Pest Command.com

There are millions of bugs and pests out there, and we deal with them at different times of the year. But you know they can also make great gifts for the holidays.

Kids always seem to find things that crawl, jump, fly and slither. And you can rest assured they probably will make it into the house. Why, well children love to discover and learn. So why not give them a great learning experience along the way.

Great ways to learn about what is in our environment is by watching them grow and build a home.
Some gift ideas might be:
1. Ant Farms that come in different shapes and sizes.

2. Butterfly Gardens, you watch them go from caterpillar to butterfly.
3. Ladybug house, see them walk and fly.
4. Bug Jug, can be used to discover what a bug looks like (fire flies)

5. Watch a praying mantis in his own home.
6. How about a home frog habitat.

7. There are insect science kits as well.
8. There is even a talking bug identifier (magnifying glass) that can ID up to 50 real live bugs.

9. And you can never go wrong with books, for information and identification to coloring.

Have a very Merry Christmas

Some folks think just because its getting cold and winter is around the corner that there is no need to worry about pests. Granted most of them have died off or left the area in search of warmer weather. But there are some that stick around and can become a problem if left unchecked. Here are a few that you might encounter during the winter time.

Indian Meal (or Flour) Moths:
They can enter the home through infested grains, and other dried foods that you bring home. Here are some of the more commonly infested foods most people have in their home:
Birdseed
Oatmeal
Cereals
Pet food
Flour
Snack foods (chips, crackers, cookies etc)

If found in the home they are relatively easy to control without pesticides. Simply find the source of the infestation (box of cereal, bag of flour, sack of pet food)
To prevent future infestations, store dried foods in airtight containers or zip lock bags.  Foods that are not going to be eaten immediately can be refrigerated.

Cockroaches:
Ok if you happen to find live or dead roaches in your house the most important thing you need to do is try and identify which kind of roach it is. Why is it important you might ask, well some roach species are harmless while others can be a major problem.  To keep them from becoming a problem, keep stored cardboard to a minimum,  think twice about bringing in used furniture, TVs, and other appliances into your home. These are places roaches love to live/hide, and without thinking you can bring a big problem into your home. As well as seal all access points to your home, like around doors, windows and under sinks. Roach baits can be used in winter just like they can in summer.

Rodents (mice/rats):
Mice, in particular house mice are problem to many households. They usually enter the  house when the weather gets cooler. These pests are the reason for sealing entry to you house because they can enter through cracks and holes as small as a dime.
You can tell if you have a rodent problem when you begin seeing droppings (rodent poop) and gnaw marks or perhaps the uninvited guest himself. Because rodents have been linked to health problems, any sign of an infestation should be dealt with as soon as possible.  If you notice you do in fact have a problem the first order of business is to figure out how they got into the home. Once found seal the entry point from other rodents seeking to visit. If you find a rodents nest you will need to remove it. Since some rodents have been linked to the Hantavirus you will need to take steps to try and safely remove the nest without stirring up the material and dust. By spraying the area with a bleach solution and wearing gloves place the nest into a plastic bag and tie it off before placing it in the trash. Once this has been done, there are a number of different types of traps you can purchase to help eliminate your rodents.

These are just a few pests that you may encounter during the cold winter months. Pests will always be here so we need to be vigilant all year round.

Dust mites are a major cause of allergies for a lot of people. The are in every home even though we cannot see them. They live primarily on skin cells and scales, most call dander from humans and pets.

Dust mites can be found in areas where we like to lounge, and in mattresses, carpet, furniture and even window drapes. How many are there you say, well a typical mattress could have as many as ten thousand to 10 million dust mites. How about the carpet, well about 100,000 could live in one square yard.

We are not allergic to the mite itself, but what it leaves behind. Mites are said to produce about 20 waste droppings each day. Which contain a protein that many people are allergic too. Reactions can range from itchy eyes to asthma attacks. And did you know that about 80% of the stuff you see floating in a sunbeam are skin flakes.

Ok here is what we can do to help control them.  The number one thing we can focus on is “dust control”. This can be done by putting a plastic cover over your mattress. It is also said that fitted sheets help prevent skin scales from building up.  Vaccuum the pillows on the bed and area around the bed. You should wash your sheets and blankets in really hot water (130 degrees) at least every 2 weeks, and your pillow every week.  For things that can’t be washed and if small can be placed in the freezer for 24 to 48 hours to kill the mites. Try and dust weekly with a damp rag and mop. Why not go buy a spray to kill the little suckers. Well that is because there are no pesticides at this time for killing dust mites. These are just a few tips at prevention which will aid in keeping the dust mite population down and hopefully allergies to a minimum.