Two Women Nearly Killed By Bees

Posted on March 22, 2010 with 3 Comments

A report from Phoenix, Arizona is stating that at least 4 people are injured after a swarm of bees attacked two women.  The women were found almost motionless when a witness grabbed a fire extinguisher and led the bees away.  The two women were stung over 100 times a piece and now are in critical condition.  Tony Garcia, the neighbor who witnessed the bees, states that

“The women were screaming and they were they couldn’t even flail their arms or anything. They just were frozen.”

As the fire department and EMS crews arrived they immediately tended to the two women that were stung several times as well as the man who used the fire extinguisher (the name of the man is still unknown).

While the species of bees that attacked the two women has not been confirmed, it is once again bringing up the topic of rising number in African Killer Bees in the USA.  These bees have been migrating north from Latin American, where the bees were believed to be shipped in on unregulated cargo ships that brought fruits and produce from Africa to the more southern North American countries.

Source: Cbs news

Toronto Home Sees Nasty Roach Infestation

Posted on March 9, 2010 with No Comments

A home in Etobicoke, Toronto was home for 28 cats and kittens. Neighbors have been complaining for over a year about the smells that were coming out of the house to their neighbors. It wasn’t until recently that the Humane Society went into the household and found the 28 cats and kittens. What they also found was a house that resembled a litter box. Feces, urine, and garbage were all over the place. There was something else in the house. A cockroach infestation that one member of the Humane Society said was the largest amount of roaches he has ever seen in one place at a time. When they went into the house to get the cats, they would pick one cat up and more roaches came out. They were coming out of everywhere. Two women are living there, and that resulted in the Health Department being called in.

Officials said that there were roaches all over the floors and walls. When entering the house, officials wore masks and protective clothing. They said it was unbearable to breath in the house. The cats were taken to the vet and examined. Most were ok, while some were treated for respiratory problems. Once they are taken care of, they will be put up for adoption. The rescue was the largest single rescue that the Etobicoke Humane Society has ever done. The amount of roaches and the conditions found were considered “horrifying” to the officials.

TheStar.com wrote first about this story.

photo credit: treasuresthouhast

Mice Are Invading New Zealand Homes By The Masses

Posted on March 8, 2010 with 3 Comments

Mice have been running wild in Southland, New Zealand, getting to the point where it has gotten almost plauge-like in Southland. Fiordland, Te Anau, Stoney Creek and Five Rivers are the main areas that are having a serious problem with the mice population. The problem it seems is that these mice are breeding at a high pace. Gestation period for mice is only about 20 days, with 10-12 being born during optimal breeding. The reason for the high abundance of mice is that there seems to be a huge excess supply of food for the mice. It has gotten to the point where homes were catching up to 9 mice a night in their houses. Farmers are seeing hundred of mice scatter when they are scared away.

Southland is trying to control the population, however, is having trouble figuring out how. Some households say that their cats and dogs have been eating the mice, which has helped a little. However, with such a large population, it would be extremely tough to get rid of all of them, so they are focusing on limiting the food supply of the mice. However, they are finding that now Southland has a few more unwanted visitors, in weasels and rats. When the mice die off in the winter, officials are worried that these other pests will more onto the bird population. As of now, they are just urging people to do whatever they can do to get rid of these pests.

Though this widespread mouse problem is happening in New Zealand, these creatures can be infesting your home. If you would like a free inspection or more information about our rodent control services, please contact us.

Worcester, Massachusetts Is Battling An Asian Long-Horned Beetle Problem

Posted on March 8, 2010 with 8 Comments

The Asian long-horned beetle, a species of beetles that originates from Asia, has made an appearance in Worcester, Massachusetts. The beetle was first sighted in the Massachusetts area back in 2008. However, despite this sighting, it is very rare for the beetle to be present in Massachusetts. It has been linked mostly to New York and the Chicago area. It is believed that the beetle made its way to America on a cargo shipment from China years ago. It was first spotted in New York in 1996. This isn’t the first time the beetle has been in Massachusetts before, it killed 18,000 trees in Worcester.

The beetle’s favorite type of tree is maple, however, it will go after hardwood trees including the birch and elm trees. The beetle is a huge threat to the nursery and development of these types of trees. Also, it can be a threat to ruin state forests, state parks and state trees. These beetles are usually seen from the late spring to the fall depending on what the weather is like. The problem with these beetles is that there is no chemical way to control these pests. They have very few natural predators in America, being indigenous to Asia. Officials are adamant that if you see this pest, to report it at once. Once they locate them, they will have to cut down all infected trees, chip them and burn them. This is a preventative way to stop the beetle. They are trying to prevent what happened in Worcester from happening in Bedford.

A&E’s “Billy The Exterminator” Is Back

Posted on March 8, 2010 with No Comments

A&E’s hit show, “Billy The Exterminator“, is back for its second season of this reality show. A&E has a 20 episode season planned for this upcoming season, and it is sure to have fans very excited. The show follows Billy Bretherton, who along with his family owns and operates Vexcon, one of Louisiana’s top and busiest pest control and removal companies. The key to the show and why it has become a hit is how it mixes family life and drama with the ability of running one of the top pest control companies in Louisana. Billy, a 16 year veteran in the pest control business and former Air Force Sargent, is joined by his brother Rick, his dad Bill Sr. and his mom Donnie who holds down fort in the office.

Season two has plenty of challenges for Billy and his crew. One episode has to deal with getting a beaver out of a Summer Camp where it is causing a bunch of problems, get rid of a rattlesnake that is making its home in a funeral home, as well as trying to extract an alligator out of a family pond. The big challenge, however, seems to be when Billy and family take on the largest cockroach infestation of their careers. The hit show’s season two debut will be Wednesday, March 10th at 10:30 on A&E.