Photo by Josh Smith

   As far as pest control action shots go this is about as good as it gets.  Here we see Josh literally feeding a feisty German roach Vendetta Gel Bait from his bait gun.  He told me this one was literally following the tip of the bait gun around.  I’ve been calling him the Roach Pied Piper ever since. 

  This product is one of our many go to weapons for the insidious German Roach.  We’ve definitely seen an increase of these in residential settings as of late, however we’ve had great success controlling these guys with the use of baits and monitors.   This is great because the gel bait formulations are much safer than older traditional liquid treatments.

Our Kitty "Flib Jib"

One of the best ways to protect your home from nasty pests like fleas and ticks is to protect your pets first.   Fleas are naturally attracted to our fluffy friends due to their thick coats.  They will almost always seek out a fur bearing animal first if possible.  We can use this fact to our advantage by stopping the attack at our pets and keeping them from cozying up to the rest of the family. 

There are several different treatment options available for this very purpose.

Advantage

Frontline

Revolution

When these treatments are used continually and properly they can be very effective at stopping flea infestations before they start.  The first thing I ask sombody when they tell me they have fleas is if the Dog or Cat is on flea treatment. Most of the time the response is no.  Using these treatments can help you avoid costly chemical treatments and all of the steps involved in eliminating a flea or tick infestation inside of you home. 

As a word of caution be very careful before you use these products to make sure you are using the correct strength and dosage for your animal.  Most of these treatments are weight and species (Dog or Cat) specific.  Misuse could cause serious health problems for your pet.  Also stay away from Flea and Tick collars if at all possible for dogs and never put a flea collar on a cat….it has the potential to make them very sick.  I would also stay away from flea shampoo and cheaper flea products when it comes to cats. 

A bit of planning and responsibilty goes a long way when it comes to flea prevention.  It takes a little extra work but your four legged children will love you for it.

Just as I was beginning to wonder if I lived in Wisconsin or Minnesota the weather has finally reverted back to its usual south Texas pattern.   We’ve been experiencing one of the coldest winters in quite a while which is a fact that’s not lost on a pest control guy.  Its kind of nice for a little while because it means a break from the really nasty bugs like Fleas, Ticks, and Mosquitoes….but it certainly slows  business down. 

In much of the country pest control is a seasonal business.  In fact most of the country doesn’t have much to worry about bug-wise during the winter.  Mostly because mother nature puts on her pest control hat and exterminates quite a few pests.  The ones she doesn’t kill are driven into suspended animation like trances. 

We Texans are some of the lucky few who can actually enjoy the outdoors during the winter.  Unfortunately our six legged friends will be doing the same.  The weatherman is calling for highs in the 60’s and 70’s all week.  It almost feels like spring outside and it won’t be long until you notice mosquitoes buzzing and roaches scurrying.  Your best bet is to be thinking about pests and pest control year round.  So keep us bug guys in mind even when it’s cold.  You never know when you may need us.

The Beast at rest

Is there anything he won’t destroy?  Here we see some freshly eaten toilet paper.  Apparently toilet paper is a delicacy to Akitas as he has sniffed out and destroyed 5 rolls to date.  He also has an affinity for yogurt covered pretzels as he scarfed down an entire bag by himself.  We thought the bag was out of reach but, where there’s a will there’s a way.