A client that lives in a local apartment complex stated that the entire building was infested with mice, so he bought some traps to catch any that get into his apartment. The instructions on the box of snap traps recommend baiting the traps with peanut butter or chocolate. But what kind of chocolate, it… Continue reading Mice like Milk Chocolate

https://youtu.be/ouaLCAlqoYQ Pestaurant is a restaurant that serves edible insects that are delicious (so they say) and have health benefits. Entomophagy is a term used to describe eating insects; apparently millions have embraced this new, alternative source of food. I have to admit the idea of eating insects is unsettling but don’t be too quick to… Continue reading Entomophagy Pestaurant Coming soon

https://youtu.be/328-1tfHMKI This last July 2017 was the 391th consecutive month with average global temperatures higher than the average for the 20th century. Global warming is normally thought of as creating greater numbers of extreme events including droughts, floods and storms damage crops and can cause food shortages. Flooding and other major climatic events are the… Continue reading Climate change and Rodents

https://youtu.be/z06JAZx8pao Out of all of pests we deal with, rats are the most destructive pest for homes and businesses. It is estimated that almost 50% of electrical damage in homes and businesses are caused by rodents. Rats have a pair of endlessly growing incisor teeth in both their upper and lower jaw that require nonstop… Continue reading The Most Destructive Pest

https://youtu.be/wPk3WsJYRJw If there is one thing about mice in a house, is that they will always end up in the kitchen. And of course what will you find? Mouse droppings, they are one of the most common signs of mice in your kitchen and this will let you know you have a larger problem on… Continue reading The mice are coming, the mice are coming

https://youtu.be/lx7YzC-NF5s 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… Continue reading Rodent Season!!

https://youtu.be/0-hbgl83KaI 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… Continue reading Bed Bug treatments: Myth or Fact

https://youtu.be/_P9WMZZOQ_w 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… Continue reading The most troublesome pest around us

https://youtu.be/CCtC98BkvsY 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… Continue reading Where do insects go in the winter?

https://youtu.be/uoNj0vbxoYU 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… Continue reading Common House Centipedes

https://youtu.be/6ESIdfylNX0 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… Continue reading Muskrat Love

https://youtu.be/hYp4pH6UcKE 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… Continue reading Thermal Imaging and Rodent Infestation

https://youtu.be/r79R8t6TRMs 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… Continue reading There are no Lazy Ants

https://youtu.be/ptAqrKWi3T8 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… Continue reading Fruit Fly Wars

https://youtu.be/1BzQHNrAaR0 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… Continue reading The Brazilian Treehopper Beetle

https://youtu.be/kKBPgC14nh0 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.… Continue reading Bed Bug Service Preparation Steps

https://youtu.be/OAzR41xSp6g 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… Continue reading Rat Nightmares

https://youtu.be/0kqaJa_DEXQ 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… Continue reading Next up – Scorpion Fly aka the Hanging Fly

https://youtu.be/yF8NBzQovQ4 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… Continue reading Is your house rat-proof?

https://youtu.be/102ia-dxyZs 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… Continue reading Spiders 101

https://youtu.be/9pkygAzyJh8 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… Continue reading Pantry Beetles – Again

https://youtu.be/372h7FCTeC0 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… Continue reading Fire Ants -continued

https://youtu.be/9G2Or55SUIc 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… Continue reading September – the month of the Hornet

https://youtu.be/T_9A366nqII 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… Continue reading Mosquito Slayer

https://youtu.be/_W4g7sdc6do 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… Continue reading Rats and Guinea pigs – great pets

https://youtu.be/CCcafizVS3I 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,… Continue reading The Black and White of Skunks

https://youtu.be/pZ_LbatOOE4 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… Continue reading Fire ants and You

https://youtu.be/6h_0lXw8Ag4 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… Continue reading Beekeepers Rejoice!

https://youtu.be/ergTPn9Uhd0 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… Continue reading The Puget Sound Garter Snake

https://youtu.be/qeCEBgIrAzQ 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… Continue reading The birds and the Queen Bees

https://youtu.be/cNrFad6LPXQ 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… Continue reading Flying Ants – the Nuptial Flight

https://youtu.be/xRtoeHBaMqk 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… Continue reading The battle of the Ants

https://youtu.be/OalTsovTREw 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… Continue reading Mice Mice Mice, Why all the Mice

https://youtu.be/lwC_6BqCWa0 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%… Continue reading Summer Fun – Red Ants, Wasps, Hornets and Bees

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 https://youtu.be/7qZd2UdwlxM gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/tsawwassen-sun-festival-randy-bilesky?published=t

https://youtu.be/2shqJ7jo7BU 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… Continue reading Mosquito Season has peaked

https://youtu.be/DDnK825lB8k 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… Continue reading Oriental Cockroaches aka water bugs, shade roaches or black beetles

https://youtu.be/7qHaE0Y-OLc 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… Continue reading Burrowing Bees

https://youtu.be/5AIVjuR-EVk 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… Continue reading Fire Ant stings and what you need to know

https://youtu.be/bqH4aP0XnIM 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… Continue reading Lawn Ants and You

https://youtu.be/X7HHh0hMcSs 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… Continue reading Fruit Fly Season Is Here

    https://youtu.be/ITSkzRgDB-M 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… Continue reading Horntails

https://youtu.be/N0FGOx5NdHA 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… Continue reading Bat Damage

https://youtu.be/ovRrXJwNwNU 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… Continue reading Tapeworms on the comeback

https://youtu.be/YiQgQKBVuWY 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… Continue reading What the big deal about a Wasp Sting?

https://youtu.be/KXCc7ufPDr4 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… Continue reading Bed bugs and you

https://youtu.be/_pcKfy__hZ4 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… Continue reading Bristletails:  Silverfish or Firebrats

https://youtu.be/CSPPdaucedM 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… Continue reading Getting Rid of Aphids

  https://youtu.be/O9FumZ2Hh7U 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… Continue reading No more peanut butter for rats

https://youtu.be/9WCwDohb1R4 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… Continue reading Kudzu Bugs

https://youtu.be/mZ2XSWRMW5k 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.… Continue reading The Dampwood Termite

https://youtu.be/tDr29wCT_Sw 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… Continue reading Mosquito Bites

https://youtu.be/k8XNJeyrqFc 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… Continue reading Spiders and Flesh Eating Diseases

https://youtu.be/uLn9DNhiEQs 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… Continue reading Are raccoon’s vermin and or rodents?

https://youtu.be/Fnh9FFoK4PM 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… Continue reading Do you know your wasps?  

https://youtu.be/U-dwTvOHsmI 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… Continue reading White flies  

  https://youtu.be/A68upXSJ824 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… Continue reading The Darwin’s Bark Spider

https://youtu.be/_S2Z870b2c0 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.… Continue reading The Tiger Beetle

51 years of North Delta Family Day The beloved annual tradition began as a parade to celebrate Canada’s centennial https://youtu.be/1NPvhrV1HYI https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/51-years-north-delta-family-day-randy-bilesky?published=t  

https://youtu.be/qDyKirpppgY 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… Continue reading Kissing Bugs

https://youtu.be/Dt5ft5ynDso 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… Continue reading Dobson flies aka hellgrammites

https://youtu.be/iXu4ljct778 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… Continue reading The Engelmann spruce weevil

https://youtu.be/C2OfbUx92xA 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… Continue reading Are we losing the battle to rats in Delta?

https://youtu.be/eDEt6RkVUm0 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… Continue reading 11 Pest Control Myths Deflated

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… Continue reading North Delta Reporter Delta’s soap box derby a second-annual success

https://youtu.be/sBvO6Lk2ymE 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… Continue reading The dangerous trifecta of mice, ticks and Lyme disease 

https://youtu.be/28wrHuEy-dc 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.… Continue reading Plant Hopping Flea Beetles

https://youtu.be/z4gts1ZMqos 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… Continue reading Scratching Sounds in the Night?

https://youtu.be/vMGFP6VRUDY 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… Continue reading I Thought I Saw A Wabbit !

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… Continue reading Racers roll down 6th Avenue in Tsawwassen at Soap Box Derby – Delta Optimist June 12, 2017

https://youtu.be/pSzX17BkXio 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… Continue reading Wildlife and your back 40

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… Continue reading Where have all the Butterflies gone?

https://youtu.be/NoWJDPQX35Y 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… Continue reading The Bombardier Beetle

https://youtu.be/c52nWN9STbI 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… Continue reading What the Cicadas

http://www.delta-optimist.com/community/tsawwassen-rotarians-jump-to-raise-funds-to-fight-polio-1.20350994

https://youtu.be/JQ1JtUSs-PI 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… Continue reading The Globe Skinner a.k.a. the Dragonfly

https://youtu.be/pwP-OcQHsTw 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.… Continue reading Cottontail Rabbits

 

  https://youtu.be/_FSUiWHGM0U 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… Continue reading New – European Cherry Fruit Fly 

https://youtu.be/3F5KcbXrlDU 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… Continue reading The Black Gnat

https://youtu.be/0rdtKBERBD0 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… Continue reading Could our potted plants be killing bees?

https://youtu.be/7cIj0AnXorg 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… Continue reading Wasps and Male Stuffing

https://youtu.be/YIjxqjj7X4A 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… Continue reading What you need to know about Wasps

https://youtu.be/weEY17-ncbY 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… Continue reading Pocket Gophers

https://youtu.be/qxiLIUNHkBQ 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… Continue reading Do Squirrels actually cause damage?

https://youtu.be/9KWQNTWHHxI 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,… Continue reading Pavement Ants

https://youtu.be/f3D-7b7RcDo 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… Continue reading The ants are coming 2 x 2

https://youtu.be/IoOr9Q8JQRw 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… Continue reading They Are Batty

https://youtu.be/cPnm-aMPqFc 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… Continue reading Humans can sniff-out truffles

https://youtu.be/K58vScTlLoY 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… Continue reading Parasitic Wasps Sniffs with Its Butt

https://youtu.be/JYVpac2Ygxc 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… Continue reading Sowbugs aka woodlouse or pill bugs

https://youtu.be/RJc5fct2nZ4 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.… Continue reading The Gollynipper or Mosquitoes

https://youtu.be/DYSHH6cM3dk 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… Continue reading Blurring the lines for male insects

https://youtu.be/Zm9codZP85I 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… Continue reading   Larder Beetles

https://youtu.be/jT9JqfLeLFo 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… Continue reading Clustering Flies

https://youtu.be/mSRsUHvxM5o 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… Continue reading The Spider Web

https://youtu.be/Zqq7qGfnMXY 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… Continue reading White Grubs

https://youtu.be/14CcSXCJ4lA 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… Continue reading Ladybugs a.k.a lady beetles or lady birds

https://youtu.be/OqckogwPkdE 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… Continue reading Ants Ants Ants

https://youtu.be/jyP5o94HgBY 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… Continue reading Sitka spruce weevils

https://youtu.be/f85wiKKGBwA 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… Continue reading The B.C. Asian Gypsy moths

https://youtu.be/nrAiwlt8OKY 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… Continue reading Should you be concerned about Cockroaches?

https://youtu.be/JIo4jpvRZ9M 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.… Continue reading Tent caterpillars

https://youtu.be/FYLqQabg1Bs 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… Continue reading Snails and Slugs

https://youtu.be/MePnQ9j6XY8  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,… Continue reading Is it a Silverfish or Firebat or Bristletail

https://youtu.be/HIGA1LqfUxI 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… Continue reading The Pacific Dampwood Termite

https://youtu.be/VQWvQtvJ-Wo   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.… Continue reading Sawtoothed Grain Beetle

https://youtu.be/WQfqWvQv48c 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… Continue reading The Indian meal Moth

https://youtu.be/vy-6c0AYNjc 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… Continue reading The Hispid Cotton Rats

https://youtu.be/wp6_TfRUO-Q 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… Continue reading Mason bees, the garden pets

https://youtu.be/_XFYa2LJ_Io 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… Continue reading Earwigs not ear worms

https://youtu.be/veG_oQrv9Y0 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… Continue reading Blue Bottle Flies  

https://youtu.be/xkfCSG_k6Ic 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… Continue reading The Bald-faced Hornet

https://youtu.be/oufEJG4Qc4o 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… Continue reading Fruit Flies, already?

https://youtu.be/dOrZf9MB5AU 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… Continue reading Caddisflies – the periwinkle

  https://youtu.be/JSVkRGDvwVA 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… Continue reading Millipedes- the insect with a lot of kickers

https://youtu.be/OMRHBCdUbLo 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… Continue reading Daddy Longlegs the Harvestmen

https://youtu.be/bb4rxEDPaxQ 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,… Continue reading All Hail the Yellow Jacket Queen

https://youtu.be/lOLMOqTObU8 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… Continue reading Spring has Sprung Insects

https://youtu.be/iW9BUB9orK0 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… Continue reading Nit-picking Biting Insects

https://youtu.be/_hlY64Pk5ZA 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… Continue reading Chinese Tetrastichus wasps used against the Emerald Ash Borers

  https://youtu.be/DEJ1dzMh7Oo 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… Continue reading Spring Cleaning Against Pests

  https://youtu.be/ZJ0PwD7phbY 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… Continue reading Spring has sprung and so have the Carpenter Ants

https://youtu.be/z8z9Cf1UzKY 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… Continue reading Feral Cat Program

https://youtu.be/1tdEcUAZBMk   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,… Continue reading Gigantic Rodents the Nutria or Coypu

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 https://youtu.be/HGwj_lA37tw 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… Continue reading Randy Bilesky – Tsawwassen Rotary for Fundraiser

https://youtu.be/YovXibb3dbA 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… Continue reading Ants brewing Antibiotic 

https://youtu.be/dSw3Vtsb9vg 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… Continue reading Turkey Vultures  

https://youtu.be/vIPE1eeY2wE 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… Continue reading Less Rodents more Zebrafish

https://youtu.be/hEUrPmw8lGA 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.… Continue reading Raze rules mandatory in Delta Rat problem  

  https://youtu.be/1lfYoAt5b_A 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… Continue reading Deadly Raccoon Roundworm 

https://youtu.be/-zvc1s_4aYk 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… Continue reading Mice and Lyme disease

https://youtu.be/5M07s5e4qUU 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… Continue reading Barn Swallow Season

https://youtu.be/7uOiExCeLrs 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… Continue reading Oh Canada – Goose

https://youtu.be/a0EIPimtEdk 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… Continue reading What are Box Elder Bugs?

https://youtu.be/cOikmf9HsWI 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… Continue reading The year of the Rat 2017

https://youtu.be/zj6oatplh5g 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… Continue reading Winter Rodents in your yard.

https://youtu.be/xt5H4YcRsVs 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… Continue reading The Great Blue Heron

https://youtu.be/VE8uAbzwBEk 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… Continue reading Local Bird Diseases

https://youtu.be/qyiuy3NYkfM 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… Continue reading Ants with social supergenes

  https://youtu.be/Fg5IyRn5tbw 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… Continue reading Tap-dancing Woodpeckers

https://youtu.be/sg3OwaGRhFg 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… Continue reading Ants in Parabiosis

https://youtu.be/DKS5BdS6RO8 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… Continue reading The Northwestern Crow  

https://youtu.be/j2m230CGrD0 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… Continue reading Skinny mice and Cancer drugs

https://youtu.be/KMxwSMs4pDQ 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… Continue reading The Common Garter Snake

https://youtu.be/BpUBNFrFeMA 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… Continue reading Coyotes – the American Jackal

https://youtu.be/xnZoXIrkUN8 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… Continue reading Carabid Beetles a.k.a. the ground beetle

https://youtu.be/jFg68cHYsik 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… Continue reading The Near Eastern Wildcat

https://youtu.be/zIn82LTHz5s 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… Continue reading Pepe Le Pew Skunk

  https://youtu.be/akHMpKTxNzU 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,… Continue reading Skin Beetles a.k.a. carpet

https://youtu.be/42AIhvPl2AA 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… Continue reading Mice show that Sleep is “rebooting the brain”  

https://youtu.be/xu2eK_ZTZRY 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… Continue reading Aphids the Plant Killer

https://youtu.be/iGBXpJyZ07s 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… Continue reading  Ticklish Giggling Rats  

  https://youtu.be/KZ77-nSSSyY 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… Continue reading Female Wasps get the better deals

https://youtu.be/UojvsCkq1jQ 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… Continue reading Bed Bug Smack-down

https://youtu.be/F9WFD9wEzvU 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.… Continue reading Mice help Healing and Anxiety

https://youtu.be/ZycOfovVi9c 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,… Continue reading The Pocket Gopher

  https://youtu.be/0RgrFcZlKoI 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… Continue reading Fancy Rats spreading Seoul virus

  https://youtu.be/ZQ71-yue4vI 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… Continue reading Ants don’t need compasses

https://youtu.be/GyXSYRf07nc 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… Continue reading Tips on how to be owl friendly

  https://youtu.be/U5htnQfsucY 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… Continue reading Silverfish Explosion

  https://youtu.be/lif0qnlMRdA 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… Continue reading Catatonic Opossum

https://youtu.be/Oq1WZ04Gzvw 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… Continue reading Ants understand work-life balance

https://youtu.be/L_9ywt0CstI 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… Continue reading Cottontails and Hares

https://youtu.be/X6jeLLfLZMY 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… Continue reading Delta’s flittermouse, the Bat

https://youtu.be/ihEj8HafepI 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,… Continue reading Caterwauling Feral Cats

https://youtu.be/jkN6i5gJNV4 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,… Continue reading Pharaoh Ants, the King of Bites

https://youtu.be/BT0nSIlntpk 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… Continue reading Where have the Raptors Gone

https://youtu.be/dDrxwqqZuUQ 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… Continue reading The furnace is on and the rodents are coming inside

https://youtu.be/5_lFEq90LOY 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… Continue reading Cockroach Infestations up in 2016

https://youtu.be/GXHMPDd_8wM 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… Continue reading BPS plastics affect Mice

https://youtu.be/DKZtkjbr7A0  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… Continue reading Honda and Toyota help make rodents happy

https://youtu.be/XuVjamiX_eU 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… Continue reading The Ground Beetles

https://youtu.be/jS7LlEAQh3s 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… Continue reading Ever seen a sweaty Mouse?

https://youtu.be/KG18J9jkGKM 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… Continue reading What is Pest Exclusion?

  https://youtu.be/0SdCXfFVRcI 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… Continue reading Honey, Bees and Wasps

https://youtu.be/WxEpulQGsis 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… Continue reading Delta’s dangerous garden rodents

https://youtu.be/G9fo4mfu4fw 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… Continue reading Mice helping man, again

https://youtu.be/d_AbWG7yhwo 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,… Continue reading Hibernating Carpenter Ants

https://youtu.be/WRnLmevUQxk 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… Continue reading The Masked Bedbug Hunters

  https://youtu.be/iOyGt5v0YhE 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… Continue reading Christmas Insects with a Sweet tooth.

https://youtu.be/Ygrx9TOhmHM 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… Continue reading Yes it’s an Organic Christmas Tree

https://youtu.be/PyGW2JMs-NY 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… Continue reading Is that a smile on your face rat?

https://youtu.be/tMmX533wueA 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… Continue reading Black Widows a.k.a. the tangle-web spider

https://youtu.be/9AjkWU_wN_M 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… Continue reading Silverfish, it’s Here it’s Gone

https://youtu.be/i4h8t0okmME 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… Continue reading The Mighty Mouse is Rearing Its Head

  https://youtu.be/IbnXtaVHdZ0 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… Continue reading ADHD found in Rats.

https://youtu.be/UxemWOncy8M 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… Continue reading The fountain of a mouse’s youth is really creepy.

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.… Continue reading  Warehouse Beetles a.k.a. Storeroom Killer

https://youtu.be/Tk6a4Z2O_UM 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,… Continue reading Winter Rodent Control

https://youtu.be/g1s_2f4CaFM  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… Continue reading  Tickled Rats Jump for Joy

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… Continue reading Rodent Pain can be Infectious

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… Continue reading The Omnipresent Raccoons  

https://youtu.be/ZZ-zBkug59s 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… Continue reading Pesticides in our Composts