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Everyone has pests in their home at one time or another in their lives. Some are easier to get rid of than others. Calling in a specialist pest control company generally means you are more likely to find a long-term solution than just spraying a bit of insecticide yourself.

image thumb Rats, Mice And Unicorns   Call The Pest Control Experts Ants are a plague in many homes. Finding the nest and pouring boiling water onto it may be very satisfying, but it won't get rid of more than a few thousands of the millions of ants in the nest.

Wasps nests can be dealt with easily if they are in the ground. It is simple enough to watch where the wasps are going into the soil. Then you just buy a puffer bottle of powder from the hardware store, squirt it around the nest entrance and the wasps carry it in. What if the nest is up a tree, or under the roof of the house. Do you really want to be up a ladder being stung by thousands of angry wasps? Forget it and call in the professionals.

Mice often come indoors in the fall, when it gets cold outside. The first sign that you have mice may be rustlings under the furniture as the mice build their nest from scraps of paper you drop. If you wait, matters will only become worse, packets gnawed and small black mouse droppings in your kitchen. Mouse-traps may work, but are you expert enough with a mousetrap that you are not going to set it off and break your finger. Do you really want to remove a mouse with a bloody broken neck from a trap before breakfast?

Rats are a fact of life if you live in the country. You can sit outside at night with a rifle, or you can find someone who will rid you of the infestation by putting down poison on a regular basis. If you shoot one rat, another one will move in to take its place, so while shooting them may be satisfying and good target practice it does not get rid of the problem permanently.

Pest control companies are very discreet and can be hired over the Internet, so your neighbours needn't know you have unwelcome visitors. After all it's not the kind of thing anyone likes to advertise. They will even lead away any stray unicorns.


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Banishing Pesky Pests To Create A Lush Lawn

lush lawn 500 Banishing Pesky Pests To Create A Lush LawnIf a once-healthy lawn no longer seems to have the dense, lush surface it had (or perhaps "dense" and "lush" are two words that have never been associated with that specific lawn), now is the time to identify the cause of the problem. A lawn must be hardy to survive weed, insect and disease attacks.

"Pesticides" is the broad term for the insecticides, herbicides and fungicides meant to eliminate or control weeds, nonbeneficial insects, fungus and other diseases. Pesticides may be either synthetic or organic and are used to control a pest-be it a weed, insect or disease-problem that has become out of control.

"It is usually a good idea to look closer at your lawn to catch potential pest problems before they become too difficult to manage," says Parwinder Grewal, Ph.D., the Ohio State University associate professor of entomology, nematology and environment science. "For example, it is too late for grub control when skunks have started digging the turf in search of a nice meal of fully developed juicy grub larvae."

The first step is to identify the pest and the conditions that led to the pest infestation. After making sure the pest population is at a level that would cause unacceptable damage to the lawn, pesticides may be part of the treatment plan. If you choose to use one, keep these tips in mind:

Always read and follow label directions.

Do not apply pesticides on windy days, as they may drift beyond the application area.

Spot treat for weed and insect infestations whenever possible.

Do not apply a pesticide in or near a water source and keep it off pavement or impervious surfaces that could be washed into water bodies.

Stay out of treated areas until the spray has dried, dust has settled or as directed on the product label.

Remember, not all insects are pests. Less than 5 percent of all insects are harmful and most of these have natural predators such as other insects, birds, bats and toads to keep them in check.

Robust lawns are more resistant to pest attacks than lawns under stress. Correcting soil pH, proper fertilization and other management practices that encourage healthy lawn growth are all part of creating a beautiful lawn year after year.

While some homeowners prefer applying lawn care products to control or eliminate pests themselves, others might feel more comfortable hiring a professional to apply the products. Regardless, environmental stewardship should be a top priority when managing and maintaining lawns and landscapes.

"A lawn is the focal point of recreational activity and aesthetic beauty of a property. Carefully and frequently analyzing a lawn for pests, weeds, diseases and insects will help to identify problems before a threshold of damage occurs. Correcting the problems will ensure a healthy lawn, save money on costly repairs and enhance the quality and appearance of a lawn," says John Gibson, director of operations for Swingle Tree, Lawn & Christmas Decor, Denver, Colo., and president of the Professional Landcare Network, a national association for professional landscape contractors.

Gibson is also a member of Project EverGreen, a national non-profit organization formed to raise the awareness of the environmental, economic and lifestyle benefits of landscapes and promote the significance of those who preserve and enhance green spaces at home, work and play.


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It is a truism, unless you live in Antarctica, that pests will make themselves at home in your home or loft. There are a spread of insect pests you want to consider and no 2 are the same. Instead of spraying damaging chemicals into your house environment, think about employing organic, non-poisonous pest management. It's safe for your home's human occupants and for your pets also.

Pests will show up in the air, your carpeting, your kitchen counter and other places you would rather not find them. Let's have a look specifically at ant control for your house or recreational areas outside.

Remember that organic pest elimination varies somewhat with the pest you're handling and that just like with inorganic chemical pest management, you do not always use the same for ants as you do for fleas. Here's a glance at your organic options for ant infestation in your house. For the organic treatment of ants, a standard summer pest, you want to confirm your worktops are freed from crumbs and anything sticky or sweet.

Cover your food well and keep your honey wrapped up in a plastic saggy. Leave water sources off in the night and do not leave unclean dishes around. The same is true for your deck or terrace. Clean all food up after an outside meal and teach your youngsters not to throw food into the yard, like melon pieces or other sweet foods. Your organic bug control continues with a tiny spray bottle full of soapy water that you can spray on the tiny beasts. Put cucumber peels or slices in your kitchen, particularly where the ants come in. You may put tea bags with mint tea in them or cloves round the places where the ants are extraordinarily active.

See if you can trace the column of ants back to their entry point and set out a line of cayenne pepper, citrus oil, lemon juice, cinnamon or coffee grounds. Ants will not cross those lines.

For heavy organic bug control against ants, mix a bit of honey with an equivalent quantity of Borax and aspartame. Put about a small spoon and a half of the blend in a bottle and set the bottle ( without a lid ) on its side where ants are active. This acts as a sort of noxious bait the ants bring back to their colony. Keep little animals and youngsters away from this dangerous bait. Another organic bug control secret's to leave a low-wattage light bulb or nightlight around where the ants are. It interrupts their night and day pattern and can confuse their patterns of food hunting. If ants are on your deck outside, use your organic bug control abilities and put a few cloves of garlic, formerly cut into bits, between the cracks of the deck slats. Ants don't love garlic and will avoid the powerful odour. You may use some of the same indoor tricks out of doors, particularly those concerning the utilization of cayenne pepper, citrus oil, lemon juice, cinnamon or coffee grounds. You cannot use the trick using the dangerous bait outside as some little animals can get into it. There is no reason to turn to harsh and deadly chemicals, inside or out, when completely satisfactory organic bug control for ants will keep your house ant-free in a much safer way. So long as you keep your kitchen and the remainder of your house clean and follow the above methods to deter or kill ants, your summer experience will be more enjoyable and more healthy for you and your family.

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