Summer Spider Suggestions

  

 Like most insects, spiders are much more prevalent in the summertime. Spiders by nature are much more difficult to control than most other insect species. That is why in conjunction with spraying around your home, you should also take steps to make sure your property is not an environment conducive to spiders.

            So you have treated the house, what else can you do? Part of the answer to that question lies in the food source for the types of spiders you may have around your home. Spiders are predators and their prey is other smaller insects. So by eliminating the insects that are the food sources, you will force the spiders to go elsewhere to find a meal. Methods to accomplish this include chemical spraying and sealing up any holes or voids around your house that would allow the prey insects to enter.

            In order to eliminate the food source though, you will need to determine which bugs are the food source, and to do that, you must learn the species of spiders you are dealing with. So, in a roundabout way, to knock down the number of spiders around your home, you should research and learn what type of spider you have. From there learn the types of insects they eat and finally determine how to get rid of those insects. It seems like a number of steps, but this is relatively easy and will go a long ways in helping you see fewer spiders in the summer.

            So now you have determined the type of spider and what it is eating. You have all but eliminated that food source, now what? Next you will want to have a look at the outside of your house. Take a look at your landscaping; shrubs, bushes and other plants are excellent harborage areas for spiders. Offering shade and moisture, these areas are home to a multitude of insects. Keeping your landscaping trimmed and well-kept can drastically reduce spider populations.

            The last item you may want to consider doing to eliminate spiders around your home is controlling the moisture levels outdoors. Most homes now have underground sprinkler systems that make watering the lawn as simple as setting a program and forgetting about it.  But, if you can afford to water your lawn less without damaging it, this may be something you want to consider. Once again, the habitat with large amounts of moisture helps all insect populations to thrive, including the food sources for spiders. Eliminating moisture will decrease quantities of other insects that may be present around your home.

            Spider control around the home truly is difficult because it requires you to not only treat for the spider, but for its food source as well. When doing a perimeter spray around your home, products like Cyzmic CS or Cyper-LO is an excellent choice as both provide rapid knockdown of spiders and also leave a long lasting residual as well. If you have any questions, check out our Contact Us page to get more information. 

Spider Suspicion

Okay, so you just spotted a spider crawling across the floor in your living room, what do you do? You smash it of course! What’s next? Well more than likely after cleaning it up, you have already begun trying to remember where that bottle of pesticide is because you have some spraying to do. But what if I told you there was a step in between? A little detective work before you begin applying chemical might just help you to better curb the problem. There is a reason for a spider being named a Brown Recluse; spiders are notoriously good at going undetected by humans. When the warmer months come around, that is when spider sightings increase, and not because they become emboldened but because there are just more around. So before you begin spraying for arachnids, take some time to inspect around the house to determine the type and severity of the spider you may be dealing with.

            According to an article in the Pest Control Technology magazine (PCT), there are four distinct areas to inspect around a home or structure before treating for spiders.

1.      Lighting- Spiders eat other species of insects. While it difficult to pinpoint where an insect might be during the daytime, it is much easier to determine where spiders are likely to be in the nighttime, near a food source! Lights attract all types of insects, so spiders set up shop near the light in hopes of catching a tasty meal. So if you are looking to rid yourself of spiders, be sure to treat areas that are lit at night.

2.      Dark and Secluded- Spiders like many other insects and animals are nocturnal. So when while you might not see them around in the daylight, if you inspect dark areas such as cracks and crevices, you might just find some hiding.

3.      Look Around- check corners of rooms and floor corners where two walls meet. Spiders suspend webs in these areas for many reasons, the least of which is protection. This might require you to look in and around items that often get overlooked such as drapes, curtain, closets etc. Locating nesting areas like this will help you be much more effective when trying to control spiders.

Spiders can be difficult to control for many reasons. One of the biggest reasons they can be a chore is because people do not know where they are coming from. Inspecting the house will help you learn where they have been so you can have a better idea of where you should be treating.

     Removal of spider webs is an integral part of spider management that can be done using a Cobweb Duster or a broom. After that, you will want to take a pesticide concentrate and treat the areas you have found spider activity from your inspection. Products containing Cypermethrin, like Viper, or Lambda-Cyhalothrin like Cyzmic CS is often a good choice to control spiders. So this summer if you begin to notice an increasing number of spiders, be sure to inspect areas that they are likely to hang out before you begin to spray. 

Product Spotlight: Kills Bedbugs Plus - J.T. Eaton

            I always like to highlight the new products that emerge in the market throughout the year. As you can imagine, with Bed Bug populations on the rise, this particular insect has captivated the pest control audience for the last 24 months. And so, this bug has also captured the eyes, ears, and dollars of the R&D departments of most manufacturers in the industry. The most recent to join the mix is J.T. Eaton with their new aerosol. While the name states what it kills, this product can also be used on ants, cockroaches and dust mites. But since the hot topic these days is the ever increasingly difficult to kill Bed Bug, we will just stick to that for now. Pesticide manufacturers are finding new variations and blends of existing chemicals to be more efficient at bedbug knockdown than the traditional products.

 J.T. Eaton has combined three active ingredients in their new product and has had outstanding results. The first of the three is Pyrethrins, which is a naturally occurring ingredient derived from Chrysanthemum flowers. While it does not have much effect after it dries, Pyrethrins offers an almost instantaneous killing of insects that come in contact with it during the application. The second of three ingredients is Permethrin which is a man-made chemical that offers a slightly slower knockdown of the Bed Bug, but leaves a lasting impression at it will still kill insects for some time after the application. Last, but most definitely not least is Piperonyl Butoxide. Simply put, Piperonyl Butoxide (PBO) helps the first two ingredients be much more effective. Like a human, an insect has pores in its exoskeleton, and the pores are how the chemicals travel inside the insect to attack its nervous system. PBO helps open the pores allowing much quicker travel to the insect’s vitals.

KillsBedbugs Plus is a great new option to try if you have Bed Bugs invading your house. This product can be applied anywhere you might find one crawling around. This one of just a handful of products that can be used not only on the box springs and seams of your mattress, but also on all surfaces of your mattress as well. But it does not stop there. While most infestations begin in a bedroom, they may expand to other parts of the house including other pieces of furniture such as a couch. That is okay, Kills Bedbugs Plus can be sprayed in those areas as well. No matter where you use this product, you will want to keep off of that treated area until the product has had enough time to dry. And since most of the areas that you may use this product are also areas that you are more likely to spend time in, J.T. Eaton recommends that you do not use the product more than 1 time per day. Their product line goes much further than bed bug products, so check out our J.T. Eaton page to other useful products for all of your pest problems. 

Ant Eaters

    So I am sure some of you are thinking I am going to write about the mammal that is known for eating both ants and termites. Anteaters originate from South and parts of Central America and can some species grow up to 1.8 meters or almost six feet! After all this is a blog about pest control, so why not talk about an animal that exists on earth thanks to the pests it consumes as part of its daily eating habits? But since Anteaters are not native to America, perhaps it is better that I stick to the ants who are eaters of the foods we leave in our kitchens.

            Whether you live in an apartment or single family home a neighborhood or downtown, it is likely that you have come across ants in your kitchen at one point in time or another. All insects have certain conditions that make them more prevalent to humans, and when it comes to ants, those conditions just happen to most often take place in kitchens. Almost all ant species, whether big or small, are attracted to two things, sugar and water. Water is a necessity to all matters of life and next to water is food, and for ants, food often comes in the form of sugar. Any product containing sugar is highly palatable ants almost year round, so it is no surprise when you find ants in the sugar bowl in your pantry or raiding a banana left on the kitchen counter.

            Chemical sprays are often the best forms of pest control to use in and around structure to keep the bugs at bay. But kitchens are different. Because most of the surfaces in a kitchen have the potential to be exposed to food, it is important to try to stay away from liquid and aerosol pesticides on those surfaces. Instead, when it comes to insects and in particular ants, we use baits in kitchen to help eradicate the problem. Baits are a great choice because they can be self-contained and are very clean applications to use in the kitchen on counter tops or pantries where food may be present.

             A bait station such as the InTice Gelanimo is bait that comes pre-packaged in ant stations that contains highly attractive sugar gel bait. Bait stations are perfect for placing directly on counter tops or other flat surfaces not only keeping the bait away from food, but also allowing easy access for the ants.

            Some situations in the kitchen do not allow for easy placement of bait stations. This is when I prefer bait gels that typically come in a syringe like container and is used to place the bait directly on the surface where the ants are being seen.

            Whatever the problem is you are having in your kitchen, there will always be an ant product out there. Just be sure to research the product before you buy it. One last word of advice is in order to help the products work more effectively, you will want to make sure the surfaces where you are placing the bait is clean of any sort of chemical spray. Whether it is 409, Windex or a pesticide, if you do not use a wet rag to wipe the surfaces down, the ants might just not take the bait. 

Pigeon Pollution

            One of my favorite movies growing up a kid was Home Alone. While Macaulay Culkin’s time as a star was brief he took part in many great movies that have become classics of their own. From Richie Rich to The Little Rascals and of course the Home Alone, series, he played big roles in many of the movies people my age grew up watching. In the second of three movies, Kevin (played by Macaulay Culkin) finds himself lost in New York after accidently following a man who looked extremely similar to his father, onto the wrong plane in the airport. While his family was headed for a tropical Christmas, little Kevin finds himself stepping off a plane all alone in the Big Apple. Of the many people he meets throughout his journey, he comes across a homeless woman in Central park who has a rather strange connection with the park residents, feral pigeons. If you have seen the movie, then you can picture the end scene when she scatters the bird on the two criminal thugs and the birds come to Kevin’s rescue as mass on the men and devour the bird seed. While the movie paints a pleasant picture of feral pigeons, the fact of the matter is that they actually are a damaging, costly pest.

            Roosting pigeons are considered a pest for many different reasons. Let’s take city parks as an example in light of the Home Alone movie. Daily pigeons rest on items such as statues in urban parks. You may not think about it as you walk by a statue that was freshly “improved” by a pigeon, but pigeon droppings are caustic and cities pay thousands of dollars a year in just the cleaning and maintenance of statues thanks to the feral flyers. Additionally, because of how corrosive the droppings are, many plants and manufacturing facilities have entire teams dedicated to keep the property clear of pigeons and the debris they leave behind. While the companies may pay several people to strictly clean up after them, which is far less expensive than the damage that can occur by simply leaving the waste where the birds leave it. While it is a significantly smaller problem, injuries occur quite often each year due to slipping and falling thanks to pigeon poop. In areas where pigeons mass, large amounts of droppings can actually create a slippery surface and if you are not paying attention, you just might slip and fall into all that mess.

             Bird Control around the house is much different than urban and commercial areas. Typically homeowners that live in suburban areas see far less pigeons than in more congested areas. But, that does not mean bird problems do not exist for suburban homeowners. Products such as 4 The Birds are designed to be applied directly to the areas that birds are nesting or roosting.  Applied with a caulking gun, 4 The Birds acts as an irritant to birds and once associated with that area, the bird will not return. So unless you are like the bird lady in Home Alone, this might be a product you will want to try. 

Product Spotlight: Ultracide

            The old adage, work smarter not harder, is often times easier said than done. Sometimes do a job or project right, the method that will produce the best results does not allow for any shortcuts or simplified steps. America is full of do-it-yourselfers who take pride in seeing a task through from start to finish so they are not interested in working on something half-heartedly; they want to do it right no matter how long it takes. Pest control around the home is no different. It is not often that the effective way of killing a bug is also one of the more simple routes. And with a relentless pest like the flea, surely no shortcut would be worthwhile in the long run. But when it comes to treating fleas indoors, believe it or not, the shortcut produces great results. Most pesticides are in a liquid concentrate form that has to be diluted with water in a pump up sprayer. While effective, these methods can sometimes be messy and take a time to get the chemical properly prepared. Thanks to the people at BASF (who refer to themselves as “The Chemical Company”), There is an aerosol spray for fleas and ticks indoors that eliminates all mess of preparation while still delivering the end results we are all looking for.

            While Ultracide has been around for a while, the results are no less impressive.  It is designed to be sprayed on almost any surface indoors; from carpet, tile and wood floors, to furniture including couches, recliners and even mattresses. Because of the nature of the ingredients in Ultracide, however, it is encouraged to not apply the product to leather furniture as it may damage and dry the leather.

            So like any indoor flea treatment, vibration is the key. It is always best if you can create vibration every other day on the treated areas between applications. For carpets, this would mean vacuuming. Applications should be done every 10 to 15 days for up to three treatments. Ultracide is an aerosol that is designed to be used while upside down. Starting in the furthest corner of a room from the door, begin applying the product about an arm’s length away from the floor and overlapping by about 10%. Containing three different active ingredients, Ultracide will do a number on both the adult fleas and eggs. Just like any other flea treatment, the vibration will inevitably stir up the fleas and for the first week or so it may seem like your problem is actually getting worse. Do not be alarmed, just continue as planned.

            Any time you try something new it is always good to read up on it before you venture out. Check out our Flea Control Guide for tips on how to use Ultracide more effectively. After you have gathered all of your information on fleas, you may want to check out a short video on Ultracide and see it in action. BASF is one of the leading manufacturers in the pest control industry, and products like Ultracide are the reasons why. 

What Can You Do but Wait 'Till July

            There are many signs at the end of May to show that summer is upon us. Grocery stores, Wal-Mart, Target and Walgreens all start putting sunscreen front and center so that the customers can grab some and gear up for the pool. Parents start coming up with activities for their kids to do so they stay out of trouble with the newly found free time in the absence of school. Backyard grills and get togethers become a weekly occurrence for most families. And as the sunlight fades, the mosquitoes begin to buzz ushering us all back into the comfort of the indoors. But it is not till nightfall that the true mark of summer makes its way out. It starts by little taps on your windows and before you know it, you entire home is surrounded by them. Yes, it is the inevitable summer time pest, the June bug, or June beetle depending on what part of the country you are in. After dark, in most parts of our country, the outside becomes alive with this particular bug. Drawn to light, it is now wonder that the June bug immediately heads for homes and given just the smallest opening, will barge its way into garages and homes.

            Like a large number of insects, the June bug goes through complete metamorphosis, starting as an egg, and then becoming larvae, followed by the pupae stage and finally an adult. The adult June bug is what is found outside your home in the evenings but what most people do not realize is that they actually begin right under your nose and with a little preparation can be prevented. The June bug larvae are actually white grub worms that exist in your yard and flower beds for up to three years before going through the pupae stage in the spring. Living up to four years, the final change for the June beetle is that from pupae to adult in the summer time, starting around June!

            The best type of control of this insect is going to occur during its larvae stage when it is in the ground. Underground, the white grub worms feed on grass and plant roots often times harming plants. The best type of insecticide is going to be one with a systemic effect. Systemic insecticides are typically those that will absorb well into the soil and penetrate down deeper than other chemicals. One product that is highly recommended for grub worms and other soil applications is Imidacloprid 2F. This product works its way deep into the soil and will eliminate the grubs existing. While this will not do much good for you this summer, if you begin applications now and follow the label instructions for additional applications throughout the next 12 months, you will be able to eliminate the bug that always seems to find its way inside your home when someone forgets to close the door all the way or leaves a window open. Check out our website to pick up some Imidacloprid 2F now and be sure to read over the product label when you receive your order to ensure proper application to your yard and plants. 

Keeping Mickey at Disney

            Several weeks ago a colleague of my wife’s approached me with a “relentless” rodent problem at their home. His wife had spotted several mice scampering about their home in various rooms. The great thing about rodent control is that there are many different options because the scenarios can be infinitely diverse. The couple has a young child who is just beginning to venture around the house without the assistance of either parent. With this in mind, they wanted an option that would keep little Addie safe. My first recommendation was to simply use some glue traps along with some peanut butter as an attractant, and place the traps in the areas where it seems like the activity is the greatest. Feces are often a good indicator of this. Its gross to think about I know, but Mickey Mouse droppings are like bread crumbs, it helps us see exactly where they have been. I reminded him it was important to place the traps along the edges of walls, appliances or furniture because both rats and mice have poor eyesight, so they follow along edges with the sides of their body. He thanked me and then went straight home to rid himself of his little furry friends.

            About ten days later I receive a call from him and much to my chagrin, my glue trap suggestion failed. Now, I work for a company who sells pest control products and should be a credible source in his eyes. Needless to say I was a little embarrassed. As far as I knew his child had not magically grown up and was still exploring with her new found ability so I could not offer him any sort of mechanical trap or poison. Well, like I said there are many different options, so my next suggestion was one relatively new and not commonly used; rodent exclusion. No matter the situation, every rodent problem has one common denominator, an access point(s). If rodents are shying away from your trap or your bait, then a great alternative is determining how they have made it into your house and simply deny them that access. I told him to go home and determine where the mice were getting in at. Most likely, entrance points will be close in proximity to the area where the largest amount of the rodent activity has been observed. He called me back later that day and told a couple holes around his soffit and one inside his garage. That night he came by and picked up a tube of DeTour for Rodents a repellent packaged in a caulk tube. DeTour contains white pepper and other minerals and oils in a waterproof gel. It is designed to caulk around access points to prevent rodents and even, squirrels, raccoon and opossum from entering an area. A very simple process, I received a call three days later to be informed that “Mickey had packed his bags and must have left for Disney World!” 

Set It and Forget It

            Back in May I wrote a few posts about mosquitoes and how to rid your home of them. As we have all learned in the past few years, not only can this insect carry Malaria which has proven highly fatal to humans, they can also carry West Nile Virus that can be harmful to us as well. Since May, we have had several requests for a more in depth explanation of the timed mosquito misting system that can be used around homes and many other structures. So, without any further adieu, here is a response to all the requests from our readers.

            To be blunt, this is my preferred method of controlling mosquitoes and other insects for that matter. Because the operation is so effortless; if you are willing to spend a few hours of a Saturday installing this device, you will not regret it. If you think you would like to have one at your house, the first thing you will want to do is determine where you would like the misting to occur and where you will store the tank. Like a pool filter system, most misting tanks are best stored on the side of the house. Now that you have located where you will place the tank, you will next need to determine where and how many nozzles you will need. You will want to locate the nozzles in areas likely to harbor mosquitoes as well as areas you will frequent. Our standard system comes with 300 ft. of hose and 10 nozzles. Additional nozzles and hardware are available. It is recommended to place nozzles 15 to 20 ft. apart and along base of your home or structure about 6 inches above the ground. The nozzles are connected to ¼” polyethylene tubing which supplies the chemical from the tank. The tubing and nozzles can be attached to your home using nylon clamps which are also provided. These clamps do require drilling holes into the exterior of your home to allow screws to be used to hold the hose in place.

            Once you have drawn out your design, be sure to follow the instructions for proper assembly of your tank and timer. Each Misting System is equipped with a timer similar to a pool pump timer that will allow you to decide when and how long you want your system to run. At Solutions Stores, we recommend two to three times a day at dawn and dusk, typically around 30-45 seconds. As we all know, Mosquitoes are most active around those times, so that is when we want the machine to do its job. Keep in mind the times you choose, since it is a pesticide, you will want to be indoors, including pets, while the machine is running. Wait a minute or two once it has finished its cycle before heading outside. The tanks are capable of holding 55 gallons of water which on average can last almost three months. Products such as Vector Ban Plus or Riptide are perfect for these types of systems. One ½ gallon of either product is enough for an entire 55 gallon mixture. If you have any questions, contact us by email or our 1800 number and we can help you out!

Product Spotlight: InVade Hot Spot

            Let’s be honest for a minute. Some days, life just sucks. You wake up and right from the start you know the day is doomed. It might be a looming performance review you will be having with your boss that you no matter how well you may have performed, he/she will still find something to pick apart about your efforts. Or it might just be cleaning day around the house. There are only a select few who find cleaning therapeutic; most of us just find it downright miserable. Sure straightening up the living room and the bedroom are not that bad; maybe a little dusting here and there, vacuuming of some carpet sweeping a couple floors. None of that is all that bad but when it comes to the kitchen and the unspeakable (the bathroom), cleaning takes on a whole new level of misery.

Most products on our website are designed to help you get rid of bugs around your home. A company called Rockwell Labs has made a name for themselves in the pest control industry developing excellent product lines, one of which is named InVade. The InVade line of goods made by the Kansas City based company are a line of cleaning products designed for sanitation purposes in restaurant kitchens and other commercial areas, but have proven themselves as effective products for homeowners as well. Containing a combination of citrus oils and debris eating microbial, InVade products have become increasingly popular over the past few years.

If there ever was an all around tool to use in your home while cleaning, InVade Hot Spot would be that tool. If you know what “Scrubbing Bubbles” are, consider Hot Spot as Scrubbing Bubbles on steroids. Sometimes I will make a mess somewhere in my apartment just so I can use this product. InVade Hot Spot is a pressurized can of heaven, I mean foam. It works on everything from sticky floors, to grease stains on the stove to soap scum that has enveloped your bath tub. Hot Spot works great on pet stains in the carpet. Shake it up, spray the product on the stain and let it soak in for a few minutes, then just take a rag and rub the product in and let it breakdown the stain. Because it is a citrus based product, it rapidly breaks down stains and the odors that may come with it. As a preventative, I foam all of my drains before going to bed. I do this once every week or two and it helps keep all the drains clear of clogs as well as any bad odors that may exist in kitchen sinks from food. Hot Spot works wonders on garbage disposals. Since it is foam, it expands and will fill up the entire disposal, covering all the surfaces. You will go through a little more of the product that way, but if you are like me then sometimes your garbage disposal starts smelling a little ripe and you almost have to get it clean. Rockwell Labs has a ton of great products to try out, be sure to check out the InVade line while you are at it. 

What a Buzz Kill

            When I was a kid, anytime my mother told me we were going to the doctor’s office, I always feared the worst. As cool as I would try to act, when I saw the doctor preparing to give me a shot, tears would well up in my eyes. Visiting my pediatrician was always a traumatic experience, but being stung by a bee, now that was a nightmare. I can remember numerous summers in which I would be at the pool with minding my own business when I would inadvertently encroach on a bee’s territory and for that, pay the price. Now as much as I hated shots, I was petrified by bees. A mere sighting of one within ten feet of me and I would head straight to the pool and stay under water for as long as I could. Now, as I have learned more about the little creature, I am less worried about the pain they cause and more disturbed by the work and headaches they can bring about.

            An infestation of bees around your home is an unwelcome burden. Apart from the initial worry of being stung, they bring about a whole new set of problems when they decide to make your casa, their casa. Let me give you a hypothetical scenario that happens all the time for homeowners.

            Let’s say part of your house has siding. One day while mowing the grass, you happen to notice a few bees entering and departing your home from a little hole above your siding directly underneath your soffit. Chances are the bees you saw commuting back and forth have built a hive behind your siding and are currently in the process of creating honey and expanding their operation. This scenario presents two problems:

1.      You will need to eliminate the bees to protect you and your family.

2.      Removing the hive will be necessary to prevent any molding and further damage to your home.

So, how can you eliminate the bees? Because bees live in a hive (colony), they are social insects. A pesticide that can be introduced by just a few to the hive is ideal. The high levels of contact while in the hive will promote rapid spread of the product. Bees can be aggressive, so it is recommended to treat in the evenings when they are most docile. You will want to use a powdered insecticide such as D-Fense Dust combined with an insecticidal duster and gently dust into the opening where the bees travel. After three days, assess the activity, you may need to apply again to eliminate all of the bees.

            Once the bees have been eradicated, it is crucial to locate the hive. While the bees were busy living behind your siding, they made a sizable hive that contains honey. When alive, the colony of bees keeps the honey cool using their wings as “fans” creating cooler temperatures within the hive.  Now that the bees no longer exist, the honey will begin to warm and melt creating a severe mold issue if not promptly taken care of.

            I no longer fear the sting of a bee; I have come to realize that the pain is temporary. But, the damage bees can do to your home can be permanent and severe if not properly resolved. Bee control is not difficult, unfortunately depending on what they inhabit, it can be arduous. Use or Contact Us page if you have any questions, we have a number of knowledgeable staff ready to help you work through any problems you have.