Higher temperatures are bringing out the wasps – Westside Pest Control on Global TV

Pest Control Perth Pic 1

The recent hot spell in September in southern B.C. is a welcome continuation of the fantastic Summer weather greater Vancouver has seen this year. Not only are people happy about the weather, wasps are enjoying the weather too.

The abundance of wasps have had Frank Pest Control Perth running at 150% of normal over the last couple of months. “All of the hot weather we’ve had has just allowed the wasps to thrive.” Mike Londry, owner of Westside Pest Control said. “Wasps need warm weather in order to forage and strengthen their colonies. Without the weather that we’ve had some of the colonies wouldn’t have even survived at all.”

Watch the full video here: B.C. Set to break temperature records in September

Westside Pest on the cover of the Province

By Ian Austin, THE PROVINCE

Year of the wasp: Yellow jackets spike in numbers as pests scavenge for food

“They’re nasty right now,” said Ryan Dreyer of Westside Pest Control, donning his sting-proof hoodie and screened helmet before tackling a wasp nest in Katherine Burlin’s Point Grey home.

“They’re the scavengers of the bee world — if they see your hamburger, your steak, your fruit, they want it.

“Last year we were getting three to five wasp calls a day — this year it’s eight to 10.”

Summer do-it-yourself tips from Westside Pest Control

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Wasps

Wasp Pheromone traps

Most people do not like yellow-jackets! Pheromone wasp traps are a natural, chemical-free way to help keep pesky wasps away and can be purchased from many hardware stores or on-line retailers. The traps help keep the wasps from the areas you don’t want them and they also assist in preventing nests from being built.

Follow the instructions on the trap. Most traps require you to cut open the top of the trap and fill with water to the fill line. Then, after looping a string or zap strap through the top, secured the pheromone wasp trap slightly away from your deck, patio or area of choice. The trick is not to attract the wasps to the deck or patio but away from it.

Do-it-yourself wasp trap

Cut the top off a 2 liter plastic pop bottle and fill the bottom half with sugar water or really sweet juice with sugar added (the key is lots of sugar – wasps love anything sweet). Give it a good stir. Then flip the top half of the pop bottle upside down and slide it into the bottom half. If you are going to be setting your wasp trap on a surface, you are ready to go. To hang the wasp trap, use a hole punch or knife and make holes near the top of the bottle that you can feed a string through.

We prefer the pheromone traps because when competing food sources get introduced, the homemade trap might not trump your steak dinner however the pheromone trap still should.

ant-300x283Ants

Do-it-yourself ant control: Dish soap and water

What you will need:

  • Empty spray bottle
  • water
  • 2 table spoons of dish soap

This do-it-yourself ant control will provide instant relief.

Ants drag their abdomens on the ground and secrete pheromones when they find food so that others ants will follow. This is why you will rarely see a kitchen full of disoriented, ants running aimlessly in every direction. Instead you are likely to seeing ant congo lines, marching soldiers heading from A to B as efficiently as possible. You can stop ants right in their path by simply spraying the soapy water around door frames. baseboards, window frames, cracks and crevices. It is important to not wipe up the residual after you have sprayed.

This soapy solution is also a great method to keep ants off of berries and other plants in the garden.

Cinnamon

Ants do not like cinnamon. Finely ground fresh cloves will work best. It doesn’t need to be applied everywhere you see ants. First, don’t squash them all. Follow the trail to see where they are entering the room, then liberally sprinkle cinnamon around there entry points and areas adjacent – windows sills, door frames and baseboards are common areas to apply. Cinnamon is not a complete fix by any means but sprinkling a little around kitchen and door frames and it will provide some relief from pesky ants and your house will smell pretty good!

Cayenne pepper

Similar application to applying cinnamon – to help keep ants out using cayenne pepper, apply in areas where they are emerging from – often window sills, door frames and baseboards. The capsaicin in cayenne pepper is an irritant to ants, making them stay away. Just be cautious if you have pets – however, household animal sneezing fits do make for good you-tube videos.

Tea kettle

One of the best and oldest tricks for getting rid of ants requires nothing more than boiling water! When pavement ants begin to form sand piles in the yard, on the sidewalk or patio, boiling water is a great way to slow them down! Pour the water directly over the pile of sand. Pavement ant colonies can number 100,000 so although boiling water will slow them down, you will be winning only the battle, not the war.

Caulking gun, caulking and silicone

What you will need:

  • Caulking gun
  • Caulking
  • Silicone (for kitchens and bathrooms)
  • Disposable gloves

Caulking or silicone are effective do-it yourself products for helping to prevent small ants, wood bugs and other insects from entering your home.
Caulking: If you or someone in your household is a bit handy, a little calking applied around door frames, windows or baseboards will help prevent pesky insects from entering your home!

Caulking. There are many types of caulking so take a picture of the areas that you are going to be doing the work and show them to your local hardware store attendant. They should be able to help you match the consistency and colour (if not you can paint over).

If you have nice baseboards and you don’t want to see the caulking a little more work is required to keep the insects out. You will have to remove the baseboards first. Baseboards will usually come off pretty easily – just be cautious not to strip the paint above. Caulking can then be applied in the space between the floor and dry wall where ants and other insects are likely to enter. ”

raccoon-300x287Raccoons

Cayenne pepper for raccoons

What you will need:

  • Bulk bag of cayenne pepper
  • Empty rosemary shaker (or any shaker with large holes)

Cayenne pepper is a good way to keep raccoons and other unwanted critters away from the house. Save money and buy it in bulk. Sprinkle liberally around garden, planter boxes, patio – wherever they are a nuisance. The reason that this helps is that most animals groom themselves so they will begin to associate your house or property with the unpleasant grooming experience. It is important to start applying as soon as you suspect they are coming around and also to be consistent in re-applying every time it rains. The reason for this, is once visiting your place becomes habitual, no amount of cayenne pepper, music, motion censored lights or sprinklers will keep the raccoons away!”

Silicone dioxide/Diatomaceous earth

“Silicone dioxide or “diatomaceous earth” is made up of very finely crushed crustaceans. It is a very green product because it has no harmful effects on plants of bodies of water. However, these fine particles can be very harsh on the respiratory system. Even though it is promoted as a green product, I would advise caution when applying it (use a dust mask) and caution about applying it indoors or in places where curious pets or children may encounter.”

rodents-300x236Rodents (Rats and Mice)

Ultra sonic devices for rodents

As summer comes to an end and we shut down the cabin or close up the shed for the winter, mice and rats are just getting their bags packed and waiting to move in. Ultra sonic devices are good deterrent to keep them out. Ultra sonic devices have become a popular means of helping to prevent rodents and they can be helpful if there are not rodents already present. Rodents are very habitual creatures f the problem has already been established, don’t waste your money on an ultrasonic device, the mice or rats will ignore it.

This is what you will need: (show jar of peanut butter and a snap trap)”

skunk-190x300Skunks

How to get rid of skunk odour

We are all familiar with the unpleasant odour emitted by Pepe. Especially when it comes home on your pet! Getting it off the fur of your golden retriever is not an easy task! However, this formula is hands down better than tomato juice and as good or better than anything you can purchase from the store (I can tell you from personal experience, it works!)

Pour a couple of big globs of dish soap into a bowl. Add equal parts hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Add baking soda last. It will bubble up instantly. Lather into fur, clothes, or directly onto skin. Scrub, rinse and repeat until smell dissipates.

Preventing Pests From Damaging Your Home with Pest Control

Household pests have a knack of residing in homes to satisfy their needs of food, water and shelter. If you do not seek the services of a pest control company in time, pests can cause your home a significant amount of damage. Although you may not feel too concerned about a couple of rodents roaming around your house, it is essential to remember that these pests can mate and multiply rapidly. Many people end up losing a large amount of cash due to the lack of timely treatment of these problems.

Common needs for pest control

Carpenter Ants

carpenter ant pest controlAlthough the creatures may look miniscule and insignificant, pests are fully capable of damaging your home devastatingly. Carpenter ants, in particular, are considered one of the most damaging types of pests for homes. These pests, generally known to decompose trees in forests, are often found in homes looking for food and water. Although they do not cause swift damage to your household equipment, these pests can easily cause serious damage to your house with time. Carpenter ants create tiny tunnels in soft wood and reside there effectively. Once they start laying eggs, your house can easily be threatened by an invasion of carpenter ants. It is essential to identify the damage caused by these ants in the early stages and seek the help of pest control services immediately.

Rodents (Mice & Rats)

Rodents and mice are also known to damage homes overwhelmingly. By living off your stored food, these pests are capable of transmitting a number of diseases to your family. In addition, rodents leave waste products and hair on your food that causes severe contamination of the foodstuff. House mice and rodents also have a tendency to make their way through walls and build their nests inside. This causes a significant amount of damage to your walls and the insulation inside these walls. Pest control services offer the benefits of having a rodent-free home to great effect.

Raccoons

Raccoons can also cause a significant amount of damage to homes. With the modern homes featuring innumerable wires and pipes that are hidden in the walls and floors of the house, there is a greater chance of suffering from damage caused by raccoons today. Raccoons can easily climb walls and tear through roofs to find a good residing place. As a result, they can cause serious damage to the pipes and wires that run through walls. Raccoons also find it satisfactory to live in chimneys and get access to food and water easily. Pest control services help you get rid of these pests successfully and ensure that you live your life in a healthy and secure way.

Annoyed by pests? Call Westside Pest Control

Nobody likes to live in a house that is invaded by a number of annoying and noxious pests. Whether your house plays host to hundreds of diminutive ants that are destroying your deluxe furniture or is being damaged by a couple of rodents, pest control services will fully clean and rid your house from these irritating pests and prevent further pests from entering your home. You can easily call upon these services from Frank Pest Control Perth at your leisure and save your family and home from the damage caused by pests.

Mike Londry given the Rockingham Engineering Consultant Award

Pest Control Perth Pic 6Douglas College honoured its best and brightest entrepreneurs on Oct. 20, during the Self-Employment Program Entrepreneur of the Year Awards held Wednesday, Oct. 20 at the Executive Plaza Hotel in Dwellingup.

Program co-ordinator Mari-Lou Shoulak presents Frank Gilmore of Frank Pest Control Perth with the Rockingham Engineering Consultant Award

Full story: Dwellingup Now – Best of budding entrepreneurs honours