RI, MA EHS Pest Control Blog

We saw some big roaches in the basement... ya think! The good old American Cockroach (Americana blatanica) and he is VERY common in major cities. The older the building the better chance you have of seeing this guy. The are BIG roaches! Many people call them the water bug or palmetto bug.

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Despite their pronounced wings they are not great flyers, they sort of flutter for short distances. They inundate city sewer, septic, steam, etc. pipes and get into buildings this way. In really urban sections they walk the streets on hot and humid days having come out of the underground street pipes. You can treat and suppress their activity but the real solution in those inaccessible pipes.

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA 

HELP!!!! MY ENTIRE GARAGE FLOOR IS CRAWLING WITH INSECTS!!!!

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That was the frantic phone call we got into our office. I get there to do the inspection and the customer was right, there were a TRILLION insects all over the garage floor! What were they? Upon examining them they were grain beetles. Why in the garage? Now come the probing questions to the homeowner……Do you have bird seed stored here? NO. Dog food? NO. Grass seed? NO. Any type of food or seed? NO

Time to play Columbo and investigate the “crime scene”. Sure enough I see some beetles raining down from a shelf in the back of the garage. I move some items away and there it is, a 10LB box of dog biscuits! The husband confesses that he bought them at a big box store over a year prior because they had a deal on them. There were two boxes and they were so big and bulky that he stored one box in the garage and forgot about it. So I used my HEPA vacuum and physically removed all the beetles then treated the area and most importantly threw away the epically infested box of dog biscuits. Just look at all some of the beetles in the Ziploc bag and the damage they did to the bones.

Mike “Spike” McGoldrick
Service Supervisor
Environmental Health Services, Inc.

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA 

One of the things people think about the coldest part of winter is, "at least it will kill the bugs." However, that is not true for all species.

Each species has its own life cycle characteristics, so the stage an insect overwinters in and how tolerant it is to temperature tells the true story.

Below are some examples of the area's more common insects and how they overwinter in Fairfield County.

Let's begin with the honey bee. The queen and sterile female workers overwinter in the hive. In spring, the eggs are laid, and the workers will feed the larvae and tend to the pupa. In late spring or summer, the fertile males and females appear, and the queen will leave the hive with a swarm of workers to start a new colony.

Bumblebees have hibernating queens that arrive in spring to establish underground colonies. Again, the workers -- all sterile females -- forage and tend to the larvae and pupae. Late in the season, males and young queens emerge, leave the nest and mate. Males, workers and the old queens die, with new queens overwintering to repeat the cycle.

The common house fly female lays her eggs in clusters on garbage or manure. Eggs hatch within a day, and the larvae mature in five days, pupate and emerge as adults in another five days. House flies produce many generations per year. That is why you will see adult flies in a sunny windowsill on warm winter days.

Fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, lay their eggs on the ground during warmer weather. The larvae become active, preying on snails and other small animals. The larvae then hibernate and enter the pupa stage. Adults will emerge the next summer. Fireflies produce only one generation per year.

An aphid's life cycle is variable. Eggs survive winter and hatch into wingless females that give birth to more wingless females, but no males. They then progress to a winged generation that moves to another host plant where more wingless females migrate back to the initial host plant. Finally, males are produced, mating occurs and eggs are laid.

Lastly is the dreaded mosquito. Their eggs are laid singly or in small clusters on water or damp ground prone to flooding. Wiggly larvae feed on tiny aquatic plants and animals, then molt into active pupae. The adult mosquito emerges at the water's surface from floating pupae. Mosquitoes have one or more generations per year.

This winter, it seems unlikely Fairfield County will experience extreme cold or even the annual spring thaw. Keep an eye on those insects as they emerge.

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA 

Squirrel Tests Positive For Plague At Campsite

A ground squirrel trapped during routine monitoring at the Cedar Grove Campground on Palomar Mountain tested positive for plague, the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health reported Thursday. No plague-infected rodents were discovered in the county last year, according to the DEH. Plague is a bacterial disease carried by wild rodents that can be transmitted to humans through the bite of infected fleas, according to the DEH.

The agency placed warning signs in the area so visitors could take precautions to avoid flea contact.

"It is not unusual to find plague in our local mountains in the summer months, so campers should always avoid contact with squirrels and their fleas," said DEH Director Jack Miller. "Set up tents away from squirrel burrows, do not feed the squirrels and warn your children not to play with squirrels."

The agency also advises avoiding contact with wild animals, particularly ground squirrels and chipmunks; not touching sick or dead animals; and keeping pets on a leash or leaving them at home.

Someone who becomes ill within one week of visiting an area known to have plague should contact a doctor immediately, according to the DEH.

Symptoms include a sudden onset of fever, chills and tender, swollen lymph nodes.

The agency said there have never been any known human cases of plague contracted here.

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA 

Cockroach Found in Banana Pack from Coventry Supermarket

A SHOCKED dad got more than he bargained for in his weekly shop when a tropical cockroach jumped out of a bag of bananas.

Nik Holmes says he ‘‘jumped out of his skin” after spotting the unwelcome visitor in the bag of fruit bought from Asda in Walsgrave, Coventry.

While he was unpacking his shopping at home in Woodroffe Walk, Longford, he opened the sealed bag and the cockroach jumped out and scurried along the kitchen surface.

It took Nik minutes to catch the cockroach which was hiding behind his coffee machine.

His 10-year-old son Charlie had chosen the fruit while during shopping on Thursday.

Nik, a warehouse worker, said: “I did the food shopping as normal. My Charlie picked up the bunch of bananas.

“We went home and I opened up the bag to put them on our banana hook and this cockroach came flying out the bag. I’m not usually scared but I jumped out of my skin.

“The cockroach was trying to make a run for it. I tried for a minute or two to catch it. I put it in a glass jar at first but wanted something to seal it in and found a plastic tub.

“When I told my son he freaked out. He was petrified – he didn’t want to see it or go anywhere near it. I don’t think he will be coming shopping with me again after that.

“I’m quite concerned about it – we still don’t know if it could have harmed us. It could have been something poisonous – the cockroach obviously stayed well hidden.

“I’m just glad my son didn’t open the bag. He wanted to help me with the shopping. It would have been even worse – I know it would have had a lasting impact on him. He would usually be in school but it was closed because of the polling.”

There are about 4,000 species of cockroaches, the most common are found in tropical and sub-tropical climates. They can often survive in extreme conditions more that other pests because they are adaptable but prefer warm environments. They can be carriers of bacteria and cause food poisoning in humans by contaminating food.

Some can live up to three months without food or water and air for 45 minutes. They can even tolerate high doses of radiation.

Nik took the bananas back to the supermarket and he was given a £1.35 refund.

A spokeswoman for Asda said: “We will be investigating how the cockroach made its way into the banana pack. It is something we take very seriously.”

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA 

What do you see??? To the untrained eye you see nothing but to me I see something that 99.9% of the population would overlook. It’s a decaying rat carcass in leaf/grass debris. I am on a property doing a termite inspection and I look around the surrounding area and find this dead rat about 25FT from the building.

I investigate further and find several rat burrows nearby and alerted the property manager who was thrilled I took the extra effort to uncover this. As a result we were able to nip this potential situation in the bud and protect our client.

Sherlock Holmes = You must train yourself to observe what others overlook.

Martin Hussey
Service Specialist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA 

Mice need dark warm areas to create nests (harborage). They absolutely love to get inside air filters, engines, etc. No matter if it is your lawnmower, motorcycle, or car they will find it. The two pictures attached to this show you how amazingly fast they are at setting up shop in these areas. This is my car and it was in my driveway for JUST ONE NIGHT and I opened the hood the next morning to add washer fluid and found this damage!

As you can see they tore the felt hood + battery cover up to make a nest. This is a VERY SERIOUS & DANGEROUS issue because they can cause the vehicle to malfunction at any point. It can lead to a crash or fire at any time. It is virtually impossible to repel or rodent proof these things from rodents as there are over 100 entry points for a mouse to get into a car engine. Call EHS as we do have some creative solutions for issues like this.

Bruce Lopes Jr.
Service Manager

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA 

Rat Attacks Baby’s Face

A baby boy left sleeping in his stroller outside a Copenhagen apartment block was bitten on the face by rats this week.

The boy was left sleeping in his stroller in the courtyard of an apartment complex in the center of Copenhagen on Wednesday evening. Apparently this is common behavior in Denmark, despite the cold and other obvious dangers. As soon as the parents discovered the baby’s injuries they called an ambulance and the toddler was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment.

The boy’s father later told reporters from Denmark’s Ekstra Bladet newspaper that the youngster had been bitten by rats on the face, close to his eye. Other residents from the apartment complex also told the reporters that there was a current vermin problem as dozens of rats try to escape the harsh winter conditions looking for somewhere warm to hide.

Rats are known to attack babies, and they will go for the soft tissue areas such as the eyes. There have been more than one case of death caused by rats eating babies.

Source; Morningstarr

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

More Rodents Carrying Hantavirus Found

Six more rodents trapped by County Vector Control technicians last week have tested positive for the sometimes-deadly hantavirus, County officials said this week.

The rodents, four Harvest mice and two California Meadow Voles, were trapped in Fairbanks Ranch and northern Escondido near the San Luis Rey River bringing this year’s total to 16 rodents testing positive for hantavirus, a news release stated. In 2010, a total of 21 rodents tested positive for hantavirus.

“Recent rains have created an abundance of food for rodents, which can increase the rodent population,” said County Environmental Health Director Jack Miller. “More rodents can lead to more hantavirus.” People should never sweep up or vacuum rodent droppings and nesting materials. Instead, ventilate closed areas and use wet cleaning methods with a 10 percent bleach solution or other full strength disinfectant. The best way to prevent the disease is to keep mice out of houses, garages and sheds by sealing all holes larger than the size of a dime, the news release stated.

Wild rodents, primarily deer mice, carry hantavirus. People can contract it by inhaling dust particles from rodent droppings and nesting materials that contain the virus. The virus can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which begins with flu-like symptoms, but can graduate to severe breathing difficulties and even death, according to the news release. There is no vaccine or specific treatment for hantavirus and the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that HPS has killed 36 percent of all the people known to have contracted the disease.

How to Avoid Exposure:

• Eliminate rodent infestations immediately.
• Avoid rodent infested areas. Do not stir up dust or materials that may be contaminated with feces and urine.
• Clean up rodent droppings and urine using the wet cleaning method described below.

Use “wet-cleaning” methods to prevent inhaling the virus:

• DO NOT SWEEP OR VACUUM INFESTED AREAS.
• Ventilate affected area by opening doors and windows for at least 30 minutes.
• Use rubber gloves. Spray a 10 percent bleach solution (2 tablespoons bleach to 1 cup of water), or other full strength disinfectant onto dead rodents, rodent droppings, nests, contaminated traps, and surrounding areas and let the disinfectant stand for at least 15 minutes before cleaning. Clean with a sponge or a mop.
• Place disinfected rodents and debris into two plastic bags, seal them and discard in the trash.
• Wash gloves in a bleach solution, then soap and water, and dispose of them using the same double-bag method. Thoroughly wash your bare hands with soap and water.

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

Near South Side Bakery Closed After Inspectors Find Rats, Unsafe Food

A Near South Side bakery was shut down after city inspectors found something customers aren’t too fond of - rats and food stored at unsafe temperatures.

Mayor Daley’s Dumpster Task Force shut down St. Anna’s Bakery, 2158 S. Archer Ave., Thursday due to a rat infestation and unsafe food holding temperatures, according to a release from the city’s Dept. of Streets & Sanitation.

Inspectors visited the bakery in response to a complaint about rodent activity and found more than 70 rate droppings throughout the kitchen. Inspectors also found St. Anna’s had problems with the temperatures in their walk-in cooler.

Food temperatures ranged from 50 to 60 degrees and more than 400 pounds of food had to be thrown away, the release said.

St. Anna’s was closed for the critical violations of inadequate pest control and for failure to protect foods from contamination. The bakery must correct their rodent problems, revamp their housekeeping and pest control programs and repair their cooler before they can request and pass a detailed re-inspection.

Source = Chicago Sun Times

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA