What’s all the buzz, How harmful can they bee?

Seasonal Alert

What to watch out for this time of year:

Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter bring a variety of differences in our Southwest desert environment, along with extreme temperature changes, sudden downpour of rain, desert floors that turn green seemingly over night – and stinging insects.  Spring and Fall are the worst times when it comes to bees and wasps in the Southwest.  The are more easily alarmed, more of the hive emerges to chase intruders, and they chase intruders much further.  To protect your family and pets from potentially dangerous bee stings, it is essential that you have their nests  eliminated.  Your Invader professional is trained to remove their nests while minimizing the risks involved.

Roaches and asthma

Cockroach excrement and cast skins contain allergens from which many people develop allergies to Exposure to roach allergens early in life may contribute to the development of asthma in susceptible children.  In addition to contributing to asthma, cockroaches also transmit diseases like Salmonella through organisms on their legs and other body parts.

Minimizing your risk

Cockroach control involves sanitation to remove food, water and harborage, along with efforts to keep roaches out of buildings.  Also commonly used are cockroach baits and IGR’s (insect grow regulators) to reduce their numbers through biological control.  The most successful cockroach strategies use baits, either in bait stations or as gels applied in cracks and crevices, and some limited spraying for flushing and monitoring and residual insecticides for continuing control.  Invader takes an Integrated Pest Management approach to all pest problems that minimizes the use of pesticides.

Rodents and hantavirus

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a deadly disease transmited by infected rodents through their urine, droppings, or saliva.  Humans can contract the disease when they breathe in aerosolized virus.  HPS was first recognized in 1993 and has since been identified throughout the United States and especially Southwestern states including Arizona.  Although rare, HPS is potentially deadly.  Rodent control in and around the home remains the primary strategy for preventing hantavirus infection.

Minimizing your risk

The control of rats and mice involves sanitation to remove food, water and harborage, plugging all entry points to a building, and mechanical trapping and baiting with rodenticides.  Rodenticides must be placed in tamper-resistant containers to prevent human exposure.  Invader takes an Integrated Pest Management approach to all pest problems that minimizes the use of pesticides.

Pigeons and histomoplasmosis

Minimizing your risk

Mosquitos and West Nile Virus

Mosquitoes are the prime carriers of several types of encephalitis, a devastating illness that attacks the central nervous system of humans.  West Nile Virus is one of these types of encephalitis.  There were over 4000 cases of West Nile disease in the US during 2002, including 284  deaths.  Believe it or not, even in the desert - we have had some major problems in Arizona with mosquitoes. 
Minimizing your risk

Eliminating standing water is the most effective strategy for controlling mosquitoes.  One of the biggest problems we encounter in our neighbor hoods is un attended swimming pools that have stagnate water,  Call your cities Green Pool Hotline, remove existing or potential breeding sites such as abandoned tires, birdbaths and old toys.  Make sure screens are repaired and in place.  As much as possible, stay inside when mosquito activity is heavy – dawn and dusk.  And use insect repellent on exposed skin and clothes – an effective repellent will contain 35% permethrin or DEET.

As your pest management provider, Invader takes an Integrated Pest Management approach to mosquito abatement that includes pest identification, source reduction, larvaciding, adulticiding and biological control.

Stinging Instects and allergic reactions

Stings are a health threat in two ways:  through the direct effects of pain, itching and swelling, and from allergic reactions to the venom that may be debilitating for days or weeks.  Reactions vary from mild systemic effects such as hives, itching and wheezing, to severe systemic reactions such as a sudden swelling of the respiratory tract, crash in blood pressure, collapse and death within 15 to 30 minutes.

Minimizing your risk

Paper wasps, including yellow jackets and hornets, will aggressively defend their nests, stinging repeatedly.  To eliminate the danger of wasps living under building ledges or in attics, their nests should be knocked down or insecticides used for nests in hard-to-reach areas or wall voids.  A Professional highly trained in Bee and Wasp removal should always be considered – do not try this on your own – most bees in the Phoenix and Tucson areas are aggressive bees and can be extremely dangerous if not handled properly.  It’s not worth the risk or liability – these bees might attack not only you, but the neighbors pets, children or even those just passing by.

Structural damage

Pests can seriously damage the structural integrity of your home or business.  Rodents, for example, can gnaw on electrical wires, leaving them exposed and at risk of catching fire.  Termites and other wood-destroying insects can compromise the integrity of an entire building with surprising speed.  Because much of the damage from pests occurs in hidden spots such as under floors, between walls, and in attics and crawlspaces, damage often occurs before it’s noticed by homeowners or business owners.  Invader Pest Managements experts are trained to spot the early warning signs of structural damage before it’s too late.