The Bug Master Blog

What Are those Small Black Ants

Dauphin Ewart — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:31:00 GMT

Sometimes I am asked the question, "what are those small black ants?" There are many different small ants in our area that can be nuisance ants. A customer in Georgetown asked me today, "What the heck are Rover Ants?". And it's a great question, so here's the basics: Rover Ants are believed to have originated in Argentina, hitching a ride in the early 1970's to North America. Since then it's made a name for itself as one of the most invasive ants around. Nesting in the open, there's hardly a sign of them except a small hole in the ground, but increasingly the Rover has become one of the most difficult pests to treat, accounting for more repeat visits than any other. The Rover Ant colony will have one queen and thier nests are usually located outdoors under rocks or any wood cover, but often can be found in the wall voids of your home. Treating these ants takes an integrated approach, with baits, dust, and spray to effectively control. Inside they are commonly found in bathrooms and kitchens and tend to gravitate toward light or windows. Without a good magnifying glass its hard to tell them apart from several other types of ants, so a professional inspection would be needed to properly identify if Rover Ants are your problem.

Exotic, invasive species imported from Argentina
Nest usualy under some type of cove but will use wall voids
Single queen colonies
An intigrated approach is usualy required to control

There are many types of small black ants in our area and identification is a key part of control. If your not sure what type os small black ant you are dealing with or would simply like to schedule a service, contact us today.

Submitted by Chris Crane

Inspector/Consultant

Rodent Control Austin Texas

Customer Service — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:23:00 GMT

I went out to follow up with a customer earlier this week and I found something pretty interesting once I arrived. To my surprise a rat had actually chewed through a sheet of metal put up on the baseboard to stop any re-entry. Now, I have seen some pretty determined rats in my day but to have one actually chew through metal was amazing to see. This got me thinking a little about how important preventative rodent control Austin is to both commercial and residential property owners. Rodents can cause substantial damage to property and can be very difficult to remove once inside a structure. My advice is to take just a little time every few months to look at the exterior of your property and see if there are any areas that seem to have been chewed or tampered with. This could very well be evidence that rodents are present. Also, check to make sure you don’t have any tree limbs hanging over or touching the roof as this can be an easy way for unwanted critters to access vulnerable areas of your property. And of course if at all unsure call in the experts and we can take a look free of charge to let you know if something is of concern.

To recap:

Visualy inspect your property and look for anything suspicious
trim back all trees away from structure (at lease 4-6 feet)
call in an inspector to do a FREE inspection if unsure of what to look for

With these tips you should remain rodent free for years to come.

If you suspect you have rodents living in your structure call us today or click on the button below to schedule you free rodent inspection.

Justin Berenato

Inspector/Consultant

Bed Bugs Austin, Are They for Real?

Dauphin Ewart — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:23:00 GMT

Just today I was asked again if the Bed bug thing is as big as it seems. Bed Bugs are back and back to stay. We receive bed bug calls daily with the infestation levels ranging from light to heavy. In structures from office buildings to multifamily apartment buildings as well as single family dwellings, from efficiencies to million dollar homes. Bed bugs Austin, Waco, San Marcos and everywhere in between.

What to look for:

bites that are soar or itching first thing when you wake up
small bugs on or around the bed (about the size of an apple seed)
spotting on your bed sheets, mattresses, headboards, etc.
skin casts from molting bugs around bed and bedding

Having an infestation of bed bugs is not the end of the world, in fact they're bite is generally no worse than a flea bite. Finding and treating all the bugs at once is the key to control. These little pests can be quite difficult to eradicate and the effort are better left up to the professionals. Attempting to treat Bed Bugs yourself can push them deeper into their hiding places making eradication even harder.

If you suspect that you have bed bugs call or click on the link below today for a free consultation and or inspection.

Mike Matthews

Termite Control Austin Texas

Dauphin Ewart — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:30:00 GMT

This time of year termite control Austin is a common web search. After a long dry summer we start to have cooler temperatures and we start to get a few rain showers. Even during winter time termites can pose a substantial threat to your home. Lately I have been going out to numerous customers’ properties and witnessed termites doing a lot of damage. Some of the telltale signs of termites can be, but are not limited to, mud tubes going up the foundation around your home, and globs of mud in the corners of a room or rooms in the interior. Many times termites find their way into a structure through plumbing penetrations coming up through the foundation or small cracks that cannot be seen because they are located in the middle of the house and are covered by flooring or some other kind of building material. If you have a pier and beam home each individual pier under your house needs to be examined because every place that has contact with the ground is a potential highway for termites to enter your home. To be sure your home is safe from termites it is best to have a pest control professional, licensed in termite control, come out and do a thorough inspection of your property, pointing out not only active areas but conducive areas as well. Treating prior to an infestation is always the best way to deal with termites. Once a treatment is performed on your property you as a customer will have the option to pay an annual renewal fee that will protect you from any further termite activity (talk to your pest professional for more details).

To recap:

check around your property for any signs of mud (shelter tubes)where it should not be
call a professional if you have any doubt or if you are interested in a preventative treatment
keep up with your annual renewal payments so if termites do appear you are always covered
sleep better at night knowing your property is safe

For more information or to schedule a free inspection click on the link below.

Termite Control Austin

Justin Berenato

Inspector/Consultant

Getting rid of Bedbugs

Dauphin Ewart — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:00:00 GMT

While at home this past weekend for Thanksgiving I was visiting with a family member who brought up the subject of Bedbugs. He is the director of a large hospital in the upper Midwest and said that they had their first case of Bedbugs this past summer. Bedbugs are here to stay and the likely hood of crossing paths with an infestation is more likely than not. Here in Austin Tx and in the surrounding communities, calls come into pest control companies daily asking questions about getting rid of Bedbugs. Bedbugs are transferred by people and anytime people travel there is going to be a risk of picking up the hitchhikers in dirty cloths, luggage, shopping bags or anything else that may have landed on the floor during travels. Therefor I think my first suggestion as far as getting rid of Bedbugs would be to avoid getting them in the first place. Whether traveling for the holidays, school or for work, a little precaution can go a long way. Remember hotels all over the country and even locally including Austin, Round Rock, and the rest of Central Texas, are battling these pests and they typically don’t even realize they have a problem until a guest points it out. Before unpacking anywhere there are measures you can take to protect yourself and loved ones.

Place luggage and other belongings in the bath tub
With a small flashlight, inspect the mattress, head boards and frames for bedbugs and spotting.
Luggage should remain in the tub as much as possible or at least on a table. Never on the floor!
Dirty clothes should be placed in a bag that can be sealed until it can be laundered.
When you get home these items go straight to the laundry where they can be laundered at the highest possible temperature setting.

If/when you do feel that you have bedbugs at home, contact a pest professional and get an inspection with a written plan of action. They can be controlled and in most cases eliminated. Remember the first step in control is prevention. I recommend too that you not take a price quote over the phone for these pests. Only a trained professional can identify the severity of the infestation and only by inspecting can the professional prescribe the correct plan of action for elimination. If you have questions please post them here so others can learn from them as well and thanks for following The Bug Master blogs.

Mike Matthews,

Director of Business Development

How to Get Rid of fruit Flies

Dauphin Ewart — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 16:34:00 GMT

Fruit Fly Control In Restaurants and Bars around Austin Tx like most other cities is a common problem. The same sanitation issues that lead to this problem can arise in a residential climent as well. The kitchen can be clean enough to eat off of the floors at first glance however upon taking a closer look with a trained eye, problems start to reveal themselves. Always remember one thing. Flies of any kind point to a sanitation issue somewhere. The real trick is finding that issue and correcting it.

Sanitation issues:

Keep all drains free from debris such as food, fungus, mold, stopped up water or build up.
Keep fruit and food debris from under prep tables, coolers, bar counters, etc.
Keep all surfaces free from sweet syrups from mixed drinks and all other types of alcoholic beverages.
Keep floors dry as much as possible. The less moisture, the better.

Check these areas first and if you still have problems give us a call or contact us here for a free inspection. When asked how to get rid of fruit flies, Austin Texas and the surrounding communities are just like the others. Fruit flies, drain flies, phorid flies, fungus flies and even the common house flie are year round common pests. Just remember these pests point to other problems that may need attention as well.

Johnny Flores,

Inspector/consultant

Flea Control Texas

Dauphin Ewart — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:00:00 GMT

I received a call from my sister-in-law the other day asking what she should do about a flea problem she is having at her house. This has seemed to be a fairly common question I have been hearing so I thought I would write about what to do to prevent such a problem. First of all pets and other wildlife can contribute a great deal to flea problems both inside and out. If you have a pier and beam house be sure to check to see if there are any openings letting unwanted critters into your crawl space. If so, seal up the holes prior to treating for fleas under the property (after making sure there is nothing alive still under the house). Many times wild beasts (raccoons, opossums, etc.) contaminated with fleas can get under your house making flea control Texas that much more difficult. Having cracks or gaps under your property this can prove to be an easy way for fleas to get inside even if you do not have pets. Once fleas have entered your residence if can be very difficult to get them out. The first step is to remove all bedding and clothing from the contaminated areas and wash them in hot water. Do not bring back any of these things until you are sure the problem inside is gone. After the removal of all of the things that can be washed have a pest control professional take care of the rest. Trying to treat flees yourself can result in the pests hiding deeper in cracks and crevices making it harder to get rid of them in the long run.

To recap:

Treat all pets for fleas and ticks
Close off all entry points under your house if you have a pier-and-beam structure
Wash all clothes, bedding, blankets, etc.
Call in the pros to take care of the rest

Justin Berenato,

Inspector/Consultant

Austin Rodent Control

Dauphin Ewart — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:41:00 GMT

One of the most frequent questions I am asked by customers, especially during the winter months, is how to stop unwanted guests (aka rodents) from entering their house. My first answer to them is to trim the trees away from the house. As beautiful as trees may be they can act as a highway for rodents to easily access your roof. From the roof there are many different venues the rodent can use to get inside the property. The chimney is a great example of such an entry a point; roof intersects and vent pipes are very common entry points as well. When closing any entry points found do NOT use foam. Rodents can chew through foam very easily (flashing or hardware cloth is best). Given a little attention to the condition of your property your rodent problems can be a thing of the past.

To recap Austin rodent control:

Trim all trees back away from the roof

Check for any openings around the house where rodents may enter
Close all holes found with hardy materials, NOT foam

If all else fails call in the pros and get an aggressive trapping plan in place. Do not use poison alone in any enclosed area, as this can be a very smelly solution.

Justin Berenato

Inspector/Consultant

How to kill scorpions in your home

Dauphin Ewart — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:57:00 GMT

Scorpions are related to spiders, and whether a hunting spider like the brown recluse or a webbing spider like the black widow, they all capture their pray live. So when you deal with scorpions, you not only treat for them directly but you also treat for their pray or “food” resources. This stresses the population from two different directions.

The best answers on how to kill scorpions in your home include focusing on but not limmited to these areas:

Treating the attic area, to eliminate scorpions and pray
Treating the external entry points (windows, doors, eaves, foundation, weep holes, etc) to prevent scorpions from entering the home at all!

The most common scorpion in Austin Texas is the striped bark scorpion. (generally brown with darker stripes down the back and seldom more than 2 ½ inches long). They bear their young live and generally have anywhere from 25 up to 50 in a brude. The females carry their young on their back until they are ready to go out on their own. So a pregnant or recently delivered female can introduce a large number of scorpions into the home.

None of the scorpions in Texas are considered “deadly” however, if you are stung by one you will experience a sharp and immediate pain. This will lead to localized swelling that may last from a few hours to, in some cases, persisting for days. Although not life threatening, it is like being in a car wreck; something you do not ever forget.

Scorpions are great climbers and can easily climb trees or the sides of homes. They are nocturnal by nature, so most of their activity is at night. They can make their bodies very flat so once in the attic area or wall voids, they work their way into our living space through light fixtures, switch plates, plumbing wall penetrations and A/C ductwork openings into rooms. (they do not come down the duct itself but around the duct where it comes through the wall).

If you have more questions about this Texas pest or would like a free no obligation inspection of your home or business click on the contact link below.

JJ Hepler

How to get Rid of Little Black Ants

Dauphin Ewart — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:51:00 GMT

Little Black ants are often the source of frustration for most home owners as well as many business owners. It seems like they are here today and then gone tomorrow only to be back the next day.

While these little guys have the ability to nest within a structure they are most often found nesting somewhere on the exterior. When one ant finds a food source it will leave a pheromone trail all the way back to the nest that tells all the other workers in the colony, “Hey follow me to the buffet”. Keep in mind that a spot of bacon grease can feed a colony of little black ants. A few drops of Cool Aid or soda can do the same. Once that pheromone trail has been established there will be more and more ants on the way.

Sanitations is probably my first thought when someone asks me how to get rid of little black ants. That doesn’t have to mean that you have a filthy home or business. Again the smallest particle of food can attract the attention of the colony. Try the following steps first.

Using a disinfectant or similar product, wipe down all the surfaces where the ants have been observed.
Clean the surfaces with two thoughts in mind – Removing the food source and the pheromone trails.
Check inside and out for cracks that are giving the ants access to the interior
Wash these areas to remove the pheromone trails and then seal the cracks

Sometimes these little black ants will be nesting inside the structure in wall voids, attics, under cabinets and similar places. This can make eliminating this frustration very difficult to say the least.

Good luck with your little black ants and if you would like a free inspection or if you have questions feel free to contact us.

Mike Matthews

Bug Master

Georgetown Rodent Control

Dauphin Ewart — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:01:00 GMT

Several customers have asked, “Why do I need pest control in the fall and winter months?” The most direct answer is “This is Texas.” For example, where I live in Georgetown rodent control is a common problem throughout the winter months. Even though our temperatures fall from the 100+ days of summer, it's still t-shirt weather a large portion of the fall and winter. This means that bugs can stay active throughout the year. But any cooler temperatures we experience will make pests and rodents seek out shelter. Ants and roaches can become a problem as they seek food and warmth, and rodents especially love to find a place to nest, usually in the warm attic insulation of a home or business they find a way into. Before the winter months hit it's wise to consider a free inspection for rodent trapping and exclusion, and a good general pest control program for pest prevention inside the home.

What is 'exclusion'? It means to exclude, or keep things out. Finding places where pests and rodents might enter the home, and seal them off.

For example:

Checking for cracks in walls and roof intersects where rodents might enter.
Sealing off gaps around pipes coming into the home.
Examining the attic for open vents and pipes.
Trimming back tree limbs that would provide roof access.

With the proper care, any home or business can stay pest and rodent free throughout the year.

If you would like a free inspection of your home or business feel free to contact us.

Chris Crane, Inspector/Consultant

Cricket Control Austin

Dauphin Ewart — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:42:00 GMT

I am often asked questions about getting rid of crickets. The most common cricket seen locally in the Austin area is the common field cricket. These crickets lay their eggs in the summer months which hatch in the spring the following year. Adult crickets usually die off in the winter months but the eggs, which are protected underground, survive.

This particular summer the crickets have not been as near as big of a nuisance as in years past due to the drought conditions of central Texas. Normally in late summer crickets will swarm for mating purposes after a good soaking rain when the ground will be soft enough for depositing eggs. When this happens getting rid of crickets can be a major chore for anyone other than a professional.

There are a few mechanical measures that can be taken to prevent the need for getting rid of crickets.

Crickets are attracted to white lights so changing the color of outdoor lighting can help.
Turning off exterior lighting will save energy as well as eliminating the cricket attraction.
Crickets will enter structures in search of warmth so caulking cracks and crevices can aid in the prevention of indoor cricket infestation.

Crickets can be beneficial as well as a pest to humans. Crickets will feed on many different things including themselves but they do eat grass seeds including weed seeds. Some crickets will help control weeds such as Crabgrass. On the other hand, in the fall after we receive a good ground soaking rain crickets can swarm in large numbers. I know of one public school that literally had to be closed down so that the ceilings could be removed to allow professionals to come in and begin getting rid of the crickets. When crickets congregate in large numbers like this they can also lead to other unwanted pest such as mice and other rodents that feed on the crickets. I also had a case where dermestid beetles were showing up in a museum which of course caused great alarm. After an intense investigation it was discovered that the beetles were feeding on the bodies of large cricket infestation found to be in the ceiling of the sixth floor of the building.

Field crickets are not always a nuisance but when they are they can be a major nuisance. As with most other things, a little prevention can go a long ways. When they do swarm, getting rid of crickets can become job number one overnight.

Good luck with your crickets this fall and if I can answer any pest specific question please post so that all can benefit from the answer, or feel free to contact us here.

Mike@thebugmaster.com

Pest Control and Babies

Dauphin Ewart — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:30:00 GMT

I got the idea to write this post from my best friend, who is going to be having twins soon, which means I’m going to be a godfather!

Anyway, I was talking to him the other day and he asked me about pest control service around his kids. He lives in a scorpion and spider prone area, and has had service from us basically since he bought his house, but wasn’t sure about pesticide around his kids. This is a great question that I’m sure would be on the minds of any new parent thinking about pest control. In fact, we get this question all the time.

So the basic question is: how big of a risk is a pest control service to my baby?

There are a million ways to talk about this—but for me the four basic points are:

1) Toxicity

2) Allergies

3) Residual

4) Bugs

If someone reacts to a pesticide, they are going to react for one of two reasons, toxicity or allergy. You see allergies most commonly around botanical materials (used heavily in organic services).

Toxicity is easy to predict. Toxicity is actually measured scientifically and using this measure, different materials can be compared. Not to dismiss the concern, but today’s pesticides have toxicities that pose far less risk than standard residential cleaners. Using standard cleaners, according to toxicity can be more risky than using pesticides.

Allergies are hard to predict, and can be even harder to figure out. Most of the allergies that I’ve seen are related to botanical pesticides, which are just pesticides derived from plants. Some people are still more comfortable with botanicals and I’m happy to use them, I think they are great products, but I think they are less predictable, so they aren’t my personal preference.

Residual is how long the pesticide is around, where it’s around, etc. Today’s pesticides for the most part are designed to breakdown in 30-60 days depending on the conditions. Treating once every three months, you are letting the material breakdown, and then re-applying so you don’t have the residual build-up. On another note, there are numerous pesticides that can be placed in stations and completely removed from the site when no longer necessary (this is a great feature of baits).

Bugs will continue to be a problem if they have historically been one. If you want to keep the population down, the best approach, especially to minimizing the tough predator bugs (predators tend to be the bugs people hate, like scorpions) is to treat regularly with small amounts of pesticide.

So here is how I put all this together.

If you want to keep bugs away, you have to treat sometime. Treating regularly means less material has more effect because there are just fewer bugs to kill, and there are fewer predators (like scorpions) attracted to the area so you are dealing with pests that just aren’t as tough like ants and roaches (not tough compared to a centipede).
Toxicity and allergies are the risks of treatment, and we want to minimize them, so keeping the treatment outside is ideal and completely practical using a regular pest control service. I know that people are going to use the yard, but kids tend to spend more time crawling around your baseboards than your foundation, so in that respect, its better. Also, remember, todays pesticides pose less risk than your household cleaners measured in simple toxicity.
Using regular sprays outside should mean you don’t have to use sprays inside. In many cases we can effectively use baits indoors (remember removable) which are great from the perspective of exposure and residual because when the problem is gone they can simply be disposed of and there is no more exposure.

Basically, it’s a great concern, and something that a parent would want to pay attention to. If done right treatment shouldn’t pose a significant concern, and neither should bugs. I hope that helps answer some questions!

Thanks for reading and if you have questions you’d like answered I’m sure other folks do as well so feel free to ask any question you have and I’ll give you the best answer I know!

Dauphin, The Bug Master

Why opt for a professional pest control service?

Dauphin Ewart — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:34:00 GMT

Why a opt for a professional pest control service?

You don’t want to have insects, bugs, spiders, roaches, scorpions…this list goes on and on
You want to have predictable and consistent results
You want to do all of this while minimizing treatment (not intuitive, I know)

Don’t want bugs:

The first and most obvious reason is that you want to get rid of bugs. A professional pest service, once established, means that you should see very few if any bugs inside your house. Along with our pest prevention programs, if someone does have a concern, they have full access to the knowledge of our office and our pest control folks. We will even come back and retreat between services at no additional charge.

Consistent results:

There is peace of mind in knowing that you aren’t going to see ants in your house, or find a scorpion in your living room. I find most people who don’t want bugs in their house today, aren’t keen on them being there in 4 months either. A pest program lets you set your expectations, and ensure that you get those results all the time.

Minimizing treatment:

A lot of people think that the best way to minimize their exposure to pesticide or the exposure of their kids, pests, family, etc. is to only treat when a problem comes up. In reality nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, if you never treat, that is the absolute minimum exposure, but that comes along with bugs and you wouldn’t likely be reading this if that was the option you were going for.

So, here is the deal. The way a good pest service works, is it keeps pests to a minimum. The bigger the population, the more treatment that is necessary for control. If the population stays pretty low, light applications and targeted treatments are very effective.

An added bonus here: that the majority household pests really live outside, and the ones you see inside are just strays. That means that treating inside for these kind of pest problems, isn’t really helpful, and therefore, isn’t really necessary.

An effective professional pest control service should mean that treating inside in almost all situations is unnecessary. What better way to keep your family away from pesticide than not treating inside?

Thanks for reading and if you have questions you’d like answered I’m sure other folks do as well so feel free to ask any question you have and I’ll give you the best answer I know!

Dauphin, The Bug Master

How to Avoid Bed Bugs

Dauphin Ewart — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 15:15:00 GMT

When you travel, you don't want to bring home bed bugs. By following my checklist you can learn how to avoid bed bugs.

I follow this checklist every time I travel and have developed it over the last two or three years.

Easy to do
Takes less than 5 minutes
You could avoid getting bed bugs!

Good idea, right!

Ask the hotel if they have had any issues. If they have, you may want to reconsider that spot, or ask about what they have done. These bugs can be treated and there are a ton of great hotels out there that are effectively getting rid of their problems quickly. I would like to hear that they have the room treated and keep it vacant for a period of time after (1-2 weeks is sort of what I would look for).
Inspect your room (hotel or otherwise) before you bring in your luggage. This may seem like a pain, but if the room has an issue, you don’t want to be in that room anyway. I actually carry a good flashlight and just check a few key areas
- The mattress. You are looking for either the bugs themselves, which are about the size of a tick—you can definitely see them, or signs of them (see Quick Inspection Tips for more info).
- Furniture in the immediate vicinity. Take the drawers out and look in the corners and the edges. Look at the back of the furniture if you can, including the headboard; that’s where the flashlight comes in very handy.
- Don’t unpack your suitcase into the furniture or the closet. I may be paranoid but I actually keep mine in the bathroom where there are fewer hiding places and it is less likely that bugs will take up residence. I’ve even heard of a few crazy folks keeping their bag in the shower.
- Inspect your suitcase quickly before you take it into your home. If you followed the steps above and still somehow have a bug or two join you home you certainly don’t want to take it into your house. Check out our post on what you can do if you find you have bed bugs for a rundown of how to treat your suitcase if you do find something.

BugMaster Blog Coming Soon!

Customer Service — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:44:00 GMT

Stay tuned for updates to the BugMaster Blog!