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Month: January 2018

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rodents

How to Avoid a Rodent Infestation

There are a few things you can do around the home to prevent a rodent infestation. First, keep food and food scraps tightly sealed inside the house. Open food and food waste will attract any nearby rodent. Also keep all garbages sealed tightly. This includes indoor garbages and also any garbages that you store outside.

Rodents also love composts piles. They are a not only a source of food for the rodent but the decomposing food also gives off warmth for the rodents, so the compost becomes a hotel and grocery store all in one! Make sure composts are sealed or tightly covered. Regularly turn the pile as well, as this will deter rodents from staying there. Turning the pile frequently will also cover up any new food scraps.

Avoid leaving out food for birds. Rodents are attracted to these foods and it can soon lead to an infestation. If you must feed birds, feed them huskless food or food that doesn’t leave a lot of waste around. This goes for pet food as well. If your dog or cat eat it, then rodents will also eat it. Do not leave out loose pet food. Larger bags of food should be sealed tightly in tubs, or well secured inside thick bags.

Although not all rodent infestations can be prevented, if you follow these simple steps around your home you will be much less likely to find yourself with a rodent infestation.

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Categories
bed bugs insects

How can heat kill bed bugs?

Whether you are dealing with a few bed bugs, or a large infestation of these pests, bed bugs can quickly become a nightmare. When dealing with bed bugs, it’s best to act fast and be as thorough as possible to rid yourself of them. Bed bugs are pretty clever when it comes to hiding, so a thorough inspection of the direct problem areas and those close by is highly recommended. Though it may seem impossible to get these nasty creatures out of your life, don’t fret, you likely already have many of the tools right there in your home.

One of the best and scientifically proven ways to kill bed bugs, both adults and eggs, is to use a heat source. That’s right; heat will rid you of your unwanted house guests. But, how? Well, thermal deaths for a bed bug and their eggs can vary. How hot and how long you expose them to the heat are your primary factors when attempting to kill them.

While a temperature of 113 degrees Fahrenheit will certainly kill both the adults and eggs, that temperature will require constant exposure for at least 90 minutes to be fully effective. Whereas, a temperature of 118 degrees Fahrenheit will kill them with only 20 minutes of constant exposure.

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Categories
general

Colony Collapse Disorder:  How Science is Working to Help Hives Thrive

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is a phenomenon that is fairly recent.  Beginning in 2004, keepers of Western Honey bees (Apis mellifera) began noticing hives that had plenty of food stores and brood material, but dramatically reduced numbers of adult worker bees. This was true even in hives that showed no increased mite or parasite activities, queen-related problems or damage to the hive or comb.

Since that time, much investigation has been done to try to find a specific cause for CCD.  Western honey bees are not only valued for the production of honey but also for their role in pollination of a significant number of agricultural products.  These crops would be reduced or even fail completely without the help of pollinators like the honey bees. In fact, researchers have calculated that although there has been an almost 50% increase in world honey bee stocks over the 100 years, it has not been sufficient to keep up with an almost 300% increase in pollinator-dependent crops. This makes CCD and its possible causes and cure a hot topic for many.

CCD is not the only reason that a hive may lose its population, and bee hive management requires much knowledge and attention to details. CCD however, has presented as a significant threat to overall bee population.  At this time, there continues to be much conjecture and theory, but no specific identifiable cause.

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Categories
mice rodents

Can Adding Mouse Fecal Pellets Improve Bait Station Results?

If you’re just looking for the long-and-short of it, the answer is “yes.” Tests have proven to show that bait stations with fecal pellets also added to them are anywhere between roughly 10-15% more effective than those without. This has to do with the chemicals inside the fecal matter and how they play a key role in communicating with other mice in a way that attracts more of them.

One of the reasons for this is that the pellets indicate a higher likelihood for there to be food laying around somewhere in the nearby vicinity of the droppings recently left behind. It also creates a sense, albeit a false one in this case, of added security to that particular area.

This particular method of attracting more mice, however, does not necessarily work with other devices, such as multiple catch traps. For those to work, you can try using whatever conventional bait supply was already provided for such traps, and just add the droppings to the area directly around the traps you’re trying to use. If done correctly, the mice should at least be more attracted to that general region, which may, in theory, increase the efficacy of your other traps.

Other Source(s): http://magazine.pctonline.com/article/august-2016/better-bait-take.aspx

Stephen Bassette © 2016

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Categories
mice rodents

What types of areas do mice prefer?

You might assume that all mice behave the same but they don’t. All mice want the same things, warmth, food, and plenty of space. However, depending on the type of mouse, they prefer different places to live.

One thing is factual for all mice, they like to have a large area. Mice like places to dig, run, climb, and swim. The like to roam around and be in a place that allows them to fully exercise. Mice are territorial and prefer to have a place to call their own. It’s ideal for all of these activities to be near the mouse. Mice can get a lot done in a small area.  It may be surprising but, the typical mouse does not travel further than 30 feet away from their home during the day.

There are different types of mice and they behave differently depending upon the type. House mice as well as deer mice will build their nest under rocks, their own fur, and bits of plants. Meadow jumping mice like to live in grasslands and avoid the woods. They like for the area to be thick with growth. Meadow jumping mice also like to live around marshland areas and ponds where you will also find pocket mice.

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Categories
mice rats rodents

Which prefers a balanced diet and why, a rat or a mouse?

Mice and rats are known for their preference for biting to pieces any piece of food they can find, pecking at crumbs on the floor and food in the cupboard. Despite this, you can not feed your pet with anything, since mice and rats require very specific nutrients based on certain diets.

For mice, a good starting point is a commercial rodent food. These are available in most pet stores and can come in block, tablet, or as a mixture of seeds. Also, when choosing a commercial food for your mouse, you should pay attention to certain nutritional facts, since mice require a minimum level of fiber (18%) and protein (16%) to stay healthy. Furthermore, the fat content should be limited to a maximum of 4%. In addition, they also enjoy a daily treatment. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a perfect solution. Some good ideas are peas, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, apples or bananas. It is important to be careful, however, these treats should be very small to prevent overeat.

Regarding rats, like mice, it is important to include in their diet a feed for commercial rodent. The best way to block a rat is food, as it provides a good chewing exercise.

Although mice and diets rats are very similar, rats need a slightly different mix because they need more fiber and less fat, so the food of rats should easily be located above 18% in terms of content fiber and clearly below 4% fat.

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Categories
insects

What is a pollinator?

A pollinator is, in essence, a living creature that helps plants spread around a place. The term is, as far as the etymology is concerned, stems from ‘pollen’. Over one in every four American families is well-versed with the havoc that pollens can wreak, thanks to various types of pulmonary diseases and allergies that regularly affect younger members of families. But it would be wrong to think that you get exposed to pollens only outdoors when it’s very common that many people get affected in a passive way, despite not having any outdoor pollen exposure.

That is precisely why it becomes important to understand the role of pollinators in the context of American families. If you live in a place that’s not highly urbanized (a rural Midwestern town, for example), it’s very likely that a number of pollinators – right from rodents to wasps – already call your home their own. So, apart from the obvious trouble these ‘pests’ cause, secondary problems like pollen allergies, asthma or bronchitis can also be directly linked to them. As far as urban houses go, small pollinators like roaches tend to be more common than large rodents.

Pest control, in such a scenario, becomes of immense importance. Pollinators need not only be eliminated for their nuisance potential, but also be dealt a decisive blow for the huge long term ill-effects they can cause to your family.

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Categories
hiding places insects rodents

In pest control what is a hot zone?

Hornets,Termites Carpenter Ants, Spiders, and Mice. These are just a few of the critters that are considered pests, and they all share some things in common. In trying to control pests there are “hot zones” in which these animals may thrive. Homes that are leaky, and have poor construction, would be an example as the animals may have an easy way to enter. So if you don’t want a squirrel or a Raccoon in your attack, make sure to have it sealed well. Often times pests love moisture and high humidity areas, because they’re fond of damp wood, you should check your pipes, roof and window sills for water leaks.This would be an example of a hot zone. Certain materials are pest Hot zones for example like cedar shingles and stucco, which animals can scale and birds can wiggle into Another example of a pest hot zone, is a building that is shared with other tenants. If you live in a multiunit building, any pest control measures you take individually will be ineffective in the long term simply because insects travel from one apartment to another. In many cases the entire building must be eliminated at one time to truly fix the problem.

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Categories
mice rats rodents

Compared to a rat how many mice traps should you actually set out for mice?

RAT TRAPS VS MOUSE TRAPS

By Jestin Ronody Marson © 2016

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It doesn’t matter how many traps you set. If you don’t block the entryway, rodents will continue to return. PERIOD! But, I digress …

Mice are much smaller than rats. They are also quicker and smarter than people think. The tricky thing isn’t necessarily how MANY traps you need, but what kind of trap and bait to use. The old fashioned, spring loaded, finger amputating mouse traps will work if you have the nerve and patience to use them. I personally would advise the slightly more expensive “clip” version (TomCat, for example) which looks more like a large “chip clip” with teeth. They are easier to set and you are not as likely to lose a finger.

You can bait the trap or not, your choice. I like to use just a small amount of peanut butter since these sneaky little so-and-so’s like to run off with cheese. Peanut butter is sticky and hard to run away with. Also, use gloves. Rodents can detect human scent. The NUMBER of traps is debatable. You should use one trap for every ten feet, setting them several feet apart. I advise every other trap to be on the floor. For instance, if you have one on the floor by the fridge, put the next one on the counter behind the microwave, the next on the floor near the stove, the next behind the toaster on the counter, etc. Another marvelous benefit of the clip traps is they are easy to re-use!

Rats are larger rodents. You should never attempt to catch a rat in a mouse trap. That’s like taking a knife to a gunfight. Rats are sneaky, but they are much bigger than mice. They have been known to reach sizes that would scare Fido and Rover, thus a larger more effective trap is required. I still prefer the clip traps here. They are easy to set and easy to use. However, keep in mind, rats have been known to run off with the trap, so make sure you are using a RAT trap to catch rats. You are going to want to put the traps near water sources, and along the wall and floor. Also, you will want to set a few in the attic. I advise at least one under the kitchen sink and one behind the toilet. The number of traps may vary, I would think one trap for every ten feet of wall would be sufficient. You may also want to look into the cage/guard that can be used in concert with the trap. This would help prevent Fido or Kitty accidentally getting caught in the trap.

The number of rat traps vs mice traps is a matter of opinion. I believe if you see one mouse, you have a hundred. If you see a rat, you probably have fifty. I believe for every one rat trap you use, you should use at least two mouse traps. That is MY opinion. But no matter what you do, if you don’t block the entry, rodents will always find a way back.

Categories
bees insects

How does a honey bee make honey and what are the benefits of local unprocessed raw honey?

Honey bees work tirelessly to produce one of the world’s most renowned substance: honey. While mankind has all but perfected the collection and distribution of honey, it turns out nature got it right. Unprocessed, raw local honey offers the most in terms of antioxidants, immune system boosters, and overall health value. It is even considered to be a performance food in that athletes use it to replace vital carbohydrates and complex sugars in the most rigorous of competition. It is also of course praised for its taste and use in a variety of recipes. The process of making honey begins with bees collection nectar from flowers close to their hives. They collect nectar and begin processing it to convert it from raw, natural sugars into the familiar yellow, sticky substance. Once they return to their hive, bees deposit their find where other bees chew on this unprocessed substance to increase its viscosity and add even more beneficial substances. The end result is placed in a wax container and stored. Purchasing directly from the source ensures its freshness and health benefits. Shoppers should aim to purchase from local, organic sources to reap these benefits while enjoying a delicious, time-honored food that has long been perfected by nature.

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