Saturday, December 31, 2022

Happy New Year.


See you next year!

Jeff Verges/Owner/Operator
742 Santa Anita Court
Eugene, OR 97401

541-688-0580 Eugene 
503-371-8373 Salem

Tuesday, December 27, 2022

Pest Control On Airfields

Birds are a significant hazard to aircraft, but it is difficult to keep them away from airfields. Several methods have been explored. Stunning birds by feeding them a bait containing stupefying substances has been tried, and it may be possible to reduce their numbers on airfields by reducing the number of earthworms and other invertebrates by soil treatment. Leaving the grass long on airfields rather than mowing it is also a deterrent to birds. Sonic nets are being trialled; these produce sounds that birds find distracting and seem effective at keeping birds away from affected areas.

Read more, here.

Jeff Verges/Owner/Operator
742 Santa Anita Court
Eugene, OR 97401

541-688-0580 Eugene 
503-371-8373 Salem

Sunday, December 25, 2022

A Peacock Spider Christmas


Jeff Verges/Owner/Operator
742 Santa Anita Court
Eugene, OR 97401

541-688-0580 Eugene 
503-371-8373 Salem

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Why Mosquito Bites | Facts and Tips | Cartoon Video


Learn about The Mosquitoes with the help of this video.

Jeff Verges/Owner/Operator
742 Santa Anita Court
Eugene, OR 97401

541-688-0580 Eugene 
503-371-8373 Salem

Sunday, December 18, 2022

Methods for Specific Pests : Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are midge-like flies in the family Culicidae. Females of most species feed on blood and some act as vectors for malaria and other diseases. Historically they have been controlled by use of DDT and other chemical means, but since the adverse environmental effects of these insecticides have been realized, other means of control have been attempted. The insects rely on water in which to breed and the first line of control is to reduce possible breeding locations by draining marshes and reducing accumulations of standing water. Other approaches include biological control of larvae by the use of fish or other predators, genetic control, the introduction of pathogens, growth-regulating hormones, the release of pheromones and mosquito trapping.

Read more, here.

Jeff Verges/Owner/Operator
742 Santa Anita Court
Eugene, OR 97401

541-688-0580 Eugene 
503-371-8373 Salem

Thursday, December 15, 2022

Fun Facts about Termites | Arthropods | The Good and the Beautiful


Termites are busy creatures. These arthropods work and eat all day, every day, and create impressive termite mounds that can be up to 30 feet tall! Learn where termites live, how long termites live for, and what the termite life cycle is like, all in this video from The Good and the Beautiful's Arthropods homeschool science unit.

Jeff Verges/Owner/Operator
742 Santa Anita Court
Eugene, OR 97401

541-688-0580 Eugene 
503-371-8373 Salem

Monday, December 12, 2022

Methods for Specific Pests : Termites

Termites with colonies in close proximity to houses can extend their galleries underground and make mud tubes to enter homes. The insects keep out of sight and chew their way through structural and decorative timbers, leaving the surface layers intact, as well as through cardboard, plastic and insulation materials. Their presence may become apparent when winged insects appear and swarm in the home in spring. Regular inspection of structures by a trained professional may help detect termite activity before the damage becomes substantial. Inspection and monitoring of termites is important because termite alates (winged reproductives) may not always swarm inside a structure. Control and extermination is a professional job involving trying to exclude the insects from the building and trying to kill those already present. Soil-applied liquid termiticides provide a chemical barrier that prevents termites from entering buildings, and lethal baits can be used; these are eaten by foraging insects, and carried back to the nest and shared with other members of the colony, which goes into slow decline.

Read more, here.

Jeff Verges/Owner/Operator
742 Santa Anita Court
Eugene, OR 97401

541-688-0580 Eugene 
503-371-8373 Salem

Friday, December 9, 2022

Methods for Specific Pests : Beetles

Various beetles in the Bostrichoidea superfamily attack the dry, seasoned wood used as structural timber in houses and to make furniture. In most cases, it is the larvae that do the damage; these are invisible from the outside of the timber but are chewing away at the wood in the interior of the item. Examples of these are the powderpost beetles, which attack the sapwood of hardwoods, and the furniture beetles, which attacks softwoods, including plywood. The damage has already been done by the time the adult beetles bore their way out, leaving neat round holes behind them. The first that a householder knows about the beetle damage is often when a chair leg breaks off or a piece of structural timber caves in. Prevention is through chemical treatment of the timber prior to its use in construction or in furniture manufacture.

Read more, here.

Jeff Verges/Owner/Operator
742 Santa Anita Court
Eugene, OR 97401

541-688-0580 Eugene 
503-371-8373 Salem

Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Black Carpet Beetle Life and Feeding Habits


Black carpet beetles can be a serious pest of wool carpets and rugs but can also be a pest of dried food goods.

Jeff Verges/Owner/Operator
742 Santa Anita Court
Eugene, OR 97401

541-688-0580 Eugene 
503-371-8373 Salem

Saturday, December 3, 2022

Methods for Specific Pests : Bookworms

Books are sometimes attacked by cockroaches, silverfish, book mites, booklice, and various beetles which feed on the covers, paper, bindings and glue. They leave behind physical damage in the form of tiny holes as well as staining from their faeces. Book pests include the larder beetle, and the larvae of the black carpet beetle and the drugstore beetle which attack leather-bound books, while the common clothes moth and the brown house moth attack cloth bindings. These attacks are largely a problem with historic books, because modern bookbinding materials are less susceptible to this type of damage.

Evidence of attack may be found in the form of tiny piles of book-dust and specks of frass. Damage may be concentrated in the spine, the projecting edges of pages and the cover. Prevention of attack relies on keeping books in cool, clean, dry positions with low humidity, and occasional inspections should be made. Treatment can be by freezing for lengthy periods, but some insect eggs are very resistant and can survive for long periods at low temperatures.

Read more, here.

Jeff Verges/Owner/Operator
742 Santa Anita Court
Eugene, OR 97401

541-688-0580 Eugene 
503-371-8373 Salem