Question by Stacey S: I need some ideas for natural pest and animal control for my garden?

Best answer:

Answer by ebrahim m
a common example of aphids and ladybirds would that do?

What do you think? Answer below!

Technorati Tags: animal, control, Garden, ideas, natural, Need, pest, some

Question by Annie: How long can lice survive without a living animal to live on?
I collect bird feathers that I find in the woods, and now have a pretty extensive collection. However, I've recently begun to wonder about something. I know that birds can carry feather lice, and I'm worried that when I pick the feathers off the ground, I might catch their lice (which can live off humans).

So what I'm asking is, how long can they live on a feather that's fallen off a bird?

Best answer:

Answer by BWANA
Unfortunately all species of Lice, Ticks, and Mites, can live a pretty long time until they find a host. They usually go into a kind of torpar or hibernation, and slow down their body functions as they wait and wait and wait. Then they immediately go into action when a vulnerable host comes near.

Solution to your problem: Get yourself a closable container, like a cigar box, put a Moth Ball in the inside corner. Place the newly gotten feather inside, close it up, and leave it alone for about a week. Any lice should be killed. Even better would be to place a cotton ball soaked with an insecticide, designed for lice and Ticks, in the inside corner and leave that for a week. Do not allow the insecticide to come into contact with the feather or it will ruin it. Anything that you can come up with that is lethal to Lice will do as long as the container is sealed.

Feathers are fun to collect, but if you want any value to your collection, you MUST attach a label to the feather stating the date, exactly where you found the feather (area, city, state, country), what bird it was from (preferably the genus and species), and your name.

Give your answer to this question below!

Technorati Tags: animal, Lice, live, living, long, survive, without

In the humid South American air after a heavy downpour, a spectacular battle between predator ants and flying termite colonies ensues. Brilliant wildlife footage from BBC natural history show 'Wild South America'.

Duration : 0:3:8

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Technorati Tags: America, animal, BBC, Flying, free, nature, rain, South, Termites, video, Wild, Wildlife

A wonderful example of chimpanzee tool usage, by taking and modifying twigs to fish for termites within their hard nests.

Also illustrates that the understanding that tools having different properties are useful for different applications.

This behaviour was first discovered by Jane Goodall in 1960, and was the first known example of tool making and usage outside of humans, causing archaeologist Louis Leakey to declare: "Now we must redefine tool, redefine Man, or accept chimpanzees as humans."

From the Ape segment (part 3) of the BBC documentary "Cousins".

More Information:

http://www.janegoodall.org/chimp_central/chimpanzees/gombe/tool.asp

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/programmes/tv/cousins/

Duration : 0:3:11

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Technorati Tags: Amazing, animal, ape, being, child, childhood, children, chimp, chimpanzee, comparison, critical, culture, development, difference, documentary, early, evolution, fishing, genius, goodall, great, human, jane, Learn, Learning, logic, memory, modification, primate, reason, science, simian, specialization, teach, teaching, termite, thinking, thought, tool, usage, use

Get more at http://animal.discovery.com/videos/ Termite dads are rare! There is only one in each colony of termites.

Duration : 0:3:18

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Technorati Tags: animal, babies, planet, termite, Termites

We all like to satisfy our winter needs for a warm, safe place with plenty of food in the pantry. But so do rodents and other animals. When these pests intrude on our property, it becomes a situation much like kicking out the unwelcome kid next door who is constantly coming over and staying past dinner, and insists on using everything in your house for his own purposes. There are several types of animals to watch out for as it gets colder: rats, mice, raccoons, and opossums.

Rats & Mice: The general types of these rodents that exist in your home can include the Norway rat, the roof (or black) rat and the house mouse. Roof rats usually stake out attics or cabinets and can climb quite well. Norway rats choose to live in the ground by digging burrows against foundations, tree trunks, and gardens. Their burrows can lead into crawl spaces and small openings around pipes which can enable them to inhabit your kitchens and bathrooms.

No matter the type of rat that lives in your home, you can be sure that it will be attracted to any food item you have in your pantry, especially high-quality food products such as meat and fresh grain. If you have pets, be extra cautious about foods being left out, because rats will smell and detect dog food that is sitting out.

Rats need one-half to one fluid ounce of water everyday when consuming dry foods. They have extremely sharp senses of taste, hearing, and smell. Once they are aware of what is within their reach and given their keen senses, rats will do anything to get to food or shelter. Overall, rats are able to enter a building through openings that are wider than half an inch across. Rats have a very short life span -- most die within a year. However, rats can breed rapidly, so even though they die off quickly, their young will survive them. Female rats produce five or six litters of about half a dozen to a dozen young each year.

Now that you know a little about the rat's habits, how can you tell that you have rats living alongside you in your home? Spotting droppings or visible signs of fresh gnawing should be an obvious indicator of rats. Rat tracks can appear on dusty surfaces or mud. Rats usually build runways and burrows to get into your home and they can be found next to buildings and under debris and low vegetation.

Rodent Treatment

There are many things you can do to prevent rats, but what about the rats you know are already snooping in your attic and dark corners?

Snap traps can be used along with baits to attract rats. However, once other rats see that a fellow rat has been killed from a snap trap, they will avoid it at all costs. The other drawback to using a snap trap is the potential health hazards it can cause when the rat is killed by the trap. Snap traps can also pose a danger to children or pets in your home, as they can break bones or cause an even more serious injury.

Glue-boards are traps that use non-drying glue to capture and hold down rodents. These traps can be placed under tables, furniture, next to walls, refrigerators, or any place where you suspect rodent activity. Glue-boards are designed to get the rodent stuck on the board so that they cannot escape. Like the snap traps, glue-boards can pose health problems if rats' bodies are pulled apart and exposed in your home.

Live traps are probably the easiest and most inexpensive rodent control out there. The other benefit of live traps is that it poses less risk or danger to animals you are not targeting, such as your pets. They also do not kill rats, unlike all the other methods discussed above. Instead, rats are captured and left in the trap until you dispose of them. Be sure to place enough bait to attract rats. If rats are without food, they may become anxious and eventually die, leaving behind their bodies to decay, as well as a horrible stench. Try to find areas where there are a lot of rat droppings, chewed entry points, and any other place you suspect rat activity or have heard noises from.

Rodent Proofing

Here are some simple rules of thumb you can adopt to prevent a rodent invasion in your home:

- Store all your accessible food in rodent-proof containers such as glass or metal

- Place your trash in tightly covered metal cans to prevent smells from escaping or potential rodent entry.

- Check your faucets to make sure they are functioning properly and to fix leaks as they occur, since gaps or holes around pipes can serve as easy entry points for rodents.

- Seal up any unnecessary openings with concrete or sheet metal. For other access points, a 1/4 inch hardware cloth or steel wool should do the trick.

- For pet owners, put any uneaten pet food away before you go to bed, as any pet food left out is subject to rodent consumption!

- Wipe your floors often! Any bits of food left on your floor may be game for mice.

Commensal Rodents

The most common commensal rodents, raccoon and opossums, are known to many homeowners as troublemakers because of the damage they can cause by hibernating in your attic or wreaking havoc in your garden.

These animals normally hide out in attics, under decks, sheds, garages, crawl spaces, etc. Sometimes, they choose to live in naturally formed holes near foundations. Raccoons and opossums especially have an affinity for digging in yards and garbage. They love to inhabit attics where they can care for their litter in a warm, dark, and enclosed environment. If they are living in your attic, chances are your attic has a strong odor, which can eventually make its way into the living area. Besides odor problems, raccoons can destroy your insulation and chew on any electrical wires present.

Preventing Animal Pests

Here are some ways you can prevent those pesky raccoons and opossums from entering your property:

Spray a non-chemical solution over the areas where these animals are prone to dig or consume food. This will leave a bad taste in their mouths and will discourage it from going to the same place to cause trouble.

- Use a non-drying glue when animals are climbing your bird feeder poles. Once the raccoon or opossum gets the glue from the pole on their paws, it will usually irritate them enough to discourage them from climbing the pole again.

- Implement a 24/7 motion detector near your fish pond. The motion detector will be able to detect the animal when it is in its range. The detector is non-chemical and will release a three-second spray of water to scare the pest away.

For raccoons and opossums who are already inhabiting your home, trapping with a bait (usually meat) is the most effective and viable way to get rid of them. However, you should only handle raccoons and opossums if you are an experienced handler. If you are not sure what to do, the best idea is to call an animal removal service. Anteater Pest and Lawn can send a trained professional out to the property to identify, inspect and design a program for you. The Exclusion portion of their Rodent Service is designed to:

- Identify rodent and rodent damage
- Inspect conditions conducive to rodents
- Seal/Close entry and exit points
- Install traps
- Return and remove traps
- Include a 1 Year renewable warranty

Once you are armed with the right facts and materials, you should be able to handle rodents quickly and efficiently before they overstay their welcome in your home and ruin your holidays.

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Technorati Tags: animal, control, Home, rodent

Sir David Attenborough wonders into the wonderful world of the termites in South Africa to better understand the ways in which these amazing animals ventilate their homes, breed, and fight for survival. Brilliant video from BBC insect and wildlife show 'Life in the Undergrowth'.

Duration : 0:6:44

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Technorati Tags: animal, Animals, Ant, Attenborough, BBC, Butterfly, David, free, insect, Life, nature, Slug, Undergrowth, video, Wasp, Wildlife

One of the most exciting innovations in the pest control industry is the use of infrared technology and termite inspection. Infrared technology is used to detect heat in small spaces and is perfect for use in the termite inspection because it can detect colonies that are massed together and make it easier for the pest control operator to pinpoint the location of the infestation and effectively get rid of the problem in one fell swoop.

Finding termites can be difficult, yet knowing where they are located is important when deciding on the correct eradication program. The traditional method is to simply tap on the wood with the back of a screwdriver, or to poke holes in walls or even pull them apart.

Infrared technology and termite inspect now offers a new, high technological detection system that is quick, effective and does not require any damage to houses.

Infrared technology and termite inspection is being used with an increased frequency because it can easily detect the presence of termites by simply inserting a small camera at the end of a thin rod and then manipulating the camera around to find the termite swarms.

Because termites mass together to work on the wood, where there is one, there is always more. That's why infrared technology and termite inspection go hand in hand.

Thermal imaging technology detects heat patterns. When termites invade buildings, the normal heat patterns of the walls, floors and roof are changed due to the presence of termites. The thermal camera records this change in heat patterns and indicates the exact location of any termite infestation.

A color image shows hot spots as red or yellow and cold spots as blue or purple and these heat patterns indicate termite infestations. That means that infrared technology and termite inspection can be much more effective than the normal ways of doing a termite inspection.

Termite Bomb 6.75x26.5 Termite Bomb 6.75x26.5

However, termites are considered cold blooded insects, so how can they generate heat? Termites are hosts to bacteria, which live in their gut, and these bacteria help break down and digest cellulose, the main component of wood. It is this digestion and chemical reaction that generates the heat.

That's why infrared technology and termite inspection makes the location of termites much easier thus allowing the pest control company to target the specific areas where termites are located and make the treatment effective.

The pest control company that pairs infrared technology and termite inspection together is one that is highly effective and employing the latest tools in pest control so that they can do a great job for you - the consumer.

Termite Stakes 20 Pk Save thousands of dollars on costly exterminator bills-this at-home kit is exactly like the professionals use As worker termites search the soil for food they find the Transflur treated 4' long stakes consume them and die. So simple to install and use just place every 10 feet around your foundation. Pack of 20 stakes covers 1500 sq. ft. Not available in NY. EPA registered.

When the termite inspector is looking for termites, often, they will have to cause a certain amount of damage to the home in order to see if there is any evidence that termites have been there. That means opening up holes in walls, floors, etc.

With infrared technology and infrared cameras, all the pest control operator has to do is make a hole the size of the camera. The camera is mounted at the small end of a pipe much like what doctors use to perform arthroscopic surgery.

What that means is that the hole that needs to be made is very small. Once the camera is inserted through the hole, it sends back a very clear image that allows the termite inspector to see any possible damage inside walls and floors.

12 22oz Termite Prufe Spray TERMITE PRUFE TRIGGER SPRAYSpray into termite holes; mud tubes; cracks; crevices; wall and ceiling voidsPenetrates deep into wood and does not lose its strength with ageIdeal for infested wood; can be used as a preventive treatmentAlso effective against wood destroying beetles; carpenter ants; wood rot and moldSIZE 22 Oz.

Of course, any type of disturbance to an area that may have termite damage will cause the active termites to move to a new location to avoid the disturbance. That can interfere with any localized treatment that the inspector will suggest.

However, the camera can move about stealthily in a way that will help the termite inspector see where they are moving and then suggest ways to target specific areas where they think the termites have moved to. That's why it is so important to have
a trained and licensed inspector look at your property to determine the level of your termite infestation.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/detecting-termites-through-infrared-technology-795478.html

Author: Jesus Saku

About the Author:

Learn about how to remove a tick and ticks on dogs at the About Animals site.

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