Archive for November, 2012

Boston cracks down on pests, sanitary problems in Downtown Crossing

With the holiday shopping season approaching, Boston officials hope to shoo three groups of bargain hunters from Downtown Crossing: rodents, pigeons, and cockroaches. ?We want visitors to walk by and not see nightmares,? John Meaney, the …

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Pests in the NewsNovember 16, 2012

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Florida researchers offering advice on crazy ants – Gainesville Sun

Florida researchers offering advice on crazy ants
Gainesville Sun
Ken Micklow with Gardenmasters Lawn & Ornamental Pest Control lets Caribbean crazy ants craw on his hand in this file photo from Thursday, August 21, 2008 in Sarasota, Fla. The ants do not bite but are found in massive numbers, smell and eat every …

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Pests in the NewsNovember 16, 2012

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Rats Being Eradicated from Galapagos Islands – PCT Magazine


New Zealand Herald

Rats Being Eradicated from Galapagos Islands
PCT Magazine
Arrow Exterminators Acquires Norton Exterminating. Northern Georgia-based firm is the latest acquisition by Arrow. Daimer Offers Steam Cleaner to Kill Bed Bugs. The company is marketing its KleenJet Mega 1000CVP ATIS to the pest control industry.
Ecuador To Drop 20 Tons Of Poison On Galapagos To Kill RatsRedOrbit

all 264 news articles »

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Pests in the NewsNovember 16, 2012

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Strategies to control crazy ants taking shape for researchers – Phys.Org

Strategies to control crazy ants taking shape for researchers
Phys.Org
They can establish colonies with multiple queens and millions of workers, blanketing lawns and sidewalks, killing native species, shorting out electrical systems and creating headaches for homeowners and pest–control operators. So far, efforts to …

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Pests in the NewsNovember 16, 2012

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Pesticide that killed two girls used at schools in San Diego County – KFMB News 8

Pesticide that killed two girls used at schools in San Diego County
KFMB News 8
Pest companies are required to apply Fumitoxin when school is not in session, and post warning signs on the fields before and after application. The signs currently are posted in the Oceanside Unified School District where Fumitoxin is still used.

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Pests in the NewsNovember 16, 2012

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Partnership Formed to Tackle Pacific Pests – Pacific News Center

Partnership Formed to Tackle Pacific Pests
Pacific News Center
Guam – Two international conservation groups – Island Conservation and BirdLife International – have signed an agreement in Fiji this week to help protect the native birds and biodiversity of Pacific islands from invasive species. Rats, feral cats and …

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Pests in the NewsNovember 16, 2012

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On the Trails: Silken threads – Juneau Empire

On the Trails: Silken threads
Juneau Empire
Natural silks are produced by insects and spiders. The most famous silk is produced by the silkworm moth, long domesticated by the Chinese for human use. But silk production has reportedly evolved, independently, at least 23 times among the insects and …

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Pests in the NewsNovember 16, 2012

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Nov 16, 2012 – Alternative Fumigants

QUESTION:

What can you tell me about the use of gases, such as nitrogen and hydrogen in pest control? Are they mainly used for bed bugs and drywood termites, or is there any other way to utilize them? Thank you.

ANSWER:

I think that we can begin by crossing hydrogen off the list for now. If I am correct this gas is not one used in pest management and it probably is too explosive ever to be tried. However, let’s substitute the gas carbon dioxide in there and off we go. 

Carbon dioxide has been used successfully for fumigation of stored products pests for decades. A recent study was done testing CO2 for bed bugs, and my take on it is that this may not be a reliable material for these insects. The researchers found that to kill 100% of the eggs of bed bugs required a concentration of nearly 100% carbon dioxide gas held for 24 hours. I just wonder how realistic it would be within an infested structure to hold that gas at that high of a level for that length of time. Using CO2 as the fumigant within a sealed chamber that holds household items would be a more realistic and reliable method though, as the interior gases could be held more effectively. 
Carbon dioxide is well known to be able to suffocate arthropods. Since bugs do rely on oxygen for their survival, removing that oxygen for certain lengths of time can kill them. The problem tends to be the eggs, which respire very little, and it takes longer to kill eggs of insects by oxygen deprivation than it does to kill adult or nymph stages that are more active and using oxygen more rapidly. 
Nitrogen gas would probably work in a similar manner. Our normal atmosphere contains about 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, so nitrogen is not a “toxic” gas. But, if we increase the level of the nitrogen it reaches a point at which too little oxygen is available and the animal dies by suffocation. For humans, increasing that nitrogen level just a few percent would be lethal. However, LIQUID nitrogen (which rapidly converts to the gaseous state) has been used in pest management, as has liquid carbon dioxide. As a liquid these are extremely cold materials. Liquid nitrogen has a temperature of MINUS 320 degrees Fahrenheit, making it a bit more dangerous to work with. A spill of that liquid on your hand would instantly freeze all tissues. 
Carbon dioxide, as a liquid under pressure in a cylinder, is more user friendly. The liquid is at a much higher temperature than nitrogen liquid and as it is ejected from a nozzle the CO2 converts to a freezing “snow” that is capable of instantly freezing any bugs that it is applied to. This is the basis of the Cryonite product for bed bug control. However, it is cautioned for both N and CO2 that high levels of these gases in an area are dangerous for the applicator, who needs to be certain the oxygen level in the air remains high enough to be safe. 
So, carbon dioxide may have a stronger future for our industry for chamber fumigation or as this freeezing snow applied to bed bugs and other pest insects. Conversely, we use steamers for bed bugs and roaches too, and even slight elevations of the temperature are sufficient to kill bed bugs and their eggs. Just 115 degrees held for 24 hours will kill all stages, so imagine how lethal it is to have 180 degree steam slam into the bed bug or its eggs. This is essentially instant death to the bugs. 

View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.

Pest QuestionsNovember 16, 2012

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Speed crucial for pest control

The other aspect is to control all the places where the pests are breeding otherwise they will only keep on re-infesting. Warming weather brings out numerous insect pests – grass grub beetles, codlin moth, whitefly, leaf hoppers, spider mites, aphids and many more.

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Pests in the NewsNovember 15, 2012

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FDA find bugs, bird at affiliate of meningitis pharmacy

Moreover, the buildings used “are not free of infestation by rodents, birds, insects and other vermin,” the report said. Specifically, insects were located in an area where finished sterile product is packaged and stored. The insects were also …

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Pests in the NewsNovember 15, 2012

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