Bug Blog
Bread Bug / Biscuit Beetle / Drugstore Beetles
The bread bug, biscuit or drugstore beetle is a stored products pest. The name might come from infestations that happened to druggists that user herbs in their potions back in the day. They live inside stored foods that are not kept in secured containers. They are usually found in kitchens and pantries where there may be a lot of spills and crumbs. Because they can also survive for weeks without food, every last beetle needs to be extinguished or they will re-emerge from their hiding places and begin a whole new infestation. Although not really found in drug stores, they are capable of boring through thin aluminium to get at whatever they are interested in eating. The real issue with these beetles is contamination in any product they get into, especially in their larval form as they eat and defecate in the products they have infested. Indications that there is an infestation include adult beetles flying around and holes in packaging where the beetles have emerged and feces in infested items.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C., Randy L. Bilesky BsF CPA RPF
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/bread-bug-biscuit-beetle-drugstore-beetles-randy-bilesky/?published=t :
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/bread-bug-biscui…rugstore-beetles/
https://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-this-beetle-is-a-stored-products-pest-1.23544910
Christmas Traveling
School is almost out for the Christmas holidays and many people will travel to foreign lands seeking the sun and hot weather. Because airline tickets are becoming so cheap many people are travelling to area that harbours many insects including bed bugs. These insidious creatures will travel anywhere or do anything to din on you or your family’s blood. Bed bugs will take a ride from us or anything that we travel with. Although they don’t hop, hurdle or fly, these little blood suckers have an uncanny ability to hitch a ride and turn the final destination, your home, into bed bug infestation. Also at this time of year, people turn to second hand furniture stores to upgrade their homes. Second-hand furniture has now become a major player in spreading bed bugs. Bed bugs like to dwell in second-hand furniture such as sofa, love chair, stereo cabinet, and just about anything found in your home. Once a new bed bug gets into your house, it doesn’t take long for it to start building its own family. Bed bugs need to feed on human blood and at night are attracted by carbon dioxide we exhale. Similar to mosquitoes, they have really sharp thin straw-like mouth that they use to impale through our skin and feed on our blood. Their saliva contains an anticoagulant and anaesthetic so the blood doesn’t clog up and we don’t feel the entire operation.
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/christmas-traveling/
gogreenpestcontrol.ca & Exterminators Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C., Randy L. Bilesky BsF CPA RPF
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/christmas-traveling-randy-bilesky/?published=t
https://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-christmas-traveling-1.23542772
And the Pest of the Year is…Bed Bugs
New statistics released puts bed bugs as the 2018 Pest of the Year for the second consecutive year. Canadians searched for information about these pests a astounding 600,000 times during 2018. The announcement is a chronicle of the year in pest trends, covering internet searches to social media. The Pest of the Year title was resulting from total internet searches over the last 12 months. While bed bugs hit the top spot again, the list did see some noteworthy upheavals. Rats overtook mice for the number-two spot, and squirrels darted their way onto the list. It’s no shock that bed bugs have been named Pest of the Year again, as bed bugs have been on the increase since the early 1990s. Certain vexations rule the social media chat more than others. Most tweeted pest was spiders, followed by rats and mice. Over the last year a few movies have made an impact in pop culture making it no surprise these pests ranked high on the list for social chatter with the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp, and the Spider-Man movie.
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/and-the-pest-of-…-year-isbed-bugs/
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C., Randy Bilesky BsF CPA RPF
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pest-year-isbed-bugs-randy-bilesky/?published=t
https://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-and-the-pest-of-the-year-is-1.23538436
Winter Pest-Proofing tips
Pests are often thought of as spring-summer weather issue, but homeowners need to know that old person winter brings with it a ton of likely pest issues. Once the thermometer starts to drop and the rain comes down in river like torrents, ants, mice, rats and other collective trespassers look for a warm location that is both easy to access and has the elements of life – food and water. With the hurry and flurry of the Christmas season preparing your house for winter maybe on the 99 things to do but likely near the bottom. So far this fall is pointing to another nasty pest season, so homeowners should do whatever is necessary to close the door on the otherwise welcome mat to pests and rodents. Here are a few winter pest-proofing tips:
1) Seal cracks, crevices and holes on the outside of the buildings using silicone, latex and caulk.
2) Replace worn weather stripping around the foundation, doors and windows.
3) Repair damaged screens.
4) Storage areas should be organized and items sealed in plastic bins off of the floor.
5) Firewood should be raised off the ground and at least 6 meters from your house.
6) Keep branches and shrubs trimmed back from the home by 2 meters.
7) If an infestation is suspected, contact us at gogreenpestcontrol.ca
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/winter-pest-proofing-tips/
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C., Randy Bilesky BsF CPA RPF
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/winter-pest-proofing-tips-randy-bilesky/?published=t
Not your average Termite
Termites, termites, termites, yes we have them here but not to the extent that they do down south. Why are we so concerned about termites, well they eat wood or more specifically they like cellulose. Cellulose is a substance contained in the cell walls of plants that gives them their rigid structure. Termites have bacteria in their guts that contain the enzymes necessary to break down cellulose to survive on. Regrettably, they really don’t care when it comes to sources of cellulose, so any wet wood around your home will become a meal. So do they actually prefer certain types of wood over others? Termites are less attracted to cedar than other types of wood because cedar contains allelochemicals but only in the darker old growth or heartwood. The outside core of the cedar tree doesn’t contain any of this chemical and is not termite resistant at all. The termites that we have here are subterranean termites. These termites live underground and must have a moist environment with access to soil to survive. When it comes to food, they prefer the softer part of the growth rings in wood. They also prefer some species of trees over others say pine is generally preferred over cedar.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C., Randy L. Bilesky BsF CPA RPD
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/not-your-average-termite/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/your-average-termite-randy-bilesky/?published=t
https://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-not-your-average-termite-1.23534626
Christmas trees may cause Hay Fever Symptoms & Insomnia
Yearly, those true believers in real Christmas trees head out to pick out their own tree or cut one down. But, heaven forbid, that real tree can be the source of sneezing and coughing as long as that tree is up and for some time after that. Now studies have come out describing the ways in which real trees produce mould and cause respiratory allergies. The mould on a these trees increased to six times the normal level, after a couple weeks inside a home. Mould allergies peak with mould-sensitive people when Christmas trees are put up in homes. Mould-sensitive people show respiratory or skin symptoms either while decorating or trimming the tree usually within one day. Because Christmas trees are kept indoors, it creates an increase of mould growth resulting in hay fever symptoms. Common complaints include coughing, panting, chest pains, exhaustion, itchy noses and watery eyes. Another study showed that the tree mould can also affect your sleep causing insomnia. But, there is a solution; hose down your tree before setting it up, delay putting up the tree as late as possible and avoiding touching the tree.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca & Exterminators Tsawwassen Delta Ladner B.C., Randy L. Bilesky BsF CPA RPF
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/christmas-trees-…ymptoms-insomnia/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/christmas-trees-may-cause-hay-fever-symptoms-insomnia-randy-bilesky/?published=t
https://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-christmas-trees-and-hay-fever-symptoms-1.23528948
Synurbic Pests
Synurbic pests (live predominantly within an urban ecosystem) have become gradually flexible to changing environments, allowing them to grow in new locations, by manipulating our needs to survive, many have learnt to live in urban areas aggressively manipulating our towns and cities. And yes, we have heard and read about the new wonderful breeds of pests; rats the size of cats and ants the size of rats. In fifteen years the world population will be 10 billion, up 7 billion from the early 1970s. With the rise in population previously unoccupied land will be used to house and feed people and pests will flourish. There’s a lot of food, and potential shelter for them. The problem with sharing a home with a pest is the health consequences, as well as, the damage they can cause to your property. Warm, centrally heated, well insulated homes are ideal shelter for rodents. Attics, crawlspaces, garages and sheds, decking and sewers offer warmth and safety to synurbic species with food supplies. There is no doubt that pests can be more of a burden in warming climates like here in Delta, especially those pests associated with the summer months – wasps, hornets, mosquitoes and ants. The expansion of this urban sprawl also forces pests to relocate and adapt to their new surroundings and they have adapted pretty quickly, and comfortably.
https://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-synurbic-pests-adapt-to-changing-environments-1.23527137
Holiday Decorations and other surprises
Christmas is coming and it’s time to get the Christmas decorations out. Now, is there something loitering in those boxes full of glittery holiday joyfulness? Pests in Delta love attics and crawl spaces. They particularly love munching on boxes used to store your holiday decorations as well the decorations themselves. The most common pests found in attics and crawl spaces in Delta are silverfish, spiders, and rodents. Silverfish are an extremely common attic pest here. They eat starch, glue, sugar, photographs, and synthetic or starched fabrics. Silverfish fancy damp spaces and paper stowing areas. Spiders love attics and crawl spaces as well! While all spiders can bite if provoked, they normally dodge human contact and they can also indicate the presence of other pests that they feed on. The Norway rat is the most common rodent in Delta, making up 85% of the population; the roof rat makes up the balance. Inside the home, rats can be heard scratching or running in the attic, crawlspaces and walls. They chew through wires, gnaw through plastic and metal water pipes, make holes in walls, and leave feces and urine everywhere they go. In addition to damaging your attic and its contents, rats are also filthy creatures they carry as carry bacteria and diseases. If you have evidence of any of these pests in your attic or crawlspace and if you’re too afraid to look yourself, then contact gogreenpestcontrol.ca for an inspection.
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/holiday-decorati…-other-surprises/
gogreenpestcontrol.ca & Exterminators Delta Ladner Tsawwassen B.C., Randy Bilesky BsF CPA RPF
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/holiday-decorations-other-surprises-randy-bilesky/?published=t
Winter Rodents
Some pests like rats and mice are in fact more active in the winter as they search for somewhere to stay – indoors. Rats and mice aren’t hibernators, so they must incessantly feed throughout the wintertime. Rodents have petite bladders so they have to urinate and defecate constantly, leaving a trail of disease, pathogens and contaminants. Rodents also can physically damage your property as they chew on materials and electrical wiring. There are some obvious signs of rodents that can help you identify their presence. Gnaw marks on wiring, containers and insulation are signs of rat and mouse activity, because rodents’ need to keep their teeth to proper size. Rodents produce somewhere around 100 feces pellets droppings per day. Rodents have prominent muscle memory and once they’ve found a safe path, they’ll never forget it. Because they travel the same path often they leave grease marks on walls and baseboards. Rats and mice are most active after dark so if you see rodents during the day this usually indicates a larger infestation as the younger rodents are trying to avoid the older bigger ones. If a rodent feels safe and sheltered, it will start reproducing. Mice can produce eight litters and rats produce about six litters a year. And the scary thing is some rodents are able to reproduce after only a month of begin born. Quick tips: seal the exterior of buildings, remove clutter, store food products securely and eliminate standing water.
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/winter-rodents/
gogreenpestcontrol.ca & Exterminators Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C., Randy L. Bilesky BsF CPA RPF
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/winter-rodents-randy-bilesky/?published=t
https://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blog-winter-rodents-leave-signs-that-they-re-visiting-1.23521325
Coyote season is here
Now that winter is almost upon us, people can expect to see more coyotes in the coming months. This is the time when coyote’s parents give their young ones the boot and expect them to forage for themselves. Also come January, breeding season starts for coyotes and they become more mobile. Coyotes are common to Delta, in both rural and urban areas. They prosper near us because their main prey is rodents and rabbits – that also happen to thrive near people. So, coyotes are an important part of Delta’s ecosystem, as they help to control rodent populations. Although rodents and rabbits are their main diet, they are very similar to raccoons as they will just about eat anything, from fruit to bugs and pet food to household garbage, so as always, keep garbage can lids secure and bring your pet food inside at night. As I have mentioned on several occasions in these blogs, bird feeders are really rodent feeders so if you see a coyote in your area it’s being attracted by the rodents that eat fallen bird food, so remove that bird feeder for a couple of months.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C., Randy L. Bilesky BsF CPA RPF
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/coyote-season-here-randy-bilesky/?published=t
https://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-coyote-season-is-here-1.23519971
