Q: We have a cat and dog, its the cat that is the main problem. We are fleaing him and vacuuming the carpets but there still seem to be fleas. Can you please name some products to kill the fleas?

A: If you have taken steps to control fleas on the pets and you continue to see problems, it is a sign that infestation has gotten into your rug or flooring. This requires the use of residual sprays inside your home to the rugs to control future emerging fleas. In may be in your best interest to try a professional exterminator at this stage. I would only recommend that a licensed pesticide applicator use residuals inside the home.

Q: We have sand fleas. What is the best way to get rid of them if you have allergy problems with most insecticides?

A: Sand flea is another name for a cat or dog flea. If you do not have a dog or cat and you have no history of a pet being in your home you may want to check for a raccoon in the chimney or a stray animal living close to your home. All fleas have an animal host and humans are rarely the primary host. Once you locate the animal host you need to take steps to get the pet on a flea program or the wild animal away from your home. The next step is to thoroughly clean and vacuum any areas inside your home which the animal occupies. The last step would be to develop a treatment for the infested areas inside or outside your home with the help of your local exterminator. You should always feel comfortable with their methods. Growth regulators are just one example of a material which provides the maximum safety and effectiveness.

Q: What must you do before your home is treated for fleas?

A: \/ACUUM - all rugs and carpets, furniture, especially between and under cushions.Dispose of vacuum bag. MOP - all concrete and vinyl floors. PETS - remove and clean all pet bedding. Take flea carrying pets in for professional flea bath while your home is being treated. Remove all pets from home during treatment. (Fish bowls and aquariums may remain if properly covered and all pumps and filters are turned off.) FLOORS - including closet floors, must be cleared of all objects to give your Pest Control Operator access to all floor surfaces.

Q: What will the Pest Control Operator do to your home to treat it for fleas?

A: A fine insecticide spray will be applied to all infested, and potentially infested, areas. These areas could include carpets, rugs, tile, furniture, under furniture cushions, pet bedding and places where pets are known to rest.

Q: Will all fleas die immediately after treatment?

A: Although nearly all adult fleas present will be controlled by the time you return home, don’t be alarmed if you see some fleas for 10 days to 2 weeks following treatment. These are newly hatched fleas which were previously pupa that are unaffected by the treatment because of their chemically-resistant covering. The residual applied will eventually control these new fleas. Sometimes this new flea population will be larger than the original since pupa typically outnumber adult fleas by 2 to 1.

Q: How soon can you vacuum your carpets following treatment?

A: Normal vacuuming may be resumed the day after your home is treated. Put off cleaning carpets, floors, and treated furniture with detergents or cleansers as long as possible - at least a few days.

Q: How can you keep fleas from returning?

A: Regular vacuuming and cleaning of floors will help reduce flea populations. So will professional flea baths for pets. Replace vacuum bags regularly, as they can become a reservoir for flea populations.

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Q: I am in contact with tick-infested areas almost daily and am very concerned about Lyme disease. Although I have not been bitten yet, I frequently remove ticks from clothing and even crawling on my skin. I ride my horse in a woody area and shower immediately upon my return, which is where I catch most of them. My concern is that although I comb my hair out when wet, is there any possibility that they can still hide up there? And would I definitely be aware if I was bitten (pain, itching, etc.)?

A: I would recommend contacting a doctor or your state agricultural center to get information on the visual symptoms that may or may not follow a Lyme infected tick bite. As only an exterminator, I would not be doing you a service commenting on what little I do know. I can say that combing your hair while wet and massaging your scalp should be an effective way of finding any ticks that may be hiding in your hair. You may want to familiarize yourself with the sizes of different kinds of ticks as well the size of nymphs vs. adult ticks. Knowing how small they can be will make you better prepared.

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Q: Why do termites swarm?

A: Termites swarm in order to disperse and start new colonies. After a colony reaches a certain size, winged male and female reproductives called swarmers are produced. Swarmers are triggered to emerge from the colony when temperature and moisture conditions are favorable - especially on warm spring days following a rain. Swarming termites drop to the ground, shed their wings and pair off with a mate to begin a new colony in the soil. Only a very small percentage of swarming termites survive to initiate new colonies. Most are eaten by birds and other insects. Termite swarms emerging inside a structure almost never survive, but are a sure sign that the building is infested.

Q: What do termites look like?

A: Termites and ants resemble each other. The easiest way to distinguish between ants and termites, though, is to look at the abdomen and thorax (main body parts). An ant has a narrow waist joining two sections, while a termite’s body is broadly joined.

Q: I opened a bag of pine bark nuggets, they were covered with termites. Will this infest my deck next to the flower bed?

A: No. Decks are made with treated lumber and should not be in any danger from termite attack.

Q: Is there any particular odor that is associated with nesting termites or carpenter ants?

A: I have never noticed an odor caused by termites or carpenter ants but if the infestation is located where there is a moisture problem you may be able to smell a musty odor due to molds.

Q: I have little tiny white insects eating the wood around my windows, I can’t tell what they are. What could they be?

A: Sounds like you may have a termite problem. Termite workers are white in color. I suggest you call your local exterminating company and ask for a free inspection to determine what you have.

Q: I have exposed cement blocks as a result of my basement. I'm planning to stucco them. I'm hearing that stucco attracts termites. Is this true? Will it apply to me since I'm only doing the bottom?

A: Stucco may not attract termites but it can create a passage into the house which is hidden from routine inspections. When termites enter a home from the outside foundation, they will build a shelter tube or mud tube up the foundation wall to crawl through. This passageway protects the termites from their enemies and keeps the humidity at a comfortable level. Sometimes the imperfections within a stucco front can create pockets and cracks through which the termites can travel without being seen. A plain brick foundation has fewer imperfections and therefore the termites would have to build their tubes on the outside of the brick in plain sight of the homeowner or an inspector. The more hidden passageways into your home the greater the chance that termites will enter the home and go undetected for a period of time.

Q: I bought a beach house two years ago and I had termite letters saying that there had been damage in the past but nothing active. I am in the process of selling the house and had found that there is active termites and damage. Is there any way of telling how long these termites have been eating? Should the company that inspected the house two years ago be liable for the damage?

A: There really is no way to determine how long the damage has been there. The extent of damage is more dependent on the size of the termite colony than it is to the length time of infestation. Also, most termite certifications have a limited warranty period of one year or less which exclude hidden damage or infestations. It would be very difficult to prove the company is at fault. You may want to contact the company anyway to see if they would be willing to give you a fair price for a treatment. It never hurts to try.

Q: I am looking for an earth friendly extermination of termites in my home. I would like to explore a reliable alternative to fumigation.

A: We only have eastern subterranean termites in New Jersey to contend with. If exterminators in your region of the country are recommending fumigation, you must be having problems with an above ground infestation of dry wood termites. I am unaware of any reliable alternatives to fumigation if this is the case. You should read up on fumigation. I think you'll find it will protect the house without harming the environment.

Q: We live on Long Island. Last August, after a late afternoon watering of our lawn, winged insects "hatched" and our entire lawn was covered with these things...thousands of them. The air was also filled. We had reseeded our lawn, which had many bare sandy patches and many ant hills in it. Many people have told us that termites swarm in May, not August. Could this be termites or carpenter ants? Could they just be ordinary ants? Also, if there is no active termite damage, what is a recommended maintenance/prevention program for this area of the country?

A: You probably witnessed a termite swarm. We are getting swarms of termites this time of year. Contact a local termite company and see if they will perform a free termite inspection. If they find termites in the structure of your home you should have your home treated. If the termites are only in your yard than I would not worry yet; however, you may want to get your home inspected annually so that you catch the infestation in the early stages. Next time you have a swarm keep a specimen for the exterminator so he can identify the insect for you.

Q: I am looking to buy a home that has recently had to be fumigated for termites. How concerned should I be? It wasn't completely infested, but two areas of the house did reveal termites.

A: Termite infestations are a common problem and I would not let a past infestation change my opinion of the house. Check to see if the company which treated your house has a warranty and keep the home under an annual renewal program. Most companies have these plans and renewal will guarantee you service if a problem should occur in the future.

Q: My windows were open without the screens in. The winged type apparently entered my home. Does this mean I have the type of termite that can do structural damage?

A: No. The winged reproductive subterranean termite (swarmer) needs to return to the soil for moisture to survive. Any termites which fly into your home from outside will not find the indoor environment very hospitable and will not live very long. So don't worry. You should only be concerned if the winged reproductives are swarming from holes inside your home. Swarms which are occurring inside the house can indicate a possible infestation of your home's wood members.

Q: How do I know if I am dealing with a flying ant or a termite? I have some insect that looks to be about an inch long, with wings, mostly black in color.

A: The reproductive termite or termite swarmer is normally about a 1/2 inch in length and has wings that appear to be clear. Only two parts can be recognized (the head and a slender body). A flying ant on the other hand has three parts that can be easily distinguished (head, thorax/middle and abdomen). The flying ant also has visible vein structure in the wings. The vein structure of a termite is very difficult to see without a magnifying glass. If you are still not sure, call a professional to get the insects properly identified.

Q: I would like to know if Clorox would kill termites?

A: To answer your question honestly I would have to say yes. Store bought Clorox would kill termites when you pour it directly onto them; however, I would not recommend you use Clorox Bleach in this manner. Many different household cleaning products can kill termites on contact but they do not have the same residual life of proven termiticides. Proper termiticides can last years in the soil around your home and this long lasting residual is what protects your home. Other chemicals and cleaning agents found around the house would have no residual life and in some cases could do damage to plant life or other unintended targets.

Q: Is there anything that can be done about termites without hiring someone and paying them an arm and a leg to try to get rid of them?

A: Yes, you could try to treat the home yourself. Any home center would carry termiticide and you could follow the product's label very carefully and treat your home. The basic principle with any chemical termite treatment is to make a complete barrier around your home's foundation both inside and outside. I do not know what your home's construction is like so I cannot help you with exact instructions; however, if you research the situation enough it is possible to make a successful treatment yourself. Personally, I believe that termite treatments are best left up to professional exterminators who have the knowledge and tools to make the job easy.

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Q: My apartment is TOTALLY infested with cockroaches. It is a small (one bedroom) place and is packed with books, clothes, and other possessions. In addition, I have two pet iguanas that must be fed wet cat food daily. How do you recommend I deal with this problem? Are the roaches eating my papers/book bindings? Is it possible to get rid of them without throwing out or unpacking the boxes of books and clothing? Would insecticides be a danger to my lizards? What strategy is likely to be most effective?

A: The most important part of any cockroach elimination program is removing the cockroaches source of food and shelter. Boxes and other storage can make a nice home for roaches to infest and spread. A constant supply of wet cat food can provide enough food alone for a large population of cockroaches. You should study the roaches eating habits by turning on the lights late at night. Once you have determined where they are most active and what they are feeding on, you must try your best to clean or remove the food that is attracting them. Next, purchase several different varieties of cockroach bait stations from the store and locate them in the same areas you found the cockroaches harboring or feeding. Determine which bait is working best and stick to that bait in future purchases. As long as you keep removing their shelter and providing their only source of food (roach bait), the roach population will continue to shrink under these environmental stresses. Since you have pets, I would only recommend a professional us liquid pesticides inside your home.

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Q: What is the best way to get rid of carpenter ants in the home? Is it spraying monthly outside the home or is it injecting into the walls?

A: Depending on the location of the carpenter ant nest both of your choices are correct. If the carpenter ant nest is inside the home, a wall injection treatment using a good flushing agent will allow the technician to locate and eliminate the nest on the first day of the treatment. Unfortunately, many nests are also located outside the home so it is also important to include a perimeter treatment when necessary. I would pick the company which will try to locate the nest on the initial service with a wall treatment and is also willing to provide exterior treatments if necessary. A monthly exterior treatment is not always necessary but if you feel more confident about the service that company provides, it may be worth the extra money. Carpenter ants are difficult to control, so make sure the company you pick will respond to your future complaint calls in a time frame that is agreeable to you. Regardless of their different treatment techniques, all companies can have unfavorable outcomes initially. They should be able to answer the question ,"What if that doesn't work?" to your satisfaction.

Q: I live in an urban environment and have recently noticed several "flying ants" in my apartment. The ants have been spotted in one room, particularly near the light. Any advice on what I should worry about or how to deal with it would be very helpful.

A: The only real concern is to be certain the flying insects are not termites. They are often confused because they are approximately the same size. If the insect has three body segments, it would be an ant. A flying ant is actually a winged reproductive. Male and female winged reproductives swarm from the nest several times a year and attempt to start their own ant colonies. Most if not all ants swarming inside your home will not find the environment suitable for beginning a new colony and will die. Therefore, there is no need to treat for them. However, if you do notice the wingless worker ants in the kitchen and bathrooms, you may want to have the home treated to eliminate this nuisance.

Q: Is there any effective extermination method available for carpenter ants that uses bait...foragers eat the bait, bring it back to the nest...then poison their friends? (Sounds ghastly, I know, but I'm hoping to avoid massive spraying.)

A: A good carpenter ant bait has been hard to find. Carpenter ants are primarily liquid feeders and a liquid bait would not stay a liquid very long once it has been placed at the job site. Therefore, the manufacturers have not yet released any liquid baits. There will be a new granular carpenter ant bait coming out toward the end of the summer which claims that it has obtained colony elimination. There are several drawbacks of this product: Outdoor moisture and direct sunlight can spoil this product. It must therefore be put in protective stations if used outdoors. The product can not be sprinkled on the ground but instead must be put in piles to be sure the ants get a lethal dose on there first feeding. Any surviving ants have been bait shy and would not make the same mistake twice. Only by removing the bait for a couple months and reintroducing it later have they had any success with a second feeding. What does all this mean? Carpenter ant bait should only be put out when the carpenter ants are active and only where they are active. You have only one shot and you have to make it count. For this reason most exterminating companies will be unlikely to form a very successful bait only program for carpenter ants. Instead, I believe most companies will make carpenter ant bait one of several tools to control infestations.

Q: I would like to know how to get rid of carpenter ants inside the home.

A: If you would like to try eliminating a carpenter ant problem yourself, the first step is to do a good inspection of your home and the surrounding trees for a carpenter ant nest or nests. Outdoors, carpenter ants can nest in the hollow of trees. Inside, they can nest almost anywhere in the homes structure. Check for water leaks or faulty gutters because ants tend to nest in areas where a constant source of water is available. Check for wood frass around window and door moldings. Carpenter ants will leave these wood shavings close to where they are nesting. If you are lucky enough to find the nest, you can use almost any over the counter pesticide to treat and destroy the nest. If you can not locate the nest, regular perimeter treatments to the homes foundation and nearby trees can be a very effective way to control carpenter ants inside the home. This treatment should be repeated as often as necessary.

Q: Five carpenter ants have been spotted in my home. (Is this cause for a state of an emergency or might this be foraging?) Regardless, I want the nest located and them rid to prevent any damage.

A: If you saw only five carpenter ants, there really is no cause for alarm but it does mean carpenter ants are nesting close by and may be a potential threat at some point in time. Most likely the ants are nesting outdoors and are foraging indoors as you mentioned. Carpenter ants do not eat wood as termites do. The damage they cause is a product of their nesting activities which tends to be in trees or wood members (such as the wood beams that make up a house.) Carpenter ants use their mandibles to cut and hollow out wood to create a nesting area for their young. In the majority of homes we treat, there is one main nest located outdoors which is rarely found and a smaller satellite nest/s indoors which is an extension of the original nest. As the ant colony grows it needs to locate additional food sources (mostly likely a sweet liquid substance secreted from aphids or wild berries.) If this new food source is found far from the original nest, the ants will export their young to a safe site closer to the food source and begin building a satellite nest. These are the nests we most often find in homes.

Q: Do ant and termites use the same tunnels? Our house has been treated for termites and had a spot spray. We do have wood damage and what looks like ant hills outside our yard. Can termites and ants live together?

A: Ants and termites are natural enemies and would not inhabit the same tunnels at the same time. It is the soldier termite that defends the nest from invading predators such as ants. The worker termites are unable to stop invading ants. Therefore, ants may inhabit termite tunnels and even termite damaged wood after they have gotten through the termite's defenses but odds are the two tunnel networks are separate.

Q: Can one hear a termite or carpenter ant infestation?

A: I have never heard a termite infestation but I have heard carpenter ants moving behind walls and under insulation. There are also carpenter bees which make a noise as they drill through wood. There are also certain wood boring beetles that will consume wood in their larval stage and they can be heard many times.

Q: The past week, carpenter ants have infested my home in the kitchen and bathroom. What can I do to eliminate them? We had our home treated for a termite infestation 1 1/2 years ago. Could there be correlation between the termites and the carpenter ants?

A: There is no correlation between your termite problem and the carpenter ant problem you face today. Termites eat the wood while carpenter ants only nest in the wood. Carpenter ants can damage wood with their powerful mandibles. They carve galleries in the wood to increase the size of their nest. You should inspect your home's gutters. Be sure they are working properly. Also inspect the caulking around the windows and doors for cracks. Leaks or excessive moisture will attract carpenter ants to nest close by. Check the trees or fence posts outside for cavities and possible carpenter ant activity. If you continue to have problems and you can not locate the source, call your local exterminator for a free inspection.

Q: I have argentine ants in my house. What kind of baits are the best?

A: In my opinion, the important thing to consider when purchasing ant baits is to be sure you are getting a slow acting stomach poison. These types of baits offer the best chance of allowing the ant enough time to return to the nest and share the bait with other colony members. A few of the active ingredients that work as a slow acting stomach poison are boric acid, hydromethylnon and sulfluramid. However, it may not be a good practice to try only one brand of bait. Research has found that an ant colony's preference in diet can change week to week. This means a bait that is working well today may not be doing well tomorrow. The attractants in different brands of baits will vary in the amounts of proteins and carbohydrates they contain. Several different baits should offer enough variety to cover possible diet changes.

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Q: What is the best way to get rid of carpenter ants in the home? Is it spraying monthly outside the home or is it injecting into the walls?

A: Depending on the location of the carpenter ant nest both of your choices are correct. If the carpenter ant nest is inside the home, a wall injection treatment using a good flushing agent will allow the technician to locate and eliminate the nest on the first day of the treatment. Unfortunately, many nests are also located outside the home so it is also important to include a perimeter treatment when necessary. I would pick the company which will try to locate the nest on the initial service with a wall treatment and is also willing to provide exterior treatments if necessary. A monthly exterior treatment is not always necessary but if you feel more confident about the service that company provides, it may be worth the extra money. Carpenter ants are difficult to control, so make sure the company you pick will respond to your future complaint calls in a time frame that is agreeable to you. Regardless of their different treatment techniques, all companies can have unfavorable outcomes initially. They should be able to answer the question ,"What if that doesn't work?" to your satisfaction.

Q: I live in an urban environment and have recently noticed several "flying ants" in my apartment. The ants have been spotted in one room, particularly near the light. Any advice on what I should worry about or how to deal with it would be very helpful.

A: The only real concern is to be certain the flying insects are not termites. They are often confused because they are approximately the same size. If the insect has three body segments, it would be an ant. A flying ant is actually a winged reproductive. Male and female winged reproductives swarm from the nest several times a year and attempt to start their own ant colonies. Most if not all ants swarming inside your home will not find the environment suitable for beginning a new colony and will die. Therefore, there is no need to treat for them. However, if you do notice the wingless worker ants in the kitchen and bathrooms, you may want to have the home treated to eliminate this nuisance.

Q: Is there any effective extermination method available for carpenter ants that uses bait...foragers eat the bait, bring it back to the nest...then poison their friends? (Sounds ghastly, I know, but I'm hoping to avoid massive spraying.)

A: A good carpenter ant bait has been hard to find. Carpenter ants are primarily liquid feeders and a liquid bait would not stay a liquid very long once it has been placed at the job site. Therefore, the manufacturers have not yet released any liquid baits. There will be a new granular carpenter ant bait coming out toward the end of the summer which claims that it has obtained colony elimination. There are several drawbacks of this product: Outdoor moisture and direct sunlight can spoil this product. It must therefore be put in protective stations if used outdoors. The product can not be sprinkled on the ground but instead must be put in piles to be sure the ants get a lethal dose on there first feeding. Any surviving ants have been bait shy and would not make the same mistake twice. Only by removing the bait for a couple months and reintroducing it later have they had any success with a second feeding. What does all this mean? Carpenter ant bait should only be put out when the carpenter ants are active and only where they are active. You have only one shot and you have to make it count. For this reason most exterminating companies will be unlikely to form a very successful bait only program for carpenter ants. Instead, I believe most companies will make carpenter ant bait one of several tools to control infestations.

Q: I would like to know how to get rid of carpenter ants inside the home.

A: If you would like to try eliminating a carpenter ant problem yourself, the first step is to do a good inspection of your home and the surrounding trees for a carpenter ant nest or nests. Outdoors, carpenter ants can nest in the hollow of trees. Inside, they can nest almost anywhere in the homes structure. Check for water leaks or faulty gutters because ants tend to nest in areas where a constant source of water is available. Check for wood frass around window and door moldings. Carpenter ants will leave these wood shavings close to where they are nesting. If you are lucky enough to find the nest, you can use almost any over the counter pesticide to treat and destroy the nest. If you can not locate the nest, regular perimeter treatments to the homes foundation and nearby trees can be a very effective way to control carpenter ants inside the home. This treatment should be repeated as often as necessary.

Q: Five carpenter ants have been spotted in my home. (Is this cause for a state of an emergency or might this be foraging?) Regardless, I want the nest located and them rid to prevent any damage.

A: If you saw only five carpenter ants, there really is no cause for alarm but it does mean carpenter ants are nesting close by and may be a potential threat at some point in time. Most likely the ants are nesting outdoors and are foraging indoors as you mentioned. Carpenter ants do not eat wood as termites do. The damage they cause is a product of their nesting activities which tends to be in trees or wood members (such as the wood beams that make up a house.) Carpenter ants use their mandibles to cut and hollow out wood to create a nesting area for their young. In the majority of homes we treat, there is one main nest located outdoors which is rarely found and a smaller satellite nest/s indoors which is an extension of the original nest. As the ant colony grows it needs to locate additional food sources (mostly likely a sweet liquid substance secreted from aphids or wild berries.) If this new food source is found far from the original nest, the ants will export their young to a safe site closer to the food source and begin building a satellite nest. These are the nests we most often find in homes.

Q: Do ant and termites use the same tunnels? Our house has been treated for termites and had a spot spray. We do have wood damage and what looks like ant hills outside our yard. Can termites and ants live together?

A: Ants and termites are natural enemies and would not inhabit the same tunnels at the same time. It is the soldier termite that defends the nest from invading predators such as ants. The worker termites are unable to stop invading ants. Therefore, ants may inhabit termite tunnels and even termite damaged wood after they have gotten through the termite's defenses but odds are the two tunnel networks are separate.

Q: Can one hear a termite or carpenter ant infestation?

A: I have never heard a termite infestation but I have heard carpenter ants moving behind walls and under insulation. There are also carpenter bees which make a noise as they drill through wood. There are also certain wood boring beetles that will consume wood in their larval stage and they can be heard many times.

Q: The past week, carpenter ants have infested my home in the kitchen and bathroom. What can I do to eliminate them? We had our home treated for a termite infestation 1 1/2 years ago. Could there be correlation between the termites and the carpenter ants?

A: There is no correlation between your termite problem and the carpenter ant problem you face today. Termites eat the wood while carpenter ants only nest in the wood. Carpenter ants can damage wood with their powerful mandibles. They carve galleries in the wood to increase the size of their nest. You should inspect your home's gutters. Be sure they are working properly. Also inspect the caulking around the windows and doors for cracks. Leaks or excessive moisture will attract carpenter ants to nest close by. Check the trees or fence posts outside for cavities and possible carpenter ant activity. If you continue to have problems and you can not locate the source, call your local exterminator for a free inspection.

Q: I have argentine ants in my house. What kind of baits are the best?

A: In my opinion, the important thing to consider when purchasing ant baits is to be sure you are getting a slow acting stomach poison. These types of baits offer the best chance of allowing the ant enough time to return to the nest and share the bait with other colony members. A few of the active ingredients that work as a slow acting stomach poison are boric acid, hydromethylnon and sulfluramid. However, it may not be a good practice to try only one brand of bait. Research has found that an ant colony's preference in diet can change week to week. This means a bait that is working well today may not be doing well tomorrow. The attractants in different brands of baits will vary in the amounts of proteins and carbohydrates they contain. Several different baits should offer enough variety to cover possible diet changes.

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Q: How do I get rid of "Mining" or "Burrowing" bees?? I am trying different things that do not seem to work.

A: A "Digger Wasp" may be what you are referring to when you say "burrowing bee." There are many different common names for this wasp. They are considered beneficial because they feed on beetle larvae which infest your lawn. If you wish to remove the infestation you should consider having you lawn treated for grubs. Eliminating the food source is a long term solution and the treatment should also discourage the wasp from feeding in your lawn.

Q: Two or more bee nests (underground) have been discovered in my back yard. What do I do?

A: If you decide the professional route is not for you, you should consider injecting a pesticide dust inside the bees nesting area and around the outside of the hole. The treatment should be done at night or during a rainfall. The will be less active at this time (do not attempt a treatment unless the bees are inactive or you may get stung.) After the dust has been applied, the bees will die out over a period of days. Always be sure to follow label instructions.

Q: Have just moved into new house. Low on funds. Would appreciate your advise. Thick and old honeysuckle bushes in back on and around fence. Many bumblebees coming out of bushes and terrifying us when on our deck. I can't get to the bushes to chop down until I kill the bees. What do you suggest?

A: You could try doing it after dusk using flashlights or during days when there is a light rain. Most likely the bees will not be out at these times.

Q: Have you ever seen a massive carpenter bee infestation? Would it cause a black film to seep through the clapboards on a house? How can I clean this stuff off?

A: I have seen the excrement of carpenter bees splashed against the siding opposite the entrance to there holes. It looks like a blackish-yellow mixture caked onto the house. I've never tried to clean it off so I'm not sure what the best method would be.

Q: Is there any information on keeping bees out of yards. Many bushes in my yard attract bees. My baby plays in the general vicinity! Any suggestions for traps or repellents?

A: Treatments to the yard and bushes with a wettable powder (insecticide) can be very effective on bees. They are so effective that they when we make these treatments we need to notify beekeepers within a one mile radius so they can contain their bees during the treatment date. If you are dealing with a honey bee problem you may want to contact your state beekeeper organization to find out if any beekeepers are close by. They may be persuaded to relocate their bees. If you are seeing wasps, yellow jackets or any other noncommercial insect this treatment should work well. Your local exterminator could help you develop a plan if you do not want to treat yourself. There is always a possibility that this treatment will not work but it has been quite successful for our customers.

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Q: We recently had problems with mice which was taken care of by a professional pest service. After the service was done we set up a few bait stations in our basement as a preventive measure. Consequently, a mouse ate the poison and managed to crawl up the walls of our first floor before dying. The decomposing odor is quite strong; is there anything we can do about it? How long does it usually take for the body to decompose and the smell to go away?

A: Not to worry. Mice are very tiny and the smell should clear in a week or two.

Q: Need advice on the removal of mice from our home, thus far eight have been trapped.

A: Inspect your house for mouse droppings. Remove any items that may have been a food source for the mice and place your traps or bait in these areas. Put out as many traps and baits as you can afford because the greater the number of traps out in a single night the sooner the problem will be solved. Inspect your traps daily and reset or replace bait as needed. Garages and crawl spaces should not be overlooked since many problems begin in these areas.

Q: I am doing research on ways to eliminate rats and mice from buildings housing electronic equipment, but no normally occupied. Poisons are NOT the preferred solutions, as the rodents tend to die in the building! The buildings can not easily be sealed. Do you have any specific information about the suitability of ultrasonic (or similar) devices. Do the REALLY work? Is there any supporting tests or other evidence?

A: Our company has never used electronic equipment for rodents or insects for that matter. Personally, I do not believe they are effective in eliminating infestations of any kind. I have come across commercial establishments which have installed them during construction but after a few years they have returned to traditional methods. If odor is your biggest concern, use lots of snap traps or glue boards initially to eliminate the infestation and then use bait stations to deter future infestations.

Q: My mother lives in a rural part of Ontario and has just been flooded with mice the last couple of weeks. Last year we were able to keep all but one out of the house. She believes that snap traps are more humane than a slow death by Warfarin. I'd always understood that Warfarin, while it takes time, was a relatively painless death. Since my mother has caught over a dozen mice one at a time by trap over two weeks, I think she needs to go with the Warfarin. Can you please tell me if it is painless or pain-free?

A: The key to a good snap-trap program is to put out a lot of traps at the same time. Don't limit yourself to only a couple. Instead, put out 10 or 20 traps all at once. The infestation will be eliminated in a couple of days. Warfarin on the other hand is multiple dose anticoagulant which may take as many as 7-10 days to kill its victim. The compound kills by destroying the bloods ability to repair capillary damage. The mouse will eventually die from internal bleeding. Unfortunately, I do not know what level of discomfort a mouse feels as it dies from internal bleeding but I'm sure if I researched it I would find many different theories. I would recommend trying a second generation anticoagulant such as Bromadiolone. These baits work in a single feeding rather than multiple feedings. You would still have to wait 7-10 days for it to kill mouse but it would require less feedings. The important thing is to make sure your mother is comfortable with the method being used. A good snap-trap program (with lots of traps) can be just as effective as a baiting program.

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A: Our company does not run across this problem too often but I have done some research that you may or may not already know. Cluster flies enter structures during the fall in order to over winter. They will typically occupy attics and wall voids which receive the most sunlight. They are also known to use the same structure year after year to over winter.

The best method of control is a preventative spray to the vertical walls on the outside of the building before they have a chance to enter the structure. Timing of the preventative spray is very important and depends on your location. Since the flies are already in your building, this preventative treatment will not help you this year but you may want to consider it for next year .

You have already taken some steps which can be helpful. Some other methods involve sealing openings in light fixtures and any other openings which can give flies in the attics or wall voids access to your rooms. This could be very time consuming and expensive. Another method involves space sprays (fogging) the rooms, attics and even in the wall voids that the flies occupy. Since the flies do not reproduce indoors, this could be an effective way to eliminate a large percent of the current infestation. Dead flies can attract dermestid beetles so be sure to vacuum any flies you can reach after the treatment.

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A: Centipedes will invade structures when conditions inside are suitable or possibly the outside areas are too hot and dry. Control of centipedes begin with reducing or eliminating the surrounding moist areas outside the house (leaf debris, dead logs, grass clippings. ) The crawl space or basement should also be well ventilated and kept dry for long-term results. Openings into your structure should be sealed with caulk as best as possible. After you have taken these steps, you can begin treatments if it is still necessary.

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A: Yes, you could purchase some glue board. They are normally marketed for mice but they are very effective in catching crickets as well. Put them in the garage and other areas where infestations are likely to start. You could also put them inside close to where you here them. Use your discretion if you have a child or pet that may get into the glue board. It best to put them in places that are out of the way.

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Q: How do I get Lady Bugs out of my home?

A: Lady bugs enter homes this time of year to escape the cold. As they crawl up under the siding and near entrances, they often find there way inside your home. All they really want to do is spend the winter under your siding where the warm house provides them with some protection from the cold. If you are experiencing problems in just a couple rooms, try to remove switch plates and plug plates and use electrical tape to cover any openings. Also caulk any spaces around door and window trim both inside and outside the house. You can also caulk under the siding to eliminate points of access. Use a vacuum cleaner on the lady bugs that get into the house. Killing the lady bugs behind the walls with pesticides is not always the best solution. The dead lady bugs will attract other insects such as dermestid beetles.

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