Bug Blog
Who owns your lawn – Fire Ants?
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 keep them at bay. Using ant baits can be an easy do-it-yourself approach that will not cost you an arm and a leg. What happens with ant baits is a process called trophallaxis (the mutual exchange of regurgitated liquids between adult social insects or between them and their larvae) the ants take the bait into the mound and feed them to the larvae and other ants. This process is slow but it will kill the entire nest including the most important element – the queen. Once the queen has established the colony, she never needs to leave as she becomes an egg producing machine that is feed and serviced by her offspring. To kill the ant nest it is a must to kill the queen. Many people try to control these ants with granular, dust or liquid insecticides but this approach usually only kills the surface ants and misses the queen. Their success depends on the proper use of the product, done properly these insecticides can work but patience is require with multiple applications required. Each of these products needs to be applied when ants are close to the mound surface. Some of the more successful products for killing off a fire ant colony include: Advion Ant Gel insecticide, Advion fire ant bait, Ortho Max fire ant killer, Amdro fire ant bait and Bayer Advanced fire ant killer dust.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky BsF CPA
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/who-owns-your-lawn-fire-ants/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/who-owns-your-lawn-fire-ants-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-who-owns-your-lawn-fire-ants-1.23330205
Another Successful Year at The Ladner Mayday Parade
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 George Massey Tunnel opened and ushered in modern day Delta.
The truth behind the Myths about Ticks
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 vector-borne diseases in the North America. Here are few facts that arise from the myths about ticks.
1) Not all ticks carry Lyme disease, only the deer and blacklegged ticks do and only 20% of them carry it. Lyme disease is easily treated with antibiotics if detected early enough.
2) Tick traps are effective control methods.
3) Nymph (baby) ticks are more likely to transfer Lime disease because they are very small and easily missed than regular-sized ticks.
4) Ticks do not jump; ticks attach themselves by latching onto a host as they brush past tall grass or low plants.
5) The best method to remove a tick is with a pair of clean, fine-tip tweezers.
6) You will rarely feel a tick bite; they release a mild anesthetic so you don’t notice them.
7) Ticks are not just a summer time issue; they can become active in the winter if the weather warms up.
8) Everyone is at risk for tick bites and Lyme disease.
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/the-truth-behind…yths-about-ticks/
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky BsF CPA
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/truth-behind-myths-ticks-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-the-truth-behind-the-myths-about-ticks-1.23328930
Skunks, a year around smell in Delta
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 of the Delta area you can see them almost any time of the year. You are more likely to detect their odor during mating season and when the pups are being raised or whelping season. Here in Delta, mating season is mid-February to late-March; this is when the males are trying to attract as many females as possible with spurts of skunk funk, now I always thought that skunks don’t like the odour they emit but this may be different in mating season. Once mated the ladies withdrawal to their childbearing lairs and after about ten weeks give birth to four to six babies or kits. So it is possible that you may have seen momma out with the young kits and there will be more to come when other females that were mated later being to appear. The kits stay in their lair until they are a month and a half, this is usually when they can be seen foraging with their mother at night. As nocturnal creature there are usually out at dusk and back by dawn but the kits can be seen out from their dens during the day playing with each other. By the fall the kits are ready to head off on their own and the cycle repeats itself.
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/skunks-a-year-ar…d-smell-in-delta/
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky BsF CPA
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/skunks-year-around-smell-delta-randy-bilesky?published=t
Flying Ants – the skies may go black this year
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 ants are the nuptial flight stage of ant reproduction where swarms of ants flap their wings and darken the skies. Although the day can last over a week’s period, there is usually only one or two days where people will actually see thousands of ants choking up the skies. This is all do to the new queen ants leaving their nests and taking to the skies to mate and then look for a favourable location to start a new colony, although less than 1% are actually successful. Flying ant day(s) usually occurs in late July, but this warm weather might just get them going sooner, perhaps this month which could see millions of ants hit the skies. Here at go green pest control.ca there has been a substantial upsurge in ant activity related calls, a 200% increase from April through May. This rise is most likely due to the unseasonably warm spring we have had, in fact, last month’s clear skies caused the driest May in history and the third hottest ever. Ants are characteristically more active in warmer weather and ant colonies use the sun to navigate their movements. Ant life-cycles hinge on temperature and the amount of food available, because this spring has been so warm, we have healthier queens, increased breeding, higher potential of ant egg survival and larger colonies.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/flying-ants-skies-may-go-black-year-randy-bilesky/?published=t
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky BsF CPA
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/flying-ants-the-…-black-this-year/
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-flying-ants-the-skies-may-go-black-this-year-1.23326906
Oh where do the bees go?
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 can become very aggressive throughout their lives. When temperatures begin to fall, so does their activity level. All wasps die except the newly fertilized queen, she will search out a shelter for the winter and will go into diapause (a natural break of the growth marked by decrease of metabolic activity). Next we have honeybees, the queens and worker bees live and work together within a hive and all live through the winter. When temperatures begin to drop closer to the freezing mark, the bees create a dense mass within their hive and eat the honey they produced through the summer. Normally, there is enough honey to sustain them for a half a year. And finally bumblebees- the oversized honeybees. Similar to wasps, only the newly fertilized queens will live through the winter. The young queens will dig into dry soil, normally north-facing, where they go into hibernation. Hibernation can take up a large amount of a bumblebee’s life, and some queen bees can hibernate for nine months.
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/oh-where-do-the-bees-go/
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky BsF CPA
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/oh-where-do-bees-go-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-oh-where-do-the-bees-go-1.23325561
Pest Control – In the Future
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 effective. Along with being safer for you, many of these new treatment options are also less harmful to the environment. For example, a new bug-fighting technology involves using Co2, a far safer alternative to fumigation (spraying toxic chemicals) to get rid of pests. Co2 suffocates pests without polluting the infected area. Pest control companies are a couple years away from applying this technology in day to day service, yet it is becoming more widespread. In the future, motion-activated remote cameras will be used to determine the extent of a rodent infestation which intern will help develop a treatment plan that’s customizable, efficient and more effective. The same technology will be able to help prevent rodents from getting into your structures and property. Another change that isn’t that far away is gene modifications, again making pest control options safer for the industry. As part of this gene modification, specialists are engaging insect growth regulators that disrupt insect growth cycles removing its ability to reproduce, hence ending a bug infestation from starting.
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/pest-control-in-the-future/
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky BsF CPA
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pest-control-future-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-pest-control-in-the-future-1.23320601
Summer Ants – Natural Habit is to Destroy
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 is really out to destroy your house, the grease and pavement ants are really just an announce. Here are a few ways to keep the ants outside. First, like momma always said, keep your kitchen clean. Ants like to feed on proteins and carbohydrates, so any food that hits the floor should get cleaned up ASAP – as there is always the potential for a scout ant nearby that will alert the ant troops. Carpenter ants are drawn to moist areas in your home like bathrooms, windows, basements. They build satellite nests to serve as a pipeline for resources, to store food, eggs, larva and reproductives. Next, put out ant baits, those small round tins that every hardware store sells. Buy a couple different brands and watch the ants lap this up. Of course, this isn’t going to stop them entirely but they do slow down the growth of ant colonies. And finally, the good old fashion way to keep the ants at bay is to just stomp on them. If you are experiencing an overwhelming number of ants in your house, contact us at go green pest control.ca and we will be happy to illuminate your ants.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/summer-ants-natural-habit-destroy-randy-bilesky/?published=t
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky BsF CPA
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/summer-ants-natu…habit-is-destroy/
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-summer-ants-1.23319759
Bug Spray Time Again
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 – but don’t inhale it- spray it in a well-ventilated area like outside. You only need to spray it on unprotected area, anywhere your clothing doesn’t protect. You can spray it over your clothing but not under, this can be an unnecessary risk. Never spray directly onto your face including your ears rather spray it on your hands then apply to your face, neck, bald areas and ears but avoid your eyes and nostrils. Don’t forget to wash your hands after applying especially if you are going to handle food. Reapply only when necessary as most insect sprays last several hours. Most insect protection can be washed off easily so after swimming or sweating a lot you should reapply. And last, once you are back inside for the day, wash the insect repellent off with soap and water or just take a shower.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/bug-spray-time-again-randy-bilesky/?published=t
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky BsF CPA
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-bug-spray-time-again-1.23317358
Going Batty – Bats in your Attic
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 with owls is that they can be noisy, they may roost in large numbers, their guano (feces) can mark ceilings and grow fungus that causes respiratory infections, and of course they attract other pests. So if you want to intervene you can take steps to keep these horror show actors from occupying your attic. So all you have to do is look up. Inspect the roof, soffits, fascia and air vents for holes, cracks and spaces in tight corners of your roof. Also check for torn screens in ventilation screens (a favorite entry point for squirrels). Believe it or not, bats can get into spaces that mice have a hard time getting into; as they can contort their bodies in order to squeeze through openings as small as 1.5 cm. They like to be at least 2.5 meters off the ground. Bats do not have the ability to gnaw or chew their way through boards and drywall. Capping your chimney is also a good idea as they like to roost there as well, plus this will eliminate other birds, rats and squirrels from accessing your house. If you already have bats in your attic, do-it-yourself bat repellents don’t work so call a pro in as these creatures are a protected species.
go green pest control.ca Randy Bilesky BsF CPA
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-going-batty-bats-in-your-attic-1.23311210
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/going-batty-randy-bilesky/?published=t
