Book Your Spider Sprays Now

It's getting to be that time of year.... 

a bit early to be spraying for spiders - but certainly not too early to be thinking about it....especially if you happen to be in the Penetanguishene area, where black widow spiders seem to be an increasing concern.

The biggest reason for spider sprays is to avoid the unsightly messes that their webs make all over your home or cottage .... best plan, especially for those of us on the waterfront, is to spray before they get started.

Give us a call at (705) 534-7863 or email Lauralee at ccpestcontrol@gmail.com to schedule your spider spray and we'll make sure to fit you in as early as possible.

Winter Pest Control Tips

Here are some tips for pest control heading into winter.

1. If you have a garage, double check that there are no openings or gaps as this is a common entry for mice and other rodents
2. Store any firewood at least 20 feet away from your house--firewood is a common hangout for pests such as wood roaches
3. Clear clutter from garage, shed and basements as the clutter can be a good hangout for pests
4. Install screens over chimney vents & openings to prevent pests such as squirrels, raccoons, birds or rodents from entering your home or cottage
5. Inspect wires, insulation and walls for signs of gnaw marks--if there are gnaw marks present then chances are VERY good that you have some kind of rodent infesting your home or cottage

If you have any questions or concerns or would like to book and appointment with Cottage Country Pest Control please give us a call at 705-534-7863 or email us today.

Link Round Up

thestar.com- Bed bug battles: is fungus the next frontier?


Global News- New hope in the fight against bed bugs

thestar.com- Building owners not responsible for deaths of birds that fly into it, judge rules

Moneyville.ca- How to responsibly dispose of your old tech

thestar.com- Eggshell colour is warning sign for contamination in Great Lakes, study shows

CBCnews- Climate change a 'real and present danger,' Kent says

CBCnews- Galapagos to poison millions of rats

CBCnews- B.C. considering wolf culls in new management plan

As always, if you have a pest problem or just suspect you do, give Cottage Country Pest Control a call at 705-534-7863 or email us today to book your appointment or get more information.

DIY Pest Control vs Hiring a Professional

Effective pest control requires a person to have the knowledge about a pest, their habits, life cycle, etc. More often than not a person who hasn't trained and isn't licensed as a pest control operator will not know all this information. To properly treat a pest problem you really have to be able to identify a pest properly. For example, say you live in Ontario and you  have an infestation of cockroaches in your home. You know they are cockroaches, but are they German roaches, Oriental roaches, American roaches or Brown-Banded roaches?

Knowing which species you are dealing with is important, so you can use the right treatment options. However, pest treatments you can purchase as a consumer are not necessarily going to work to solve the whole problem. A lot of them may not be strong enough to solve your pest problem effectively and many  may not work on every type of a specific species. Additionally pest control operators have access to treatments that are stronger and can be safer for use around people and pets and can last longer than a store bought treatment.

Finally pest control operators have more training and are licensed (or should be licensed) which means that they will know the treatments that will work on your pest problem and also the safest way to apply the treatment.

Hiring a pest control company can seem like a major investment and it definitely can be. But in the long run it can be cheaper to hire a pest control operator to come in when the pest problem is relatively small than to either attempt to solve the problem yourself (which could take multiple tries) or wait before contacting a pest control company. Waiting can lead to the problem becoming bigger and therefore more difficult to eradicate.

If you have a pest problem, give Cottage Country Pest Control a call at 705-534-7863 or email us today. We will be happy to answer any questions your have or to book you an appointment today.

Bed Bugs and Landlords

As a follow up to the post on bed bugs and tenants, today's post will be about some of the steps that a landlord should take in the event that bed bugs become an issue.

1. Plan ahead-talk to a pest control business in your area to get an idea about pricing and to also get a better idea of what will have to be done in the event that bed bugs become an issue. They should be able to give you some information about what they do for bed bugs, what has to be done before they can come in and treat and what has to be done after to ensure that their treatment is effective.

2. Be willing to hire professionals. All to often people are resistant to hiring a professional, which can lead to the problem becoming more expensive and difficult to treat. By treating the problem correctly the first time, you can potentially save money in the long run.

3. Be proactive. Provide your tenants with information before bed bugs become a problem. If they know what bed bugs are and what to look for, you can treat the problem sooner if and when there is an infestation.

4. Do not blame your tenants. Bed bugs can happen to anyone at anytime. They can travel on furniture, clothing, in luggage, etc.

5. Do repairs. Bed bugs do not always stay on beds. They can hide out in cracks, holes and gaps found around pipes, in baseboards, around electrical covers and more. By making these repairs you can reduce the number of places bed bugs could go.

6. Conduct inspections. If you've had a previous infestation of bed bugs then it's a good idea to do inspections every 4-6 months to ensure that the treatment is still working and that there hasn't been a new infestation.

It's important  to know that these are just some of the things you should consider as a landlord. If you have any questions or want to book an appointment give Cottage Country Pest Control a call at 705-534-7863 or email us today.

Pest control in the Fall

Fall is a great time to get your pest control done before the snow comes. There are many insects and bugs that will begin to diminish in numbers once the weather starts to get colder, however in many cases insects, bugs, rodents, etc will try to locate a warmer environment such as your home, cottage, garages and other buildings you may have on your property.

Fall is a good time to not only take steps to prevent pest infestations but to also take care of existing infestations. If you leave a pest problem over the winter (or for any extended period of time), it will be much worse to deal with and also more expensive.

Some helpful hints

• close off & fill any holes found in your foundation, walls, ceilings, etc--rodents especially will look for holes they can use to enter your home or cottage
• seal any food in airtight containers to prevent rodents and insects from being drawn to the food
• turn water off completely at your cottage before leaving for an extended period of time as moisture can draw some insects in
• consider bat proofing--like rodents they will look for holes in your roof or walls to enter your home and cottage, so by finding and filling those holes you can prevent bats from entering.

If you know you you have a pest problem or you want to take preventative measures heading into winter, give Cottage Country Pest Control a call at 705-534-7863 or email us today.

Link Round Up

City News Toronto- West Nile case count jumps another 36% in Ontario

CTV News- Environment Canada calls for shellfish closure after storm

Canada.com- Stephen Harper's environment watchdog to investigate 'risks' of federal budget bill

Globe and Mail- Canada and U.S. update protection of Great Lakes

CBC News- Whitehorse gets machine to convert plastic into oil


As always, if you have a pest problem or just suspect you do, give Cottage Country Pest Control a call at 705-534-7863 or email us today to book your appointment or get more information.

Deer Mice

Today's post is really just a revisit so to speak. While searching the Internet today I came across an article Deer Mice vs. House Mice from Pest Control Technology, that while discusses many of the same topics in previous blog posts about mice (such as this one) it also includes a great photograph that labels characteristics of deer mice.

Given how much Deer Mice and rodents have been in the news lately because of the Hantavirus outbreak in Yosemite National Park, it really is important for people to understand mice (and other rodents) but also what safety and health concerns there are that can be caused by them.

While Hantavirus is not commonly found in Canada or Ontario there have been cases diagnosed in the past, which is why over the next few days I will be writing about Hantavirus and also doing a full revisit of mice and some of the other diseases that can be caused by them

If you find evidence that you have a mouse infestation and you want them gone, give Cottage Country Pest Control a call at 705-534-7863 or email us to book an appointment. We have environmentally (and people) friendly ways of handling all your pest problems.

Link Round Up

City News- 62 human cases of West Nile in Toronto

CTV News- Up to 10,000 Yosemite visitors at risk of mouse-borne virus

National Geographic- Glowing Cockroach Mimics Toxic Beetle

National Geographic- Black Bears Can "Count" as Well as Primates

The Star Phoenix- Environment Minister announces regulations for coal-fired power

As always, if you have a pest problem or just suspect you do, give Cottage Country Pest Control a call at 705-534-7863 or email us today to book your appointment or get more information.

Weird Wasp Nest

The locations that wasps choose to build their nest varies from species to species. Some prefer to build nests in trees and shrubs while some prefer holes in the ground, spaces in walls and in spaces under homes, cottages or other buildings such as garages or sheds.

Sometimes however,wasps  can AND will build their nests in weird locations. Recently, Ross went on a wasp job where the wasps had built their nest in the pole of a basketball hoop! They had entered the pole through some holes in the pole and gone about building their nest.

Front of the pole. Look carefully and you can see the hole they use to enter and leave their nest.

Back of the pole. There is again a hole that they use to enter and leave their nest.

An after shot. Notice the white powder? This is one method used to deal with a wasp problem

It's really important that you take notice of an excessive amount of wasps. Chances are if you are noticing an excessive amount during the day, then there is likely a nest somewhere close by. If you (or someone in your family have allergies), then you have to be really careful around wasps and their nest. They can and usually will become aggressive if they, or their nest is disturbed so it's a good idea to call Cottage Country Pest Control at 705-534-7863 or email us if you suspect or if you know there is a nest around your home.

Second Spider Spray

Reminder being sent to customers remind them to book their second spider sprays

Identifying: Wood Roaches

Wood roaches have:

• A flat, oval body with long antenna
• Spiny legs 
• Overall chestnut brown colour
• A male is usually about 25 mm while a female is up to 19 mm 
• Generally the males appear to have a bit of a tan colour because of the colour of their wings
• Adults and large nymphs of the wood roach can be recognized by the pale, creamy white or transparent stripe on the outer edge of the thorax
• The pale edge extends onto the first 1/3 of the front wings on adult roaches

• Wood roaches are common outdoor dwelling insects that are native to North America
• Are found throughout Ontario
• They are most commonly found in moist woodland, ground litter, mulch, firewood, potted plants, shingles and rain gutters

• Wood roaches that have entered a home will act differently than other roach species 
• They are not secretive, they are active day and night and they are less likely to run when approached
• They will also wander around a house, without stay localized to a specific area such as the kitchen
• Wood roaches will not thrive or reproduce indoors, because they require specific habitat to do so
• They need a consistently moist environment such as under wood piles, loose bark and decaying logs into order to reproduce

Male wood roach. Notice the difference in size and colour.

Female wood roach. Noticeable is the the slightly smaller size and difference in colour.

So what can Cottage Country Pest Control do? Well, by practicing IPM (which if you are not familiar with, you can read about here) we can approach the infestation and find the best way to solve the problem using environmentally responsible and people-friendly ways.

Contact Cottage Country Pest Control through email or call us at 705-534-7863 to book and appointment or to find out more information. 

Bees: A revisit

So I've noticed that a lot of the hits lately on the blog are people looking for information on bees. If you want to read the past posts I've written about bees (or wasps or hornets) you can click here for the first post in the series.

If you just want some quick information then keep reading. I won't cover everything again, because it's already been written, but I will give you some quick information and facts.

• There are over 1000 native species of bees in Canada (honeybee is not a native species)
• Honeybees were originally from Eurasia where they have been a domesticated species for centuries
• All the "wild" honeybees we have in Canada are from colonies that escaped from domesticated hives
• Bees are able to live year-round assuming the colony worked hard enough in the summer
• They are completely adaptable to the Canadian climate
• Honeybees are amber to brown in colour with alternating black stripes
• They are furry (with short hair) and are approximately 1.3 cm
• They eat nectar from flowers and when they sting (which they won't do unless provoked as they are considered gentle) it will kill them
• Honeybees live in large colonies in flat wax-based honeycomb hives that hang vertically

• Bumblebees lived in the wild for thousands of years before people started capturing them in order to domesticate them
• Bumblebees have long tongues which means they are able to pollinate a large variety of flowers.
  In the late 1880's, researchers began to think about using bumblebees to their advantage when it came to agricultural matters
• In Canada, the bumblebee was first used commercially in 1990 as a tomato pollinator
• Throughout the world there are 5 species of bumblebee that are commercially reared, however in North America only 2 are used commercially--the Bombus impatiens and Bombus occidentalis
• Bumblebees are yellow with black stripes and are furry, but with long hair
• They are considerably larger than a honeybee at 2.5 cm
• Like the honeybee they also eat nectar from flowers and if they sting it will kill them
• They too are considered gentle and will not sting unless provoked in someway
• Bumblebees can be found living in the soil in small cavities

Yes, honeybees and bumblebees are beneficial to the environment and agriculturally but that doesn't mean you necessarily want them building hives around your home or cottage. Especially if you or someone in your family is allergic to their stings, so Cottage Country Pest Control can come in and using IPM methods we can help make your environment safer for you and your family.

To book an appointment or for more information email or call us at 705-534-7863. 

Friday Link Round Up

CBCnews- Marauding polar bear shot by Newfoundland wildlife officers
Scientific American- Rapid Climate Changes Turn North Woods into Moose Graveyard
CBCnews- B.C. 'Frankenfish' report being investigated
CBCnews- Fire ants invading B.C. gardens
CBCnews- Canada's butterfly migration is largest on record
USA Today- U.N. meets to discuss global climate treaty
MSNbc- 'Gaia' scientist James Lovelock: I was 'alarmist' about climate change

Spider & Sprays: A Revisit

Like yesterday's revisit on carpenter ants, today's post will be a quick revisit of spiders and spider sprays.
Click here to read the last post we did on spiders and spider sprays. Like mentioned before spiders are not actually insects, but instead are classified as arachnids. There are a number of different species of spiders found in Canada such as house spiders, wolf spiders, cellar spiders and fishing spiders.
It is also possible, but very rare to see black widow spiders or brown recluse in Ontario.
Spiders prefer dark areas so will most often be found in the corners of rooms, in closets, dark cracks and crevices, basements, garages, gardens, etc. Yes spiders can be creepy, but they are definitely beneficial to the environment because they will eat other insects and even other spiders.
When laying eggs, the females will lay them in egg sacs with each sac carrying up to several hundred eggs.
Controlling the spider population in and around your home is "easily" done by reducing the number of insects in and around your home. Using IPM is the best way to effectively control spiders (and other pests).
If you have any questions or concerns Call Cottage Country Pest Control at (705)534-7864 or email us at ccpestcontrol@gmail.com to book an appointment--and remember - it's almost always better and CHEAPER to deal with pest control problems when they are small.

Carpenter Ants: A Revisit

Because of the mild winter we had, carpenter ants are back sooner and stronger than ever. We've done posts on carpenter ants before, which you can read here and here, however given the number of people who are having issues with them now, I think it's time for a little revisit. I won't go into as much detail as the previous posts, but hopefully you can find out a bit of information. Carpenter ants are a large species of ants (not just in their numbers but in their actual size). They general range in size from .25 to 1 inch and can be found worldwide. They have two types of nests, however they can have multiple of the second type. The first is their main nest and the second is the satellite nest. The main nest has to be somewhere damp, preferably in a moist and decaying wood source as this is the best location for the eggs and young. A main nest will be located outside, while the satellite nest will usually but not always be found inside a home. This is because it will be drier which is best for the larvae and pupae. The best places to look for a main nest include rotting trees/stumps or decaying landscape timber while the best places to look for a satellite nest inside include wall voids, eaves, ceilings or under insulation such as in attics or crawl spaces and they can also be found in roof gutters and in downspouts. Carpenter ants, while building their nests do not eat the wood but rather tunnel through it, which is why when investigating to see whether or not you have carpenter ants, it's important to look for piles of a sawdust-like material called frass. Controlling and eliminating carpenter ants can be done and the best prevention is to maintain dry conditions, so that they are unable to find moist and decaying wood to nest in. Remember, anyplace that wood comes in contact with soil, could potentially become infested with carpenter ants. The key to controlling any infestation is to find where the queen is laying eggs (the main nest). This will require a thorough inspection and an effort to follow foraging ants back to their nest. It is recommended that if you see 10-12 ants (or more) in your home during the evening then it is worth investigating. If a carpenter ant infestation treated quickly, carpenter ants are rarely responsible for any serious structural damage to houses and buildings. However, these ants could cause serious damage if they continue undiscovered for an extended period. It is advisable to seek professional help in containing a carpenter ant infestations, as incorrect procedures may allow the colony to grow again when surviving members begin to nest again, which is where Cottage Country Pest Control comes in. If you know you have a carpenter ant problem, think you have an infestation or have any pest problems call us at 705-524-7863 or email us at ccpestcontrol@gmail.com today.

Phorid Flies: Part 2

Phorid flies generally breed in a number of locations such as in dung, on fungi, in decaying plant matter or in drain pipes. Phorid flies most commonly feed on decaying matter and can often be found around moist and decaying matter and decaying plants, but they can be found anywhere in your home and because they love unsanitary conditions they may transport various disease-causing organisms to your food.

Phorid flies are found worldwide but there is a greater number of species found in the tropics.

Their lifecycle consists of egg, larvae, pupae, adult. They will develop from an egg and go through both the larave and pupal stage to become adults in approximately 25 days although it can vary from 14-37 days depending on the species. A female phorid fly can lay anywhere from 1 to 100 eggs at a time and in their lifetime can lay up to 750 eggs.

After the eggs have been laid, the larvae will begin to emerge within a day, and they will feed from 8-16 days before they pupate.

We cover a broad area - Tiny & Tay townships, Simcoe, Muskoka and beyond. We're also available at your convenience - weekend service available at no extra charge, and we do island calls.

For more information or to book an appointment, call us at 705-534-7863 or email us today.

Phorid Flies

This is the first of two posts about Phorid Flies.

Phoridae is a family of small and hump-back flies that are known to commonly resemble fruit flies. They can be identified (and distinguished) from a fruit fly by the specific way of escape--they run quickly across the surface they are on, instead of flying. It is this behaviour that also gives them their alternate name "scuttle flies".

There are approximately 4,000 species of phorid flies in 230 genera. The most well-known species is the Megaselia scalaris or the "coffin fly"

Phorid flies are small at only about 1/2-6 mm in length and when they are viewed from the side they have a visible hump. Their colouring ranges from black or brown to yellowish.

Phorid flies are classified into six subfamilies:

• Phorinae
• Aenigmatiinae
• Metopininae
• Alamirinae
• Termitoxeniinae
• Thaumatoxeninae

However, in 1992 Alamirinae was abolished when it was shown that they were the "missing" males if the Termitoxeniinae family, which until then was known to only be females.

We cover a broad area - Tiny & Tay townships, Simcoe, Muskoka and beyond. We're also available at your convenience - weekend service available at no extra charge, and we do island calls.

For more information or to book and appointment, call us at 705-534-7863 or email us today.

Let the spraying begin

So... the new season is off to a very busy start!

Because of the mild winter, not as many insects died off this year, and we are seeing very high numbers of spiders, flies, ants and other assorted pests already. And unfortunately, the bed bugs haven't gone anywhere, so we're still seeing those as well.

Ross has already got a very busy week scheduled, with multiple jobs booked in Victoria Harbour, Balm Beach, and a couple of island calls (sure hope the boat repair goes as planned!) -  and next week is starting to fill up as well....

so if you're thinking about calling to arrange to have your home or cottage sprayed for spiders before they start making a mess with their webs, now is a good time.

Call Cottage Country Pest Control at (705)534-7864 or email us at ccpestcontrol@gmail.com to arrange to have your pests controlled....

and remember - it's almost always better and CHEAPER to deal with pest control problems when they are small.


Lauralee

Small Flies: Tephritidae

Tephritidae fruit fly

Tephritidae (fruit flies) are one of two fly families that is commonly referred to as "fruit flies". Tephritidae however, does not include the common fruit fly. There are almost 5,000 described species of the tephritidae fruit flies that are categorized in almost 500 genera.

The subfamilies of tephritidae are:
Blepharoneurinae (5 genera and 34 species)
Dacinae (41 genera and 1,066 species)
Phytalmiinae (95 genera and 331 species)
Tachiniscinae (8 genera and 18 species)
Tephritinae (211 genera and 1,859 species)
Trypetinae (118 genera and 1,012 species)

The fruit flies in the tephritidae family are sometimes referred to as peacock flies because of their elaborate and colourful markings.

They are also considered to be of major importance when it comes to agriculture, with both positive and negative impacts. Some of the negative effects include a variety of species that can cause damage to fruit and other plants. An example of this is the Bactrocera, which is part of the Dacinae subfamily. The bactrocera has worldwide notoriety because of the destruction it has on agriculture.

On a positive note, some fruit flies are used as agents of biological control, for reducing the population of various pest species.

Most of the fruit flies in this family lay their eggs in plant tissues because this is where the larvae will be able to easily find food when they are born. Adult flies have a short lifespan and some species will only live for a week or less. However, fruit flies are able to reproduce quickly and in large numbers (given the opportunity a fruit fly can lay up to 500 eggs at a time), which means that getting a fruit fly infestation under control can be tricky.

If you have any questions or to book an appointment call us at 705-534-7863 or email us today.