Bainbridge/SPS Pest Control Bug Blog

Welcome to Bainbridge/SPS Pest Control's Bug Blog, where stuff's gettin' creepy & crawly in Chagrin Falls, Geauga County, and greater Cleveland / Northeast Ohio area.

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What Is This Bug: Indian Meal Moth

Sometimes out on a pest control job, I get asked about little brown & grey moths in a customer's kitchen. If you've seen something like this in your kitchen, you're definitely going to want to read on!

What are these little brown and grey moths doing in your kitchen? While that could be a variety of little pests, you probably have a pantry pest called the "Indian Meal Moth". 

Indian Meal Moths are a beige and grey insect about 3/8" to 1/2" in length. Just a little bit of research shows that Indian Meal Moths are a very common pest, found in kitchens around the world. They love to feed on all the goodies you keep in your pantry and kitchen, including meal, flour, cereal, noodles and pasta, and spices. They also have a sweet tooth, and will happily feed on chocolate and cake mixes.

Indian Meal Moths can get into your kitchen or pantry in a number of different ways. They're nocturnal (active at night), and can fly indoors and move into your kitchen or pantry. The moths' eggs can also sometimes be brought into your home in brand-new, unopened boxed foods -- not exactly the kind of grocery store rewards you're going to sign up for! They can also hatch into the larval stage -- called "waxworms", just like many other moths' larval stages -- and burrow out of products if they site too long in a warehouse, or if the eggs are present during manufacturing & processing.

If you think you're sharing your kitchen with Indian Meal Moths, you should call a professional exterminator like Bainbridge/SPS Pest Control. If you can, save a sample of the insect so that we can identify it. Then, let us inspect and properly treat your home or business, as well as give you tips and set up a pest maintenance plan to help keep your place bug-free in the future. Call us at [phone] for more information today.

That's all for this entry in Dale's Bug Blog. See you next time!

Indian Meal Moth picture by David Short used under Creative Commons license.

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Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder

Hi! I'm a helpful pest -- don't just wipe me out!

You may be aware that, across the country, honeybee colonies are down in number. A large percentage of wild bee hives are dying off each year. This die-off has been severe enough to garner the attention of scientists, who have coined the term CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder).

The causes are varied, including the effects of drought, natural diseases, and parasitic mites. Another cause is the overuse of a certain class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids. These pesticides are used in the farming industry and are applied to crops to prevent pest damage.

Please be assured that these pesticides are not licensed for use in the home and Bainbridge/SPS Pest Control does not employ this class of pesticide. As a responsible pest control firm we will not even treat a honeybee nest, preferring to use the services of firms that will non-lethally remove a problem nest from your property.

Wild honeybees are a necessary part of our natural environment, due to the fact they pollinate over 100 different food crops, with a total value of over $15 billion annually. Without the benefit provided by wild honeybees we would most likely lose the large scale production of several fruit and vegetable crops. Here at Bainbridge/SPS Pest Control we are mindful that our products are applied in accordance with the law and in such a way as to assure that they do not affect non-target insects or animals.

Wasps, yellowjackets, and carpenter bees are a different matter; we treat these nests regularly and safely and would be happy to be your 1st choice should the need arise. Call us at [phone] to schedule an appointment.

The beautiful honeybee drone picture is by the USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab and used under Creative Commons license.

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so this morning i was playing with the slow-mo mode on my phone, hoping to get a majestic vid of a bumblebee taking off

but instead i found this dumb****

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Nature. So full of grace.

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Yellowjackets... the scourge of the cookout season

"I don't recall inviting you to the cookout..."

We all know how it works. We fire up the grill on a late summer day, ready for some good times and good food. Within minutes we hear the familiar buzz and spot the offender, flying around and landing on the burgers. So what is this intruder?

Most likely, it is Vespula germanica, or the German yellowjacket. One of several species of yellowjacket, they first appeared in the US in 1975 (in Ohio, of all places) and have now become the dominant species of yellowjacket that we encounter. Other yellowjacket species are also present in our area, notably the bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata). This species is very obvious thanks to their unique white and black coloration.

Yellowjacket nests can take several forms, depending on the species; some construct nests in the open, the combs covered by a paper-mache like outer shell. Others build nests in wall voids, old rodent burrows, hollowed-out trees, or within the shelter of a dense bush. Regardless of where they build their nests, all yellowjacket workers (the ones flying around your picnic like it was meant for them, and them alone) can sting, and unlike a bee, they can sting multiple times.

Here in Ohio, our winters dictate that the nest is a one-season affair. The number of workers in a late season nest can approach 4 to 5 thousand individuals, though most nests will only be in the 1 to 3 thousand range. As the cold sets in, the workers die off and the new queens will leave the nest, finding a sheltered place (your attic, for instance) where they will overwinter and wait for spring, when they will locate a new nesting site and begin the process of forming a new colony. The old nest may remain intact through the winter but will not be re-used.

One word of caution, we have encountered several instances of homeowners using kerosene poured into a ground nest and lit aflame in order to eliminate the nest. This can be extremely dangerous and environmentally harmful, as well as being illegal. Here at Bainbridge/SPS Pest Control we have the capability to treat existing nests safely and efficiently. Our Power Spray service option can also provide a measure of long-term deterrence to the building of new nests. We also will be happy to install and service, or sell directly to you, yellowjacket traps, which have proven very effective for temporary control.

So, before the cookout season hits... give us a call at [phone] to schedule an appointment. We want to help you and your guests enjoy the summer without worry.

Yellowjacket picture by Glen Engel-Cox, used under CC.

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Pests Stink -- But Some More Than Others

"Free me from this plastic prison, human!"

Seen one of these around your home? Say hello to the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug! They look like little turtles with rounded shell backs and spotted markings... thus the "marmorated" name.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs move about mostly in the winter months indoors, emerging on warmer winter days. But, before the weather warms up, you'll find these little stinkers overwintering in attics. This is why they're more active on 2nd or higher floors of businesses and homes. If you squish one of these--they emit a foul odor. And they can stain your drapes if executed on them.

They appear in our homes and businesses as they prepare to go outdoors and feed on their favorite spring plants. Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs feed on over 300 host plants, trees, and crops. This invasive species is a recent arrival, with the first reports of them in shipping containers in Allentown, PA in 1996. By 2007 they were found in Ohio -- and now they are in over 36 states! Currently they are only a serious agricultural pest in the Mid-Atlantic states, but they become a pest everywhere they live when they attempt to move indoors in the fall.

Wall and widow AC units are a primary entry point as well as uncaulked gaps. Chimneys, fireplaces, loose storm and screen windows, and gaps in roof flashing and soffits allow them easy entry into most homes and businesses. Some places SPS has serviced have had hundreds of them overwintering in attics and other safe locations. Yech!

If you see these creatures crawling or flying about your home or business, call the experts at Bainbridge/SPS Pest Control for their eradication. We use the right materials and our expertise in solving this and other insect problems around your home or place of business!

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Do-It-Yourself Mouse Baiting Going By the Wayside?

If your rodent problem is THIS big, you should definitely not do-it-yourself! But what about normal rodent pests?

Recent EPA regulations are now calling for d-CON® and other retail brand rodenticides to be taken off the shelves, with the aim of curtailing retail use of mouse and rat poisons by the do-it yourself crowd. But, why would the EPA take this step?

In March of last year, Reckitt Benckiser (North America) Inc. -- the maker of d-CON® products -- refused to comply with safety guidelines which include certain protective packaging and safety restraints. These guidelines took effect in March 2013 after a three year period for compliance by manufacturers. In fact, the EPA guidelines have been in-the-works since 1998! The guidelines include product safety improvements such as loose bait containment boxes, new baiting chemicals restricted to licensed professional use only. 

Why did the EPA make these updates to the guidelines? Well, the use of rat poisons by do-it-yourselfers can be a very dangerous practice. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers "National Poison Data System", over 10,000 children are accidentally exposed to mouse and rat baits annually, sometimes with very serious consequences -- and almost all of them are age 5 or younger. In addition, due to the fact that these poisons don't break down quickly, over-liberal use of the products can lead to the neurotoxins they contain finding their way into local food chains. Wrong placement, over-use, or not using protective bait boxes makes it easy for pets and children to ingest these baits.

For all of those reasons, it is simply wise to hire a professional pest control service like Bainbridge/SPS Pest Control, Inc. instead of trying to do-it-yourself. Rodent infestations are a very serious, but very treatable problem if you call a professional. We are trained in the safe handling  and use of these products, know how they work and how best to use them, and make safety our #1 priority. Think it through: a professional pest service makes it their business to get the best results for their clients. We know how and where to place the materials.  We also train and study the laws that protect the public wildlife and water supply. Our aim is to achieve quick control with the safety of your family and the environment in mind, while keeping up with all of the newest techniques, technologies, and safety notices around the use of these products. Can a "do-it-yourselfer" say the same thing?

Call Bainbridge/SPS Pest Control Inc. today at 440-543-0482.