Notes from the Green Truck

The first sign of trouble was a little mound of what looked like sawdust on the raised concrete ledge in the laundry room. My neighbor has a raised ranch. In the unfinished basement area there is a narrow half-inch gap between the wallboard and the concrete foundation. Between every set of studs we could see little pyramid-shaped piles of  “sawdust.” I hated to be the bearer of bad news, but my neighbor had carpenter ants. The “sawdust” was the byproduct of their munching.

Carpenter ants can be quite destructive. While they don’t eat wood like termites do, carpenter ants chew massive tunnels and galleries into wood to house their nests. Usually found outdoors in wood piles or damaged trees, the large black ants are easily attracted to nearby home foundations, particularly when moisture is present. Carpenter ants’ tunneling can undermine foundations, destroy porch posts and railings, and damage roofs and wood siding. Damage will not stop until the entire nest is found and eliminated by pest control professionals.

If you see a dull, black ant, approximately 1/4 to 3/4-inch long in New Jersey, it is a carpenter ant and you could have a serious problem. Pest technicians traced my neighbor’s problem to a huge nest in a damaged tree in her back yard. That colony was still thriving but had spread to her home. Fortunately, a quick call to ChemTec was able to eliminate both nests and minimize carpenter ant damage to my neighbor’s home.

Carpenter bees are also known as “wood boring bees”. While they can assist pollination in gardens, they are considered a pest because of the damage they can cause to wood structures. These bees have the ability to bore through wood, and they build their nests in wood structures around homes. They are considered one of the most amazing types of bees in the world, because they can create perfectly circular holes that are almost always similar in size.

It is easy to distinguish carpenter bees from other types of bees. The adult carpenter bee measures about 1 to 1 ½ inches in length, and it is either entirely black in color or has some yellow markings at the rear. It has a robustness that makes some people think that it is a bumble bee. You will know whether a carpenter bee is a male or a female by looking at its face; a male has a yellow face while the female has a black face.

One of the sure signs of carpenter bee infestation is the presence of circular holes in wood structures around your home. It is likely that you will find piles of sawdust on the ground directly below the holes. Carpenter bees can build their nests in almost any kind of wood structure, which may include siding, fences, desks, window frames, and overhangs.

It is important to get rid of carpenter bees as soon as possible, because they will cause more damage to your wood structures if you wait too long to eliminate them.

Mice are everywhere in New Jersey and New York City, and it is not surprising that many schools are experiencing mouse problems. School cafeterias provide a great source of food for mice, and they are the main reason for the infestations. According to the Freedom of Information, a total of 545 cafeterias in NYC schools alone have at least one serious health violation, and signs of mouse infestation are found in more than 30% of these cafeterias.

Manhattan’s Landmark High School is one of the schools that have a very bad mouse problem. Health inspectors found a lot of mouse droppings and a live mouse in a glue trap when they were conducting an inspection at the school. A representative from the Center of Science and Public Interest, Sarah Kline, said that mouse droppings are not only disgusting, but they can be dangerous to the human health if they somehow get into food, and the schools are not taking the proper measures to ensure food safety. It is known that mice are carriers of diseases, and they can cause a variety of health problems, including salmonella, hantavirus, and Lyme disease. This makes them a serious threat to the health of kids in schools.

The best way to get rid of mouse infestation in homes and schools in New Jersey is to call a pest control professional. ChemTec Pest Control provides effective pest control service in many New Jersey areas.

Excerpt from “How Green Are Natural Insecticides?” written by Corrinna Underwood for FoxNews.Com…our very own Gary Stamer, ChemTec Field Operations Manager is quoted….

Botanicals use essential oils from plants known to have natural insecticidal properties, such as chrysanthemum, garlic, sweet flag and clove. Not only do these natural avengers zap the bad bugs, they are also harmless to humans and the environment.

Many of the newer green pesticides have a unique mode of action that targets and blocks a key neurotransmitter receptor site.

“The neurotransmitter in insects is called octopamine; it is basically the insects’ version of adrenaline,” explains Gary Stamer of Chemtec Pest Control, based in Saddle Brook, N.J. “The botanicals block the octopamine, resulting in a shutdown of the insect’s nervous system. Since only insects have this receptor, there is no harm to mammals, birds or fish.”

You can read the entire article here. We don’t fully agree with the IPM definition but the article is informative. ChemTec Pest Control offers  Green Services  in Bergen County, Passaic County, Essex County, Hudson County and Morris County in New Jersey and Rockland County in New York State.

Cockroaches are common pests in households, and they are hardy creatures that can multiply very quickly. As such, it is important to get rid of them as soon as possible, and the best way to do so is to eliminate sources of food and water as well as hiding places in your home.

One of the main reasons why homeowners experience cockroach infestation is because they leave food in the open. You should store your food in the refrigerator or tightly-sealed containers. Even crumbs of food on the table or ground can attract cockroaches. Make sure that you clean your home properly and put your garbage in tightly-closed trash cans. Also, you should not to leave unwashed dishes in the dishwasher or sink overnight.

You can also reduce cockroach infestation by cleaning up clutter in your home, because clutter provides ideal hiding places for cockroaches. Do some repairs to make your home more cockroach-proof, including sealing up cracks and openings on pipes. A number of solutions and insecticides can be used to eliminate cockroaches. You can either get a cockroach spray from the store or make your own solutions, such as mixtures of soap and water, and powdered sugar and baking soda. Spray the insecticide or solution in areas of your home where cockroaches are commonly seen.

If you find that cockroaches are still showing up in your home after you try these methods, it is best that you call a pest control professional.

The rat problem in New York City remains unsolved, and it seems to be getting worse all the time. In lower Manhattan, construction works have caused thousands of rats to emerge from their hideouts, and they have settled in nearby public housing areas. These dreaded creatures are making life distressful for many residents, and it appears that the Department of Health has not found an effective solution to the problem.

New York rats are not only found in public housing areas; they can be seen in subway stations, parks, government buildings, and schools. According to the City Council’s Select Committee on Pest Control, there are about 70 million rats in NYC, outnumbering the human population nine to one. Most of rats found in the city are Norwegian rats, an adaptable breed of rats that are about nine inches long. These rats are comfortable when they are in the presence of humans, and they are a serious health threat because they can spread diseases such as leptospirosis and hantavirus.

Residents in the housing areas of lower Manhattan are clearly troubled by the rat problem. Christine Morton, who lives in the Baruch Houses, said that she had to shake her keys or throw rocks at the rats whenever she needs to get out of her building. The Department of Health tried to solve the problem by placing rat poison around the buildings, and this effort killed about 200 rats. Shortly after that, hundreds of rats were seen picking through the residents’ garbage again.

Many people who are living around Lake Musconetcong, New Jersey are troubled by the growing population of mosquitoes in the region. In the past, lakeside residents only experienced mosquito problem during night time, but now, they are being attacked all day long.

Residents in the towns of Bryam, Roxbury, Netcong, and Stanhope said that the mosquito problem has ruined their plans of having an enjoyable and relaxing summer at home. They cannot have barbecues in the backyards or do other outdoor activities. Kim Kelly, who lives in Stanhope, said that her 3-year-old son had so many mosquito bites that he suffered from a skin infection.

According to a member of the Lake Musconetcong Regional Planning Board, the mosquito population is increasing because of the conditions of the lake. Silt and weeds are making the lake water stagnant, and this provides the perfect conditions for mosquito breeding. The board is trying to solve the problem by cleaning up the state-owned lake, but the project may cost several million dollars. The Department of Environmental Protection of New Jersey is responsible for providing funds for such projects, but budget constraints are preventing them from doing so.

If you are experiencing mosquito problem in New Jersey or New York City, you can call ChemTec Pest Control to help you solve the problem.

Pigeons were first introduced to the US as pets several centuries ago, but as they learned how to adapt to the environment, their numbers grew rapidly. Today, feral pigeons are the number one pest birds in the country, and they can be found in just about any place where food and shelter are available.

Pigeon droppings are not only unsightly and foul-smelling; they can also cause significant damage to homes, buildings, monuments, and vehicles. They can deface and speed up the deterioration of structures and buildings, resulting in increased costs of maintenance. Pigeons also contaminate and consume large amounts of food that are meant for human and livestock consumption in farms and grain processing facilities.

It is also known that pigeons can spread diseases to humans and other animals through their droppings. Some of the diseases that are commonly transmitted through pigeon droppings are salmonella, ornithosis, encephalitis, toxoplasmosis, histoplasmosis, and cryptococcosis. Pigeons also carry parasites such as lice, fleas, ticks, and mites, which can cause health problems in humans as well.

In airports and airbases, pigeons are considered a threat to human safety, because their presence may obstruct the flight of airplanes. Bird-airplane collisions can contribute to a higher risk of airplane accidents. Pigeons are classified as a medium-priority hazard in US Air Force bases.

Snakes can be beneficial to humans because they help to control the population of rodents. However, some snakes are venomous, and their bites can cause great pain or even death. The state of New Jersey is home to about 24 different species of snakes, but most of them are non-venomous.

Some of the non-venomous snakes that are commonly found in New Jersey are the Milk Snake, Black Rat Snake, Black Racer, Eastern Ribbon Snake, Eastern Garter Snake, Northern Water Snake, and Scarlet Kingsnake. There are only two species of venomous snakes in the state, and they are the Northern Copperhead and the endangered Timber Rattlesnake. These are pit vipers that release haemotoxic venom when they bite. The Timber Rattlesnake is more dangerous than the Northern Copperhead because it has a high venom yield that can be deadly to humans.

It is not uncommon to find snakes in homes and buildings, especially those that are infested with rats or mice. Snakes usually enter homes through cracks and crevices, and the best way to keep them at bay is to seal out all holes that are found around the house.

If you find a snake in your home and you do not know whether it is venomous or not, the safest thing to do is to call a pest control professional.

Bed bugs are nocturnal insects that are most active during night time. They will bite any exposed areas of a person’s skin while he or she is sleeping. Some of the common areas of the body where bed bug bites are found include the face, neck, arms, and hands. The bites cause small and raised bumps to appear on the skin.

Swelling and itching may develop as a result of bed bug bites, and the bite areas may become infected if they are scratched. Usually, the bites will take a week or so to subside, and no treatment is necessary. However, if severe itching occurs, oral antihistamines or steroid creams can be used to relieve the itching. It has not been proven that bed bugs carry infectious viruses, but they may be responsible for spreading the Chagas disease.

Some of the signs of bed bug infestation are the presence of fecal stains, egg cases, and shed skins in cracks and crevices, as well as areas around the bed. The best way to confirm the presence of bed bugs in your home is to seek the assistance of a pest control company.

If you need to detect or get rid of bed bugs in a New Jersey or NYC home, you can contact ChemTec Pest Control.