You cannot get rid of an infestation simply by killing the visible ants
because up to 90% of the colony doesn't even leave the nest. The only to fully treat a carpenter ant infestation is to find the nest and treat it, which Cottage Country Pest Control can do using the IPM approach.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
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!
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!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Fleas, fleas & more fleas
What is is with these darned fleas!?
We have been getting SO many flea calls lately; it is ridiculous. Just hung up from my third call about 'em of the day.
The worst part is that some of the infestations are in apartments where there are not even any pets! That just does not seem fair... it's one thing to have to deal with them when you do choose to have critters - but when you don't, you should not have to!
They are a royal pain to get rid of too - have had to go to a 3 product approach this season, where last year, one was enough.
Don't know what the heck is going on with them - but if you have a flea problem, do give us a call at (705)534-7863 or email us and Ross will be happy to solve it for you.
We have been getting SO many flea calls lately; it is ridiculous. Just hung up from my third call about 'em of the day.
The worst part is that some of the infestations are in apartments where there are not even any pets! That just does not seem fair... it's one thing to have to deal with them when you do choose to have critters - but when you don't, you should not have to!
They are a royal pain to get rid of too - have had to go to a 3 product approach this season, where last year, one was enough.
Don't know what the heck is going on with them - but if you have a flea problem, do give us a call at (705)534-7863 or email us and Ross will be happy to solve it for you.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Winding Down ....
...but not really.
We do tend to slow down a bit as we head into the fall - but really, it is more a matter of change.
Instead of running around doing spider sprays and carpenter ants, these days Ross is more likely to be in an attic somewhere looking for bat guano or on a roof doing bat exclusion. Or crawling around under a cottage making sure that mice and other furry friends can't get in. Or dealing with fleas. They seem to be particularly bad this year.
And of course, there are the bees... hornets...wasps.... fun stuff, those! He has the necessary equipment to protect himself from stings but over the years, he's never really needed it - until last week, when - because he's never really needed it, he didn't bother to put it on. Somehow I doubt he'll make that mistake again! He got stung on Friday and spent the weekend with his eyes pretty much swollen shut. Fun times! I would post a picture but I don't think he would appreciate that much :)
He's looking much better now and was back to work yesterday though, so he is available to help you solve your pest problems. Give Cottage Country Pest Control a call at (705)534-7863 or send us an email at ccpestcontrol@gmail.com and I will be happy to send him in your direction.
We do tend to slow down a bit as we head into the fall - but really, it is more a matter of change.
Instead of running around doing spider sprays and carpenter ants, these days Ross is more likely to be in an attic somewhere looking for bat guano or on a roof doing bat exclusion. Or crawling around under a cottage making sure that mice and other furry friends can't get in. Or dealing with fleas. They seem to be particularly bad this year.
And of course, there are the bees... hornets...wasps.... fun stuff, those! He has the necessary equipment to protect himself from stings but over the years, he's never really needed it - until last week, when - because he's never really needed it, he didn't bother to put it on. Somehow I doubt he'll make that mistake again! He got stung on Friday and spent the weekend with his eyes pretty much swollen shut. Fun times! I would post a picture but I don't think he would appreciate that much :)
He's looking much better now and was back to work yesterday though, so he is available to help you solve your pest problems. Give Cottage Country Pest Control a call at (705)534-7863 or send us an email at ccpestcontrol@gmail.com and I will be happy to send him in your direction.
Monday, July 18, 2011
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!
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!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
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?
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?
Monday, June 6, 2011
Bed Bugs - A new concern
As if bedbugs were not creepy and disgusting enough, now they are finding them with drug resistant bacteria that causes MRSA and others already on board. Charming!!!! NOT!
Another good reason for Ross NOT to bring his work home with him.
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