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West Nile Virus Symptoms
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/symptoms.htm

West Nile Virus in Maricopa County
Hotline: 602-506-0700 (Fogging notification, green pools, dead birds, mosquitos)
www.maricopa.gov/WNV

Centers for Disease Control – Fight the Bite!
Learn more about the West Nile virus:
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm

Track West Nile Cases in the USA:
U.S. Geological Survey
http://diseasemaps.usgs.gov/wnv_us_human.html

An IPM program can contain any of the following elements.

• Cultural practices are those factors influenced by humans and their environments. Sanitation is the most important cultural practice affecting the success of a pest management plan and it is a customer responsibility. Sanitation removes the essential elements for pest survival, i.e. food, water, and harborage. Some examples include waste removal, cleaning, grass mowing, exterior clean up, etc.
• Biological techniques involve the use of living organisms or their bi-products to control pests. Parasites and predators are very useful in controlling outdoor pests; however, there is very little application indoors. Insect growth regulators and chitin synthesis inhibitors, which abnormally affect growth and development, are included in this category.
• Mechanical devices have been used for hundreds of years in controlling pest populations. There are wind up fly traps, sticky traps, snap traps, and a variety of other devices for controlling rodents. Screening, netting, hardware cloth, caulking, and expendable foam are examples of a few products used to exclude pests from a home. Very valuable tools in preventative pest management.
• Pesticides are products used to manage pests by affecting their growth or behavior. For example repellents, insect growth regulators, plant growth retardants, etc all play an important role in IPM.

Remember successful pest management programs depend on locating the problem and harborage areas that aren’t always apparent. It is our role as PMP’s to educate, investigate, implement, and observe the best pest management practices.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Bruce Tennenbaum
Arizona Pest Control
520-886-7378
Roachman@AZpest.com

TERMITE SWARMS REPORTED

August 17, 2010 (Tucson, AZ) – Arizona Pest Control Company has received reports that termites have already started swarming in Tucson, Arizona. According to Manager Bruce Tennenbaum, “Tucson has received a lot of termite activity recently which can be attributed to the rainfall among other influential factors.”

Experts at the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and Arizona Pest Control Company (www.AZpest.com) propose several tips to avoid termite infestations:

• As most termites are attracted to moisture, avoid water accumulation near your home’s foundation.  Divert water away with properly functioning downspouts, gutters and splash blocks.
• Quickly repair house damage from a leaky roof or window as termites can thrive in this moisture.
• Never bury wood scraps or waste lumber in the yard, especially near the building.  Remove old tree stumps and roots around and beneath the building.
• Most importantly, eliminate any wood contact with the soil.  Maintaining a 1-inch gap between the soil and wood portions of the building is ideal.

Recognizing the destruction termites can cause, it is important to be aware of infestation warning signs:

• Swarming of winged forms in the fall and spring – termites can easily be confused with flying ants.
• Evidence of mud tunneling in, over and under wood structures
• Wooden structures exhibit darkening or blistering
• Damaged wood becomes extremely thin and can be easily punctured by a knife or a screwdriver

“As termites are known to cause over $5 billion dollars in damage each year, virtually all experts recommend calling a pest professional to protect one of your most important investments, your home, from termite infestation,” says Missy Henriksen, NPMA vice president of public affairs.

Professionals offer the specialized skills necessary to rid a home of termite infestation: knowledge of building construction, an ability to identify termite species and the knowledge of applicable methods of termite control.

For further information, visit pestworld.org and www.azpest.com.

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Mr. Pest Control Question: Can scorpions live in the attic when the temperature is around 130 degrees?

Answer:

There are companies now that advertise to do heat treatments of structures to eliminate bed bugs, termites, and scorpions, and the temperature they apparently attempt to achieve is 140-150 degrees, but their websites do not state what the high end temperature is for scorpions. Bed bugs we know cannot withstand 120 degrees for more than about 30 minutes, but scorpions are probably tougher critters. Certainly, they are adapted to living in extremely hot climates, and since parts of Nevada and Arizona will hit 120 degrees outside, that temperature does not wipe them out. Of course, when temps get that hot the scorpions will all have holed up somewhere that is cooler and dark, so their little micro-environment likely is well below the air temperature.

I would bet that even in an attic that gets to 130 degrees the scorpions will move to seek a cooler place, and this may be beneath the insulation. I suspect that the temperature below the insulation that rests on sheetrock would be much cooler, as it would be cooled by the air in the living areas below. We know that bed bugs will do this too, rapidly moving to avoid temperatures that are getting too hot for their comfort, and this is one way to spread them around in apartments. A number of websites stated that scorpions “prefer” temperatures from about 75 to 99 degrees, so they are comfortable and active at that pretty high temp. Above that they probably start looking for cover.

My personal guess is that a scorpion might die if kept at a sustained temperature of 130 degrees, but that they probably find places well below that temperature by moving under things in the attic. It would be interesting to put a thermometer in the open space in an attic as well as under the insulation, and compare to see how much difference there is.

Mr. Pest Control

VIA Pest Web: http://www.pestweb.com/todaysquestion.cfm?id=4831

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