Pests of Fall: Pest-Proofing

Viking's Guide to Preventing Autumn Pests From Entering Your Home

When fall comes, animals begin to prepare for the winter.

They look for a warm place to live with easy access to food and water. As you can imagine, your home looks more appealing to most pests than of the areas surrounding it, which is why many people see a dramatic increase in pest populations as summer turns into autumn. It is also why fall is an ideal time to pest-proof your home. Because pests are generally seeking warmth, the first step in pest-prevention is preventing them from getting inside of your home, in the first place. To do this, you need to find potential pest entrances and close them up so that pests cannot enter through them. What is a pest entrance? Well, it is any break in your home’s exterior that would permit a pest to enter. Given how tiny many bugs are, the break does not have to be large. So, you want to inspect the entire exterior of your home. Weather-strip or caulk around doors and windows; caulk between trim and siding; clean and seal off soffit gaps; and secure your dryer vent so that pests cannot enter through it. In addition to warmth, pests are looking for water. Water is essential to life and a home without a ready water source for pests is going to be much less appealing than another location. However, even tiny water leaks can give pests the water they need to survive. Inspect all plumbing for leaks and fix them, especially under sinks where the dark, dank surroundings are a perfect breeding ground for pests. Water pipes and their openings can also provide a perfect way for pests to move in and out of buildings or between rooms; use caulk to close up any gaps and help prevent pests from using those areas for movement. Larger pests can easily chew though caulk, so if an opening is larger, use copper wire mesh to secure the hole prior to caulking. Some pests, like spiders, rely on humidity in the air. Use a dehumidifier in damp areas, like basements, to discourage those pests. Finally, pests need food. Secure all food in air-tight food containers, keep pet food out of reach and in sealed containers when the pets are not eating, and remove clutter on the floor, which can hide pests as they migrate towards food sources.   About Viking Pest Control Providing pest control solutions since 1980, Viking is the largest family owned pest control business in the northeast. Viking is a Quality Pro company and members with the NPMA. Viking offers both residential and commercial pest control service. Contact us today!

Determining the Source of Your Ant Problem

Childhood cartoons showing ants swarming to picnic sites have led many people to believe that if you see ants in your home, it must be because they have a food source in your home.  While an available food supply is attractive to ants, it is only one of the reasons that you might find ants in your home, which is why eliminating the food supply might not be enough to eliminate your ant problem.  Other reasons that you might find ants in your home include water sources and the presence of an ant nest somewhere in your home.

The search for food is the most likely culprit.

While ants may be in your home for other reasons, if you are noticing an ant problem, the most likely source of the problem is an accessible food source.  Watch where the ants are traveling?  Are they moving to and from a food source?  If so, then cleaning up any spilled foods and securing food sources may be enough to eliminate your problem.  While many of us think of securing our stored food in pantries or cabinets, we may not think of spilled foods, debris in garbage cans, or pet food as food sources, but ants are not picky about where they get their food.  In addition, sealing cracks, crevices, and openings that allow ants to get into your home will discourage them from entering to forage.

Water is another big motivator.

Have you only noticed an ant problem with a change in the weather?  Under drought-like conditions, ants may enter your home to get access to water.  If you notice ants under or around sinks, bathtubs, or toilets, they may be there to get access to water.  You will also want to check around any outdoor air conditioning units; the condensation around the units can attract ants, who can cause significant damage by chewing on electrical wires.

They might have moved into your home.

If your ant problem does not seem linked to a source of food or water, you may have a larger problem.  The building materials of homes also happen to be some of the favorite building materials for ants.  If you notice a large ant population or ants in diverse areas of your home, you may have an ant nest somewhere in your walls.  These nests can be particularly difficult to locate and eradicate, but Viking Pest is happy to help you get rid of the ants and take back your home.

Important Announcement Rutgers University

  To NJPCA Network, My name is Adam Butrico and I am President of the Beekeepers Association at Rutgers University. Our group exists to convey the importance of honeybees to the public as well as conduct research on honey bee diseases. In order to stimulate our research, we are looking to vastly expand our apiary sites on Cook Campus. If you or your staff spot a wild colony or swarm, please call our office at 908-342-4881 or shoot me a personal email to adambutrico@aol.com. *Our Bee Collection Team will safety remove the bees, your direct assistance in the removal is not necessary* Thank you and kind regards, Adam Butrico Rutgers University Department of Landscape Architecture Beekeepers Association of Rutgers

“God in his wisdom made the fly.. and then forgot to tell us why”. Odgen Nash’s short poem on the fly aptly describes the relationship of whiteflies to gardeners. While the short part is correct, the fly part is not. You see whiteflies are not flies at all, but are actually plant-parasitic Hemipterans. The classification is Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals) Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods) Class Insecta (Insects) Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies) Suborder Sternorrhyncha (Plant-parasitic Hemipterans) Superfamily Aleyrodoidea Family Aleyrodidae (Whiteflies). Ok, Why whiteflies this month? My annual trip into my crawlspace to get our pool equipment take me past a mature and very healthy Rhododendron plant. As I was opening the door to the crawlspace, I found myself covered in whiteflies. I had a dark shirt on and they must like that color. I stopped and shook the branches and went WOW! That’s a lot of whiteflies. Time to get out the sprayer. More on that later.

About Whiteflies

Whiteflies are small sap-sucking insects that feed on plant juices. They excrete sticky honeydew and due to their constant feeding cause yellowing and death of leaves. Large outbreaks are difficult to manage especially when populations are high. In addition this insect can develop resistance to pesticides due to its quick life cycles. Plant feeders like whiteflies do need proteins in order to lay viable eggs. Since plant juices are high in carbohydrates (fructose sugars) and very little protein, they feed constantly to get enough protein in their diet. This is why the sweet substance called “honeydew” is produced. They ingest more plant juices than they can digest and excrete a sweet substance. Ants love this honeydew and it is their primary diet in the summer months. If you have ever parked your car under a tree and came back and there is “sap” all over it… it is probably honeydew from the hemitperans (aphids, scale insects, mealybugs and whiteflies) living in the trees you parked under. Whiteflies normally lay their tiny oblong eggs on the undersides of leaves. The eggs hatch, and the young whiteflies gradually increase in size through four nymphal stages called instars. The first nymphal stage (crawler) is barely visible even with a hand lens. The crawlers move around for several hours before settling to begin feeding. Later nymphal stages are immobile, oval, and flattened, with greatly reduced legs and antennae, like small scale insects. The winged adult emerges from the last nymphal stage (sometimes called a pupa, although whiteflies don’t have a true complete metamorphosis). All stages feed by sucking plant juices from leaves and excreting excess liquid as drops of honeydew as they feed. Whiteflies use their piercing, needlelike mouthparts to suck sap from phloem, the food-conducting tissues in plant stems and leaves. Large populations can cause leaves to turn yellow, appear dry, or fall off plants. Feeding by the immature sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, can cause plant distortion, discoloration, or silvering of leaves, and may cause serious losses in some vegetable crops. Some whiteflies transmit viruses to certain vegetable crops. Whiteflies are not normally a problem in fruit trees although their populations can build up in citrus, pomegranate and avocado. Several whitefly species occur on ornamental trees and shrubs, but most are uncommon because of natural controls such as parasites and predators. Most whiteflies on trees have limited host ranges. Low levels of whiteflies are not usually damaging. Adults by themselves will not cause significant damage unless they are transmitting a plant pathogen. Generally, plant losses do not occur unless there is a significant population of whitefly nymphs. Control measures would be directed toward the immature and adult stages. If you choose to use insecticides, insecticidal soaps or oils such as neem oil may reduce but not eliminate populations. Systemic insecticides may be more effective but can have negative impacts on beneficial insects and pollinators. There are biological controls as well as Organic measures. Since whiteflies can develop resistance quickly, consult your Rutgers Extension Agent for current cultural, biological, organic, least toxic and chemical control. There are some new chemistries for resistance whitefly populations. Editor’s Note: William A. Kolbe, BCE is a Board Certified Entomologist for Viking® Pest Control based out of Warren, NJ. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Entomology with a minor in Ecology from the University of Delaware. Bill is a member of The Denville NJ Community Gardens. He can be reached at 800-618-2847 or visit preview0.dev1.snyderpreview.com

Many of Viking clients have gardens around their homes.  This article addresses how to keep your plants strong to prevent insect and pest damage.  Much of the information pertains to shrubs and landscaping around your home or business”.. Insect and Arthropod Management Through April Soil Preparation Many garden (insect and arthropod) pests can be directly attributed to soil in and around our gardens. Many garden pests overwinter beneath the soil, most times burrowing down beneath the frost line. This habit allows them to survive the cold extremes of winter. Some garden pests can survive in the soil, going into diapause a few inches under the soil. These pests may have a mechanism where they product antifreeze to survive the winter. Not that spring is approaching it is best to concentrate on the condition of the soil and preparing it for growing healthy plants. Healthy, strong and vigorous plants are more resistant to garden pest damage and the condition of the soil help produce strong pest resistant plants. Maintain a slightly acid soil (around pH 6.5). “Most ornamental plants grown in NJ “prefer” soil pH in the range 6.1 to 6.8.” Rutgers Soil Testing Laboratory. If in doubt, have a soil analysis done through your local Extension office, or with a commercial soil test kit. Lime can be used to increase soil pH and sulfur can lower it. Maintain adequate levels of soil fertility through additions of potassium and phosphorus releasing materials, such as commercial fertilizers or animal manures. Soil testing should be done every three years to determine levels of these important nutrients. Build a biologically active, healthy soil through regular addition of organic matter, such as yard waste, compost, and manure. Till the soil in the spring to expose pests living near the surface to natural enemies and weather, and to destroy insects that have overwintered.

Plant Selection:

 Plant crops and varieties that are well-suited to the soil and climate, and recommended by New Jersey Cooperative Extension. When seeding directly, use disease-free, certified seed, if available. Select for maximum insect and disease-resistance in vegetable varieties. Select healthy, sturdy transplants with well-developed root systems. Diseases and insects in young seedlings may start in greenhouses or plant beds and cause heavy losses in the garden. Buy plants from a reputable grower who can assure you that they are disease- and insect-free, or grow your own from seed.

Cultural Practices:

 The most effective and most important of all practices is careful observation in the garden. Many serious disease or insect problems can be halted or brought under control early by the gardener who knows what to look for and regularly visits the garden for trouble-shooting. Water in the morning so plants have time to dry before the cool evening. Drip irrigation systems prevent foliage from getting wet when watering. Use inter-plantings in the vegetable garden as opposed to solid plantings of a crop. This can slow the spread of diseases and insects, giving you more time to deal with them if they occur. Space plants properly and thin young vegetables to a proper stand. Overcrowding causes weak growth and reduces air movement, resulting in increased insect and disease problems. Keep down weeds and grass. They often harbor pests and compete for nutrients and water. Leaf and other organic mulches are extremely effective for weed control, as are inorganic weed mats, plastic, and other fabrics. Use a mulch to reduce soil splash, which brings soil and soil-borne diseases into contact with lower leaves. Avoid injury to plants. Broken limbs, cuts, bruises, cracks, and insect damage are often the site for infection by disease-causing organisms. Stay out of the garden when the plants are wet with rain or dew to prevent spreading diseases. Keep old sacks, baskets, wooden stakes, decaying vegetables, and other rubbish, which may harbor insects and diseases, out of the garden. Staking tall flower and vegetable plants or planting them in wire cages prevents the blossoms or fruit from coming in contact with the soil. Time plantings in such a way that the majority of your crop will avoid the peak of insect infestations. For example, plant squash as early as possible to avoid borers, which lay eggs in July. Inspect plants for egg clusters, beetles, caterpillars, and other insects as often as possible. Hand-pick as many pests as you can. Avoid sprays until the population of insects has reached a critical threshold level. Editor’s Note: William A. Kolbe, BCE is a Board Certified Entomologist for Viking Pest Control based out of Warren, NJ. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Entomology with a minor in Ecology from the University of Delaware. He is a member of The Denville NJ Community Gardens. He can be reached at 800-618-2847 or visit preview0.dev1.snyderpreview.com

Quality Pro Viking Pest Control Interview Read The Interview Here Viking Termite & Pest Control, Inc. Viking Pest Control has been QualityPro Certified since 2006. How did you get started in the pest management industry? I was born into it. I grew up in the pest control industry. My parents started Viking in 1980 and my brother and I are fortunate to now be part of this great company. What is the guiding principal behind your success with your organization? Take care of the customer. Give your employees the tools they need to succeed. Be easy to work with and for. Everything else then seems to fall into place. Why did your company choose to earn the QualityPro certification? Viking wants to continue to challenge ourselves to be the best we can be and measure ourselves at the highest standards our industry measures. QualityPro has really helped direct the continued professionalism for Viking and the industry as a whole. Background screening, HR directives as a whole and multiple other facets are so important to help provide the right image and simply just help do the right thing for our customers and fellow employees. Overall, what do you think the most valuable aspect of QualityPro is to your company? The assistance in promoting professionalism within our organization and to our clients. Tell us your most memorable moment so far in your career in the pest management industry. One continuous moment that goes very quickly. A moment that I have seen great personal and professional development for me and our company. My favorite moments are the experiences shared with employees that are bettering their lives in part due to the company and of course helping our customers eliminating their pest problems. Ryan Bradbury, President Viking Termite & Pest Control, Inc. Read This Interview on QualityPro Here   

How to Keep Flies From Using Your Home as Theirs Flies may be a nuisance insect year-round, but in our area, flies are a particular problem in the fall.  This is not just about perception. The winter kills off many flies, but their populations begin increasing as soon as breeding begins in the spring.  For many species, fly populations are at their highest at the start of the fall.  These larger populations are also drawn in by the warmth of homes, which can make fall flies a serious problem for homeowners. Eliminate the source Flies are attracted to organic matter.  This is true both inside and outside, and the more flies you have outside of your home, the greater your indoor population of flies will be.  There are a few different types of flies that cause the most problems for people, including house flies, fruit flies, and blowflies.  They can come into your house on food, climb up through tiny gaps in your boards or window frames, or fly in the house through open doors or windows.  They may be drawn to your interior or linger there because of organic material inside, but if you notice large numbers of flies outside, there is probably a good source of organic material for them. One potential source for flies is a garbage can, compost heap, or recycling bin.  Is there exposed organic material in any of your waste containers?  If so, then they are providing a perfect breeding location for flies.  Likewise, look for sources of standing water.  While the water, itself, does not provide a habitat for flies like it does for another flying nuisance animal, the mosquito, water is likely to contain organic matter, which attracts flies.  If you have slow exterior drains, cleaning any debris from the drains and using enzyme-based cleaning products can help reduce your fly population. Prevent infestations While eliminating the source can help reduce your fly population, the reality is that, as flying insects, they are mobile.  Another step to take to help prevent infestation, especially from bothersome cluster flies, is by using residual insecticides at any potential entry ways and sometimes even to surrounding soils. Viking Pest Control offers a variety of pest-prevention packages and can help minimize your chances for a fall fly infestation.  Contact us today to find out how affordable reliable pest prevention and control can be.  

PCT Magazine October-2012 Research out of Ohio State finds foggers have little impact on modern-day bed bugs due to the brief exposure times, their relatively low concentrations of pyrethrins and/or pyrethroids, and their lack of residual activity. And, the insecticide mist from such foggers had no adverse effects on any bed bugs that were in harborages — their typical location. Bed bug foggers don't work?

Over-the-counter (OTC) Products

For decades, “bug bombs” or “foggers” have been sold as over-the-counter (OTC) products for consumer use against many common household insects. Foggers act by broadcasting an insecticide mist by way of an aerosol propellant. These products typically are easy to use and require little effort, and they are commonly used by consumers as a low-cost alternative or supplement to professional pest control services. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently estimated that about 50 million foggers are used annually in the United States.

Bug bomb

The name “bug bomb” seems rather fitting given that explosions have been reported when excessive numbers of foggers have been used or when a nearby ignition source, such as a pilot light, has remained on during fogging. Such explosions are newsmakers worldwide. Read More From The Source PCTOnline.com Here

Have a No-Mouse House: It may seem like the middle of summer, but the reality is that fall and colder temperatures are just around the corner.  When the temperature drops, your risk of mice, rats, and other pests dramatically increases, because they seek the warmer temperatures in your home.  While Viking Pest is always here to serve your pest-control needs, the best way to control pests in your home is to prevent them in the first place! Keep pests from coming into your home. If pests cannot get into your home, they cannot live in your home.  Therefore, the first step in pest prevention is blocking off all potential entrances for pests.  The first step is to locate pest entrances.  Insects can come in any unsealed space, while even large rodents can fit in spaces as a small as a coin.  You want to seal off the doors and windows ad caulk any gaps in your trim and siding.  You also want to make sure that your dryer vent (and any other vents) are grated so that pests cannot enter through them, as well as cleaning and sealing off soffit gaps.  Finally, copper mesh can be very useful in blocking small entrances that insects could use for access.  The bonus of this pest-proofing is that it will also help keep air from escaping and might even result in lower heating or cooling costs.   Eliminate reasons for pests to stick around if they do get in.  Sometimes even the most secure home gets pests; after all, if you can go in and out, so can they.  If pests do manage to invade your home, then you want to make sure it is uncomfortable for them to stay there. Pests need food and moisture to survive.  Therefore, make sure that any water leaks or damp areas are eliminated.  The areas in your sink cabinets will always be inviting to pests because of the moisture, so keep the areas clutter-free.  In fact, clutter is a pest’s best friend, so keep items off of the floor.  Keep all food securely stored in airproof containers.  This includes pet food!  Pests will happily eat your pets’ extra food, so when they are finished eating, pick up their food bowls and store their food in pest-proof containers. Of course, not everyone is handy around the house and can take these steps to prevent unwanted visitors. Viking Pest Control offers a variety of pest-prevention packages and would be happy to help you find the right one to help keep your home pest-free this coming fall and winter.   Contact us today to find out how affordable reliable pest prevention and control can be.