Archive for the ‘Extermination’ Category

First Ant Swarm of 2012

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

It’s official, Blue Chip Pest Services received its first Odorous House ant swarm call for the 2012 season.  Trust me when I say this is not normal. And even though we had a spring like 68 degree day last week that shouldn’t have been enough to cause a swarm.  But it did.

Normally a swarm won’t happen until early spring when we have several warm days stretched together with a little bit of rain.  This type of condition (warmth and rain) after a long winter makes for an excellent swarm environment for ants and termites.

Hopefully this is an isolated incident.  This is normally the one time of year most homeowner or business owners don’t have to worry to much about insect issues in or around their property. But if by some unnatural occurrence you too get a ant swarm, give us a call or get you DIY supplies at one of our three locations.

Please call us if you have any questions or concerns regarding these pests at 636-343-7900 or go to bluechipexterminating.com for more information regarding our service options.

 

Putting away christmas decorations? Look out for Brown Recluse spiders.

Friday, January 6th, 2012

With the holiday season coming to an end most of us now have the task of putting all the decorations away until next year.  This is an excellent opportunity to get rid of all those cardboard boxes and upgrade your storage container to one that is more pest friendly.  Plastic storage containers help items stay dry, dust free and eliminates resting sites for brown recluse spiders and silverfish.

Unlike most insects that enter your home, the brown recluse will seek out undisturbed areas the hide out and rest.  For those of you who store cardboard boxes in the basement, the garage or attic this article is really for you.  Cardboard boxes provide an excellent hiding area for the brown recluse.  Because most boxes do not seal as well as plastic containers the brown recluse can easily find it’s way under a loose lid or an ill fitting seem.  Unfortunately for us, the next time we reach into the box there could be potential for the spider to bite us if we accidentally corner it or brush up against it.

So, if you have any concerns about brown recluse spiders or have had sighting or problems in the past, I strongly suggest using this type of storage container.  Now, this in no way means that a spider couldn’t get into a plastic storage container, but it does drastically reduce the odds of  this happening.  The better your container lids sits on the rim, the better your odds will be.

Lastly, if you have a brown recluse problem, just using a plastic container will not solve your problem.  Because the brown recluse spider bite is so dangerous, this is one pest that I do recommend the D.I.Y.’ers to hire professional pest control company come in to eliminate the problem.  It isn’t so much that the chemicals will be better than you can get at one of out retail stores, its the application of the materials in to the right spots and knowing what to look for that can only come from experience.

Please call us if you have any questions or concerns regarding these pests at 636-343-7900 or go to bluechipexterminating.com for more information regarding our service options.

Boxelder Bugs – An Over-wintering Pest

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

 

Boxelder bugs are insects that primarily live on Boxelder Maple trees in the spring, summer and fall months.  As with most other over-wintering bugs this insects do not cause any structural issues.  They too will congregate on the sunny side of house and try to find a suitable crack or crevice to gain entry into your wall void.  Once spring comes, they will leave your house for their natural habitat.

Please call us if you have any questions or concerns regarding these pests at 636-343-7900 or go to bluechipexterminating.com for more information regarding our service options.

Cluster Flies – An Over-wintering Pest

Friday, November 18th, 2011

A cluster fly is best described as an over-sized house fly.  They do not bite and are truly a nuisance pest.  This fly will congrete in 100′s and sometimes in 1000′s.  They become a great nuisance as they become very active on mild winter days.  Like other over-wintering pests, these flies go for the first light outside the void that they were in and sometimes that light is from inside our house.

The best way to try and control these flies is prevent them from entering the structure.  Make sure caulk is good around windows and doors, utilities entering the home are sealed tight and there are no structure defects in the siding or soffit area of the home.  If cluster flies are a yearly problem in your home, use a pesticide to treat the sunny side of your home monthly during the fall months before they gain entry into your home.

Please call us if you have any questions or concerns regarding these pests at 636-343-7900 or go to bluechipexterminating.com for more information regarding our service options.