Have you been trying to fight rodents on your own?  If so, you may have noticed some changes in what you can buy over the counter. The EPA recently launched several new rules to reduce the risk to non-target organisms from rodenticides.  Their main concerns were dangers to children, pets, and wildlife from homeowner misapplication, naturally.

• Bait stations - All rodenticide bait products marketed over the counter must now be sold as a block or paste bait, and be packaged with an EPA-approved bait station.  The biggest change here is bait stations are now required.  That means no more little bags of pellets...this is a very big deal!  Most homeowners don’t use bait stations at all or use pellets that end up spilling out of the stations, which could be very dangerous to non-target organisms.  Rats and mice are known hoarders and could stockpile these pellets in undesirable places where children, pets, and other wildlife might find them.  Venus Pest Company always has, and always will, use child and pet resistant bait stations.

• Bait size limitation - Products marketed to residential consumers may now contain no more than 1 pound of rodenticide bait.  On the flip side of this, professional pest control companies now have to buy in quantities of 16 pounds or more.  They are making a bigger separation between home use and professional use, so homeowners will not be able to store mass quantities or overuse rodenticides.

• Active ingredients used - While several rodenticides will still be available to the homeowner market, products marketed to residential consumers will no longer contain the most toxic and persistent active ingredients.  Those are the second generation anticoagulants (prevents clotting of blood) brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, and difethialone.  Products containing these active ingredients will only be available for commercial use and for residential use only by professional pest control operators.  We believe the goal is such that if the homeowner still manages to misapply, the consequences are less catastrophic.

A check on Medscape for the most current data about rodenticide poisonings presents a shocking number of incidents.  In 2009, the AAPCC reported a total of 13,922 incidents of rodenticide exposure to US poison control centers.  Of these, 97% of these were of the second generation anticoagulants as mentioned above.  The outcome of these exposures was generally benign, however 11 of the exposures resulted in major illness, and one death occurred.  Approximately 85% of the rodenticide exposures occurred in children younger than 6 years, thus you can definitely see why these new regulations are warranted.

We could not find any of the reports on wildlife exposure, but the EPA specifically mentioned that there were some poisonings involving protected species.  In particular, the San Joaquin kit fox and Northern spotted owl were listed in addition to the Bald eagle, which is protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Act.

Ultimately, these are good and necessary regulations as they should not affect people’s ability to control rodents at all.  They will simply force them to do it correctly, using an integrated approach.  Such an approach should include exclusion (most important), traps, rodenticide (only outside in tamper proof containers), and habitat modification (removal of bird feeder, heavy foliage, compost piles, etc).  If you don’t think bird feeders attract unwanted critters, look at this photo.

You know that you have heard many, and probably believe(d) some of these myths!  If you have, don’t feel alone...we hear them all the time.  If you’ve heard any other ones that you know or suspect to be false and would like to know more, post them in the comments.

1. There is a special rodent poison that makes rodents go outside to find water so they won’t die inside.

For starters, it is a terrible idea to use rodent poison indoors.  Not only do you run the chance of a child or pet getting into it, the rodents might move it anyway.  Mice are notorious for hoarding food, so where will they hoard the poison?  There is no evidence that rodents go looking for water after ingesting any type of bait.  They most often die in their nests or near the bait, another reason to never use poison indoors.  You’ll just end up with a stinky carcass on top of an infestation.  Rodenticide should ONLY be used in tamper proof containers outside.

2. Bags of water hung near doors keep flies and mosquitoes away.

The theory says they they can see their reflection and get scared and thus will stay away.  Some people recommend putting pennies or tin foil in the bags as well.  We’ve covered this one before in an earlier post and it is absolutely not true. Actually tests have shown it could attract more flies instead of scaring them off.  Snopes agrees...http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/flies.asp

3. The average person swallows 8 spiders while sleeping during their lifetime.  

This is another one that Snopes has covered.  It was totally made up just as a example what kinds of ridiculous things people would believe if they read it.  http://www.snopes.com/science/stats/spiders.asp   Have you ever read articles from the Onion?  Same sort of deal here, I read one once that they found a chemical that would make male bed bugs “murder” other bed bugs by using their spiky reproductive parts.  Then why do we have such a bad bed bug epidemic going around?

4. Mosquito hawks eat mosquitoes.  

You know the big flying insects that most folks call mosquito hawks?  Well, despite their resemblance to a large mosquito, they are actually crane flies. As larvae, they are predators in damp soil so there is a slight chance they could encounter and eat mosquito larvae in a puddle if they were lucky.  But really crane fly larvae would not be a significant cause of death for mosquito larvae.   Adult crane flies may feed on nectar, but they generally do not feed at all.  In some areas of the United States, the larvae actually cause turf damage and are considered pests, but they will certainly not help reduce the mosquito population around your home. You just need to make a quick call to Venus Pest Company for that!

There are always lots of new home remedies popping up claiming to help cure diseases or rid your home of pests.  Remember, everything on the internet is TRUE!!!

Everybody knows mosquitoes bite, and that can be an annoying problem by itself, what with the itching and the welts and such. However, that problem pales in comparison to the real issue with biting mosquitoes, and that’s the spread of disease.  The mosquito's ability to spread disease has earned it the title of the most deadly animal in the world http://listverse.com/2007/07/13/top-10-most-deadly-animals/.  

Because of the mobile nature of our now global society, we are increasing the chance of introducing diseases not typically found in the US.  Mosquito borne diseases can end up in the United States if a mosquito, person, or animal carrying the disease infects local mosquito populations.  That scenario is only a plane ride away.  If you’ve ever had a mosquito inside your car that bites you four times on the face, you know what we’re talking about.

In addition to our native mosquito species that can carry diseases, exotic mosquitoes like the Asian Tiger Mosquito and the African bush mosquito have become established in the United States.  They are known transmitters of 22 different viruses that impact human health.  

The three scariest mosquito-borne diseases are:

Malaria

Caused by a microorganism and spread by mosquitoes, malaria is the 5th leading cause of death from infections diseases world-wide. There about 300 million cases annually around the world and nearly 1 million of those cases result in death.  Malaria was largely eradicated from the U.S. in the 1950’s through a spraying campaign using DDT.  Since then, there have been around 60 outbreaks caused, probably, by local mosquitoes biting a person that was infected elsewhere in the world.  Symptoms include chills, fever, sweats, headache, and nausea.  There is no vaccine, although the Gates foundation is donating millions of dollars to researchers to find one.

Dengue fever

This disease is caused by a virus and spread by mosquitoes.  It had been absent in the U.S. for 65 years, but re-emerged during 2009 in the Florida Keys.  Around 28 cases have since been reported.  The disease causes severe fever along with a rash.  Dengue fever is also known as break bone fever because of the severe pain and aches accompanied by the fever.  Fortunately, there is a 99% survival rate.   There is no vaccine.

West Nile Fever

Found originally in Africa, West Nile Virus was detected in the U.S. In 1999.  It is thought to have been introduced by migrating birds. West Nile Virus is transmitted when a mosquito bites an infected bird, then bites a human.  Mosquitoes may also transfer the virus to their offspring.  Incidence usually peaks in August.  Most infected people develop West Nile fever, which is similar to the flu.  About 1 in 100 infections result in West Nile encephalitis which can cause paralysis or death.  People over 50 are much more likely to develop encephalitis.  In Texas, there were 89 reported human cases of West Nile Virus during 2010.  Seven of those cases resulted in death. There is a vaccine that is used for horses, who can also be infected.

It's the time of year when everybody loves being outdoors and enjoying what brief stint of Spring we may get.  Many people decide to build, or already have, decks in their backyard to hold that hot tub, or table, or just to have a little cabana to hang out in.  Well, people are not the only creatures that love decks!  Many different types of pests, rodents, and snakes love decks so here are some easy tips to follow to minimize your risk.

1.  Do not let wood from the deck directly touch the ground.

• Termites will find that wood and move in quicker than you realize.
• Build the deck on top of concrete bases to eliminate wood to soil contact.

2.  Do not attach the deck directly to your house, or allow the deck to obscure the view of the foundation.

• Again, termites will find their way in and there's no way for us to tell if they're getting into the house without a clear view of the foundation.

3.  Do not leave any large access points to get under the deck.

• Rats, mice, possums, skunks, armadillos, cats....the list of possible intruders goes on and on.

4.  DO leave an access panel or door for the pest control guy to treat under the deck.

• This will help us when treating for cockroaches, scorpions, spiders, earwigs, pill bugs, fleas etc.)

Follow these simple tips to ensure you won't have to deal with more annoyances after completing your deck, cause we all know there are probably plenty of annoyances just in building the deck alone!

One of the services we provide at Venus Pest Company that people don't think about is pest control for outdoor weddings or other outdoor events.  We cannot control that "forever hold your peace" pest, but stopping fire ants, mosquitoes, wasps, or flies from ruining your event is not a problem.  A couple wedding chapels use us for rodent control as well, because the last thing you want are rats running across your wedding party!  Typically, we can treat the week of the wedding and get control of all the pests, so the guests are relaxed and comfortable.

We invited Amy McKay Rodriguez, owner of All Things Planned in College Station, Texas, to write a guest blog on outdoor weddings.  These tips really are amazing and could save your outdoor wedding...pay close attention to #3!  If you or any friends or family are planning an outdoor wedding or any other outdoor event (BBQ, pool party, birthday), please give us a call or share our blog with them and help save the day!  And now, a word from Amy McKay Rodriguez with All Things Planned...

The Great Outdoor Wedding

Living in the great southern state of Texas, chances are you've been to an outdoor wedding or you may even be planning one yourself. Down here, we love the outdoors and our beautiful landscape can make the perfect backdrop for an outdoor wedding. However, there are things you must consider when planning the great outdoor wedding. Below are five tips to ensure that your outdoor affair will be one to remember.... 

Currently we are experience a little something I like to call "Termites, termites, termites!"  Honestly, we can hardly keep up with the number of calls, which is of course always a good news / bad news situation.  This is prime termite swarming season so we want everybody to be aware of what to look out for.  We’ve talked about this before with carpenter ants specifically, but swarming termites are also making appearances in many homes around Texas.  Seeing a swarm in or near your home could indicate that there are termites present at your property.

Why Is This Happening?

In early Spring, colonies of subterranean termites that are healthy enough to produce reproductive members do so in preparation of their mating season.  These “winged” members of the colony all take to the sky (or your living room) looking for suitable mates from other colonies that have also taken to the sky.  They meet in the air, break off their wings, mate, then find a new home to start a colony.  Certain conditions will trigger this annual event, and we’ve already received a bunch of calls to prove that it’s already happening this year.  You can also spot a problem site if you see mud tubes coming from the ground into your home via your foundation, weep holes, plumbing lines, etc.

Subterranean termites can be found throughout most of the country, but are heavily concentrated in the Southeast.  It can be quite intimidating to witness one of their swarms as they could number in the thousands.  Different species of termites, like Formosan termites, swarm later in the year and will swarm at night.  Subterranean termites swarm during the day and the swarmers are essentially harmless, unless they find a mate and start a new colony…then you’re obviously talking about some potential damage.  It’s estimated by the National Pest Management Association that termites cause over $5 billion in damages per year in the United States alone.

What Do I Do?

If you believe you’ve seen swarming termites around your house or other evidence, the best thing to do is call a pest management professional for an proper inspection.  There are ways to identify termites and differentiate them from flying ants, but unless you’re experienced enough and confident in your identification skills, it’s best to leave it to a professional pest management company.  If an infestation is found, typically the cost of an inspection will be backed out of any treatment costs that you may incur. The picture to the right shows an ant on the left and two termites on the right.  You can see differences in their body shape, the color and shape of their wings, antenna, and more.

You can always call Venus Pest Company with any questions about swarming termites and termite control.

Each fall most old queen and worker wasps die off as cold weather sets in.  However, new queens, or foundress queens, that have found harborage over the winter will survive and emerge in Spring to begin a new colony.  These new queens will have been fertilized in the fall and found a safe haven in and around your property...often the worst is when you find them in the attic, or playhouse! 

Luckily, when new queens emerge in the Spring, they're typically a bit sluggish and not as aggressive.  They set out to start a new colony and will not reuse the old paper nests, instead opting to build one anew.  A treatment of the eaves, balconies, and other overhangs of your home in the Spring will discourage any new nest building.  We also always make sure to scrape down any old unsightly paper wasp and dirt daubber nests as a regular part of our services. 

If you find a wasp indoors, it's not always the end of the world.  Sometimes it will have emerged from the attic or in through a doorway and is not typically aggressive and can be swatted or caught fairly easily.  It is always best to perform wasp control in the Spring to prevent their numbers from increasing rapidly and becoming more of a nuisance and potential health threat around your home.  We can also control ground nesting species like yellow jackets and cicada killer wasps if necessary. 

If you've never seen a cicada killer in action, those are cool and you can see one in this video below dragging it's prey back to its nest!

Watch out for new wasp activity this Spring and call Venus Pest Company when you need help.

Last month we started a series called Top 5 Most Disturbing Things in Pest Control.  We began with maggots at #5 and now in at #4, Delusory Parasitosis.  This one is a bit of mouthful, but it is a very serious condition that we find ourselves faced with from time to time.

What Is It?

Delusory Parasitosis is a condition in which a person firmly believes that they are being infested by some sort of an insect or mite, while in reality this is not true.  Most people have sensations of something crawling on them or unexplained bites, itching, or skin irritation.  A healthy person's normal response is to look at the area, see nothing there, and realize something else must be the issue.  With delusory parasitosis, the person can’t accept that it’s nothing and becomes obsessed with getting whatever it is out of their skin or out of their house.  They will spray their house over and over with insecticides, hire multiple pest control companies to do the same, go to multiple dermatologists and get various prescription lotions, self-treat with home remedies, boil clothes and sheets, or even move out of the house.  Some will go as far as cutting themselves, which is obviously quite serious.  When we get the call, and we do get at least 2 calls a year, it always starts out like this, “I have tried everything, no one knows what this is, you are my last hope!”  Immediately our alarms go off, but we have to do our own due diligence to investigate the situation.

What Causes It?

The cause of delusory parasitosis is thought to be associated with an upset in brain chemistry.  It is often associated with depression, stress, or social isolation.  Use of cocaine or methamphetamine can also upset the brain chemistry and ignite delusory parasistosis.  Middle aged, caucasian women are the most affected and a common theme that I have noticed in the cases I have dealt with was that the women had all recently lost a family member.  In the last case, the client had taken in 3 foster children that were siblings, only to have them returned to their father after a few months.  Not long after, she began finding “tiny black dots” burrowing in her skin and had “tried everything.”

To prove that they are not crazy, those suffering from delusory parasitosis, will often point out that everyone in the house is itching.  The reality is that, like yawning, scratching is psychologically contagious.  Even reading the words scratch, itch, or yawn can incite the same behaviour in others.  I bet you have been scratching just from reading this, and you probably just yawned!  Wait for it... 

What Can We Do To Help?

In keeping with the principles of Integrated Pest Management, a pest control company should never treat a house unless they have identified the pest they are targeting.  In addition to delusory parasitosis, we often get calls for mystery bites.  This is different from delusory parasitosis in that the person does not think they are infested, but are having a skin reaction to something that may or may not be an insect, spider, or mite.  To identify the pest problem we conduct visual inspections and put out sticky traps to catch whatever pest may be causing mystery bites.  If we don’t find anything, we don’t treat.  Occasionally, people claim they are being bitten my microscopic bugs.  Here is the truth: ALL INSECTS AND MITES THAT BITE OR BOTHER HUMANS ARE VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE, EVEN DUST MITES.  Often what causes the irritation is something all together different; static electricity, allergies, medication, or even stray fabric strands, the list goes on and on of potential causes.

Letting a client know that they might be suffering from delusory parasitosis is the hardest and most disturbing part for me.  No amount of entomology education or training prepared me for a sobbing or enraged client begging me to just spray something.  However, after listening to the client describe their problem and not finding any pests, it often becomes clear that the client could be suffering from delusory parasitosis.  Telling them the truth is the only way to help them.  I always repeat to them that they told me they had tried everything and then ask if they tried a psychologist?  Have they experienced a great deal of stress lately or lose someone close to them?  I also ask how relieved they would feel if their problem went away instantly?  A psychologist could correctly identify and correct the problem easily with medication.