Pack rats are a relatively minor structure infesting pest; however, they can carry disease and

ectoparasites and they can also do damage to wiring and landscaping.

The key to pest management is to deny them shelter and nesting sites. Follow these steps:

• Avoid storage boxes and other items that may give shelter to pack rats on patios or along the sides of buildings and walls.

• Store fire wood off the ground and away from any wall or other obstruction.

• Keep carports clear of stored items to eliminate hiding places.

• If pack rats have been in a car engine compartment, have it steam cleaned to destroy the scent and leave the hood open at night. Leaving the carport light on at night will help.

• Rodent-proof/exclude all possible entry points; be sure the pack rat is not trapped inside the building!

• A pack rat  can squeeze through a half-inch hole.

• Be sure doors fit correctly and have door sweeps.

• Be sure windows are screened properly.

• Exhaust fans and ventilation vents on the roof/attic level should be Screened.

• Keep ground covering plants cut/mow low to the ground.

• Do not allow Agaves, Aloe, Yuccas and other cacti to grow in tight groups.

• Do not allow a skirt of dead branches to form on Agaves and Yuccas.
  • Keep the bases trimmed.
  • Thin out dense cactus and landscape plantings.
  • Trim off any paddles that turn sideways providing overhead shelter.

Remember to call Arizona Pest Control for all of your Arizona pack rat control needs!

In this industry there is a strong misconception among the public that pest control during the winter time is unnecessary. In reality this could arguably be the most important time for pest control services. This is because we focus our inspections and treatments on the inside of our customer’s homes. So why do you need pest control in the winter?

• Pests that can cause damage to homes such as termites and carpenter ants are inside and not affected by the winter time.
• Other less damaging pests such as rodents, and spiders can make their way inside your home.
• Thorough inspections are carried out in and around the home to prevent future pest problems.
  • We look through attics, crawl spaces, and many areas that homeowners are unaware of that pose serious pest threats.  
• Winter pest services help us get your home ready for spring treatments.
  • Identify entry points, create a barrier around your home
• The three things that cause pesticides to break down (light, moisture, and heat) are less a factor during the winter than any other time during the year.

Any good, year round pest control program will include a comprehensive winter service performed by your technician. It’s a crucial element of protecting your home and keeping it pest free year round.

Here are some quick tips to help you stay pack rat free!

• Keep bushes, trees, and other plants trimmed so you can see the base of the plant.
• Ground covers should be kept low to the ground.
• Thin out dense cactus.
• Don’t allow a bunch of trees, plants and cacti to grow in tight groups.
• Enclosed areas-make sure storage room doors, bird eaves, ventilation screens and exhaust fan covers fit tight and are attached well in enclosed areas, since a pack rat can fit through half-inch holes.
• Keep carport, garages, and patio areas free of stored items to eliminate hiding places
• If there have been Pack Rats in your car engine compartment, have that area steam cleaned to eliminate the odor and leave your hood open at night with a yellow light focused on that area to help eliminate them
• Store fire wood at least a foot off the ground and two feet away from a wall

OK people, so your dog or cat got fleas, eh? It’s ok don’t freak, they’re controllable pests however it takes a cooperated effort from both the dog’s owner and the PCO. First make sure you have identified them. Fleas are approximately 1/8 inch, wingless, laterally flattened, and have large mouthparts. Once identified the three steps involved here are sanitation, insecticide application, and animal flea control. First and foremost the entire house should be vacuumed thoroughly! I emphasize this because if this step is skipped then larvae and pupae will be hanging around and that is no good. IGR is to be applied to carpeted areas after vacuuming, and to all places where pets reside. This treatment also requires the pet and its owner to remain outside and allow for ventilation. It is also important that the pet be treated the same day as the house by the dog owner. A variety of products exist for the treatment of the pet however the house must be treated the same day for the effective results.  It’s not to hard to get rid of the pesky critters, so remember don’t freak out, man!

Black Widow Control Methods/Tips

• Areas that are conductive to spider activity e.g., dark protected areas that attract insect prey, should be identified.
• Clutter and debris inside structures and scrap lumber, woodpiles, rocks, and other protective outside materials should be removed.
• A vacuum cleaner should be used in order to remove spiders, webs. And eggs sacs; the bug should then be sealed immediately and discarded.
• Outside lighting that attracts insects to the structure should be changed.
• Pesticides can be applied as residual sprays or dusts with special emphasis on application into potential or known harborage areas.
• Non residual aerosols, mists, and ULV’s that contain a pyrethroid insecticide can be used to kill exposed spiders.
• Dusting spider webs and leaving them undisturbed for several days is also a strategy.
• Pesticides are the most effective way of killing the spiders’ food, insects, rather than killing the spiders.

The following bedbug prevention tips will help you reduce your risk of bedbugs:

• Thoroughly check your belongings after a hotel stay.
• Wash all bedding regularly in hot water. The water should be at least 120 degrees.
• Vacuum floors regularly. Use the brush tool of your vacuum to vacuum your mattress. Use the crevice tool to vacuum crevices in the mattress and your baseboards.
• Use a plastic cover over your mattress. Bedbugs can’t hide on the plastic cover.
• If you purchase used furniture, examine it for bed bugs. Pay special attention to used mattresses and bed frames.
• Check your own bed for bedbugs from time to time. Catching them early will make bedbug treatment easier if bedbugs do occur.

You can also consult Arizona Pest Control as we will be able to provide treatment for the problem and help assist you in finding where these creatures may be hiding.

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/QT/spiderscard.html To prevent spiders from entering your house, take these steps:

• Seal home foundation cracks and other access holes
• Inspect window and door screens for good. seals that keep out spiders and the insects they prey on.
• Keep areas around home foundations free of clutter.

• Indoors, regular housecleaning provides adequate spider control.
• Vacuum up the spider and its web.
• Prevent clutter buildup that can provide hiding places.
• Remove spider webs from the exterior of the house with a broom or high pressure hose.
• Indoors, squash spiders or capture them in a jar and release them outdoors.

Mosquito safety is an important thing these days with west nile virus and other mosquito born illnesses and disease ever present. Using repellents with DEET and some of the more advanced traps out there are wise choices if spending time outside or in your back yard. You can help keep mosquitoes at bay by being diligent in making sure that there is no free standing or stagnant water around your property and if you know of abandoned houses that might have old pools it is best to report that problem to your local vector control agency.

Here are some tips recommended to help protect your pets from pests during their summer:

1. Check your pets regularly for mosquito bites, flea dirt and ticks, especially after being outdoors. Any excessive scratching, licking or grooming behavior is normally a tip-off that a bite or infestation has occurred.
2. Be aware of tall grassy areas where fleas and ticks gather and try to avoid them.
3. Be aware that dawn and dusk is when mosquitoes are most active, so try walking your pets outside of these parameters.
4. Be proactive inside the home by thoroughly washing pet bedding and regular vacuuming.
5. Consult a veterinarian about heartworm protection, as many monthly pill options exist, and before using any flea and tick treatment.
6. If confronted with an indoor pest infestation, contact a licensed pest professional to treat the problem.

Found this great article on mosquitoes in the Arizona Republic it has some extremley useful info and tips to help you manage mosquitoes, enjoy!

Take up arms against mosquito
The Arizona Republic

 by Connie Midey

That persistent buzz you’re hearing is a reminder that mosquito season has arrived, and with it the question of how best to wage your version of the federal government’s Fight the Bite! campaign.

The answer is important – whether you’re staying home this summer, camping in your favorite natural paradise or exploring an exotic locale – because mosquitoes are more than merely pesky. They can transmit diseases, including malaria, dengue fever and encephalitis.

Already this season, mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus, a form of encephalitis, have been found in Maricopa and Yuma counties, said Craig Levy, manager of the Arizona Department of Health Services’ vector-borne disease program. No human cases have been reported this year.
The virus causes no symptoms in most people but can be life-threatening, and the best way to avoid it is to use a repellent that contains any of the four anti-mosquito ingredients registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Levy said.

Ingredients that the EPA says are effective and safe if used as instructed are the longtime standby DEET and the newer picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus (or PMD, its synthesized version) and IR3535, the latter two derived from natural materials. The four ingredients don’t kill the pests; they just make you unattractive to them.

In addition, certain products containing the repellent and insecticide permethrin are EPA-registered for use on clothing, shoes, bed nets and camping gear.

“DEET is generally the ingredient all other products are compared to,” Levy said. “It has a long and safe track record, and you don’t need to use it in high concentrations to get the needed effect.”

There are alternatives for people worried about spraying chemical repellents on their skin or put off by the scent or greasy feel, but he doesn’t recommend them for stand-alone protection, especially in risky environments.

Jeff Merten, an employee at outdoor-recreation store REI in Tempe, camps, hikes or kayaks at least once a week. He typically relies on an oil of lemon eucalyptus product with no DEET.

“The ingredients in it are fairly natural, and it’s a little safer,” he said. “But if I were going to a malaria-plagued area, I’d slap on the DEET with no issues.”

His store carries about 20 kinds of insect repellents, in sprays, deodorant-style sticks, lotions and wet wipes. Merten prefers the lotions, because they tend to make users take time to apply them properly. In one DEET product, he said, the lotion is purple until thoroughly rubbed into the skin.

Here are other products and strategies used – with varying degrees of success – to keep mosquitoes away.

Products

Citronella: Citronella candles, made with lemongrass-derived oil, can help if you’re seated near them. For added protection, people who don’t mind the scent and whose skin is not sensitive can find citronella oil in lotions, sprays and towelettes, perhaps supplementing it with an EPA-registered repellent.

Avon Skin-So-Soft: Avon didn’t advertise the original as an insect repellent, but users have sworn by the lotion’s effectiveness for years, perhaps because its scent scared mosquitoes away. Now the company has added EPA-registered repellents IR3535 and picaridin to a line of products it calls Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard.

Bite Blocker: In a 2004 study, researcher Donald Barnard of the U.S. Department of Agriculture rated this product – which contains oils of geranium, soybean and coconut – about as highly as Repel Lemon Eucalyptus Repellent for protection time and for effectiveness compared to DEET. (Lemon eucalyptus oil products should not be used on kids younger than 3, the EPA says.)

Brittanie’s Thyme Organic Insect Repellent: Its ingredients include essential oils of clove, eucalyptus, rose, geranium, peppermint and tea tree (but apparently no thyme, although a study in the Journal of the American Mosquito Control said compounds from thyme oil showed promise). And if Brittanie’s repellent fails to do the job, there’s Brittanie’s Thyme Organic Bug Bite Relief, a blend of lavender and tea tree for pain and itchiness.

Other repellents on the market or being tested are based on natural ingredients such as the oils of neem, fennel, cinnamon and rosemary. But keep in mind that some people are sensitive to plant oils and that natural repellents can be toxic in certain situations or require more-frequent application.

Off! Clip-On Mosquito Repellent: This portable device eliminates the need to get your skin sticky. Insert the cartridge, which contains metofluthrin, slide the switch to “on,” and a battery-operated fan will circulate the odorless repellent around you. The makers say each refill cartridge protects for up to 12 hours of use (or up to two weeks from first use), and they caution that the repellent can be harmful if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin.

Strategies

Eat garlic or bananas: Garlic-eaters make big claims for the herb’s mosquito-fighting powers, but you might need to eat so much that it drives away your camping buddies first, REI’s Merten said. There’s little evidence that eating bananas makes a significant difference, either. Perceived benefits more likely are coincidental, but eating healthy foods can’t hurt.

Take vitamin B1 (thiamin) supplements: The vitamin as a mosquito repellent has fans among outdoors enthusiasts but no scientific support from University of Wisconsin researchers, whose 2005 study in the “Journal of the American Mosquito Control” said the vitamin was ineffective.

Stay indoors at night: Culex mosquitoes, the primary carriers of West Nile virus, are night feeders, said Levy, of the state health department.

Close windows and doors: For the same reason, the hours from dusk to dawn are the critical ones.

Cover up: Wear lightweight, light-colored and loose-fitting pants and long-sleeve shirts, and apply insect repellent to exposed skin only.

Get rid of standing water: Police your own backyard, Levy suggests. Mosquitoes are drawn to and lay their eggs in water in ice chests, wheelbarrows, unmaintained swimming pools, fountains and discarded tires.

Avoid certain fragrances: If you don’t want to become a mosquito magnet, give up floral- or fruit-scented perfumes, fabric softeners, lotions and hair products.

Cool down before going out: Mosquitoes track you by your trail of carbon dioxide, Levy said, and you release more of it when you’re hot.

Reach the reporter at

connie.midey@arizonarepublic.com

or 602-444-8120.