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Ants aren’t your enemy or at least not in gardens and forests. They are tiny rototillers, tunneling ants turn over as much soil as earthworms do, aerating the soil and redistributing nutrients. Ants also play a major role in recycling as they are scavengers, collecting dead insects and turning them into fertilizer for your soil. Although ants are tiny creatures, they also play a large role in keeping the forests ecosystem diverse. Ants are particularly good at spreading seeds as they are known to disperse over 3000 plants species in our forests. Ants perform a variety of services important to global landscapes as they turn over soil and bring in fertilizer. Ants are vital as they place seeds underground. Some plants and animals rely on ants unknowingly for their own survival as they bury seeds to germinate, or carry eggs into their nests, away from predators -this relationship is known as myrmecochory.  

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

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

Mosquitoes thrive in warm, damp areas and only need a couple of centimetres of water to breed, turning pools, buckets, wheelbarrows and bird baths into likely breeding grounds. To lessen the probability of mosquitoes in your yard, have a look around your property to see if you can remove any standing water. Mosquitoes are considered the most lethal animal on earth, spreading Zika virus, malaria, dengue, West Nile virus, chikungunya, yellow fever, filariasis, tularemia, dirofilariasis, Japanese encephalitis, Saint Louis encephalitis, Western equine encephalitis, Eastern equine encephalitis, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, Ross River fever, and Barmah Forest fever. Prevention and protection tips include: eliminate standing water, screen all windows and doors and keep gutters free flowing, wear long pants and sleeves outdoors to limit exposure (hah hah), avoid wearing dark colors, floral prints and sweet-smelling perfumes and colognes while outside and properly apply insect repellent containing at least 20 percent DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus.

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

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mosquito-season-upon-us-randy-bilesky/?published=t

Wasps play many ecological roles as predator and/or pollinators, whether to forage for themselves or to provision their nests. The solitary wasps parasitize nearly all pest insects, making them the biological pest control of many insects. But as far as we are concerned, only a couple different types of wasps actually target food (meat and fish) while we are cooking or eating outside. If a wasp is buzzing around your head and food, you’re best not to swat at it, let them come for it, and use one of the wasp zappers to stop it. We are experiencing more calls for wasp issues than we have had in many years, sometimes as many as 45 calls a day. The mild weather has seen an increase in the wasp population here in Delta, with a warm dry winter and dry spring, not as many wasps perished in the dormant months. It is expected that the current batch of wasps will start receding late September, as the old queen die off and the new queen become dormant.  

  https://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-mild-weather-sees-wasp-population-grow-in-delta-1.23922416

https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/wasp-nests-in-de…ike-never-before/

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

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/wasp-nests-delta-like-never-before-randy-bilesky/?

Hantavirus is a type of virus that is carried by infected rodents and is spread through the vectors’ (rats, squirrels, mice, raccoons and skunks) urine, feces, and saliva. Two cases have recently occurred, although hantavirus is extremely rare, yet when it does occur it can be fatal – there is a 40 percent fatality rate among hantavirus cases on average. The virus is commonly caught by breathing in contaminated air with symptoms include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches and fatigue in the initial stage of the disease and fluid build up in the lungs in the late stages causing death. The virus can also be transmitted by direct contact with a rodent or its shedding (feces, urine, saliva, nesting materials) then touching the nose, mouth or ears -but it rarely transferred from being bitten by the infected rodent. When cleaning up rodent feces: wear protective gloves and mask, don’t sweep contaminated areas rather mix bleach and water and use this as cleaning agent to wash up droppings.

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

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hantavirus-its-back-randy-bilesky/?published=t

Eating ants and other insects could soon be recommended to protect against cancer, and it is believed that us westerners will be eating them very soon. Experiments have shown that many insects including grasshoppers and crickets – contain high concentrations of antioxidants, found in orange juice or olive oil. Extracts of grasshoppers, silkworm and crickets have the highest amounts of antioxidants – some five times more than orange juice. These antioxidants help reduce chemical reactions in the body that produce cancer causing free radicals also linked to cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.  Grasshoppers, ants and mealworms contain the highest levels of total polyphenols: micronutrients packed with antioxidants that help treat digestion issues, weight management difficulties, diabetes, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. Beetles are the most commonly consumed insect, followed by caterpillars, bees, wasps, ants, grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets.

https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/eating-insects-c…t-against-cancer/

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

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/eating-insects-can-protect-against-cancer-randy-bilesky/?

Are you looking for a guaranteed way to get rid of raccoons? Raccoons are pretty smart creatures. Sometimes a personal face-off is often a quick solution that scares raccoons ( a single encounter will not discourage a raccoon forever) but there are pros and cons. More than likely the raccoon will usually disappear, on the other hand, a scared raccoon can turn into an aggressive raccoon and attack you. Just like other nocturnal creatures, raccoons like the dark so floodlights and noises (a radio tuned to an all-night talk station) may be useful in scaring raccoons. An effective and less invasive option is an electric fence: install a wire 6 inches above the ground, with a second cable a bit higher. Once a raccoon touches the wires, he will get a mild shock and cease to return to the same location as they will never get accustomed to an electric fence. Once installed, this system is always useful for keeping raccoons out. And then there are repellents, a wide range from coyote urine and homemade repellent solutions to moth balls, predator lights and electronic repellents, although I have found limited success with all of them.

https://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-here-s-how-to-keep-raccoons-away-1.23918321

https://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-weird-and-wacky-facts-about-bed-bugs-1.23914132

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

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/raccoons-how-keep-them-away-randy-bilesky/?published=t

Mid August onward, wasps are particularly troublesome as they are switching over from carbohydrates to a protein diet and therefore they are more attracted to human foods. So how do you avoid being stung by the nasty cousin of the bumble bee. First, be aware of your environment, especially if you are drinking from a pop or beer can – wasps like to go inside the can in search of sugar, and don’t wear brightly colored clothing because wasps and hornets think it’s a potential food source. When wasps are near, it’s important not to flail your arms, as waving your arms essentially can make the situation worse. If you are stung, run away in a straight line and keep your hands over your face to protect it, the wasp soon will give up. If you happen to be going to the P.N.E. (or any other outdoor event), it’s also best to avoid garbage cans as hornets and  wasps tend to flock there and carry an EpiPen even if you’re not allergic to the nasty stings.

https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/how-to-avoid-the…a-hornet-or-wasp/

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

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-avoid-business-end-hornet-wasp-randy-bilesky/?published=t

Crickets are insects related to grasshoppers. They occur in wide-ranging environments from grassland and forests to marshes and beaches. Crickets are mainly nocturnal, and are best known for the loud, persistent, chirping song of males trying to attract females. The singing species have good hearing and have different chirping “songs” for: attracting mates ( male crickets create sound by rubbing their forewings against each other), fighting and sounding alarms. Crickets typically prefer to live outside, but homeowners dealing with crickets tend to have exactly the right conditions in the home to draw the pests indoors such as moisture in homes. If crickets get inside, they are more of a nuisance than a problem. These pests are nocturnal and chirp to each other throughout the night. They are a destructive presence in agricultural areas, as they feed on crops and seedlings at night. Some species feed on fabrics and can ruin clothes.

https://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-crickets-can-be-more-of-a-nuisance-than-problem-1.23910914

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

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

House flies and filth flies spread over 65 harmful diseases including diarrhoeal diseases, skin and eye infections. But there is more, these flies can transmit food-borne pathogens, toxins and resistance.  In fact, they are known to carry and spread; cholera, conjunctivitis, dysentery, gastroenteritis, salmonellosis, tuberculosis and typhoid fever. House flies feed by regurgitating their stomach contents onto their food to liquify them, any bacteria living in their oesophagus will be transmitted to the item they are consuming. You can catch a house fly transmitted disease by eating any food or drinking liquids that a house fly has: regurgitated, defecated, urinated, or landed on. Bacteria living within their digestive system will be transmitted to items which they defecate on through their feces. House flies also accumulate the bacteria on the tiny hairs on their legs and body so when they land on a food many of these pathogen are transferred.

https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/house-flies-carr…-spread-diseases/

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

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/house-flies-carry-spread-diseases-randy-bilesky/?published=t

Skunk spray is the nasal equivalent to stepping on a hornets nest or staring at the sun. Skunk spray contains a mixture of sulfur-containing chemicals called thiols or mercaptans, but the Tolypocladium fungus has a compound in it called pericosine that neutralize the stink – that can linger for months. The pericosine reacts with skunk spray’s thiol compounds, forming residues that aren’t belligerent to the nose and can washed away. The pericosine can be used on skin and even around the eyes as it doesn’t cause irritation. Additional ingredients are added to the pericosine to neutralize than quicker.  

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

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/skunk-spray-can-now-neutralized-randy-bilesky/?published=t