Q: Where do mice park their boats?
A: At the hickory dickory dock.
A: At the hickory dickory dock.
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Showing posts with label get rid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label get rid. Show all posts
Friday, April 10, 2015
How to Get of Rats and Mice
I have recently completed a series of videos describing how to identify rodent infestations, what products to use to get rid of rats and mice, how to use those products, safe use of and disposal of rodenticides and how to prevent rodent infestations.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Why Are There So Many Flies in My Home?
OK. So why are there so many flies in my home/house? I hear you ‘scream’.
There can be many reasons you have a lot of flies in your home. Consider this one:
I came home today, the temperature and been up a bit up all day (mid 20 degrees C) and my home is a bit like a hothouse. It was mid 30s in the house when I got home and until I opened the doors and windows.
Then I started work on dinner. I found some fish I had taken out of the freezer a couple of days ago and forgotten about. Thinking it was maybe a bit passed ‘eat by’ even though it smelled Ok, I decided to put in my kitchen bin. 5 minutes later the house seemed to have an exceptional number of flies.
Then I started work on dinner. I found some fish I had taken out of the freezer a couple of days ago and forgotten about. Thinking it was maybe a bit passed ‘eat by’ even though it smelled Ok, I decided to put in my kitchen bin. 5 minutes later the house seemed to have an exceptional number of flies.
| House Fly |
I did four things and now there are no flies:
- I took the fish and the contents of the kitchen bin to the exterior garbage bin. – Flies have a sense of smell thousands of times better than ours!
- I opened windows to the sunny side of the house. – Flies are naturally attracted more to bright areas and are more likely to fly OUT open windows here.
- I lit a an oriental incense stick inside, and a citronella candle on the terrace outside the main open door – flies are deterred by smoke, including citronella.
- I turned on a pedestal fan – this helped circulate the smoke and create disturbed air currents which are also deterrent to some flies.
Other reasons I might have had flies in my home would be something had died in the house and blow flies had found it, multiplied and emerged from it, it is autumn and cluster flies have decided to over winter in my home, there is some rotting vegetable matter or animal matter close to my home, or there are blocked drains and fruit flies are breeding in the fermenting liquid in the drains. There are some other possibilities but the former are the most likely in New Zealand.
Your joke as reward(?) for reading my post:
A woman walked into the kitchen to find her husband stalking around with a fly swatter.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Hunting flies,” he responded.
“Oh! Are you swatting any?” she asked.
“Yes, three males and two females,” he replied.
Puzzled, she asked, “How can you tell which are male and which are female?”
“Three were on a beer can, two were on the phone.”
Your joke as reward(?) for reading my post:
A woman walked into the kitchen to find her husband stalking around with a fly swatter.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Hunting flies,” he responded.
“Oh! Are you swatting any?” she asked.
“Yes, three males and two females,” he replied.
Puzzled, she asked, “How can you tell which are male and which are female?”
“Three were on a beer can, two were on the phone.”
Saturday, September 14, 2013
The Story of Borer – Biology and Behaviour, Implications for Control
| Borer beetle |
- Identification
- Borer are also known as woodworm and furniture beetle.
- Species – Common Borer, Native Borer, Two-Tooth Borer, Citrus (Lemon Tree) Borer and others.
- Eat dead wood – dead trees, construction timber, furniture.
- Common Borer (and Native) adult beetles are small brown beetles (2-3mm) that can fly. Often found on windowsills.
- Small holes in timber – like drawing pin holes.
- Two-tooth – not so common – larger black beetle (6-7mm)
- Holes 4-5mm oval
- Dust falls out of holes.
- Clean wood inside hole means the hole is probably recent, meaning ongoing infestation.
- Holes tend to be in areas of low light – i.e. more under floor than on top.
- Breeding
- Female beetles lay eggs on bare timber i.e. not on paint, varnish, polish etc.
- But they will lay eggs in old flight holes.
- Eggs hatch as larvae that burrow into wood.
- After 2-4 years larvae pupate near surface.
- Adult beetle emerges and eats its way out – flight hole.
- Borer flight season October to March in NZ.
Protection is best by treating bare timer with long lasting borer fluid (NO Borer Conc) – up to 10 year’s protection. Solvent (turpentine or kerosene) move product deep into the timber; the deeper it goes the longer it lasts.
Borer Injector can be used to inject flight holes – kills borer larvae close to labyrinth and protects for eggs layed in holes.
Borafume Fumigators kill borer beetles. Does not penetrate far into wood and leaves little or no residue. 2-4 year life cycle means need to use fumigators every year (twice a year between October and March) for 4+ years to greatly reduce borer in wood.
- Feeding habits
- Larvae eat wood – digest cellulose with micro-organisms in gut.
- Only eat soft timbers – sap wood.
- Hard heartwood usually un affected.
- Prefer wood with a little moisture – sub-floor, roof timbers near leaks, or with moisture holding terracotta/concrete tiles.
- Because of slow growth it takes many years to do significant damage to timbers.
- But many houses in New Zealand are over 50 years old.
- Spread
- Borer live in wild as well as in houses.
- Fly from house to house, forest to house, in furniture moved from house to house.
Untreated timber is always at risk of borer damage.
- Treatment
- Fluids
- Borer fluid on accessible timber – sub-floor, roof timbers, when GIB off internal walls etc.
- Fluid will not be effective on paint or other coatings.
- Borer Injector – flight holes.
- If many holes close together, possible to use NO Borer in sponge and sponge ito holes. (wipe off excess).
- Smell from solvent (turps or kerosene) can last several days. Only use in good ventilation.
- Spray or brush on. If spraying, use coarse spray to reduce mist in atmosphere.
- Fumigators
- Kiwicare NO Bugs Borafume or Bug Bomb
- Fumigators for places where timbers cannot be treated – hard to reach, painted areas, etc. Need to be used on 4+ consecutive years.
- Fumigate October to March (NZ).
- Borer fluid any time.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Argentine Ants Spring Offensive
It is nearly officially spring and if the mild weather across New Zealand continues it will be ‘bological’ spring even sooner.
Now is a good time to prepare your spring offensive against these nomadic ants. Don’t let them find suitable nest sites close to or in your home.
Argentine ants are fast becoming the ant of most nuisance for New Zealand home owners. This ant species is amongst the most invasive pests on the planet and it is now present in most parts of the North Island and the upper South Island and Christchurch.
The nests of Argentine Ants are less elaborate than some species but they can accommodate very large numbers. They are sensitive to variations in their environment and consequently colonies move nest site frequently, most often in spring (and autumn). They move home to a more suitable site for the coming warmer (cooler autumn) weather. They endeavor to find site with favorable sites for temperature and humidity.
Now is a good time to prepare your spring offensive against these nomadic ants. Don’t let them find suitable nest sites close to or in your home.
I have previously described how to control Argentine Ants. At this time of the year you should concentrate on the protection of your property by:
- baiting extensively – Gel Bait
- using prills/granules (Lawngard Prills) – soil areas
- ant sand (NO Ants Ant Sand) – cracks in paving, drives etc.
- and residual spray (NO Ants or NO Bugs Super) around the exterior of your home – base of walls, around vents, doors, windows, pipes etc.
You will then enjoy a spring with fewer intrusions of this annoying pest ant.
What do you call an uneducated ant? A Truant.
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