Meet the Powderpost Beetle

Powderpost beetles lay their eggs in cracks of wood and the larvae tunnel into the surface, filling it with a very fine powder-like dust. Powderpost beetles have long, narrow, flat bodies that allow them to easily attack wood surfaces. These beetles are reddish-brown in color.

Adult powderpost beetles are very active at night, enjoy flying and are attracted to the light. Powderpost beetles often attack hardwoods, and can be found in hardwood floors, timbers and crates, antiques and other objects made of hardwood materials.

Some researchers believe that powderpost beetles are second only to termites in the United States in their destructiveness to wood and wood products.

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

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

Reference: www.pestworld.org

What's That Buzz...

It's a lovely summer afternoon and your planning a nice luncheon out on the porch with friends. All is going well until...You hear them coming, like a squadron of kamikazes....

House flies get their name from being the most common fly found around homes. Adult house flies can grow to one-quarter of an inch long and usually live between 15 and 25 days. They tend to stay within 1-2 miles of where they were born; however, they have been known to migrate up to 20 miles to find food.
House flies can only feed on liquids, but have the ability to turn many solid foods into a liquid for them to eat. House flies taste with their feet, which are 10 million times more sensitive to sugar than the human tongue.

These insects have been known to carry over 100 different kinds of disease-causing germs, which makes them very bad house guests.

Here are a few tips to keep house flies at bay:

• Be vigilant about sanitation
• Remove trash regularly and use well-sealing garbage receptacles
• Clean up pet waste immediately
• Use fine mesh screens on doors and windows to prevent fly entry

Of course, you can always give Dave a call at 1-800-400-6009.

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

Cat Vs Mouse

Of course, if you do not own a cat, your best solution is to call Dave at 1-800-400-6009!

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

Thinking About Hiring A Pest Management Professional?

If you're thinking about hiring a pest management professional (PMP) there are a few things you should know. I'll be detailing some of the questions and concerns in upcoming blogs.

One important item is to ask the PMP to outline their plan for dealing with your pest problem. Have the PMP describe why and where the pesticide applications will take place. Ask what products will be used for each application. If you do not understand the information they are presenting, ask them to further explain the procedure.

You may want to review the labels of pesticides and discuss techniques the applicator intends to use. Ask if lower-risk pesticide alternatives are available. Note special safety concerns in the contract, such as family members with allergies and health problems, infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and pets. The choice of pesticides and/or other methods must reflect these concerns.

Also, inquire about special instructions you should follow to reduce your exposure to the pesticides that will be applied.

• Should you be out of the house, building, or office during and after the application?
• For how long?
• What about drying time or ventilation?
• What should you expect after the application?
• Will there be any odors or visible residues?

Always ensure that the service representative and the PMP holds a commercial pesticide applicator's license. Although the applicator of pesticides is required to hold a license, it is wise to have someone trained and certified to make the appropriate recommendations for pesticide use.

If you're concerned about pests in your home or place of business, give Dave a call at 1-800-400-6009. We've been providing homeowners and commercial property owners with complete pest control services throughout the Worcester County area for over 35 years.

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

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

Yellowjackets...Bee or Wasp?

Yellowjackets are frequently and mistakenly called bees, but they are in fact part of the wasp family. Workers yellowjackets are sometimes confused with honey bees, especially when flying in and out of their nests. Yellowjackets, in contrast to honey bees, are not covered with tan-brown dense hair on their bodies and lack the flattened hairy hind legs used to carry pollen.

Yellowjackets have a lance-like stinger with small barbs and typically sting repeatedly. Occasionally, the stinger becomes lodged in the victim's skin and pulls free of the wasp's body. The venom is primarily only dangerous to those who are allergic, unless a victim receives a large number of stings.

Nests are built in trees, shrubs, or in protected places such as inside human-made structures (attics, hollow walls or flooring, in sheds, under porches, and eaves of houses), or in soil cavities, mouse burrows, and such. Nests are made from wood fiber chewed into a paper-like pulp.

If you're concerned that you have yellowjackets near 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

The Nest Museum....Really!

Okay, I'm known to keep a few "treasures" I've come across while performing pest control services, but this guy has me beat!



If you're concerned that you wasps, hornet, yellow jackets 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

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

Understanding Envirocare™

Our envirocare™ program is the heart of any green solution to pest management issues. Here's how it works:

1. Inspection
This is a critical first step that, when performed correctly and with diligence, can get your GPM program on track. In this phase, we'll assess your home's risk of infestation and identify any existing pests and note cracks, crevices and other points of entry into your home. We will uncover potential food sources, the presence of water sources, and look for signs of existing pest activity. Based on this inspection, we'll will develop a prevention plan that can drastically reduce your home’s susceptibility to invasion.

2. Removal of food and harborage
In a chemically oriented approach to pest control, all other steps to discourage and control infestations are ignored in favor of introducing large amounts of pesticides into the environment. In an effective GPM program, however, pests are first discouraged by creating an environment unsuitable for them. This means removing food and water supply sources (including leaky pipes), compost sites, general yard debris, accessible pet food, garbage and other food sources.

3. Exclusion
During the inspection process, we will identify specific areas of vulnerability to pest invasion and create a customized plan for controlling and eliminating any problems without introducing unnecessary chemicals and hazards. We'll maintain a vigilant effort to remove or seal points of entry into your home and keep them sealed. Dave's team will help you identify situations such as high moisture areas, overhanging branches or debris piles – which could attract pests or provide pathways into your home. This ongoing service has a major impact on keeping your home from becoming an attractive living site for insects, termites and other pests.

4. Judicious usage of pesticides
Even after a thorough assessment of conditions, development of a management plan and creation of a “pest proofing” program, there may be the need to eliminate an existing infestation. Because in GPM, pesticide product application is just one part of an effective multi-faceted program, it can be performed with restraint and focus. This means only those pesticides necessary to address your specific problem will be used and only in the locations and quantities necessary. And as much as possible, these products will be specially selected for lower toxicity to people, pets, nontarget pests and the environment in general.

5. Monitoring
The final part of GPM is an ongoing monitoring program to ensure that your home maintains conditions that discourage pests and to identify the presence of pests before they become full-blown infestations.

For complete details on Dave's Envirocare™ Green Pest Management Program, call 1-800-400-6009 to speak to a customer service representative.

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

Pharaoh Ants

The Pharaoh Ant is also known as Monomorium pharaonis, which are part of the family Formicidae (Ants). Members of this Family are less than 1/16" long and are usually a yellow, brown, or reddish color. They are thought to have come to North America from Africa, Pharaoh ants can be an acute problem in hotels and inns as well as apartments and homes.

These ants generally come into a structure via items shipped or brought in from an infested location. Inside the home or business, they can nest in wall voids, behind baseboards, under furniture, or under stored items in cabinets or closets. Food sources range from sweets to protein-based foods.

Pharaoh ants can only be effectively controlled through a comprehensive baiting program. Treatment with liquid insecticides actually makes the infestation worse by causing the ants to "bud" or "split" into several smaller satellite colonies. The more successful baits contain pulverized silk worm cocoons as an attractant. They also contain a slow acting poison that gives the worker ants time to get back to the colony and feed them. The silk worm cocoon seems to be one of the only attractants for pharaoh that works. Again, it must be emphasized that spraying makes pharaoh ants worse.

If you're concerned that you have pharaoh ants 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

Deer Ticks

All three active stages of the blacklegged / deer tick will feed on a variety of hosts including people. After the eggs hatch in the spring, the very tiny larvae feed primarily on white-footed mice or other small mammals. The following spring, the larvae molt into pinhead-sized, brown nymphs that will feed on mice, larger warm-blooded animals and people. In the fall, they molt into adults that feed primarily on deer, with the females laying eggs the following spring.

Adults are reddish-brown and about 1/8-inch long (or about one-half the size of the more familiar female American dog tick). These ticks are found in wooded areas along trails. The larvae and nymphs are active in the spring and early summer; adults may be active in both the spring and fall. The blacklegged / deer tick can transmit Lyme disease to humans.

Preventing and controlling ticks around your home...

• Make sure the property around your home is unattractive to ticks. Because ticks are sensitive to dry conditions and do not thrive in short vegetation, they are seldom a problem in well-maintained lawns. Keep your grass mowed and keep weeds cut. 
• Fruit trees attract deer.  If ticks are present in vegetation or fruit-bearing trees and shrubs along on your property, contact a professional pest control company for assistance.
• Clean up items that attract rodents which can carry ticks, such as spilled birdseed, and hiding places like old wood piles. 
• Free-roaming dogs and cats are much more likely to encounter ticks than those that are confined to the home or yard. If ticks are found on pets, contact your veterinarian for information about an appropriate tick treatment. 

If you're concerned that you have deer ticks on your property, give Dave a call at 1-800-400-6009.

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

Don't Be Afraid, Be Informed

• Did you know cockroaches trigger asthma? 
• Have you heard that termites cause more than $5 billion in property damage every year in the U.S.? 
• Were you aware that rodents and ants contaminate food? 
• Have  you  heard about mosquitoes and West Nile Virus, ticks and Lyme Disease… 

The threats that household pests cause are very real. But, they should only scare you if you are uninformed about these pest-related health and property threats. From insights on integrated pest management to tips on seasonal pest proofing, visit Dave's Pest Control web site for the latest information on household pests and how to get rid of them.

Of course, you can always give Dave a call too! 1-800-400-6009. We serve Central Mass and all of Worcester County.

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

The Praying Mantis

The praying mantis gets its name due to its prayer-like stance. Mantises are exclusively predatory. Insects form the primary diet, but larger species have been known to prey on small lizards, frogs, birds, snakes, and even rodents; they will prey upon any species small enough to successfully capture and devour. Most species of mantis are known to engage in cannibalism. The majority of mantises are ambush predators, waiting for prey to stray too near. The mantis then lashes out at remarkable speed. Some ground and bark species, however, pursue their prey rather quickly. Prey items are caught and held securely with grasping, spiked forelegs.

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

Crazy Ants

The Crazy Ant is part of the family Formicidae (Ants). These ants are known as Crazy Ants because of their characteristic rapid and erratic movement. The worker ants have extremely long legs, making them relatively easy to identify.

Crazy ants were introduced to the United States from India. Their distribution is limited to the Gulf coast from Florida to Texas. They are easily identified by their long legs and their habit of erratically moving from place to place (hence the name "crazy"). Crazy ant trails are not readily obvious because of this erratic movement. The easiest way to find the nest is to look for workers carrying pieces of food or workers with swollen abdomens. These ants are carrying food back to the nest. By observing their movement, it should be possible to find the nest.

Crazy ants are highly adaptable and will nest in a variety of locations, from very dry to moist. They will nest under objects, in rotten wood or trash, in tree cavities, as well as in debris left standing in buildings for long periods of time. These ants feed on a variety of foods including grease, sweets, and other insects. In some areas they are considered a biological control agent for houseflies.

While crazy ants need moisture, elimination of water by itself will not get rid of these ants since they can survive under a wide range of conditions. Elimination of food sources and nest sites are equally important in the management of this ant. Crazy ants do not respond well to baits, so they cannot be relied upon for management of this ant. Surrounding buildings with vegetation-free barriers such as stone or brick (but not wood mulch) will keep ants from entering buildings to nest.

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.

Pavement Ants

The Pavement Ant is also known as Tetramorium caespitum, which are part of the family Formicidae (Ants). They are small pests (ranging from 1/10 to 1/16 inches in length) that can be found in many parts of the United States, as far north as Canada and as far south as Florida.  Pavement ants were introduced to the United States from Europe and occur throughout the eastern United States. They are an important pest in the Midwest and New England.

They build nests along sidewalks, building foundations, and under stones, boards, bricks, and mulch or leaf piles. Each individual colony contains thousands of workers, multiple queens and is usually located at one particular site; White Footed Ants and Carpenter Ants can have satellite colonies or build huge nests that cover hundreds of feet.

Pavement ants are one of the most common small ants invading homes. These ants readily make trails to and from food sources and often forage along the edge of carpeting or baseboards. They are also common around the base of toilets. They often nest in protected areas so the nests may be hard to locate, but this is essential to manage infestations of this species. There can be several thousand in a colony.

If you're concerned that you have pavement ants 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

Spring Pest Control

Spring is the time of year we think of renewed life, flowers, rain showers, and warmer days, this is also the time of year our activity springs to new beginnings. Almost all pest activity significantly increases.

Termites:
Although termites are active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, they are most evident during the spring swarm. This is when the winged reproductives (Alates) emerge in large numbers to reproduce and start new colonies. These silent destroyers, cause more damage and destruction to our homes and property each year than do all of the fires and storms combined annually.

Pests:
This is the time of year when all of your "over-wintering" pests emerge from their hiding places to reproduce. Carpenter ants start swarming (another wood destroying insect). Also, the fire ants, wasps, pill bugs, millipedes, earwigs, mites, spiders, scorpions, silverfish, roaches, etc. become more active and populations significantly increase.

If you're concerned about springtime pests 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

Fire Ants

Fire ants live in fields, woodlands, open areas, and in dry-to-moist soil. Their range extends from Florida and Gulf states to the Pacific Coast, north to British Columbia. Other members of this common genus are found throughout North America but the range of individual species is more restricted.
Reports of devastating battalions of fire ants are well known in the South and Southwest. Although these ants often damage young plants, they rarely destroy established crops. Some people even consider this species a beneficial predator of insect pests.

The fire ant society contains 2 or more worker castes of different sizes between 1/16" and 1/4". Their coloring is usually a dull yellow to red or black, they have large heads and incurved jaws that usually lack teeth. Their body contains a 2-segmented "waist" (pedicel) between thorax and abdomen, and fine hair mostly on the head and abdomen, and long legs.

Their food consists of other insects, seeds, poultry, fruits, honeydew, vegetables, and flowers. Females excavate nests close to shrubs for protection from burrowing ant-eating animals, spreading large mounds of waste earth. Sometimes nests are built in rotting logs or under stones.

Warning! Stings from fire ant produce a painful, burning sensation.
Dave's Pest Control Central MAhttp://www.davespestcontrol.net
1-800-400-6009.

Photo sources: http://fireant.tamu.edu/img/ants/img0018_med.jpg

Pest Games For Kids - Pest Detective

Mysterious and exciting, the world of pests challenges us to understand what attracts them to our homes and yards. Test your pest knowledge and skills with these learning games! For kids of all ages, and especially for those in third through fifth grade.

A pest is just an animal looking for meal and a place to live that took a wrong turn into your house. But when they do, it's not pretty. Homes wrecked...people sick. And that's where you come in. You're a Pest Detective. It's your job to find out what happened and who did it. Then you can help—because it doesn't have to happen again.

Click here to play Pest Detective.

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

Call Dave at 1-800-400-6009

Meet Dave's Pest Control

Want to learn more about Dave's Pest Control, a local company that serves all of Worcester County? Watch our video!