The Best Ways To Kill Pests Organically

By David Darby

One of the biggest concerns and issues of our generation is our health, our environment and the effects the products we use directly have on them. It is a good concern to have because some of the things we use do affect our health. Things like chemicals in products have been known to harm us. Well one area where people are definitely looking to be more organic with is pest control. With the use of chemicals to get rid of pests people want more natural ways to get rid of pests.

First of all, using natural methods, there are ways to get rid of pests. Running a San Diego pest control company has allowed me to see that more and more manufacturers are producing them. Of course the bulk of ways to get rid of pests is with chemicals. Although it is one of the main ways to totally eliminate pests, more and more pest control companies are utilizing organic methods now.

Now, one of the biggest pest problems around are ants. So naturally there are a few ways to get rid of them or eliminate organically.

Now to kill them at their ant hill is basically the key to getting rid of ants. Because just killing the ones you find in your house is not enough. Absolutely, they will keep coming back. So in my San Diego ant control service the main organic way we use to kill them at the ant hill is using organic sprays.

There are definitely ways as well for dealing with rodents organically. Because people have liked to use and utilize poisons and things like that in the past generations. But those had chemicals in them since those were not organic. With the use of traps, it is the best way to kill rodents naturally. This has been the best way to control rodents with most rodent control service.

So even though pest control has been used with chemicals in the past as you can see for yourself. There are now many effective ways to get rid of them organically. - 30446

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How To Deal With Common Pest Control Problems

By David Darby

There are definitely many common things that most of the homeowners have among each other. Some of those things in common are nice and are great. While others are problems that most homeowners would rather not have to face. One of those problems that homeowners seem to share are problems with pests. Well, in this article we are going to examine that kind of problem and those some things that you can do about it.

Running a pest control San Diego service has allowed me to see that most people have to deal with pests in their home. Basically, how people try to deal with it are definitely different things. Some homeowners like to take care and try of it definitely all by themselves. While other homeowners would definitely prefer to pay a professional who could do it for them.

When you have problems with ants for example, some homeowners will think that the problem will be easily solved by applying some ant spray. But it only kills the ants which you can see as most people have already realized. What happens is the next day there will be more ants in your home. To fight that, the only way is to kill them at their very source which is definitely their ant hill. That is our main strategy in my ant control San Diego service.

Another common pest are rodents like rats and mice. This is another pest which people surely hate to see in their very own home. As an example, something most people would rather not think about is the thought of mice going into your food.

But it is a fact and the only way to fight them is to set traps and poison them. There is not some kind of a sure fire way to totally eliminate them forever. But by setting traps and poison you can limit their population from multiplying. That is what we do in our San Diego mouse control service.

So as you can see pest control problems are normal. Getting rid of them is another matter. You should be able to totally eliminate them only if you do these things. - 30446

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Does Your Prospective Home Have Building Defects? 90% Do.

By Darren K. Thompson

Let's say you're in the market for a new home. Congratulations. However, be careful. There are things that can show up in your perfect new home that aren't going to be obvious to anyone, at least not at first. However, you have to rule any serious defects out before you buy, whether your home is gently lived in, new, or a fixer-upper. It's not just about poorly placed window glass or bad spackling, either.

The First Case:

In our first case, a man trusts a family friend, and buys a home he and his family have fallen in love with. After six years, which is well past any warranties the home might have, the home has had no problems. However, once the city builds a bypass, the next heavy rain reveals the home's flaws. It has poor drainage, which causes the lower level to flood because it has been poorly sealed. Unfortunately, the flood is of sticky mud, more than a metre deep. In the washout, a drainage culvert to the side of the house also collapses, and parts of the lawn begin to "slide" as well, becoming treacherous. At the bottom of the lawn, which slopes, the grass becomes a marsh, which ruins the once plentiful vegetable garden.

In fact, the home has bad drainage and a poorly sealed lower level. These two defects are catastrophic, to the point where this house, originally priced at $250,000, dropped by about a third in value after the cleanup. Some of the problems have since been addressed, but there has been subsequent flooding over the last decade. The former functioning lower level is simply now average storage, which has cut the home's living space in half. Many family heirlooms and memories were also destroyed in the floods, and these are irreplaceable treasures that are simply gone.

The Second Case:

Someone has bought a home, a so-called "handyman's special." Because he's pretty handy, he knows a bit about home structure, and he has also worked in construction. He likes building and renovation. He sees a roof that has some leaking, a house that needs a new paint job, and some broken bricks around the bottom of the home. Of course, these things are relatively minor and easily fixed by someone so handy. After he signs his contract, though, he finds the real problem. The house's foundation is cracked, caused by poor settling. The south end of the home is settling faster than the north end is. Jacks have helped hide this problem and level the floors, but he can't repair this himself. To repair this problem will cost him more than he originally paid for the home.

Problems like these, and others, may hide in the home you're considering. This can be true whether it's new or old. Even if you think you know about homes and your best friend is the builder, it's a possibility that the home you're considering has serious building flaws.

In fact, 90% of homes have flaws that are serious enough to cost you as many as tens of thousands of dollars in renovations or repair. A small minority of these homes has flaws that are serious enough to make the only really fiscally feasible solution a razing of the home altogether, and then rebuilding.

Before you consider buying any home, hire a building inspector. These people have worked for decades in construction and have seen everything. They know where to look for land quality, zoning issues, the home's history, and any credentials needed. They know whom you should trust and whom you should avoid, and they also know what corners dishonest contractors cut. These corners might surprise you, and cost you a lot.

Before you buy, get an independent building inspection. It could be the best money you spend in the complex transaction to get your new home. - 30446

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Subterranean Termite Control

By Russ Frank

Different types of termites require different termite control methods. Subterranean termites live in the soil because they require moisture. Drywood termites do not require as much moisture, so they can live in dry wood. Fumigation is an effective control for drywood termites but not for subterranean termites. Subterranean termite control requires either bait systems or soil treatments.

Subterranean termites are widespread across the U.S., mostly in the southern states. Because of their wide distribution, experts say subterranean termites cause most of the termite damage to homes and other structures every year. Around $4.5 billion is spent annually for termite control and to repair the damage caused.

The ideal situation for subterranean termites is to find wood that is in close contact with the soil. If they find wood nearby but not touching the soil, they will build "mud tubes," to connect the colony to their food, the wood. Mud tubes are essentially highways that allow termites access to their food supply without being exposed to predators or weather.

The nature of termites is to remain hidden. They avoid exposure to the outside environment. In addition to the use of mud tubes, they also prefer to remain hidden on the inside of wood. This makes termite control all the more difficult. Infested wood may appear perfectly normal on the outside while the inside is largely eaten away.

So how can subterranean termites be detected? Mud tubes are an obvious sign. Accumulations of wings are another bad sign, especially if they are recent. If a patch of wood looks suspicious, tap on it with the handle of a screwdriver. Any hollow sounds should be considered another warning sign. Contact a termite control professional to verify your findings.

There are only 2 effective methods of termite control for subterranean termites. The first is soil treatments and the second is bait systems. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Soil treatments can be intrusive for most homeowners, plus they use relatively large amounts of chemicals. Advantages of soil treatments are that the termites can be eliminated fairly quickly. In addition, protection can continue for several years.

Baiting systems work by offering termites small amounts of wood as bait. When termites locate the bait, the wood is replaced by bait that contains a slow-acting poison. When it is taken back to the colony and shared, the colony dies. The advantages of this termite control system are that it is not disruptive, and that it uses very small amounts of poison. The disadvantages are that it may take several months to eliminate the colony, and that the cost of monitoring make it a bit more expensive than the soil treatment.

The behaviors and needs of subterranean termites are the key to both understanding and control. The first step is to locate potential problems around the home and make the changes needed to reduce the risk. The second step is to schedule annual termite inspections by a termite control professional. Immediate detection will minimize any damage and keep your home safe for years to come. - 30446

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Here's How to Beat Cockroaches at Their Own Game

By Darren K. Thompson

No one likes cockroaches. They're large, quick-moving, insidious pests that can quickly take over your house. They eat human food and pet food, and carry microbes on their bodies that can be potentially dangerous to people, including tropomyosin, which has been linked with asthma. Finding one may be a sign that you have an infestation somewhere in your house.

Cockroaches are so difficult to kill that they can go with no air for over thirty minutes and survive with no food for over a month. They are very elusive and difficult to find. Roaches can fit through holes as small as half a millimetre. They have been known to survive nuclear explosions with no damage! The question is, how would you even know if you had these pesky creatures in your home?

Light is the best way to find out if you really do have cockroaches. Since these pests are nocturnal, roaches like to roam around in search of food late at night in the dark. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to sneak up on them since they have a nerve that runs from tail to head that lets them know that something or someone is about to attack.

First, enter a dark room very quietly, taking your time and moving slowly. Then, simply flip on the lights and watch as the cockroaches run for the dark places. They may hide behind your sinks, under cupboards and cabinets, or even inside of them, behind loose baseboards, beneath furniture, behind a mirror or picture hung on the wall, and of course, beneath beds, in closets, and in garages.

It is vital to not leave food lying around and if you spill something, especially something sticky, clean it up really well. Keep your dishes clean and sweep and mop very often, specifically in corners. Store your food in air tight containers, some stores even offer pest resistant storage containers. Keep in mind that once you have roaches, it is hard to get rid of them, so prevention is the best way to keep roaches out. Woodpiles and cardboard are roach vacation spots, so keep these items far away from your home.

Cockroaches can fit through the most unexpected spaces to find food. Check your home often and seal all cracks that you find in the walls, floors, ceilings and foundation. Caulk regularly around tubs, sinks, windows and any other outlets you find that lead to the outdoors.

But how do you take care of them if you are infested? There are a variety of bait traps out there, though the ones using boric acid, or containing hydramethylnon gel are the most effective. Any bait with an egg killer agent can help you reduce the cockroach population in your house. However, while these are useful against the occasional roach, what do you do against a full infestation?

To truly remove a cockroach infestation from your house, you should hire a professional extermination service. They have more tools at their disposal to take care of the problem, the ability to answer your questions, and a guarantee that you won't find in a small boxed trap. Exterminators can also tell you if you have more than just roaches.

It only takes a little extra effort to prevent roach infestation and can save you a ton of money and time in the long run. Instead of fighting a losing battle against these intelligent and almost indestructible bugs, call an exterminator to get rid of the problem permanently. - 30446

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Tips To Prevent 2 Pests From Invading The Home

By David Darby

One thing we always seem to do is normally react to different problems. Sometimes reacting to problems is basically not the best route to take.For instance with the kind of problem of pest control for your home you do not want to wait long.You definitely need to prevent the problem from happening in the first place.Because once they successfully invade your home it is sometimes difficult to get rid of them.

First of all running a San Diego pest control service has allowed me to see what are the most common problems. These are the common problems that caused these pests to come into the home.Sometimes I see they are truly unavoidable, while other times there are definitely some things you can do.

One good example with regards to ants is that they really attack hard in the summer months. They do this mainly because they hibernate in the winter so they absolutely need to store more food during the summer. Running a ant control San Diego service has allowed me to see what things they could have done.

These things they should have done are clean up after each meal. One thing you don't want is to have something for them to find.Because if they do not find anything to eat they definitely won't come in.In general always keep your home clean of food and spills and it should absolutely help.

With regards to rodents these are one pest that are definitely a little harder to keep out. The main reason for this is simply because they can actually squeeze into such small holes. That means any openings in your house they can find there way in.Poisoning them is really the best way to prevent a full infestation. That is one of the main strategies in our San Diego mouse control company. Set up poison on the outside the home before they come in.

So as you can see there are a couple of helpful things you can do to prevent these pests from bothering you.If you actually do them you should not have as much trouble as it should seem. - 30446

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Are You Familiar With The Various Termites Types?

By Don Rodriguiez

What are the main termites types? Do you know your termites? You need to know some basic facts about these insects if you are to protect your home and yard against unwanted invaders. This article will discuss the three most prominent types of termites found in the United States.

Living in highly organized colonies with distinct social groups which have particular duties and functions, are dry wood, subterranean, and Formosan termites. These are the three species of termites found in the United States which despite their diversity share a common enemy -- ants. All three groups of insects get their food from cellulose which is found in wood and wood products.

As their name implies, subterranean termites live beneath the ground. It is estimated that they cause 95% of the over three billion dollars in damage caused by termites each year to residential and business properties. Through a system of complex tunnels which they construct, these insects make their way to the surface for feeding.

Formosan termites are especially threatening to residences and forests. This is because, unlike dry wood termites which inhabit dead and dying trees and wood, these subterranean insects attack healthy trees. Experts say it may take up to two years from the time the colony establishes residency to discover this damage. That is why they are more dangerous than dry wood termites which live above the ground in dead trees and in houses and furniture made of wood and wood products. Formosan are considered late comers to the United States because they arrived after World War II on military vessels returning from duty in Asia, particularly East Asia.

All three groups of termites in the USA swarm in the early spring. However, not all members of the colony do so as is commonly misunderstood. Only the group known as alates get to enjoy this activity -- the purpose of which is to find mates with whom they go off and establish new colonies. - 30446

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