Author Archive Randy Bilesky BsF CPA RPF

Act now, as it is time to prepare for a real Halloween invasion as rats begin to take up residence in attics, walls and crawl spaces. Hundreds of super-sized (38cm) disease-ridden rodents are scurrying for protection and nesting spots as the autumn rain takes hold and temperatures drop. Rodents are responsible for millions of dollars worth of damage to homes across B.C. – from gnawing through electrical wire, framing lumber and fouling insulation. This is the time of year where we get an increase in rodent calls by over 50% and keep in mind, one female rats can have as many as 72 babies in a year. A few ways to prevent rats from getting into your house include: Seal gaps and cracks around the foundation, windows, doors, eaves and drains. Keep your property clutter free and tidy especially in autumn as leaves, twigs and branches can be ideal hiding spaces for rats. Look for leaks in plumbing and roofs as a water supply is mandatory for rats. Cut all shrubs and trees at least 2 meters away from your house.  

https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/super-sized-rats…me-for-halloween/

gogreenpestcontrol.ca insectandrodentexterminators.com Delta Ladner Tsawwassen B.C. Randy Bilesky BsF CPA RPF

There are a number of home “google” mixtures and retail products that promise to kill sugar ants. However, many of these products are not effective and some can be down right unsafe to handle. Deciding how to get rid of sugar ants in the kitchen, or how to get rid of sugar ants in the home, can be as simple as creating a prevention plan, or significantly more complex. Do not take the use of any type of poison in your home lightly. So here is a list of the best things you can do to try and win the battle against sugar ants. Keep your house, especially your kitchen area, clean. Make sure you’re storing your food appropriately, in air tight containers. If you have the temperament to get a little dirtier with the use of boric acid, boron and diatomaceous earth, but all these products can get messy quickly. And finally, you can always buy ready-made ant bait traps. So after you have tried all these without success – it ‘s time to call in a pest management professional.  

gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C., Randy Bilesky BsF CPA RPF

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-get-rid-sugar-ants-randy-bilesky/?published=t

Ever leave behind the smallest crumb or drip of sugary syrup on a countertop or floor, only to come back to find a cluster of minute ants indulging on it? You may even have a name for those ants, sugar ants. If you have these ants in your home, it’s really no surprise as south Delta is built on a very large sand pile that allow these ants to get around easily. These ants have extraordinary odor detecting skills and sugar which is in just about everything in the kitchen, is highly attractive to them. Since sugar comes in many forms -the most obvious is white, brown or powdered sugar and then in many other forms such as; honey; corn, maple and other syrups, jams, jellies, cake, candy, fruit, soft drinks, and honeydew (the sticky, sugar-rich liquid secreted by aphids). Of course, sugar ants first invade indoor spaces that have those highly addictive sweet treats: in the kitchen and pantry. So how do they get inside, they find their way inside much like other bugs do: through cracks in the foundation, gaps around doors and windows, and tears window screens. To be continued.

gogreenpestcontrol.ca insectandrodentexterminators.com Delta Tsawwassen Ladner B.C., Randy Bilesky BsF CPA RPF

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sugar-ants-tsawwassen-ladner-randy-bilesky/?published=t

It’s autumn, when leaves turn orange, red, browned and gold, Canadian geese begin their long journey south, and squirrels gather nuts like we stock up at a Canadian Tire sale. Squirrels sometimes hide their pantry in the engine compartments of cars, a blog I’ve written about before. While at first seemingly innocuous and innocent, squirrels can do significant damage to the wiring and brake lines in your vehicle. Along with rats and other rodents, squirrels like to get into the engine compartment of a vehicle because they are attracted to the soy-based wires and peanut oil used to help pull the wiring through the tubing by the manufacturer. This can be a big problem with stored vehicles (as rodents of all kinds like to nest in the engine compartment of any and every car) which might sit for a while without being checked. Most often, you may not even realize any damage has been done until you are out driving. This kind of damage is a common occurrence, so do yourself a favor and check under the hood every once in a while.   

gogreenpestcontrol.ca insectandrodentexterminators.com Delta Ladner Tsawwassen B.C., Randy Bilesky BsF CPA RPF

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/squirrels-pantry-your-car-randy-bilesky/?published=t

Entomophagy describes the exercise of eating insects by humans, the eggs, larvae, and adults of certain insects have been consumed by humans for thousands of years. In fact, 3,000+ ethnic groups practice entomophagy (Greek -entomon, meaning insect, and Latin phagus, as in feeding on). A quarter of the global population currently eat bugs as part of their diet yet most countries in Europe and North America are adamantly reluctant to the idea of consuming bugs. Europeans and North Americas consider insects to be dirty and carriers of disease, which we call pests, Latin root means plague. So how do we go about reprogramming or transforming people’s attitudes toward insects – undoing centuries of entomophagy-phobia. For example, kale, sushi, lobster, crabs and even tomatoes and oils were once despised and unaware in some cultures. But change can happen, the United Nations released a report declaring the need to swap traditional protein sources for insects to support a sustainable future.  

gogreenpestcontrol.ca insectandrodentexterminators.com Delta Ladner Tsawwassen B.C., Randy Bilesky BsF CPA RPF

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/insects-pest-dinner-randy-bilesky/?published=t

The electric ant a.k.a the little fire ant has been called one of the worst invasive and aggressive pests in the world by the Conservation of Nature Invasive Species Specialist Group. Little fire ants can deliver a painful, long-lasting sting that can permanently blind cats and dogs. These ants can also create huge colonies of about 50 million ants – covering acres of land and fall from trees creating what scientists call “ant rain.” These yellow-red to light brown ants are only 1.5 mm in length and once these ants do become established they can be very difficult to remove. They are especially fond of potted plants, so homeowners may accidentally carry these pests indoors. Each little fire ant colony supports multiple queens that are capable of reproducing very quickly. Also, little fire ants are omnivores (eats food of both plant and animal origin) so removing their many food sources can be challenging.  

https://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-fire-ant-you-re-to-blame-1.23969068

gogreenpestcontrol.ca insectandrodentexterminators.com Delta Ladner Tsawwassen B.C., Randy Bilesky BsF CPA RPF

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/electric-ants-randy-bilesky/?published=t

So you think you may have bed bugs, so you ask google and you learn about their bites and how to locate them, but after checking around the bed and floor there are still no signs. Bed bugs can be moderately difficult to find but they always leave some sort of trail. Next culprit to the skin irritation maybe carpet beetle larvae. Carpet beetle larvae grow up to 3 mm and their most unique feature is the bristly hairs that are located on their backs. The hairs are modified lancelets with sharp spear shaped tips. When in contact with these spear like hairs, many people react with red bumps on your skin, but they aren’t bites. These bumps and rashes are caused by an allergic reaction (brachiating urticaria) to carpet beetle larval hairs and the insects blood. The symptoms included itching, an unpleasant sensation of the skin that provokes the urge to scratch, and a rash (papulovesicular eruptions). Dermatitis caused by carpet beetles often appear in a straight line or row. Getting rid of carpet beetles and their larvae can center around cleaning and applying an appropriate pesticide, so call a professional exterminator.   

gogreenpestcontrol.ca insectandrodentexterminators.com Delta, Ladner, Tsawwassen B.C., Randy Bilesky BsF CPA RPF

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/carpet-beetle-larvae-dermatitis-randy-bilesky/?published=t

Facing the plague of a parasitic Asian mite, beekeepers are hoping a new breed of mite resistant strain for honey bees can be developed, but even more other threats are coming. Beekeepers lost 45 percent of their colonies last winter, the highest winter loss in 13 years. The biggest threat facing honeybees is the Varroa destructor, a parasitic Asian mite, first introduced to North America 30 years ago. The Asian mites actually consume a bee’s fat body – tissue that plays a important role in its immune system and its capacity to detox pesticides. The main miticides used to slay the Asian mite is not working anymore, due to developed resistance. Another dangerous mite, the Tropilaelaps mite, that has been spreading in parts of Asia  and Europe has not reached here yet, to boot. Some beekeepers are just waiting these mites out, known as the Darwinian approach.  

https://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-honeybees-no-match-for-mighty-asian-mite-1.23966370

https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/honeybees-no-mat…r-the-asian-mite/

gogreenpestcontrol.ca insectandrodentexterminators.com Delta Ladner Tsawwassen B.C., Randy Bilesky BsF CPA RPF

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/honeybees-match-asian-mite-randy-bilesky/?published=t

The swamp rodents, called nutria (coypu or river rat) weigh about 10 kilograms each and resembles a rat but body length is up to 60 cm. They can eat the equivalent of about a fourth of their weight each day by burrowing into riverbanks and chomping into plants that emerge from the water. They destroying habitats of endangered species, degrade soil, ruin crops and carry pathogens that may threaten livestock (they also eat small crustaceans, frogs and fish). Nutrias can harm wetlands, which play a critical role in keeping carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and helping mitigate global warming. An invasive species originally from South America and brought to North America for fur trade in the late 19th century, nutria were believed to have been eradicated.  

https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/the-insatiable-river-rat/ ‎

gogreenpestcontrol.ca insectandrodentexterminators.com Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C., Randy Bilesky BsF CPA RPF

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/insatiable-river-rat-randy-bilesky/?published=t

To stop or control rodents effectively, you must take away everything that they need for survival. This would includes food, water, shelter and their means of getting around. Some of the key ways to control mice and rats is to take away the places they like to hide, sleep, and nest include: Remove untidiness and garbage from your yard, garage and carport. Move trees, bushes, shrubs and mulch away from the house foundation and store firewood away from walls. Cut back overgrown bushes and trees away from the roof line by 2 meters. To keep the rodents outdoors, seal all holes and cracks in the foundation, walls, floors and roof. Install metal kick plates and heavy duty sweeps on all exterior doors. Install metal mesh or flashing between foundations and the ground. Practice proper composting techniques and remove any fruits or nuts that have accumulated in your yard. Remove outdoor pet food at night and remove spilled bird seed from beneath bird feeders. Use proper garbage cans that have tight fitting lids and that lock to store garbage.

gogreenpestcontrol.ca insectandrodentexterminators.com Delta Ladner Tsawwassen B.C., Randy Bilesky BsF CPA RPF

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-manage-rodents-yourself-randy-bilesky/?published=t

https://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-don-t-be-a-rat-enabler-1.23958961