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.

As I watched the trophy presentation after the game and the Mara family (they own the New York Giants) was awarded football’s biggest prize, it occurred to me that Western Exterminator has something in common with the newly crowned NFL champion.

With a little help from Google, I found out the Giants were founded in 1925 by the Mara family. That is four years after Western Exterminator founder Carl Strom set up shop in Los Angeles to rid Southern California of unwanted, unhealthy pests.

I found it interesting that for all those years both the Giants and Western Exterminator have been family owned enterprises. Both organizations have earned the respect of competitors and peers alike for being honest, hard-working, first-class organizations. And both are champions in their respective fields of play.

In 2012, Western Exterminator celebrates 91 years of protecting homes and business throughout California, Arizona and Nevada. What started out in a simple office with a desk, a phone and $25 in chemicals, has grown into an organization of nearly 900 dedicated professionals who come to work each day looking to deliver Carl’s vision of delivering quality customer service at a fair price.

A lot has changed over the years when it comes to preventing and eliminating pests from invading your living or work space. Treatment methods have evolved to allow greater respect for the environment while still conquering invading nuisance pests.

We want to protect you and your family from the unwanted pests that can cause thousands of dollars in damage to your home’s wood structure (termites), transmit disease (rodents and cockroaches) or that are just simply a nuisance (ants, fleas, bed bugs, you name it!). However, we want to do that with the least impact on the environment as possible, and continue to commitment ourselves to doing just that.  That is the mantra of our Technical Division, and our staff.

And amidst the changes in technology, products and treatment methods, you can be assured that the core values that were present at the beginning are still paramount to us today: quality service, dedicated people, fair value, loyalty, and a promise to stand behind our work.

What else would you expect from a champion?

Do you have questions about Western’s service offerings and how we can help you get rid of your pests? 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 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.

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.

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.

What I did have, however, was my top hat, my handy mallet and most importantly a strong interest to learn the skills on how to become the best pest management professional possible.

And most of my talented colleagues at Western Exterminator start their careers with the company much like I did – from the ground up, always learning, living up to our mission of delivering exceptional customer service each and every day, and displaying a keen acumen for killing pests!

While we attract team members from a variety of backgrounds, recommendations from current employees serve as our best recruiting tool. Did you know we have many 3^rd and even 4^th generations of the same families here at Western? A tip of my top hat to that!

No matter how or from where they arrive, they are welcomed into the Western “family” and learn from day one that customer satisfaction is the top priority, and that learning never stops. That’s the key to our success. We are always staying abreast of the proven newest technologies in problem pest solutions.

In fact, I learn something new almost every day when I am around our talented technicians and entomologists. Just recently, Honey, our expert bed bug detecting canine shared some really interesting stuff on how to find bed bugs. Let’s just say she has a real nose for her job.

Do you have questions about what it takes to join the Western family? 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!

If the conditions are right and they can partake of your most likely unintentional generosity by scavenging on any available food scraps, water and shelter, they’ll be there.

Remember, you play an important role in helping prevent rodents from becoming a problem. Our highly-trained service team at Western Exterminator can eliminate rodent infestations from virtually any account (try playing hide and seek with rodents on a train – it is a hoot!) but you are often the first line of defense in making sure rodents don’t inhabit your world.

How do you rid your house or place of business of these filthy and potentially destructive creatures? Aside from the ”walk softly but carry a big stick” approach I’ve advocated through the years, here are some effective tips from my expert colleagues at Western Exterminator to help keep rodents out.

Sanitation. Effective sanitation practices are fundamental to rodent control and must be continuous. And sanitation means more than just keeping things clean.  If good sanitation measures aren’t properly maintained, the benefits of our pest control measures will be lost and rodents will quickly return.

• Storing pipes, lumber, firewood, crates, boxes, gardening equipment, and other household goods off the ground will help reduce the suitability of the area for rodents and also will make their detection easier.
• Collect garbage, trash, and garden debris frequently, and ensure all garbage receptacles have tight-fitting covers. Store pet food in rodent-proof containers.

Build Rodents Out. The most successful and long-lasting form of rodent control in structures is exclusion.

• Seal cracks and openings in building foundations and any openings for water pipes, electric wires, sewer pipes, drain spouts, and vents. No hole larger than 1/4 inch should be left unsealed, in order to exclude both rats and mice.
• Make sure doors, windows, and screens fit tightly. Their edges can be covered with sheet metal if gnawing is a problem. Coarse steel wool, wire screen, and lightweight sheet metal are excellent materials for plugging gaps and holes.
• Because rats and mice are excellent climbers, openings above ground level must also be plugged.

Do you have questions on how you can live more of a rodent-free life? 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.

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.

We appreciate that our customers have entrusted us to protect their homes and business from unwanted, unhealthy and at times destructive pests. Creating a safe and healthy environment where pests are not welcome is the goal my colleagues at Western Exterminator and I dedicate ourselves to each and every day.

Celebrating a New Year also means making resolutions. And while I do resolve to visit the local gym more frequently than I have in the past few weeks (this year’s Western Christmas party had so many tasty things to choose from!), here are my 2012 resolutions for delivering a pest-free environment for your home or office.

Resolution # 1 – Put the full force of our talented technical experts behind solving your seemingly impossible (and the simpler ones too!) pest problems. We have some of the most knowledgeable entomologists, sanitarians and inspectors in the business in your corner.

Resolution # 2 – Make sure you are 100% satisfied with our service and that we exceed your expectations. We’ve built our reputation on delivering the highest quality customer service and for some reason if you aren’t satisfied, I want to hear about it and we’ll get it fixed ASAP.

Resolution # 3 – Continue to provide our Service Technicians with the latest in technology and training on how to most effectively eliminate pests from your home and business. I have worked in the field with many of our Technicians and I can promise they’ll get the job done right the first time.

Resolution # 4 – Make a positive impact in the communities Western Exterminator serves. From supporting the Spider Pavilion at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County to appearing at local community events (and our Western company picnics!), I want to be there and let people know Western cares.

Resolution # 5 – Do my very best each day to help our customers live a nuisance pest-free life. Whether it is a getting ants out of your kitchen, a scorpion off your patio, bed bugs out of just about anywhere or bees out of your bonnet (or your chimney!), I will continue sharing tips with you throughout 2012 on how to live a pest-free life.

Do you have questions about insects or 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 New Year!

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!