This year, El Nino is knocking on our doorstep; and they’re bringing the pesky mosquito with them. As we anticipate a wet summer, we can also guarantee the buzzing and biting of thousands mosquitos to invade our summer parties. These biting, disease carrying nuisances are public enemy number one. If you go to the gym, have type “O” blood, or are pregnant, you may attract mosquitos more than you would like. We have good news. There are ways to protect yourself and your home. Mosquitos love to … [Read more...]

Sometimes it seems as if spiders have invaded our homes and gardens. No matter where you look, spiders and their webs lurk behind furniture, over windows, in corners of rooms, in light fixtures, on ceilings and under cabinets. Outside, they occupy flower pots and build webs between foliage and live under eaves. Most spiders, even if they are scary to look at, are harmless to humans. Spiders usually avoid places frequented by people. They prefer to live in places that are undisturbed, catching … [Read more...]

But don’t worry. The flying and crawling creatures mean you no harm, and are interested primarily in finding the right bug with which to mate and procreate. Starting this year weather officials made the arrival of the monsoon depend on the calendar – it starts June 15 – rather than on attaining a specified dew point, a temperature where moisture in the air condenses into water and dew can form. Adult insects are what we see coming out of hiding and scurrying or flying about when the humidity … [Read more...]

Most people consider Memorial Day Weekend to be the unofficial start to summer, but in the pest control industry, we consider it the official start of pest season. It’s true, household pests are a concern year-round, but there is no doubt we see an increase in many types of pests once the weather heats up. If you’re like most and are planning to spend lots of time out in the sun this summer, it’s important to be aware of the risks posed by summer’s most dangerous pests – and learn how to keep … [Read more...]

Spiders can be found in nearly every corner of the world, except Antarctica, but the spiders most people worry about are the ones lurking in the corners of their homes, like the brown recluse or black widow. According to The World Spider Catalog, there were 41,253 species of spiders identified as of December 16, 2009, but only a few are dangerous to humans. Two of those dangerous spiders can be found in the contiguous United States, and especially in the southern states. The brown recluse and … [Read more...]

If you haven’t already seen them, now is the time when pesky little ants make their appearance in many homes. As the weather gets warmer ant colonies become more active.  Not only are ants a major nuisance for many homeowners but it is very hard to get rid of ants due to their very large colonies which house thousands of ants. There are several species of ants that can be found in Arizona and while most are considered just nuisance pests, others like carpenter ants can actually cause extensive … [Read more...]

The mosquito is a disease carrier and an irritant, but the mosquito is not impossible to control. Understanding mosquito’s biology and the mosquito breeding cycle can result in effective pest control for mosquito infestation. This pesky mosquito is found worldwide. The mosquito affects humans only in their adult stage, all other mosquitoes stages occur in water. There are about three thousand species of mosquitoes worldwide, approximately 170 species in North America. Breeding sites, biting … [Read more...]

Homes all over the country can be infested by the dreaded termite. This insect will work quietly and devastatingly inside the structure of your house and can do serious damage if not removed. Here are some pointers on how to look for signs of termites. Watch out for mud tubes. Unlike ants, termites do not roam around exposed. They either burrow through wood or travel inside pencil-sized (or larger) mud tubes that they build from wood particles, soil and other materials. Look around the … [Read more...]

While bees are crucial for plant pollination and wasps are predators that help control the insects they feed on, they can quickly become a hazard when they take residence around your property. Bees can become aggressive and will sting in order to defend themselves, their queen, colony, and nest. Wasps can even become aggressive around human food. The most important rule of bee control is to eliminate the nest, where the queen bee is living and reproducing while her worker bees build comb and … [Read more...]

Are the roaches I am seeing possibly coming from my neighbor's house? This is a question you hear often, and the answer is yes, it is possible. Roach problems like this between neighbors often happen more in row home or apartment and condo situations. With the close proximity of a row home and sometimes with the common joist set up, or in the case of apartments where pipes and wires are all common, it is the perfect highway set up for roaches to travel back and forth. If you are faced with this … [Read more...]