Why Don’t Poisonous Animals Poison Themselves? - Rebecca D. Tarvin

Thousands of animal species use toxic chemicals to defend themselves from predators. Snakes have blood clotting compounds in their fangs, the bombardier beetle has corrosive liquid in its abdomen and jellyfish have venomous, harpoon-like structures in their tentacles. But how do these animals survive their own poisons? Rebecca D. Tarvin details the strategies that protect animals from themselves. 

Lesson by Rebecca D. Tarvin, animation by Giulia Martinelli.

The Four Most Important Pest Control Tips to Protect Your Home

Many animals and bugs that a person finds around their home may be classified as undesirable pests. Several examples include ants, spiders, termites, wasps, roaches, and some rodents such as rats. A person that notices these creatures around the home should not take their presence lightly as they can be more than just a nuisance. These uninvited houseguests, while small in size, have the potential to cause extensive damage to property and can also cause diseases and allergies that can be life-threatening.

This is why it's important for a homeowner to consider several pest control practices to prevent an infestation. Critters will be less likely to be attracted to the home if garbage is properly closed off to them and disposed of regularly. A person can keep unwelcome animals from entering the home by sealing any cracks and gaps. As some creatures are attracted to water and moisture, a person should keep the home dry, cool, and free of any standing water.

Store Garbage Properly

Of course, a large portion of what you'll find in a garbage bag is leftover food and table scraps that were discarded after dinner. Unfortunately, animals such rats and ants are attracted to the leftover food, and they will shamelessly dig through garbage bags to scavenge for free and easy food. Keep garbage bags inside a sturdy a trash can, and keep it tightly latched with a secure lid. Trash should be kept a safe distance away from the home.

Seal Cracks and Holes in the Home

Unwelcome critters can easily sneak into the home through cracks and holes. Alternatively, if they find an opportunity to get inside the home through the doorway, they'll be able to search for holes to hide inside. There, they'll create a new home and breeding ground without the knowledge of the homeowner. As a result, creatures such as termites will cause damage to property and thousands of dollars in repair work.

If a person wants to achieve pest control to preserve their home or business, he or she should regularly check for gaps and holes. The cracks found on the outside of the home should be sealed. Any crevices around cabinets and baseboards can be sealed off with caulk, which can be purchased at a hardware store. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, steel wool can be used to fill spaces around pipes.

Prevent Standing Water and Moisture in the Home

Pesky critters are not so different from humans when it comes to basic needs. Like humans, they require water to stay alive. Termites are not only attracted to wood, but they also thrive on dampness and moisture. This is why it's highly crucial for a homeowner to eliminate any standing water, humidity, and moisture for maximum pest control. Homeowners should never hesitate to repair a leaky pipe. Basements, attics, and crawlspaces can easily become humid and moist, so remember to keep these areas dry and ventilated to prevent a potential breeding ground for ants, termites, rats, and roaches. Additionally, a dry and ventilated home can prevent mold.

Cleanliness is a Preventative Measure

A person can never go wrong with keeping the home organized and clutter-free. Need another reason to organize the basement or garage? It'll keep the pests away as it'll create an unfavorable environment for the unwelcome guests.

Animals love clutter. A person may see stacks of boxes and stacks of old newspapers and unused junk, but a rat would see hiding places and a potential spot to raise a family. Once they start to breed in these hiding spots, it will be hard to locate them and get rid of them effectively.

These four basic steps go a long way toward protecting a home against infestation.

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How to Prevent Mosquitoes in Your Yard

Mosquitoes can crash your outdoor gathering. There are simple steps homeowners can take to help prevent mosquitoes from taking over the yard.

Why You Should Hire a Pest Control Service

Many people try to fight bugs using store-bought chemicals, only to lose the battle in the long run. If you're having problems with insects, a pest control service can get rid of the issue once and for all. These are just a few of the reasons why you should go with a professional rather than try and handle an infestation on your own.

Costs

A pest control service may cost you hundreds of dollars each year, but that amount is only a fraction of what you'll pay if carpenter ant colonies or termites are allowed to do damage to your home. You could be looking at several thousands of dollars in repairs and structural problems that possibly cannot be fixed. A professional will conduct regular inspections of your property and take care of any problems before serious issues can occur.

Customized Plans

Whether you are treating an older home or trying to protect a new one, a pest control service can provide you with a plan that will meet your exact needs. A professional will take several factors into consideration when recommending the plan that is best for you, including the size of your home, the level of infestation that has occurred, and what methods will best bring about long-term prevention.

Safety

Technicians undergo extensive training in how their products work and how to safely place them inside and outside of a home. Several companies have turned to environmentally friendly sprays that are safe for humans and pets. This is in stark contrast to the dangerous chemicals you can find at your local store.

In addition, professionals also know how to safely attack potentially dangerous areas such as beehives and wasps' nests. A novice could easily disturb a hive, for instance, and cause a swarm that could result in serious injuries. If you have an infestation of mice and don't know how to properly eliminate it, you could unknowingly allow them to scatter and spread potentially severe diseases.

Convenience

It can be a hassle to try and find places where bugs are gathering and eliminate them. If you don't want to spend your entire day trying to play the role of an exterminator, let a professional handle it. Most pest control service companies will work around your schedule, allowing you to focus on things you'll actually enjoy doing. Professionals will also continue to monitor your property and re-treat any problem areas should an infestation unexpectedly return.

When you call a pest control company, you can rest easy knowing that you and your family will be protected from infestations for months at a time. You won't have to waste money on harmful chemicals, and you'll get quality, guaranteed service that will rid your home of unwanted visitors.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8806735

10 Recently Discovered Insects

Somewhere between 15,000 and 18,000 new species are identified each year… so many that it’s really hard to keep up with them all. Scientists have so far identified 2 million species of plants, animals, and microbes but there is so much more left to discover with insects being a huge part of that discovery. From ants using Kamikaze techniques to keep the colony safe, to a spider that uses itself as a slingshot to catch its prey…check out these 10 recently discovered insects!

Getting Rid of Mice : Are Mice Dangerous?

Feral mice can be dangerous in that they carry fleas and bacteria, and fleas themselves can carry further disease. Find out how a mouse can cause a fire by chewing through the wrong wire with help from an instructor and specialist in pest and wildlife control in this free video on mice.

The Loathsome, Lethal Mosquito - Rose Eveleth

Everyone hates mosquitoes. Besides the annoying buzzing and biting, mosquito-borne diseases like malaria kill over a million people each year (plus horses, dogs and cats). And over the past 100 million years, they've gotten good at their job -- sucking up to three times their weight in blood, totally undetected. So shouldn't we just get rid of them? Rose Eveleth shares why scientists aren't sure.

Lesson by Rose Eveleth, animation by Karrot Animation.

Why Getting Rid of Standing Water in Your Yard Helps With Pest Problems

Standing water in your yard can cause potential pest problems. Mosquitoes, for example, can breed and become a big issue with any source of standing water. Other pests find areas with moist soil to live in like termites where their colony can grow and eventually ruin your house. These types of pest problems can be prevented if you make sure to rid your yard of standing water.

There are many sources in the yard for standing water to watch out for so that you can fix the problem.

Uneven soil on the ground or low spots in the yard is the most common issue. Get your yard's soil leveled out or get a drainage system to help.

Children's toy that are left in the yard can collect water in them. Put these away.

Another source is gardening equipment. Things like pots can collect water.

Gutters working improperly or lack of gutters running off the roof creating standing water near the home.

Pools that aren't properly treated with chemicals or pool tarps that collect water can become an issue.
It's important to get rid of this standing water as best as possible.

Clean out the gutters especially because this water runoff is making the foundation soil around the home moist. This can be a problem because ants, termites, and other pests love to live in or near the moist soil. Since it's so close to the home it gives them easy access to start causing problems in the walls of the home.

If you purposely have water like in a rain barrel for your garden and plants, be sure to get the covers that help keep mosquitoes out of the water so they can't lay eggs in it as easily.
This might seem like a bit of work, but it's must easier to prevent these water problems than it is to get rid of the pest once there is an infestation.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Darlene_Hughes/608089

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5 Tips for Summer Pest Control

Worried about pests this summer? Here are 5 tips to take care of ants, cockroaches, wasps, mosquitoes, and more. Don't let creepy crawlies ruin your summer.

Call Baker Pest Control for all your pest control needs! Serving all of Solano County and Napa! 

707-451-3985

The Cockroach and Clutter Control

Clutter control is an essential part of cockroach control. Clutter is the perfect habitat for the cockroach. They love to live in cramped quarters and will take up residence anywhere they can happily eat and breed.

What Attracts the Cockroach to Your Home?

It is the food in your home that attracts this household pest. Like any living being they need food and water to survive, so any building where food is prepared and stored will be an attractive living area. The cockroach can easily live off the food from unwashed dishes, bits of pet food on the floor and even the glue on postage stamps or book bindings.

One cockroach will lead to many. With an ongoing food and water supply there is no reason for them to leave your domicile. They will continue to live and breed in your home as long as conditions are favorable.

Health Problems Associated with Cockroach Infestations

Once the cockroach come into your home you have more than just an unsightly pest. For more than two decades it has been recognized that cockroach parts are highly allergenic.

There is an established connection between an infestation and the development of asthma in children. Children are more vulnerable because they crawl around on the floor and come into contact with the feces, larvae, eggs and other cockroach parts that are embedded in the carpet, baseboards, and the household dust that has settled there.

The connection to allergy induced asthma is clear:

• 60% of people with asthma test positive to cockroach allergens.
• asthmatic children who are allergic to cockroaches are 3 times more likely to be hospitalized for asthma if they have significant exposure to large cockroach populations in their environment (National Cooperative Inner-City Asthma Study, 1997)
• even if other allergies such as dust mites are present it is the level of cockroach allergens in the environment that is most closely associated with the severity of asthma in children.

Additionally, these pests carry various types of bacteria in their gastrointestinal system which are deposited all over your house whenever they defecate. Bacteria isolated from cockroach droppings include salmonella. Food poisoning, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal illness in human are associated with infestations.

Clutter Control for Cockroach Control

Pest management experts call the living areas for pests "harborages". While the cockroaches will come out at night when you are asleep they will seek out dark places to hide during the day and particularly like to be almost "cocooned" when they are resting. In other words they like to have all surfaces of their body touching something. This makes them seek out very, very small cracks and crevices where they can hunker down undisturbed for their daytime sleep.

The recommended strategies for cockroach control includes clearing clutter and useless debris. Stacks of newspapers, cardboard boxes, and piles of clothing are ideal harborages.

Clutter control strategies that help to reduce cockroach harborages include:

• Use plastic storage bins (not cardboard) if you must store items like seasonal clothing and make sure the lid fits tightly and the storage bin is not cracked.
• Do not store newspapers in your home, take them directly to an outdoor recycle bin
• Do not leave out pet food dishes with food and water. Feed your pet at a regular time, then take the dish and wash it after your pet has eaten.
• Do not store unused plastic bags under the kitchen sink. They make a perfect cockroach coccoon.
• Discard unused corrugated cardboard immediately. The crevices in corrugated cardboard are ideal harborages for the cockroach and they can live off the organic matter of the box so they will breed prolifically in cardboard boxes.

Clearing clutter also means clearing the exterior clutter from around the house. Things like firewood, recycle boxes, and garbage cans can attract roaches, and provide ideal harborages. Once the cockroach has taken up residence outside your home moving inside through tiny cracks and crevices around plumbing and electrical conduits is an easy task.

Another way that this pest gets into your home is by hitch hiking on something else. If your shopping habits include frequenting flea markets, auctions, or purchasing goods by the "lot" or "by the pound" make sure that these items are unpacked and carefully scrutinized for cockroach carcasses and egg casings before you bring them into your home. Kill any live eggs that may be present by washing used clothing before it goes into your closet.

If you build clutter the cockroach will come and it will stay. Clutter control is not just a mantra for organized living. It is also a strategy for health promotion.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2207181