A Pack Rat’s Life – National Pat Rack Day

Posted on May 14, 2012 by swilliams

Pack Rats LifeNational Pack Rat Day is May 17, and though the day refers to human hoarders who don’t like to throw things away, HomeTeam Pest Defense would like to give you an insider’s look at a pack rat’s life—the animal, not the human hoarder—from the perspective of the pack rat. Once you know a little more about a pack rat’s life, our pest management services can provide you with tips to prevent pack rats on your property.

A Pack Rat’s Life

My large ears, big dark eyes and wormlike tail seem like the characteristics of a regular rat, but I’m a pack rat—also known as a woodrat—and I’m attracted to small, bright and shiny objects. My favorite things to collect are spoons, coins, broken glass and pieces of jewelry.

My favorite nesting places are built from twigs, branches, sticks and other debris.  It provides excellent protection for me, my mate and offspring; though I live alone after my children are old enough to fend for themselves. I am an excellent climber. I love hanging out in carports, garages and patio areas that have plenty of places to hide. Woodpiles are fun to play in, too, as are storage sheds. I’ll even invite myself inside your home if I find holes in ventilation screens or exhaust fan covers.

I’m most active at night when I scavenge for food which typically consists of grass, fruit, leaves, dry seeds, bark and fungi. Of course, I’ll help myself to human food if it’s around.

Tips from Pest Management Services

If you think your home is suited to support a pack rat’s life, make a few changes:

  • Clip tree branches away from the house.
  • Keep bushes and other low plants trimmed.
  • Thin out dense areas of vegetation.
  • Make sure ventilation screens and exhaust fan covers fit tightly and are in good condition.
  • Clean up carports, garages and patio areas so pack rats can’t hide there.
  • Store firewood off the ground and away from walls.

To learn more about a pack rat’s life, visit our website www.PestDefense.com, or call one of our professionals at 855-855-4873. We also invite you to join us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn for additional tips regarding pest management services.

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MOTHER’s Day Bugs

Posted on May 7, 2012 by swilliams

mothers day bugsMay is the start of beautiful warm weather, a month for graduations and a time to mention Mother’s Day bugs. With Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 13, HomeTeam Pest Defense would like to highlight various insects that, together, spell out MOTHER. Some might inspire you to get pest control for the home while others might bring a smile to your face.

M is for mites of all kinds. There’s the dust mite, clover mite, itch mite, coconut mite, and even a house mouse mite, to name a few. The most prevalent mite in the home is the dust mite. Your mother was doing you a favor when she washed your sheets and vacuumed your room. It helped remove dust mites and their allergens.

O is for orange dog caterpillar, which turns into the beautiful Giant Swallowtail after some time in a cocoon. The insect eats leaves, but it causes no lasting harm to trees. Since the orange dog caterpillar hasn’t reached its full potential yet, it’s a great insect to include on the list of Mother’s Day bugs because mothers strive to help their children grow to their fullest potential—just like a caterpillar that will one day turn into a beautiful butterfly.

T is for tarantula, and although they look frightening, these spiders are docile and rarely bite humans. Even if a person is bitten, the bite doesn’t pack a bigger punch than a bee sting. Still, with some tarantulas measuring up to 10 inches across, it’s obvious why many people choose to avoid this spider—just like they avoid their own mother if she’s in a bad mood!

H is for honey bee, the sweetest of all Mother’s Day bugs. Without honey bees, there’d be no Mother’s Day bouquets, since the honey bee is responsible for about 80 percent[DD1]  of all pollination in the insect world. They also produce honey, the most sugary contribution from the insect world.

E is for earwig, which is actually a misleading name. This insect doesn’t actually sleep in people’s ears and bore into people’s brains—the name came from superstition. Although they don’t pose a threat, earwigs can really bug your mother if they make their way indoors. Think about how many times in your life your mother lent an ear to listen to your problems.

R is for red ant, also known as harvester ant. These ants have been observed closing their nests at night in the same way our mothers locked the doors and provided security for us at night.

A great Mother’s Day present might be to give the gift of pest control for the home, especially if your mother is dealing with irritating pests. Visit our website, pestdefense.com, or call one of our professionals at 855-855-4873. We also invite you to join us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn for additional tips regarding pest control for the home.

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The Pesky Mosquito | Mosquito Myths and Facts

Posted on May 1, 2012 by swilliams

HomeTeam Pest Defense, a leading pest management service, discusses the pesky mosquito and mosquito myths and facts.

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How to Identify Fleas and Ticks

Posted on April 30, 2012 by swilliams

how to identify fleas and ticksIf you keep a pet at home, you may be concerned about how to identify fleas and ticks. These insects can bother both humans and animals, making it essential that you prevent fleas and ticks from living and breeding in your home. Remember, a veterinarian is your best resource for treating pets bothered by fleas and ticks, but HomeTeam Pest Defense’s pest management services are useful for treating your home so you and your pet can remain free from fleas and ticks.

Here’s a look at how to identify fleas and ticks that have welcomed themselves into your home.

Identifying Fleas

Fleas are small, wingless bloodsuckers that are very difficult to see with the naked eye. Looking at them straight on, they appear very skinny. Even from the side, fleas are no more than 1/16 of an inch long. To get around, fleas jump. Adults feed only on warm-blooded hosts. They deliver bites that can cause itchy irritation and play host to transport tapeworm. Fleas go through a metamorphosis from egg to larvae to pupae to adults. It’s important to understand the different stages of their lifecycle in order to treat a home effectively.

Identifying Ticks

When you understand how to identify fleas and ticks, you quickly learn that ticks are quite different from fleas, though they are just as unpleasant to have in your home. Adult ticks have eight legs and look almost like spiders when they aren’t engorged with blood. Once they latch onto a person or animal and begin to draw blood, they can grow to between ¼ and ½ inch long, making ticks very noticeable when they are fully engorged. Ticks are most often seen when they are feeding on their host, unlike their flea counterparts that like to actively jump around. When moving, ticks crawl.

Now that you understand how to identify fleas and ticks, it’s time to get rid of them. You can try different do-it-yourself products or you can call a pest exterminator to inspect and treat your home and your yard. Different methods of pest control for the home are required to get rid of either ticks or fleas. Sometimes it seems that flea treatments fail when, in fact, it may take 3-5 weeks for the treatment to be effective because of the different life stages of the flea. At HomeTeam Pest Defense, we know just what is needed to restore your home to a tick- and flea-free zone.

To learn more about how to identify fleas and ticks, please contact HomeTeam Pest Defense by calling 855-855-4873, or visit our website for additional information about our pest management services. We also invite you to join us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn for additional tips regarding pest control for the home.

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Don’t Get Burned: Tips to Prevent Fire Ants

Posted on April 23, 2012 by swilliams

Red Imported Fire AntPeople seek tips to prevent fire ants because they are common in many regions throughout the United States.  The red imported fire ant was introduced to the United States in the 1930’s.  This ant becomes most active in the spring and fall, usually after a rain and when temperatures are above 75 degrees.  To prevent fire ant infestation, you should learn about the behavior of these ants and what they look like before delving into tips to prevent fire ants.

Like any other ant, red imported fire ants have a hard exoskeleton and six legs. They range in size from small to large and are generally reddish brown to black.  Fire ants have a stinger on their abdomen, which is how they defend themselves. It’s also how they sting humans, leaving behind swollen welts and burning pustules.

This discomfort alone is reason enough to seek tips to prevent fire ants, but some people are also allergic to fire ant stings. If you are stung by a fire ant, over-the-counter anti-itch cream or pain medicine may be sufficient to ease the discomfort.  If you experience any symptoms of an allergic reaction—headache, nausea, dizziness or difficulty breathing—you should seek professional medical intervention immediately.

The best way to prevent fire ant infestation is to seek professional pest control for the home. The methods delivered by a professional pest control expert are effective and long-lasting all around your property.  Fire ants are highly aggressive and will defend themselves if their mounds are disturbed, so be careful and do not harass any fire ant mounds.  Avoid a sting by leaving the job to experienced pest management services.

For more tips to prevent fire ants, visit our website, pestdefense.com, or call one of our professionals at 855-855-4873. We also invite you to join us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn for additional tips regarding pest management services.

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Integrated Pest Management – An Option in Pest Management Services

Posted on April 16, 2012 by swilliams

Integrated pest managementInsects and other pests started making their appearance earlier this year than usual. Do you know your options in regard to pest management services?

Have you heard of integrated pest management? In acknowledgement of Earth Day and Arbor Day this month, HomeTeam Pest Defense is sharing information on a type of pest management service called integrated pest management (IPM); this is certainly the time of year to learn about different types of pest management services options. Integrated pest management provides pest control for home by using a targeted systematic approach to reduce and exterminate pests. It includes an ecological approach, focusing on the life cycle of pests and their environmental interaction by reducing pest control chemicals and, in some cases, using none at all.

HomeTeam Pest Defense performs a 6-part IPM process. These steps include:

  • Inspecting and Monitoring: Seek out the actual pest, damage, or evidence such as fire ant mounds, rodent gnaw marks, termite wings, natural enemies, and environmental conditions.
  • Identifying: Not every insect is a pest. What type of pest is it? Is it bothering you? What kind of damage, if any, does it cause? For instance, in the case of honeybees, are they pollinating your flowers or building a bee hive?
  • Preventing: The best type of pest control is the kind that never has to happen.  By managing the environment, professionals can help prevent pests from appearing in the first place. Trimming bushes or trees away from the house and sealing soffit vents, gaps in doors, and windows are examples of prevention.
  • Predicting: By using their knowledge of identification and biology to determine whether or not populations will increase or decrease with time, HomeTeam professionals will evaluate the right type of control that offers the least amount of environmental impact or risk. Is it a temporary seasonal insect such, as crane flies or June bugs that don’t need any “control” because they’ll go away in time.
  • Deciding: Technicians will determine and recommend what type of control tools should be used to control the pest(s). It might be mouse traps, altering environmental conditions by removing standing water or reducing mulch bed, or sanitation controls that might involve moving garbage cans away from doorways.
  • Evaluating:  Over time, the technician and the homeowner should evaluate if the IPM approach has worked, continually monitoring and conducting follow-up inspections.

Integrated pest management can provide long-term protection against pests if done correctly and consistently. Homeowners need to be ever-so-mindful of their surrounding environment and how their activities, such as gardening, mowing, and mulch and wood storage impacts pests and their life cycles.

If you find evidence of potential pest infestations or would like to protect against them in the first place, contact a professional like HomeTeam Pest Defense to learn about your pest management options. You can also visit our website to find out more about our pest management services or call us at 855-855-4873.  We invite you to join us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for additional tips regarding pest control for home.

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5 Things You Didn’t Know About Fruit Flies

Posted on April 10, 2012 by swilliams

fruit fly factsOne of the most common household pests, especially in the late summer and early fall, is the fruit fly. This insect may seem basic enough, but here are five things you didn’t know about fruit flies that can help you understand their habits. After all, the better you understand fruit flies, the more you can improve your pest control for the home against these tiny insects.

Fruit fly facts:

  1. Adult fruit flies, which are also called vinegar flies, are about 1/8-inch long with red eyes and a brown or tan body. Some things you didn’t know about fruit flies are how populations are normally built in the summer, and stronger fliers can travel long distances!
  2. Fruit flies are attracted to fruit and sweet things, just as their name suggests, but things you didn’t know about fruit flies are that they also like to breed in decaying meat, trash bins, damp “sour” mops, garbage disposals, and sink drains. Any sugary or greasy organic material—including overripe fruits and vegetables—provides a breeding ground for fruit flies.
  3. These insects live for up to 45-50 days. During their brief lives, these insects reproduce rapidly, which may be one of the things you didn’t know about fruit flies (or didn’t like to hear…). This quality makes them formidable pests. Only 24 to 30 hours after a female fruit fly lays her eggs, they hatch and begin feeding. It takes about 8-10 days to grow from egg to an adult. A female fruit fly will lay an average of 500 eggs in her lifetime.
  4. You can prevent fruit fly infestation with a number of efforts. Store fruits and vegetables in the fridge and readily dispose of any overripe produce that you won’t be eating right away. Wipe the counters of spills immediately and empty the trashcan regularly. You can also rinse out cans and bottles before you toss in recycle bins to further prevent an infestation.
  5. If you already have a fruit fly infestation, there are some things you can do to get rid of them. The kitchen drain might a hidden breeding ground for fruit flies, but bacterial digesters poured down the drain should destroy any eggs or fruits there. You can also set up fruit fly traps to capture the adults by filling the bottom of a jar with cider vinegar or an overripe piece of fruit. Place a paper funnel in the jar so the insects can easily enter it, but cannot get back out again.

These are only 5 of the things you didn’t know about fruit flies. For more information about how to prevent fruit fly infestation, please visit our website, pestdefense.com, or call one of our professionals at 855-855-4873. We also invite you to join us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for additional tips regarding pest control for the home.

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HomeTeam Pest Defense | Las Vegas, NV Pest Control

Posted on April 2, 2012 by swilliams

HomeTeam Pest Defense, a leading pest management service in Las Vegas, NV, discusses pigeons, scorpions other tips on desert pests.

 

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My Life as a Termite

Posted on March 26, 2012 by swilliams

My Life as a TermiteYou shiver when you hear my name, dread my presence in your home, and do everything you can to get rid of me, but my life as a termite is actually quite luxurious—as long as I keep myself hidden from you so you don’t call in a pest management service!

I am a hard worker, and my efforts usually pay off. For example, my family and I are great construction workers. Life as a termite demands that we build super highways through the soil that let us travel quickly from our home to the nearest restaurant, which of course is the wood structure of your home. We are so talented that our tunnels extend vertically along concrete, drywall, or any other surface we come across.

Life as a termite also includes the ability to fly for a time. My family and friends can swarm in groups of up to 65,000. After we’re finished swarming, we clip our wings and make ourselves at home. We were comfortable enough outside, but living in the walls or under the foundation of your home is much more luxurious and simply brimming with food!

We are sure to be sneaky so you don’t detect the damage we’ve done, which is essential to living life as a termite. Our favorite snacks are softwood window trim and doorframes, though we eat them from the inside so the painted surface is left intact. After all, we don’t want you to interrupt our fun, so life as a termite is primarily a hidden one. That’s how we get away with feasting on the wood in your home for months or even years before you discover us! By then, we’ve done the damage we intended and our colony is thriving. You’ll never get rid of us!

For more information about how to prevent termite infestation, please visit our website, pestdefense.com, or call one of our professionals at 855-855-4873. We also invite you to join us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for additional tips regarding pest management services.

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Pest Management Services & Spring Cleaning

Posted on March 19, 2012 by swilliams

Spring Cleaning Pest ControlAs the weather starts to warm up in the spring, you find yourself coming out of your cave and welcoming the warm spring temperatures, perhaps without a thought for the oncoming insects and the need to utilize pest management services. Along with your regular spring cleaning tasks—organizing the closet, dusting hard-to-reach areas, and vacuuming under furniture—you should utilize some spring cleaning tips that promote good pest control for the home. The following ideas will help prevent pest infestation this spring and summer.

  • Seal up cracks and small openings around your home’s foundation. These cracks seem very unimportant until they let a whole crowd of insects into your living space. If you’re not sure how to do this, pest management services can help.
  • Get rid of standing water around your house. Standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects. After it rains, take a walk around the yard and see where water is collecting. Everything from bird baths and barrels to standing water in the gutters can provide insects a place to breed.
  • Cut back tree branches and bushes, keeping them away from the side of the house. Insects are often content to spend their lives in the greenery outside, but if branches overhang your roof or even approach the side of your house, they could drop onto your home and find their way inside.
  • Install screens on your windows and doors. That way, you can enjoy a breath of fresh air without allowing creepy-crawlies in.
  • If you find signs of bugs around your home during your spring cleaning, you should contact professional pest management services. The sooner pest control for the home can begin, the better.

If you are considering building a new home this spring or summer, consider having a Taexx system installed. This is a series of tubing installed during new construction that offers pest management services before an infestation ever occurs.

For more spring cleaning tips, or additional information about pest control for the home, please visit our website, pestdefense.com, or call one of our professionals at 855-855-4873. We also invite you to join us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for additional tips regarding pest management services.

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