Pest Control

Spring is upon us, but people aren't the only ones who can hardly wait to get out of hibernation. Insects and nuisance pests who have been hiding during the cold winter months are finally gathering the courage to reappear in spring –and are getting millions of homeowners desperate and in search for a foolproof solution that will keep them out of their homes forever.

 

 

Cockroaches are one of the most persistent and dangerous pests that invade our homes. Alt-hough they are prevalent year-round, they become much more active when temperatures ex-ceed 70 degrees F. With summer on its way and temperatures on the rise, cockroaches will soon be a major problem for homeowners across the country.

Aside from being creepy and repulsive, cockroaches also pose serious health risks to humans. In order to help you understand the importance of keeping a cockroach-free home, following are some of the most common diseases and health risks these pests pose to humans, along with some simple tips you can use to keep your family safe and home bug-free.

Asthma Inducing Allergens

 

Asthma is a serious and sometimes fatal respiratory illness that affects millions of people throughout Canada. Although there are many factors that can trigger an attack, certain insects such as cockroaches can heighten this risk. This is because the excrement and debris from de-composing cockroaches is light enough to be lifted into the air and then breathed onto the bron-chial tubes.

If your home has been infested with bed bugs, chances are you have searched extensively for home remedies to get them out. Vacuuming, sealing, heating, steaming, and, of course, freezing them are some of the most common treatments used extensively by homeowners, some more effective than others. However, new evidence indicates that bed bugs are, in fact, much more resilient to home remedies – particularly freezing - than previously thought.  

The Research

  According to a study published in the Journal of Economic Entomology titled “Cold Tolerance of Bed Bugs and Practical Recommendations for Control,”bed bugs have a“freeze-intolerant”defense against the cold that protects them in such extreme environments. This is achieved by lowering the freezing point of their bodily fluids to withstand the sudden decrease in temperature. These findings were based off placing bed bugs of different life cycles in varying degrees of freezing temperatures, also testing their ability to feed after these treatments .

If you have been carrying out pest control practices this winter, you are one step closer to a pest-free spring. But the real battle has just begun: spring is one of the worst times of year for pest infestations, and as insects and rodents begin to awaken from their nests to reproduce and look for food, your home may be their next target.   The best way to maintain a pest-free home this spring is to take precautionary measures starting as early as December. If you wait until the sun comes out, it will already be too late, for pests will have awakened from their hibernation, and you could be forced to deal with an expensive extermination. Following are simple, yet essential tips you can start implementing today to keep pests out once spring arrives.    

Start Spring Cleaning Early

  Spring cleaning can feel like a daunting task, but the reward of a clean home is well worth the effort.

If you are an avid gardener, you understand how soil-bound pests can be detrimental to your plants. Unfortunately, to eradicate these agricultural menaces, people often utilize chemical-based treatments such as pesticides. Although effective, pesticides can be harmful not only to your plants, but to humans and pets as well, not to mention the long-term effects they have on the ecosystem.   In order to effectively prevent and remove pests from their gardens without resorting to the use of chemicals, many people are turning to organic solutions, one of which are nematodes. Beneficial nematodes are one of nature’s most effective pest controllers, and because they     are so easy to use, even the most inexperienced of gardeners can reap their garden-
saving benefits.  

Beneficial Nematodes

  Nematodes are microscopic roundworms that naturally occur in soil, but they can also be purchased and introduced into an environment. These genetically and ecologically-diverse organisms occupy more varied habitats than any other animal group in the world and serve a variety of functions in nature - controlling agricultural pests is one of their most valuable qualities.