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Taking A Close, Much Closer, Look At Insects

by Mr. Little on February 21, 2012 in Bugs, Company with No comments
roach

Have you ever seen a German cockroach or drywood termite up close? Not exactly things of beauty for most folks but I think it is pretty cool! As long as there’s no threat, who doesn’t like to look at insects – they are just so interesting.

For bug aficionados like me and my colleagues at Western Exterminator, taking an up-close look at insects is part of our job on a daily basis, and we find these critters quite fascinating. For our customers, however, getting close to insects is sometimes more un-nerving.   When it happens they rarely take the time to study the insect, they just call us for help!

Each year Western Exterminator Company receives thousands of calls from customers in Arizona, California and Nevada saying, “I found this bug and I have no idea what it is!  Can you help?”  And the answer is of course, “yes, yes we can.”

Proper insect identification is essential for any pest management professional looking to solve a customer’s insect problem. Without knowing exactly what insect is present, trying to eliminate or prevent it from entering a home or office, and developing an effective control plan is next to impossible.

Our Technical Department at Western Exterminator is second-to-none and we’ve just added an additional All-Star to our already talented team of entomologists and sanitarians. However, this All Star isn’t a person but a microscope – the Nikon SMZ 745T.

This isn’t your junior high biology class microscope, according to C.J. Strom, Associate Certified Entomologist and Western Exterminator’s vice president of quality. This is one powerful piece of machinery that can zoom in on an insect at 500X. Now that’s close up!

According to Strom, with that type of power and detail Western’s technical gurus can even more closely pinpoint the exact type of ant, cockroach or spider that is bugging you. This high-tech lens craft also takes high-resolution, detailed photos of insects, which enables us to share through e-mail digital photos with our Technicians and customers. It’s sort of like facial recognition software for insects!

In 2011, our Technical Department handled more than 1,300 insect identification requests, and our newest addition to the team will help us do the job faster and with even greater accuracy.  And just for the fun of it, who doesn’t want to see a picture of a bed bug magnified 500 times?

Of course, most importantly, the information provided helps our Service Technicians make recommendations and design a treatment plan to assure your home or office is pest-free!

Do you have questions about an insect you’ve seen in your home or office? If so, I want to hear them. You can send me an e-mail at AskMrLittle@WesternExterminator.com. I’ll be sure to get back to you right away with an answer.

Until next time, thanks for making Western Exterminator Company “The Final Word in Pest Control®”

Have a pest free day.

Mr. Little’s Quick Tips For A Pest-Free Life: 
The Termite Edition

by Mr. Little on February 6, 2012 in Bugs, Tips with No comments
mrlitte_glass

Last week I talked about possible signs that termites, those hidden invaders that can cause serious damage to your house if left to their own desires, might be taking a more than casual interest your home’s wood infrastructure.

And since termites go at it 24/7/365, they don’t take a break from chewing away on your front porch railings, deck, floor joists and support beams. At least Menace Mouse takes some down time after snatching food from your dog’s bowl!

As the old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and with termites that statement rings true. Termites, like most structural pests you’ll encounter, are opportunists. They will take advantage of your “generosity” and conducive conditions that provide them food, water and shelter. Who doesn’t like a free meal?

To help you live a Pest-Free Life and keep termites from damaging your home, my colleagues and I at Western Exterminator have put a list together that can help prevent termite infestations.  You know, good termite control means you will never have to treat for termites.  Follow these steps and you’ll be much more likely to avoid these potentially expensive pests! Keep shower pans free of leaks, and all plumbing in good repair.  Termites are attracted to moisture.

  • Routinely fill in any cracks in your masonry or concrete; make sure there are no entry points to your attic.
  • When watering your lawn, don’t sprinkle stucco or wood siding.
  • Keep your gutters and downspouts in good repair and clean. Wet leaves provide moisture and food
  • Keep foundation air vents fully exposed; don’t let them become overgrown with shrubbery.
  • Avoid moisture accumulation around the foundation of your home.
  • Remove old form boards, grade stakes, etc., left in place after the building was constructed, and don’t store firewood on the ground next to the house.
  • Remove old tree stumps and roots around and beneath the building.
  • Eliminate any wood contact with the soil. An 18-inch gap between the soil and wood portions of the building is ideal.
  • Avoid planting trees to close to the house.  Vegetation should never touch your home.
  • Keep the exterior of your home well painted and in good repair.  A good coat of paint acts as a barrier for drywood termites.
  • Have your home inspected by a licensed termite inspector at least every 3 years.  Early diagnosis of a termite problem will help prevent expensive treatment measures.

Do you have questions on termites? If so, I want to hear them. You can send me an e-mail at AskMrLittle@WesternExterminator.com. I’ll be sure to get back to you right away with an answer.

Until next time, thanks for making Western Exterminator Company “The Final Word in Pest Control®”

Have a pest free day.

Don’t’ Let Termites
 Sneak Up On You

by Mr. Little on January 30, 2012 in Bugs, Tips with No comments
termite

As much as a royal pain Menace Mouse is to our residential and commercial customers, he has nothing on another pest my colleagues and I at Western Exterminator get to do battle with – termites.

Both are sneaky, silent invaders who want nothing more than to call your home, their home. And while Menace Mouse and friends prefer to eat what is inside your kitchen cabinets, termites don’t care at all about the food, they prefer to eat the cabinets!

How do you know if you have termites? We call termites the “hidden invaders” for a very good reason: They leave virtually nothing visible to the untrained eye telling you they are having your deck or kitchen cabinets for lunch!

However, after visiting more than my fair share of crawlspaces and attics during inspections, my colleagues and I have come up with the following signs that may tell you if you have a termite threat to your most valuable investment:

  • Wings on windowsills or flying termites in your home certainly are cause for alarm.
  • Wood damage can be an identifying sign of a termite infestation. If you find or break open a piece of wood and it is honeycombed or carved out, the damage was likely caused by termites, or other wood destroying organism. You can probe suspect wood with a knife or flat-blade screwdriver to see if it’s been hollowed. Severely damaged wood may sound hollow when tapped.
  • Unexplained piles of what appears to be coarse grains of sand (which can appear almost anywhere throughout the structure) may actually be termite fecal pellets sifting out of wood members.
  • Mud tubes on walls, along baseboards or in cracks and crevices indicate termites.

According to the National Pest Management Association, termites cause $5 billion in damage to structures in the United States every year and they don’t take a day off. That’s right 24/7, 365 days a year they eat, and they never gain weight! If a termite colony is left alone it can cause significant damage in just three years.

How do you beat the destructive yet elusive termites at their game? I’ll share some tips next week in my blog but if it’s been more than three years, I strongly recommend you call Western Exterminator and have a professional inspection performed on your home or office. Termites are nothing to mess with!

Our team of highly trained Inspectors will give your property a thorough, top to bottom inspection and tell you if you’re playing host to termites or any of their wood destroying pals. If you are, our Inspectors will help you choose the best treatment strategy for your particular situation.

Do you have questions on termites? If so, I want to hear them. You can send me an e-mail at AskMrLittle@WesternExterminator.com. I’ll be sure to get back to you right away with an answer.

Until next time, thanks for making Western Exterminator Company “The Final Word in Pest Control®”

Have a pest free day.

Do Your Ants Do The Tango?
 Argentine Ants Can!

by Mr. Little on January 23, 2012 in Bugs with No comments
argentine_ant

Argentina is a really neat place to visit. The food is great, there is tango dancing (yes, Mr. Little has been known to cut a pretty mean rug on occasion!) and tremendous scenery, and really friendly people.

However, I do have one complaint – their namesake ant can be a real hassle for our customers! Argentine ants are an invasive ant species that most likely arrived in the U.S. on coffee ships before 1891. They are now found throughout the Southwest.

How do you know if you have Argentine ants or another of the dozens of species Western Exterminator’s customers might come across? Argentine ants establish shallow nests in the soil near a source of moisture, such as along sidewalks, under rocks, between plants, near water pipes, in potted plants and wall voids.

Argentine ant workers are 1/6 inch long and the queens are 1/8 to 1/4 inch. They are light to dark brown in color and their colonies can have several hundered to several thousand workers! That’s a lot of ants!

They also have a sweet tooth (Yes, ants do have teeth but as far as I know never visit the dentist.) and are often found outside near insects, such as aphids, which produce a honey-like secretion called honeydew. Argentine ants prefer sweets, but also feed on oil, protein foods, fat, and meat.

This is where the Argentine ant came become a problem for homeowners. Even though these ants typically live in nests outdoors near a food source they will aggressively forage for food and come indoors seeking their bounty. Sounds like another unwanted pest who shall go nameless – Menace Mouse!

What can you do to prevent Argentine ants from doing the tango in your kitchen or pantry? According to my colleague and entomologist Keith Willingham, who heads up our Technical Division, homeowners can follow these steps to keep ants and other pests away:

  • Keep food in sealed plastic bags or containers. Pet food and foods with high doses of sugar are prime targets.
  • Make sure to thoroughly rinse your recycled cans, bottles and plastic containers. The sugar residue from a soda can or syrup bottle is a written invitation for Argentine ants.
  • Don’t allow excessive moisture or standing water to gather in or around your house. Argentine ants like moisture – don’t let them have it.

If you don’t enjoy dancing the tango with Argentine ants, the professionals at Western Exterminator can deliver a thorough, effective treatment that will send them packing.  Spring is coming, and is the best time to get a jump on these annoying pests.

Do you have questions on Argentine or other pesky ants? If so, I want to hear them. You can send me an e-mail at AskMrLittle@WesternExterminator.com. I’ll be sure to get back to you right away with an answer.

Until next time, thanks for making Western Exterminator Company “The Final Word in Pest Control®”

Have a pest free day.

Mr. Little’s Quick Tips For A Pest-Free Life:
 The Rodent Edition – Part I

by Mr. Little on January 3, 2012 in Bugs, Tips with No comments
ratpic

Now that the holidays are behind us and all the relatives have gone home (double check the guestroom closet in case Aunt Nancy left her pet Pomeranian behind!) it is back to the business of keeping pests from invading your living and work space.

I have spent a good chunk of my years at Western Exterminator doing just that for customers. But I am not alone in this effort. I have nearly 900 colleagues at Western who are with me on a daily basis making sure those creepy, crawly and flying insects stay away for good.

As you read in my blog last week one of my New Year’s resolutions is to help our customers live a pest-free life. In 2012 I will regularly share valuable tips on how to do just that.

The first topic is one near and dear to me – rodent control. These furry little invaders know no shame when it comes to trying to invite themselves into your home or business.

They are sneaky, patient creatures (sneaky is Menace Mouse’s middle name!) that can not only cause damage to structures and electrical wires but can also transmit diseases.

How do you know if you have a rodent problem? Here are some telltale signs to look for:

Rodent Droppings. Rodent droppings and urine are some of the first signs you have rodents. Look for rodent droppings near food sources such as pet feeding areas, in storage areas and recycling bins. The droppings sort of look like a fat piece of rice and are usually black in color and ¼ to ½ inch long.

Chewed Electrical Wires. Rodents will chew almost anything and electrical wires are a popular “snack.” In fact, almost 40% of home fires of unknown origin are due to rodents chewing through electrical wire insulation!

Entrance Points. Openings as small as ¼ to ½ inch in diameter provides rodents an entrance into a structure. Remember to look high and low for openings including the foundation, around door and window frames, garage doors, vents and roofs.

Unexplained Damage. Rodents are prodigious gatherers of “stuff” when building a nest. They will chew on carpet, upholstery and drapes for nesting materials, and have been known to chew through screens to gain access – talk about pushy!

In fact, my neighbor went on vacation one time and came back to a once beautiful violet garden in her greenhouse that was completely devoid of flowers and leaves because a rodent family had taken up residence. The nerve! Needless to say, once she called me that problem was solved immediately!

Do you have questions on whether or not you have a mouse in your house? If so, I want to hear them. You can send me an e-mail at AskMrLittle@WesternExterminator.com. I’ll be sure to get back to you right away with an answer.

Until next time, thanks for making Western Exterminator Company “The Final Word in Pest Control®”

Have a pest free day.

Who Has Been Naughty Or Nice? Mr. Little Can Tell You Who

by Mr. Little on December 19, 2011 in Bugs, Tips with No comments
santabob

Tis’ the season for holiday parties with family and friends, traveling to grandmother’s house on a one-horse open sleigh (or the family SUV up the Hollywood Freeway here in Los Angeles!), and one of my favorite pastimes – holiday gift giving.

My list of who to buy for might be a little different than most. My “gift” exchange is with the creepy, crawly or flying pests who want to invade your home or business, and let’s just say I would like to deliver more than coal in their stockings!

Let’s be honest, there are not a lot of people, except for my colleagues and me at Western Exterminator, who asked Santa for an effective termite control program this year!

However, there are a few individuals, Menace Mouse and friends come to mind, which did not make the “nice” list (I’m sure he has never cracked the Top 100!) this year. And for them I have come up with the Mr. Little Gift List for helping us live nuisance pest-free.

  • For the bed bugs in your life an up-close encounter with our four-legged bed bug inspector Honey. Her nose is the perfect gift for finding where nasty bed bugs live and pointing the way for Western’s pest management professionals to deliver proven, guaranteed treatment plans to give them a one-way ticket out of town.
  • For the furry little rodents who want so badly to share your holiday meal, a “gift card” entitling them to a professional rodent management service from Western’s highly trained Service Technicians. No gift receipt necessary – they won’t be returning.
  • For those hungry little termites who don’t want to trim your house with holiday lights but who would rather actually eat the trim (You thought Uncle Arnold and his kids were bad guests!), a Western Exterminator Homeowner Protection Plan that gives you an annual inspection and if necessary, re-treatment as part of your yearly fee.
  • For those pesky flies who want to hang out around the salad bar in your employee cafeteria or restaurant. A complete inspection and service program delivered by our Commercial Services Team. It’s the gift that keeps on giving (giving flies the boot that is!).
  • Finally one indulgence for myself. Another year working with the finest pest professionals and customers in the West. And a new mallet – I always want my equipment in tip top shape!

Do you have questions about Western Exterminator? If so, I want to hear them. You can send me an e-mail at AskMrLittle@WesternExterminator.com. I’ll be sure to get back to you right away with an answer.

Until next time, thanks for making Western Exterminator Company “The Final Word in Pest Control®”

Have a pest free day and Happy Holidays!

Take A Bite Out Of Bed Bugs

by Mr. Little on December 12, 2011 in Bugs, Company with No comments
honey

As you know I really enjoy talking about my colleagues at Western Exterminator. They are the most talented and hard-working pest management professionals you’ll find, and they certainly deserve recognition for their many contributions in keeping homes and businesses pest-free.

Today, I want to introduce you to our first four-legged colleague, Honey. Honey is a two-year old dark chocolate Labrador retriever and she has assumed the title of chief executive bed bug sniffer-outer for Western Exterminator.

With bed bugs being a resurgent and very large problem for both business and residential customers, we needed a top-notch inspector to find where these pesky little critters live. And while we have some very good two-legged inspectors on our team, Honey, and her well-trained nose, is paws down best in class.

Scientifically, it is proven that Honey’s prowess in seeking out bed bugs is the cutting-edge technology in the current battle with these nasty critters. As they say, the nose knows!

Honey and her trainer, Lauren Small, came to Western after completing their training at the Falco K-9 Academy, which also trains bomb and drug sniffing dogs for police and sheriff’s departments across the nation, as well as the California Department of Food and Ag and Disneyland.
Lauren and Honey are great additions to our team. Honey is an especially hard worker who enjoys greeting customers with a friendly bark and a continuously wagging tail.

To Honey sniffing out bed bugs isn’t a job – it’s a game of hide and seek. It’s a game she likes to play and one she doesn’t like to lose! Since Labradors are natural hunting dogs, she has built-in instincts for tracking down quarry making her the perfect dog to hunt down those nasty bed bugs!
When she enters a customer’s home or business to search for bed bugs, Honey’s keen sense of smell takes over. She’ll search top to bottom to see if bed bugs are present and if she finds them, its game over. Western’s highly trained Service Technicians take it from there and develop a customized treatment program that eliminates bed bugs for good.

Lucky for us, Honey has agreed to be an occasional guest blogger and we’ll find out what her nose knows about bed bugs!
Do you have questions about bed bugs? If so, I want to hear them. You can send me an e-mail at AskMrLittle@WesternExterminator.com. I’ll be sure to get back to you right away with an answer.

Until next time, thanks for making Western Exterminator Company “The Final Word in Pest Control®”

Have a pest free day!

Leaving Bed Bugs Behind This Holiday Season


by Mr. Little on November 16, 2011 in Bugs, Tips with No comments
bedbug

When I was much younger, bed bugs were a common plague that we all had to deal with. But shortly after World War II they were, well, so under control that they weren’t really noticed, except in that nursery rhyme.

However, in the last few years, they are back with a vengeance, and because holiday travel time is near, I thought I better share with you some tips on how to stay bed bug free.

Whether you’re getting ready to go to Grandma’s or Uncle Fred’s house or a five-star hotel, bed bugs should be of great concern to you, because, yes, they can strike anywhere.  (And, they’re just nasty enough to do it, too!)

Before You Leave Home. Check the travel websites to see if your hotel has been reported as having bed bugs.  Yes, some people just like to complain (Menace Mouse for one!), and you’ll have to read through the lines on those reviews, but many websites – www.tripadvisor.com is a good one – can give you a heads up that maybe you want to make a reservation at a less “buggy” establishment.

Once you confirm where you’re going, make sure to do these three things when you pack your suitcase:

  • Large plastic trash bags.
  • A small but effective flashlight (remember to check the batteries).
  • Put everything inside your luggage in smaller plastic bags.

At Your Hotel. Put the large plastic trash bags around your luggage, and store your luggage in the bathtub or on a tile floor. These areas are the least likely places bed bugs will be residing. Remember to take your luggage out of the shower before using it or you can add soggy clothes to your list of problems!

While it may be tempting, do not start your stay with a nap! Instead, immediately, search your room before you settle in. You’re looking for dark fecal spots, dried blood spots, molted bed bug shells, eggs, and of course bed bugs – dead or alive! Using your handy-dandy flashlight, inspect all the nooks and crannies of your hotel room; pull up the bedding and look closely at the folds or creases of the mattress and box springs, upholstered chairs, drawers, and headboards.

Once you’ve determined that your room appears bed bug free, go ahead and settle in. But, don’t unpack your suitcase (remember my advice about the shower). Only take the clothes out that you will be wearing, and don’t leave your shoes on the floor. I keep my prized top hat in a bag for safekeeping when I am on the road! Keep everything inside your plastic trash bags and close the plastic bag your suitcase is in immediately afterwards. Put dirty clothes in plastic bags, too.

If you discover bed bugs, contact management right away and insist on being switched to another room which is not next to or immediately adjacent to the infested room (including up and downstairs from that room).

And if you find bed bugs on your suitcase or clothes, you might want to leave them there. That may sound odd but trust me when I say you don’t want to take them home. (Bringing Aunt Rosie’s fruitcake home is bad enough!) It’s far cheaper and much less inconvenient to buy yourself a new suitcase and outfit than it is to prepare for or pay for a bed bug treatment.

When You Return Home. Carefully inspect your possessions for any hitchhiking bed bugs and make sure to thoroughly check the clothing you are wearing. I suggest you unpack your bags outdoors or in the garage, and put everything that can be in the washer. For items that can’t be washed, I recommend placing them in the dryer at the highest temperature setting for at least 10 minutes.

What questions do have about bed bugs and how to keep them off your holiday itinerary? I’m ready to help. Send your questions to me at AskMrLittle@WesternExterminator.com. I’ll be sure to get back to you right away with an answer.

Until next time, thanks for making Western Exterminator Company “The Final Word in Pest Control®”

Have a pest free day!

Weaving A Web of Fun: Visit The Spider Pavilion

by Mr. Little on October 31, 2011 in Bugs, Events with No comments
Spider

Is there a better day than Halloween to celebrate and learn more about spiders? When else can you dress up like one or put a plastic spider on someone’s chair and make them jump to the ceiling without being considered really strange?

If you’re like me and enjoy spiders, then you should plan a visit to the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum’s Spider Pavilion and discover the fascinating world of spiders.

Some of you might find spiders a little creepy and would rather walk across hot coals than get near one, and you might be surprised to know that I once found them a little creepy too! Unexpectedly walking into a web was one of my greatest fears, having done so several times.

However, given the opportunity to study them closely for years, including some of the most venomous species, I’ve been awestruck by the things I learned and I’ve found spiders really quite fascinating in a strange kind of way! For example, did you know all spiders produce silk but not all spiders spin webs?

Spiders are so interesting that Western Exterminator and I are proud long-time supporters of the L.A. Country Natural History Museum’s annual Spider Pavilion which is going on right now. This is just one of many community events throughout California, Arizona and Nevada which showcase the fascinating world of bugs that we at Western like to sponsor.

At this year’s Spider Pavilion you can see spiders from as far away as Malaysia and as near as the Los Angeles River. More than 500 of these creepy, crawly insects call the pavilion home during its six-week stint each fall at the museum. As you walk through the pavilion you experience these spiders’ natural habitats, view them from as far away or as up close as you’re comfortable with (I like to get real close!) and most importantly see the world as they do.

Among the spiders you can visit are the golden silk spider (one of North America’s largest), the jewel garden spider (they like to spin their webs high above ground), the giant wood spider (the largest orb weaving spider in the world that can spin a web 10 feet wide!) and many other varieties.

I make it a point to visit several times each year and really enjoy when the guides let the spiders crawl on their hands and up their arms! While I know these particular spiders are not dangerous and won’t hurt anyone, I do get a kick out of the oohs and awes from the crowd when they do it.

One of the most popular exhibits is the feeding demonstration and while those crickets look tasty to my arachnid friends, I wait to eat until I leave! I also make sure to ask a lot questions of the knowledgeable guides when I’m there because I always learn something new and interesting each time I go.

If you want to have as much fun as I do exploring the cool world of spiders, make plans to visit the museum soon. The Spider Pavilion closes on Sunday, November 6 so don’t miss out. Visit www.nhm.org for more information on hours and tickets.

Until next time, thanks for making Western Exterminator “The Final Word in Pest Control®??

Have a pest free day!