Do Not Watch This Before Bedtime!

If you're concerned that you have bed bugs in your home, hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast, give Dave a call at 1-800-400-6009.

Dave's Pest Control Serving Central Massachusetts
http://www.davespestcontrol.net

About Bora-Care

Bora-Care is essential in Green Pest Management. Bora-Care. It is a combination of the naturally found mineral borate and a patented mixture of glycol-based components that easily absorb into the porous fibers of wood and draw the borates with it.  And since borates don’t break down, the protection from termites and their ability to tube over wood and cement remains for the life of the wood.

Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate, or DOT, is Bora-Care’s active ingredient. This patented product provides you with a low toxicity solution. And that means that Bora-Care can be used with confidence in and around homes, apartments, schools, hospitals, kennels, farm buildings, trailers, warehouses, non-food areas of supermarkets, restaurants and food processing plants.

If you're interested in a "green" pest control solution for your home or place of business, give Dave a call at 1-800-400-6009.

Dave's Pest Control Serving Central Massachusetts
http://www.davespestcontrol.net

Termite Damage Is Serious

Termites are wood-destroying insects that, according to experts estimates, cause about $5 billion of property damage each year.



Depending on your geographical location, termite swarms should be visible in the early spring. Termite swarms can be confused with flying ants. Telltale signs of termite infestation include soft wood in the home, mud tubes in the interior or exterior of your home (often near the foundation), and darkening or blistering of wood structures.

Termites are nearly impossible for homeowners to treat on their own. On the other hand, pest control professionals have the training, expertise and technology to eliminate termite infestations.

If you're concerned that you have termites your home or place of business, give Dave a call at 1-800-400-6009.

Dave's Pest Control Serving Central Massachusetts
http://www.davespestcontrol.net

They're Baack! Black Flies - Part 1

If you live in New England, beginning sometime around Mother's Day and ending before Dad's Big Cookout in mid-June  is black fly season.  Like vampires, black flies want your blood.  (Unlike vampires, they are, sadly, not fictional.) Even though we are weeks away from Mom's Special Day, the unusually warm spring has signaled the return of the dreaded black fly.

According to the University of Maine's Cooperative Extension's information: "Generally black fly bites cause some itching and minor swelling from the first few bites of the season, following which an immunity develops, with subsequent reduced reactions.  Nonetheless, even individuals who have lived all their lives in black fly country and are exposed every season, can have greater effects if they get an unusually high number of bites on their first exposure of the season, or have some significant change in their physical condition or medical status."  

Here are a few tips on how to avoid them:  

• Black flies are most active during daylight hours, and particularly on cloudy days.  They are active in the early morning and evening right after sunset (peak time).  Black flies are active right before a storm - but hide during rain or cold.
• Light shades such as orange, yellow and light green are less attractive to black flies than dark shades such as blue, purple or red.  But black flies can't bite through clothing - so wear long pants, a long-sleeve shirt. 
• Avoid wearing perfume, aftershave, or perfumed personal products when you're outside - they are drawn to the scent. And, unlike mosquitoes, which breed in standing water, black flies breed in running water. 
• If you do get bit, soak yourself in a baking soda bath (about 1 cup for a full tub) to help ease the itchiness.  
• Insect repellents work to keep them away. Be sure you put it on your neck, ears, face, wrists and hands.
• And if all else fails: You're safe in your house. Unlike mosquitoes, black flies won't go inside your house (or in a tent). 

Dave's Pest Control Serving Central Massachusetts
http://www.davespestcontrol.net

We're NPMA QualityPro Certified!

QualityPro is an initiative designed to increase professionalism in the pest management industry. This dynamic program certifies companies based on comprehensive standards. Known as “the mark of excellence in pest control,” the QualityPro designation can be achieved by ensuring that all employees voluntarily ascribe to a set of standards far above what is required by state and federal regulations.

Reserved exclusively for member companies of the National Pest Management Association, QualityPro companies are a distinguished group that continue to act as leaders and pioneers to better serve consumers across the country. Therefore, it is with great pride that Dave's Pest Control is now a QualityPro designee.

Dave's Pest Control Serving Central Massachusetts
http://www.davespestcontrol.net

Preventing Tick Bites and Disease

The best way to protect yourself against tickborne illness is to avoid tick bites. This includes avoiding known tick- infested areas. However, if you live in or visit wooded areas or areas with tall grass and weeds, follow these precautions to help prevent tick bites and decrease the risk of disease:

• Wear protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, boots or sturdy shoes and a head covering. (Ticks are easier to detect on light-colored clothing.) Tuck trouser cuffs in socks. Tape the area where pants and socks meet so ticks cannot crawl under clothing.
  
  
• Apply insect repellent containing 10 percent to 30 percent DEET primarily to clothes. Apply sparingly to exposed skin. Do not spray directly to the face; spray the repellent onto hands and then apply to face. Avoid sensitive areas like the eyes, mouth and nasal membranes. Be sure to wash treated skin after coming indoors. Use repellents containing permethrin to treat clothes (especially pants, socks and shoes) but not skin. Always follow label directions; do not misuse or overuse repellents. Always supervise children in the use of repellents.
  
  
• Walk in the center of trails so weeds do not brush against you. In camping areas, individuals who sit on the ground or disturb leaf litter on the forest floor may encounter ticks.
  
  
• Check yourself, children and other family members every two to three hours for ticks. Most ticks seldom attach quickly and rarely transmit disease organisms until they have been attached four or more hours. If your pets spend time outdoors, check them for ticks, too.
  
  
• If ticks are crawling on the outside of clothes, they can be removed with masking tape or cellophane tape. A ring of tape can be made around the hand by leaving the sticky side out and attaching the two ends. Ticks will stick to the tape which can then be folded over and then placed in the trash.
  
  
• Remove any tick promptly. The mouthparts of a tick are barbed and may remain embedded and lead to infection at the bite site if not removed promptly. Do not burn the tick with a match or cover it with petroleum jelly or nail polish. Do not use bare hands to remove the tick because tick secretions may carry disease. The best way to remove a tick is to grasp it firmly with tweezers as close to the skin as possible and gently, but firmly, pull it straight out. Do not twist or jerk the tick. If tweezers are not available, grasp the tick with a piece of tissue or cloth or whatever can be used as a barrier between your fingers and the tick. Ticks can be safely disposed of by placing them in a container of soapy water or alcohol, sticking them to tape or flushing them down the toilet. If you want to have the tick identified, put it in a small vial of alcohol.
  
  
• Wash the bite area and your hands thoroughly with soap and water and apply an antiseptic to the bite site.
  
  
• If you have an unexplained illness with fever, contact a physician. Be sure to tell the physician if you have been outdoors in areas where ticks were present or traveled to areas where tickborne diseases are common.

If you're concerned that you have carpet beetles in your home or place of business, give Dave a call at 1-800-400-6009.

Dave's Pest Control Serving Central Massachusetts
http://www.davespestcontrol.net

How Well Do You Know Your Pests - Take 3

Here's another pop quiz. Let's see just how well you know your pests!

1. What pest will chase people if it feels threatened?
2. What type of pest can lay one egg every fifteen seconds for the majority of their life?
3. What pest is considered to be a delicious food in Asia?

Many of you enjoyed the quiz I gave you last month, so here's another one to test just how well you know your pests!


Scroll down for the answers....
Dave's Pest Control Central MA
http://www.davespestcontrol.net

1. The Africanized honey bee, also known as the " killer" bee, will pursue its attacker for over a quarter mile if it feels threatened.

2. A queen underground termite lives to produce eggs. Worker termites build nests, gather food and protect the colony while the queen has babies.

3. In Singapore, 2-inch long termite queens are considered a delicacy. They can be served live, dipped in alcohol or in rice wine.