Bug Blog
Termites and Your House
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 wood or cellulose. They will go after your home, books, paintings, and furniture. The saying 24/7 may have come from these guys as they eat all day every day. They can consume an entire wooden door or window frame in about 20 days and take a house down in as little as a couple years. Termites prefer to be in dark and humid environment and this is why you don’t see them eating the surface of wood, they literally eat your house from the inside out. As they make their way through a house they can cause a floors or roof to collapse. Home insurance will rarely cover termite damage. And finally, termites can reduce the property value of a house by 25%.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/termites-your-house-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-termites-and-your-house-1.23113051
Spider Facts -strange but true
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 a new mate. So in light of this interesting point, here is a list of fascinating facts about spiders.
-The male peacock spider does a dance that looks very similar to the Village People’s YMCA, if the female recipient doesn’t think the performance is up to par, she will kill and eat him.
– While most spiders we know are solitary animals, there are some that form communities in the thousands that work together to incapacitate prey trapped in their webs and share the meal.
-Spiders come in all different shapes and sizes and there are over 30,000 different species, and at any given time there is a spider as close as 3 meters from you.
-In the spider kingdom, the females are the ones with the big appetite – regrettably the female spider will eat the male spider before, during or after sex- apropos for the #1 sexual cannibalistic spider, the black widow. Also, male spiders like to serenade their potential partners with silk wrapped insects – again if the gift is not up to par, the female will kill him.
– The silk in a spider’s web is five times stronger than a strand of steel the same thickness and is actually a liquid. Engineers believe that if a strand of the silk webbing was 2 cm thick it could stop a tank in it tracks.
– Spiders blood is blue because the molecule that oxygen is bound to contain copper, which gives their blood the blue colour.
– The muscles in spider legs of spiders can only pull their legs inward but can’t spread them out again. A liquid is pumped into their legs to help push them out again. When siders die the liquid dries and the legs then curl up.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/spider-facts-strange-true-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-spider-facts-strange-but-true-1.23110543
Neonicotinoids and Birds
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 role. One study found bird populations fell most sharply in the areas where neonicotinoid pollution was highest, with swallows and starlings suffering the most. Seed sowing coincides perfectly with birds are migrating north – many are stopping in agricultural fields to feed, exposing them to the pesticides. Neonicotinoids are usually applied to seeds, which can be eaten by everything from Canadian geese to deer, raccoons, rabbits, moles, voles, mice, rats and squirrels. Canada is also considering a total ban on the use of neonicotinoids after research shows that it would not reduce food production on almost all farms.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/neonicotinoids-birds-randy-bilesky/?published=t
Neonicotinoids 101
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 insecticides once sprayed on a plant are absorbed and spread throughout the plant from flowers to roots. The advantage of these insecticides is that the pests that feed on any part of the plant will consume the neonicotinoids, which then kills them. The disadvantage is that beneficial insects also will feed on these plants, resulting in the death of insects that pollinate and fertilise plants in and around the sprayed fields. Therefore there are less pollinating insects that provide much of our food either directly in the form of seeds, leaves, shoots and roots or ultimately in the form of the animals, fish and birds which we eat and which have depend on the seeds, leaves, shoots and roots of plants for their food. A 25 year study has revealed that the insect populations has dropped 75% in the total insect population in all the world.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/neonicotinoids-101-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-neonicotinoids-101-1.23106389
Home Sweet Home for Your New Christmas tree
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 dirt to dead needles on it. Shaking the tree will remove a lot of rubbish. Although I have never done this, consider washing the tree with water from the hose and letting it dry before bringing it into your home.
Don’t: Crush aphids or other pests when you see them as they may leave stains on your furniture or flooring.
Do: Vacuum pests up using an attachment without a rotating brush on the bottom of your vacuum.
Don’t: Worry about the ornaments as pests won’t last a till next year.
Do: Treat with a pesticide if necessary. An insecticidal soap is least toxic, organic and is usually premixed in a spray bottle at a retail store. Or use an aerosol insecticides but unplug the tree lights because the spray maybe flammable.
Do: If the infestation is just too big take it outside to treat.
Do: If everything you do doesn’t kill all the bugs, return it.
Don’t: Give up on a real live Christmas tree as the likelihood of having problems with another tree are very slim.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/home-sweet-your-new-christmas-tree-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-home-sweet-home-for-your-new-christmas-tree-1.23105570
Christmas Tree Surprises
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 was the incandescent bulbs that got really hot and could also burn the tree down. Now we have LEDs which for the most part give off very little heat. So, you should know that live Christmas trees act as home to what have now become popularly known as Christmas pests. Here are a few Christmas pests to beware of.
Mites – Spider Mites are very stubborn and must be controlled as they have the ability to spin fine silken webs over tree needles. They feed on all kinds of deciduous trees.
Aphids – Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects that suck juices out of plants. These guys also attack almost all trees.
Pine Bark Beetles – Pine bark beetles feed and breed in the inner bark of pine trees.
Adelgids – Adelgids cause flocking on twigs and bark. They secrete cottony wax filaments over its body and the tree.
As well as – European pine sawflies, European pine shoot moths, Northern pine weevils, Pine spittle bugs, Pine needle scales, Spruce budworms, White pine weevils and more
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/christmas-tree-surprises-randy-bilesky/?published=t
New Pesticides that spare Honey Bees
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 link the pesticides directly to their decreasing population. When pyrethroids are used they dissolve in water and become part of the irrigation runoffs that get into nearby waterways, harming aquatic insects. Recently, reports have surfaced that scientists have solved the genetic changes required to kill crop pests, sparing beneficial insects. One study shows that changing the molecular structures of certain insecticides can spare the pollinators. The pyrethroids apparently target a protein found in nerve and muscle cells used for rapid electrical signaling. The pyrethroids cause the nervous system to become over-stimulated and the insect is killed. Thankfully, these pesticides don’t have the same effect on humans, or other mammals. They have found the single protein that would protect bees, similar to the way we are immune to pyrethroids.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-pesticides-spare-honey-bees-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-new-pesticide-that-spares-honey-bees-1.23101906
The Smokybrown Cockroach
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 downspouts and all areas where moisture problems are. These pests can easily enter buildings through openings or slits beneath siding, attic or soffit openings, gaps around utility and plumbing lines, and any open windows or doors. Their feed patterns are from late dusk or early morning hours when other insects are in search of food. These cunning feeders will eat any food that may be available, including food scraps, dead insects, fecal matter and plants. Because they are so dependent on a moist environment, they can be seen taking a drink when water is available.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/smokybrown-cockroach-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-the-smokybrown-cockroach-1.23100638
Diamondback Moths
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 diamondback moth or cabbage moth has a short life cycle of 14 days at 25 °C and are considered pests as they feed on broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, wintercress and bok choy. Pesticides were used to kill the moths but diamondbacks have developed resistance to many of the common chemicals. This moth uses its antennae to taste its host plant, called antennation. After the moth has determined if the plant is acceptable the moth then sweeps its ovipositor across the site of deposition in order to gather more information about the host. The female moths then lay their eggs in crevices and grooves of the leaves. Larvae damage leaves, buds, flowers, and seed buds of the plants. Although the larvae are small, they can be very numerous and cause complete removal of foliar tissue except for the leaf veins.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/diamondback-moths-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-diamondback-moths-1.23099389
Raccoon – Procyon Lotor – Dumpster Diver
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. The smell of food coming from human garbage, compost, and recycling is irresistible to raccoons. But, it is possible to prevent raccoons from getting into garbage cans. Keep your garbage inside until the morning of pick-up day, organic waste can be kept in a freezer to reduce smells. If garbage cans must be kept outside, store them in a shed or garage, or build a wooden lock-box with a padlock to hold the cans. Bungee cords can keep bins closed, but make sure to take them off the morning of garbage pickup. Raccoons can get into garbage cans by tipping them over and knocking open the lids. Bins with handles can be hung from a wall with a bicycle hook or a bungee cord.
gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/raccoon-procyon-lotor-dumpster-diver-randy-bilesky/?published=t
http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-raccoon-procyon-lotor-dumpster-diver-1.23098060
