In case you missed it.  Fox 2 in St. Louis ran a story about how fleas may be worse this year than in years past.  Click the link here to see the story.

You know, this might be true of all insects this year.  Thus far, our winter in St. Louis has been almost none existent.  Let’s hope for the best, but when all fails, remember you have a friend in Blue Chip.

The article does give some solid advice about dealing with fleas on your pet though:

One way to discover fleas early is to go over your dog with a flea comb, which can find fleas and flea dirt much better than you can just with your eyes.  If black specks fall out of the hair you’ve combed, chances are you’ve found fleas.  The best way to tell is to shake the hair pulled out by the comb over a white surface.  Then add water to any black specks you find.  If those specks melt and turn red, it is flea dirt, meaning your fleas have already made a home on your pet.

Along with fleas, ticks are expected to be bad as well, especially for pets that spend much time around water.

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.

Here’s a link to the new Bed Bug proposal introduced by Sen. Kevin Engler.  For those of you live in St. Louis (or anywhere in Missouri), this bill would be highly beneficial for those of you who live in a  multi-family housing unit.  This is one pest that almost always has to be introduced in a home either by travel (luggage), second hand items brought into the home or unknowingly brought in on by someone (on their clothing or in their purse).  So with this in mind,  a bed bug infestations can easily come through a common wall shared with your neighbor causing you a lot of worried and stress fulled nights.

As we have mentioned in a previous blog, Bed Bugs are one insect I do not recommend trying to solve yourself.  So, for those of you who need this bill to be passed, at least someone is out there in your corner trying get you some rights.

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.

These cold evening temperatures mean one thing to a fireplace owner – a warm fire and a comfortable spot on the couch. Unfortunately,  this scenario may mean something different to the creatures who have made an overwintering home in your firewood stack outside your home.

There are a lot of insects that will use firewood as an overwintering home.  These can include millipedes, pill bugs, beetles, spiders, and even some wildlife like snakes and mice.  They will find cracks in the wood or crawl under a loose piece of bark and so on.  That’s why it is not recommended that firewood be brought inside the house and stacked for a future burning.  Once the firewood starts to warm up in the house those insects who were in a somewhat dormant state will also began awaken and become active.  This is why it not uncommon for people who have brought in firewood to suddenly see an increase in pests that they normally hadn’t seen all winter long.

It is recommend that you only bring in the firewood that will be thrown directly onto the fire.  Otherwise, you may be surprised as to what was hiding where you could not see.

On a side note, make sure that your firewood pile is stored either away from the home, or on a rack as pictured.  This will keep termites from using the firewood as a bridge to enter the home undetected.

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.

Asian Lady beetles can become very annoying this time of year, as they need to seek out shelter from the winter cold or they will die off.  Most people who get a lady bug infestation tend to have light colored homes, with nice open space around there home for the sun to hit it fully.  Do not be alarmed if they choose your house to infest, as they do no structure damage.  Unfortunately, they can stay active throughout the winter and enter the house through cracks or cervices and become a nuisance.  

Once inside a void (you wall) it not recommended that any treatment be made to kill this insect because the insects can attract a species of bug in the spring to feed upon their bodies.  Once this new species is introduced, they can cause damage more damage to things in your home than the lady bug ever could.  Plus, if you don’t mind vacuuming up a dead bug here and there through the winter all the over-wintering pests will leave in the spring.

The best way to prevent them from entering your home is to make sure that as many cracks and crevices around your home a sealed tight with caulk or a similar material.  Using a pesticide around windows, doors, and in the eves will help as well.  At, Blue Chip, we use a pressurized power spray unit to apply pesticides in these areas to help limit the number of insects that are able to make there way into your home. And for the D.I.Y.’ers, our retail stores sell the materials you will need to tackle this problem head on.

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.