Newest articles on The Sacramento Press written by Dave Picton

Heat Poses Risk for Tire Heat

2011-08-18T18:49:52Z

With this year’s record-breaking summer temperatures in much of the United States, the danger of heat-related road safety issues is magnified. One of the most common and most dangerous is the heat-related tire blowout. Mixing 100 degree temperatures with rubber tires and freeway speeds can add up to true danger on the roads. Here’s how to avoid tire blowout disaster—and what to do if the worst happens.

Heat affects tires from multiple angles. Driving in the summer results in friction between your tires and the hot asphalt. The faster the speed, the more friction builds up and the more the temperature of the air filling your tire rises. Combine this with the fact that heat and friction cause asphalt to expand and crack, causing hazardous road conditions, and you have a recipe for a tire blowout.

Cracked asphalt can create sharp ridges that can damage your tires. The hot expanded air inside your tires will then attempt to rapidly escape its confines, potentially causing an explosion—a blowout—and a dangerous situation for driver, passengers and other vehicles on the road.

Proper inflation of tires is key. Under-inflated tires cause "excessive wear on the outer edge of the tire and heat build-up.” When inflated too low, the tire has more room to flex over bumps, rocks, rails, and road, with each flex adding an opportunity for your tire to become damaged. Over-inflated tires on the other hand can cause excessive wear on the center of the tire, leaving the tire more vulnerable to damage from sharp corners or objects, or to a break in the tire itself. This can lead to a tire blowout. Filling a tire too full also causes the rubber to be taut and increasing the likelihood of the rubber breaking rather than bending over the road.

Overloading your vehicle can also prove dangerous during hot weather, as the added weight increases the pressure on your tires. Consider using a trailer, making multiple trips, or just minimize your packing.

Tire pressure should be checked frequently, especially in the summer months. Tire gauges can be purchased at any auto parts store, and air pumps are available at most local gas stations for a few cents.

If you are new to checking tire pressure, check out these sites:
http://www.dmv.org/how-to-guides/check-tire-pressure.php, http://www.wikihow.com/Check-Air-Pressure-in-Tires, http://www.aa1car.com/library/tirepres.htm.

When in doubt, consult a professional, especially before any long summer road trips or increased freeway driving.

So what do you do if you have a blowout? According to the California DMV guide, the steps you should take if you have a tire blow out are as follows:
1. Hold the steering wheel tightly and steer straight ahead.
2. Slow down gradually. Take your foot off the gas pedal slowly, but do not hit the brakes.
3. Let the car slow to a stop, completely off the road.
4. Apply the brakes when the car is almost stopped.

For more tips and tricks on this and other roadside problems, check out http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/dl603/teen_htm/special.htm. Visit http://grbodyshop.com for more information on road and driving safety.

Prehistoric cockroaches difficult to contain

2010-08-30T22:22:40Z

They’re an age-old story , but cockroaches recently made the headlines when affordable senior housing in the Sacramento area was found to be infested with pests , including cockroaches.

According to UC Integrated Pest Management there are six species of cockroaches in California that can become pests. The German cockroach (though found in America, including California) is the one that most prefers indoor environments kept at an ideal 70-75 degrees, like most of our homes. A single female German cockroach can lay around 30 eggs every few weeks, causing a spread of approximately 30,000 individuals in one year, making your home into something out of a horror movie!

Although cockroaches are not known to bite or sting, they still pose a risk by carrying diseases harmful to people. The American cockroach, for example, comes into contact with garbage and human excrement in the sewer systems and may contaminate food with Salmonella if it gets into cupboards or food bins. German cockroaches are believed to be capable of transmitting diseases such as staph infections, strep throat, and even hepatitis to name a few. Roach infestations also cause an increase of allergens in the home increasing symptoms of asthma in adults and children--obviously not a good recommendation for an interspecies roommate relationship.

Does one little critter mean there is a swarm to follow? Unfortunately, the answer often is yes! Although cockroaches do not live in a supportive colony (like bees, where some would be scouts, others breeders, etc.) they do communicate through pheromones. Even if the roach is running solo, it leaves a chemical trail through feces as well as emitting airborne pheromones. These trails tell fellow cockroaches where the food, water, and ideal living quarters can be found. This will then attract many roaches, many roaches then breed, then…you get the idea!

Roaches tend to live near cracks and crevices. When traveling they tend to stay along walls and walk near the edges of the room. Very rarely would a bold, adult cockroach venture to the middle of a large room, but it might. Adults can be identified by their size (approximately the size of your thumb), and the presence of wings. Immature cockroaches are smaller and do not have wings; therefore, if you start to see young ones, chances are you have an infestation.

One thing that can be said for these pesky pests is that they are resilient. Dating back millions upon millions of years, roaches have shown staying power through the Ice Age, nuclear war, hurricanes, etc. They can live up to a month without food, two weeks without water, and even as long as 45 minutes without air. They can find sustenance in anything, including glue from the back of a postage stamp. Getting rid of them is not easy, but it is possible!

Your best first line of defense is to deny the roaches their favorite kinds of environment; warm, moist, messy ones. Following are tips from The Environmental Health Watch website for making your environment less attractive to cockroaches:

• Clean up clutter such as newspapers and piles of old clothes.
• Throw out any excess grocery bags, boxes, or crates that would make a suitable home and breeding ground.
• Be sure to seal up any cracks or holes around baseboards, sinks, shelves, and cupboards with a caulking gun.
• Clean up all food scraps from floors, tables, counters, appliances, etc. (Keep dirty dishes out of bedrooms, bathrooms, or any other rooms of the house as well.)
• Store all food in air tight containers or at least in tightly sealed packages.
• Keep garbage cans covered, and keep the garbage cans clean (even the outdoor ones.)

However, the day may come when you meet a roach invader face to face. You may have an itchy trigger finger, but DO NOT reach for the spray! Sprays and foggers are not only harmful to the health of you, your family, and your pets, they are not a permanent fix.

Traps can be useful in monitoring the presence of roaches. Borate powders and roach baits, many of which are restricted to professional use, are less dangerous and usually more effective. Because roaches are highly adaptable and tenacious, home- or business owners often end up spending hundreds of dollars on over-the-counter treatments when professional treatment would be faster and more cost-effective.

For more information about cockroaches in our Sacramento pest control region, call our experienced professionals at 916-457-7605 or visit our website at http://earthguardpest.com.

Summer Fun Can Come With A Sting

2010-08-07T00:41:11Z

Yellowjackets already were making headlines a month ago, even as we head into peak season for stinging insects in our Sacramento pest control region.

The San Francisco Chronicle and other NorCal newspapers reported a July 3 yellowjacket attack on more than 70 attendees of the Alameda County Fair. Apparently, the ground-dwelling yellowjackets were disturbed by a fireworks display in the fairgrounds arena. None of the victims, who ranged in age from a 6-month-old infant to a person over age 60, exhibited allergic reactions or required hospitalization, although some received multiple stings.

In the Seattle area, also over the July 4th weekend, at least five people were treated for anaphylactic shock from stings believed to be from yellowjackets in separate incidents, according to a Pierce County public health official.

A small paper in Northeastern Ohio recently published a follow-up story on a man who nearly died from stings last summer after he ran over a ground nest of yellowjackets with his lawn mower. He’s been receiving weekly doses of bee venom over the past year in attempt to build up his immunity, the Hudson Hub Times reports.

And last month in Atlanta, several police officers chasing a DUI suspect who had abandoned his vehicle following a high-speed car chase were stung and one seriously injured when they ran through a clump of kudzu, disrupting a swarm of yellowjackets.

There are two types of “social wasps” in our Sacramento pest control region: yellowjackets and paper wasps. Of the two, yellowjackets are more aggressive and dangerous to humans. Yellowjackets will attack if their nest is threatened or, less frequently, if someone tries to swat them away from a food source. Paper wasps are less defensive, less apt to sting, and shy of humans unless their nest is located near a traffic-way such as a door or gate.

Both yellowjackets and paper wasps start building their nests in early spring, when a single queen emerges from winter hibernation as the weather warms. From spring to late summer, they forage primarily for protein, usually in the form of other insects, to feed their growing colonies. Later in the summer and early fall, the colony may have grown to as many as 15,000 individuals. Large amounts of sugar are needed to feed the queens and workers, and this is when they become more troublesome to humans. It’s not uncommon for swarms of yellowjackets or wasps to aggressively forage around trash cans, dumpsters or human picnics and barbeques, where they may crawl into soda cans and sting when the unsuspecting victim takes a drink.

The most common type of yellowjacket found in our Sacramento pest control area is the ground-nesting western yellowjacket, (Vespula pensylvanica), sometimes called the “meat bee.” Other types of yellowjackets common to Northern California include Vespula vulgaris, often found in dead trees in foothill or mountain terrain, and the German yellowjacket (V. germanica), which often nests in houses in urban areas. Most types of yellowjackets have distinctive black and yellow stripes on the abdomen and have a very short narrow “waist.” Paper wasps are larger, about an inch long, usually black or brown in color with red or yellow patches, and have a long slender “waist” and long legs.

Yellowjackets may build their nests in abandoned rodent burrows or even inside the walls of houses, where a hole in the wall may result from the insects’ work to expand the next space. The nest contains rows of cells and is enclosed in a paper envelope the insect manufactures from wood fiber and saliva. Other types of yellowjackets build hanging nests beneath eaves or tree branches. Paper wasp nests, usually built under eaves or branches, also contain rows of cells but are open, with no paper covering. A nest normally contains no more than 200 individuals.

Mud daubers, which may be mistaken for yellowjackets or paper wasps, build nests out of hardened mud. Mud daubers are usually not aggressive and rarely sting.

In most cases, a single yellowjacket or wasp sting does not cause serious injury. However, in some cases people have allergic reactions that can be life-threatening—even when previous stings caused no reaction. The risk of a severe reaction increases with multiple stings.

Initial symptoms of a sting usually will be pain, redness and swelling. In more severe cases, the victim may have hives, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps or headache. Symptoms of severe allergic reaction typically occur within 30 minutes and may include shock, dizziness, unconsciousness, difficulty breathing, and swelling of the throat. Anyone exhibiting this type of allergic reaction must receive immediate emergency medical attention—call 911.

Unlike honeybees, whose barbed stingers are usually left in the victim’s skin, yellowjackets and wasps can sting repeatedly. The best thing to do if you are attacked is to leave the area.

Here are some tips to avoid stings, courtesy of University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management System:

Avoid areas where a yellowjacket or wasp nest is visible. If you do go into an area with bee or wasp activity, wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. A mosquito/gnat veil can be used to protect your head.
Avoid wearing perfume, cologne, or scented soaps in areas where there is bee and/or wasp activity.
Wear shoes when walking through vegetation, especially clover or other blooming plants.
Avoid brightly colored clothing.
If a bee or wasp lands on your arm, try to remain calm until the insect leaves, or brush it away gently and slowly with a piece of paper.
Insect repellent applied to your skin or clothing will not protect you from stinging insects.

For more information about yellowjackets, wasps and other stinging insects, feel free to call our experienced Sacramento pest control professionals at 916-457-7605 or visit our Website at http://earthguardpest.com.

Spider Bite Symptoms Can Be a Pain

2010-07-19T22:29:30Z

Spiders, long a favored subject of sci-fi movies and horror novels, seem to provoke an especially strong yuck factor in humans. Although we know on an intellectual level that they have many beneficial purposes in the eco-system, including eating other insect pests, most of us don’t want them in our kids’ bedrooms.

Now that warm weather has arrived, spiders are proliferating outdoors and often making their way into our homes.

Of the more than 50,000 species of spiders, only a relatively few of them are able to bite humans, for the simple reason that most have mouth parts too small to break human skin. Only one type of California spider, the Black Widow, is considered to be a serious medical danger, particularly to small children, elderly or frail adults. (See our Sacramento Press article, “Why Spiders Don’t Make Good House Guests,” for more information about Black Widow spiders.) Even at that, it has been more than 10 years since anyone died from a Black Widow bite, largely because effective treatments have been developed.

A few years back, we heard a lot in the news about brown recluse spider bites, whose bite can be fatal or create serious, debilitating injuries. Brown recluse spiders are found in the Southern United States and do not live in California, although there are occasional reports of one having hitched a ride on a moving van and showing up here. A cousin of the brown recluse, the South American native Loxosceles laeta, has been spotted in Los Angeles County. Another cousin, the Lososceles deserta, or desert recluse, is found as far north as Merced and Fresno counties, but not in our Sacramento pest control region.

One source of confusion is that it can be hard to distinguish one type of spider from another. Even the distinctive shiny black of the Black Widow can vary, and immature females may have lighter brownish and variegated markings.

A number of spiders that are sometimes found in or around our homes may be mistaken for a brown recluse. And while their bites are not nearly as serious as that of the brown recluse, they can leave a painful wound that resembles a brown recluse bite as well as other symptoms. These include the running spider, jumping spider, wolf spider (shown above), tarantula, sac spider, orbweaver spider and hobo spider, also known as the northwestern brown spider.

The household spiders most commonly encountered by our Sacramento pest control technicians are the yellow sac spider and the hobo spider. In fact, although its bite is not fatal, the yellow sac spider is believed to be responsible for more human bites than any other species.

Symptoms of a spider bite may include pain and burning at the site of the bite, a circle of pale skin surrounding the red center of the bite, which may form a blister or ulcer and burst. Care should be taken to keep the bite clean and disinfected; seek medical attention immediately if infection sets in. In some cases, the victim may develop a red, itchy rash within the first three days, muscle and joint pain, fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, headache, nausea and vomiting. Hobo spider bites, in particular, may cause a painful, open wound that is slow to heal and is frequently misidentified as a brown recluse bite. See your doctor if the bite becomes infected or healing is delayed. Wolf spider bites can result in blackening of the skin in the bite area, and pain and swelling may persist for 10 days or longer. In most cases, symptoms of a spider bite will go away without treatment within a week to 10 days.

The best way to determine the type of bite is to trap the critter who did it, if you can do so safely, or collect it in a plastic bag if it has been killed, and take it to a pest control professional or University extension facility for identification. But many times, the victim doesn’t even know he or she has been bitten until a sting is felt or other symptoms develop. Stings or bites from other insects, poison oak or staph infections are often mistaken for spider bites. In cases where the bite is believed to be from a Black Widow or brown recluse spider, seek medical help immediately.

Here is some additional advice for treatment of spider bites from the California Poison Control System:

Wash the site of the spider bite well with soap and water.
Apply a cool compress or ice pack over the spider bite location.
Over-the-counter pain relievers may be used to relieve symptoms. (Remember, do not give aspirin to children; use acetaminophen or ibuprofen instead).
Call the doctor or seek emergency treatment if the victim is a young child, if you think the bite may have been from a black widow or brown recluse spider, if any signs of an allergic reaction occur, if the bite area becomes infected, or if the victim develops a rash or severe illness.
If possible, retrieve the spider and bring it with you to the health care practitioner so that it can be definitively identified.
A tetanus booster shot may be necessary, depending upon the date of the patient's last immunization.

Remember, it is difficult to control spiders with over-the-counter pesticides. Reducing clutter, de-webbing, cleaning in corners and sealing cracks and crevices where spiders can get in may help. If you need help identifying or controlling spiders in your home or place of business, call our trained Sacramento pest control professionals at 916-457-7605 or visit our Website at http://earthguardpest.com.

Why Spiders Don’t Make Good House Guests

2010-06-07T22:53:07Z

Most of the spiders we find here in our Sacramento pest control region are not capable of severely injuring we humans. But our area does host one of the most dangerous spiders in North America, the black widow, or Latrodectus hesperus.

With the rain gone and warm summer weather finally here, many of us will be tackling neglected yards and gardens. Take care where you stick your hands. Black widow spiders are most commonly found outdoors, in nooks and corners of your yard that haven’t been disturbed for a while. Black widow spiders often build their webs in wood or rock piles, culverts, meter boxes, crawl spaces and sheds, but may move into basements or garages where undisturbed clutter gives them a sense of security. It’s always a good idea to wear long sleeves and gloves when you start cleaning out your tool shed or clearing a corner of your yard the first time of the season.

Only adult female or large juvenile female black widows have mouth parts large enough to harm humans. The adult female black widow usually has a shiny black body, with a large spherical abdomen, and long black legs. She is distinctively marked with a red or orange hourglass on the underside of her abdomen, so you may not see it if she is running away from you. If you catch her on her web, you may spot the hourglass, since she typically hangs upside down from the underside of the web.

Although the male black widow spider also is venomous, he is significantly smaller than the female, and his mouth parts are not large enough to injure humans. His coloration is pale green-gray with lighter markings. He also has a yellow or orangish hourglass on his underside, but its shape is broader in the middle. The old myth that the female black widow eats the male after mating is usually not true, but she may do so if she is hungry.

Young female black widows are colored much like the male but grow darker and shinier in stages as they shed their skin. Baby black widows, too tiny to bite, are pale or white in color and scatter in all directions when their nest is disturbed.

Although black widow bites are seldom fatal to humans, they can cause a serious reaction, with young children and the elderly most at risk. Symptoms, which may range from mild to severe, include pain that spreads from the bite site to other parts of the body, muscular spasms, sweating, fever, increased blood pressure, difficult breathing and speaking, restlessness and nausea. Irritation at the bite site may be limited to redness and swelling. Symptoms usually peak within a day of the bite and improve over the next two to three days. Black widow bites are fairly common in California. Seek medical advice immediately if you or a family member is bitten, and have someone trap the spider for identification if possible to do so safely.

While spiders—even black widows—serve beneficial purposes in our eco-system, when they move into our homes or infest areas where our children play, intervention is needed. Call our trained pest control professionals at 916-457-7605 or e-mail contact@earthguardpest.com if you need help identifying spiders in or around your home, or to learn about our environmentally friendly pest management services. Or see our previous article, “Spider Fact and Fiction: What to Look For, What to Do."

Bed Bugs Pose Irritating Pest Control Problem

2010-04-14T17:58:46Z

Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are once again a problem in the United States, around the world—and even in Sacramento—a problem that doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon.

Bed bugs were seemingly eradicated in the United States and much of the rest of the world back in the 1940s, largely due to the widespread use of the pesticide DDT. Use of DDT was banned in the United States in 1971, and later in the rest of the world, due to environmental and health concerns. The resurgence of bedbugs has been attributed in part to the ban on DDT, to increased global travel, and to the possibility that the insects have developed resistance to pesticides. Increased use of baits to control insect infestations, which results in less pesticide residue, and the use of very targeted insecticides—both mainstays of modern integrated pest management methods—may also be contributing to the bed bug problem.

Whatever the reason, there has been a 71% increase in reports of bed bugs since 2001, according to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). The problem has become so serious that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has included research into prevention and treatment of bed bug infestations in its Healthy Homes Strategic Plan (www.hud.gov/healthyhomes).

Bed bugs have been known at least since the 1700s in Jamaica and are believed to have been transported to the United States by European colonists. Although they thrive in crowded and cluttered conditions, which give them lots of hiding places close to the humans they feed upon, bed bugs don’t discriminate between clean and dirty environments. “The cleanest living area can have a very large infestation, and improving sanitation alone will not eliminate an established bed bug population…,” said Dr. Harold Harlan, a former career bug expert for the military in a recent MSNBC interview. “Almost anyone is at risk of having an infestation if bed bugs are brought into their home.”

Bed bugs can be brought into your home from hotels, theaters, even public transportation. They are nocturnal, typically active after midnight into the early morning hours. Flat and brown and about the size and shape of an apple seed, they hide in the tiniest of cracks and crevices, usually near where their human hosts sleep. Check for brownish stains or black specks in the seams of mattresses and behind bed headboards.

Although bed bugs do harbor germs that can make humans sick, there is no evidence anyone has ever become ill as a result of bed bug bites. However, their bites often cause a red rash or welts, and some people who are especially sensitive may have serious allergic reactions.

As the bed bug population continues to explode, scientists and pest control experts are focusing on the biology and habits of these distasteful pests. A recent article by leading pest control industry publication PCT Magazine reported on a fascinating three-year scientific study of bed bugs in a high-rise apartment building in Indiana. Using interceptors, or traps, the scientists learned, among other things, that the bugs spread from one apartment to another by simply walking out the front door and down the hall to the next apartment.

For more information about bed bugs, see our December article, or call our Sacramento pest control office, 916-457-7605, to speak with one of our trained pest control professionals.

Ounce of Termite Prevention Beats an Expensive Pound of Cure

2010-03-24T18:00:04Z

When it comes to termites, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Termites are just as damaging as they ever were, and in some parts of the country (including the San Diego area), new species, such as the Formosan termite, have arrived from other parts of the world to voraciously attack homes and properties.

A few years back, when the real estate market was booming, a lot of homeowners and business owners in our Sacramento pest control region didn't worry much about termites; they figured by the time any damage was done, they'd have traded up to a newer or larger home or commercial property. These days the real estate market is a lot slower, and many of us are stepping back and planning to stay put for a few years. This means it is more critical than ever that we maintain and protect our existing properties... so that when the economy does turn around, and the time is right to make a move, we haven't lost value due to negligence or damage.

The most effective way to protect your property is prevention. Our Sacramento pest control company encourages our customers to invest a small amount for an annual professional termite and wood-destroying organism inspection and avoid expending tens of thousands of dollars later on for expensive extermination and damage repair.
One of the most potentially damaging conditions in any structure is moisture. Dripping pipes, cracks in concrete foundations, deteriorated grout around windows and doors--any of these and more can create inviting conditions for termites as well as mold, mildew, fungus and wood rot.

Seventeen types of termites make their homes in California. Of those, the western subterranean termite (Reticulitermes hesperus) is the most destructive. Subterranean termites require moisture and must maintain a connection with the soil, either by boring tunnels through wood that touches the ground or by constructing mud-like shelter tubes.

Dampwood termites, which as their name implies, live in moisture-saturated wood, are often found in beach houses but some types, such as the Nevada dampwood termite (Zootermopsis nevadensis) live in drier highland areas. Drywood termites, which can survive long periods of time without any moisture, are most commonly found in Southern California, but some also occur in the Central Valley and on the coast.

A building can have more than one infestation of termites and may even be infested by more than one type. Our Sacramento pest control company uses integrated pest management techniques to (1) identify any potential points of entry to a structure or conditions that may lead to infestation, (2) repair leaks, apply moisture barriers or take other preventive measures, (3) eliminate all existing infestations. Following inspection, the property owner receives an official WDO (wood-destroying organism) report documenting the inspection results and any resulting treatment.

In this tough economy, all of us are looking for ways to economize and responsibly manage our investments. Your home or commercial property is one of the most important investments you will ever make. Consider carefully spending an ounce or two on termite and WDO prevention today to avoid several pounds of cure in the future!

As always, visit our pest control blog at http://www.earthguardpest.com/blog for more articles and information about termites, or call us at 916-457-7605.

Termite Swarm Season is Here!

2010-03-01T21:48:16Z

Termite swarm season is upon us, and it won’t be long before scores of households in our Sacramento pest control region will be horrified by the sight of small, winged insects emerging from living room carpets or cracks between walls and tiled floors.

A couple of years back, about this time of year, a young single mom called our Sacramento pest control office in a panic. She had just received a phone call at work from her junior-high-age daughter: on arriving home from school, the daughter had walked into the living room to find the carpeted floor swarming with tiny wiggling bugs. By the time our customer got home, her resourceful daughter had the vacuum out and was sucking the little critters up—exactly what we had advised mom to do until our crew was able to get there.

Termites are small, white, tan, or black insects that live in large nests or colonies. Individual “castes” of insects within the colony vary in appearance and perform different jobs, much like other social insects such as ants. The large queen lays the eggs, sometimes thousands in a single day. She is always accompanied by a king. Soldier termites typically have large heads with powerful jaws used to fend off their enemies—usually ants. In some species the soldiers have snouts that squirt a poison liquid at the enemy. Most numerous are the workers, who tend the queen, build the nest and forage for food. In some types of termites, such as dampwood and drywood termites, workers are not truly different but are actually young termites. Many types of termites have long lifespans: queens and kings can live for decades; workers for several years.

Termites belong to an ancient order of insects, Isoptera, that has been in existence more than 100 million years. While humans think of them mainly as a destructive force, in fact termites make positive contributions to the ecosystem by breaking down and recycling wood and plant materials and aerating the soil.

However, when they move into our houses and buildings, termites become a destructive force that results in some $2 billion worth each year in the United States alone. Because they feed on wood, they can cause serious damage to our homes, apartments, commercial buildings or outbuildings such as barns or sheds, even to structures such as wooden mailbox posts or light poles.

There are some 2,500 different species of termites worldwide, and 17 types of termites in California. Termites that occur in California can be divided into three basic groups: dampwood, drywood and subterranean.

Dampwood termites are found only in a few parts of the world, primarily in California and the Pacific Northwest. The Nevada dampwood termite lives mainly in high, drier mountainous areas and along the Northern California coast. The Pacific dampwood termite is the largest of the California termites, growing to nearly an inch long. Dampwood termites live and feed in very moist wood, especially in stumps and fallen trees on the forest floor. In our homes and commercial structures, they are attracted by damp conditions such as plumbing leaks or leaky window frames. They nest in wood buried in the soil but can also be present in very moist wood that does not have contact with the soil.

Drywood termites are most common in Southern California but are also found in coastal regions and the Central Valley. They infest dry, undecayed wood, both in structures and in forests. Drywood termites can survive long periods of drought. They live above ground and do not connect their nests to the soil.

Subterranean termites live in the soil, sometimes several feet below ground, and must have moisture to survive. They stay in contact with the soil by building hollow tunnels, or shelter tubes, from dirt, wood or drywall particles, about the diameter of a pencil.

The western subterranean termite is the most destructive termite found in California, causing dangerous and costly damage to wooden foundation and structural support beams.

Often homeowners like our customer discover they have a termite problem when they discover a swarm, which in most species happens in spring or fall when the termites are ready to reproduce. Other signs of termite infestation are the presence of dirt shelter tunnels on walls, dark or blistered wood, or areas of thin, easily broken wood.

Termite infestations are difficult if not impossible to control with do-it-yourself methods. New technologies are extremely effective at eradicating termites and preventing reinfestation. In addition to traditional termite control measures, Earth Guard offers a line of earth-friendly treatment solutions.

To learn more about termites and our termite inspection and treatment services, go to: http://www.earthguardpest.com/commercial_real_estate/termite/.

Rats grow fat and happy, thanks to mild Sacramento winters

2010-01-27T06:23:27Z

Calls have been pouring into our Sacramento pest control office, with homeowners and business owners reporting that, suddenly, rats have moved into their attics and garages.

Now rat problems always grow worse during our chilly, rainy Sacramento winters, because, like us, the rats are looking for a cozy, dry place indoors where they can build nests and have babies... lots and lots of babies—three to five litters per year, and as many as eight rat pups per litter!

But this year we’re seeing something a little different: The rats our expert pest control technicians are pulling out of the traps they place are huge... some of them nearly a foot-and-a-half long, measuring both body and tail.

What could be creating this bumper crop of plus-size rats? People pouring multi-vitamins down the kitchen sink? Radiation from so many people constantly using their cell phones?

No, far from being a plot line from an upcoming sci-fi movie, the fat and happy rats we’re seeing are simply the products of a series of fairly mild winters in the Sacramento region. Whereas in a normal winter, a large proportion of rats naturally succumb to cold, exposure and scarcity of food, in a mild winter, more rats live to see the spring. A rat whose normal life span might be two years may live to be three, growing correspondingly larger with age. Foods that rats like, such as seeds and grains, are more abundant during mild years, so the surviving rats get plenty to eat.

There are numerous examples of mild winters leading to a boom in rat populations. In 2002, the city of Boston was overrun with rats; thanks to a series of mild New England winters, instead of some 30 percent of rats dying off in frigid cold, only about 5 percent succumbed, according to the Boston Phoenix newspaper (http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/top/features/documents/02194425.htm).

A 2009 article in the UK Guardian newspaper reports the worst rat infestation in 30 years, due to a run of mild winters, and warns consumers that the overpopulation of rats, combined with a bumper wheat crop could increase the danger of rodent droppings in whole-grain breads. Foods made with whole grain flour were more susceptible to rat droppings, the article stated, because they are less processed than goods made with white flour.

Perhaps the most amusing—if alarming—example of rats gone wild was the 2002 Los Angeles Times article reporting that rats seemed drawn to the lifestyles of the rich and famous. One well-to-do Beverly Hills doctor and his party guests were horrified to discover three rats helping themselves to his outdoor buffet. Just a few days later, on a warm Saturday afternoon, the physician found five rats swimming in his marble pool. The culprit: several mild Southern California winters in a row, coupled with near-drought conditions (similar to recent climate conditions in our Sacramento region) that drove the rats from fields and vacant lots into the lush, well-watered gardens and patios of upscale L.A. (http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/17/us/up-down-in-and-out-in-beverly-hills-rats.html?pagewanted=1)

While such tales may make us laugh, the fact is that rats pose a danger to our homes, families and businesses and to the public health. In addition to carrying diseases and contaminating foodstuffs, rats pose a fire hazard due to their constant gnawing.

Because their four long incisor teeth grow very rapidly and continually throughout the rats’ lifespan, they must constantly gnaw to keep the teeth worn down (http://www.ratbehavior.org/Teeth.htm). If they were to stop, their long, sharp front teeth would grow in spirals and impale them. Among rats’ favorite teething toys appear to be electrical wires, telephone wires, satellite and cable TV wiring and alarm-system wires—at best a nuisance or a repair bill, at worst a fire that destroys a home or place of business.

Rat infestations are a stubborn pest control problem best left to licensed and trained pest control professionals. To learn more about rats and other rodents and how to prevent infestations, read our earlier blog post at http://earthguardpest.com/blog/?p=21 or visit www.earthguardpest.com.

Tiny mice create big problems when winter weather drives them indoors

2009-11-29T02:29:46Z

They may be smaller and, some say, cuter, but in terms of pest control, mice are a more prevalent, more damaging and tougher problem than their two rodent cousins, rattus rattus (roof rats) and Rattus norvegicus (Norway rats). And as our Northern California winter grows colder and wetter, mice are more likely to set up housekeeping in our cozy homes and businesses.

The mice we see most often in our Sacramento pest control business are the house mouse (Mus musculus). Two other types of mouse, the deer mouse and the white-footed mouse, also may invade human dwellings but are most often found in cabins and homes in remote or rural areas.

The house mouse can be easily distinguished from deer and white-footed mice by its uniform gray or light brown coloration and a nearly hairless tail. In comparison, the other two species are darker on top with light-colored bellies and tails that likewise are covered with dark fur on top, lighter fur on bottom. House mice weigh about half an ounce and are 5 to 7 inches in length, including their 3- to 4-inch tails.

One reason mice present such a tough pest control problem is their small size. They need only a quarter-inch gap to gain entry into a building and require only minute amounts of food and water to survive. As a result mouse infestations are much more common and difficult to control than rat infestations—and every bit as hazardous to health and property.
Mice eat and contaminate human and pet foods, preferring grains but apparently willing to nibble on almost anything. One of our Sacramento pest control customers discovered a nest of mice in a trunk where she stored historic family documents, vintage clothing and other mementoes. Not only did she find the remains of precious keepsakes shredded in a pile, she found dry dog food nuggets the mice apparently had confiscated from her pet’s dish and tucked away for safe-keeping.

Mice transmit diseases such as salmonellosis (food poisoning) and can cause significant property damage, chewing through electrical wires, shredding insulation and gnawing woodwork.

Often people discover a mouse problem when they find tiny black droppings or notice the corner of a cracker box or bag of chips has been gnawed away. Mice also have a distinctive musky smell that may be noticeable. They are most active at night, can run straight up vertical walls and jump a foot off the ground. They reproduce rapidly, bearing as many as 10 litters of 5 or 6 pups per year; their life span is approximately one year.

The most effective ways to prevent mice are to keep all foodstuffs tightly sealed in glass or metal containers, to avoid leaving pet food out, keep all trash containers tightly sealed and to seal all gaps and crevices where mice can come in from outside, such as along pipes and wiring conduit. Self-installed metal barriers, such as tin can lids and steel wool, are effective barriers to gnawing but usually don’t provide long-term protection.

Apartment buildings are especially notorious for mouse infestations, in part because mice are able to move easily from apartment to apartment along pipes and conduits and because it is difficult to ensure adherence to pest control measures by all tenants.

Once there is an established infestation in a home or business, it is almost always necessary to use mouse traps or poison bait to eliminate the mice. Baits are dangerous and must be kept inaccessible to children and pets. Electronic devices that emit a high-frequency sound, though widely advertised, are generally ineffective in preventing mice. A good feline or canine “mouser” may help control the mouse population or discourage mice from moving in, but will generally not be able to completely eliminate mice once a site is infested.

To read more about house mice and other rodents and household pests, visit http://www.earthguardpest.com/blog.

Where pigeons of a feather flock together... there goes the neighborhood!

2009-11-26T20:50:50Z

Sometimes visitors to our Sacramento pest control company Website are surprised to find pigeons on our list of household pests. The fact is, if your home or commercial building ever becomes a popular roosting spot for these ubiquitous city- and suburban-dwellers, you have a pest problem that can encompass health hazards, safety hazards and property damage, to say nothing of an unsightly mess.

What we Americans call pigeons are rock doves that were domesticated and imported to North America from England and Europe in the 1800s. Over time, many of them escaped to produce large feral populations, and today their range covers much of the continent, including the U.S., southern Canada and Mexico, as well as Hawaii. In Los Angeles County, there is a population of native Band-Tail Pigeons; however, they live mostly in the foothills and do not usually inhabit urban areas. The pigeons that live in our cities and roost on our roofs are a non-native, invasive species.

Pigeons are comfortable with humans and are not easily scared away or deterred. Our houses and public buildings often have architectural features such as eaves, cupolas and drain spouts that make ideal nesting sites for a bird that in its native habitat would nest in the cavities and hollows of steep rock cliffs.

Pigeons have thrived so well in the wild in part because they are prolific breeders, hatching several broods a year and sometimes laying a new clutch of eggs before the previous batch of fledglings has left the nest.

Pigeons are creatures of habit and highly social. Once they home in on easy food sources and comfortable nesting and roosting sites, they will return again and again, along with a few hundred of their closest friends and relatives. Unfortunately, they make unsanitary, unhealthful and destructive neighbors.

Pigeon droppings not only look and smell terrible, they damage buildings, statues, equipment and other outdoor structures, kill landscape plants and attract flies. Pigeon droppings, especially when dry and airborne, can expose humans to several diseases, including aspergillosis, candidiasis, encephalitis, histoplasmosis, Newcastle disease, ornithosis, salmonellosis, toxoplasmosis, and cryptococcosis and coccidiodomycosis, which cause meningitis.

Pigeons carry parasites, including mites, fleas, ticks that are dangerous to humans and domestic animals. Pigeons may also encourage other pests, such as rats, which feed on dead pigeons and the food sometimes scattered for pigeons by well intentioned bird-lovers. Wheeling in large flocks, pigeons pose a hazard to planes in airport settings, and often outcompete our native birds for food and habitat.

Pigeons are not protected under federal law, but many local governments do have laws regulating pigeon deterrence or removal. Domesticated homing or hobby pigeons should be identifiable by a band on one leg, and in many areas it is a misdemeanor offense to harm or kill them.

Once a flock of pigeons has made itself at home on your house or commercial building, it can be stubbornly resistant to removal, often requiring the services of pest control or animal control professionals. As is true of many household pests, a first step to controlling feral pigeons is to remove their food source. Keep areas around trash bins and outdoor dining areas clean; encourage children to pick up spilled treats—and teach them NOT to feed the pigeons. Eliminating water sources such as overwatered lawns, bird baths, or kiddy pools, and screening drains and gutters can also make your property less attractive to pigeons.

Other methods of eliminating pigeons are more difficult. Using plastic owls or other props to scare pigeons away usually is NOT effective for more than a day or two, simply because a stationery object quickly becomes familiar to pigeons who return day after day to the same roost. Have you ever spotted a pigeon or seagull perched happily on the head of a plastic owl?

Excluding pigeons by covering or screening roof openings, alcoves, chimneys and pipes can work, but every opening must be covered; otherwise the stubborn pigeons will simply move to another, more accessible spot. Other methods to discourage nesting and roosting are repeated and ongoing nest removal, installation of spikes or spring-loaded wire devices, application of sticky repellant material along roosting surfaces and nesting areas, netting, live trapping, and baits and poisons. As with exclusion methods, every accessible part of your property must be treated, or pigeons simply will migrate to untreated areas. With any method of pigeon control, local ordinances, public perception and environmental health and safety must be prime considerations.

To read more about pigeons and other household pests, integrated pest control methods and environmental issues, visit http://earthguardpest.com/blog.

The Ants Go Marching...

2009-11-05T20:48:35Z

You remember that old song we used to sing on school field trips or at summer camp—“The ants go marching one by one....” The chorus ends: “And they all go marching down—to the ground—to get out—of the rain—boom boom boom.”

As in many fairy tales and childhood songs, there is a kernel of truth in that verse: Rainy weather does send ants scurrying, long columns of them rushing here and there, searching for any crack or crevice that will take them out of the drowning wetness, into someplace warm and dry.

Our Sacramento pest control company recently got a frantic call from a woman who had put off dealing with an enormous ant infestation on a large crepe myrtle tree that hung over her driveway. On a recent rainy morning, she walked out through her garage to pick up the morning paper, only to step, barelegged, into a swarm of ants that were using the concrete seam in the center of her garage floor as a highway under the garage door and into her dry garage.

Once ants are present in large numbers, they can be exceptionally difficult to eliminate. Inspection and identification of the type of ant is critical to effective treatment—and may be an argument for calling on a trained pest control professional rather than depending on a can of spray and a prayer. (For more information about common Sacramento-area ants, visit my blog post at http://earthguardpest.com/blog/?p=13.)

For customers who choose a “green” pest control solution, which most often involves placing baits that the ants carry back to their colonies, follow-up monitoring, refilling of bait stations and reinspection are required, and it usually takes longer to be completely ant-free.

If you find yourself, like our customer, with ants crawling up your legs, or you walk into your kitchen to see a trail of ants across the floor and up your cabinet doors, here are some immediate steps to take—instead of grabbing for a can of bug spray:

• If ants have been attracted by a food source, locate the source, remove it and clean the area thoroughly.
• Clean the trail with soapy water or spray cleaner and wipe up or vacuum up ants.
• Try to determine where the ants have entered your home, and caulk the opening or plug it with petroleum jelly.

With the rainy season upon us, ants from your yard or garden will be looking for ways into your warm, dry home. Take a look around your foundation, doors and windows; check around spas, storage sheds and garbage cans. Take quick action to prevent ants from moving in for the winter!

For more information about ants, rats, mice and other pests that also come inside during our Sacramento winters, visit http://earthguardpest.com/blog.

Fire and cold weather bring unwanted rat visitors indoors

2009-10-05T20:26:54Z

As the cool weather approaches, so does the likelihood that rodents will be seeking warm nesting sites in the attics, garages and foundations of our homes and commercial buildings. In fact, some of our customers who live near wildfire areas have experienced an unseasonably early influx of these critters, driven from woods and fields by the smoke and flames.

The two most common rodent invaders are mice and rats.

In our region of Central-Northern California, the two most common species of pest rats are the roof rat (Rattus rattus) and the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), neither of which are native to California but originated in the Far East and spread across the globe centuries ago. The roof rat is the smaller of the two, averaging 5 to 10 ounces in weight, gray to white in color, with a pointed snout, long ears and a black tail as long as its body. The Norway rat is stockier, weighing 7 to 18 ounces, grayish in color, and with shorter ears and tail than the roof rat.

The roof rat is a good climber, nests in trees and dense shrubs, and may take up housekeeping in your attic, the space above dropped ceilings or even in high cabinets. The Norway rat is a burrower and indoors usually sticks to basements or ground floor spaces. You may spot its nest lined with shredded paper, fabric or other fibrous materials.

Although both these types of rat are common in our region, and highly adapted to residential neighborhoods and urban environs, our Earth Guard customers complain most frequently of the roof rat.

Sometimes depicted as funny and cute in popular media such as the Disney-Pixar movie “Ratatouille,” in fact Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus pose serious health and safety problems for home- and business owners. Rats eat and contaminate human and animal food and whatever container or packaging it is stored in; they gnaw on and ruin wooden doors and cabinets, chew through electrical wires and shred insulation to use for their nests. One of our customers recently had to place a service call to her security alarm company when a sensor stopped working; the mystified technician finally found a place in the attic where a rat had chewed through the alarm system wiring.

Rats also carry diseases such as murine typhus, leptospirosis, trichinosis, salmonellosis (food poisoning), ratbite fever and even plague that can be transmitted to humans and other animals.

The first signs of a rat infestation may appear in your yard or garden before the critters have moved indoors. Once they move into your yard, they will eventually move inside, so it’s preferable to catch them early. Common signs of rat activity outdoors include:
• Droppings near pet food containers or dishes or recycling bins;
• Nest materials in wood piles or brush piles;
• Burrows near compost heaps or garbage containers;
• Signs of digging under fences, sheds or doghouses;
• The sight of a rat traveling utility lines or fence tops at dusk;
• Rat carcasses in your outdoor pool or hot tub or dragged to the door by your family dog or cat.

Indoors, you may hear noises coming from your attic, especially at dusk or dawn, or discover a nest inside drawers or behind boxes in your garage, or you may see smudges along walls, pipes or rafters.

Homeowners and business owners can take some common-sense measures to prevent rat infestations, including keeping pet food containers and garbage containers tightly sealed and the areas around them picked up and clean.

Bird feeders also are attractive to rats. Another of our customers, who had multiple bird feeders in her backyard, noticed that the seed-covered bird bell she hung in one corner of her yard would repeatedly disappear almost overnight. She would replace it, and by the next morning, it would be eaten down almost to the plastic hanger. Hungry birds, she thought. The one evening, she happened to be looking out the back door just as dark was settling in and heard a rustling in the leaves above the bird bell. Grabbing a flashlight, she quietly walked over to investigate. The beam of the flashlight revealed an acrobatic roof rat, hanging upside down from the branch, nibbling away.

Storing wood off the ground and eliminating clutter and debris from around building foundations also will discourage rat activity. Roof rats, such as the acrobat caught eating our customer’s bird bell, may use overhanging tree branches, pergolas or dense shrubbery such as star jasmine or ivy as a highway to your roof, where they may find entry to your attic around eaves, pipes or chimney flashing. Trimming trees to leave 2 feet or more between plants and between branches and roof helps discourage these travels. Sealing, screening or plugging openings around wiring conduit or pipes with steel wool or sheet metal, both around your roofline and at foundation level, also are effective at keeping rats out.

Once rats have moved in to your home or place of business, the best way to eliminate them is with the traditional snap traps. A major infestation may require the use of poison bait, which should only be administered by a trained pest control professional. Although customers sometimes request it, the use of live traps is not a good idea. Because the rats are not native to our environment, they cannot be released outdoors, where they pose a danger to humans, pets and property and—because they are an invasive species—to the native ecosystem. In some areas, rats have been known to decimate wild bird populations. Live traps also accumulate bodily waste from the rodents, creating a health hazard for our pest control technicians.

For more information about rats and other environmental and pest control issues affecting Sacramento-area homes and businesses, visit www.earthguardpestcontrol.com/blog. (Norway rat photo credit: National Pest Management Assoc. Inc.)

How to Identify and Prevent Dangerous Spiders in Your Home

2009-09-15T18:15:10Z

Our pest control technicians have been getting lots of complaints about spiders lately. A couple of customers have even stopped by our office, bringing dead spiders in Ziploc bags so we could identify the intruders. In both these cases, the culprits were identified as sac spiders by staff of our Sacramento pest control company.

Although the bite of the agrarian sac or yellow sac spider commonly found in our homes is not fatal to humans, this type of spider is believed to be responsible for more bites than any other spider, usually when trapped in ones clothes or bedding. The bite stings and causes a red welt and irritation similar to a mosquito bite. (If any insect bite causes a severe or unusual reaction, contact a physician immediately.)

The sac spider typically builds its sac-like web in corners, behind shelves and framed pictures and can sometimes be spotted running across walls or ceilings. It is light yellow with a darker stripe down the center of its upper abdomen and, like most spiders, has eight eyes arranged in two rows at the top of its head, difficult to see with the naked eye.

Most spiders are not dangerous and can usually be eliminated by removing their webs and/or eggs. Spiders seen out in the open during the day are unlikely to bite people.

Although we often hear reports of the brown recluse spider in our North-Central California region, in fact the brown recluse doesn’t live in California. The only recluse spider native to California lives in the Southern California desert and is less toxic to humans than its close relative, the non-native Chilean recluse spider, which has become established in Los Angeles County. Recluse spiders have a violin-shaped mark on their heads, which may or may not be easily distinguished, and have only six eyes. They are active at night and tend to stay hidden in dark, undisturbed places like storage boxes or old clothes or shoes.

The only California spider known to inflict serious injury to humans is the black widow, which usually is found outdoors in hidden locations such as in wood piles or underneath porches or sheds. Take care when you’re outside gardening, especially at this time of year, when the weather is still warm and sunny. The black widow’s web may not be visible in the sunlight, and you can easily stick your fingers into the wrong place.

The adult female black widow has a shiny black body, slender black legs, and a red or orange hourglass-shaped mark on the underside of a large, round abdomen. The body, excluding legs, is 5/16 to 5/8 inch long.

The best way to prevent spiders in your home is to vacuum up webs and avoid clutter build-up that can provide hiding places. To prevent spiders from entering your home or commercial building, seal foundation cracks and other access holes, keep window and door screens in good repair, and keep areas around the building foundation free of clutter.

For more information about identifying and controlling spiders and other household pests, visit our company's Website at http://www.earthguardpestcontrol.com. Additional information is available from the UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program.

Dave Picton is owner of Sacramento pest control company, Earth Guard Pest Management Services.