The Zen of Pest Control

First, I want to apologize for not checking in recently. I could give you any number of excuses -- all of which I'm sure your familiar. Just pick one of the ones you've heard before and go with that.

I happened upon an article that had to deal with how to get rid of pests this morning. It was not only refreshing, it made me want to clean up my own life a bit. At first I felt sorry for the guy who wrote the article, then I realized we'd all been there. Everyone's been at that point where they stopped caring about tidiness, work, or life in general.

This guy just took something concrete, something he could focus and started there. The manifestation of all the things in his life that didn't work were bugs. He focused on the bugs with laser-beam precision and systematically removed them from his life. He quickly discovered the things that he had to remedy in his life that lead to bug infestations (general untidiness), if tended to, also lead to more clarity in terms of life goals. Her's the link again if you're interested: How Pest Control Saved My Life.

How to Get Rid of Spiders

True fear of spiders is irrational, but just because something's irrational doesn't make it any less real. They’ve been the object of lore for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Summarians told tales of the deadly eight-legged monsters. However, I don’t think I’m the first person to reveal that most spiders are totally harmless.You really have to provoke a spider for it to bite you. Their first instinct is to run.

If you're like me, however, you can't stand the sight of just one of these creepy crawlies. Spider removal is not rocket science; here are a few pointers: The best way to fight spiders is to hit them in their food reserves. If you have a large population of spiders in your home, there are probably a bunch of other insects present to keep them fed. As predatory animals, the spider population size is proportional to available food source.  Exterminators may not be able to tell you definitively how to get rid of spiders, but they can sure take out the little guys they're preying on.


They are two spiders in particular Americans have an aversion to: Brown Recluses and Black Widows. Brown recluses are commonly found in Montana, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, Iowa, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Indiana, Tennessee, and northern Florida. You can find them near or on the ground if you're in a seek-and-destroy mood; they like piles of things.

They're less than an inch in length, not including the legs, which can be up to twice their body size. They are light brown and have an hour-glass-like marking on their backs. Bites are rare, but when they do bite humans, it's because one's been hiding in your clothes and you rubbed it the wrong way. People don't necessarily report similar experiences with Brown Recluse bites. Some report exquisite pain, while others have no memory of the bite. You can remove it with a vaccuum cleaner if you'd rather not squash it}. {Remember to dispose of the bag immediately.

Again, the if you really want to know how to get rid of spiders , call a pest control technician, and have him/her knock out the food source.Black widow venom is dangerous because it is a neurotoxin - it affects the nerves and can be very painful.You don’t need to worry about dying from one of their bites, however. The fatality rate for black widow bites is under five percent, but the pain is supposed to be pretty gruesome. If you do get bitten by a black widow, wash the affected area with soap and water, try to round up the bugger that bit you, and see a physician immediately. And most importantly, don't panic, the spider may not have injected any venom.

Pest Control For Your Pantry

If you have packaged foods in your house, you could very well be housing a few bugs too. Your house doesn't have to be messy to have bugs; the meticulously clean houses have beetles, moths, roaches and gnats too. They come in through cracks, open doors, open windows, or even a bag of groceries. However, pantry pest control is not undoable, and doesn’t necessarily require a lot of money.

Let’s start with grain and flour beetles. They're little brownish things, and they very small -- less than half an inch long.Obviously, they feed on fgrains, and that means any grains: cereal, oatmeal, rice, you name it. They like candy and pet food as well.

They do a lot of reproducing, too. They can multiply ten times over in a matter of days. When you open a container they’re feeding in, they scurry. Their numbers are made pretty evident during these mass exoduses.

Let’s move on to Indian meal moths. These are bigger pests -- almost an inch long with a gray band around the base of the wings. The outer parts of their wings are spotted with red.

Here's where it gets yucky; the females lay their eggs their food source (your cereal). Worm-like larvae emerge from the hatched eggs. The larvae will eat the same grain-based food products beetles do.These worms spin sinewy webs on top of the food. At some point, they voyage across your walls or ceilings to find a place where they can complete their transformation. In a couple of days, the moths come out.

Ants, gnats and roaches are game to eat whatever's lying around. Gnats seem to be particularly interested in fruit and untidy garbage disposals. Use an everyday cleaner like 409 to clean out your cabinets to reduce the numbers of these pests.

Pantry pest control is not quantum physics, but it can a take a lot of elbow grease, and you may have to put aside a couple of hours to get it done.

Even though it’s not necessarily cleanliness that keeps the bugs at bay, a tidy cabinet does discourage pest infestation. Be sure to get the corners and cracks, too. When you finish vacuuming, remove the used bag from the appliance and dispose of it, because the bugs are still in there; and you don’t want them escaping and finding their ways back to your food. Your freezer can be your best friend when it comes to bugs.  If you have bread you know you won’t be using for a week or more, put it in the freezer.  It’ll keep better, and bugs won’t know it’s there.

Pantry Pest Control

• Don't buy an excessive amount of grain products.
• Examine each food package under artificial light (some of these things are tiny)
• Webs are big indicator of infestation
• Steer clear of crushed or opened packages
• Keep your eyes open for spills, and clean them up immediately if you rind one.
• Take bleach or natural cleanser to food-storage areas annually.

The Challenges of Pest Control

If you cringe when the thought of  pests invading your home enters your mind, and you probably do, you may want to check out this  pest control service I use. Termites, rats, roaches,bedbugs, wasps. All of these invaders can make you feel violated when you realize they may be in your cabinets, closets or even worse... your bed. The damage your property can incur is equally unsettling  Ridding yourselves of these usurpers should be a priority. You can try (DIY) techniques, and they might even work for a few days or even weeks, but eventually you're going to have to call in the big guns. The  bottom line should always be keeping your homes safe for its inhabitants. I'm here to help you take care of the little bug projects you may have, and I'll let you know when the professionals need to be called as well.