Ants Herding Aphids? Is It True? |Fun Fact Friday

Have you seen the moving Bugs Life?  Well, I have kids and work in pest control, so I have absolutely seen the movie with my kids!  And in the movie, the queen ant has a pet aphid. I know that there are several species of ant that eat honeydew, a sticky sweet secretion, produced by aphids.


I had heard that there are ants that "farm" aphids.  I went looking around to see what the research says and came across a really interesting article.  Apparently ants not only bite off the wings of aphids to subdue and keep them close, but they also have a chemical that is released from their feet.  This chemical was once thought just to mark territory, but the new research has found that it blocks aphid wing growth and slows them down-- allowing the ants to herd the aphids and keep their food source near by.


Here is a link to the article-- it's a little on the dry side, but if you can get past that, it is very informative. 


Herding Aphids: How 'Farmer' Ants Keep Control Of Their Food


Insects are very interesting!  For all of you gardeners out there, if you have ants and aphids together...  Now you have an idea of why they're both there!  The ants are keeping the aphids-- it's like an ant aphid ranch.


If you have plain old ants in your house that come in after rains to feast on your kitchen sugars because their aphid honeydew has been washed away, please contact Peak Pest Management.


Micah Wood
Peak Pest Management
peak-pest-management.com
micah@peak-pest-management.com
503-998-4322
360-607-1933
Text a Tech 503-369-4623

Mice | Little Bunny Foo Foo Hopping Through The Forest

Recently my wife was singing a song in the car with our kids that she says her mom sang with her...  It goes a little something like this,

Little Bunny Foo Foo hopping through the forest, scooping up the field mice and bopping them on the heads,Along came the good fairy and she said "Little Bunny Foo Foo, I don't want to see you scooping up the field mice and bopping them on the heads.  I'll give you three chances and then POOF, you're a goon!"

Anyways, I was totally relating with the bunny right?  Mice are pesky, they get into stuff, they eat your food and rip up your papers and ruin clothing and generally make a mess of things.  Also worth noting, what on Earth is a GOON? (To be fair, I did look it up.  It is defined as a stupid person, a person hired to take out enemies, or a low level gang member. I think it's safe to say that the definition of "goon" has probably changed.).

All that is to say, the song got me thinking about mice...  And since I was thinking about mice, I decided to blog about mice... Again.  Mice are a common pest control call all year, with a slightly lower amount in the summer.  Mice are a pest year round because they are attracted to food, water and nesting materials that are readily available where people are.

While there are a number of ways to treat for mice, I have found that the bunny's method (scooping up and bopping) in the song would be completely ineffective...  It would also be rather difficult since mice can be quick, squeeze into the teensiest tinesiest cracks and disappear just about as quickly as you can scream and jump onto a chair! Not that this is what I do when I see a mouse-- I have seen it happen though.

Such a small creature can create panic, make a huge mess, damage duct work and insulation, and cause a major problem with sanitation.  Mice are dirty, can carry fleas and diseases.  They can contaminate food supplies and destroy papers and clothing.  It is important to treat for mice.  There are a number of methods for controlling mice.  The integrated pest control approach takes into consideration the environment and other animals.  Pest control for mice has come a long way as far as baits are concerned.  While once mouse bait could make a cat, dog or child sick-- the newer products are specifically targeted for mice and their specific biological make up.  While it is still important to keep baits out of reach of children and pets, pest control has gotten safer.

If you're seeing mice around your house, inside, in the garage or in the crawl space, it is a good idea to have an inspection to talk about whether or not there is damage and the extent of it, exclusion work (closing off areas mice, rats or other animals can get in), and how to best treat or prevent an infestation.

Micah Wood
Peak-Pest-Management.com
Micah@peak-pest-management.com
503-998-4322
360-607-1933
Text 503-369-4623

Ant + information = Antformation| Fun Fact Friday!

If you want one fun fact, here it is: all three sets of legs on an ant are located in the thorax, which is represented in the green section of the diagram below.

For more information, please keep reading!

I am actually not a graphic designer.  Just in case there was any question about that-- the proof above is an ant diagram created in Microsoft Paint.  For fun fact friday, I thought we could diagram an ant.  And I looked for a fun diagram I could grab online and found that there really wasn't a freebie I could snag and use.  So, you get my amazingly unartistic funky but functional Ant Diagram.

1. There is the head in the blue section of the diagram.
1. On the head there are antennae.  The thick end is called the club.
1. Antennae are bent, in constant motion and are used to sense, taste and smell.
2. There is also the mandibles, which in my diagram is that jagged angular area.
1. The mandible hides the mouth of the ant.  The mouth is used not just to eat but also to clean.
3. The large grey dot is called the compound eye.
1. Many ants have compound eyes made up of several lenses that form one picture in the ants brain.  Some ants have smaller compound eyes and those that spend most of their time in the dark may even be blind
4. The three tiny grey dots are the ocelli.
1. These are three simple eyes that sense light.
2. In the green section of the diagram is the thorax.  The thorax is made up of muscles.
1. Located in the thorax are all three sets of legs.
1. Ants legs are jointed.  You may be able to vaguely guess that from the drawing... MAYBE.
3. The purple section of the diagram is the petiole.
1. Some ants have one part here, others have two the second part is called the post-petiole.
1. The petiole allows ants to bend their gaster forward in order to sting or spray prey or in self defense.
4. The final portion of the diagram, in yellow, is the gaster.  The gaster contains the heart, digestive system, and protection/weapon. 
1. On the gaster in this picture I have shown a stinger, some ants can sting-- while others have a small opening and instead are able to spray acid.

This is a very basic diagram and break down of the anatomy of ants.  There are all kinds of things that could be added, but I figure if we are going to call this "Fun Fact Friday" this is just enough information to keep it from being information overload.  Each ant species is slightly different-- but you can get the basic idea of how ants function.

While ants may be interesting, they are not as fun and intriguing when they are invading your home, business, and other structures.  For help getting rid of ants, please contact me at Peak Pest Management LLC.  Carpenter Ants, moisture ants, soil ants, odorous house ants, sugar ants, ghost ants, and any other ants you might want to be rid of are well within our realm of expertise!  You can visit the website at www.peak-pest-management.com or give me a call at 360-607-1933 (WA) or 503-998-4322 (OR).

Sewer Rats-Pest Control Downtown Portland

Rats are very common in Portland, OR.  Some pest control experts suggest that where there are people-- there are rats.  This is because rats are attracted to the food and garbage of humans and their pets.  The most common rat in the Portland/Vancouver metro area is the Norway Rat.  Although the name might suggest otherwise, the Norway Rat origins trace back to China.  The Norway Rat is also referred to as the brown rat, sewer rat, common rat, street rat, among other names.  These rats are found on all continents with the exception of Antarctica and are concentrated in the same areas as humans.  

Some common Rat Questions and Answers:

• Can rats really come up through the toilet?  Rats can swim, live in sewers and often do come up through toilets.  As disconcerting as that might be, it is true.  Keeping the toilet lids down, if you are in an area prone to sewer rats can encourage a rat to go back down the pipes in to the sewer.
• How small of a space can rats fit through-- some rats are BIG?  A rat can fit through a crack that is slightly larger than 1/2 inch-- even though they can be up to a foot long and weigh in at just under a pound.
• How common are Rats in Portland?  Rats are very common in any area that there are people-- specifically urban areas.  It has been said of Portland, that you are never very far away from a rat.
• Are rats associated with diseases?  Rats are commonly associated with many diseases and commonly carry fleas which can host other diseases.  
• Do rats jump? Yes.  Not just in theory, I have seen rats jump.

Because Rats can be associated with various diseases and other sanitation problems when they are in areas where people live and eat, it is important to give proper attention to a rat infestation as soon as it is discovered. If you suspect rats in your home or business please give Peak Pest Management LLC a call or visit the website at www.peak-pest-management.comwww.peak-pest-management.com. 

Ants Can Lift Many Times Their Body Weight: Fun Fact Friday

Okay it's Friday!  Time for a fun fact.  I have scoured the internet and come up with no "exact" answer as to how many times their body weight an ant can carry.  The general consensus seems to be that ants can lift, over their heads at least 20 times their body weight.  Of course in "ant" scale it doesn't seem super impressive...  It's kind of like "Wow, that tiny ant is dragging a section of a leaf or something...."  That doesn't seem really impressive until you put it in human terms.

• It would be like walking down the street and seeing a 200lb guy walking along carrying a small-medium sized truck over his head.
• OR to make it even more dramatic, it would be like seeing a 50lb kid walking down the road carrying a compact car.  Now that would be impressive!
• Imagine a 100lb preteen carrying a compact car in each hand, over his/her head.

An ant's ability to lift is pretty incredible.  Some sites suggest that some ants can carry up to 50 times their weight.  So just one in human terms on this one.

• Two 200lb guys could carry a small (20,000 pounds) dump truck over their heads together.

If people had that kind of ability to lift, not only would we not need tow trucks, but can you imagine where some of the sports would be?  Olympic weight lifting for one?  Even though ants can be quite the nuisance, and even structurally damaging as a pest, they are some pretty interesting creatures.

On a more serious note, if you are having a problem with these heavy load lifting pests (or any other pest for that matter), feel free to give me a call for pest control services.  We're in the thick of ant season and they are out in force this year!

Termites-- Possible lifespan: Fun Fact Friday!

Termites are fun right?  Okay no, they are certainly not. But here is a fact that I ran across that I found very interesting.  Reproductive Female Termites may live up to 45-50 years! 50 YEARS!  Knowing this, it is no wonder that termite colonies can grow to include over a million individuals.  As a pest control professional I am constantly searching for information about the pests we encounter.  In that searching I came across some interesting information about one of the most dreaded wood destroying structural pests.

Not only do reproductive females live up to 50 years in favorable conditions, I also read that reproductive males can live up to 45 years.  Although the average lifespan for termites is 2-3 years, termites often live well beyond this predicted lifespan.  Termites are divided into three social castes.  Workers, which are responsible for building and maintaining the nest and feeding and grooming the other two castes; Soldiers which are responsible for defending the nest; and reproductive, which are responsible for procreation.

An interesting fact about the soldier caste of termites is that while their large head and jaw serve them well in defending the nest it makes it impossible for them to feed themselves.  Soldier and reproductive termites must rely on the workers to be fed.

Besides being known for destruction (here in the US), in some countries in Africa gigantic termite mounds (up to 9 meters tall) are actually tourist attractions.  And from the pictures, they are quite impressive!  Termites are very beneficial in the break down of decaying plant matter, as it is their food source.  However, when it comes to wood structures, like houses, business buildings, wooden play structures, etc.  Termites are a very detrimental pest as they eat through the wood in a structure they cause structural damage that (give ample time to eat) can be quite costly to repair.

What is Carpenter Ant Flushing? And Other Common Questions.

So, my wife brought to my attention that when I say "There may be some flushing," regarding ant treatments people who do not work in the pest control industry might not understand what I'm talking about.  Flushing refers to a part of the process with some ant products where ants come out of their nest and die.  It isn't a reference to ants using your bathroom or taking up playing poker with cards in your house.  Depending on the product used, flushing can occur with a variety of ants, moisture ants, odorous house ants, sugar ants, carpenter ants, etc.  Flushing sometimes gives the appearance that the problem is temporarily worse.  Flushing is a normal part of the process and a good sign that the treatment is working.

The next obvious question is-- If the ants are dying because of the pest control products and they are outside of the nest where my pet parrot, puppy, kitten etc can get to them and eat them, will my pet get sick?  With the products we use the answer is no.  This is because we use pet safe products.  The products we, at Peak Pest Management, use for Ant treatments are specifically targeted for ants.

What does specifically targeted mean?  Specifically targeted means that the products either are a natural poison to ants because of their biological make up, or the products are developed using the biology of the ant specifically to avoid poisoning animals and people.  Pest control has come a long way over the years- environmentally friendly pest control companies, like Peak Pest Management, are always learning and developing.  Continued learning is a crucial part of maintaining the highest quality pest control service.

At Peak Pest Management there is a desire to know the most current pest control issues.  We also make the effort to educate ourselves in the most current and most effective and safest products available.  On top of that we read research done by experts within the industry.