Yellowjackets are aggressive pests that possess a painful sting and bite. Most yellowjacket workers forage for food within 300 meters of their nest. Their nests are usually built underground, although some species will construct their nests in hollow logs, trees, attics, between walls, or under eaves of houses. They often build massive nests underground with many levels of cells (upwards of 100 levels). Their nests have a thick protecting covering on the outside of the nest and a usually one entrance. The first cell layer hangs from the inside of the envelope and each subsequent layer of cells hangs from the one above.
Hornets and Wasps are a immense part of outdoor life this time of year in Delta, and not always so delightful. The long dry and wets summer days are ideal for nest success, but which insects are responsible for what nest? In this series, I will summarize what they look like and what the differences are for our hornet and wasp nests: the different types, how they are built, where to find them, and how many insects to expect per nest. The most common types of nests are made by paper wasps, yellowjackets, bald faced hornets, and mud wasps (daubers). They all make basic type of paper out of chewed-up wood mixed with saliva which they then use to build a nest with multiple cells that are sometimes layered.
Varroa destructor is an external parasitic mite that attacks and feeds on the honey bees and the disease caused by the mites is called varroosis. The Varroa mite can reproduce only in a honey bee colony. It attaches to the body of the bee and weakens the bee by sucking fat bodies. The Varroa mite was introduced to B.C. about 30 years ago. Since then, it has caused major bee deaths and economic losses for beekeepers. Our honeybees have no defence against Varroa mites, so the use of chemicals known as acaricides are used, but they are also variably toxic to bees and can contaminate wax and honey. The rapid development of mite resistance toward chemicals has become another issue.
Insects, especially Carpenter ants need to draw life-sustaining moisture from their surroundings, so they usual avoid dry places and are attracted to moist and rotting wood. If the soil around your house, the foundation and the walls is dry, it’ll be less attractive to insects. Rake moisture-wicking soil, sand, small pebbles and mulch away from low wood trim at the foundation of the house. One sign of carpenter ant damage is the appearance of small, circular galleries on the surface of the wood. The worker carpenter ants will excavate sawdust-like debris around or below the exit holes. Inside the galleries will appear smooth and free of debris.
Outdoor and indoor walls appear to be solid but many can be full of minute pest passages. Puny bugs can get through the smallest holes, so making your home completely bug-proof is difficult, even new homes with bug mesh at the base of the exterior walls still get ants. The larger gaps are the ones that need attention, you know the ones that mice, rats and bigger insects can get through. So, get on the ground, under decks and examine the house exterior with a flashlight and a mirror. Remember the golden rule: mice can get through a crack of 6 mm and rats through a space of 12mm. Take all the time needed to examine every square meter of your house. The crucial areas to examine consist of wall gaps, the foundation, doors and windows , dryer vents, exhaust fans, roof vents and gaps in the roofing materials.
Ok, there isn’t a new mouse trap, but the old style snap traps can be an good way to start to rid your house of mice. Snap traps are the greenest, more humane way alternative to the potential slow death from a glue trap or poisoned bait. The common do it yourself mistakes when dealing with mice is poor placement of the snap traps and just not using enough of them. Put out at least 24 snap traps along walls in areas where you’ve seen the mice or their feces. My favorite baits is good old peanut butter. Live traps are also a good alternative or used in combination with snap traps, place them back-to-back with the open doors on each end. When dealing with mouse droppings, use a disinfectant spray because mice can pass disease to us.
Raccoons are omnivores so they will eat virtually anything (including plastic) and are always looking for a new den, so our houses are always appealing. Although water sprayers and chemical repellents may work briefly, raccoons will ignore them if the reward is greater, so you have to make your house and garden unapproachable. Cut back tree branches and shrubs at least 6’ from the roof. Block crawl space vents and other possible entry spots with 3/8 galvanized steel mesh. Make trash cans inaccessible or locked down lids, cover fish ponds with netting and don’t leave pet food outside over night. Protect vegetable gardens with wire electric fencing. If raccoons have already made a den in your attic or crawl space you can use ammonia or hot pepper powder to get them to leave.
Moles can eat their weight in worms and grubs every day, so if you have a lawn that is envied by all your neighbors -healthy, well-watered lawns which are full of worms and grubs, then you are a sitting duck for moles. Tunneling as fast as a 25 cm per minute under the grass roots, a mole can make your yard look like little johnny has been playing with his Tonya toy road building kit. Per hectare, there can be as many as four moles, so its likely that you may have more then one mole tunneling through your property. The first step is to locate the active tunnels, this can be achieved by collapsing all the tunnels and then check those spots the next day, if the tunnel has been dug out again, it’s an active one. The most effective method to control moles is to set up a spring-loaded traps that are activated when a mole pushes against it. Remove it and the mole after it’s been triggered, or try a different tunnel if it hasn’t been triggered after a couple days.
There are more than 200 squirrel species worldwide, ranging in size from the five-inch African pygmy to the behemoth Indian giant squirrel. They have four front teeth that grow continuously, at a rate of about six inches per year so electrical lines are no match for squirrel teeth, which have been blamed for hundreds of power disruptions yearly. Adult squirrels normally live alone, but they sometimes nest in groups during severe cold spells. Squirrels, like many rodents, can’t vomit. The average adult squirrel needs about a pound of food per week and some squirrels collect old rattlesnake skin, chew it up and then lick their fur, creating a kind of “rattlesnake perfume”. Squirrels communicate using complex systems of high-frequency chirps and tail movements.
With Coronavirus slowing down across Canada, I thought I’d address some of the inaccurate information that is spread on the internet. Believe it or not, 75 plus percent of information on social media is not rooted in fact. So here are some of the coronavirus myths to ignore.
1) wearing rubber gloves will prevent the spread of germs on your hands – the gloves can become contaminated, so washing your hands properly.
2) gargling or swallowing vinegar, oils, ethanol, salt water, steroids or bleach will not protect you from coronavirus – no! wash your hands, avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.
3) a face mask will protect you from coronavirus -the majority of face masks simply aren’t tight enough, allowing the virus to get into the nose, mouth and eyes.
4) keeping your mouth moist and drink lots of water or saline rinses and mouthwash can help prevent infection will prevent infection – No!
5) drinking alcohol can kill the coronavirus – the amount of alcohol required will actually kill a person before killing the virus.
6) the flu is far more deadly and easier to catch – COVID-19 has a mortality rate more than twenty times higher than the flu virus.
7) house flies, mosquitoes and pets can spread the new coronavirus – although there is no evidence that they can transmit COVID-19, wash your hands often.
8) warm weather will get rid of the coronavirus – the coronavirus can be transmitted in hot climates.
9) antibiotics kill coronavirus – antibiotics kill bacteria not viruses.
10) drinking cow urine will protect you from coronavirus – No!
11) Cow urine has long been promoted as a traditional remedy for various diseases in India, but there is no medical evidence to show that cow urine has anti-viral characteristics.
12) And the winner is – if you can hold your breath for 10 seconds, you don’t have the virus What!!! No! a medical test is required to get a real diagnosis.
