Fun Fact Friday: Deadly Spider or Completely Harmless

"Daddy-longlegs are the most deadly spider in the world, but their fangs are too short to inject venom into humans."

Have you ever heard that phrase? TOTAL MYTH on multiple levels.  Daddy-longlegs are not even spiders, there is a daddy-longleg spider, also called a cellar spider, but the arthropod called daddy-longlegs is not actually a spider. They are from the Order Opiliones.  They do have eight legs, but differ from spiders on many levels, including NOT HAVING ANY FANGS.  That's right, they have NO fangs whatsoever. Meaning? No venom.  They largely live under fallen trees or rocks and scavenge for food and are not even commonly seen by most people.  Further separating them from spiders, they do not build webs or produce silk.  There are other details about difference, but this blog could get REALLY BORING REALLY FAST if I keep going on and on so I'll move on.  Now that that is out of the way, lets chat about daddy-longleg (or cellar) spiders.

There is NO scientific proof whatsoever to support the statement that Daddy-Longleg spiders have extremely poisonous venom.  No scientific research has been done.  For whatever reason, no one has volunteered to be injected with the spider venom.  Also noteworthy, no one has volunteered to do the injecting (something about medical code of ethics etc.).  Furthermore, there has been no research even on mice and daddy-longleg spider venom.  So considering the complete lack of proof about the level of toxicity in the venom, the statement is false because it is not supported by scientific research.

Another fact worth visiting as far as daddy-longleg spiders go is that they have the same fang structure as the brown recluse spider (which is clearly able to bite humans) so it is not even proven that they are not capable of biting humans-- the opposite is actually more supported scientifically speaking.  There may be a difference in muscle structure and strength between the brown recluse and the daddy-longleg spider causing one bite to penetrate and the other not, but again, nothing scientifically proven.  NOTHING BASED IN FACT.  Below is a quote in an article by the University of California Riverside Entomology Department.  And below that is a link to a much more in depth and informational article about the daddy-longleg myth.

"For true daddy-long-legs, the opilionids, the myth is certainly false, and for the daddy-long-legs spiders it is certainly not based on known facts." 

University of California Riverside 

 http://spiders.ucr.edu/daddylonglegs.html

Carpenter Ant Invasion! Vancouver Washington

It is "Ant Season" in the pest control industry.  It is what it is-- in pest control, specifically in the northwest there are seasons where ant problems are more prevalent.  Spring and summer have ants, bees, wasps, spiders, beetles, etc.  Of course it is not some sort of fixed law of bugs.  Generally speaking though, it's open season for ants in the pest control industry and I have been seeing a rising number of carpenter ants in Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR.  Walking around my neighborhood, I have seen inseminate queen carpenter ants looking for a suitable place to build a colony.  An inseminate queen, is a LARGE female ant that has shed her wings.    Considering that my neighborhood is one with many houses close together and not a whole lot in terms of natural carpenter ant habitat, I foresee a growing carpenter ant problem right in my own backyard (so to speak).

Carpenter Ants are a problem for property owners because they are in the business of destroying the wood of homes and businesses.  Carpenter Ants carve out galleries in which to build their colonies and tunnel systems to food/water sources. 

People often mistake carpenter ants for termites and termites for carpenter ants, although there are many differences, the one similarity is that both destroy wood structures.  With a structurally damaging pest, it is best to treat earlier because the longer they have-- the more damage they cause.

Carpenter Ants play an important role in the "wild" in the breakdown process of dead and decaying trees.  As you can imagine, the "dead" trees in your home are the same to these ants as the ones in the forest.

In the last week, I have squashed searching queens in my backyard, on my front porch, in the entryway of my own house, and on the sidewalk on the way to my neighbors house (your welcome!).  So when I say there is a carpenter ant invasion-- I am not speaking generally as a pest control professional, but personally-- as a home owner as well.  

  

Zombies are real... Fun fact Friday!

Zombies are real and undead today! Of course they are ants and there is a scientific explanation. A fungus takes over the ant's brain! It is actually pretty interesting. I read about it on yahoo news and checked out this website article about it on livescience.com.

http://www.livescience.com/5631-zombie-ants-controlled-fungus.html

Keeping it short because I am blogging on the go (from the iPhone) but I didn't want to give up fun fact Friday in the second week! Check out the article on Zombie ants. Whether you are in Portland or Vancouver, enjoy this gorgeous weather in the northwest! For all of your pest control needs, Peak Pest Management is happy to help!

Ant Exterminator's Theme Song? The Ants go Marching....

The Ants go marching one by one hurrah! Hurrah!

The Ants go marching one by one, the little one stops to suck his thumb

The Ants go marching down, around, and through the town.....

(origin unknown/writer unknown)

Okay so this is the song that is running through my head!  Why?  Well maybe it's because I have kids who sing silly songs...  And maybe it's because I've seen a LOT of ants around Portland and Vancouver lately!  Probably a combination of those two things!  I caught an inseminated carpenter ant marching towards my house to find a place set up her colony.  The only galleries allowed in my house are set up by children with art they've done... Not carved out by carpenter ants destroying my home-- that ant tried messing with the wrong guy!  After all, I am a pest control professional-- naturally I exterminated the potential problem with one crushing blow (no product necessary for this job-- my shoe was the natural choice).

Carpenter ants can cause some pretty serious problems if they do become established in a wooden structure such as a home, garage, shed, fence, business building, etc.  The cost of getting rid of a colony early is far less than letting the infestation grow to the point of causing structural damage.  Because Carpenter Ants carve out galleries (smooth tunnel systems) in wood, they cause structural damage when the wood supporting a structure is compromised by extensive carving.

Carpenter ants are different than termites, people are often surprised to find out that they do not eat wood, they carve it out and leave a sawdust at the ends of their tunnels (this sawdust is not always in places where people will notice-- so just because their is no sawdust it is not safe to assume ants in the house are not carpenter ants).  Termites actually eat wood and have mud tubes and dirtier and less smooth tunnel systems.  There are other differences between carpenter ants and termites, but that is another blog for another day...  Today I'm just focusing in on ants!

There are many types of ants that can infest a home and they range in size from about 1/16th of an inch to 5/8ths of an inch.  There are sugar ants, odorous house ants, carpenter ants, moisture ants, ghost ants (they're real and alive).  Many types of ants are a nuisance but cause no structural damage, but there are ants that do cause damage so it is always a good idea to have a Pest Control Professional, come out and do an inspection.

Yellowjacket-- Fun Fact Friday

It's Friday!  And I've decided we need to start some sort of celebratory Friday tradition.  So today I have for you, a fun fact about yellowjackets!  Who knew there was anything fun about yellowjackets right?  I mean other than maybe a yellow RAIN jacket-- then maybe I'd have a fun fact about jumping in mud puddles with the kids.  I am sure my family could give all sorts of fun facts about fashionable yellow jackets, but I'm talking about the wasp (some people call it a bee, but it's a wasp and no, this is not your fun fact).  Here is your Friday Fun Fact:

• You can lessen your attractiveness to yellowjackets if you forego the use of hairspray, perfume, or aftershave and don’t wear bright-colored clothing, especially bright yellow, light blue, red, or orange. Good choices are white or light tan fabrics which are unattractive to them.

Here is a link to more fun facts:  http://farmerfredrant.blogspot.com/2009/09/yellowjacket-fun-facts.html

This fun fact was discovered on Farmer Fred Rant written by Fred Hoffman, lifetime master gardener and garden radio host in California. 

In some online and experience based fact checking, the perfumes and scents are a bigger deal than color, although it seems if you wear black and are near their nest you may be perceived as a threat because of natural predators.  Some experts say that yellowjackets do not see the color red and even suggest using a red lens on flashlight when looking for an entrance to a yellowjacket nest.    

Here is another one just for fun because it reminded me of watching Tom and Jerry cartoons.

• If chased by these angry insects, run away in a zig-zag pattern, and seek shelter in a building or automobile. Do not jump in water...they WILL wait for you to surface.

Because yellowjackets tend to fly in straight lines, this seems to be sound advice, as far as the zig-zag run, however, I was not able to determine if yellow jackets will actually wait for you at the surface of the water.

Mice Eek! A Mouse in my House?

Lately I have had several friends, relatives and acquaintances talk about, post about, blog about, or call about mice.  Mice are a common pest.  The term common does not indicate welcome- in fact a mouse is often greeted with a shriek of terror.  Mice are attracted to homes, apartments, businesses, etc because of the available food source as well as the cozy environment and nesting material available.

The stereotypical assumption is that mice infest only messy homes is false!  Clean homes have all of the makings of an environment in which mice can thrive.  A clean home most often still has water, food and some sort of nesting materials (insulation, towels, blankets, clothes, material, paper, etc).  It can be harder to deal with a rodent infestation in a messy home, but clean homes and messy homes alike are susceptible to mouse infestations.  Mice are not a reflection on the cleanliness of the human inhabitants of a home.  That said, the earlier mice are dealt with the better.

Mice can cause a number of problems:

• The first problem is sanitation of food and food preparation areas.  If mice are getting into food, it is no longer a safe food for people to eat because of the bacteria associated with mice as well as feces.
• Another major problem mice can cause is compromised electrical wiring.  Mice can chew on and through cords and wires in a home putting the home at a greater risk for fire.
• Mice can tear up insulation and duct work.  The insulation can be a big mess to clean up and the duct work can be costly to repair depending on the extent of the damage and how easily the damaged areas can be accessed.
• Mice can ruin clothing, blankets, towels, papers, and keepsakes.  They will shred cloth and paper to make their nests.  Rodent feces and urine can also stain and contaminate many different types of items.
• Mice generally make a mess of the area they are nesting and can leave food and food trails around attracting other pests, such as cockroaches.

Now that you know what mice can do, you might be wondering, "What can I do to get rid of mice, or prevent an infestation."  There are a number of steps you can take.

1. Store all open food in sealed containers.  This goes for food of the human and pet varieties.
2. Keep important documents in a document safe or other sealed container that will be difficult for mice to get into.
3. Keep unused or keepsake clothing and linens in air tight storage.
4. Regularly check (or have someone brave check) your crawlspace, garage, etc.  If you hear scurrying or munching sounds I'd go with a professional inspection.
5. Bird feeders and bird food can encourage rodents.  I recommend not using bird feeders-- or choosing hummingbird feeders instead of typical bird feeders.

The steps listed above are not a guarantee that you won't encounter rodents in your home, but it will make it less likely and easier to get rid of mice if you do find them.

Micah Wood
peak-pest-management.com
Micah@peak-pest-management.com
503-998-4322
360-607-1933

Bees- Spring Has Sprung, Don't Get Stung!

It's spring and spring means flowers and trees start to bloom bringing allergies, bees, wasps and a number of pesky pests we said goodbye to for winter back into our lives!  Here in the Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR and the whole northwest, spring rain welcomes buds and blooms to flowers and trees.  Buds and blooms attract bees, caterpillars, aphids, and plenty of other pests to be sure.  If your backyard veggie patch or prize winning roses are attracting bees, here are a few tips to keep you from getting stung.

• Know your bees and wasps!  It doesn't hurt to have knowledge about the local bees and wasps so you know how to respond when you encounter them.  Bumble bees are fuzzy, lonely, cute and relatively harmless: yellow jackets (technically a wasp not a bee) are bare, travel in colonies, ugly and readily sting repeatedly.
• Don't panic!  Becoming fearful and swing your arms at bees makes you and those around you more likely to be stung.  If one person has been stung and it appears that bees are swarming move away from the area and indoors if possible.  When a bee or wasp stings, it releases a pheromone that can attract other bees and wasps to come to their aid to protect the territory.
• If you notice a bee nest in, on, or near your home or business, contact a pest control professional.  A pest control professional will be able to identify the bees/wasps and help you get rid of them.  A pest control professional will often have contacts in bee keeping for relocating honey bees and other beneficial bees to a safer place for the bees and for your family.  A trained professional is also skilled in getting rid of bees and wasps that are invading your home or business and nesting in areas that encroach on peaceful family life.

Here are some helpful safety tips for kids:

• Don't throw rocks at bees nests, even if they appear to be empty.
• Do not climb trees with bees nests in them.
• Don't swat at or flail your arms at bees.
• Don't panic and run around in circles when you see a bee.
• Avoid playing near garbage cans that are swarming with bees.

Remember a bee sting is painful to some and medically serious to others.  If you have a known bee allergy please follow your doctor's safety advice and carry the appropriate medications during the spring, summer and fall months.  If you have been stung and have significant swelling consult your doctor.  If you have severe swelling and/or difficulty breathing call 9-1-1 immediately.

Micah Wood

503-998-4322

360-607-1933
Micah@Peak-Pest-Management.com
peak-pest-management.com