Gearing up for another season

... never really geared down though...

not as much to keep us busy over the winter as there is during the summer up here in cottage country, but Ross has been having ~fun~ with squirrels, mice, chipmunks, and the occasional rat. And bedbugs, of course. They are, unfortunately,  a year round issue, even in smaller communities like Midland, Penetanguishene and surrounding areas.

Now that the snow is gone and the lake is open it will soon be time to start thinking about booking your spider spray and dealing with cluster flies, carpenter ants, and any other pest problems.

Cottage Country Pest Control is happy to provide environmentally pest control services in Central Ontario. Give us a call at 707-534-7863, or send us an email at ccpestcontrol@gmail.com .

Link Round Up

Toronto Star- Watch our for zom-bees, a real life sci-fi story

Fox News- M&M-loving bees make blue and green honey

Environment Canada- Winnipeg Man Fined Over $135,000 Under Federal Wildlife Legislation

Environment Canada- Government of Canada Invests in the Great Lakes Nutrient Initiative

The Vancouver Sun- Feds remove water protection from historic law

CTV News- Scientists warn iron dump could have serious consequences for ocean

CBC News- Another earthquake rattles B.C. coast

CBC News- No 'smoking gun' for Fraser River sockeye salmon collapse

CBC News- Transplanted Purcell Mountain caribou failure to survive

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.

Link Round Up

Pest Control Technology- Bed Bug Firm Fined for Condo Fire

The Guardian- Potato wart 'fully under control'

Rolling Stone- Global Warming's Terrifying New Math

CBC News- Arctic ice cover shrinks to new low after summer thaw

The Globe and Mail- Seals' death sentence sparls outcry from animals lovers across Canada


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.

Flea: Revisit

• The most common type of flea found in North America is the Cat flea (ctenocephalides felis) 
• Despite its name can also be found on dogs and humans
• Another type of flea sometime found in North America is the Dog flea (ctenocephalides canis)
• The Dog flea is most commonly found in Europe
• Adult fleas are approximately 1/8-inch long and are dark in colour
• Adult fleas are wingless but can jump large distances because of their 6 legs
• Fleas have 4 stages in their life cycle: egg, larva, pupae and adult
• An adult female can lay up to 40-50 eggs a day IF she has a good blood meal
• Larva are completely blind, however they are considered negatively phototaxic, which means they can sense light
• Larva will primarily feed on dried blood in adult flea feces, but they will also eat shed skin, fur and feathers
• Following the larva stage is the pupae stage
• In this stage they can remain dormant for several months until the conditions are right for the adult flea to emerge
• For them, the ideal conditions include pressure, vibrations, presence of carbon dioxide, correct temperature and humidity
• When these are right, it means there's a suitable host that the adult fleas can use as a food source
• If your pet is excessively scratching, it would be a good idea to check his or her fur for signs of fleas
• Some signs to look for (aside from the obvious excessive scratching) is reddened skin, flea dirt (which is not actually dirt, but dried blood) and another obvious sign: fleas!
• Just confirming that your pet has fleas will unfortunately not confirm just how bad the infestation is, since adult fleas found on pets only comprise about 5% of the total flea population
• By applying a spot treatment to your pet(s)' fur, you will be able to fight the fleas found on your animal(s). 
• To treat the fleas located in your home, you have 2 options: find a home remedy (which are NOT always effective or hire a professional, such as Cottage Country Pest Control to help rid your home of fleas

Cottage Country Pest Control can help rid your home of fleas at all stages of their life cycle, using one or more of our treatments for fleas. For more information, pricing or to book your appointment call us today at 705-534-7863 or email us today

Friday Link Round Up

thestar.com- The Fixer: Trapped pigeons are dying to escape from CP Rail overpass

torontosun.com- Allergies worsened since Ontario pesticide ban?

marketwire.com- Government of Canada Invests in Green Pest Management Technology

betterfarming.com- Set up activities delay pesticide sales summary release

cbcnews- Antarctic rift valley speeds ice loss

nationalpost.com- NASA satellites spot sudden, unprecedented melting across nearly all of Greenland


thestar.com- Worst U.S. drought in over 50 years threatens to send food prices into overdrive

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.

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.

Mosquitos

Today's post is all about mosquitoes. Specifically what they are and their life cycle and tomorrow's post will cover disease and control.

Mosquitoes are a family of small, midge-like flies that are called Culicidae. Most species of mosquitoes are harmless and even considered useful to humanity. Some species are nuisances because they will feed on blood from living vertabrates, including humans.

A major problem with mosquitoes is that when they feed on the blood of humans and livestock they can transmit some of the most harmful diseases, which is something you can read more about tomorrow.

There are over 3.500 species of mosquitoes found worldwide, except for Antarctica.In warmer temperatures (tropical regions for example), mosquitoes are active year round. In colder temperatures, they will hibernate over the winter months.

Mosquitoes, like all flies go through four stages in their life cycle: egg, larvae, pupa and adult. In most species, the female adult will lay their eggs in standing water. Some species will lay their eggs near the water's edge and other species attach their eggs to aquatic plants.

The first three stages of a mosquitoes life cycle are mainly aquatic and these stages generally take anywhere from 5-14 days depending on the species and the ambient temperature.

Mosquitoes that live in some regions where there is cold temperatures and lack of water, can spend part of the year in dispause, meaning they can delay their development and continue on with their life cycle only when conditions are ideal for them to continue.

The eggs hatch into larvae, which then grow until they are able to change in pupae. Following the pupae stage, the adult mosquitoes will emerge from the mature pupa as it floats on the surface of the water.

Mosquitoes that feed on blood, have the potential life spans of a week to several months.

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.

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.

Small Flies: Drosophilidae

The Drosophilidae is a diverse family of flies that includes fruit flies. The best known species of the  Drosophilidae is the Drosophilia Melanogaster within the genus Drosophilia. It is this species that is used extensively for studies concerning genetics, development, physiology, ecology and behaviour.

These fruit flies have very short lifespans and similar to what is seen in other species, they show a historical influence to temperature. Several genes have been identified that could be manipulated in order to extend their lifespans.

Identifying the Drosophilidae can be done through the incomplete subcoastal vein, two breaks in the coastal vein and a small anal cell in the wing. They also have convergent postcellar bristles; generally three frontal bristles on each side of the head with two facing back and one facing front.

The family is subdivided in two subfamilies, the Drosophilinae and the Steganinae. These two subfamilies do not contain a single morphological character that distinguishes them, however the combination of their characteristics is enough to name each species into the correct subfamily.

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

Friday Link Round Up

Winnipeg Free Press- Beating the cosmetic-pesticide ban

The Gazette- Ash trees in West Island threatened by beetle

The Post- Ecological farming in Ontario began in Bruce Country

CBCnews- Pest threatens P.E.I. blueberry crops

cottagecountrynow.ca- Flower farm has roots dating back to the 1800s

Times Colonist- A future without pesticides? It could happen

CBCnews- Antarctic ice melting from below due to warming ocean

Canada.com- Critics pan instructions to Environment Canada scientists at Montreal conference

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

Friday Link Round Up

CBCnews- Great Lakes show massive ice loss, study says

CBCnews- 10 invasive species threatening Canadian habitats

CTVnews- Coal, not oilsands, causes global warming: study

CTVnews- Disappearing sea ice enticing more killer whales to Arctic

CTVnews- Climate change drying out forests in western Canada

CBCnews- Alberta First Nation outraged at lack of caribou protection

Friday Link Round-up

National Post- Killing skunks not the answer to Windsor's smelly pest problem, critics claim

Physorg.com- Spider mite genome sequence establishes tools to tackle pest resistence

Maclean.ca- Manitoba should think twice before banning pesticides

Guelphmercury.com- Coyotes are coming into city often at our invitation

Friday Link Round-up

Every Friday we'll be posting links to news articles and websites that our readers will hopefully find interesting, so read on.

Toronto Star 2 Toronto restaurants closed for rodent infestation

The Vancouver Sun Fungus poses 'imminent threat' to survival of Canada's bats

Marketwatch.com Insecticide Chalk Contains a Highly Toxic Substance

Examiner.com New Eco Safe Grass Seed Expected to be a Hit at the Ontario Turfgrass Symposium

Have fun reading and maybe you'll learn something and if anyone reading, has suggestions for articles to post in upcoming link round-ups, please feel free to email them to us.

 

And We're Back! With Bats!

After taking some time off, we are back with a brand new post all about bats and what we can do if you have them.

Bats

Bats will soon be starting to return and that means it's time to start bat proofing for the Spring and Summer.

Did you know that there are 8 species of bats in Ontario, but only 2 species are commonly found in homes? These 2 species are the big brown bat(Eptesicus fuscus) and the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus).

Both these bats will hibernate in places such as caves and old mines, but they can also be found in attics and during the hot summer months they can also be found behind shutters, under porch overhangs and other cool dark spaces.

Bats are nocturnal, so you likely won't see them during the day. They also have poor vision and rely on echolocation to catch their prey.

Their prey consists of live insects that they will catch while flying and at night they can consume very large amounts of insects.

If you think you have bats in your home it's important to know how to handle their removal. Bat droppings (or guano) are linked to several health concerns. Guano can cause a persistent and strong odor and old droppings carry the potential to harbor histoplasmosis, which is an infection that occurs from breathing in the spores of the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. Bat guano can often be found where the bats are roosting such as attics and under roof peaks or outside lights where they will sit at night.


So what can Cottage Country Pest Control do for you?

We can come in and bat proof, which is the best and most permanent way of eliminating a bat colony from your home. To do this, sealing all the openings where they can enter is very important. Little brown bats only need a 1 cm hole to enter, so we can locate and seal these holes. We also ensure that all existing guano is removed and that the area is disinfected.

Having bats around isn't always so bad, you just don't want them in your house. So we also offer seasoned bat houses for sale. Bat houses are great to have around because bats will be attracted to them and will be more than happy to hang out in one. The benefit for you? It means there will be bats around in the summer to take care of those pesky mosquitoes and other insects and they won't be in your house!

Call Cottage Country Pest Control at (705)534-7863 today or email us at ccpestcontrol@gmail.com to book your appointment!

Spider Sprays 2

Ross has started the second round of spider sprays for the season .... if you've had a spray and are ready for another, please do let us know.

If you haven't had a spray but want one, feel free to give us a call at (705)534-7863 or drop us an email at ccpestcontrol@gmail.com and he'll be happy to fit you in as well.

And/of, of course, he is always available to solve your other pest problems.

We are still getting quite a few calls for carpenter ants, and now fleas as well... not so many bed bugs right now though... good thing, that!

Adventures in Cottage Country

So .... Ross has decided that now that we have a bigger boat, he can do some of his island calls himself - in the past, he's been meeting people at marinas and getting them to take him to wherever he needs to be... which has worked fine for the most part, but does mean that he works almost every weekend, since that's when people are up here. A lot of the work - especially repeat calls, estimates, spider sprays and so on can be done without the customer present IF he takes our boat.

So ...a fine idea! Except for the fact that most of our boating over the past several years has been in and around Hoggs Bay - not exactly challenging in terms of navigation, that! So we've been doing some more exploratory trips lately... he's got the maps and I have a Blackberry - which does have some GPS services, although it doesn't yet work with the Navionics app (it needs to!!).... so...we didn't get lost on our first big exploratory trip.

Unfortunately, we also didn't make it home though!!!! Darn boat conked out!!!! Way out in the middle of things.... about half way between Beausolleil Island and ...Sawlog Bay? ... whatever... we were buggered. Had an extra filter - two actually - and Ross tried swapping those out. No way, no how - it just was not going to co-operate.

So there we are - out in the middle of nowhere. Did see a couple of boats off in the distance, but neither of them apparently saw us, even though I was waving life jacket and flashlight around like a damn fool.

And of course, since we'd gotten away much later in the day than we'd intended.... it was already into the evening. AND I had been using my Blackberry for navigation all day - guess how much power it had left? Yeah, not much. Next time, we take the charger!

Anyway .... who to call? Brother in law now has the little pontoon boat ... no way in hell. Several unsuccessful phone calls trying to get help .... no joy ... and of course, all of these phone calls are draining my battery even more - but hey, at least now people know where we are - and where we are going to be spending the night, seemed like. Sure would have liked them to quit wasting my battery power by calling me to tell me they weren't going to help us though!!!!!

Great - the power bar on Blackberry had now gone from yellow to red... and I really REALLY did not relish the idea of a night out on the lake. Then I thought of Phil - Ross' friend from Village Marina, in Honey Harbour. Thank God for Phil!

He not only was there, he got in his boat and came and towed us home. By the time he got to us it was almost dark - by the time we got back to the Marina it was well after dark. I've never had the ~pleasure~ of being out on the lake after dark - especially in unfamiliar waters - but fortunately they aren't unfamiliar to Phil and all ended well. He even went above and beyond by lending us a car to go home in, and arranging to have the boat serviced for us first thing in the morning (it was some other thingamabob filter not the one Ross was mucking around with).

So - all's well that ends well ...thanks to Phil at Village Marina in Honey Harbour.

Boat is all fixed, and we know a whole lot more about where (and when!!) to go, what we need (an ipad, I think!), and what to do if we get stuck. Which, I hope, we never will again!!!!

So there we go.... yes, we do do island calls - and we'll even do them with our own boat, if you prefer.... after all, what's life without a little adventure?