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ANT CONTROL
 There are two categories of ants that will be encountered with an ant problem. The control strategy that you should take depends on your type of infestation.
Ants that live outside and forage in the home.
Bait treatments and insecticides can be used to control ants in the outside nest. To be effective baits must be placed in areas where ants frequent, eaten and be taken back to the nest. There are several different kinds of baits available, and you may have to do a little trial-and-error to find the proper bait. Because the ants must get back to the nest for satisfactory control this strategy may be incompatible with insecticide sprays which may kill worker ants before they can get back to the nest with the bait. The successful use of a bait may take several weeks or more.
Insecticide dilutions can be used outside to successfully drench ant nests. Be sure to follow label recommendations for correct procedures when applying the insecticide.
Ants that live (nest) inside your home.
Yes, there are some types of ants that actually establish a nest inside your home instead of merely entering to forage for food and returning outdoors. Ants in this category may be present year round, although they will be more active in the warmer months. Ants may infest food products. Spraying a residual insecticide to control foraging workers may provide only short-term control. Even when over 99 percent of foraging workers are killed by insecticide sprays, the colony may rebuild to its original numbers. Location and total destruction of the nest is the most direct way to eliminate this ant infestation.
Unlike other home-inhabiting ants, carpenter ants cause structural damage to wood by tunneling and nesting inside wood structures. However, they rarely nest in sound wood, but consistently invade wood that has become wet and started to decay. Carpenter ants are large (about 3/8 to 1/2" long) and black or red.
Carpenter ants are most active in the evening hours foraging for all kinds of food, both inside the house and outside. Injection of insecticide into wall voids or the nest itself may be necessary to insure complete control.
Ants are a major annoyance to homeowners and are difficult to control. You should not underestimate the importance of good sanitation to eliminate food sources, although good sanitation may not control an ant infestation by itself.
Although we do not like sharing our homes with ants, they are beneficial organisms in the balance of nature. In nature, ants greatly reduce the amount of dead and decaying plant and animal organic matter. They also aerate the soil with their nests. Many ant species have a fondness for honeydew that aphids produce from feeding on plants. Large numbers of ants crawling on a plant may be a sign of serious aphid infestation.
BAT CONTROL
 While the case can be made that any pest is important to a local ecosystem, bats have a definitive benefit. They can eat up to a 1,000 insects every hour and one of their favorite meals is mosquitoes. It's a lot like free pest control. Nonetheless, when they enter your home, they will present their own problem. The biggest bat problem is bat urine and guano. The nasty odor can easily infiltrate your home. Bat guano can contain potentially dangerous microorganisms. Bat guano must be collected, disinfected, and disposed of, including any fecal matter that may have fallen into hidden attic space.
The first thing you should know about bat control is what-and more importantly when-not to do. The exact months can vary depending where you live, but you should never do a bat exclusion from the beginning of May until the end of August. Flightless babies may still be in your attic and you can trap them in, leading to a slow, painful death followed by a rotting bat carcass. This will make the guano seem like no big deal. The best idea is to wait your bat problem out, but if you have an emergency situation or simply can't put up with it any longer, BUG OFF Pest Control may be able to help. Still, make sure you address this exclusion issue.
BEES / WASPS CONTROL
With rising concerns of the Africanized bee (killer bee) more people are now looking to control their bee problems rather than avoid them. Unlike other pest control companies who only kill the bees but don't fully solve the problem, we find the hive, remove the bees, remove the hive and prevent future infestations of the area. That is true bee control! Our "bee control" will keep those bees from causing any more nuisance or damage.
Unlike the European honey bee, the Africanized bee can be easily aggravated. Their expansion rate has been drastically reduced thanks to professional bee control companies like us who have crews specializing in bee control.
There are three major steps to follow in completely controlling bees. If a company does not offer one of these three, then they are risking damage to your home as well as harm to you. We locate the bees and eliminate them. Once eliminated, we remove the dead bees, honey, and honey comb or hive. Next, we clean and proof the area of bees. This is an important step to prevent future infestations of either bees or other pests attracted to the honey. Our goal for our bee removal service is to make sure you don't have the same problem again. If you have called another company repeatedly for the same problem, it is time to call BUG OFF Pest Control and get rid your bee problem once and for all! contact us for a free estimate!
BEETLES CONTROL
Some beetles prefer fruits of various plants. They also feed on decaying organic material in lawns and gardens. Larvae of these beetles usually feed on roots of grasses and other plants too. Their favorites are the root portions of carrots and sweet potatoes.
A (June) Bug's Life
A June bug's life cycle is quite short. It only lasts for a year. However, they are capable of multiplying really fast, making them a huge problem when infesting gardens and lawns. A female June bug is capable of laying 60 to 75 eggs in two weeks. It is during fall that adult June bugs lay their eggs. These eggs, after around two to three weeks, hatch into larvae, and become very active during spring.
Just like other beetles, their larvae often stay underground. They primarily feed on the roots of various plants and other crops. June bug larvae are just around 8 millimeters and grow up to 40 millimeters before they pupate and become adult June bugs.
Why June Bugs are Pests
Aside from these, these pests may also frighten or scare you or other people in your home, especially girls and small children. If you really love your garden, you will really want to get rid of these pests before they completely ruin your garden. contact us for a free estimate!
COCKROACHES CONTROL
Cockroaches are the most common insect pests infesting homes, food service establishments and other structures. Cockroaches are repulsive and objectionable to most people simply by their presence. They are also capable of mechanically transmitting disease organisms such as the bacteria which cause food poisoning. Recently, cockroaches have been found to be an important source of allergy in people, second only to house dust.
Cockroaches typically become established in homes after being introduced in grocery bags, with laundry, or in some cases, wandering in from outdoors. Once cockroaches become established, they are prolific breeders capable of producing several thousand offspring in a year.
Cockroaches prefer to live where there is food, warmth and moisture. Since cockroaches flourish where food and moisture are readily available, sanitation is an important step in prevention and control. Empty soft drink bottles, cardboard boxes and paper bags should not be allowed to accumulate. Food containers should be sealed and any crumbs or spillage cleaned up.
Unlike many household pests, cockroaches are prevalent year-round, causing homeowners and businesses to eventually seek some form of professional pest control.
Homeowners attempting to control cockroaches themselves will find insecticidal baits and boric acid effective and relatively easy to use.
Insecticidal baits
Insecticidal baits contain a slow-acting insecticide incorporated into a food attractant. Roaches locate and feed on the bait, typically contained in small, plastic bait trays, and crawl away to die. Bait carried back to the nesting area also kills other roaches after being expelled in the sputum and feces.
In contrast to liquid sprays or aerosols, cockroach baits require no mixing and it is not necessary to empty kitchen cabinets or cover food preparation surfaces prior to treatment. People and pets are not exposed to the toxicant since the insecticide is enclosed within a plastic, child-resistant container. Another advantage of cockroach baits is that they have essentially no volatility or odor.
Substantial reductions in cockroach numbers should occur within 1-3 weeks of treatment. As with any pesticide, read the product label prior to use.
Boric Acid
Boric acid is a white, inorganic powder chemically derived from boron and water. Boron is mined from vast mineral deposits in the ground and is used in countless consumer products, including laundry additives, toothpaste and mouthwash. Boric acid insecticide formulations can be purchased at hardware and grocery stores. The powder comes ready-to-use, i.e., no mixing or dilution is required. Formulations sold in plastic, squeeze-type bottles with narrow applicator tips are the easiest to use.
Boric acid may be used alone or in combination with any other baiting technique. It is effective in extremely small amounts and retains its potency almost indefinitely provided the deposit remains dry. Unlike many insecticides, boric acid has no repellency to insects and consequently, roaches return to treated areas repeatedly until they die. Boric acid is deadly to cockroaches, but is low in toxicity to people, pets and other non target animals. It is also odorless and contains no volatile solvents.
Cockroaches succumb to boric acid when they crawl over treated areas. The tiny particles of powder adhere to the cockroaches' body, and the material is ingested as the roach preens the powder from its legs and antennae. Some boric acid is also absorbed through the greasy outer covering of the insect's body. All species of cockroaches are susceptible to boric acid provided the powder is applied into areas where the roaches are living.
NEVER apply boric acid onto countertops or other exposed surfaces, especially those used to prepare food. Any visible residues should be wiped off with a damp cloth. Boric acid can be used alone or in combination with other cockroach control products. Avoid dusting over, or in the immediate vicinity of your bait stations, as this may reduce the attraction of the bait.
Boric acid is one of the most effective cockroach control agents ever developed provided that it is used correctly. Unfortunately, most people use it incorrectly, and in the process waste their money and effort. Don't waste you time and money, contact us for a free estimate!
FLEAS/TICKS CONTROL
Fleas are parasites, feeding directly on humans or other warm blooded animals. Usually you or your pets serve as these hosts. Fleas usually require warm and humid conditions to develop. Due to the flea cycle and weather conditions, many people don't realize they have a flea problem until they return home from vacation or after a move to new premises and are confronted by hungry fleas. Fleas are attracted to body heat, movement, and exhaled carbon dioxide.
Flea eggs are laid on the host or are deposited on the floor or ground. They also are often found in upholstery or pet's bedding. The flea larvae are hard to spot and are found deep in the carpets or the cracks and crevices of floors and upholstery. They are very difficult to vacuum, because the get entwined in the carpet fibers.
Whenever you see adult fleas crawling on your pet, it is only a symptom of a much larger problem. Current studies indicate that adult fleas account for only 5% of the total flea population in any given situation. Eggs account for 50%, larvae account for about 35%,
and the remaining 10% are the pupa cocoons. That means that for every single adult flea living on your dog or cat, there are 10 eggs, 7 larvae, and 2 cocoons.
These various life cycle stages will be found anywhere in the pet's environment, but will be most concentrated in the areas that the pet spends most of its time, like the pet's bed area.
The best time to start a flea control program is in the late spring, prior to an infestation,
since adult fleas comprise only 5% of the total flea population. To contain an infestation, fleas must be controlled in every way. BUG OFF Pest Control has many ways of doing this. contact us for a free estimate!
FLIES CONTROL
Perhaps the world's most widely distributed insect, flies also rank high as the most annoying. However, house flies, whose life cycle can span from 1 week to 2 months, can be controlled by best practices of sanitation, physical exclusion and by least toxic, chemical and non-chemical measures.
Sanitation
Limited food sources means limited breeding so do not allow materials such as manure, garbage or compost to accumulate. Keep trash cans clean and tightly covered.
Physical Exclusion
Ensure that window and door screens are tightly fitting and have no holes or rips. Adjust hinges and apply weather stripping to make sure there are no openings at the top or bottom of exterior doors. Seal any utility service openings at building entry points with caulk or metal flashing. Screen ventilation ports with fine aluminum or nylon mesh.
Least Toxic Measures
Ultraviolet-light and electrocution traps, sticky fly traps and carnivorous plants will eliminate many house pests. Keep a fly swatter handy for the occasional fly! contact us for more helpful tips or a free estimate for your home, restaurant or place of business.
MICE / RATS CONTROL
Mice are small rodents which can multiply rapidly. They feed on stored products, bathroom accessories and all kinds of seeds including bird and lawn seed. Once inside, you will find their droppings where they are foraging for food. Mice love kitchens, pantries, bathrooms, furniture and cabinets. They will nest in dresser drawers, closets and garages. Attics provide adequate nest sites, but mice prefer living close to their food. Attic's and crawl spaces may have mice living there unnoticed for long periods of time. This can lead to odor problems, damage and mess, so any workers or owners entering these areas should be on the lookout for telltale evidence of an infestation. Rats are the other rodent which will move into any structure man builds.
Controlling rodents is ongoing. Successful programs start before you have a problem. Know your property. Look for problem areas outside your buildings. These areas may include dumpsters, standing water, creeks, streams, neighboring businesses, and drainage systems. The most common attractant around the average home in America include either pet food or bird seed. The smells from these items is so strong it will attract several types of animals to your yard. Once they get a taste of these nutritious foods they will try to feed there daily. If you suspect you have rodent activity around pet food or bird seed, DO NOT REMOVE the food until the animal has been successfully trapped, relocated or destroyed using one of many options available.
Remember, it is always easier to keep rodents out. Once they get in, controlling them requires more work, more cost and more aggravation. If you know or suspect you have a rodent problem, contact us for an evaluation and a free estimate.
BIRD CONTROL
There are many ways of achieving successful bird control. A few things you can do for yourself include getting any of the following: Bird Spikes, Sonic and Ultrasonic Repellents, Bird Netting, Terror Eyes, Taste Aversion, Roost Inhibitors or Visual Scare Devices such as a Rotating Owl, Scarecrow Snake or Gator Guard. You can search any of these items online or simply visit your nearest home improvement or farm/ranch store for availability in your area.
If you have simply tried one or more of the above mentioned methods and can't seem to get those pesky birds away from your property, contact us and we will provide you with a free estimate for your home or commercial property.
LIVE ANIMAL TRAPPING
We use animal traps that are constructed of heavy gauge wire and reinforced with welded steel rods to trap and relocate nuisance animals. We are equipped and trained in the trapping animals ranging in sizes as small as mouse, rat or chipmunk to animals as large as armadillos, raccoons, coyotes, foxes and large dogs.
At Bug-Off Pest Control, we take pride in controlling all kinds of pests. Please contact us for a free estimate on the humane eradication of any animal that may be giving you headaches.
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