Sumo the Destroyer is officially 1 year old, so we celebrated in style with new bones and party hats.

 

A good time was had by all, and not a single pillow was eaten.

Happy Take Your Dog to Work Day!  Here we see Sumo eagerly awaiting our customer’s calls.

He’s especially good at listening to customer problems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The mystery bug here is many times mistaken for the Boxelder bug (stink bug) but its actually a distant cousin of this insect.  It’s called the Golden Rain Tree bug because of its affinity for the Golden Rain tree’s seeds.  It loves these seeds but will also go after Elm, and Chinaberry Trees.  They don’t damage the tree or its leaves but rather feed on  seed and fruit on the ground.

One of our customers found these guys swarming all over her new house and was very alarmed to say the least.  The good news is that these bugs are mostly a nuisance as they don’t bite or sting.  They also rarely venture indoors on purpose.  They congregate together in large numbers this time of year to mate and feed.  I think they’re kind of pretty as bugs go, but I am a bug man so there’s no accounting for taste.

If you didn’t catch it, 30 minute meal guru Rachel Ray discussed pest control and prevention on her TV show with an expert from the National Pest Management Association.  Missy Henriksen from the NPMA discussed useful tips for  preventing pests from entering your home.   The focus of the conversation was on prevention and sanitation.  Henricksen discussed reducing food and moisture sources in common household settings to reduce the risk of pest entry.  She also spoke of the risks of introducing pests into your home after traveling.

 

 

Watch the Video

It seems the question I posed earlier this year is beginning to be answered.  For those of you that didn’t see the post-I asked  if the unusually cold winter would have a profound affect on flea and tick populations in Houston.  I was hopeful that it would since many experts have hypothesized that the burgeoning flea and tick numbers were partly due to our mild and wet  Houston winters.  It certainly seems logical then that a really cold winter like the one we just experienced would reduce the breeding population of fleas and ticks. 

At first blush it doesn’t seem like the cold affected the fleas that much.  We have already had close to half a dozen calls just for fleas and it’s not even June yet.  The ticks haven’t been as plentiful yet but we have had a few reports.  A relatively dry spring here in Houston is most likely helping us on both fronts.  Most insect pests need moisture to thrive and fleas and ticks are no exception.  The less rain we get the less blood suckers we’ll encounter including the infamous mosquito.

Either way it’s always best to be proactive so I’ve added a few tips to keep you ahead of  the curve.

1. Keep your pets on the preventive flea and tick treatments year round.

Advantage

Frontline

 

2. Protect your home from feral or wild animal entry.

This means sealing up holes in the exterior of your home to prevent animals like raccoons, possums, and even feral cats from taking up residence under or in your house.  The average raccoon has hundreds of fleas on it so it only takes one to start an infestation in your home.  It’s also a good idea to keep bird feeders and trash away from you house as these food sources attract the animals mentioned above.

 

3. Keep landscaping under control.

OK….we all like landscaping, but just as everything good in life moderation is the key.  The less ground cover the better for fleas.  This is because they like to hang out in dense moist areas.  Ticks also thrive in grassy bushy areas where they can lie in wait until they sense movement and jump on the closest fur bearing animal… which is many times your dog.  Keep landscaping in check and you’ll  keep the fleas in check as well.