Archive for May, 2010
Posted on May 28, 2010 with No Comments
Today IOL published an article about a different approach that the stadium is going to use to keep pests out of the stadium. There has been a bad bat, rat, and pigeon problem in the stadium and instead of using poison, the stadium is going to try and get rid of the pests with “birds of prey”. Pigeons are a major problem and if they get rid of them, the other pests will subside. Pigeon droppings attract rats and the birds carry diseases and
ticks. They build nests around the stadium and lay eggs so more can reproduce. The brand new stadium holds 46,000 people so the stadium wants to ensure that all of the people are safe by getting rid of the pests. They think that by attracting bigger birds to scare away the pigeons, the pigeons won’t come back. Throughout the three years the plans to get rid of pests have changed, but the stadium feels this approach will be very effective. If you have a rat problem or any other pest problems, feel free to contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, facebook, twitter, or live chat.
Picture Source
Posted on May 27, 2010 with No Comments
An article published this morning talks about how termites destroyed 500 homes and 10 schools in Lautoka, Fiji. That’s a lot of termites! Even though this happened in Fiji, there is a big termite problem here in the United States. Make sure your house is protected!
Posted on May 27, 2010 with No Comments
What are they?
Termites are small insects that like to eat wood. The most commonly species seen in the tri-state area is the Eastern Subterranean termite. Termites are social insects that live in colonies and usually nest around wood. Termites are about 3/8th of an inch with a dark brown or black body. They have a set of long wings on the top of their body. They can also appear as a yellowish color with a brown head, no wings, and 6 legs.
Termites eat material that contains cellulose, such as wood, roots, plant debris, paper or cardboard. Termites can gain entrance into a structure through any part of the wood frame in contact with the ground, through openings in the foundation around pipes and conduits or through cracks in the foundation. Termites can enter through cracks that are no wider than 1/64 of an inch. Subterranean termites require moisture to survive. They will create mud tubes to obtain access to a structure that is above ground. These tubes are created from soil cemented with secretions and fecal material. The tubes are to protect the termites from exposure to sunlight or dry conditions. Termites are able to survive in a structure without contact to the ground if there is a sufficient moisture source.
How do they affect me?
Termites can destroy a wood home. They travel in colonies containing with thousands and thousands of workers. Sixty thousand workers can eat up to 5 grams of wood a day! There could be multiple colonies around one building, so it is imperative you treat them immediately. Termites cause over 2 billion dollars in property damage every year!
What can I do to prevent/control them?
There is not much people can do to prevent termites from infesting a home. If you do see activity of termites around your home contact a pest control company. Here at JP McHale we treat for termites with the latest and most effect ways. Read more about termites in our termite blog. If you have a termite problem feel free to contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, twitter, facebook, or live chat.
Picture Source
Posted on May 26, 2010 with No Comments
An article on RGJ.com reports that throughout the school-year fifth graders in an elementary school in Nevada work on an insect dictionary. Kids are never too young to learn about the pests that will invade their homes in the future!
Picture Source
Posted on May 26, 2010 with 8 Comments
Summer has arrived and everyone loves to enjoy the outdoors. Mosquitoes and ticks are very active during the late spring so people have to be cautious not to get Lyme disease or the West Nile Virus. Yesterday on WebMD an author published an article rating the top 6 insect repellents judged by Consumer Reports, focusing mainly against mosquito and tick bites. The top repellents included the following: Off 
Deep Woods Sportsmen, Cutter Backwoods Unscented, Off FamilyCare Smooth & Dry, 3M Ultrathon Insect Repellent 8, Repel Plant Based Lemon Eucalyptus, Natrapel 8-House with picaridin. 5/6 of these products contain between 15 and 30% DEET, an active and very effective chemical in repelling insects. Consumer Reports had volunteers spray on the repellents and put mosquitoes and deer ticks on the volunteers. The repellents protected the volunteers for seven or more hours! Consumer Reports also notes that people should not use DEET on babies and no higher than 30% when using both a sunscreen and insect repellent in one. DEET is safe in proper amounts but when people apply sunscreen, they usually apply excessively so they do not get burnt. Other ways to prevent insects from biting you include the following:
- Wear long sleeve, light clothing
- Do not be outside at dawn or dusk when mosquitoes are most active
- Make sure there is not stagnant water built up
- Inspect your body to look for suspicious marks or spots on your body
- When using candles outside in a space, position them in the corners on the floor
- Water down the area before a gathering because bees do not like water or wet areas
By following these tips you will have a happy and healthy summer. For more information or help with a tick, mosquito, or any other problem feel free to contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, facebook, or twitter. We even offer a special VIP Program that protects your lawn specifically from ticks, mosquitoes, and rodents. Read more about ticks and mosquitoes in our other blog posts! Tick Blog, Mosquito Blog. JPMcHale is one of the leading pest control companies in Westchester, New York, we would love to help you with your pest problems!
Picture Source, Picture Source
Tags: Lyme Disease, mosquito repellent, Mosquitoes, repellent, Ticks, west n
Category: Crawling Insects, Diseases, Flying Insects, Insects, Lyme Disease, Mosquitoes, Mosquitoes, Summer Pests, Ticks
Posted on May 25, 2010 with No Comments
The Princeton Packet of New Jersey published an article yesterday that talks about three buildings in the Princeton Borough that are infested with bed bugs. The landlords agreed to a written contract that states the tenants will be reimbursed with all expenses needed to leave the building for three days. 
The tenants will be given a room at a local motel, food, transportation and money for laundry for the three days. Bed Bugs have been an ongoing issue for the borough and everyone just wants the bugs out. Within the next few days the judge will hear the proposal and make the decision to see if the landlords will have enough funding, which they most likely will. It is very hard to eliminate bed bugs without proper treatment and they can give you diseases if bit, so if you have a bed bug problem feel free to contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, twitter, live chat, or facebook.
Posted on May 25, 2010 with No Comments
A recently published article in New Hampshire’s online Sentinel Source article explains how a resident was recently bit by ants and wanted to find out what kind of ant it was. Normally most people think that if they get bite/stung by an ant, it’s a fire ant.
Left: Fire Ants, Right: Pavement Ants
Fire ants are known for their painful sting. They are usually small, red ants that nest in lawns or on cement. Pavement ants are a little bigger and are black. They get their name because they like to nest in the crack of pavement. The resident sent the ant sample to a lab in Connecticut and surprisingly it turned out that the bite was from pavement ants. When you are outside make sure to be aware of all ants. Do not leave crumbs or food just lying around and make sure you use insect repellent with DEET when outside. If you have an ant problem, feel free to contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, facebook, or twitter.
Picture Source, Picture Source
Posted on May 24, 2010 with 1 Comment
The New York Daily News published a breaking story today about the outbreak of the Emerald Ash Borer. The Emerald Ash Borer is only ½ inch long but can cause destruction to a whole forest. The Emerald Ash Borer is a small insect who feeds on the inside of ash trees, ultimately killing the trees. They appear to be a shiny green/blue and have a thin body. Emerald Ash Borers leave behind a D like hole in trees, but often hard to spot. 
There is said to be over 900 million ash trees in New York and the rise of these insects can cause a major problem. The feds decided once they realized 39 trees were already dead in Cattaraugus County that they need to act on this matter immediately. The feds decided to set up 9,800 traps to catch the insects throughout New York in 42 counties, but none in New York City. They want to kill the insects where they will be in large numbers. The Emerald Ash Borer was first discovered in Asia and seen in the United States in 2002. The insects are very hard to spot, however, so you cannot detect where they are until ash trees start to die. A big infestation of these insects can cost the government millions of dollars to treat, so the government is hoping they can solve this problem quickly. If you are concerned about your lawn and trees, contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, twitter, facebook, or live chat.
Picture Source
Posted on May 24, 2010 with No Comments
A recently published article from the Times Colonist discusses the writer’s opinion on the proposed bill to ban the sale of non-neutered rabbits. 
The writer expresses how rabbits and rats are similar; both are rodents, reproduce a sufficient amount, and can be vicious. Luckily only one of them is usually found in homes, but not the fluffy white one everyone would rather. Rats can enter homes through the smallest of cracks and can do some damage to homes. Rats tend to chew on wires and rummage through any food they can find. To prevent them make sure you secure all cracks and crevasses and don’t leave doors open. To learn more on how to prevent rats contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, facebook, or twitter.
Picture Source
Posted on May 24, 2010 with No Comments
An article recently published in Boston Real Estate Now explains how since the warm weather is coming, home owners can expect to see termites and carpenter ants to be found in their homes. Some people might get confused on which pest is which, but if you know what each looks like, you will be able to identify them.
Left: Eastern Subterranean Termites, Right: Carpenter Ant
Termites have a 3/8″ dark brown body and wings. The wings will range from transparent to milky white. Termites actually eat wood unlike carpenter ants that just hollow out wood. Carpenter ants range from 1/4″ to 3/8″. These ants are most commonly found in black. Both of these pests like to nest in damp wood. To tell if the termites or ants are affecting your house without actually seeing the pests, look around the base of your house for saw dust. If your find any signs of either of these pests make sure your seek pest control experts immediately. Little pests in large group can cause a sufficient amount of damage. If you have an ant or termite problem, contact us by phone 800-479-2284, website, email, facebook, twitter, or live chat.
ticks. They build nests around the stadium and lay eggs so more can reproduce. The brand new stadium holds 46,000 people so the stadium wants to ensure that all of the people are safe by getting rid of the pests. They think that by attracting bigger birds to scare away the pigeons, the pigeons won’t come back. Throughout the three years the plans to get rid of pests have changed, but the stadium feels this approach will be very effective. If you have a rat problem or any other pest problems, feel free to contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, facebook, twitter, or live chat.
