In Delta, honeybees contribute millions of dollars to the economy each year but now some beekeepers are reporting massive losses due to wasp attacks -as much as 75 per cent have been wiped out. Other reasons the bee populations are reduced is mites, viruses and pesticides. But the main culprit remains yellow jacket wasps. Wasps have been a major problem all over the place as wasps numbers were high last spring and as late summer rolled around, they would attack honey bee colonies, carrying off both the honey bees and honey. Beekeepers can protect their honey bees from yellowjackets with good beekeeping practices such as keeping strong colonies, reducing hive entrances (2½ cm – 5 cm), installing robbing screens (the screens let the bees for the colony go in and out, but makes it easier for them to protect the hives from attackers like wasps), and maintaining a tidy beehive.  

https://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-wasps-taking-a-bite-out-of-delta-s-honeybee-population-1.23652397

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

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/wasps-taking-bite-out-deltas-honey-bees-population-randy-bilesky/?published=t

Everywhere rats go they leave a steady stream of urine, feces and gland grease. Within their urine and feces and gland grease are strong pheromone scents which helps them retrace their steps and attract other rats.  Pheromones and steroids, such as male testosterone or female progesterone and estradiol let other rats know that there is another rat around, so it’s not that dangerous and maybe they will get lucky. Tracking odour trails is a crucial behaviour for rats and all rodents often leading to food, mates or away from danger. When rats find a odour trail they use active sampling, to sense the environment. They track odour trails accurately with near-optimal sampling – within 1 cm, and they use a multi-layered strategy.   

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

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/rats-secret-sensory-world-randy-bilesky/?published=t

Randy Bilesky / Delta Optimist

FEBRUARY 23, 2019 03:35 PM

#DeltaBC

Well I’m calling this year a total epidemic of unseen proportion with regards to grease ants. Never have we seen so many cases of grease ants in peoples homes as we are in 2019. Call outs for these ants are off the charts so far this February. Not only are they unsightly, they are a major nuisance and these little critters also bite and send out large winged mating ants by the thousands. They are a common ant in homes, especially in the kitchen, bathrooms, utility rooms and dinning rooms. They are called grease ants because they are omnivorous, eating just about anything – although they prefer to feed on grease and high-protein foods such as meats, cheeses, seeds, pet food and just about any other food that hits the ground. Grease ant colonies are generally small in size, but can have as many as 20 queens per nest. They will travel a considerable distance for food, traveling along baseboards and cabinets where they leave pheromone trails for other workers to continue the search for food. Simple prevention tips include: caulk or otherwise seal all entry points where the ants are entering from the baseboards, put away foods in sealed containers or the fridge, don’t leave dirty dishes sit in the sink and immediately clean up food spills. 

http://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/blog-big-spike-i…y-delta-optimist

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

http://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/blog-big-spike-i…y-delta-optimist

Well I’m calling this year a total epidemic of unseen proportion with regards to Grease ants. Never have we seen so many cases of Grease ants in peoples homes as we are in 2019. Call out for these ants are off the charts so far this February. Not only are they unsightly, they are a major nuisance and these little critters also bite and send out large winged mating ants by the thousands.  They are a common ant in homes, especially in the kitchen, bathrooms, utility rooms and dinning rooms. They are called grease ants because they are omnivorous, eating just about anything – although they prefer to feed on grease and high-protein foods such as meats, cheeses, seeds, pet food and just about any other food that hits the ground. Grease ant colonies are generally small in size, but can have as many as 20 queens per nest. They will travel a considerable distance for food, traveling along baseboards and cabinets where they leave pheromone trails for other workers to continue the search for food. Simple prevention tips include: caulk or otherwise seal all entry points where the ants are entering from the baseboards, put away foods in sealed containers or the fridge, don’t leave dirty dishes sit in the sink and immediately clean up food spills.

 http://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/2019-grease-ant-…c-in-south-delta/ ‎

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

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/2019-grease-ant-epidemic-south-delta-randy-bilesky/?published=t

Silverfish are the same length as the carpenter ant, these nocturnal insects prosper in bathrooms, kitchen and damp crawl spaces in almost everyone’s home. These dinosaur like, alligator shaped insects are categorised by a silvery-tan colour and bristles at the end of their body. Once silverfish are brought into your house, they begin laying dozens of eggs daily turning a one off to a full infestation very quickly. Eggs are usually concealed in cracks or crevices under sinks, cabinets and walls, making them very problematic to find. So do they nasty looking creatures bite or sting, well no, they are merely a nuisance. Silverfish are capable of slowly eating away at books, paper, wallpaper, and paintings but unlike termites, silverfish take a long time to do any significant damage. Retail – do it yourself products such as insect pesticides and silverfish bait stations rarely slow a growing silverfish infestation so don’t wait to long to get it treated by a professional.

https://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-silverfish-bite-like-sharks-or-sting-like-eels-1.23640037

http://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/silverfish-bite-…-sting-like-eels/

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

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/silverfish-bite-like-sharks-sting-eels-randy-bilesky/?published=t

Insects are at the bottom of every food chain yet at the top of the ecosystem because they’re are pollinators – therefore they are absolutely critical. Insects also play an important roles in our ecosystems preforming  pest control, decomposition and food for other animals such as birds, reptiles and small mammals. Now reports indicate that more than 40% of insect species could disappear within a span of 50 years as a third of insect species are endangered now. This could be the largest extinction event on earth since the dinosaur era. The finger is being pointed at agriculture, urbanization, pesticides, pathogens and climate change. One study calls for the rethinking of our present agricultural practices, using less pesticides and finding more sustainable, environmentally based practices to allow the recovery of declining insect populations. Also the cleaning up of polluted waters in both agricultural and urban settings.

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

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/insect-extinction-maybe-coming-randy-bilesky/?published=t

In the nutty world of squirrels, one squirrel can influence the genetic influence to the population of another squirrel by hoarding food and increasing the chances of survival of the other squirrel that takes over its territory. In the squirrel world, the previous squirrel that had a particular territory can significantly impact how well off the new owner is. Squirrels collect cones in the fall and store them in the ground for winter. A squirrels hoard can contain as many as 10-20,000 cones which can be used for 30 plus years. If a squirrel inherits a territory from a male it will have on average enough extra cones to survive for an extra couple weeks. Squirrels in their prime, around three years old, hoard more cones than older or younger squirrels. If a female squirrel takes over a males territory, that was in its prime,  she will inherit a lot of extra food and be able to breed earlier. Her offspring will then be able to leave the nest early and they in tern will have better survival rates.  A young squirrel that happens to take over a male squirrels territory will increase its opportunity to produce over fifty percent more pups. 

http://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/well-stocked-rea…uirrels-jack-pot/

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

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/well-stocked-real-estate-can-squirrels-jack-pot-randy-bilesky/?published=t

Randy Bilesky / Delta Optimist

FEBRUARY 13, 2019 09:05 

#Delta

 you own a bird feeder (we call them rat feeders in the pest world), you’re likely to encounter some of these common problems. It’s difficult to attract birds to a feeder and not squirrels, mice, rats and a handful of predators. As it turns out, the bird feeder turns into a neighbourhood smorgasbord because they all like the same foods. There are a things you can do to keep them away from your bird feeder, but there’s no promise of victory. Squirrels are hard to outsmart, rats are really persistent and mice are all about the opportunity. You can purchase a squirrel-proof feeder and most work very well. Some are spring loaded and when there’s too much weight on the rests, the springs uncoil and the feeding holes are protected. Squirrels are sneaky and determined, they can bend back the metal leaves that cover the feeding holes. Next, you could try putting an umbrella-shaped plastic or metal barrier on the pole your feeder is hanging from. The idea is to block squirrels and other rodents from climbing past it, but they often do. Bird feeders bring on other predators such as hawks, cats and other predators so you may need to protect the bird feeder. You might also consider surrounding the bird feeder with chicken wire to protect birds

Go Green Pest Control owner Randy Bilesky is a long-time South Delta resident. Trained and certified, Bilesky has first-hand knowledge of the pest problems that local homeowners and business owners encounter

Your watching tv your living room and something catches the corner of your eye, you quickly look over and see a rodent scurrying across the floor.  Was it a rat, a mouse, a gremlin– do you have a rodent infestation? It’s tough for a seasoned pro to tell what the difference is by a quick sighting. Well, rats and mice are together part of the rodent family and they are rather similar in appearance but they in reality they are night and day. You need to find out which is which because there are different action plans for each. To start with, there is a huge difference in size, shape and feces they leave behind. Although mice reproduce at a higher rate than rats, rats remain at the bottom of the food chain and mother nature is much more cruel to rats. Both rodents can cause different damage as well. Do a quick google search and you will find all the minute differences between the two. A mouse has the same proportions throughout its life with a small, triangular head, small nose, little feet as compared to the body, and very large ears relative to their heads. Rat ears are smaller relative to their heads with thick hairless tails. Knowing the difference can help save you time and money – helping to rationalize the approach to handling your rodent problem.  

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

http://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/a-rat-a-mouse-wh…s-the-difference/

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/rat-mouse-what-really-difference-randy-bilesky/?published=t

If you own a bird feeder (we call them rat feeders in the pest world), you’re likely to encounter some of these common problems with your bird feeder. It’s difficult to attract birds to a feeder and not squirrels, mice, rats and a hand full of predators . As it turns out, the bird feeder turns into a neighborhood smorgasbord because they all like the same foods. There are a things you can do to keep them away from your bird feeder, but there’s no promise of victory. Squirrels are hard to outsmart, rats are really persistent and mice are all about the opportunity. You can purchase a squirrel-proof feeder and most work very well. Some are spring loaded and when there’s too much weight on the rests, the springs uncoil and the feeding holes are protected. Squirrels are sneaky and determined, they can bend back the metal leaves that cover the feeding holes. Next, you could try putting an umbrella-shaped plastic or metal barrier on the pole your feeder is hanging from. The idea is to block squirrels and other rodents from climbing past it, but they often do. Bird feeders bring on other predators such as hawks, cats and other predators so you may need to protect the bird feeder. You might also consider surrounding the bird feeder with chicken wire to protect birds.

 http://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/bird-feeders-a-n…hood-smorgasbord/ ‎

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

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/bird-feeders-neighborhood-smorgasbord-randy-bilesky/?published=t