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.

Friday Link Round Up

We're back with the Friday Link Round Up!

CTVnews- Record loss of Arctic sea ice causing big ecosystem changes: study

CTVnews- Medicines flushed down toilets hurting fish: study

Metro- U.S. attitudes towards climate change fluctuate with the weather: UBC study

CBCnews- Lake Winnipeg most threatened in World in 2013

CBCnews- Shooting of owls OK'd to protect endangered species

The Globe and Mail- Whatever happened to global warming?

CBCnews- Snowy owls starving in southern B.C.

Extreme Tech- Is safe, green thorium power finally ready for prime time?

Bed bugs and Public Places

Many people think of bed bugs as only being something they have to worry about in their home. They hear bed bugs and think "bed", but unfortunately bed bugs are not something that is limited to someone's home.

Since bed bugs have been making a well publicized return it is important to remember that bed bugs can be found in many public places and not just at someone homes.

Today's blog post will discuss 5 of the top 10 public bed bug infestation spots. We'll conclude the list tomorrow!

1. Hospitals and Nursing Homes- bed bugs are not really know for disriminating against anyone and that includes the sick, elderly or the employees of these institutions. There have been cases in recent years where some hospitals had to quarantine some rooms and triage centres in order to fight the spread of bed bugs.

2. Laundry Facilities- this one almost seems like a no-brainer...right? Granted washing and drying your clothes and bedding in super hot water is a good start to treating bed bugs, if you are in a laundry in a laundromat you are at risk for picking it up from someone there. It's a good idea to keep your clothing and bedding separate from other people to try and avoid cross contamination.

3. Retail Stores- Another obvious one? right? If you are at a retail store and maybe you are trying on some clothes, it's important to know that while it is rare, it is possible to get bed bugs that way. Bed bugs could also be found on furniture, in shoes. etc. Some stores have had to close down to deal with bed bug infestations after discovering the pesky critters within the stores.

4. Movie theatres- A movie theatre has plushy seats and LOTS of hosts in which they can travel on. See where I'm going with this? Movie theatres are a really good places to catch bed bugs and bring them home with you.

5. Public Libraries- did you see this one coming? Recently bed bugs have been found in a few libraries around Ontario (and probably Canada and the States as well but I cannot confirm nor deny). Anyway bed bugs can be found in books and if you happen to check those books out, you could potentially bring bed bugs into your home. You could also bring bed bugs into your home by visiting the library if you hang around the library reading or using their computers.

Check back tomorrow for the last 5 public places where bed bugs could be an issue.

If you have a problem with bed bugs or any other pests or you think you may, give Cottage Country Pest Control a call at 705-54-7863 or email us today.

Species in Danger

So today's post is somewhat different than previous ones. Normally, I would post an article like this in the link round up, but seeing as how most of this article is about a topic that has already been written about, I thought I would change things up a bit today.

You can find the article here on the CityNews Toronto website and it's called "Bats, snakes among species in danger in Canada".

So the article talks about how with 10th anniversary of the federal Species At Risk Act approaching, dozens of animals and plants are now considered at-risk. One of the animals added to the list was the Massasuga rattle snake which can be found on the Georgian Bay Islands.

Also on the list of animals in danger is three species of bats. Now this is what we've written about before. If you've read our past blogs then you might have read the one entitled "White Nose Syndrome". If not, then go read it.

Anyway quick recap on White Nose Syndrome...It is a disease named for the distinctive fungal growth around the muzzles and on the wings of hibernating bats. It is a poorly understood disease that has been associated with the deaths of more than 5.5 million bats within North America. The first known case was in Schoharie County, New York cave back in 2006. It has since spread and as of 2010 has been found all over the United States and into Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The first known case in Ontario was in March 2010. Since being discovered research has been done and in late 2011 it was shown that the syndrome appears to be caused by a fungas called Geomyces destructans. Unfortunately, despite knowing the cause there is still no known treatment or means of prevention. There is way more information available here on the blog or you can Google it if you want.

So back to the article. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada released a report card about the species at risk. This committee basically issued a dire warning about the three species of bats (the species being little brown myotis, northern myotis and tri-coloured bats). These species have all declined by about 90 percent in Eastern Canada in the last two years because of White Nose Syndrome.

Graham Forbes, director of the New Brunswick Co-operative Fish and Wildlife Research Centre and professor at the University of New Brunswick was quoted in the article saying "There's virtually no bats left."

Overall there is now a total of 668 wildlife species listed--297 endangered, 159 threatened and 190 are of special concern. Twenty-two species are considered extirpated, which means that they are no longer found in the wild.

There's a lot more to the article but it was specifically the bats and White Nose Syndrome I was interested in sharing. Make sure you go read the full article as it is an interesting read and it's not all bad news either. One species (The Salish sucker) was upgraded from endangered to threatened and the spotted, northern and Atlantic wolffish are all showing signs of recovery.

If you have any pest problems or you want to take some preventative measures for this winter against pests, give Cottage Country Pest Control a call at 705-534-7863 or email us.

Cottage Country Pest Control Winter Maintenance & Prevention

This year, because we've done a few posts about pest control and the colder months, Cottage Country Pest Control is now offering a Winter Maintenance & Prevention service. Check out the ad below and give us a call to book your appointment.

Landlords and Tenants: Who is Responsible for Pest Control Costs?

When you are a tenant who is entering into a new rental agreement or lease, you should do some research into local laws about who is responsible for any costs when it comes to pest control. You should also discuss the matter with the landlord prior to their being any pest problems and if there is not any mention of pest control in the agreement or lease you should request that there be something put in.

It is fairly standard across Ontario that landlords are responsible for ensuring that the rental space is inhabitable and pest control falls into this category. This means that generally speaking if there is a pest problem in a rental space the landlord will be the one responsible for the costs associated with bringing in a pest control operator and the costs of treatment.

However, the tenant will also have some responsibilities when it comes to pest control. As the tenant, you will be required to follow any aftercare instructions given after treatment and you will also have to take the steps needed to attempt to prevent any further pest problems. Failure to do so, means that in most cases the landlord will be legally allowed to raise the cost of rent in order to compensate for any excessive pest control costs.

If you are having any issues with pests and you have any questions or want to book an appointment with Cottage Country Pest Control, give us a call at 705-534-7863 or email us today.

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.

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.

Friday Link Round Up

Toronto Sun- Ontario house a honey pit

mycentraljersey- Bridgewater-based pest control firm IDs, halts possible spread of Asian invasive beetle species

leaderpost- Should city ban cosmetic pesticides?

biofuelsdigest- SemiosBIO receives $485,000 for pest management applications

melodika- Government of Canada invests in green pest management

Vancouver Sun- Canada's greenhouse e for emissions will be higher than promised

Vancouver Sun- Businesses near historic Canadian sites could be asked to pay maintenance fees

Canada Politics- Environmental groups chide Harper government for taking credit emission reductions

Vancouver Sun- Teachers doing harm to the environment, spreading invasive species, study says

Ottawa Citizen- More Environment Canada weather stations fall off the radar

Montreal Gazette- Going squirrelly: Alberta rodents feeling effect of climate change: ecologist

CBCnews- Invasive crab continues P.E.I. shellfish assault

BBC news- Iceberg breaks off from Greenland's Petermann Glacier

Friday Link Round Up

Nanaimo Daily News- Pesticides clearly toxic, harmful to human health

Better Farming- Proposed Growers Requested Own Use regulations clamp down on uncooperative companies

Cheboygan News-  Surveys search area rivers for lamprey

The Globe and Mail- Goats: The new first line of defence against weeds?

Yahoo News: Daily Brew- B.C. mudslide caught on camera from lake

CBCnews- Sockeye salmon collapse due to lack of food, study says

CTVnews- Low water levels prompt closure of 63 salmon rivers in Newfoundland

CBCnews- Suspected anthrax outbreak claims more bison in N.W.T.

CBCnews- Up to 20,000 sea turtles eggs crushed on Trinidad beach

The Globe and Mail- 450,000 salmon to be destroyed ofter outbreak in Newfoundland and Labrador

The Gazette- Seabirds on B.C., Washington and Oregon coast eating bellyfuls of plastic, study

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.

Second Spider Spray

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

Friday Link Round Up

thestar.com- West Nile virus found in Toronto mosquitoes

thestar.com- Hazel McCallion wants to ban plastic bags

betterfarming.com- Bee deaths prompt insecticide re-evaluation

North Shore News- Take holistic approach to pest control

The Province- Time to rethink unenforceable pesticide bylaws

thestar.com- Gypsy moth outbreak took city's forestry department by surprise

thestar.com- It's a food web, not a food chain

thestar.com- Montreal takes aim at spread of bedbugs on moving day

thestar.com-Ticks that can carry Lyme disease agent spreading


 

Mosquitoes: Disease & Control

Yesterday's blog was all about mosquitoes-what they are and their life cycle. Today's will cover a little bit about the diseases spread by mosquitoes and controlling the mosquito population.

Mosquitoes are known to be major vectors for disease-causing viruses and parasites in humans. The infected mosquitoes carry the viruses and parasites, which are then spread from person to person.

Some of the diseases carried by mosquitoes include yellow fever, dengue fever (which is commonly found in travelers of the Caribbean, Central America and South Central Asia), malaria, lymphatic filariasis, West Nile virus and Tularemia.

In Canada, among other temperate and developed countries, mosquitoes are generally just a nuisance over a major health concern, however there are still known cases yearly where illness and death do occur because of mosquitoes. In fact, just yesterday (July 3) Toronto's public health department confirmed that mosquitoes  carrying West Nile virus have been found in Toronto. If you want to read the article from the Toronto Sun about this development, you can do so here.

Controlling mosquitoes is where Integrated Pest Management really comes in handy. Some steps to take include:

• Source reduction- removing stagnant water from your property
• Bio control- using natural predators of mosquitoes such a dragonflies and bats to naturally control the mosquito population
• Trapping and/or insecticides- can be used to kill larvae and adults
• Exclusion- using mosquito nets and window screens to prevent them from entering your home or cottage

If you are having an issue with mosquitoes and you have an event coming up such a family reunion or outdoor wedding, give Cottage Country Pest Control a call. We can come in and spray so that if you are using tents or awnings for example, any mosquitoes that land on them will no longer be an issue.

If you are having a pest problem, remember it is better to deal with is sooner rather than later as it can quickly become a very expensive problem to deal with. To book an appointment with Cottage Country Pest Control, give us a call at 705-534-7863 or email us today.

"Friday Link Round Up"

Hope everyone had a great Canada Day and today's blog post will be our usual Friday Link Round Up

torontostar.com- Environmental laws are too important to be changed without public debate

torontosun.com- When moths attack

torontostar.com- Walkom: At Rio+20, Canada furiously backpedals on environment

torontostar.com- Stephan Harper government turns environmentalists into public enemies

torontoenvironment.org- Toronto first city in Canada with new Pollution Prevention Tool

CBCnews- B.C., Ontario score highest in environmental progress

CTVnews- Mothball makers ordered to change packaging

CBCnews- Insect bite remedies not effective


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.

Second Sprays

If you are familiar with spiders and spider sprays (which you should be if you've been reading this blog....you can read them here and here) then  you might already know that generally once you have had one spray done they last about 6-8 weeks depending on weather conditions. Most people find two sprays per season provide optimal control, but this is purely a matter of personal preference and tolerance for spiders.


Since, spider sprays are generally started in May, now is the time to start booking for your second spray,  especially if you are once again seeing an excessive number of spiders and their webs on your home, cottage, dock, garages, etc.

Give Cottage Country Pest Control a call today at 705-534-7863 to book your second appointment (or even your first) or email us.

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. 

Just Add Water Festival and Trade Show

This weekend is the Just Add Water Festival in Honey Harbour. Part of this festival is the trade show at Village Marina.

Cottage Country Pest Control will be there today, so if you are in the area stop by and come find us!

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

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.

Why Wait?

Have been hearing that some of the bigger pest control companies that come up to this area are now booking well into June....

Cottage Country Pest Control is happy to help you with your pest problems when you have them - and when it is convenient for you. This week, Ross has been working until 7 pm or later pretty much every day (poor guy drops off his helper and comes home thinking he's going fishing only to be packed off again) ... but people's problems are being solved quickly and efficiently.

We're doing a lot of spider sprays right now, but also seeing a higher than usual incidence of carpenter ants in Balm Beach (as usual) but now also in Victoria Harbour, Port McNicoll, Wyvale and .... well, basically, all over cottage country.  Lots of winged colonies on the prowl looking for new homes, too.

If you have a pest problem - or if you aren't sure but think you might have - drop us an email, or call us at 705-534-7863. The pike will thank you.