2009-newsletter

"Mice" - Do you hear noises in your attic, wall, chimney or crawl space?

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 02:14:45 +0100

Mice will most commonly enter the attic, walls or crawlspace in the fall because there is a scarcity of seeds and plants outside. Mice are mostly nocturnal, they usually start to become active around dusk, foraging for food and water.

House mice, deer mice and white-footed mice are primary carriers of leptospirosis, salmonella, Mousebite fever, ricketsiallpox, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, tapeworms, ringworms and hantavirus.

House Mouse - The house mouse (Mus musculus) is considered one of the most troublesome and economically important pests in the United States. House mice live and thrive under a variety of conditions in and around homes and farms. House mice consume food meant for humans or pets. They contaminate food-preparation surfaces with their feces, which can contain the bacterium that causes food poisoning (salmonellosis). Their constant gnawing causes damage to structures and property.

Recognizing Mouse Infestations

Droppings, fresh gnawing and tracks indicate areas where mice are active. Mouse nests, made from fine shredded paper or other fibrous material, are often found in sheltered locations. House mice have a characteristic musky odor that identifies their presence.

Mice are occasionally seen during daylight hours.

Cleaning up mouse droppings, urine and nesting material is crucial in the mouse-prevention or elimination process.

Humans become infected with Leptospirosis when they have contact with water, food or soil containing urine from an infected mouse. The disease starts out with flu-like symptoms which can develop into liver failure or meningitis.

Mice carry the bacteria Salmonella. People who pick up salmonella bacteria can become seriously ill with diarrhea, vomiting, fever and chills.

Humans may contract Mousebite fever from a mouse bite, hence, the disease’s name. Humans can also get Mousebite fever by coming into contact with mouse urine and nose, mouth and eye secretions of a sick mouse. Rash, flu-like symptoms and heart illnesses can all be symptoms of Mousebite fever.

Ricketsiallpox is characterized by a rash at the site of a mite bite. Mice carry a colorless mite, which can be transferred to humans and bite them. After the rash appears, humans can also get fever, chills and headaches.

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis is a virus that can infect humans. It can lead to Inflammation of the brain and is dangerous to pregnant women, and can cause abortion and retardation of the fetus.

Tapeworms and ringworms are parasites of the digestive system that live in human intestines.

Hantavirus is a deadly disease transmitted through mouse excretions. Humans can get it by breathing in the airborne virus. Hantavirus can cause fever, muscle aches, cough and repertory failure and, potentially, death.

Important information about Mice.

Mice are only pregnant for about three weeks, and then they have a litter of five to six babies. The hairless babies will be independent in about a month. The average mouse female has five to ten litters a year. Can see how one or two mice in the attic or walls can become 20 in no time?

Mice only need ¼-inch hole to access your home. They can squeeze their heads through small spaces like fireplaces, chimney flues, roof vents, loose siding, garage doors and soffit gaps. They can gnaw into a roof’s overhangs, shingles, gable and soffit areas and where two roofs meet, or simply anywhere they sense a void. Mice can even get into the attic through crevices in the chimney, through loose brick, stucco gaps, and at points where water lines and wires enter the home.

YES. Mice in your attic, kitchen, pantry, storage room, walls or crawl space can pose a danger to house pets. Mice may also bite your dog or cat and transmit any of the diseases listed on the next page.

We understand the desire to take care of a mouse problem yourself. It may be tempting to take matters into your own hands, but in the long run, you could put yourself, your family and your home at risk of damage, distress and disease.

Using store-bought mouse traps or poison is not a good option to get rid of mice. Mice have a keen sense of direction, and they memorize their pathways to food and water. They also have an amazing sense of taste. They can sniff out contaminants and poison with no problem, and may become bait-shy to certain types of kill baits or poisons.

Our well trained Professional @ ENVIRO-PRO will use single-dose poisons so the mice don’t become bait shy. A homeowner may successfully trap and kill an adult mouse, only to smell the nasty odor of baby mouse carcasses rotting in the attic or walls. It can take between four to seven weeks, depending on the size, for a mouse body to decompose, and even longer for the odor to dissipate. Along with dead mice come maggots and other bugs, including fly larvae.

Do remember that mice are wild and unpredictable. Although our technicians are experienced, a particular mouse situation may require that we return more than once to get the job done right and prevent mice from entering your home or business in the future. Incremental pricing will apply for our professional elimination service and all other mouse solutions (e.g. Mouse Proofing: Involves Sealing up any opening larger than 1/4”) are customized to your needs and are therefore priced accordingly.

Our Technician will however consult with you and explain what necessary course of action needs to be. Recommendations are based on each specific situation.

You will always know what the COST would be before our technicians ever treat.

Services will be performed by a state certified technician every time, every service.

All methods are EPA approved.
We Guarantee “Results”.

Asian Beetles a/k/a Ladybugs

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 18:53:54 +0100

Description
The multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis, a native of Asia was introduced into the southeastern and southwestern portions of USA to deal with aphids on pecan trees. However, it spread rapidly to other portions of the US. During the fall and early winter when the weather is cooler, the multicolored Asian lady beetle starts congregating on the south side of buildings and enter homes. The beetle does this because in their homeland of China they inhabit tall cliffs to over winter. There are very few tall cliffs in Illinois, so the next best thing is your home.

Damage
The multicolored Asian lady beetle is a nuisance pest because the adults tend to congregate and over winter inside buildings in large numbers. The beetles release a pheromone that attracts more beetles to the same area. Although it may bite, it does not injure humans nor can it breed or reproduce indoors. They are attracted to lights and light-colored buildings, especially the south side where it is warm. They then work their way into buildings through cracks and crevices. Dark colored buildings generally have fewer problems with beetles.

Management
Beetles can be prevented from entering homes by caulking or sealing cracks and crevices. Beetles already in homes can be physically removed by vacuuming. Be sure to empty the vacuum bags afterward. Do not kill the beetles. If crushed, the beetles will emit a foul odor and leave a stain. The dust produced from an accumulation of dead multicolored Asian lady beetles behind wall voids may trigger allergies or asthma in people. Insecticides are not recommended for use indoors. Homeowners that want to avoid dealing with over wintering beetles entering their homes can hire a professional pest control company to treat the points of entry on the building exterior with a residual insecticide. The treatments need to be made in late September or early October before the beetles enter the building to over winter. The beetle has been able to spread rapidly throughout portions of the USA because it was introduced into the country without its native natural enemies. However, populations may decline as cosmopolitan natural enemies start attacking them. For example, studies in North Carolina have demonstrated that up to 25% of the beetle populations are being parasitized by a tachinid fly.

Fall is Box Elder Bug and Ladybug Season

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 04:58:38 +0100

BOX ELDER BUG : Rhopalidae,Leptocoris trivittatus

SIZE: About 1/2 inch (12.7mm)COLOR: Black with red lines

DESCRIPTION: Black with three red lines on the thorax, a red line along each side, and a red line on each wing. The young nymphs are red and gray.

HABITAT: Box elder bugs normally feed on the leaves, flowers, and seed pods of the box elder tree or silver maple. Large numbers of box elder bugs are usually on the female, or pod-bearing, tree. The adults search for a place to over winter which brings them into houses where they hide in small cracks and crevices in walls, door and window casings, attics, and around the foundation. During warm days in winter and early spring they come out and scatter through the house.

LIFE CYCLE: The adult bugs lay eggs in the spring and the nymphs emerge in a few days. The nymphs are small and show more red than adults. These nymphs develop into adults during the summer, then mate and lay eggs which hatch into the nymphs of the second generation. Activity of nearly fully grown nymphs is noticed in August and September when they gather in large numbers on the trunks of box elder trees.

TYPE OF DAMAGE: The box elder bug becomes a pest in many houses each year in fall and spring.

However, their excrement spots on light color siding or draperies may be difficult to remove.

INTERESTING FACTS: On warm days during winter and early spring, box elder bugs sometimes appear on light painted surfaces outdoors on the south and west sides of the house, resting in the sun.

While Asian beetles and box elder bugs aren't harmful, they can be a nuisance when they get inside your home. Enviro-Pro can control your Asian beetles and Box elder Bug infestations up to 95% throughout the season, in and around your home or business and our technicians have the experience to do the job right or we’ll come back out for free!

2010 Spring Newsletter

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 18:53:44 +0100

As winter gives way to spring and rising temperatures, common household pests become a bit more visible in your home and business.

From termites, carpenter ants and cockroaches, to rats, mice and fleas, household pests become more active, more obvious and more irritating as the weather gets warmer.

At Enviro-Pro Professional Pest Management, we want to help you take care of any pests that appear in your home or business this spring and ensure that they do not remain a problem all year long.

Our technicians are extensively trained to search out the hiding places of structural pests, determine what type of pest has invaded your home or business, and make specific recommendations that controls and monitors those pests using control techniques that do not harm human health or your breathing environment.

But, thanks to modern pest control techniques, they can also be eliminated quickly, safely and with no adverse affect on the environment.

PESTS

There's a good reason they call them pests. Simply put, rats, mice, cockroaches, ticks, fleas, termites, ants, and other household pests make our lives difficult. But they're more than simply irritating.

Experts estimate that there is at least one rat per person in this country and that each rat can damage or destroy $1,000 worth of food and materials each year.

THE BEST OFFENSE IS A GOOD DEFENSE or IPM - Integrated Pest Management

It's possible to stop common household pests before they come into your home or office using an integrated pest management approach.

INDOORS

•   Before bringing plants, grocery bags, soft drink containers, etc. into the house, inspect for bugs that may be hiding in them.

•   Keep garbage pails, floors and the kitchen clean.

•   If you have a pet, pick up its food dish at night and wipe up any food spills.

•   Most pests need water. Fix leaky faucets and pipes and keep drains unclogged.

•   Pay Special attention to paper products and food containers that you're storing for recycling, they're particularly tempting to insects and rodents.

OUTDOORS

•   Store firewood outdoors, away from the house and off the ground. Shake off the logs before you bring them into the house.

•   Inspect your home for possible entry points. Caulk or screen areas to seal openings around windows, door frames and pipes. Fill cracks and holes in the foundation of your home.

•   Trim tree limbs so they don't touch or hang over the house. Trim bushes and shrubs back and away from the house so they don't become a hiding place for insects and rodents.

ALLERGIES

University of South Florida researchers have found another reason for people with allergies and breathing problems to pay attention to what's lurking inside their homes. Years ago, studies in Atlanta found that more than 44% of inner city children are allergic to cockroaches. Now, researchers have found that flea eggs and body parts can also circulate in the air and cause allergic reactions. Though allergies to insects have not been extensively studied by allergists, there is growing evidence that they may be as significant as pollen and other more recognized sources of allergies.
People who live with pets in air-conditioned homes create a dust-filled environment that's rich in allergy producers. Flea allergies, according to one research, are one factor in the reported increase in asthma nationally. Cats, dogs, cockroaches and dust mites produce materials that are the most common household causes of allergies.

Lice - A very common problem no one wants to talk about

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 18:53:48 +0100

10% of elementary school children are treated for head lice each year.

Long stigmatized as an indication of poor personal hygiene or poverty, the fact is that virtually all young children are at risk for head lice... no matter their background.
Though it is widely recognized among health professionals that education is a critical component of a successful like preventive program, the reluctance to discuss the problem and the misconceptions that surround it perpetuate the spreading of the lice from one child to another.

FACTS of LICE

Head lice are found most often on schoolchildren between the ages of 3 - 10.
The adult human head louse has six legs, is wingless, measures approximately 1/8" long, and has a claw at the end of each leg that it uses to grasp the hair shaft. Most eggs are laid at night. Under optimum conditions, 90 percent of the eggs hatch within 7-11 days.
Head lice can move rapidly, but cannot jump or fly. Most head lice are probably transmitted when an infested person comes into direct contact with those who are pest free.
Lice and their eggs can be transferred via infested brushes, combs, caps, hats, scarves, coats, bedding, towels and upholstered furniture.

DETECTION

Although some people may not experience itching for several weeks, excessive head scratching is usually the first sign of head lice infestation. Red or blackish fecal specks on the shoulders and back are other indicators. Tiny (1/32" long) yellowish-color eggs may be seen on the scalp, around the ears and in the nape of the neck.
Scratching can lead to irritated skin, which creates an entry way for germs than can generate conditions such as swollen glands and secondary infections. Severely infected individuals may experience fever and become tired and irritable.

CONTROL and TREATMENT

A combination of practices such as combing with a louse comb, shampooing with a special soap and educating the children and their parents to prevent and avoid re-infestation, can control head lice successfully.
Each child should have a separate storage space for head coverings and other clothing at home and school to prevent contact with other garments. Children should also be warned not to share hats, clothing and brushes with others.
Wash the bedding and clothing of the infested child at the same time treatment of the hair and scalp is undertaken. You should dry clean garments that cannot be washed.