How Do I Keep Ants Out of My House?
Ants are truly a marvel! Did you know there are 8000 different species of ants in the world. Ants are even mentioned in the Bible as teaching us lessons about working hard, planning ahead, and preparing for the future. Yes, there is a lot we can learn from ants.
But most of us are not interested in the lessons from ants being taught in our children’s play areas, where we eat, or, in fact, in the house at all. But how to keep them out of the house is often a puzzle.
What are some safe and reliable ways to get rid of ants. We can first take steps in getting rid of ants without chemicals. Don’t leave sticky jars out that would attract ants, vacuum often especially in areas ants are seen, caulk potential entry points, and keep food items off the floor and counter. Ant traps can be purchased locally and can help small problems. Sticky strips catch the ants as they move. But, as successful as these might be, they don’t deal with the source of the problem.
To really succeed, you must get rid of the queen. She is the lifeblood of the colony. To get rid of her, you must locate the nest. Track the ants. Try to figure out where they are going when they have some food item. Check for signs where ants converge in large numbers.
Once the nest is located, you are ready to get rid of it. Spraying will probably be necessary to do this. Some of the common outdoor nest anticides are permethrin as a liquid or granules, carbaryl as a liquid or granules, bifenthrin as granules, cyfluthrin as granules, and acephate as a liquid. Be sure the nest is soaked for ants are able to dig deeply, out of reach of a light treatment. Those who have tried drowning ants, or burning them out with gasoline have said these methods don’t work well.
Plan B is to spray the exterior of the house with contact insecticides. Some common ones are the following: cyfluthrin as granules, permethrin as a liquid or granules, carbaryl as a liquid or granules, deltamethrin as a dust, and bifenthrin as a liquid. Of course, this could be a big job and you may want to call a reliable pest control firm for this. This may also be necessary if the nest is located in a wall or other hidden place.
Another effective method is setting out bates. These are chemicals that the ant thinks are food. They therefore take them back to the colony and share them with everyone. This may kill the queen as well and end the problem. Here are some common bate poisons: sulfluramid, abamectin, disodium octaborate, Fipronil, orthoboric acid, and propoxur. Be sure to use it as instructed on the label.
Using poisons, especially around children and pets, can be dangerous. So if the problem is serious, you will probably want to call on a reliable exterminator. They know just which one, how much, and where to use the poisons so that there will not be any danger to those you love.
If you’re located in the Eastern Wisconsin area, I’d highy recommend the services of Prompt Action Pest Control. They have been providing full service pest control in Rice Lake for over 35 years. Just visit http://www.promptactionpest.com/ or call 1 (877) 877-6678 today.
Categories: Home Improvement Tags: ant control, wisconsin ant control, wisconsin pest control
How to Get Rid of Asian Lady Beetles
If you live in rural America, you might well have faced an infestation of Asian lady beetles. These bugs are not native to America. They were brought to America in 1916 but didn’t become a problem until after their introduction to farms in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1988.
The reason they were introduced into a number of locations is because the Asian lady beetle eats soft-bodied arthropods such as scale and aphids. They are so good at keeping aphids under control that the Asian lady beetles actually reduced the need for insecticides. While consuming aphids they do not hurt structures as termites and carpenter ants would. Lady beetles do not chew or bore holes in walls or eat carpet or furniture, neither do they lay their eggs in homes.
Sounds like a good bug to have around then, right? Not when they become pests. Once removed from their native habitat, they were free from their natural enemies and their numbers soared. As soon as the first frost comes, the Asian lady beetles start looking for a winter home meaning they work their way under siding and even into the house. Then when spring comes, their number is even greater.
Adding to the problem, when the beetles are squashed or just agitated, they do something called “reflex bleeding” . A yellow fluid with a bad smell is released from leg joints. This generally keeps the lady beetles from being eaten by birds or other predators. But in the home, the fluid may cause stains on walls and in fabrics.
Once the lady beetles enter the walls of a building through cracks and crevices, they may or may not proceed to the interior of the building. Most stay in the wall spaces.
The warmer temperatures of spring signal the Asian lady beetles and they start to become more active. As they search for an exit, they may end up inside the house and become a pest. The attraction may be the warmer temperatures but it may also the lighting that attracts them.
Because the lady beetles are often attracted to living areas by the light, one entomologist developed a device that uses light to trap the bugs in a removable bag. Thus they can be relocated without the use of insecticides so that the nuisance is gone but the benefits remain.
However, this is a slow process and may be insufficient when they number in the thousands. In this case, a reputable pest control firm is able to spray the entire outside of a building, preferably in September for those living in the north. The Asian lady beetles are controlled, killed and will not set up home in the walls during the winter. Buildings may also be sprayed in the spring, but it is less effective.
Prompt Action is a trusted Wisconsin pest control company that has been in business for 35 years and continues to deliver great results in a timely fashion with integrity. You can find us on the web at http://www.promptactionpest.com/
Categories: Home Improvement Tags: asian beetle, asian lady beetles, wisconsin pest control
