Category: Pest Control

Pest Control Everything’s

like to think that we know a thing or two about pest control. And we think that we know a thing or two because we’ve seen a thing or two. Our pest control guides are based predominantly on our own real-world experiences using hundreds of pest control products, tools, and equipment in professional applications, data collected in conjunction with those applications, independent research, industry training, and continuing education. 

It is important to note, however, that we are not entomologists and we are not experts on every conceivable insect in every conceivable geography or environment. The views provided in our guides are intended for informational purposes only and often include generalizations about what might typically be optimal in typical situations. Because every pest infestation has its own set of unique challenges and variables, exceptions often exist. 

Pest Control Everything advises all aspiring do-it-yourself pest controllers to consult with licensed pest control operators in their area before starting an individual treatment program. 

Best All-Natural Pest Control Guide?

Perhaps no other facet of pest control has risen in recent popularity as feverishly as all-natural or organic applications. People across the United States have become increasingly aware of the potential concerns of pesticide exposure to people, pets, and the environment. This conscientiousness has heightened demand for less-toxic pest control options.  

When it comes to tackling an ant problem, we’ve got a lot of variables to consider and a lot of products to choose from. Ant gel baits, bait stations, dusts, foams, liquid concentrates, ready-to-use sprays, granular baits, granular insecticides, and on and on and on.

A guide of agricultural plant pest managers

Agricultural Plant Pest Control is a training manual for pesticide applicators working within the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is intended to support persons preparing for certification in Commercial Pesticide Applicator Category 1A, Agricultural Plant Pest Control. Certification in category lA is a base requirement for certification in category 1 C (Fumigation of Soil and Agricultural Products) and category 1 D (Chemigation). After certification, applicators will find this manual a good resource for agricultural crop pest identification and management decisions they make throughout

This manual replaces Agricultural Plant Pest Control: A Training Program for the Certification of Pesticide Applicators (reprinted September 1984). It discusses the identification and control of important pests in the production of agricultural crops, in pasture/forage lands, and on noncrop (fallow) agricultural land. These pests include arthropods (insects and mites), diseases, nematodes, and weeds. The sections on pest identification are specific for the Commonwealth

The same is true for the pest-control options described. Agricultural Plant Pest Control is not a field guide, nor is it a comprehensive guide to pest control. The pests described are only a sampling of the important pests

However, the pest identification and management sections of this manual will help you identify and solve many common agronomic crop pest problems. In addition, these sections emphasize the importance of finding the cause of a problem before taking action. They also model the decision-making process in pest management. For more information about specific pests and pesticide recommendations, contact your Extension office or consult the most recent Pest Management Guides (see “Acknowledgments,” below).

Certification in Agricultural Plant Pest Control is required of commercial applicators working for hire who treat agricultural crops for growers and producers. It is also required for government employees who manage agricultural crops as part of their job duties. Examples include people working for the Department of Correction& and some nonresearch employees

Hiring a Pest Control Company

If you do not have the time or ability to research your pest problem and safely apply the appropriate procedures and materials to control it, you may want to hire a pest control service to do the job for you. A licensed professional also has access to some products not available in retail stores. To be effectively managed, many pest problems, like termites or problems on large trees, require specialized equipment, pesticides, and technical training.

Although professional services may seem costly, the investment may be worth it to solve a serious problem. A pest control professional, who practices integrated pest management methods and keeps up-to-date about the latest technologies, can provide you with the safest and most effective management strategies. If toxic chemicals are part of the pest management method, it is often safer for your family to have them handled by a professional.

Identify the pest and do some research about how to control it following the steps below.

Check the online UC Pest Notes for information on managing the pest. Based on this information, determine if management is needed and if it is, whether or not you can safely and effectively address the problem yourself.

It may be possible for you to make changes in your landscaping or home design to permanently exclude or reduce pests, and this can eliminate the need for professionals, even for serious pests. Examples would be to take out problem tree species and replace them with pest resistant ones or treat your pets with spot-on treatments for fleas and eliminate the need for treating carpets or outdoor areas for fleas.

Pest management professionals often have access to more effective pesticides or other management tools not available to consumers. If this is the case for your pest, you may want to consider professional help.

If repeated applications of a pesticide or procedures such as setting traps for skunks are required, ask yourself whether you have the skills or time to follow through. If not, hire a professional.

If toxic chemicals or sophisticated application equipment are required, it is often best to hire a professional.

Obtain recommendations from neighbors, friends, or family about pest control services they have used. Call at least three companies and consider their methods as well as their customer service policy:

Find out what types of services the company offers. For example, do they provide monthly spray contracts or do they offer an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach that includes nonchemical methods?

Find out if least-toxic alternatives are available to control the pest. Ask the company if these least-toxic pesticides or baits are used when appropriate. For example, confirm that exclusion methods, baits, and traps are employed against cockroaches (rather than sprays) and that baits (rather than sprays) are used for ants. For other examples of least toxic approaches, look at the UC Pest Notes.

Make sure the company has the required licenses, registration, certificates, and insurance.

Ask the company to inspect the site.

The company may charge a fee to do this inspection, but for that fee they should provide you with a written diagnosis of the problem or an identification of the pest. They should show you where the pest is causing the problem and discuss how they plan to control it. The company should also provide you with details regarding the course of treatment(s), the pesticide to be used—if required, the frequency of inspections and treatment, and an estimate of the cost of implementing the treatment plan. They should also provide you with information about the safety of any products they may apply and any precautions you would need to take, such protecting pets and children.

A Property Manager’s Guide to Professional Pest Control

As a property manager, you face an endless number of challenges in your effort to provide tenants with a clean, safe, and healthy environment. One of the ten thousand responsibilities you face is keeping pests out of your buildings. To fulfill this responsibility, you need a go-to pest company.

There are a lot of pest control companies out there, however, and many of them have different specializations. How do you know which one is right for you? What are the right questions to ask them? How do you even know where to look to find the right questions? Well, maybe we can help. The next time you need quality commercial pest control

Find a service that knows in your specific pests

Your biggest weapon in the battle against pest infestations is knowledge. Learn which pest species are most common in your area. Research the best ways to prevent them from entering your buildings. The more you know about the pests plaguing you, the more you can ask a prospective pest control pro.

Once you know your enemy, research your ally. See what each prospective pest control company has to say about their approaches to your problem. Do they have a pest library entry on it? Do they describe how they’d go about treating for your particular pest? How they’d treat safely while inside your particular type of building? You should be totally assured your pro can handle your specific problem before you commit. Keep researching, calling, and asking questions until you are

Look for a company that offers integrated pest management

Integrated pest management (IPM) is a specialized pest removal process that does more than just remove pest infestations. Instead, IPM professionals use expert knowledge, exclusionary measures, and reactive monitoring to both treat current infestations and prevent future ones.

National Pest Control Agencies publications

National Pest Control Agencies produces a range of publications with up-to-date, practical information on the control of vertebrate pests. Our publications are written with the input of pest control specialists and are regularly updated to ensure they reflect current best practice.

There are four categories of NPCA publications:

‘A’ Series – Best practice guidelines for controlling and monitoring vertebrate pests

‘B’ Series – Information about regulations relevant to vertebrate pest control

‘C’ Series – Public awareness materials

‘D’ Series – Schools education material

These publications are used by:

vertebrate pest control contractors;

local government and DOC operations staff undertaking vertebrate pest control;

landowners wanting to control vertebrate pests on their land;

people in the general public with an interest in pest control;

teachers of primary and secondary school students;

institutions running training programmes in the monitoring and control of vertebrate pests.

A Technical Advisory Group reviewed a number of NPCA publications and updated the following:

A1 Possum Population Monitoring Using the Trapcatch, Waxtag and Chewcard Methods

A3 Private Landowners’ Guide to Possum Control, Control Tools and Techniques

B1 Legislation Guide: User Guide to Legislation Relating to Terrestrial Pest Control

IF A BAT GETS INSIDE MY HOME, HOW CAN I GET IT OUT?

A single bat flying in the house is rarely cause for alarm and can usually be dealt with easily. In most cases, the “lost” bat is trying frantically to locate an exit and will leave on its own, though leaving may be more challenging for the bat than getting in! The animal can be assisted by opening a window or exterior door. Doors to adjacent rooms should be closed, all lights should be turned on, and ceiling fans turnedoff. It is important to remain quiet and patient as the bat finds its way outside. If the bat does not leave on its own, and if no direct contact with people or pets that may have resulted in a bite has occurred, the bat can be safely captured and released outside.

Please Note: A bat that has bitten someone MUST be tested for rabies. If there is a chance that a person or pet was bitten, contain the bat and call your local Animal Control Agency. Then consult with your doctor or your state or local health department. A bite from any wild or unfamiliar mammal, including dogs and cats, should always be taken seriously. If the rabies status of the offending animal cannot be confirmed as negative, post-exposure rabies vaccinations will be required.

Follow these steps to capture a bat for release or for testing:

1. There is no need to chase a bat; simply wait quietly until the bat lands, then, wearing leather gloves, cover it with a small box or other container.

2. Gently, slip a piece of cardboard or a large envelope between the container and the surface where the bat has landed. Be careful that no part of the bat is caught between the box or can and the cardboard. Then slowly turn the box over, containing the bat inside.

* If the bat must remain in the box for several hours (e.g., it’s daytime and you want to wait until dark to release) place a soft cloth (non-terry) in the box before securing a cover. Most bats are very small, and can escape from a container with a loose-fitting lid, so be sure your cover is secure, but not air-tight. Smallholes can be made for ventilation.

3. Place the container in a quiet, safe place and wait until dark before releasing the bat outdoors (a bat released during the day is vulnerable to predators).

4. Most bats need to drop into flight from an elevated location, so don’t place the container on the ground. Place it on its side so the bat can easily climb out onto a tree limb or a second story deck, etc.

5. Watch until the bat flies away.

How long do bats live in a house?

No matter what creature you are talking about, every animal, at some point, dies. Nothing lives forever and that is true of the bat as well. While these creatures may seem like they will live forever because of how ugly they are, they eventually pass on as well which is hailed as good news by any person who has had a bat get into their home before.

This makes some wonder if a bat got into their home how long it could live there within the walls or the attic of their house? That’s a really good question, but one that is a little more misleading to answer and you may think.

How Long a Bat Lives

The average bat lives between 10 years and 20 years. The survival into adulthood depends greatly upon the amount of food that’s available to it and the type of shelter that is available as well. If a bat is well fed and is well protected within the shelter that it lives, it is quite likely that this animal will live to be near the 20 year range, especially considering that there are not many natural predators to these ugly looking creatures.

What this tells you is that a bat has a very good opportunity to live to be as much as 15 or 20 years old if it were to live in or directly around your home. If there are rodents or large insects for it to eat, and it has a safe place to live in, like in your attic, then it can stay there for years without issue. Because so few people spend any significant time in their attic the bat has virtual solitude and can stay there almost uninterrupted.

That is the good news.

Now the Bad News

This is why this question is so difficult to answer. If you are talking about just one bat then the worst case scenario for you is that the bat would be there for 15 years before it died. At that point it would be gone and you would have no issue.

However, the problem is that bats usually live in large colonies. In fact, these colonies can number into the hundreds or thousands of bats. Now, when you are considering how long they can live in your home, you are talking about the fact that hundreds of bats, reproducing and caring for each other, can live for generations in your home in less you do something to get rid of them. Is that bad news? You better believe it is.

A lot of times the reaction that people have to any kind of animal like this getting into their home is that they believe the animal will eventually just go away. That may be true in the case of some animals. Birds, for example, fly south for the winter giving you an opportunity to ensure that they can’t return by sealing a hole or crack in your siding where they are gaining entrance. A bat is a totally different story, however.

SIGNS THAT YOU HAVE A BAT PROBLEM

One obvious sign of a bat infestation is guano in the house. Bats leave droppings at the entrance to the roost area that can accumulate on walls, windowsills, or porches or on areas below the entrance to the roost. Guano looks like mouse droppings, but larger. Check your attic for droppings. You may also see stains from bat urine on the walls or ceiling.

Bats are nocturnal and leave the roost to feed at night. You may hear small squeaking noises or scratching sounds coming from the walls, attic, or chimney as they crawl to leave the roost at dusk and return at dawn. Bats tend to be quiet, so you might not hear them unless a loud noise, such as a slamming door, frightens them.

You may see rub marks on the outside of your house around an area with cracks or holes. Bats can leave these marks when they enter or exit the building.

If you notice any of these signs and want to get confirmation and an idea of how many bats are living in your house, you can look for them at night. Sit outside your house in a chair and wait to see the bats when they leave. This can also help you figure out where their entry point is.

Do Bats Avoid Lights?

Bats are very commonly misunderstood animals. They are mammals classified into the Chiroptera family. They look rat-like but possess webbed fore limbs. Bats are known to be the only mammals that can fly both long and short distance. And they are the only nocturnal mammals that fly. Why do these creatures avoid daylight, sleep in the day, and fly only at night?

Also commonly asked is the question of whether bats are blind or can see as clearly as other animals? This still brings to the front burner, the relationship between bats and light.

Bats are definitely not blind, but have accurate vision. They also avoid both natural and artificial lights. Being nocturnal animals, they are adapted to extreme low light conditions. When bats are in flight during the night, they are conscious of artificial lights and avoid them as much as they can. They also avoid pitching their roost in areas that may have a direct access to shining light.

Bat Prevention

Bats are beneficial to the environment and help control mosquito populations, but they sometimes get too close for comfort. When the pests roost on or inside homes, residents often look for fast, easy methods in commercially available repellents. Unfortunately, repelling bats is hard work that requires an eye for long-term control, which most common products do not provide.

Common Bat Repellents

Somewhere along the way, mothballs became associated with bat prevention. The smell of naphthalene, the active ingredient in mothballs, is disliked by the pests. However, using them to keep bats away is impractical. First, the smell dissipates quickly, which means homeowners will have to replace them regularly to repel bats. Next, the amount required to generate enough odour is so large, it will waft into human living spaces

There are products that promise to keep bats away electronically or ultrasonically, by emitting light or sound. These can be expensive and are generally ineffective over time. There are also aerosol sprays marketed for use against cats and dogs that are repurposed to repel bats. However, they are typically inadequate, as well.