Tag: Insects
Posted on June 17, 2011 with No Comments
The debate still stands as to why pesky insects swarm your light fixtures, whether inside or out. The two most popular theories include safety reasons and navigational purposes.
Regardless of which theory they’re flying by, they are not as mindless as we perceive them to be.
Safety: Flying insects which are attracted to light fixtures are thought to be avoiding dangerous encounters. Whether your fixtures are inside your home or outdoors, they tend to be at higher altitudes than the insects are used to flying. This gives the insects a chance to seek higher ground and greater protection against predators.
Navigation: Many flying insects are known to travel north, thus needing to keep the light source on their right side and at a distance to stay on track. When you flick on your deck lights during a family barbecue, the insects become confused. The insects will then continuously circle the light source in attempts to keep it on a specific side of their body.
Now you know! Even though these pesky insects bother you while you’re trying to enjoy a beautiful summer evening, they may just be trying to stay safe or find their way home.
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Posted on June 3, 2011 with No Comments
On May 18th JP McHale’s very own entomologist and one of our customer service specialists attended the South Avenue Elementary School of Beacon, New York to give a presentation to their students. Their presentation to the second grade student body as well as a great number of faculty members covered information regarding insects and grass planting. The students and faculty were thrilled to learn about the differences between types of insects, and how to plant grass seed and keep it growing healthy.
The buzz of the presentations flooded the school and aroused excitement in additional faculty members who chose to attend. Fly swatters and hand sanitizers were given as mementos of the informational fun that our faculty members presented to the South Avenue Elementary. In return, JP McHale Pest Management Inc. received mention in a thank you newsletter bulletin!
Check it out!
Posted on November 16, 2010 with No Comments
In an article written by the Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation, it is know that at least two new types of insects are introduced to the U.S. environment every year. While not always the case were the insects are damaging to the environment, this year it is. The Asian Longhorn beetle has found its way into the forests of the United States and researchers are afraid of the damages that it has already done to trees. The scientists state that, “Every year, exotic insects like the Asian longhorn beetle and the emerald ash borer, aka the Green Menace, kill millions of trees across the United States. And every year inspectors intercept a few new would-be invaders at the nation’s ports of entry – but they can’t stop every single one.” Researchers are now conducting a prevention plan, starting with research about insect influxes in New York and Los Angeles, two of the busiest ports in the country. It is estimate that only 1 in 10 new insects bring harm to the environment, this new beetle fits that 10% of devestating forest life. Originally found in Michigan, the Asian longhorn beetle has now spread to 15 states, its latest victim, Tennessee. The feeding larvae have girdled and killed tens of millions of ash trees, and damages could top $20 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Prevention of the new bugs entering the U.S. is by rigid custom checks at ports, airports and borderlines. In fact recently, In 2006, the United States adopted international standards known as ISPM15 (International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade). The standards require all imported wood products and packing material to be fumigated or heat-treated. Even with most woods passing all types of standards, the system cannot always be fool-proof.
Posted on June 25, 2010 with No Comments
Yesterday, Fox 5 News did a report about a Long Island landscaper in their evening segment, Shame on You. This landscaper had lost his license two years ago but continued doing business with customers. It was reported that over 30 customers were getting ripped off and not getting the service they had paid for. 
The landscaper will now face charges from the district attorney for fraud. When you contact JP McHale you can be assured that we are current with our licensing and all state requirements. JP McHale is licensed in pest management and plant health care. All of our products are environmentally sensitive and approved by the EPA. When researching a prospective contractor, you should go on your state/county’s website to try and find a list of licensed professionals as well as fraudulent ones. JP McHale is a Westchester Pest Control company. We would love to help you with your pest or lawn problem! Contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, twitter, or facebook.
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!
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Posted on February 10, 2010 with No Comments
Imagine walking into a fancy restaurant in Costa Rica and looking at the menu. You see the usual, but then you come across garlic grasshoppers as a main course. Well the idea of cultivating insects and making them edible has gained steam in Costa Rica. The main source for this idea comes from Africa, where eating insects is apart of every day life. Costa Rican scientists have looked into their forest and surroundings and have found many insects that would work well when put into the everyday diet. The Scientists have joined forces with scientists from Benin. Benin has long consumed insects and mushrooms. In most other countries insects are considered gourmet food believe it or not.
These insects can be cooked multiple ways. You can grill them, fry them, put onions or garlic on them. One Costa Rican scientist said that the large grasshoppers that they find in the forest are “far more savory than shrimp” when garlic is added on. Termites, crickets, butterfly and moth larvae are other types of insects that are routinely consumed. To the credit of the Scientists, they eat every insect that they consider an option to be on menus. The idea has been met with a ton of skepticism, so the best way to introduce this would be to first put only delicacies on the menu, according to the those in charge. Either way, we may not be far off from seeing crickets on skewers with onions in our favorite restaurants.
We found out about this topic from the Associated Press.
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Posted on February 10, 2010 with 1 Comment
Everybody knows that birds fly south for the winter, however, some have wondered what do butterflies or moths do when it gets cold up north? Recently, the answer to that question has begun to get answered. It has been found that insects are able to get into complex windstreams, or a “wind highway”, and can be taken for thousands of kilometers to the Mediterranean for the winter and back north for the summer. These windstreams go up to 60 miles per hour, and carry these insects where they need to go. The amazing thing is, that through all the study that has been done so far, these insects very rarely go in the wrong direction.
Now the question remains, how does this work? The system is extremely complex, and further study is needed to fully understand how this works. Some wonder how do butterflies and moths, two fragile creatures, handle these high winds. The researchers figured that this is due to some mechanism that eliminates the turbulence that they would feel during the trip. The insects use their internal compass to find these wind highways, and each insect is thought to use the same method to get into these highways. The whole process is complex and there is still tons of information yet to be discovered about what exactly goes on. However, once that information is revealed, maybe these insects will be mentioned with birds when migration is talked about each winter.
BBC wrote about this story first.
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Posted on July 9, 2009 with 4 Comments
The summer months are here. Teachers have summer off, and work around the house is starting. Carpenter ants seem to be one of the biggest issues here at JP McHale Pest Management in the summertime. Carpenter ants are large black ants that are moisture driven. Large amounts of rain recently have kept these ants outside, flourishing because of the consistent moist ground. Now that rain has ended, these ants are left no choice but to travel to find moisture. Hot dry summer days will bring these pests into homes, particularly into kitchens and bathrooms.
Carpenter ants range from ¼” to ¾” in size, black in appearance. The abdomen of the ant is ball-like with a rounded upper side. The abdomen seems to be separate from the thorax.
Carpenter ant activity can be spotted in many different ways. Carpenter ants leave behind “frass” which is similar to sawdust. These ants will hollow out moist wood, to nest in. Carpenter ants do not eat wood, like termites would. You can tell by the wood if it is carpenter ant damage or not. They create “galleries,” with smooth edges. Termites will not leave any frass or wood particles behind, and the tunnels will have sharp edges.
These ants will travel far to find food. Carpenter ants can be found up to 100 yards away from their nest. This is a factor in why it takes so long to eliminate the infestation. The nest could even be on your neighbor’s property.
Carpenter ants also can be found on trees. If you spot carpenter ants on a tree in your yard, it is an indication that the tree’s health is at risk. The carpenter ants most likely are forming a nest in a cavity, or a dead portion of the tree. Now the issue of carpenter ants has created an arbor care issue. An arbor care program should be considered.
Carpenter ants feed on nearly everything a human does, their favorite being aphid honeydew as it is very sweet. Jelly, sugar, grease, meat and fat are also some of their favorite food. They will also feed off dead insects.
JP McHale’s Home Pest Prevention covers carpenter ants. Our “One Time Special” program however does not. The one time special is a program targeted at one certain pest, for a 30 day period. The reason why we are unable to offer the one time special on carpenter ants, because we know that the problem is difficult to eliminate in that time. We do not want to offer you the one time special and not eliminate the problem. With our home pest prevention, you are given unlimited call backs for all the pests we cover. With the home pest prevention, your carpenter ant will be eliminated weather it takes 2 visitors or 6 visits.
Posted on June 24, 2009 with No Comments
As this rain continues, the pests that enjoy the moisture habitat will be thriving this summer. Earwigs are considered an occasional invader and are not commonly spotted in a home.
The term “earwig” is from Europe, implying that earwigs enter the ear of a sleeping person and bore into their brain. This is not true, and is simply just a myth. Earwigs have forceps that look like they could do serious damage. These are used to capture prey. Earwigs are fairly large, measuring in at 5/8” including the forceps located at the hind-end of their bodies. Their forceps can grow up to ¼.” They have a reddish head, lighter colored wing covers, legs and antennae. Thought they have wing covers, they are not a flying insect. Earwigs are nocturnal, so they are active at night.
Earwigs feed on dead plants and insects, and enjoy spending time under stones, logs and in mulch. Therefore, to cut down and possibly eliminate the risk of getting earwigs in and around your house it is imperative to use several Integrate Pest Management (IPM) methods to control Earwigs. On some occasions, earwigs can be found eating living plants in a garden.
Walk around your home and remove any dead plants, logs, wood piles, and stones from around the foundation. Over usage of mulch can attract earwigs because of how well it holds moisture. The goal is to create a low-moisture area around the perimeter of your home. Treatment by the technician is usually performed outside on the foundation of the home. Indoor treatment and the methods of treatment are always left to the discretion of the technician.
Safety: Flying insects which are attracted to light fixtures are thought to be avoiding dangerous encounters. Whether your fixtures are inside your home or outdoors, they tend to be at higher altitudes than the insects are used to flying. This gives the insects a chance to seek higher ground and greater protection against predators.
