Cockroach Myths and Truths May 22, 2015 - By: Nathan Woolf Cockroaches are a mythic sort of bug. They’ve been around for over 320 million years — even before dinosaurs! And their survival skills are fierce. They need only very basic and minimal food, water and shelter to survive. It is often said that if only one species survives an apocalypse, it would be the mightyRead more
Baseball Season Begins With Bees at Royals-Angels in Tempe, Arizona March 16, 2015 - By: Nathan Woolf A swarm of bees interrupted play at a Royals-Angels baseball game in Tempe last weekend, though the bees were luckily relaxed and removed without incident. Blue Sky Pest Control joined ABC 15 to explain to viewers the behavior of bees during a now thriving bee season—and what viewers should look out for. Other news outletsRead more
Earwigs Are Not… March 10, 2015 - By: Nathan Woolf …brain-burrowing terrors from a horror movie! Nonetheless, most people find them pretty creepy looking, and commonly confuse them with two other pests: firebrats and silverfish. In folklore, earwigs came out at night and crawled into the ears of sleeping people. Once in the ear, people believed the creatures bored into the brain. The fact thatRead more
Combatting Earwigs Indoors and Out March 5, 2015 - By: Nathan Woolf If fearsome-looking bugs featuring a set of nasty-looking pincers are scurrying about your home, chances are they are earwigs. While not dangerous to humans, earwigs wreak havoc on certain plants, although they also eat many “bad” bugs. Nonetheless, most people could do without their presence in their homes and yards. The best method of dealingRead more
Treatment Options for Termite Control in Arizona February 24, 2015 - By: Nathan Woolf Termites are extremely common throughout the greater Phoenix area. Every day, we treat homes with termite infestations. The most common termite we work with—about 98% of the time—is the Heterotermes, or desert subterranean termite. There are generally two approaches one can take to address this type of termite activity for a home or business: liquidRead more
Pollinator Health and CCD February 18, 2015 - By: Nathan Woolf Bees assist in the pollination of many fruits, vegetables and other foods. As such, the health of bees is critical to crop yields, which drive the price and availability of many foods. Pollinator health has been the focus of many recent news stories, most often about the concern over the factors impacting global bee health.Read more
What Is Integrated Pest Management? January 29, 2015 - By: Nathan Woolf Integrated pest management, or IPM, is an approach to pest control that focuses on the long-term prevention of pest infestations by using a variety of control methods instead of a single blanket pesticide application. These control methods can include: Access denial and exclusion: Stop pests from entering homes. For example, fixing weather stripping to stopRead more
A Rat Is Not Just a Rat December 22, 2014 - By: Nathan Woolf The childhood classic Charlotte’s Web likely took place somewhere in the Midwest, and it provides some entertaining “insights” into the “psyche” of rats, although not likely any of the rodents in Arizona. In the story, Wilbur the pig questions Templeton, the resident rat, about his name. The rat responds: Did you say ‘just the rat’?Read more
A New Enemy: Roof Rats in Arizona December 8, 2014 - By: Nathan Woolf For Rattus rattus, the scientific name for what we call roof rats, Arizona is now home. Also known as the black rat, this rodent poses a plague of hazards, including the plague. According to the University of Arizona, aside from disease transmission, roof rats eat and contaminate food, chew on household wiring, and tear upRead more
Common Signs of Termite Infestation September 24, 2014 - By: Nathan Woolf Residents of Phoenix are highly aware of termites and the damage they can bring. Preparing and preventing a termite infestation includes knowing what the common signs of termite infestation are. Termites are sneaky critters. Sometimes called the “silent destroyers,” homeowners oftentimes don’t even realize they have a termite infestation. To an untrained eye, noticing certainRead more
