Nontoxic Biopesticide for Bed Bugs

We know it’s been a while since we’ve posted, but we have been really busy training new pest controllers and getting them the certifications they need to succeed!

Needless to say, we have a cool little update we wanted to share.

One of our favorite pest control companies in the Schenectady and Albany, NY area just added a new kind of pest control targeted towards bed bugs.

Family Pest Solutions calls this a “nontoxic biopesticide.” Basically, the pesticide is made from organic and natural materials such as fungi or microorganisms. There are a lot of different biopesticides out there, and each one is created with biological compounds targeted towards a specific pest.

In this case, Jack and his company are using one specifically for bed bugs. They treat quarterly or every other month with their new treatment. We got a chance to try it out and found it to be effective at exterminating and controlling our controlled bed bugs in a case study we performed on the treatment. It was far more effective than traditional bed bug control methods.

We wanted to include this video on how to find or identify bed bugs in your home that way we can add some more information about the pests themselves:

If you think you have bed bugs, then you should probably get ahold of a specialist. Some of the clear signs of bed bugs are if you are waking up with bites or welts on your body. They may have snuck in on some luggage from a recent trip or been passed around while your kid was at a friend’s house. Bed bugs can come from anywhere!

If you’re in the same area we are and looking for nontoxic biopesticide bed bug extermination in Schenectady, NY then we recommend giving our friends at Family Pest Solutions a call today!

How to Find a Pest Control Provider in Your Area

Much joy sent your way from Pest Control Report! It is that time of year where pests are coming out at an all-time high and invading our homes and properties.

I think this is a good time to talk about the importance of finding a top-notch local pest control provider for your invasions. These invasions could be flies, cockroaches, bed bugs, or any number of pests. No matter what they are, they can be dangerous for you, your family, or any pets you may have in your home.

There are a few reasons to look in your area for a pest exterminator. First off, they are local, and you would be supporting a local economy and help families put food on their table, isn’t that great?! Second, they are close to home, and more likely to treat you well and work with you on things like pricing, service, and will be generally more honest. Also, local pest control service providers tend to be more knowledgeable than your average run-of-the-mill franchise pest exterminator.

Mainly, though, we are looking for someone who is able to identify the pests invading your property, as well as being able to offer reasonable solutions to get rid of them. Sometimes, you can even sign up to get a free inspection if you suspect you have unwanted pests hanging around and nesting in your building. Once you’ve gotten a professional inspection, the service provider should tell you what the best course of action is. Make sure you get this in writing, as well as pricing.

What I’m about to tell you next is a little secret – take the quote and service you were offered and hold on to it. Find a few more local pest control companies and try to get free inspections. If they don’t do them, let them know that their competitor offered a free inspection and that you will end up going with them. Usually, you will then either get a free or discounted pest control inspection. Do this until you have many options and compare their plans.

Pricing shouldn’t be a concern here – you want the most bang possible when it comes to getting rid of these bugs. See who offers the most thorough service and go with them.

If you’re having a little trouble finding a pest control company near you, then a simple way to find one is to check it out online. For example, we are stationed in Albany, so if we needed some pest control, we would simply search “pest control in Albany, NY” and all of the providers in the area would pop up. Look at their reviews and use your best judgment. Don’t forget to get several quotes and offers.

I think that about sums it up! I hope this has helped you in the search for a bug exterminator, and always remember that supporting local business is so, so important! You can get some really great deals just by shopping locally. Keep an eye out for more helpful content in the future!

Natural Remedy for Repelling Ticks

Tick season is at our front door, here in New York, as it is for much of the United States. Ticks carry sometimes deadly diseases and like to hang on for dear life when they attach to your body. As such, I think it is time to share some natural remedies that can help fight against ticks.

We found some great ones over at Organic Daily Post that we wish to share with you today.

Cedar Oil – Cedar Oil naturally repels ticks, they hate the stuff! You can spray it on the affected area of your body in order to get them to lay off of you. If you have a tick on your face, the best way to do this is spraying the oil on a cloth and then rubbing the oil on your face. You may want to dilute the oil if you have sensitive skin.

Baking soda – If there is a small nymph on your body that you cannot physically remove, taking a bath with baking soda for 20 minutes encourages the baby ticks to fall off of your body. After your bath, double check every part of your skin to make sure the ticks are gone, and wash any of them in the tub down the drain.

Heat – Ticks like to hang onto clothes. If you suspect that ticks are in your clothing, then one way to get rid of them is by putting them through dry heat. The best way to do this is to put your clothes in the dryer on high heat and let it run a cycle. This will kill and knock off any ticks that are hanging about.

These three remedies should help get ticks off your body, repel them, and get them out of your clothes. If you have any questions, feel free to message us and we are more than glad to help!

Natural Wasp Repellant and Extermination

Wasps are some nasty stingers, and we want to make sure you can keep them away. We have some great natural methods you can utilize to keep wasps away from your home!

Peppermint – Wasps hate mint in general. Natural Living Ideas has a great method for using mint to keep wasps away from your home and garden. By planting peppermint or spearmint in your garden, you can prevent wasps from destroying your plants. You can also put peppermint essential oil on a cotton pad and place it near areas wasps tend to create nests.

Water and Sugar – Wasps are attracted to sugary stuff. A method we found worked was taking a 2-liter empty bottle, and inverting the top of it. All you need to do is cut off the neck of the bottle, take off the cap, flip the cut off neck around and set it inside the bottle. You then want to tape it together and put some water and sugar inside. The wasps will get stuck inside and die.

Smoke – Light a fire inside a grill or a portable smoke pit beneath any wasp nest you want to get rid of. Let the smoke rise to the nest for one to two hours, and it will choke the wasps out and force them to leave the nest. Once the nest is empty, remove it safely.

Wasps can be very, very scary pests, so hopefully, these recommendations help in getting rid of them. Remember to stay safe and don’t do anything that may put your safety at risk.

Do You Have Bed Bugs? Find Out Today:

Here at Pest Control Report, we want our followers to be capable of identifying a pest invasion in their home. Today we are talking about bed bugs and the signs of infestation they bring with them.

There are some key places where bedbugs like to hide out. Mainly, they like to hang out and group around wherever people sleep at night, hence the name “bed bugs.” Bed bugs also will stick together throughout all stages of their life, so you may find varying sizes of them in areas they like to spend time in.

To start, looking for physical evidence in the room you think they are infesting is important, according to Terminix.com. They mention these as signs that bed bugs are infesting your room:

Shed bed bug skins (exoskeletons) are laying around

Feces on mattress

Blood stains on sheets

If you are seeing these signs, it is time to take a deep look at your bedroom or room furniture to check for bed bugs. Check the following areas:

Headboards

Wallpaper/panels

Side Table

Where ceilings/floors and walls meet

You may find a cluster of bed bugs in these areas. If you do, we recommend calling a pest control expert to come and perform a full inspection and help you get rid of the bed bugs in your home.

All in all, finding bed bugs can be super easy, and we encourage you to frequently watch out for the signs of them, even if you don’t think you have any lurking in your home.

Signs of a Rodent Infestation in Your Home

Rodents are possibly the cutest pests your house can host. However, they are also some of the most destructive and dangerous. Rodents can carry many diseases, including rabies, which can be dangerous for you, your family, and pets. If you’re not sure whether or not you have a rodent invasion in your home, you’ve come to the right place.

Some major signs that you have rodents infesting your home are the following:

Feces (little brown/black droppings)

Unusual urine smells (a lot like ammonia)

Holes in walls or furniture that look like they’ve been chewed out

Nests built by rodents

Pets acting differently than normal

All of these can help you identify a possible rodent infestation in your home. If you begin to see any of these, it is imperative that you call a pest control specialist in your area immediately. Rodents reproduce quickly, and within weeks you can have a full-fledged infestation in your home.

A proper pest control inspection will reveal the following to you and your exterminator:

Kind of rodent in your home

How bad the infestation is

Where they are eating and nesting

What caused the infestation

The best method of extermination

Earwigs - What are They?

Earwigs have somewhat silly names, but it is not commonly known what they are and what they look like. Chances are, you’ve spotted an earwig and had no idea what it was! Today, Pest Control Report is going to share some information with you about earwigs that will help you understand what they are and more interestingly, how they got their names.

First of all, earwigs are insects that have tiny pincers on their tail (or abdomen). They also have wings that are held underneath their forewings, that they don’t really ever use. They are nocturnal and like to hide in moist areas throughout the day. They eat insects and plants.

Earwigs get their name because it was believed that earwigs would enter humans’ ears and lay eggs inside their brains after burrowing through the brain. This is, of course, not true, and earwigs actually pose no threat to human beings. They are non-venomous and do not have a way to bite, even with their tail ends. The most they can do is a little pinch that is barely noticeable.

Interestingly, earwigs offer maternal care to their eggs and babies, helping to fulfill the needs of their children. You don’t find this much in insects at all.

Cicindela sexguttata, the six-spotted green tiger beetle. These were all over the forest today, but it was difficult to get close without scaring them off.

Grog says hi and hopes you’re having the best day ever <3.  If you’re not, he hopes his derpy face helps a little <3.

Springtime Pest Watch - The Most Common Pests You’ll Find This Season

Spring is upon us, and as such, we wanted to take a moment out of the day to discuss exactly what pests you will be facing during the season. Tons of pests come out of winter hiding to begin living their lives – which in turn makes your life harder!

Here is a list of some of the most common or dangerous pests you may face this spring:

Ants

Mosquitos

Ticks

Box Sucker

Viburnum Leaf Beetle

Flies

Earwigs

Wasps/Hornets/Other Stingers

We want you to be prepared for these pests, so we have some steps you can take in order to make sure they don’t cause you any problems this season.

First, find a local pest control provider. We wrote extensively on this previously, so you shouldn’t have any problem finding an exterminator. After you find the exterminator, get a free inspection and find out any and all pests that are taking over your home or general property.

After this is taken care of, allow the pest control company to do what they’re best at – getting rid of bugs! Once the process is finished, make sure you pick their brains for keeping pests away in the future, and especially next season.

The best way to avoid having bug problems is through prevention. By learning preventative measures you can take year round, you can ensure that your springtime woes next year are no longer woes!

very interesting little bug!

Earwigs are insane little bugs! Good thing they aren’t dangerous!

7. Male & 8. Female. Earwigs. Johann Jacob Hagenbach. 1822.

Old lady leaves out her sadistic treats then waits for the magic. 

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How to Stop a Possible Silverfish Infestation          A possible silverfish infestation was discovered at 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO, in the first shipment of newly-accessioned records, numbering 1200 cubic feet. These records were received from a military facility located in Florida, and were due to be shelved.

        The key to catching this potential infestation was identifying the problem, and quickly contacting the correct people. Five Archives students were preparing the records to be moved into the storage area when they noticed the insects - white, multi-legged bugs that wriggled and moved fast. The students contacted their project lead who contacted representatives of the Archival and Preservation staff to check out the situation. On initial inspection, no insects were observed, but the students were instructed to use sticky tape and baggies for catching a live specimen if they were seen again. 15 minutes later, a live specimen was delivered to Preservation, still wiggling while stuck to the tape. It was identified as a silverfish (specifically Lepisma saccharina), which are known to be fond of items containing starch, such as paper. They damage paper by scraping the surface with their mandibles, leaving irregular-shaped holes. Through on-line research, it was decided the best approach to mitigate a silverfish infestation was to blast freeze these records – silverfish and their eggs prefer warm, moist environments typical of the Florida climates. Recommendations were made to the Preservation Officer and the Director at St. Louis for options on freezing the remaining 2900 cubic feet of records not yet shipped. Given the number of boxes, a government Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for emergency recovery services was enacted and a task order for blast freezing the boxes was created. This involved a series of emails and telephone calls from all NARA departments involved in order to invoke the contract and select Polygon Group (Illinois), a provider with the means necessary for the blast freezing process. By the end of the next day, the order was placed and the boxes were pulled from the shelves, re-palletized, and shrink-wrapped for shipping. The following morning, the records were loaded on a truck and left St. Louis, at approximately 11 a.m.

               The clear and continual communication between all parties was crucial in getting this potential infestation under control quickly. Instead of ignoring the insects, the archival students took the initiative to contact someone who knew the next step to take.  As a result, these records will be properly treated, and our building will remain pest free.

Order Thysanura, home to silverfish and firebrats.

(Photo source(s))

#silverfish #jeff #yogscast #theseshitsareeverywhere #killitwithfire

Cave/House Centipede (Scutigeromorpha), Lambir Hills NP, Sarawak, Borneo

(photo: Bernie Dopont)