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  • What Are “Water Bugs” ?

Month: September 2012

Categories
Water Bugs

What Are “Water Bugs” ?

If you life in North Carolina I am sure you have seen what many people here refer to as water bugs. Most of the time the bugs are actually various species of Roaches. The most common type of Roach we call water bugs is the Smokey Brown Cockroach (picture on right). We also commonly see American Cockroaches referred to as water bugs. The truth is these bugs are not at all water bugs.

Cockroaches are one of the most adaptable species the world has ever seen. In fact one of the oldest cockroach fossils ever seen was said to be 350 million years old. This would actually predate the earliest known dinosaurs by 150 million years. So they not only lived before the dinosaurs they survived through their down fall. Cockroaches do like warm moist areas but they are not actually aquatic insects.

There is such a thing as a real water bug though. In fact there are several species. True water bugs actually spend there time either swimming through or walking on water. The bug to the left is called a water strider. The water strider relies on the surface tension of water, combined with the unique structure of their legs to walk on water. This water bug has legs that have little hairs on them that repel water and trap air.

Water striders are about a half inch long with a thin body. They have three sets of legs. The front legs are much shorter than the others and are used for catching and holding prey. Water striders can actually be considered a beneficial insect because they will feed on mosquito larva and other insects on the water surface.

Water striders are common in North Carolina, you can find them in ponds and other bodies of water that are calm or slow moving.

Not all bugs are bad, even the smokey brown cockroach is not something to worry too much about. Seeing one of these every now and then shouldn’t be cause for alarm. I know that many people think that if you see one roach it means you actually have thousands but that is not always true. With the cockroach species commonly called water bugs more often then not you are just seeing one wonder in from outside. Most commonly these roaches will infest crawl spaces.

If you are frequently seeing Smokey Brown Roaches you can try some of the do it yourself tips in the following blog post ( water bug article ).

When should you be worried about roaches?

  • If the roaches you see are smaller (about 1/2 inch long) and seem to mostly be hanging around your kitchen cabinets, there is a good chance they are German roaches. German roaches can explode in population very quickly and should be eradicated as soon as possible.
  • If you are frequently seeing roaches, even if they are smokey brown roaches, you should get something done. Even though these roaches do not typically infest a home any where near as bad as German roaches, they can grow in numbers to the point of being a serious nuisance.

When a roach infestation becomes bad they can pose a serious threat to your health and comfort.

The main areas of German cock roach infestation will be inside the home. Especially in kitchen and bath room cabinets. They love heat and moisture so around dish washer, refrigerators, and ovens are very likely areas.

The main areas of a smokey brown infestation will usually be in the crawl space or other areas like storage rooms and basements. We commonly find them around decaying organic material like mulch or dead leaves. Keeping your yard as free of debris and decaying organic material will help make your home less attractive to “water bugs”.

Categories
Bed Bugs

Top 3 Bed Bug Myths

Right now, Bed Bugs are the “rock stars” of the pest control industry.

Everyone is talking about them and some customers seem to be scared to death about having to deal with Beg Bugs.

We are constantly getting bed bug questions at both our Raleigh NC and Fayetteville NC pest control offices. Some are very understandable concerns that customers should be worried about, others are a bit comical. One of the funniest questions I have gotten was “Do bed bugs live forever?” (of course my answer was no, followed by….. where in the world did you hear that).

The customer then went on to tell me that she had researched bed bugs on the internet and found an article stating that bed bugs were like vampires and they have been around for thousands of years. I am sure she simply misunderstood the article but it does bring up a good point about how the popularity of bed bugs has skyrocketed. Now, the pest control paparazzi have gone crazy with sensational stories and claims. Almost like some of the famous celebrities you read about the poor bed bug seems to have been slandered in the press pretty dramatically over the past few years. I am waiting for the picture of a distraught bed bug on the street with a shaved head attacking an SUV with an umbrella.

So the number 3 bed bug myth I want to address is “Bed bugs are like vampires”

Sunlight will not cause them to burst into flames and face “the true death”. Also, bedbugs do not live forever, they are not able to seduce humans into allowing them to feed on their blood (with the possible exception of a few very dedicated researchers) and I don’t think silver has much of an effect on them. However, It is true that bed bugs are mostly nocturnal, but bed bugs will feed during the day if they are hungry enough. So this myth is squashed.

The second myth I would like to squash is “bed bugs travel around on our bodies”

This concern makes a lot more sense and is actually a very common question. I will not say, it is not possible for a person to carry around bed bugs, and possibly bring a future infestation with them, but it is not as likely as many people assume. Bed bugs do not like heat, so unlike fleas and ticks they do not hang out in hair or skin. They prefer to only be on the host long enough to get a meal and then they hide somewhere a bit cooler and hidden. Bed bugs prefer to move around with furniture, luggage, shoes, hats or other items humans keep close to them without being to close to our body heat.

Probably the number one myth out there right now about bed bugs is “bed bugs spread disease”

This is another very legitimate concern that I can completely understand people being worried about. It makes sense to assume that bed bugs spread disease, after all they feed on our blood like mosquitoes so why wouldn’t they? I have not been able to find a clear answer as to why but I do know of some publicized research that has attempted to prove Bed bugs are capable of spreading disease. South African researchers have feed bed bugs blood with the aids virus but the virus dies. It has been found that bed bugs are capable of carrying the hepatitis B virus for weeks but when the bed bugs bit chimpanzees the virus was not transmitted. There has been one experiment where bed bugs were able to spread the Chagas parasite from a wild mouse to lab mice.

So until someone can prove bed bugs are capable of spread viruses to humans bed bugs should not be feared as a disease spreading bug. According to the CDC “The good news is that bed bugs do not transmit disease“

If you have questions or concerns about bed bugs please feel free to contact us.

Pest control Raleigh NC

Pest control Fayetteville NC

Categories
Termite Control

Termite Treatment Cost Too High?

I have been in the pest control business since I was a kid. My grandfather started our company in 1973 and my father spent most of his life building the business. In the 20 plus years of my career I have seen major shifts in termite treatment costs. When I first got into the pest control business the average cost of a termite treatment was around $300. Now some of the prices I see go into the thousands and are way out of line and completely unaffordable for the average home owner, especially during tough economic times.

The cost of a termite treatment might seem high but if you know what really goes into a termite treatment it might be understandable. In order to properly treat a home for termites, a pest control company has to follow label directions of what ever product they use and also follow state regulations. Most of the termite treatment products on the market today are very expensive, along with the costs of actually running a pest control business all add to the cost of a termite treatment.

Recent innovations and label changes have reduced termite treatment cost

The most significant change has come from the industry leading termite treatment product “Termidor“. Termidor has given pest control companies a tool that is both extremely effective and less labor intensive. Termidors perimeter plus treatment is in my opinion that absolute best option on the market today for treating termites at a reasonable cost. The efficacy data made available from termidor has shown that even with the reduced amount of trenching, drilling and material the treatment method will achieve 100% control of termites in 3 months or less.

So here are a few tips to reduce your termite treatment cost

  • Ask for a product that allows for a perimeter treatment with limited interior treatment on the label. The 2 most popular are Termidor and Premise.
  • Shop around, get more than one estimate. Most pest control companies will give you a free estimate to determine the cost of a termite treatment at your home.
  • Stay away from the big national companies. These companies have big names but most of the time you will be dealing with a salesman and not an experienced termite expert. The termite treatment cost from these companies can be thousands of dollars, but hey they will finance it for you.
  • Assuming you do not want to finance a termite contract and get yourself locked into possibly dealing with a company you do not want to deal with for years because of the contract. You should call a local company, preferably one with an A plus rating with the BBB, and at least 10-20 years in business.

Most of the time if you follow these steps you will be able to find yourself a better termite treatment, with a better warranty, at a better price. Termite treatment costs do not have to be outrageous. With a little shopping around you can save yourself a bunch of money and have a much better experience in the long run.

If you life in Raleigh NC, Fayetteville NC or any of the surrounding areas we would be glad to give you a free estimate or answer any questions you might have.

Just click this link —-> lower termite treatment cost fill out, the form and we a qualified termite expert will contact you shortly.

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Categories
Termite Control

Why You Should Not Try to Kill Termites Yourself?

Killing termites is a pretty hard thing to do even for professionals. Very often while we are involved in pest control in Cary NC we will come across a customer who has found termites and attempts to kill termites themselves. At first termites may not seem like a big deal. You might only see termite evidence in one small area in the garage or you might find a small area of termite damage to a door frame. Attempting to kill the termites yourself may actually make your problem worse in the long run and here are a few reasons why.

  • Most store bought products capable of killing termites are repellents. Repellents are products that termites can sense and will avoid. Almost any termite killing product will kill any termite it touches however, only a small part of the colony will come in contact with these products. So you may not see the termites in the area you first spotted them but it is very likely that the termites will reappear somewhere else and next time, you may not see them.
  • Trying to kill termites yourself may give you a false sense of security. When we perform termite treatments we typically treat the entire house. Even after we treat the house we need to come back every year for a full inspection. Contrary to popular believe these inspections are not just a way for pest control companies to make money. Termite inspections are extremely important for controlling termites. Most state regulations require termite companies to inspect the property every year in order to keep the property under contract. Even after we do full professional termite treatments we will still sometimes find active termites in hard to see areas that need to be treated again.
  • You probably do not have the equipment needed to control termites. When we find active termites in a garage we have to use hammer drills to drill 1/2 inch holes through the concrete slab and through the foundation where the evidence is found. We then have to inject the termiticide into these holes to ensure the chemical gets into the soil. On average I would say we use around 100 – 200 gallons of product on the average house. Most homeowners just don’t have the proper tools or experience to handle termites.

Don’t worry though we are here to help. Here are some tips to that will help you get the best deal on a termite treatment.

  • Do not be scared to shop around. The termite business is very competitive and there are several pest control companies that offer termite protection.
  • Make sure you are dealing with a quality company. first you should make sure the company is established. Try to find a pest control company that has been around for 20 years or more and has a good grade with the Better business bureau. 
  • Get more than one estimate. Most reputable pest control companies will give you a free estimate. If you feel pressured by a salesman I would throw that estimate away and get more.

Finding the right termite contract may also seem confusing. Everything from the products used to what the contract actually covers may vary widely. Once you have a few estimates from a few reputable pest control companies for termites. You need to find out the terms of the contract. Here are a few of the most common differences you may find while getting estimates.

  • Does the termite contract cover damage? Not all termite contracts will cover future damage. Some termite contracts only cover re treatments for the termites and not the damage they create. While others will protect you from future termite infestation and future termite damage. Termite contracts that cover future damage are far more valuable than contracts that don’t.
  • How long will the initial treatment cover your home? This may depend on the product being used. Some companies will require a retreatment after five years some will require it after 10.
  • How much will the contract cost per year? Most termite contracts require a yearly renewal fee at the time of the annual inspection. You should find out what this costs and will the annual price rise over time.

The termite protection product you choose is up to you. Most professional products labeled for termites will do the job if used according to the label. Not all termite protection products are created equal. I highly recommend using a non repellent termiticide such as Termidor or premise. These products are very effective for controlling termites. They both have labeling that will allow a pest control company to treat the entire structure without having to drill as much as other products would require. These products are able to achieve excellent termite protection by mostly applying the product on the outside of the home. The termiticides non repellent characteristics allow termites to continue going through the barrier and then unknowingly spread the termiticide to other members of the colony while communicating and grooming.

Click to find out more about these products: Termidor, Premise, Termite Bait.

If you would like a FREE no obligation estimate for termite protection and you live in Raleigh, Cary, Fayetteville or any of the surrounding areas we would be glad to help. Simply click the Call to action below and fill out the form.