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More on Bedbugs - How To Know When You Have Them

2009-07-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

Other articles on this topic:

How To Detect Bedbugs In Your Home

How Can I Tell If I Have Bedbugs?

You may say that you regularly clean your household and there is no way that bed bugs could possibly invade your home. Wrong. Having bed bugs at home does not mean that your home is filthy. Both clean and unclean house can be infested with bed bugs. So, how would you know if you have bed bugs? I get this question a lot.

Many people do not know when they have bed bugs. They don't even know what bed bugs look like. (Try Google Images and search them) Bed bugs are 'shy' insects. They crawl out from their hiding only when you are asleep at night. Bed bugs will crawl back to their homes when finished feeding or when you move from your position.

Before you stress yourself in knowing how to kill bed bugs by yourself, get proper information, try to answer first the basic question of how to know if you have bed bugs. After that, it will be time to get rid of the bedbugs.

How to know if you have bed bugs - Fact 1: Know thy bug.

Would you know a bed bug if you see one? Of course, the answer is no, unless you have experience with them or have searched out their pictures for identification. Few people these days have seen a crawling bed bug unless they are living in a bed bug infested home.

Even in hotels and motels, the bed bugs initial havens, you won't see one crawling at your bed towards your shoulders unless you wake up and turn the lights on to catch them out. As mentioned earlier, bed bugs are shy. And it won't go after you to withdraw blood from your skin even if it is hungry if you are moving. They wait until middle of the night when you are asleep or lying still.

Description of bed bugs - Bed bugs can be seen by the naked eye. Forget what your grandfather had told you that they are so small that no person can actually see them. The only reason why only a few people can see bed bugs is that bed bugs are nocturnal insects and can rarely be seen walking in daylight.

They are as small as appleseeds (which means they can be seen), reddish brown in color, oval shaped, flat and wingless. The distinctive characteristic of bed bugs is its oval-flat shape. Most bugs are rounded at the top.

-- How to know if you have bed bugs - Fact 2: Know how they behave.

Bed bugs are nocturnal. They feed during the night, and are most active before dawn breaks.

Bed bugs can have this offensive, sweet-like, musty scent. Some people can smell this odor in a room or area that has bed bugs infestation. This is one of the best answers to question how to know if you have bed bugs. Some pest control companies have specially trained dogs that can determine a bedbug infestation in it's early stages.

Bed bugs want to be near to their hosts. So, to know if you have bed bugs, check out the area where people usually sleep. The bedroom, living room sofas and chesterfields are the usual hiding places of bed bugs. In serious infestations though, they can be found just about everywhere in the home.

-- How to know if you have bed bugs - Fact 3: Catch one if you can and get it identified.

So the first thing to do if you suspect that you have bed bugs, check the seams and undercover of your mattress and edge lining, box spring if applicable, anything around or under your bed, night tables and headboard. You know that you have bed bugs if you can see dark reddish brown stains on these area and some shed insect skins. The dark reddish brown stain is bed bugs dried excrement.

If any female bedbugs have laid eggs, you will see some white creamy colored eggs and maybe some nymphs there. There is no need to further ask how to know if you have bed bugs if you see excrement stains and shed skins. Not to mention eggs and nymphs, this pretty much cinches it. You have a case of bedbugs.

To absolutely know if you have bed bugs and you want to catch them, try to wake up in the middle of the night. Try to be still, though it is okay to breathe. Shine a flashlight on your area and see if any bugs are advancing toward you.

If you have a bed bug infestation you will see maybe one or two bed bugs crawling towards you. Keep still. It will move toward you. Truly most people would not be able to stay still after seeing a bedbug advance in their direction so kill them if you can.

There, you got your bed bug problem diagnosed. More on treatment and preparation for treatment in the next articles.

True Or False, Proliferation Of Bedbug Articles Are HittingThe Web

2009-07-25T15:31:00.000-07:00

The Truth Behind Articles On Bed Bugs - Be Careful Of What Your Read

There are many written articles on bed bugs either in science journals or online. The growing interest in finding out what these creatures are, how they affect our lives and how we can stop them from spreading has lead to numerous articles on bed bugs. It seems that the internet is filled with information, some of it is very good, some of it is misinformation.

Articles on bed bugs may tackle many areas concerning bed bug biology, and just what a bed bug is and does. A physical description of the parasite can help give us differentiate it from other parasites.

Adult bed bugs are 1/4 inch long and are reddish brown in color, with oval and flat bodies. Often these articles on bed bugs provide photographs that make it easier for us to identify the insect. Actually all you have to do is to go to Google Images and use the search term "bedbug images" or pictures, and you will find all the pictures you will ever want to see.

There are a few different types of bed bugs. Aside from the common bed bug that preys on human blood, there are bed bugs that prefer animal blood like birds or bats. We are concerned only with the bedbugs that prefer human blood here.

Female bed bugs lay in hidden areas. They can give birth to 500 eggs during a lifetime that could be 10 -12 months. The eggs are very small, whitish, and may need magnification to be identified.

These eggs are sticky when first laid; making them stick to whatever surface or crack they are placed in. When they hatch, they are no bigger that a pinhead. As these bed bugs grow, they shed their skins. Some articles on bed bugs say that this shedding can happen five times before becoming adults. Five stages of bedbugs before they reach adult. Ouch!

Articles on bed bugs suggest that the speed of bed bug’s development rely on the right temperature, about 70 - 90° F. At that rate they can complete their transition from eggs to adult bugs in a month.

Cool temperatures and limited access to a prey can delay the full maturity of the bed bugs. Immature Bed bugs can survive months at a time, even though they are not feeding. They do need a blood meal to change from one stage to another. Adult bedbugs can even stay alive for a year or more without a blood meal. Some suggest up to 18 months but I haven't seen any science on that.

Bed bugs are nocturnal creatures. As parasites, they move unnoticeably within our homes, furniture, carpets, bed, etc. mostly at night.

Bed bugs are very patient parasites. When the bed bugs feed, they pierce the human skin with their beaks and suck the blood through. They get engorged after three to ten minutes. Most people do not wake up from a bed bug bite. There is a numbing agent used by the bedbugs so we do not feel the initial piercing.

The most helpful articles on bed bugs are the ones that show us how to detect these pests in our homes. One sure sign that there are bed bugs under the sheets are dark brownish stains and spotting on the mattress. This is their excrement, droppings, or is otherwise known as their poop.

The physical manifestations of a bed bug bite can be mistaken for other types of insects, such as fleas, or mosquitoes. But if tiny drops of blood on the sheets, pillowcases or walls accompany the itchy, swelling welt on your exposed skin, then you just may be sleeping with this pest in your bed.

Once you have confirmed that bed bugs do exist in your mattress, many articles on bed bugs strongly suggest that you throw your bed away. This is not always necessary!

There are many options that are less expensive than discarding you mattress and box springs. We will get into these in more detail as some of these descriptions will take a whole article to discuss the alternatives.

Where one bed bug lives usually there are hundreds more. It always depends on the length of time you have had this issue. You may want to hire professional pest control to check your entire home for any infestation if you are not sure.

It pays to get the right information just like reading the right articles on bed bugs. Be careful where you get your information. We will investigate this pest further and in greater detail in future articles.

Bedbugs Are Here Again . . .

2008-04-21T16:48:00.000-07:00

Received a newsletter from InfoBreaks Solutions and they had an interesting video about Bedbugs and how they can seek you out.

The video is from the National Geographic channel who did a piece about bedbugs and how the bedbug has returned from obscurity.

I thought it might be interesting for you to watch. Here it is, by the way if you are squeamish about insects, especially bedbugs crawling over your flesh, you might just give this video a pass.

There is more great information coming on bedbugs biology, bedbug habitat, bedbug control, bedbug history, and how to inspect for bedbug problems. Bedbugs are getting to be a serious problem in most large North American cities.

How to Detect Bed Bugs in Your Home

2007-10-04T21:06:00.000-07:00

How to Detect Bed Bugs in Your Home
By Ben Anton

A resurgence of Cimex lectularius, better known as the common bed bug , has turned playful bedtime sendoffs into truly fearful warnings.

This resurrection can largely be attributed to the halt in using the pesticide DDT that nearly eradicated bed bugs in the United States in the 1950s, leaving little to no defense against the uprising miniscule offenders today. Adding to this effect is the fact that bed bugs are nocturnal in nature, preying on sleeping people across the world.

They feed on human blood, leaving only a trail of red itchy welts or localized swellings on the skin as calling cards of their appearances.

While red marks may be an indication of an infestation, they are definitely not a confirmation. Finding these critters is no easy task, as they are approximately 4-5 mm in length with a flattened form, allowing them to hide in crevices and creases with ease.

While often found hiding all over the house, their favorite spot to conceal themselves–in the event that a mattress cover or pillow cover are not being used–is in or around the bed, hence their name. Being so close to their primary food source gives them the opportunity to feed every 5-10 days, though they are able to live up to 18 months without eating. .

A bed bug will dine on human blood for approximately 5-15 minutes before it will be fully engorged, more than tripling its size. This change has been known to cause misidentification as it becomes round in shape, different from its naturally flat shape.

Additionally, when it is an adult it becomes brown in color, except after feeding when it takes on a dark red hue due to the intake of human blood.

Because of their miniscule size and innate ability to hide, bed bugs can enter the home in a multitude of ways, including any type of object that can be transferred from one home, apartment, condo, hotels, etc., to another.

This transferability, coupled with their hyperactive reproduction, allows their wrath to be widespread very quickly, especially in homes that are older or have many cracks and crevices, messy cluttered homes, and homes where mattresses or pillows are not covered with some sort of allergen-reducing encasements.

To get a feel of their ability to infest an entire house, here are some reproduction facts:

•Females lay eggs in clusters of 3-5 in just one day
•The eggs are whitish in color, pear shaped and approximately 1 mm in length
•A female will lay up 500 eggs during her lifetime
•Eggs hatch in 1-2 weeks time
•In one year’s time, three generations of can be produced
•Newly hatched nymphs—as they are called–begin to feed on human blood immediately
•Nymphs are colorless and the size of a pinhead
•A nymph will go through five molting stages before becoming a full adult, feeding during each stage

Though these wingless vampires have been known to be brimming with pathogens—hepatitis B and plague included—they have not been shown to be a transmitter of disease. Unlike mosquitoes, they are not thought of as being a medical threat, making them more of an annoyance then anything else.

Some people try to live with bed bugs in their lives, though they often are covered with welts and scars from scratching all over their bodies.

No distance is great enough to be protected once they have entered your home. They have been known to travel over 100 feet on their own to feed, making merely disinfesting your bed and using mattress and pillow covers a futile act.

In order to be fully rid of these pests, a home needs to be thoroughly cleaned, ensuring that every crease, crevice, floorboard, outlet and corner has been cleaned and rid of them and their eggs.

Furthermore, every hole and crack should be filled and caulked, leaving little to no room for already existing eggs to penetrate the home. Once your house is rid of infestation, you should use a complete, zippered mattress encasement, a complete zippered pillow encasement, and a zippered encasement for your box spring.

This traps any existing critters inside, essentially permanently removing them from their food source, and disallowing new bugs from hiding in their beloved hotbeds.

-Ben Anton, 2007

Want to learn more about how to prevent bed bugs in your home? Visit the CleanRest website to view a wide selection of mattress covers and other allergen-reducing encasements.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ben_Anton

Have You Been Getting Bit By Pesky Fleas?

2007-09-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

Flea Control
By Elizabeth Morgan

Fleas are small insects that are capable of giving humans and their pets big troubles with a little stab of their proboscis. There are over 2,400 species of fleas worldwide, but fortunately, there are just four or five species of fleas that are a threat to humans. The most commonly found species in America is the cat flea, which feeds on cats and dogs, as well as humans.

An infestation of fleas can be a serious threat, not merely an annoyance, in some cases. Flea bites can cause skin irritations as well serious allergies in pets and humans. Sometimes, more dangerous fleas pass on serious diseases. So it becomes very important to prevent them from breeding, or destroying them once they are present, by using various measures.

The first step towards stopping the growth of the fleas is through vacuuming the house on a regular basis. This helps in keeping the flea population low by killing adult and egg-stage fleas, although vacuuming has not proven very effective in killing the flea larvae. As a more advanced step, cracks should be sealed after vacuuming, to permanently eliminate these favorite breeding areas for fleas.

In cases of severe infestation, steam cleaning and other measures might be required. Research shows that if a cat flea larva is exposed to 103*F for one hour, it dies. Some commercial devices are available in the market to produce such lethal temperatures. As this tool that generates heat consists of a loose shaft, it can only be applied locally. Therefore, fleas may escape by hiding in the carpet or elsewhere.

Another method of killing fleas is by using insecticide on the organic matter accumulated outside the house. Another product, named Insecticidal Dust, containing silica aero gel, is also successful in killing fleas by rupturing their skin and absorbing the oil and moisture.

The direct application of products containing citrus peel extracts, d-limonene, and linalool on pets’ bedding are useful in killing fleas in all the stages of growth. Finally, pest control products sold by veterinary doctors, like sodium poly-borate, applied on carpets, are also useful in killing fleas.

Taking preventative steps at the right time can save us from the annoyance and troubles caused by these tiny creatures; but if we already have them, there are a number of ways to eliminate them.

Fleas provides detailed information about fleas defined, cat fleas, dog fleas, flea bites and more. Fleas is the sister site of Pitbulls Info.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Morgan

A Good Story - A Mouse In The House

2007-01-01T12:09:00.000-08:00

I came across a good story of someone's personal experience with rodents invading his house. I thought that you might enjoy it as I did. Here is an excerpt of the article and there is a link to the rest of the story below. I don't know how long the story will be on his site but have a look. Enjoy!

Mouse in the House
By: Hubert Crowell

Day One

I awoke early in the morning about 3:00 A.M. to the sound of stirring above the drop ceiling in our basement bathroom, the weather-had turn cold and had driven something into our warm home. We have lived in the same house for more than thirty years and have had only one mouse get in during the first few years that we occupied the house, so I was surprised.

As I do most of the work or had in the past, I was sure that there were no openings that a mouse could get through but apparently I was wrong. Our parents live upstairs on the main floor and we no occupy the basement.

Over the years we have on two occasions a squirrel came down the chimney and at that time with a cat in the house it caused quite a sene with the cat guarding the fire place and the squirrel starring back through the screen. Before it was out the door, the squirrel ran down the hall and into the bedroom, bounced off the wall and then returned to the front of the house and out the front door.

The second squirrel came down the chimney after we had an evening fire or maybe during the fire. The next morning we could hear him in the chimney and he did not sound too good. Later in the day it got quite and I knew that something had to be done. Chimneys' have a space behind the flue to prevent rain water from entering the fireplace and I assumed that must be where he was, dead I hoped.

I put on a glove and tried to see if I could get my arm up and through the flue opening. After twisting and turning my arm, I manage to get my elbow up above the flue, now to find the squirrel. I was not sure if he was dead, but at least he was not moving.

Back to the mouse, we found mice droppings in the upstairs kitchen and a box in the pantry behind the stairs that had been chewed into. He had found his food supply. After cleaning up the mess all agreed that something had to done immediately. So I headed off to the closest store to find a mouse trap. Do you know how hard it is to find a mouse trap today, after checking four stores I finely located a package of two old fashion spring loaded mouse traps?

That night I set one in the kitchen loaded with fresh cheese and another above the drop ceiling in the basement bathroom . . .

Day Two And Beyond of the Mouse In The House . . .

Rodents! How to Keep Them Out Of Your Home

2006-12-02T16:37:00.000-08:00

I was cruising around the pest control sites today researching some material for a quotation I am working on and found some excellent information on rodent proofing your structures.

Here is a tiny bit of it and believe me when I say that if you are looking into rodent prevention there is a ton of things you can do to protect yourself against the little critters.

The Importance of Rodent-Proof Construction
Rats and mice cause serious damage to all kinds of structures if they are allowed access to them. Damage by rodents has been documented in homes, apartments, hotels, office complexes, retail businesses, manufacturing facilities, food processing and warehouse facilities, public utility operations (especially power and electronic media operations), farm and feed storage buildings, and other structures.

In urban settings, rodents most often cause damage to older, inner-city buildings and utilities in poor repair. New housing developments may experience commensal rodent problems, but problems are more noticeable in neighborhoods 10 to 12 years of age or older. Ornamental plantings, accumulation of refuse, woodpiles, and other such sources of harborage and food are more quickly invaded and occupied by rodents when adjacent to an established rodent habitat.

Many types of land, air, and water transportation systems and their infrastructure also face serious rodent infestation problems. Infestations are of particular concern in the transportation of foodstuffs, feed, and other agricultural products. Commensal rodents consume and contaminate human and livestock feed. One rat can eat about 1/2 pound (227 g) of feed per week, and will contaminate and waste perhaps 10 times that amount.

Rodents destroy insulation, electrical wiring, plumbing, and other structural components of buildings (Fig. 1). Insulation damage alone may amount to a loss of several thousand dollars in only a few years. Energy loss from damaged buildings results in added annual costs. Rodent-induced fires from damaged electrical wiring or nest building in electrical panels cause loss of property and threaten human safety.

Rodents also serve as vectors or reservoirs of a variety of diseases, such as salmonellosis, leptospirosis, and murine typhus, that are transmittable to humans. Additionally, they may be sources of swine dysentery, brucellosis, sarcoptic mange, and tuberculosis, all of which affect livestock or pets.

The most effective means of limiting rodent damage is rodent-proof construction. New buildings should be designed and built to prevent rodent entry. Rodent-proofing is a good investment. Designing and constructing a rodent-proof building is less expensive than adding rodent-proofing later. Nevertheless, poor maintenance or management practices, such as leaving entry doors and unscreened windows open, will make the best constructed building susceptible to rodent entry.

Read more here

Pest Prevention And Non Toxic Household Pest Control

2006-12-01T10:04:00.000-08:00

Non Toxic Pest Control For Your House And Garden

Pesticides are toxic and, while often effective against pests, can be dangerous for your family and pets. Outdoors, sprayed pesticides might drift on a breeze and dust your vegetable garden or your neighbor's yard. Indoors, pesticides can linger in the air, exposing the family to harmful chemicals. For these reasons, many people are turning to nontoxic pest control methods.

Prevention is the best way to control pests, but there are times when even the most thorough preventative measures will not save you from intruders, so this article discusses both preventative pest control methods and nontoxic pest control products.

Preventative Pest Control Methods

Sanitation:
As they say, cleanliness is next to godliness. And it keeps pests out, too. Keeping your home clean is the most effective pest control method. If you don't leave food or dirty dishes lying around the house, animals and insects won't be attracted to the smell. Sweep and vacuum regularly.

Remember, just because you can't see crumbs doesn't mean they don't exist. Clean inside pantries and cabinets cabinets, under and around the stove and refrigerator at least once a year.

Screens:
This may seem obvious, but screens on doors and windows are a simple and relatively cheap way to keep insects out of the house. Also, screens on crawlspaces keep rodents from obtaining easy access routes into the house.

Caulking:
By caulking cracks in your house, you can minimize places for insects to hide and nest. Target bathrooms and the kitchen, especially doors and windows.

Nontoxic Pest Control Products

Traps:
There are many kinds of traps available that target many kinds of pests. Some examples are sticky traps for cockroaches, glueboards for mice, flypaper, bug zappers, and traps specifically for rats, gophers, or moles. You can usually pick up traps at your local Home and Garden store.

Pheromones:
Pheromones, essentially insect scent hormones, can be used in traps as bait. By emitting the scent of the female insect, pheromones can be used to lure males into a trap, where they are caught in a sticky glue. Insects are only attracted by pheromones emitted by their own kind, so you need to know exactly what kind of insects you're trying to eliminate and plan accordingly.

Biological Control:
Biological control is more often used in agriculture but can sometimes be used in home and garden situations as well. Basically it means using desirable organisms to eliminate undesirable organisms.

For instance, planting certain plants in your garden can deter certain pests. For example, spearmint repels ants. Garlic repels Japanese Beetles. Indoors, spiders eat fruit flies and houseflies, so it may be worth leaving some of those webs around.

Repellents:
There are nontoxic repellents available for pest control. Mosquito repellents are the most popular, but if you look around, you can find repellents that target other pests. Some herbs, like eucalyptus and wormwood, are known for repelling animals and insects.

by TC Thorn

TC Thorn writes for http://www.pestinformation.com/ where you can find more pest control information.

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Bed Bugs? How Can I Tell If I have Bedbugs?

2006-10-22T21:44:00.000-07:00

Bed Bugs - the Blood Sucking Pest

Bed Bugs; they are everywhere. One can encounter articles on bed bugs to the left and right; in science journals and online. Why is everyone so interested in bed bugs? Because they are pests, and if we have them in our homes, thus we need to know what they are and more importantly, how to get rid of them.

The first type of articles on bed bugs that you may encounter describes what a bed bug is. A physical description of the parasite can help give us differentiate it from other parasites. Thus, F.Y.I., adult bed bugs are 1/4 inch long and are reddish brown in colour, with oval and flat bodies. Often these articles on bed bugs provide photographs that make it easier for us to identify the insect…though harder to keep our dinner down.

According to various experts on bed bugs, there is not just one type of bed bug…no, there are many different types of bed bugs. Bad news. Aside from the common bed bug that preys on human blood, there are bed bugs that prefer animal blood like birds or bats.

To allow a better understanding, articles on bed bugs offer a glimpse of the creature’s life cycle. Female bed bugs take their eggs and lay in hidden areas. They can give birth to 500 eggs during a lifetime. The eggs are very small, whitish, and may need magnification to be identified.

Ready for more in depth knowledge on bed bugs? Eggs are sticky when first laid; making it stick to whatever surface they are placed. When they hatch, they are no bigger that a pinhead. As these bed bugs grow, they shed their skins. Some say that this shedding can happen five times before becoming adults.

Experts on bed bugs suggest that the speed of the bed bug’s development rely on the right temperature, about 70 - 90° F. At that rate they can complete their transition from eggs to adult bed bug in a month.

Cool temperatures and limited access to a prey can delay the full maturity of the bed bugs. However, this does not mean that they die easily. Bed bugs have been compared to cockroaches in resilience. Bed bugs can survive months at a time not feeding. The adults can even stay alive for a year or more without a blood meal.

Bed bugs are nocturnal creatures. As parasites, they move unnoticeably within our homes, furniture, carpets, bed, etc… Although they can’t fly, they are very quick insects and can move with ease through almost every surface.

Bed bugs are patient parasites. When the bed bugs feed, they pierce the human skin with their beaks and suck the blood through. Unlike mosquitoes, bed bugs take their time in feeding. They get engorged after three to ten minutes. This slow method could be the reason why people do not wake up while the bedbug is actually biting.

The most helpful articles on bed bugs are the ones that show us how to detect these pests in our homes. One sure sign that there are bed bugs under the sheets are dark brownish satins and spotting on the mattress. Experts on bed bugs identify this as the pest’s excrement or droppings.

The physical manifestations of a bed bug bite can be mistaken for other types of insects. But if tiny drops of blood on the sheets, pillowcases or walls accompany the itchy, swelling welt on your exposed skin, then you just may be sleeping with a pest on your bed.

Once you have confirmed that bed bugs do exist in your mattress, most experts strongly suggest that you throw your bed away. Spraying pesticides on the bed may be poisonous for the owner, if he intends to sleep on it afterwards.

Where one bed bug lives, there are hundreds more. Since articles on bed bugs say that bed bugs are hard to spot, you may want to hire pest control to check your entire home for any infestation. These bed bugs may also be living in your pet’s day bed or doghouse and are mistaken for ticks.

by Nat Price

Nat Price is the owner and creator of Superzyme.com. He is a veritable expert on bed bugs and, more importantly, how to get rid of them. To find out more about these pesky creatures, visit http://www.superzyme.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nat_Price

Glue Trap Lights For Fly Control

2006-06-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

Glue Board Fly Killers

What is a glue board? A glue board (aka sticky board or gluepad) is a piece of stiff card with very heavy adhesive on one side. It is inserted into a fly killer machine.

What is a fly killer machine? It is a device that attracts flying insects by shining ultra violet light and then traps them.

What is ultra violet (uv) light? It is light just like any other light. It just happens to be invisible to humans but not to flies, who are extremely partial to it and tend to eagerly fly towards it. Anyway, a fly killer machine attracts flies using its uv light. Some fly killer machines have electric grids that electrocute the fly while others have glue boards on which the fly is trapped. This brings us back where we started.

Once the fly is trapped, it is no longer a threat. Fly killer machines that use glue boards are often used in situations where silent operation is required. Fly killers that electrocute (or zap) the fly give out an unmistakable noise that lets everyone know that the machine has made a kill.

Some restaurants would prefer a more subtle operation where the fly discreetly flies into the fly killer machine and never comes out - and no sound is ever heard. Glue board fly killer machines are often made to mimic wall lights. Diners in a restaurant will not give these lamps a second glance, but they are not lamps in the normal sense.

They are difference between having a fly spreading germs and giving the restaurant a bad name and a restaurant that pays regard to hygiene and has a good reputation.

If you live near a field or know somebody that does, then you may be aware that they will get more than their fair share of flies (and wasps). Similarly, if you keep livestock, have stables or even a dog, you will have more than the average amount of visits from curious flying insects. The same goes if you live near a food production plant or a refuse dump.

For those who are in these areas, they too may prefer one of these discreet fly killer "lamps" instead of the industrial-looking zappers. Life is more comfortable in a fly-free environment. There is nothing worse than trying to entertain friends with a rolled up newspaper in one hand, at the ready. To be on constant guard when you should be relaxing is not ideal. Worse still is the fact that your unwelcome visitors - the flying ones, not your friends - will also spread disease.

They will typically visit animal droppings, or a trash can, and then fly around your kitchen, spreading germs that they have picked up on their feet or regurgitating their own saliva on solids that they need to soften in order to digest. Not nice - and completely avoidable if a fly killer machine is used.

Fly killers fitted with glueboards will use less electricity than zapper fly killers. In an age when electricity prices are rising this is an increasingly significant consideration. There are also those who like to count their dead flies. Why, you may ask? Counting how many flies are killed will give an indication of the fly killer machine's effectiveness and an idea of flying insect activity.

This is particularly useful to entomologists and other scientists and researchers, especially those concerned with the environment. Pest controllers will also use this method to determine the best place to site a fly killer. By moving the machine from one location to another they can count the amount of flies caught and determine the best place to site the machine. Manufacturers of fly killer machines, such as Insect-o-cutor. also use this method to test fly killer machine designs.

The method of trapping flying insects using glue has been with us for a very long time and way before electricity came along and gave us zappers. Hanging sticky papers is a practice that still happens today. It is much less common as most people would rather not see lots of dead flies hanging in their kitchen.

Not only did electricity give us zappers but it also gave us ultra violet lamps. These will attract the flies to the glue, whereas sticky papers tended to only work if there were enough of them or if the fly's seemingly random flight pattern happened to take it to the paper.

Glue board fly killers are used extensively around the world. If you knew very little about them before and know more now, then at least, when you next are harassed by a fly that refuses to be swatted, you know there is another way to do it.

by Vernon Stent

Vernon Stent is the content writer for Arkay Hygiene. Here is a glue board fly killer, and here is a glue board

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vernon_Stent

How To Select A Professional Pest Control Company

2006-06-20T23:25:00.000-07:00

Selecting a Pest Control Company

If you have a problem with unwanted pests in your home, and you've exhausted all the self-help remedies you know, you may be considering hiring a commercial pest control company to deal with the problem. Hiring a professional might be exactly the right solution for you; but you need to do your homework.

First, how do you locate a company? Checking the yellow pages of your local phone book might be a good start; doing a keyword search on the Internet for your area could also work, and you have the added benefit of seeing what information the company provides, on itself and on pest control generally. Ask friends and coworkers for recommendations.

After you've developed a list of pest control services, and before you call these companies, start asking more questions of your friends and coworkers. Have any of them used these companies? What was their experience? Did the company in question solve their pest infestation issues? Were there any problems dealing with the company? Any problems in the home after the company performed their services?

Once you've narrowed down your list to a few potential providers, call them on the phone, and ask some more questions: does the company offer a free home evaluation and estimate of costs? Does it give you advice on what you can do to deal with the problem yourself? Is the company willing to answer questions readily?

Specific questions to ask: what kinds of chemicals are used? (If possible, have them provide written information on the chemicals.) What sorts of side effects or potential dangers do these chemicals have on family members, adults and children, and on pets? Do your family and household pets need to vacate the premises during the pest control treatment?

Make sure you ask whether the company offers nontoxic, natural pest control. The company should be willing to at least discuss the options; if its representative just dismisses the notion of nontoxic pest control without intelligently discussing the pros and cons of the natural remedies available, but just wants to get into your house and spray, beware!

With written information (or your own notes) in hand, do your own research on any chemicals that will be used - their effectiveness, their possible side effects, their potential toxicity. (The Internet is a great place to start for this.) If you have family members with serious health issues, particularly asthma or other respiratory ailments, make sure you know what the potential effect of sprayed compounds could have on them.

Finally, if you have any questions about the company's reliability, and you can't find anyone you know and whose judgment you trust to vouch for them, contact your local or state Better Business Bureau or Consumer Fraud Division, to find out whether there have been any complaints lodged against them.

Once you've hired a company, make sure you know who is going to be showing up at your home and when. Make sure they have proper I.D., and ask if you can be there to supervise the process or if you have to leave, and for how long.

And while you've got access to the professional treating your home, ask what you can do to avoid pest control problems in the future, particularly those involving destructive carpenter ants and termites. The guy (or gal) who actually does the work probably has insights into the subject that the office staff doesn't have.

by Aldene Fredenburg

Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire and frequently contributes to Tips and Topics. She has published numerous articles in local and regional publications on a wide range of topics, including business, education, the arts, and local events.

Her feature articles include an interview with independent documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and a feature on prisoners at the New Hampshire State Prison in Concord. She may be reached at amfredenburg@yahoo.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aldene_Fredenburg

Spiders! Spider Biology, Identity, Control and Prevention Measures

2006-06-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

I ran into a great resource the other day for not only controlling spiders, but tons of useful arachnida information and lots of pictures via a website and a PDF report that you can download from The OHIO State University website.

If you have ever wanted to know how to get rid of spiders in or around the house, here is just some of the pest control information information available there

Excerpted from OHIO State University site:

Control Measures
Control of spiders is best achieved by following an integrated pest management (IPM) approach that involves multiple tactics, such as preventive measures, exclusion, sanitation, and chemicals applied to targeted sites. IPM requires a thorough inspection of the building to locate the pest and its harborages. An inspection should be done at night if the species is nocturnal.

An important first step is to correctly identify the spider, as this determines which management tactics to adopt that take into account specific biology and habits. For example, if the spider is a web builder, control efforts should target its web because that is where this spider spends most of its time. On the other hand, active hunters are spiders that move about widely, and some species are most likely to contact insecticide-treated surfaces at ground level.

Within each of the following categories, particular tactics may be more or less applicable, depending on the species of spider:

Preventing spider bites
Shake out clothing and shoes before getting dressed.
Inspect bedding and towels before use.
Wear gloves when handling firewood, lumber, and rocks (be sure to inspect the gloves for spiders before putting them on).
Remove bedskirts. Move the bed away from the wall.
Don’t store boxes and other items underneath beds.
Exercise care when handling cardboard boxes (some spiders may inhabit the space under folded cardboard flaps).

Exclusion
Install tight-fitting screens on windows and doors; also install weather stripping and door sweeps.
Seal or caulk cracks and crevices where spiders can enter the house.
Equip vents in soffits, foundations, and roof gables with tight-fitting screens.
Install yellow or sodium vapor light bulbs outdoors since these attract fewer insects for spiders to feed upon.
Many web-making spiders set up residence near lights that remain on at night. Locate such lights away from the house or turn them off when not needed.
Tape the edges of cardboard boxes to prevent spider entry.
Use plastic bags (sealed) to store loose items in the garage, basement, and attic.

Sanitation
Remove trash, old boxes, old clothing, wood piles, rock piles, and other unwanted items.
Eliminate clutter in closets, basements, attics, garages, and outbuildings.
Store items off the floor and away from walls in basements, crawl spaces, attics, garages, and outbuildings in order to reduce spider harborage sites.
Eliminate household pests (prey) such as flies, ants, and cockroaches that attract spiders.
Do not stack wood against the house.
Remove heavy vegetation and leaf litter around the foundation.
Wash spider webs off the outside of the house using a high-pressure hose.

Non-chemical control
Capture the spider and release it outdoors. An effective technique for capturing hunting spiders is to place a cup over the spider and then slide a piece of paper underneath to entrap it.
Dust and vacuum thoroughly to remove spiders, webs, and egg sacs (dispose of the vacuum bag in a container outdoors).
Outdoors, use a water hose or broom to regularly destroy any webs that are constructed on or around the house. Spiders often move elsewhere when their webs are regularly destroyed.
Use a rolled up newspaper or fly swatter to kill individual spiders.
Use sticky traps or glueboards to entangle spiders.

Insecticides
There are many labeled pesticides for spider control. Some are labeled for homeowner use, while others are labeled only for the licensed, certified pesticide applicator.

Individual exposed spiders can be killed with a nonresidual aerosol spray, but any egg sacs will be unaffected. It generally is best to use a vacuum cleaner so that the egg sac is removed from the premises.

For web builders, insecticide treatments should be applied so that the chemical contacts spiders in their webs. A nonrepellent insecticidal dust is useful to treat webs because the dust clings to the silk and is likely to be contacted by the spider. Residual dusts can be applied to voids and inaccessible areas where spiders may hide.

A wettable powder or microencapsulated “slow-release” formulation of a residual insecticide can be applied to corners, behind and under furniture, behind stored items, etc. to control active hunting spiders. This approach also is useful to prevent establishment of new spiders. Aerosol flushing agents such as pyrethrins, though ineffective by themselves in providing long-term control, can cause spiders to move about so that they contact treated surfaces.

Residual liquid sprays can be applied to the outside perimeter of the home (including under eaves, patios, and decks; behind window shutters), cracks and crevices of decorative molding, undisturbed corners, and other suspected spider harborages. Residual liquid sprays applied to the outside perimeter of the home are not very effective for species that display web-sitting behavior.

The 'Spiders In And Around The House' Report, which has much more information, can be downloaded from the OHIO State University website through this link: Spiders In And Around The House

Pigeon Pests - How To Solve The Problem?

2006-06-16T20:17:00.000-07:00

I seen this awesome post in the archives (2003) on another blog today and just had to pass it on. Here's the excerpt, Check out their blog over at:

Pigeon pests

After yesterday's post about saving the poor stranded pigeon, I couldn't help but feel I was being a bit misleading to my regular readers. While I don't condone leaving a helpless animal to die, I do feel pigeons on the whole are pests. Winged squirrels you could say. And we all know how I feel about squirrels.

So today's blog entry is all about my pigeon problem. Namely: They roost where they shouldn't and leave piles of you know what that smells pretty nasty. I come home from work and they are like the characters from "King of the Hill" sitting in a row on my window ledges for hours on end. And, trust me, jumping up and down and waving your arms at them doesn't phase them a bit.

So I went surfing. There are a lot of companies with pigeon spikes, like these from Bird-B-Gone (which also has a "Bird Jolt" to give them an electric shock)

Bird-X makes a Bird-Proof Gel that works on masonry and metal that you can apply with a caulking gun.

There are visual deterrents, like the scare-crow eyed balloons at FlyBye.com, expensive ultrasonic devices or you can create a barrier with bird netting.

The options seem endless. I think for my window sills though I'll have to go with one of the pigeon spike products... that seems harmless to the animal and in the clear plastic, probably hardly visible on my third story windows. Now it's just a matter of figuring out which brand to go with...

Had any luck keeping pigeons off your house? I'd love to hear your experiences.
--- Cleveland Weblogs/Homeowner

Yikes, Bedbugs!!!

2006-06-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

BED BUGS! by Michael F. Potter, Extension Entomologist

Most householders of this generation have never seen a bed bug. Until recently, they also were a rarity among pest control professionals. Bed bug infestations were common in the United States before World War II. But with improvements in hygiene, and especially the widespread use of DDT during the 1940s and '50s, the bugs all but vanished.

The pests remained prevalent, though, in other regions of the world including Asia, Africa, Central/South America and Europe. In recent years, bed bugs have also made a comeback in the U.S. They are increasingly being encountered in homes, apartments, hotels, motels, dormitories, shelters and modes of transport.

International travel and immigration have undoubtedly contributed to the resurgence of bed bugs in this country. Changes in modern pest control practice - and less effective bed bug pesticides - are other factors suspected for the recurrence.

Description and Habits - Pictures and Continued Here

Control Pests without Harmful Chemicals

2006-06-14T21:36:00.000-07:00

Control Pests without Harmful Chemicals
By Aldene Fredenburg

Garden and household pests - unwanted insects, including flies, mosquitoes, fleas, cockroaches, termites, and moths, and intruders like mice and rats - are annoying, destructive, and potentially harmful to the health of humans and pets.

But the use of chemical toxins to control these pests is a problem - who knows what some of these chemicals themselves can do to the health of our family members?

Luckily, there are ways to combat these invaders without resorting to potentially poisonous chemicals. Essentially, there are four approaches to pest control; used in combination they can go a long way to eliminating insects and rodents from one's home and outdoor environment.

First, make sure you're not creating the conditions that invite these pests onto your property. Standing water attracts mosquitoes; take a walk through your property and make sure you don't have bowls of water, discarded tires, and other receptacles that can contain rain water.

If you find them, get rid of them. Poorly stored food and stray crumbs can attract ants, roaches, and mice. Keep your food stored in airtight containers, wipe down counters, tables, etc., and sweep the floor frequently, discarding the refuse and removing in from the house.

Second, provide barriers, either physical or biological, to repel insects and rodents. Properly maintained and installed screens on windows and doors will help block flies and mosquitoes from the home.

Simple to use, nontoxic home remedies can repel insects; for instance a brew of catnip tea, sprayed in a solution around cupboards, baseboards, and other areas, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom, can repel cockroaches.

Third, you can add beneficial insects and other organisms to your environment. Adding ladybugs to gardens has been a natural remedy for years: ladybugs just love aphids, and will eat them before the tiny insects can ruin your growing plants.

Some people go so far as to add a gecko or two to their homes; geckos eat cockroaches, and will help keep an infestation under control; you'd have to make up your mind if you really want to live in the same house or apartment with a couple free ranging lizards. If you have small boys, chances are they'll be thrilled!

Finally, if all else fails, there are compounds, safe to humans with normal use, but deadly to pests, that will eliminate some insects for good. To rid your home of cockroaches, for instance, put containers of boric acid behind counters, in the backs of cupboards, in shelves, and other areas that cockroaches frequent.

They'll eat the boric acid and return to their nests, carrying more boric acid with them; the boric acid will kill them and the other inhabitants of their nests. Make sure you keep the boric acids away from children and pets.

There are also nontoxic, natural preparations sold commercially which can be used to repel or eliminate pests without adversely impacting your home environment. In short, there are many natural, safe options for eliminating pests that you can use to make sure your home is a comfortable, enjoyable environment for your family, not for unwanted guests.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aldene_Fredenburg

Get Rid Of Fruit Flies With A Homemade Fruit Fly Trap

2006-05-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

How To Get Rid Of Fruit Flies With A Homemade Fruit Fly Trap

Anyone who has ever left a few bananas sitting out or forgotten to change their garbage knows all too well the problem with fruit flies. It seems that once they've invaded your kitchen, you can't get rid of them. You can scrub, clean, remove tempting fruit and spray the garbage can with disinfectants, but they always come back. You can't help but cringe just looking at them.

We have always had problems with fruit flies, with one of the main reasons being that we live in an apartment and by law - must recycle. Because of where we live, we have to keep our recycling containers inside until they can be disposed of once a week.

If the recyclables aren't cleaned well enough after being used, they make a perfect breeding ground for fruit flies. They love bits of rotting food remnants and seem to thrive in even the smallest amount.

When fruit flies move in, they just don't want to leave and will lay eggs in and on anything they can find - fruits & vegetables left on the counter, sink drains, garbage disposals, empty bottles & cans, garbage bags, and even mops and rags.

A Few Fun Facts About Fruit Flies:

- Can lay up to 500 eggs at a time
- Their entire lifecycle is complete in about a week
- While considered mainly a pest, they have the potential to contaminate food with dangerous bacteria

We all know that removing the food, getting rid of the garbage & cleaning up plays a big role, but we also know what it's like to move a piece of fruit and have a swarm of fruit flies fill the air only to escape your attempts at killing them.

Where are they gonna go? Obviously the ones flying around can't be easily captured or killed, so they'll linger about until they find some other place to lay eggs and the whole cycle starts again.

In all my attempts, I found the best way to capture and remove the ones that escape is to create a simple trap using a jar, plastic wrap and a piece of food. Here's how it works:

1. Get a small jar you don't plan on using again ( like a baby food jar or something similar ) and wash it out well. Make sure it is not a jar with a funky smell such as a used pickle jar or anything that use to have strong spices. You want a clean, odorless jar.

2. Take a chunk of banana and place inside the jar. This is why you want a clean, odorless jar - so that the banana smell won't be overpowered by other not-so-tempting smells. Banana seems to work the best, but you can experiment.

3. Fit a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the jar, making sure that it fits tight and well sealed around the edges. Then take a pen or pencil and poke 4 to 5 holes in the plastic, just big enough for a fruit fly to fit into. Once a fruit fly crawls in, it can't get out. You would think they would just fly back out through the holes, but they won't!

4. Place the jar in an area where you have seen the most fruit flies. Depending on the amount of fruit flies you have, you can expect to start seeing the jar fill up within just a few hours. After 24 hours, you will discover just how bad your fruit fly problem is!

This simple, inexpensive & safe method works perfectly and if you don't want the jar on public display, you can always slip it behind the garbage can, in the cupboard or even under the sink (Just don't forget about it!). You will want to empty the jar every 3-4 days before any eggs have a chance to hatch.

While adult fruit flies can't easily escape through the holes, their maggots can very easily, and besides that - they are disgusting to see crawling around in the jar. You don't want to see these things crawling on your counter!

Cleaning out the jar shouldn't be a problem. If you have a kind heart, you can choose to let them go outside. Personally, I spray the little buggers with bug spray, wash out the jar and start the whole process over again if I think there are still some fruit flies left to capture.

For bad fruit fly problems, you will want to use this method for a good two weeks to make sure you've captured the majority of fruit flies. You might even want to use a few jars in different places. Before long, your kitchen will be back to normal.

by Carole Nickerson

Carole Nickerson has been a web developer and internet marketer since 1998. Visit http://www.thenetter.com for more free articles, tips and software.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carole_Nickerson

You Think You’ve Got Pest Control Problems?

2006-05-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

A little bit of humor to keep everything in the proper perspective.

You Think You’ve Got Pest Control Problems?
By Aldene Fredenburg

Ants in your kitchen? Silverfish skittering around your bathroom floors? Invisible mosquitoes dive-bombing you in the middle of the night?

This is nothing compared to the horrors of bug infestation immortalized by Hollywood over the past sixty years. From the sweet sadness of "My Girl" to the creepy-crawliness of "Arachnophobia," from the hysterical, fifties "ban the bomb"- inspired monster movies like "Them" to the species dysphoria in "The Fly," insects and spiders have been playing the heavy in movies for decades.

In "My Girl" (1991), young actress Anna Chlumsky plays the preteen daughter of a widowered small-town funeral director. The girl develops a friendship with her neighbor, played by a post-"Home Alone" Macaulay Culkin.

Everything is going swimmingly until Culkin ticks off a colony of bees (or is it wasps?) and dies of a massive allergic reaction to bee stings. Or wasp stings. Or hornet stings. Luckily, Anna's father is the mortician, so...

In "Arachnophobia" (1990 - and no, spiders are not insects, they're arachnids; but they're still bugs!) a South American spider with attitude hitchhikes to the U.S. in a crate containing a dead guy, gets romantic with a local spider babe, and starts creating thousands of cute little baby spiders.

Unfortunately, these little baby spiders, apart from being very cute, are also very, very poisonous, and have inherited their parents' attitude. People start to die, and moviegoers start to develop... arachnophobia!

Ant problems? Consider the hapless victims in "Them" (1954). While TV audiences were ignoring the Cold War in favor of "The Milton Berle Show," moviegoers were scaring the living daylights out of themselves with movies portraying menacing aliens and the frightful consequences of atomic radiation.In "Them," a nuclear test results, unbeknownst to nearby townspeople, in the development of a nest of giant mutant ants.

When folks start disappearing or turn up dead, looking suspiciously like they've been chewed on by giant ants, the police bring in the FBI, who brings in a bug expert (and his beautiful daughter); the motley crew finds and destroys the mutant ants, but not before two queen ants and their drone buddies fly off to breed...

Anyone with a touch of gender dysphoria? You and Christine Jorgenson got nothin' on the poor slob in "The Fly." This interspecies mix-up was originally filmed in 1958 and then remade in 1986, and features a scientist obsessed with his creation, a teleportation device. Of course, the creators of the "Star Trek" franchise later worked the bugs out of the whole teleportation issue, but in 1958 a fly ended up in the ointment when an actual fly flew into the teleportation device as the scientist was experimenting on himself.

The result? A man's body with the head and arm of a fly, and a little teensy fly with the head and arm of a man, and a tiny little voice crying, "Help me! Help me!" to a horrified wife. Flyswatter, anyone?

The 1986 version, with Jeff Goldblum as the unfortunate scientist, puts a modern spin on the story and adds a bit of dark humor, amazing special effects costuming, and -eighties production quality, but doesn't surpass the horror of the original.

So the next time you see a few ants skittering across your kitchen counters, or jump when a silverfish scoots across the bathroom floor, relax. Things could be a lot worse.

Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire. She has written numerous articles for local and regional newspapers and for a number of Internet websites, including Tips and Topics. She expresses her opinions periodically on her blog, http://beyondagendas.blogspot.com She may be reached at amfredenburg@yahoo.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aldene_Fredenburg

How To Get Rid Of Spiders (And How To Prevent Them)

2006-05-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a good site on getting rid of spiders, and there are some things you can do to prevent the spiders in the first place, or at least reduce the possibility of them invading your home.

I found another article on spiders I thought had some good information. The whole article can be found on Get Rid of Spiders Frugally. Some of the information is pretty common sense, I only mention it here because if you follow the advice, the spiders will be definitely reduced.

Here is an excerpt to the page for your convenience:

Even the worst cases of spider infestation will respond to the simple and frugal cures listed below:

Find and seal all cracks in basement walls and in window casings and doorways. If there is just a tiny crack in your house, spiders will crawl through.
Make your house unfriendly to other bugs. Spiders eat bugs, plain and simple... and if their dinner isn't handy, there's no reason for them to hang around.
Vacuum up spiders as you find them. It's simple, safe and more effective than poisons. Vacuum the area thoroughly to get the egg sacs, too.
Keep clutter picked up inside the house so spiders won't have a place to hide. They won't stay in an area that is completely smooth and clutter free.
Keep your trash bins away from the house because spiders will stay around them, hoping to catch the bugs that are attracted to them.
Remove old vegetation or wood from against the house foundations. Spiders like to hide in these things and often find entrance from there.
Trim back trees, bushes and other vegetation from touching the house walls.
Keep pet food tightly covered to keep from attracting bugs which attract spiders. (Don't leave pet food in a dish all day.)

Try some or all of these tips so that your need for chemical solutions is reduced.

Cat Repellent, How to Keep Cats Out Of Your Garden

2006-05-27T14:40:00.000-07:00

Cat Repellent or How to Keep Cats Out of Your Garden

Do cat repellents work? How to stop a cat from using garden as litterbox? Tell me how to keep cats out of my garden. These are common questions of concern to all gardeners but is there a real answer?

The first line of defence is to ensure that your yard boundaries are secure. Any gaps in your fence should be blocked to deny low level access. But cats can jump so fix a taut wire or string some six inches above the top of your fence to deter this approach.

Once inside your garden many people say that the best cat repellent is a dog who will soon see off any feline invader. If you are not a dog lover then you will have to resort to more passive methods. Since cats like to lie on freshly dug soil you should lay mulch on your borders so that no bare soil is left exposed. Seed beds should be covered with wire netting or twigs arranged as a barrier.

Young trees should have plastic guards fitted around their trunks to protect them against use as a scratching pole. Your garden pond should be covered with netting to keep your fish safe.

Cats are generally known to dislike water so a well aimed bucketful or a squirt with the hose will certainly make an intruder run. After one or two dousings it may learn the lesson and stay away.

To protect plants and borders both mothballs and citrus are said to be effective deterrents. Place the mothballs, orange peel or lemon rind in the borders. Alternatively spray cloths with orange scented air freshener and place the cloths around the plants you wish to protect.

Other known cat repellents are cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, pipe tobacco, lavender oil, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, eucalyptus oil and mustard oil.

Certain herbs are said to deter cats. In particular rue but not catmint which has the opposite effect. Coleus canina is another plant which is marketed by one merchant as a cat repellent.

The broadcaster Jerry Baker has suggested treating your yard with a tonic made from chewing tobacco, urine, birth control pills, mouthwash, molasses, detergent and beer. A small holder has reported success using dried rabbit blood but you may feel that the ingredients listed in the previous paragraph should be tried first.

If you visit your local garden center or hardware store you will find several cat repellent products on sale. These range from electric water sprinklers and ultrasonic devices to sprays and granules.

Motion activated sprinklers act in the same way as a burglar alarm using an infra red detector. When the cat enters the area covered by the detector the sprinkler shoots out a jet of water to scare the animal away. It is claimed that, after one or two encounters with the jet, the cat will learn to avoid the area.

Ultrasonic devices emit a high frequency sound which is annoying to cats (and dogs) but is not audible to humans. There are various different models some of which operate continuously and others which have an infra red detector and only emit a pulse of sound when the cat triggers the device.

To be successful you need to ensure that the model is powerful enough to cover the area you wish to protect. In addition make sure that the sound frequency is designed for larger animals since some models are intended to deter insects and so would be no use for cats.

There are also commercial scent cat repellents. Those that use chemicals should be kept away from any food crops but the essential oil based granule varieties act in the same way as orange and lemon peel mentioned above. Another way to keep a cat out if the garden is a repellent evaporator which consists of a container holding puffed rice which has been impregnated with essential oils. These are effective for three to four weeks and can then be refilled for a further period.

Another natural product which many people claim really keeps a cat out of the garden is lion's dung. You may need to visit your local zoo to obtain this although some stores do stock zoo poo.

In Ontario, Canada the local township provides a cat trap service. Once the animal enters the cage it cannot escape but is completely unharmed. The owner has to pay to recover his pet and so should be encouraged not to let the cat stray in future.

Apparently few owners bother to reclaim their cats but just obtain another kitten. However this sounds like a good way of dealing with a cat that cannot be deterred by any other method. If there is no such scheme in your area, just buy your own trap.

So, to recap, the first priority is to secure your boundary fences. Then you have the whole selection of suggested cat repellents ranging from homemade recipes to expensive commercial gadgets. I would suggest that you try the orange peel and prickly twigs for a start.

If you are around when the intruder appears, try the bucket of water or hose. Even if you miss, the shock may be a sufficient deterrent. If these do not do the trick, then you may have to consider the commercial alternatives.

by Hugh Harris-Evans

Hugh Harris-Evans is the owner of The Garden Supplies Advisor where you will find further articles, gardening tips and product reviews.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hugh_Harris-Evans

Does Natural Pest Control Work?

2006-05-27T14:28:00.000-07:00

Natural Pest Control On The Rise, But Does It Work?

The growing concerns over health and environmental issues continue to drive awareness and usage of alternative methods for pesticide-free pest control. These methods range from home-made remedies to professional pesticide alternatives that are currently being adopted by several national pest control providers.

Today there are only a few pockets of smaller specialized natural pest control operators around the country, but the demand from consumers are creating a noticeable growth pattern in this untapped market as well.

Many cities, state and federal government entities including schools around the country are leading the way in adopting Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs to reduce or even eliminate the use of pesticides all together. Why the shift to alternative methods? We are beginning to see well documented medical and scientific studies on the negative effects of pesticides being used today.

For example, the U.S. Geological Survey recently released Pesticides in the Nation’s Streams and Ground Water, in March 2006. This study was a 10 year survey from 1992 to 2001 which reveals concerning residual effects of pesticide use.

Every year, nearly one billion pounds of pesticides, many of which are linked to cancer, birth defects, neurological disorders, and environmental impacts, are used in the U.S, much of it ending up in our nation’s waterways.

National Pesticide-Free Resources & Information Many organizations and grassroots movements continue to educate communities and citizens through the tireless efforts of concerned individuals. These efforts are no doubt creating an impact on consumer awareness and product purchasing requirements.

Information on IPM is available at sites such as the EPA at http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/ipm and the IPM Institute at http://www.ipminstitute.org/. A very popular and informational grassroots organization called Beyond Pesticides at http://www.beyondpesticides.org is also informative on new legislation, pesticide news, and pesticide reduction information.

A Balanced View of Effective Pest Control The safe control of unwanted insects and weeds must be pursued with a balanced and global view of efficacy, cost, consequential effects on human health and the environment.

Until today, there has been the perception that safer alternatives cost more or don’t even work at all. Thus, giving rise to the continued use of more toxic forms of pest control. If we don’t see the negative effects immediately, it easily becomes out of sight and out of mind.

Costs for pesticide free alternatives are very comparable to traditional pesticides. The difference in cost per square foot is nominal or even irrelevant when compared to the health benefits of the building occupants.

Does Natural Pest Control Work? So the biggest question I receive from both residential users and professional applicators is: Does it work? In short, YES! As with any pest control product, there are solutions that maximize the control of specific types of pests whether you have ants, roaches, scorpions, termites, mosquitoes, ticks, weeds, or whatever.

Choosing the right products however, is often difficult. So we always recommend those products that meet the performance requirements of organic farmers or professional applicators since they also have a significant financial interest in their effectiveness. Having distinctions from OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) and Food Tolerance Exemptions also helps filter through the marketing hype while adding another layer of product safety assurance.

If you are fortunate to have a friend or acquaintance that uses natural pest control or IPM methods, getting a personal endorsement is invaluable to help you save time and money. Lastly, always read the label. You’ll find a lot more information than you think.

Don’t overlook the many proven alternatives that will keep your building free of hazardous pesticides and unwanted pests. If you use a professional pest control service, inquire about pesticide free alternatives. If you are doing it yourself and can’t find what you are looking for on your local store shelf, ask the store owner to stock them.

by John Bennett

John Bennett is the President of Eco Safety Products, a national Green Building & Facility Maintenance Supply Distributor. For more information, the company website is at http://www.ecosafetyproducts.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Bennett

Termites & Wood-boring Insects

2006-05-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

Termites: Unwelcome Guests, Part I Wood-boring Insects & Fungi
By Gil Strachan

Mold and mildew can occur in your home at almost any time of the year, if the moisture content of building materials is twenty percent or greater. (You should start to notice mouldy odors.)

A good plan of attack begins with decreasing dampness and increasing ventilation. Maintain a negative slope away from your house; and ensure that evestroughing, down-spouts and drains are free of debris, and properly directing water away from your foundation wall.

Wood-decaying fungi attack wet wood, or wood in extremely humid, unventilated areas. They can cause serious damage to wooden structures. To inhibit rot, remove the source of moisture and improve ventilation, the same as for mould and mildew.

Wet rot is characterized by dark, spongy wood, and members infested with dry-rot become brittle and cracked.

Subterranean termites are found in Southern Ontario and British Columbia, where they feed on wood and can damage houses. Termite colonies nest underground, foraging for wood to satisfy their appetite for cellulose. Termites can travel above ground, and often into houses, via shelter tubes constructed of sawdust and saliva. Termites are similar to ants, but with straight bodies and antenna.

Carpenter ants and powder-post beetles are also common in Southern Ontario. They don't ingest wood as termites do, however colonies nesting in wood can cause considerable damage. Look for sawdust and frass (excrement) near exit holes in wood.

Carpenter bees are similar in appearance to bumblebees, and nest in exterior spaces such as behind fascia, soffits or other trim.

Make your house less accessible, by avoiding wood-earth contact around the house and keeping exterior trim in good repair. Keep shrubbery trimmed back, remove tree stumps and inspect regularly for shelter-tubes or any signs of damage, especially in dark, unventilated areas.

Pay particular attention to wooden decks and stairs, and areas where the structure rests on the foundation wall, and especially in crawl spaces or any area with an earthen floor. Probe wooden structures with a sharp tool, as termites often leave no surface indications.

Look for shelter tubes, seal cracks in foundation walls and check where pipes enter exterior walls. Termites swarm to create new colonies closer to sources of cellulose; so be on the lookout, especially in the spring, for large numbers of flying insects or discarded wings.

If you suspect a colony, especially of termites, contact your local environmental agency, or call a licensed, professional exterminator.

Gil Strachan is a professional home inspector, representing Electrospec Home Inspection Services in east-central Ontario, Canada since 1994. Visit http://www.allaroundthehouse.com to learn more about home inspections.

The Home Reference Book
You can probably find a home inspection for a little less than what we ask, but you probably won't find the Home Reference Book. A $60 value, this solutions-oriented reference tool comes free with every inspection we perform. It's the first tool you should have around the house!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gil_Strachan

Types Of Cockroaches, And How To Get Rid Of Cockroaches

2005-09-06T16:47:00.000-07:00

How To Get Rid Of Cockroaches

There are five basic types of cockroaches that enter our homes.

American Cockroach
Smokeybrown Cockroach
Oriental Cockroach
Brownbanded Cockroach
German Cockroach

The American Cockroach is probably the largest of all five. The American cockroach has a yellow band across its head. The smokey brown cockroach can be just a little smaller than the American Cockroach and is a dark brown or Mahoney in color. The Oriental cockroach is about the size of the smokey brown cockroach or maybe just a little smaller and is a dark brown or black. These are the three larger cockroaches ranging in size from 1 inch to 1½ inch in size.

The two smaller cockroaches ranging in size from ½ to 5/8 inch are the German cockroach and the brownbanded cockroach. The two somewhat look alike. The German cockroach is probably the most presistant cockroach found in the United States. You'll find these German cockroaches mostly in the kitchen area or around a water source such as bathrooms. They will infest inside your cabinets and other cracks and crevices. Its best to eliminate the German cockroach as soon as possible or you will have a house full of them in no time.

German Cockroaches

German cockroaches can become an enormous problem if something is not done to control them. Did you know that one German cockroach egg capsule can contain 20 to 40 small baby cockroaches when hatched.

The German cockroach is the most persistent cockroach found in the United States. The reason for this, and the reason this cockroach multiplies so quickly is that the egg capsule is carried during is complete life cycle. The German cockroach only releases the egg capsule when the babies are ready to emerge, thus increasing the life cycle of the German cockroach. Most other cockroaches paste their egg capsule to a surface which makes it vunerable to environmental conditions and other predators thus reducing their life expectancy.

German cockroaches normanally live inside as opposed to the American cockroaches and the other large cockroaches that live outside and come inside for food and shelter. The German cockroach is usually brought into your home in a grocery sack or some other way. Lets say you know someone that has German cockroaches in their home, or maybe you don't know that they have them. They come to visit you and boom, you have a house full of cockroaches. German cockroaches as with other types of cockroaches can be brought in in boxes, purses, clothing, furniture (especially used furniture) or anything else.

What cockroaches eat and their health hazards

Cockroaches will eat almost anything, from book bindings, paper, food and even human flesh. Did you know that doctors in some inner city areas report that one-half of the foreign objects they remove from children's ears are cockroaches and that Cockroaches have been identified as a common cause of asthma. Health experts say inhalation of cockroach feces and body fragments, particularly among inner-city children, has resulted in an explosion of ashtma cases in the past two decades. It is believed that the cockroach may be a carrier for a range of bacteria, including salmonella, staphylococcus and streptococcus.

How to get rid of Cockroaches

There are sprays, baits and bait stations. Sprays work well for contact kill but they won't get rid of your cockroaches. Cockroaches will sence the smells and go back into the wall and cracks and crevices and stay away from these sprays until they are gone. Baits seem to work best. I've been treating for german roaches for about 12 years now and all the sprays do is rid your home of these pests for a short period of time. Sure, you're going to kill a few. I've cleaned many homes of German roaches and baits work best. You can call a professional but be careful. Not all companies are honest.

If you do it yourself than here's what you can do. Go to your local hardware store, homecenter or even Walgreen's and buy some ®Combat roach bait gel. It usually comes in a syringe or tube and apply this gel in all cracks and crevices in your home. All kitchen cabinets ( you don't have to empty your cabinets ). Just apply it in tiny dots about the size of a BB and no larger than a pea. Apply it to all corners of your cabinets and anywhere else you see roaches.

Even boric acid works well. If you have a heavy infestation open up all your electrical switch plate covers and apply in the wall through the switch plate covers.

If you would like to learn more on getting rid of the cockroaches in your home and what to expect, take the five day email course. Its not as hard as you may think! You will be sent one lesson every day and you can opt out at any time. Visit www.nomorecockroaches.com/ecourse.html. Subscribe to Infobreaks Newsletter and receive a free insect identification guide.
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Rodent Proofing Your Home

2005-08-26T23:59:00.000-07:00

Rodent Proofing Your Home

It's that time of year where rats and mice are apt to enter our homes. Lets talk a bit about their abilities and senses first.

Rats and mice cannot see very good beyond 3 or 4 feet but have a very good sense of motion up to 30 to 50 feet away and for the most part they are color blind. Rodents are most active at night.

These rodents have a very good sense of taste so baits may be rejected by them if they are contaminated with insecticides or odors from other chemicals. Even touching baits after smoking a cigarette will make these rodents to shy away from the baits.

Rats and mice also have a good sense of smell. They mark pathways with urine and use their sense of smell to recognize the odors of the pathway to and from food sources.

Their hearing is much better than humans and make noises in various situations such as mating.

Rodents have a highly developed sense of touch due to their sensitive body hairs. They rely heavily on touch and smell to guide them through movements. The territories of most rats are between 50 and 150 feet from the nest. For mice the average territories within buildings are between 10 and 30 feet.

Rodent Proofing Your Home

The best way to control mice and rats is to make it impossible for them to enter your home. That can be difficult with mice because they can pass through an opening only 3/8 inch thick.

In general, all openings greater than 1/4 inch thick should be sealed for mice and all openings greater than 1/2 inch should be sealed for rats.

Check all openings around utility lines that enter your home, around service conduits such as water pipes, electric wires, air-conditioning units, drain pipes and vents should all be sealed.

Also check for broken windows and unscreened vents. Vents should be covered with metal grillwork backed by rust-resistant screening. Roofs should be checked to see that shingles are down tight and sheathing is complete. Check roof ventilators, screen vents and in wall vents.

Make sure you check under sinks where pipes enter the wall. This is a great area for mice and rats to enter your home or business.

Copper mesh stuffing, course steel wool, sheet metal, hardware cloth and mortar can be used to seal the spaces around these areas. Just use your imagination.

These are not all areas that mice and rats can enter your home. Its impossible for me to think of everywhere. Like I said, just use your imagination.

by T. Taylor

About The Author
The author of this article has been in the pest control business for over 10 years and has cleaned out many homes of rodents and insects pests. To find out more about insects and other pests and to receive a free pest identification guide please visit his website. http://www.infobreaks.com

Check out the Cockroach Information
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Ultra Sonic Pest Chaser for Rodents
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Control Ants Without Poison

2005-07-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

Ants are pests in the house. In the home common ants aren't harmful but they are a nuisance. There are many natural repellants which can be used to discourage ants from kitchen counters, pantries, and other areas where food lures them in.

As a first step, try to prevent the ants from entering the house. Use less chemical fertilizers and pesticides in the lawn and gardens. These cause an imbalance in the biological makeup of the soil. Stressed soil and plants attract ants. Many species of ants like to drink honeydew from aphids. If good control of aphids in plants and gardens near houses is exercised, ants will be less numerous.

Ants seem to dislike spearmint, tansy, and pennyroyal. Plant these near the house to keep ants away. Sweet fern is particularly disliked by red ants. A simple recipe to repel ants can be made by adding to an eight ounce bottle of mild liquid soap one ounce each of citronella, pennyroyal, peppermint, cinnamon, rose and tea oil. Mix together and add three tablespoons to two cups of water. Spray where ants are entering the house.

This formula can also be used to wash down counters in the kitchen but only use one-half tablespoon to two cups of water. Spray trash and recycling bins if ants are a problem there. For anthills near the house pour boiling water into the nest. Once ants have entered the house, other measures have to be taken.

Pennyroyal, tansy, and mint leaves scattered on surfaces where ants are found can be used as a deterrent. Bay leaves broken in small pieces is also helpful. Some people have found a mixture of the following ingredients helpful in repelling ants. One cup water, one-fourth cup plus one tablespoon hot sauce, one-fourth cup liquid soap, and one teaspoon spearmint of peppermint flavoring. Put in a spray bottle and spray where ants enter the house.

Washing down counters with an equal solution of vinegar andwater is repulsive to ants. Powdered cloves or red pepper sprinkled on surface where ants are found serves as an excellent repellant. Ants are extremely fastidious and will not return to where these hot spices can get on their feet and antennae.

If it not too inconvenient, sticky fly paper placed in strategic areas will capture crawling ants. Perhaps one of the most unusual substances used that discourages ants from pantry shelves are broken egg shells. Lastly, clean up all food after eating for it is the crumbs that attract the ants.

For more ways to control ants visit: http://www.apluswriting.net/garden/antcontrol.htm

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Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the environment. Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading. Website: http://www.apluswriting.net/

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