Keep Your Home Pest-Free in 2014 January 1, 2014 - By: Nathan Woolf January signals a fresh start – 2014 is here, and many of us are planning to work on some New Year’s resolutions. Whether it’s quitting a bad habit, or starting a good one, it’s a good time of year to take a look at our goals and get down to business.As a homeowner in Arizona, there might be a few home improvement projects on your list, too. Painting the house, making landscaping improvements, or finally repairing your roof might take the top spots, but we have some suggestions, too. In 2014, resolve to keep your home pest-free!There are lots of easy DIY changes you can make in and around your home to keep common Arizona pests like scorpions, termites and spiders at bay. We’ve compiled a few of them here so you can add them to your New Year’s resolutions. When you get in the habit of completing some of these simple home maintenance tasks they’ll eventually become second nature, and you’ll have to deal with infestations far less frequently.Clean Up Your YardOne of the most common problems we see at the Phoenix homes we visit is that there are plenty of places for pests to live and breed around the perimeter if the house. We call them harborage sites, and you can help control pest populations by decreasing the number of harborage sites on your property. Dispose of yard waste quickly, and don’t let piles of tree limbs or branches take up space in your yard. Make sure that bushes and shrubs are trimmed well away from the foundation of your home, and knock down any spider webs you may see around your property. Avoid allowing branches from trees to touch your roof, and clear climbing vines off your home. In the pest control business, we call vines and tree branches that come in contact with your home “pest highways” because they allow easy access!Stop Up the LeaksJust like everything else on the planet, pests need water to live. Make it harder for them to get at water supplies by regularly inspecting your property and home for leaks, both inside and outside the home. Make sure your sprinkler system or drip irrigation systems are functioning properly, and not leaving pooled water on your property or in flower pots. Indoors, check to make sure that faucets aren’t dripping, and bathroom and kitchen areas are clean and dry.Organize Your Storage AreasStored items, cardboard boxes, and piles of junk all provide common pests like termites and silverfish with ready food sources, and give many other insects an easy place to hide. Make the switch to large, sealed plastic tubs instead of cardboard boxes, and try not to keep piles of old newspapers or other debris in crawl spaces, attics or basements. Storing items like clothing in plastic tubs will help protect them from damage!Store Food ProperlyJust as with other stored items, you need to ensure that your stored food is out of reach from insects, as well. Common pantry pests like meal moths will make quick work of grains, spices, and even processed foods if they are stored improperly. Start your cabinets off fresh in 2014 by throwing out any old or damaged foodstuffs, and buy a new set of airtight containers to store things like pasta, grains and baking supplies. The same thing applies to your pets’ food, too – transfer bags of dry dog or cat food from its packaging into sealed bins so that it’s not an attractive food source for pests.Seal Up the EntrancesThoroughly inspect the areas around your doors and windows for potential passageways into your home. We like to say that if you can see daylight around your doorways or windowsills, pests can easily make their way in. A caulking gun can help you seal up entry points. An extra bonus is that it’ll make your home more energy-efficient, too! Inspect your window and door screens for holes, and replace or repair any that are damaged.Schedule Routine MaintenanceOne of the best ways to control infestations is to invest in a routine service plan with a professional. Ongoing integrated pest control treatments can keep a pest problem from getting out of control, and keep your home and family safe. Routine maintenance for destructive insects like termites will help you avoid extensive (and expensive!) damage to your home. If we work together to keep harmful pests away from you home, and get rid of the ones that take up residence, it’ll be easier to stay pest-free in 2014!
How-To: Safe DIY Pantry Pest Control December 18, 2013 - By: Nathan Woolf The winter months have moved in, and while it rarely gets bone-chillingly cold here in Phoenix, most of us are spending more time indoors and tidying up our houses in preparation for holiday company. If you’re getting a little wintertime cleaning in, there is one place you won’t want to overlook: the pantry.Chances are, you’ve seen a pest or two in your home over the years, but few things seem to give our customers the chills more than finding pests in their food. While pantry pests don’t cause hazardous damage to your home, or to the health of your family, it can be quite disconcerting to find larvae hanging out in your breakfast cereal.In a previous post, we outlined some of the most common pantry pests you might encounter, as well as what they like to eat and how to tell if they’ve infested your food. This time around, we are going to give you some tips for keeping your food safe and secure, and what to do if you discover pantry pests in your home. The good news: controlling most pantry infestations doesn’t require harsh chemicals or pesticides, and you can effectively manage them using the tools you have at home!Pantry Pest PreventionUse air-tight containers to store your food products instead of keeping them in the easily-infiltrated packaging they were in when sold. Foods to store in containers include dried fruits, nuts, flour, cornmeal, pasta, and dried pet food. Purchase heavy plastic or glass containers with lids that seal tightly. This also keeps your kitchen looking neat and organized!Rotate all stored food, and use older food first.Avoid buying and storing susceptible products like cereals, grains and flour or cornmeal in bulk.Inspect purchased food for infestation as soon as you get it home – many pantry pests invade food products at the packaging source. If something looks, smells or tastes “off,” or you notice the presence of larvae or cast-off larval shells, discard it immediately.Check food items at the grocery store. Look for unsealed containers, or containers with holes in them. If the packaging looks like it has been compromised, don’t buy it.Immediately clean up spilled food or grain products. Don’t let spilled flour, crumbs or ingredients to build up in the areas where you store or prepare your food.If you’re doing a major kitchen clean-up, remove all the food products from your cabinets and pantry, and vacuum the shelves. Empty the vacuum cleaner immediately in an outdoor dumpster to ensure that any pests you’ve sucked up don’t re-enter your home.Don’t leave food sitting out in other areas of your home, like bedrooms and living rooms.Use caulking to seal any cracks in your panties and cabinets to prevent entry points and discourage pests from laying eggs.Add a bay leaf to stored containers of dried goods. The leaf’s strong odor will repel many pests without impacting the flavor of your food.Check the expiration dates and visually inspect all packaged dry goods and ingredients prior to use.Pantry Pest TreatmentIn general, proper sanitation and cleanliness will clear up infestations and prevent pantry pests from returning.In most situations, disposing of infested foods and vacuuming out storage areas will allow you to control the infestation.Cleaning infested areas with harsh detergents or bleach is not recommended, as they are typically no more effective than simply having good sanitation. Plus, you want to keep those harmful products away from food and food preparation areas.You can save some infested food products by freezing them (at zero degrees for 4-7 days) or heating them in the oven (30-60 minutes at 130-140 degrees). These processes will kill pests at all stages of insect development. Remember – this will only kill the insects that are present, and will not remove their bodies, larvae or larval casings from the food.Eliminate moisture sites like leaking pipes or clogged drains. Consider placing a dehumidifier in your kitchen.If your pantry pest situation is too much for you to manage, contact us for help. One of our pest professionals will visit your home, help diagnose the problem, and discuss your treatment options.
Don’t Host Pests as Holiday Guests December 11, 2013 - By: Nathan Woolf Ah, the holiday season in Arizona! Maybe it’s the lack of snow we usually see around this time of year, or our mild winters, but we sure do like to decorate and get extra festive around here.Since Christmas comes but once a year, our holiday decorations are stored for long periods of time in attics, basements, garages or sheds – places where pests can quickly become a problem. Undisturbed and cluttered storage areas are where many infestations get their start, so you will want to be extra careful when moving and unpacking decorations to avoid transferring any pests into your home.As you’re trimming the tree and hanging lights on your home, here are a few tips to keep in mind so your holidays stay pest-free:If you’re buying or cutting a real tree to bring indoors, give it a good shake outdoors before setting it up in the living room. Visually inspect trees, wreaths and other fresh greenery for spiders, insect nests and eggs before purchasing them and bringing them indoors. The warmth of your home can make it easier for hitchhiking pests to breed, lay eggs and multiply.If you use an artificial tree that is stored most of the year, inspect if for pests that may have made their home in the branches over the past few months.When you unpack your stored ornaments and decorations, bring the boxes outside. Common household pests like silverfish can make their homes in and around cardboard boxes, and you’ll want to make sure they are let loose outdoors instead of in your cozy living room! While you’re unpacking, keep an eye out for rodent droppings and other signs of insect damage.As you unpack your decorations, inspect them for mold and water damage. Wet or moldy items can attract pests and give them a source of water, or a damp place to lay their eggs. Discard any damaged items, and inspect your storage area for leaks that may have damaged your decorations.If you made perishable ornaments last year, or your kids constructed a gingerbread house, dispose of these items instead of giving them another go-round this year. Candy canes, cookies and other edible decorations should not be reused or stored, as they are an easy food source for pests when they are stored. Some pantry pests may also lay eggs in stored perishable decorations.When you store your decorations after the holidays are over, use airtight, sealed plastic containers instead of cardboard boxes. Many common pests can chew through cardboard, and rats and mice can squeeze into small openings to make their homes. There’s nothing worse than opening a box of decorations only to find that a family of mice has destroyed them to make a nest!Store cloth items like stockings, tree skirts and decorative blankets in sealed plastic bags to keep pests from using them as a food source. Thoroughly wash and dry all sloth items before you store them.Some pests, like mice, rats, and even termites, can chew on and damage electrical wires. Inspect strings of lights for damaged areas, and discard any that look unsafe.If you enjoy the festive warmth of a fire in your wood burning fireplace, be sure to store firewood outdoors, well away from your home.Now you can deck the halls and know you won’t be having any unwanted holiday guests! As you put away your decorations after the season is over, be sure to take steps to avoid unpleasant surprises next Christmas.If you find signs of spiders, termite damage, or other pest infestations while you’re unpacking your holiday decorations, give us a call. We’ll help make sure your home is pest-free so you can enjoy your holiday celebrations!
4 Common Pantry Pests to Watch Out For December 4, 2013 - By: Nathan Woolf ‘Tis the season! December has rolled around and it’s time for holiday shopping, hanging the Christmas lights, and of course, baking lots of delicious holiday goodies. This Christmas, we want to help you keep your holiday treats pest-free by giving you a guide to the most common pantry pests to look for. Nothing can ruin a cookie baking session faster than discovering an unwanted visitor in your flour!Fortunately, the most common pantry pests aren’t a serious threat to your home or your family’s health. However, they can quickly become a problem because of how quickly they can invade and multiply in your food supplies. Here are four of the most common pantry pests, where to find them, and what signs to look for.Red Flour BeetleMany flour beetles make their way into your home because they are common pests in flour mills. They are scavengers and will only eat whole grains that other insects have already damaged. They feed on flour, dried nuts, tobacco, cake mix, cornmeal, stored pet food, spices and dried fruit.Adult red flour beetles are 3/16 of an inch, and have a joint between their thorax and abdomen. They can fly, and will continuously reproduce when living indoors. They have a life cycle of about two years. You may see adults or their larvae in infested food items, but the adult beetles might wander away from their original food source to infest other parts of your home.Dermestid BeetleThe dermestid beetle is a common household pest, and it doesn’t infest pantry items exclusively. While they typically are scavenger insects, feeding on dried animal matter and natural fibers, they can invade stored food sources if they can’t find enough of their preferred food source. They typically feed on candy, spices and dried fruit.Dermestid larvae are light brown and are covered with long hairs. Adults are small, dark brown, oval-shaped and covered with hairs. Larvae like to hide in dark places, and fully developed adults typically mate and lay eggs near a suitable food source. You may find larvae in dark areas of your cabinetry, or find cast-off larval skins in and around food sources. Adults are usually found near light sources, such as on your windowsills.Sawtoothed or Merchant Grain BeetleThese pests have a penchant for processed food, and usually feed on cornmeal, flour, oats, spices, cereals, herbs, and dried pet foods as preferred food sources. They also enjoy sugar, chocolate, dried fruits and meat.Sawtoothed grain beetles can reproduce up to seven generations per year if they are living indoors, and adults can live more than one year. Larvae are 1/4 –inch long, and are tan in color with a dark head. Adults are 1/4 -inch long, slender and dark red-brown in color. Sawtoothed grain beetles have wings, but do not fly, while merchant grain beetles can. They get their name from the six saw-like teeth on the edge of their thorax. Merchant grain beetles are very similar in appearance, without the tooth-like projections on the thorax. The flat shape of their bodies makes it easy for them to penetrate packaged foods. You may notice these pests or their larvae in stored food products, or you may see the adults crawling around on kitchen surfaces. These are an important pest to catch, as they usually lay their eggs in cracks or cervices of food pantry areas.Indian Meal MothIndian meal moths are the most common pantry pest in the world, in part because they have such voracious and varied appetites. They will infest dry pet food, bird seed, nuts, dried fruits, grains, cereals, flour, spices, candy, and even powdered milk.The larval stage of the Indian meal moth is the stage when the insect does damage to food products. They have a light, cream-colored body with a dark head, and can grow up to 2/3 of an inch in length before developing a cocoon in crevices or cracks in the pantry area. Adults are a dull brown with bronze wings, and are about 3/8 of an inch long. They live about one week as adults, and you may find them flying in a zig-zag pattern around your home as they look for places to lay their eggs. Signs of an Indian meal moth infestation include finding larvae in stored food products, and infested food products will be webbed together in clumps. You may notice meal moth larvae crawling on walls or other flat surfaces as they search for a place to spin their cocoons.If you’ve seen any of these common pantry pests in your home, give us a call – we would be happy to help! Also, stay tuned to our blog for some great DIY tips on how to prevent and treat pantry pests in your home.Resources:Utah State University ExtensionIowa State university Department of Entomology Texas A&M AgriLife ExtensionPestWorld
How Does Integrated Pest Management Work? November 13, 2013 - By: Nathan Woolf Here at Blue Sky Pest Control, our techniques are based on an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to help rid your home of pests and prevent future infestations. Integrated Pest Management is an environmentally friendly practice that is effective in treating and preventing many kinds of pests, including termites, scorpions, rats and mice, and other pests common to our area.While not every pest problem can be solved without using chemical treatments, IPM can be a great way to get rid of unwanted pests and prevent their return. We always do a thorough inspection to determine which approach makes the most sense for your situation, and usually it will involve some type of IPM solution.Effective IPM approaches take into account the habits, biology and environment of the pest, and uses this information to reduce the damage the pest causes to humans, in a way that minimizes the impact of the treatment on humans and other animals. Prevention using IPM techniques is the key to long-lasting pest control in your home. Treatment can remove current populations, but without IPM prevention, they will surely return to your property.Blue Sky Pest Control’s Integrated Pest Management solution includes customized recommendations to help you make your home more pest-proof and determine the most realistic time-frame for achieving acceptable long-term control.When Blue Sky starts an IPM program with one of our clients, we focus on five major strategies to ensure its success:Inspection for existing infestations and potential problem areas and positive pest identification.Written findings and recommendation reports.Communication with client and coordination among all programs that affect the pest control effort.Implementation of IPM methods to solve problem.Documentation of all work and findings and follow-up with the client.Within these strategies, we implement four levels of control to accomplish an effective IPM strategy:Access denial and Exclusion of entry points of pests.Structural, cultural and procedural modifications to reduce food, water and harborage of pests.Utilization of non-pesticide technologies such as trapping and monitoring devices.If required, the judicious use of pesticides and application methods that presents the lowest potential impact to humans and the environment, while providing effective control.Many people are concerned about the effects of chemicals, pesticides and poison on their families and pets. Chemical treatment methods are still used when necessary for specific pest problems, but IPM can help the effects of those treatments last longer and be more effective. We also offer natural and organic pest control solutions for families concerned about family and pet safety, as well as environmental impact.As an example, let’s take a look at our Integrated Pest Management process for rats and mice. When we visit your home or commercial site, we will conduct an in-depth inspection to determine what methods will work best for your situation. The IPM techniques we use will vary, but might include:Exclusion techniques to minimize or eliminate the entry points of rodents.Sanitation practices that can help reduce nesting sites and remove the things that attract rodents.Trapping using glue boards.Control with baits with the use of bait stations where needed to prevent access by pets and people.Modification of landscaping or the home. For example, trimming trees and bushes touching the home to assist with the control, or removing organic debris.We pride ourselves on an Integrated Pest Management approach that allows us to work within each of our customers’ specific needs. When you’re looking for environmentally sound and effective pest control solutions, it’s crucial to pick a company with experience in providing truly “green” and comprehensive IPM programs. You can feel secure in the fact that Blue Sky’s technicians have decades of experience in providing low-risk Integrated Pest Management solutions to both residential and corporate clients.
Earwigs – What You Need to Know October 21, 2013 - By: Nathan Woolf If you’ve ever moved around boxes in the basement, lifted up a landscaping stone around your home, or emptied out a flower pot, you’ve probably seen an earwig wiggling away from you in a panic. If you’re like most people, you’ve probably recoiled at the sight of them, as well, because these little guys have an appearance that makes people’s skin crawl.Other than simply looking scary, what does an infestation of earwigs mean to you and your home? Don’t worry – the Blue Sky team is here to help you out. Read on for more must-know information about these creepy-crawly pests.Related: What If I’m Still Seeing Bugs After Spraying?Why “Earwig?”The name “earwig” probably derived from the old wife’s tale that they like to burrow into people’s ear canals and lay their eggs, causing great pain, madness, or even death. Fortunately, this just isn’t true!While earwigs do prefer dark, small, and enclosed spaces, there’s never been a case of death by earwigs. While they may pinch if handled, they are not dangerous or poisonous, and do not have an affinity for crawling into ear canals to nest.What do they look like?Earwigs make up the insect order Dermaptera, and there are nearly 2,000 species found in the Americas, Eurasia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Their distinguishing characteristics include:An elongated, flattened bodyTwo pairs of wingsCerci on the back of the abdomen that are long and pincer-shapedEarwigs are perfectly adapted to a lifestyle of crawling into tight spaces, and though they have wings, they hardly ever use them. Depending on the species, earwigs can be extremely small up to a couple of inches long.What damage can they cause?Earwigs aren’t picky when it comes to diet. They can eat a wide variety of organic material, including plants, other insects, fruits and vegetables, and even trash. Despite their voracious appetites, they very rarely invade the food products you have in your cupboards or damage the structure of your home.Even though earwigs eat plants, there is some debate about whether they are harmful or beneficial to crops and gardens. While they do eat plant material, they also feed on harmful pests. There have been reports of crop damage from earwigs, especially in flowers, corn and peaches.Earwigs do not transmit diseases to humans or other animals. Though they can use their cerci to pinch, the pinches are usually very minor and cause little discomfort, and they do not “sting.”Even though they are fairly innocuous, no one likes to see a nest of squirmy, six-legged invaders in their home.Where do they live?The good news is that earwigs probably won’t like the parts of your home that you spend the most time in. Since they prefer small, damp, dark spaces, you are more likely to find them hiding out in a basement, garage or shed than in your bedroom or living room. They are usually most active at night.Female earwigs lay their eggs in secure, humid and concealed spaces, such as under a rock or along the foundation of a building. When earwigs enter your home, they will probably try to hide under things that aren’t moved often and provide secure shelter.While they may come inside your home, earwigs need abundant moisture to complete their life cycle. Look for them in areas of your home that get plenty of moisture – flower pots, along the foundation of your home, in landscaping, around pool areas, or even in your shower drain! Here in many people tend to water their landscaping often or have a swimming pool. That moisture combined with warm desert temperatures creates ideal living conditions for the earwig, and their numbers have increased in well-irrigated parts of Arizona. Earwigs are some of the deepest nesters of all the common Arizona pests.How can I prevent them?There are many things you can do to reduce the presence of earwigs – and other pests – around your home.Keep your landscape looking clean, and get rid of any piles of yard waste that might be lying around.Avoid over-watering lawns and flower bedsSeal small cracks around the foundation of your home, and seal your doors and windows If you’ve seen lots of earwigs in or around your home, you can be assured they are probably not causing any damage. However, you may still want to have us treat your home for earwigs so you don’t have to live in fear when you’re moving furniture, gardening or cleaning! Pest control for earwigs can be effective when it’s applied to their nesting areas. Blue Sky uses a backpack sprayer to treat for earwigs. This allows us to penetrate deep to where they nest. Contact us to find out more about our thorough earwig treatment process, and rest easy knowing you won’t have any unwanted earwig roommates in your home. We serve the entire Phoenix area including Gilbert, Mesa, and Scottsdale.
Top Five Tips to Keep Pests from Returning September 24, 2013 - By: Nathan Woolf If you’ve had us visit recently to take care of a pest problem at your home, you’re probably thinking it’s time to sit back, relax, and enjoy your bug-free space. But before you celebrate, remember that prevention is a big part of pest control. Check these five projects off your list to make sure the bugs stay out of your home for good.CleanlinessMany common pests are attracted to the messes we make. Piles of yard waste, unused cardboard boxes in the basement, and heaps of dirty clothes all provide great hiding places for pests like silverfish, spiders, earwigs, roaches and crickets.Catch the cleaning bug, and give your home a thorough once-over. Get into the dark corners with scrub brushes or dust cloths, sweep and mop your floors thoroughly, and seal up any leaky pipes. Regularly change and wash your bedding, and check mattresses for signs of bed bugs. Keep in mind that many pests like to hide in dark, damp and sheltered areas, and try to attach the trouble spots. Keep your bathroom clean and dry to avoid providing readily available water source to pests.Take some time to do maintenance outside of your home, too. Pests like crickets, termites, scorpions and spiders often set up shop in the plants around your home. Make sure that trees, bushes and shrubbery are trimmed away from your house, and try not to overwater them. Insects are attracted to water sources, especially in Arizona’s dry climate. Stack firewood away from the house, and make sure that no wood chips or mulch come in contact with your home’s foundation – it serves as an invitation to termites.Seal Doors and WindowsThe areas around your doors and windows provide an entry point for some of the most pernicious and dangerous household pests, like scorpions. A good rule of thumb is that if you can see daylight around your doors or windows, the weather stripping needs to be replaced.Repair door and window screens and make sure they don’t have any holes if you like to keep your windows and doors open in nice weather. You’ll never be able to completely prevent pests from entering your home, but you can make it more difficult!Put Away the FoodInsects, just like the rest of us, need to eat to survive. Keep your kitchen clean, and wash dishes to keep them from piling up in the sinks. Wipe food residue off countertops to avoid attracting ants. If you open a food container, be sure to seal it and put it away to keep it from becoming bug food, and clear snacks and dishes out of bedrooms and living areas as soon as they are finished.Keep an eye on your pet’s food, too! Regularly clean the areas around their food bowls, and keep their kibble in sealed containers.Cover or Remove Standing WaterMany insects, such as mosquitoes, use standing water as a breeding ground. Pest control measures against mosquitoes are often ineffective because the standing water where they breed is left on the property.If you are able to remove standing water from around your home, do so. If you have a pool or water feature, take care to keep it covered and clean to avoid providing a breeding ground for insects. Keep your filters and circulation turned on in your pool or water feature to keep the water flowing and disrupt breeding grounds.Take a look at the planters and pots around your home and make sure they are not harboring standing water. If you have empty posts, turn them upside down or store them inside to keep them from collecting water. Keep your sprinkler and drip systems maintained to avoid leaks and puddles that could collect water or leak near your home’s foundation. These readily available water sources are enticing to pests, and make it easier for termites to invade your home.Groom Your PetsFleas, ticks and bedbugs are what we like to call hitchhikers. They can catch a ride on your pests and set up shop in your home in no time. If you allow your animals to go outside regularly, or if you go for long walks or hikes with them, be sure to have them groomed often to avoid any unwanted guests.If you call us to take care of your pest problems, you can be assured that we will sue targeted treatments for common pests like earwigs, cockroaches, scorpions and ants. We also treat the foundation of your home to create a barrier that to keep them out, and target the areas where they nest and breed to prevent further infestation. However, the most effective pest control is a team effort between our company and the homeowner – be sure to take the necessary steps to keep pests out of your home after our visit. Then, you can kick back with a glass of lemonade and enjoy your pest-free home in peace. Photo credit: Chiot’s Run via photopin cc
The Creepiest Bug Photos of All Time May 10, 2013 - By: Nathan Woolf It’s safe to say our technicians are into bugs. We find insects, spiders, and other creatures with more than 4 legs fascinating and beautiful. They are fun to look at, we just don’t want to find them in our bathtub. Our field technicians have probably seen just about everything and they take a lot of photos. They are highly trained professionals that are not afraid to crawl into dark places where creepy crawling things live. Still, some of the photos we’ve taken make the hair on the back of even our necks stand up.Warning: this collection of photos is not for the faint of heart! Click on the photos to enlarge, if you dare.Arizona Bark Scorpions under a black light. Centruroides excilicauda is one of the only potentially lethal scorpions.Bed bug infestation of mattress and sheets a home in Phoenix.Immature female western black widow spider.Oriental cockroaches don’t get quite as big as their American cousins. They are still creepy in large quantities like we found here.We normally find termite mud tubes on the outside of homes near the foundation. This is an example of an infestation getting out of control where the mud tube came up through carpet.Take a close look at this wolf spider. Those bumps on her back? Those are dozens and dozens of baby wolf spiders.Check back often as we add more creepy bug photos to our collection.
Top 5 Signs it’s Time to Call an Exterminator May 8, 2013 - By: Nathan Woolf Most Phoenix residents expect to have to call in a pest control expert at some point, but you may not know which pest problems require professional treatment and what you can handle on your own. Scorpions and termites are very common in the area. Unfortunately, many of Arizona’s most destructive pests are great hiders. Knowing what to look for when inspecting your home for pests is an important aspect of Phoenix homeownership.What happens if you do have pests in your home? When should you call an exterminator and when can you handle pest control yourself? Which pests should you get rid of in your home and which can be beneficial to the flowers and plants in your garden? Living in Phoenix, it’s good to know which pests pose an immediate danger to your home or family. Here are the top five signs that it’s time to call an exterminator. Note: all photos were taken by our field technicians from homes in and around Phoenix.Termite mud tube coming up through carpet1) You Notice Mud Tubes In Your Home or On Your Home’s FoundationTermites travel between their colonies and homes and other structures via mud tubes. Mud tubes are usually the first visible sign of a termite infestation that a homeowner might notice. To look for mud tubes, examine the foundation of your home, including the block wall. Look at all visible support beams and joists in your home. Long tubes that look like dirt or dried mud are a sign of termites in your home.Termites can do significant damage to your home’s structure over time. Be vigilant about inspecting your home at least twice a year for signs of termites and take preventative measures by hiring a pest control company to do a yearly inspection of your home. Homeowners can also re-establish the termite barrier installed around new homes. This barrier breaks down over time and is an excellent preventative technique.2) You Have Bed Bugs (or suspect you do)Bed bugs are a hot topic right now, and for a good reason. Over the last several years, news stories about bed bug infestations in metropolitan areas have caused a fear of these pests across the United States. Bed bugs are hitchhikers; they can easily come into your home on luggage after a trip or when you have visitors. They love zippers. Bed bugs can also enter your home on used furniture, mattresses, or even clothing.Adult bed bugs are visible to the human eye, but they are excellent hiders and generally come out only at night. Many people first realize they have bed bugs when they start to notice bites on their skin. These bites are often present in clusters or small lines on your skin. However, more than 30% of people don’t react to bed bug bites. Inspect your home and mattress thoroughly for signs of bed bugs, and if you suspect you have a bed bug infestation, give us a call. It takes and expert and special equipment to eradicate these pests.3) You Hear Crickets ChirpingWhile crickets themselves do not pose a direct threat to your home’s structure or your family’s health, they are a food source for scorpions. The bark scoprion is a dangerous pest that is common in the Phoenix valley. When we are called out for scorpion control, one of the first things we do is reduce the cricket population around a home. If you hear crickets chirping in your home at night, a pest control company can help you minimize the cricket population to help keep scorpions away from your home.A scorpion sting is painful and can be life threatening to very young children and adults with health concerns. The best course of action you can take to keep your family safe is to seal entry points into your home and reduce scorpion food sources, including crickets and spiders, around your home.4) Bees, Wasps, or Hornets are Crawling into a Block WallBees and other flying insects are beneficial to your flowers and other plant life, however if you start to notice a large bee population around your home, you should call an exterminator for a professional inspection. Many bees in the Phoenix Valley are Africanized Bees. Africanized Bees defend their hives aggressively and are the most dangerous pest we deal with frequently in Arizona. Stings can be life threatening to people who are allergic or receive multiple stings.Bees, wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets love to build hives in hollow parts of perimeter block walls, eaves of your home, or up high in the trees. These hives are exceptionally difficult to access and eliminate them is best left to the professionals.5) You Notice an Increased Number of SpidersEncountering the occasional spider is a normal part of life in the Phoenix Valley, but if you start to notice a large number of spiders in and around your home, you should call an exterminator to inspect your home for spiders that pose a health risk to your family. Black Widows are a prevalent spider in the metro area, and they can produce up to 3,600 spiderlings in a single summer. Like crickets, spiders are also a food source for scorpions, so controlling the spider population around your home is an important aspect of preventative scorpion control.If you have any concerns or questions about a pest infestation in or around your home, give us a call to nspect your home and help you develop a plan for pest control. Preventative pest control treatments and yearly inspections can help protect your home from damaging termites and pests that pose a danger to your family and pets.
Kid and Pet Friendly Pest Control March 15, 2013 - By: Nathan Woolf Many people are concerned about the safety of their children or pets when they employ a pest control company to exterminate or perform pest prevention treatments. At Blue Sky Pest Control, all of our services are pet and family friendly and environmentally safe. Here’s what you need to know about environmentally friendly pest control.In Phoenix, extermination and pest control prevention services are a fact of life. Homeowners in Arizona need to think about prevention and treatment for common dessert pests including scorpions, termites and earwigs. However, with pest control, many homeowners are concerned about the impact of the chemicals used to treat pests on their kids, pets and the environment. You shouldn’t have to live with harmful chemicals just to keep pests at bay. Safer alternatives that are more effective for pest treatment and preventative pest control are available.Environmentally Friendly Pest Control ApplicationAt Blue Sky Pest, we treat areas where pests frequent and nest, reducing and controlling the pest population in and around our home. By treating pests at the source, we minimize the amount of pest solution around your home, while also effectively and quickly knocking down pest populations and controlling their ability to re-establish themselves around your home.Related: Is Pest Control Pet Friendly? Our custom and personalized pest treatment plan is specifically developed to treat the pests around and in your home. In other words, a one-size fits all approach to pest control is not an environmentally effective and family and pet safe solution. With a customized plan, we target pests where they nest to control the population, as well as at common entry points into your home to protect your home from pest invasions.Our treatment plan also can include an analysis of your home and suggestions for making your home less likely to be inhabited by pests. For example, we might recommend replacing old weather stripping on a door in order to seal your door off from pest entry.Green Pest Control SolutionsThere are several ways to employ environmentally friendly and family and pet safe pest control and pest prevention. One option is a natural or USDA organically certified product line. These products offer a unique, synergistic blend of essential oils that effectively control pest populations. Blue Sky Pest offers Natural and Organic pest control solutions for families concerned not just about family and pet safety, but also concerned about environmental impact. In fact, while a natural or organic pest control solution treatment might cost more upfront, the properties of such a treatment actually last longer, which might result in long term savings.Alternatives to Pest Control Sprays and TreatmentsOnce your home and surrounding area have been treated with an all-natural organic solution for pest control, encouraging natural predators is another option for prevention of pest population growth in Phoenix. For example, birds and bats regularly feed on insects. As a result, if the area surrounding your home is hospitable to these predators, you may notice a decrease in the number of pests you see throughout the year.Strongly scented plants, including many herbs, are natural pest repellants, making your garden a great solution for preventative pest control year round. Another chemical free solution for environmentally friendly pest control is a heat treatment, which raises temperatures within a sealed off rom to kill most pest populations.Another option when considering green pest control is to not treat the pests. A good example of when this might be a reasonable decision is in the case of bees. Bees and beehives are great for flowers and the environment, so removing a hive might not be something you choose if environmentally friendly pest control is of concern to you. In the case of bees, you must decide if the benefits to the environment outweigh the cons. For example, if someone in your family is allergic to bees, the benefits for removing a hive outweigh the benefits for keeping it. It is important to note that this is not an advisable solution for many Phoenix pests including termites, scorpions and bed bugs.Keep Your Family’s Safety when Controlling PestsThe best thing you can do for environmentally and family friendly preventative pest control in Arizona is call a reputable pest control company and ask them about the solutions they use. At Blue Sky Pest, all of our pest treatments are environmentally friendly and safe for kids and pets to be around. Furthermore, because we customize our treatment plan to each homes individual needs, we are able to minimize the chemicals needed and treat pests at their source, rather than spraying your entire home and the surrounding area for pests. If you’re considering your options for green pest control, give us a call to learn more about your options.
