Bat guano or mouse droppings?

I received a call from a homeowner today that really had a problem. Mrs. X was perplexed as to how rodents and bats could be so different, yet their droppings were the same. Mrs. X is wrong here's why.

This is a common identification problem that has an easy solution. The difference between bat guano and rodent fecal droppings is as follows:

1. Rodent fecal matter when squashed will stay mostly solid, unless it very old.

2. Bat guano is different in size, but when it is squashed is breaks into dust. The droppings after broken into pieces will also have a metallic look to them. This is do to their insects laden diet.

This method of I.D is the one all pest management professionals use on a daily basis. It's quick, easy and right every time.

If you have a pest problem, we can be reached at 1-888-879-6481

We still have bats in Connecticut

I'll make this short and sweet. I know lots of bats are dying in winter tabernacles in the northeast, but we still are getting complaint calls about bats in peoples homes. If a bat ends up unannounced in your home here is what to do:

1. Don't call the police they are burdened as it is, you can do this on your own.
2. If possible, confine the bat to a single closed room, open the windows (and screens) and allow the bat to exit.
3. If the bat is in an open room, trap it under a container after it lands. Then slide a piece of paper or cardboard under the container. Gently, flip the container over and let the bat go outside.
4. Don't harm the bat (if possible) in any way as they are good for the environment.

If you can't find the bat, you must look everywhere including under drapes, window frames, storage, furniture etc. They can be almost anywhere. I you handle a bat, it must be done with a thick glove as the bat will try to bite.

If you suspect or know that someone within the home has been bitten or scratched you MUST get the bat to the DEP virology lab. While only less than 1% of bats have rabies, if you contract it it's fatal.

After this incident ends (which unfortunately is usually at 3 am) call us and we will be happy to perform a full inspection as well as give a free estimate for bat exclusion. Exclusions are best done after August 15th when young bats are able to fly.

If you need our help call 1-888-879-6481

Yellow jackets in your home?

We received a scary call yesterday. A customer stated she had no less than a few hundred yellow jackets flying around her office. Now, this is a problem under any circumstance, but especially while she is occupying the office. Fortunately, this client was only stung several times before we arrived. It certainly had the possibility of being much worse. Here is what happened and what we did.

Upon arrival at the home the client was not exaggerating, she certainly did have several hundred wasps in her office. This is scary but true, the secretions from the colony soaked the drywall ceiling to the point that the colony fell through the ceiling.

The wasps made their entry into the building around the soffit area of the home and then into the ceiling cavity. If this is happening at your home you must remember that yellow jackets nest in cavities and it's very common for this situation to happen. Things you MUST NOT DO:

1. Do not plug the hole from the outside
2. Do not treat the nest yourself during the day
3. Do not open the wall OR push on the drywall where you hear a tapping noise. That noise is the wasps and your hand will go straight through if you push hard enough.

Our solution in this case was to put on a bee suit and enter the room with a pyrethrin to kill existing wasps and then physically remove the remainder of the nest. We then treated the exterior with an insecticidal dust at the entrance point to kill returning wasps.

The procedure is different if you are just hearing the tapping noise in your ceiling. Please do not attempt this type of service on your own. It's dangerous and best left to a pro.

If you are in need of our services, we can be reached at 1-888-879-6481

Bed bugs and german roaches at hotels?

Well, I just returned from a relaxing vacation in Ocean City and I felt compelled to tell the world about the first thing I did upon arrival in our suite. I looked high and low for bed bugs and roaches. As you may or may not know one of the most common places to pick up insects is at hotels. The reason, communal living and roaches and bed bugs are the best hitchhikers the world has ever known. The more people that are put under one roof, the greater the possibility of insect infestation. This is especially true for the aforementioned pests.

Now this may sound crazy , but I am a fanatic (almost obsessive) about bringing things into my home. I have not slept in a hotel in the past 16 years w/ out doing a complete inspection, PRIOR to bringing my bags into the room. In another article I will go over the biology of these pests, but here is how you can do a quick inspection on your own PRIOR to bringing your bags into the room.

In general these techniques will suffice for both bed bugs and german roaches:

1. Strip the bed to the mattress and look for blood stains and or black pepper looking spots at the bed tufts.
2. Look for live insects at the metal frame, box spring and head board.
3. Remove the drawers from the nightstand and check for pepper stains at the 90 degree angles in the drawer and the stand itself, flip it upside down if you must.
4 Get on your hands and knees and look for dead insects under the bed and furniture.
5. Inspect the large dresser the same way as the night stand.
6. If the room has a kitchen, pull out the fridge and look under the sink for dead insects, pepper stains at the corners etc.
7. Do the same in the bathroom.

*There is no guarantee that even with this inspection that you will find everything every time, but think of how much better you will feel.
* For the record, the pepper stains are obviously not pepper, but blood and or fecal spots from roaches/bed bugs.

Luckily, I didn't find a single insect. I feel comfortable telling you the hotel was The Carousel in Ocean City, MD. I'm sure they have had or will have pests at some point in the future, but for 5 years straight I have yet to find anything (believe me, I look). On a side note this hotel is great for families, especially with small kids. I can be contacted at envirocarepest@gmail.com for more comments about The Carousel. It's outside bar is the best on the strip!!!

Happy bug hunting on your next vacation. Please, take my advice about the inspection I have met too many people who have picked up insects at hotels. I don't want you to be the next.

If you need help with a pest problem i can be reached at 203-879-6481

Carpenter Bees?

I received a call on Tues from a client who has carpenter bees at their home. The problem is that woodpeckers are destroying the fascia board in their attempt to gain access to the developing larva. The customer was obviously upset with the answer that I gave. Here goes

Unfortunately, the time to treat carpenter bees has passed. The optimum time for treatment is upon emergence and during the egg laying process which is usually in the spring. The reason that treatment is best during this period is due to the biology of the pest itself.

Carpenter bees drill a hole about the size of a dime (perfectly round) and then burrow in half the distance of the thickness of the wood; then they burrow a 6-7 inch cavity after making a 90 degree turn. The female lays eggs then regurgitates a slurry of pollen and nectar so that the larva have something to feed on after hatching. This process takes place after each egg.

The problem is that this slurry closes off the chambers and makes an application with a pesticide difficult if not impossible to deliver so that all 6-7 bees come in contact with the products we use.

At this time of the year a better tactic may be to use something to scare away the birds. I also let the client know that should the situation become desperate and the damage is uncontrollable full replacement may be a good option (not what the gentleman wanted to hear).

I also informed him that possibly a fall application may work, but that since most of the damage occurs in the spring it may be best to wait until that time. The gentlemen was not happy, but glad to hear the damage from the bees will stop, I suspect that I will hear from this client in the spring as full replacement is very costly.

In another segment I will explain the treatment for this prolific and quite annoying bee.

If you need our help we can be reached at 1-888-879-6481

Termite estimates over the phone?

I had a funny thing happen today, I had a prospective client call and ask for a termite estimate over the phone!! I tried to explain that this was difficult to do because there are so many variables that must be taken into account in order to accurately provide a fee for our services. Much to my surprise (and dismay) she told me that she had already gotten 2 estimates both over the phone!!

After my initial shock I started asking questions. The client was stunned at some of the questions that needed to be answered and finally allowed me to do a free inspection.

Upon arrival at the home I got the answers to my questions within about 15 minutes. The questions were as follows:

1. Is there a well and how close is it to the home?
2. How many linear feet is the home?
3. Are there dirt filled stoops?
4. Are there live termites within the structure?
5. Is there interior work that needs to be provided?

The preceding questions are basic and must be answered prior to any treatment taking place by any company. When doing termite control no-one should want surprises. The enitre inspection took about 45 min start to finish. I then showed the client exactly what needed to be done and how we would do it. The client had many questions all of which were answered. The total cost for this particular termite service was under $950.00.

So here is the funny part, the client is going to use our services because we turned out to be the least expensive and as it turn out the most thorough. The client thanked me for the same day inspection and saved about $150 for her trouble.

I'm glad that I met this woman as she confirmed my business philosophy. Treat a customers home like your own and create satisfied customers one at a time.

If you have a termite problem or think you do, we can be reached at 1-888-879-6481

Do it yourself?

In today's economy many people are trying to save money by "doing it themselves" . In most cases making an attempt to solve a problem oneself is a noble idea, but at what point do the skills you have and the equipment at hand fall short?

I used to work with a home inspector who prior to his death repeated a funny line every time he inspected a home that had "homeowner" type repairs; with a laugh he would say "look honey I did it myself! The obvious connotation being it was substandard and in some cases dangerous.

The big box home centers have given all homeowners the idea that they can fix anything. In some cases they can, but many times major or dangerous repairs should be left to the professionals.

So you ask; how does this relate to pest control? Here are a few facts:

1. Most rodenticide poisonings come from store bought materials applied by the general public.
2. Termite treatments on average require 200 gallons or more of finished termiticide to adequately protect a home from termites. These products are delivered with equipment that can cost in excess of $1000.
3. Most homeowners don't know the difference between an ant swarmmer and a termite swarmmer
4. Most homeowners don't know how to treat powder post beetles effectively without pesticides.
5. Most homeowners don't know the difference between a wood roach and a german roach or why this id is important.

Here are the pest control projects you can tackle on your own:

1. Exterior only general pest control for prevention of pests. Put "yourself" on a schedule
2. Rodent control with snap traps or glueboards only.
3. Lawn fertilization and insect control.
4. Wasp control at night.

So go ahead and give pest problems a try on your own, it certainly won't hurt. You just need to know your limits and when its time to call a professional. You may want to yell "look honey I did it myself", but you definitly don't want to be the butt of a long standing joke.

If you need help we can be reached at 1-888-879-6481