RESIDENTIAL and COMMERCIAL
h
Member of the National and Connecticut Pest Management Association,
as well as of the National and Connecticut Wildlife Control Operators Association
|
AMTECH offers solutions to your residential and
commercial pest or wildlife problems. AMTECH uses Integrated Pest Management
(IPM) to correct conditions conducive to pest infestations. We provide you
with the highest level of professional expertise and service. AMTECH understand that choosing a company for your
wildlife control needs can be stressful.
Having an animal in your attic or walls can be disturbing. It usually
takes a fair amount of skill to diagnose and implement a plan to resolve
common wildlife problems. We test captured animals for deseases harmful to
humans such as Rabies. We take special care as not to hurt animals when
trapping or as not to trap mother animals leaving nursing babies animals behind.
For Long-Term Solutions See HomeShield specializes in the first line
of defense in an innovative Pest Management Program. Its services are based
on the newest research and developments in Pest Control. AMTECH NEWSLETTER AMTECH SOLUTION COSTUMER SATISFACTION FAQs |
For detailed information, please contact our Service
Centers in: Danbury (203) 778 3835 Stamford (203) 961 0000 Norwalk (203) 838 8080 New Milford (860) 354 7631 E-mail:
amtechct@att.net Regular Office Hours are Monday through Friday from
9am to 5pm. We also provide Emergency Services on Saturdays and off hour
answering service. Corporate Headquarter:
Danbury, CT 06810 Fax:
|
Home | Contact us| Wildlife Questions | Why Choose Amtech | Customer Satisfaction
|
Carpenter Ants
|
You may spot only a few ants, but those ants come from a whole colony hard at work tunneling and creating nests just below the wood surface of your building. If the ants’ activities remains untreated severe structural damage to homes and properties is a likely consequence. |
|
Termites
|
Subterranean Termite cause $5 billion in damage in the United States alone every year. Once termites have entered your home their colonies can multiply quickly resulting in extensive damage to the structure of your property. more … |
|
Cockroaches
|
Cockroaches quickly increase their population inside homes. They have a lengthy history of spreading disease. Their allergens are one of the leasing triggers of asthma attacks in children. more … |
|
Rodents
|
Rodents have transmitted serious diseases to human for centuries. In addition, they droppings can carry allergy triggering fungi. |
|
Bees
|
Bees, yellow jackets, and other stinging insects cause painful local reactions in most humans, but can cause far more serious reactions in allergic people. more… |
|
Carpenter Bees
|
Carpenter bees tunnel into wood to lay their eggs causing involuntary damage to the structure of your home and property. more… |
|
Ticks
|
Tick preferred habitat is in woods, bushes, tall grass, and weeds. They will quickly attach to passing humans and pets. They can transmit Lyme disease, which is now recognized as the number one insect transmitted disease in the United States. more… |
|
Wildlife |
Raccoons, squirrels, bats and other wildlife usually live outdoors but at times can become a destructive nuisance inside attics, garages and other parts of the house. They might transmit deceases such as rabies. more … Mosquitos, bed bugs? |
|
Raccoons |
Raccoons are common in Connecticut, and not always a nuisance. However, they are opportunistic and will take advantage of a free meals or a warm dry place to sleep inside attics, underneath patios and chimneys. Once inside the structure they will maintain their destructive outdoor nesting, breeding and living habits. They also can transmit rabies to humans. more … |
|
Skunks |
Skunks can become a nuisance by their extreme odor and by grubbing conical shaped holes in lawns. more … |
|
Red Foxes |
more … |
|
Woodchucks |
more… |
|
Bats |
more… |
|
Squirrels |
more… |
|
Opossums |
more… |
|
Pests |
more … |
For Those Who Prefer
Long Term Solutions To Their Pest Problems
Without The Use Of Pesticide Sprays
We Recommend 
begins with a detailed inspection of your
home environment. A comprehensive, written report is submitted to the homeowner
focusing on the conditions that promote perpetual pest problems. 
provides solutions to correct these conducive
conditions with environmentally friendlier approaches. 
’s
expertise in these alternative methods is derived from more than 20 years of
experience in the pest control industry.
With a few exceptions, structural pests originate from
outside buildings. Successful long-term prevention of interior invasions
involves addressing the conditions that support pest populations and permit
pests to enter. With this in mind, 
examines each customer’s building and
property and provides an extensive written report describing the problem and
provide solutions.
As it pertains to pest control, these solution include but are not limited to
- Sealing entry points
- Removing harborage
- Proper ventilation for foundation and attic
- Proper water management
- Vegetation management
AMTECH SOLUTIONS
CUSTOMER SATIFACTION
AMTECH is locally
owned and operated because we strongly believe this can provide you with
better, faster and more personal service.
."In the twelve years of operation, our Mall has
never known a pest free environment until AMTECH began servicing the mall in
1993….Your attention to your customers and follow-up on any special requests
are impressive. Thank you again for extending such fine service to the mall and
our merchants."
General Manager, Greater Danbury Area Mall in Danbury
…."This letter is being written
to thank you for your years of service to our Property Management firm. Your
firm have always been quick to respond and honest in their interpretations of
the situations for which we are most grateful."
Principle, Vice President, Area Property Management Firm in Bethel
…."In today's business climate
it is great to see an owner who makes the extra effort to provide the best
service possible."
President, Commercial Real Estate Firm in Danbury
AMTECH has been …. "helpful and
flexible when we schedule large projects. They have responded promptly and efficiently
to our emergency calls. We feel that AMTECH provides one of the best values in
the local exterminating market."
Manager, Property Management Firm in Ridgefield
…."We just wanted to thank you
and your staff for the outstanding service you have provided us over the past 5
years."
Owner, Restaurant in Danbury
TRAINED PROFESSIONALS
|
|
AMTECH has a dedicated wildlife
control operator on staff for over 12 years. His name is Mark Jones. Mark has
been licensed to do wildlife control work in Connecticut since 1993, and has
been recognized by NWCOA a certified professional wildlife control operator. In 1994, Mark founded with a group of
other Nuisance Wildlife Control operators the “Connecticut Nuisance Wildlife
Control Operators Association Inc.” (CTNWCOA), the 2nd State nuisance
wildlife control association in the United States. The purpose of the
organization is setting high standards within the animal damage control
profession. Mark worked as an editor of the state
associations news letter “ NWCOA news”. He was on the membership committee in
1998, he was a speaker at the 1st Annual Nuisance wildlife control seminar.
He is an active member involved in teaching new wildlife control
operators through classes given
by the CTNWCOA. Mark attended
numerous national wildlife control seminars sponsored by WCT and NWCOA thus he has earned over 60
hours of continuing education through the national seminars alone. |
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
ANTS
|
I have only seen a few ants. Does that mean I have a
problem? The number of Carpenter Ants you see is not a direct indication of the severity of the problem. At minimum you should have your home checked at least once a year.
AMTECH offers the Residential Five for your continued peace of mind or is on
call to safely eliminate your pest problems. |
Are what I’m seeing Ants or Termites? Termites have broad, thick waists, whereas ants have narrow, thin ones. Ants’ antennae are bent at right angles and are elbowed. Termites have slightly concave antennae. Ants have three distinct body parts. Termites have what appears to be two, the head and body. AMTECH's Fully Trained Professionals not only will help you answer this question, but will eliminate the pest for you, |
What signs indicate a possible ant or termite nest
within the home or structure? Possible signs of an infestation within the structure include: Seeing ants within the house during colder off season months. Frass (sawdust like material) usually containing ant body parts. (Carpenter ants chew wood and brush it out with their feet. In addition carpenter are carnivorous, thus the ant body parts.)
AMTECH technicians can do an onsite assessment for you; email us or call us for an appointment. |
.
ROACHES
|
Why are roaches so difficult to eliminate? German Roaches (the most common species found in buildings) are difficult to eliminate because they have a very high reproduction rate. They are also thigmotactic; that is, they prefer squeezing into small cracks and crevices where they spend 75% of their time. So when you see one roach, chances are there are many more that you cannot see. AMTECH technicians with an average of ten years experience can do an onsite assessment for you; email us or call us for an appointment. |
What non chemical means can I use to help control
roaches? Roaches need three basic things: FOOD, WATER AND SHELTER. By reducing or eliminating their supports you can greatly reduce the population. Good sanitation along with caulking cracks and crevices will also help. AMTECH's safe and environmentally friendly solution will solve your problem, quickly. |
If roaches are so difficult to eliminate, how can
AMTECH offer a One-Time service with a One Year Guarantee? We use a variety of products that while extremely low in toxicity are very effective in eliminating roaches, such as baits, insect growth regulators which prevent immature roaches from reproducing, and sorptive dusts that abrade their outer covering causing them to dehydrate and die. AMTECH |
|
Peromyscus maniculatus Deer Mice are brown,
with white feet and underbelly. They live in rural areas preferring the
outdoors. They rarely invade homes. Habitat Threats |
Prevention: |
|
House Mice Mus domesticus House Mice are light brown to black. They are the most common
rodent pest in most parts of the world. House mice can breed rapidly
throughout the year, share nests, and adapt quickly to changing conditions. Habitat |
Prevention: |
|
Norway Rats Rattus norvegicus Noreway Rats are gray, brown or black. These rats have small
eyes and ears and short tails. They are excellent climbers and often enter a
home in the fall when outside food sources become scarce. Habitat |
Prevention: |
Camponotus species Carpenter
ants range in size from one-quarter inch for a worker ant to up to
three-quarters inch for a queen. Their color varies depending on species,
from red to black or a combination. The two most common species are black. Carpenter
ants get their name because they excavate wood in order to build their nests.
They mainly attack wood that is or has been wet and damaged by mold. Even
though these ants first invade wet, decayed wood, they may soon begin
building paths through dry, undamaged wood. Their excavation results in
smooth tunnels inside the wood. They usually come into buildings through
cracks around doors, windows, ogr wires. They will also crawl along overhead
wires, shrubs, or tree limbs that touch the building far above the ground. Habitat |
Prevention: |
|
Family Rhinotermitidae Subterranean termites live in underground colonies that can
contain up to 2 million members. They build distinctive "mud tubes"
to gain access to food sources and to protect themselves from open air.
Termite colonies are organized into castes depending on tasks -- workers, soldiers
and reproductives. The characteristics of a subterranean termite are
dependent on the termite's cast. Cream-colored Worker termites are 1/8 to
3/8's of an inch in length. Soldier termites are of a similar body length,
cream-colored bodies and brown heads, but are distinguished by their powerful
mandibles. Reproductive termites are approximately one inch long, they swarm
in the spring to start new colonies. Habitat |
Prevention: |
|
Ixodes scapularis The blacklegged tick is named for its dark legs, which are a
contrast to its pale body. Blacklegged ticks are sometimes called deer ticks.
These ticks like to feed on the blood of white-tailed deer, which is why they
are sometimes called deer ticks. Habitat |
|
||
Mosquitos Culex species and
others One of the best known summer pests, mosquitoes breed in stagnant
water or soft soil and can develop from egg to adult in 10 to 14 days. Female mosquitoes suck our blood. Male
mosquitoes feed on plant nectars. They are most active from dusk to dawn and
will fly up to 14 miles for a blood meal. Habitat |
|
||
Habitat |
Prevention: |
Facts About Rodents and Rodent-borne Diseases
Rodents usually can spread diseases, including potentially lethal hantavirus and arena virus. House mice constantly give off hundreds of micro-droplets of urine as they travel around their territory every day. A large medical research study showed a protein in house mouse urine called mouse urinary protein (MUP), caused allergies in 18% of the inner city children studied.
Diseases associated with
rodents
- Rodents carry disease and fleas and leave
waste.
- Wild and domestic rodents have been reported
to harbor and spread as many as 200 human pathogens.
- Rodents, primarily the harmless-looking deer
mouse and pack rats, can spread the potentially deadly hantavirus and
arena virus.
- Hantavirus was first identified when soldiers
in the Korean War fell ill with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome
(HFRS).
- Hantavirus is contracted primarily by inhaling
airborne particles from rodent droppings, urine or saliva left by infected
rodents or through direct contact with infected rodents.
- The Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), while
relatively rare, kills nearly half the people who develop it.
- After suffering from flu-like symptoms,
victims of lethal cases of HPS die quickly from severe lung damage.
Facts About Ticks and
Tick-borne Diseases
Ticks are more closely related to arachnids, such as spiders and scorpions, than to insects. Like a spider, a tick’s body is fused into a single region. Conversely, an insect’s head, thorax, and abdomen are separated. Several tick species in the U.S. (and similar ones in most countries) are known or potential vectors of tick-borne diseases that infect humans, pets and livestock, including: Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), Human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME), Human babesiosis, Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE)
There are two
families of ticks:
- “Hard” ticks (Ixodidae) have hard smooth skin and an apparent head (which is actually the tick’s mouthparts), transmit most of the common tick-borne diseases in the U.S. and throughout the world. They are most commonly found in the woods and on pets.
- “Soft” ticks (Argasidae) have tough, leathery, pitted skin and no apparent “head” (their mouthparts are hidden below their body’s front end). They are usually found in caves or rustic cabins, and on birds.
Lyme Disease (LD)
·
Caused by spirochete bacteria Borrelia burgdorfer.
·
Most common tick-borne disease in the U.S., mostly in Northeastern
states of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey;
in the upper mid-western states of Wisconsin and Minnesota; and in the Western
states of California and Oregon.
·
Increasing number of diagnosed cases in the Southeastern and
Southern states.
·
Symptoms include a “bull’s eye” rash around the bite, appearing
within three days to three weeks; flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills,
headache, and extreme fatigue; arthritis of major joints which “comes and
goes;” and severe nerve disorders such as Belle’s Palsy (in which one-half of a
person’s face is paralyzed) in later stages.
·
Anyone who has been in an area where ticks are found and develops
any of the symptoms mentioned above, especially from May through early Fall,
should see a physician for evaluation immediately.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF)
·
Caused by a rickettsial organism, Rickettsia rickettsii.
·
Found in the Southeast and South-central U.S., including Oklahoma,
North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Georgia and Tennessee.
·
Symptoms include sudden high fever, malaise, chills, muscle aches,
bloodshot eyes, and headaches, appearing three to 14 days after infection;
nervous symptoms, such as sleeplessness, restlessness, and delirium.
·
In at least 50% of patients, a characteristic spotty red rash
occurs on the soles of the feet and palms of the hands within two to three days
after the rapid onset of a high fever.
·
Thirteen to 25 percent fatality rate for untreated human RMSF
cases.
Human Ehrlichioses
·
Caused by a rickettsial organism, Ehrlichia chaffeensis.
·
Reported mainly in Southern states.
·
Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, aches and pains in the
joints and muscles, loss of appetite, eye pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE)
·
Caused by a new, unnamed rickettsial organism.
·
A relatively uncommon disease, but fatality rates are usually much
higher than for HME.
·
First isolated from a tick from Wisconsin in 1995, and has since
been reported from at least seven other states.
·
Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, aches and pains in
joints and muscles, loss of appetite, eye pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Babesiosis
·
Caused by Babesia microti, a pathogen of certain meadow mice,
transmitted mainly by the black-legged tick in the northeastern U.S.
·
A rare, but sometimes fatal, disease mainly infecting humans who
have had their spleen removed, are very old, or have weakened immune
systems.
·
Symptoms resemble a mild form of malaria, and medical difficulties
are almost always due to misdiagnosis or diagnosis very late in the course of
the disease.
Tick Paralysis
·
An acute paralysis of motor nerves of mammals, fatal unless the
tick is removed
Results from direct, long term contact with infected ticks (which generally attach themselves to the nape of the neck or behind the ear for several days or more).Rodents
Animals that may come indoors during winter include mice, rats, squirrels, and sometimes even raccoons and opossums. Rodents may come in through almost any opening – pet doors, holes in walls, missing vent screens, openings around pipes, dryer ducts vents, etc.
The roof may also be a handy highway into your home. Rats can climb plants or trees that are too close to the house. That’s where roof rats get their name.
An estimated that 21 million homes in the U.S. are invaded by rodents each year winter. In the U.S., rodents try to come inside from October through February.
Mice can squeeze through spaces as small as a nickel. Rats can squeeze through a space as small as a half dollar.
You know you have rodents when you can hear scampering or gnawing sounds late at night in the attic or behind walls. Telltale signs of rodents’ gnawing may be seen on packaged goods, cardboard boxes, and walls near pipes and vents. Inside, rodents can be very destructive. They chew through wallboards and can eat through cardboard boxes, wood, and plaster. Rodents gnaw on electrical wiring that could potentially cause an electrical fire. Rodent droppings may be found in undisturbed areas of the house such as pantries, attics, garages, under baseboards, and along walls.
Keeping
rodents out
- To keep mice and other rodents out, make sure
that all holes of larger diameter than a pencil are sealed.
- Also seal any cracks and voids.
- Don’t overlook proper drainage at the foundation
and always install gutters or diverts which will channel the water away
from the building.
- Your local pest management firm can help
provide information on and may even do pest proofing.
- If you find rodents in your home, knowing when
to call an expert is important.
- Call a local pest management professional to
identify the problem, survey for, and control the rodents using n
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach.
- Searching out the hiding places of rodents and
other pests and precisely targeting management efforts requires a
competent, knowledgeable, and technically-trained specialist.
- A pest management professional has the special
training, experience and tools necessary to assure adequate protection
against such destructive pests.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches have been
around for more than 350 million years. Most species live in tropical or
subtropical areas and nearly all need warm, dark, moist places to hide during the
day. They nearly all will eat anything available, from sugar to rotting leaf
litter to feces. They are important in recycling dead and decaying matter
(especially dead plant matter) in their natural settings.
Cockroaches often are a health threat.
In general, the habits and high reproductive rate of pest cockroaches can lead
to large populations which spread disease organisms, contaminate and eat our
food, and cause allergies and even asthma.
Cockroaches have been reported to spread at least 33 kinds of bacteria, six
kinds of parasitic worms, and at least seven other kinds of human pathogens.
They can pick up germs on the spines of their legs and bodies as they crawl
through decaying matter or sewage and then carry these into food or onto food
surfaces. Germs that cockroaches eat from decaying matter or sewage are
protected while in their bodies and may remain infective for several weeks
longer than if they had been exposed to cleaning agents, rinse water, or just
sunlight and air.
Good sanitation and habitat reduction, along with vacuuming, surveillance, a
baiting program, and some sealing of cracks can usually quickly reduce or
eliminate a cockroach population. A trained, certified Pest Management
Professional (PMP) has the knowledge and tools to evaluate the situation, guide
and advise on sanitation improvements, and accomplish the remaining
steps.
Recent medical studies have shown that cockroach allergens cause lots of
allergic reactions in inner city children. They were even shown to cause asthma
in children. These allergens build up in deposits of droppings, secretions,
cast skins, and dead bodies of roaches.
Adequate control of cockroaches is needed in such settings to help prevent the
build-up of dangerous concentrations of their allergens. Where large cockroach
populations are already well established, and in older buildings, or in
buildings which allow roaches to easily move between rooms or apartments, very
good sanitation by one occupant will not solve the problem. In those cases, the
help of a trained, experienced, licensed pest management professional will
probably be needed to reduce the problem, and effectively work toward
eliminating the roaches.
Profiles of the four main urban pest cockroaches.
1. German Cockroach. The
German Cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), is about 5/8-inch (16 mm) long,
light-to-medium brown with two dark parallel stripes the long-way on the
pronotum. Females are slightly darker, and have wider bodies, and more rounded
abdomens than males. Nymphs have two dark parallel stripes the whole length of
their bodies. They breed all year round indoors in humid places at about 70oF (
21oC ). They produce 30-40 eggs in a capsule (`otheca) approximately three
months after they first hatch, and then produce another capsule about every 28
days after that.
2. American
Cockroach. The American Cockroach, Periplaneta americana (L.), is sometimes
called the “Palmetto Bug” in tropical American areas. They are the largest of
the house-infesting urban pest cockroaches at about 1.5 inches (38mm) long,
with full-sized reddish brown wings and a light margin completely around their
prothorax. The females have larger, heavier bodies, and the males have two
obvious pairs of stylets at the tip of their abdomen. They often live in sewers
and live outdoors in warm areas like Florida or southern California. They can
thrive in underground steam and utility tunnels in Alaska. Under good
conditions, it takes an American roach about nine to ten months to grow from
hatching to maturity. After another 45 days, each mated female can produce an
egg capsule containing 16 eggs every four to five days until she has produced
more than 50 of them. The female usually glues her egg capsule into or onto
some partly hidden spot. These are the most common cockroaches on sea-going
ships. They have been noted to chew off the eyelashes, eyebrows and toenails of
humans.
3. Brown-Banded Cockroach.
Brown-Banded Cockroaches, Supella longipalpa (Serville), are very slightly
smaller than German cockroaches (about ½-inch; 13 mm long). They have two
lighter bands across their dark brownish bodies. Males have full wings, which
reach beyond the tip of their rather pointed abdomens, but females have
underdeveloped wings, much shorter than their broad, rounded abdomens. The lighter
band markings are much more distinct in nymphs than in adults of either sex.
Within a room, these roaches tend to prefer warmer, drier, and higher locations
than do any of the other urban pest roaches. They are often found in upper
cabinets or in other rooms than the kitchens (food preparation areas) or
bathrooms. Under good conditions of moderate humidity and warm temperatures of
about 80oF ( 27oC ), these roaches can develop from hatching to adult in around
95 days. The females can begin producing egg capsules containing about 19-20
eggs after about 70 more days. This species does not require as much moisture
as any of the other three urban pest cockroach species.
4. Oriental Cockroach.
Oriental Cockroaches, Blatta orientalis (L.), are large very dark (almost
black, but sometimes dark reddish-brown), shiny cockroaches which live in
sewers and similar wet, decaying organic matter. They are sometimes called
“water bugs” because they come out of drains, and “black beetle cockroaches”
because of their smooth, dark bodies. Males are about 1 inch long, with wings
that cover only about ¾ of their abdomen; females are about 1 ¼ inch long, and
have only short stubs of wing pads. They survive best at lower temperatures
than the other three urban pest roach species, preferring a range of 68 to 84oF
(20 to 29oC), and are seldom found in warmer states in the U.S. They grow
slowly, needing more than 200 days to go from hatching to adult, and females
take another 60 days to produce their first egg capsule of 16 eggs. They may go
on to produce 8 to 10 egg capsules at a rate of about one every 30-40 days,
depending on temperature and moisture conditions.
Ticks Prevention and Protection
- Avoid tick habitats, if
possible, such as low-growing brushy vegetation along the edge of a woods
or trail, and leaf litter.
- Wear light-colored clothing,
and tuck pant legs into socks and shirt bottoms into pants, to make ticks
more readily visible.
- Apply repellents to clothing
and skin.
- Check yourself thoroughly
after you have been in known or potential tick-infested areas.
- Hard ticks must be attached
for more than 24 hours before they can transmit any pathogen, therefore
finding and removing all ticks before they have been attached for 24 hours
can prevent disease.
Removing Ticks
- Tick populations can be reduced by removing
brush and the leaf litter layer (similar to mulch) below the brushy sites
where they seek their hosts.
- A trained and certified Pest Management
Professional can remove ticks by applying a pesticide that is properly
labeled for tick habitat or other methods depending on the type of
infestation.
- Use fine-tipped tweezers or shield your fingers
with a tissue, paper towel or rubber gloves. Ticks’ mouthparts are long
and covered with barbs. Ticks usually secrete a “cement” into the bite
which helps keep them in place.
- Grasp the tick firmly as near as possible to
the point where it is attached and then pull directly upward with steady,
even force. Do not twist or jerk the tick.
- If a piece of the tick’s mouthparts breaks off
and remains in your skin, sterilize a needle, pin, or sharp-pointed
tweezers and dig it out; then sterilize the wound, just as you would when
you remove a splinter.
- Do not squeeze, crush or puncture the tick’s
body because its body fluids may contain infectious organisms. Also do not
apply harsh solvents like nail polish remover, or petroleum jelly, or a
heated probe or match to an attached tick. These actions can cause the
tick to regurgitate back into the wound.
- After removing the tick, wash and disinfect the
site and wash your hands and any tools you used to help remove the
tick.
- Save the tick in a small vial, or plastic bag,
in your freezer. Be sure to label it and hold it for later identification
and analysis in case you develop any tick-borne disease symptoms.
Community Responsibility
The greatest defense against mosquito-borne illness is you. The homeowner. The
parent. The average consumer.
Since one of the most widely recognized mosquito-borne illnesses—West Nile
Virus—was first detected in the U.S., the potentially fatal disease has spread
across the country from Pennsylvania to Washington state. Forty-one states and
Washington D.C. have confirmed cases of West Nile.
Not all communities provide municipal mosquito management. But only a concerted community-wide effort can properly manage these pests and reduce the risks associated with them. Every town. Every neighbor.
Diseases Transmitted by Mosquitoes Mosquitoes transmit several human diseases—all of which can be fatal—including:
- West Nile Virus. First detected in the U.S. in
1999, it can lead to serious complications of the liver or nervous system,
inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) or paralysis.
- Malaria. Malaria was thought to have been
eradicated in the U.S. but was detected in mosquitoes in Fairfax County,
VA, in 2002.
- Dengue fever. A small but important risk for
dengue fever exists in the United States. Travelers may introduce 100 to
200 cases into the U.S. each year.
How You Can Help Prevent the Spread of Mosquito-Borne Illnesses
- Contact a local Pest
Management Professional (PMP). PMPs can help homeowners reduce their
exposure to mosquito bites by inspecting properties for mosquito breeding
sites, treating to control mosquitoes or suggesting corrective actions,
and providing basic information, current news releases and references to
other information sources.
- Eliminate or reduce mosquito
breeding sites by replacing all standing water at least once a week. This
includes bird baths, ponds and pools.
- Remove unneeded vegetation or
trash from around any standing water sources that cannot be changed,
dumped or removed.
- Introduce mosquito-eating fish
such as Gambusia, Green Sunfish, Bluegills and Minnows to standing water.
- Screen windows, doors, and
other openings with mesh.
- Use mesh that is 18x18 strands
per square inch, or finer.
- Seal around all screen edges,
and keep doors and windows shut to prevent entry of most mosquito species.
- Avoid going outdoors when and
where mosquitoes are most active: during dusk or dawn.
- Use insect repellent on
exposed skin whenever or wherever mosquitoes are likely to bite.
- The most effective repellents
currently available contain the active ingredient N,N-diethylbenza-mide
(DEET), in concentrations up to about 35% (greater concentrations don’t
offer better protection).
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and
long-legged pants, preferably treated with a repellent as well.
Where To Find a Local PMP The National Pest Management Association
(NPMA) has developed a national online consumer referral service for homeowners
in need of a professional pest control company. The referral service can be
found on the NPMA website at www.pestworld.org/homeowners. Through this consumer referral
service web link, homeowners can request that a pest control company contact
them and address their specific pest problem. The request is then sent to
professionals in the homeowner’s geographic area. Pest control companies
respond to homeowners via email with a brief description of their services.
|
|
|
|
Bees, Ants, Beetles, Termites: Are They Chewing Up Your Home? They’re big and scary
and look like bumble bees – inch-long carpenter bees with a shiny abdomen and
yellow thorax. When humans approach, males may angrily hover a short distance
in front of a person’s face or buzz around their head. People stay clear of
them. Most don’t know it’s only an act, flying around the nest playing guard.
Nature has left this male ill-prepared: he has no stinger. Only the female
can sting. It’s a potent sting but she rarely uses it. For homeowners, a
bigger but little-known danger lurks. Carpenter bees are wood-destroying
insects that can cause serious structural damage if not caught in time and
treated. Other pests that can eat through wood include: termites, carpenter
ants, and powder post beetles. If any of these
organisms has established a nest in the wood of a structure, homeowners
probably will need the services of pest management professionals to help
determine and implement an effective plan to control them and prevent
re-infestation. This is especially true if any form of chemical control is
needed. This plan is likely
to be an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach, according to Dr. Mark Lacey,
Director of Technical and Field Services for the National Pest Management
Association (NPMA), a trade group representing professional pest management
companies in the U.S. and around the world. IPM is a
decision-making process that anticipates and prevents pest activity and
infestation by combining several techniques or materials to achieve long-term
management, such as structural repair, maintenance, biological and mechanical
control techniques, and pesticide application. Lacey said IPM
differs from traditional pest management in that it employs an approach that
requires more participation by the homeowner to achieve long-term pest
management. “Since their home’s
likely their biggest investment in their lifetime, most homeowners are more
than happy to take the time and effort needed to implement the pest
management professional’s recommendations for an effective program,” he
said. Professional pest
management can be important because the untrained eye often cannot see the
structural damage caused by carpenter bees, carpenter ants, powder post
beetles, or even the dreaded termites. Everyone knows about
the dangers of subterranean termites, which cost in excess of $2.5 billion in
treatments and damages each year as they tunnel their way through structures.
Damage to affected wood may be so great that the building may crumble or
collapse entirely. Not generally known
is that there are seven species of carpenter bees throughout the U.S. They
get their name from their ability to drill through wood and nest in
near-perfect holes of about one-half inch in diameter. The hole is usually
located on the underside of wood surfaces, including siding, soffits, decks,
overhangs, fence posts and window frames. They tunnel aggressively in cedar
siding. Although the hole
only appears to be only an inch or two deep, it rarely ends there. The female
bee takes a right-angle turn and bores a gallery anywhere from four to six
inches in a new gallery and up to 10 feet for galleries developed and used by
several bees. This channel serves as a main corridor in which they usually
wall-off smaller chambers a few inches long to hold their eggs and developing
young. Female carpenter bees
will drill galleries in a wide array of woods, but prefer weathered and
unpainted woods. Pressure treated lumber in decks won’t stop them. Carpenter bee control
consists of treating each individual gallery with an appropriately labeled
pesticide. Aerosol injection systems are probably the most efficient, safest
and quickest way to treat galleries, especially when on a ladder. Similarly, carpenter
ants get their name from hollowing out galleries in wood as nests. They can
do serious damage to buildings when they cut extensive galleries in
structural wood. The first sign of an
infestation may be seeing several sizes of worker ants crawling along a
countertop, or small piles of ragged “saw dust” mixed with dirt particles,
fragments of insulation, and insect body parts (frass). Each pile of frass is
usually directly below a small hole in some wooden part of a cabinet,
windowsill, or structural part of the building. There are nine
species of carpenter ants throughout the U.S., with as many as four or five
species commonly seen in some places. All species mainly attack wood which
is, or has previously been, wet and damaged by fungi. Carpenter ants can be
hard to control. It usually requires a trained professional to detect the
telltale signs of typical carpenter ant debris, gallery openings, foraging
trails, or typical gallery cutting sounds. Just controlling the ants you see
crossing the floor won’t help. Then there are
lyctids, commonly known as powderpost beetles because their larvae produce a
very fine, powderlike dust (like talcum powder or flour) in their galleries.
There are about 11 species in the U.S. Besides piles of
dust, another sign of damage and infestation are their round exit holes.
Female lyctids lay their eggs in exposed wood pores, cracks or crevices.
Lyctids attack the sapwood and only that of hardwoods, usually less than 10
years old. Lyctids usually
attack oak, hickory, and ash, and will attack other native and tropical
hardwoods. They also often attack bamboo. For control, a local
treatment or fumigation may be used depending on extent of infestation and
the preferences of the homeowner. |
