Bolton Pest Control

Archive for June, 2010

When the sunny weather comes around, it is primetime for bees to start buzzing.   Many people wonder; what type of bee is it? Will it sting me? Are they just a nuisance or can they harm my home?  This article will describe the common bees/ wasps you will most likely see in the Northeast.

Carpenter bees: Carpenter bees are the pests you have to worry about destroying your home.  This type of bee is ½ to 1″ in length that had a black body with yellow hair, two wings and six legs.  Carpenter bees are attractive to moist wood.  Carpenter bees will drill out wood, not eating it, and nest there.  You will see saw dust where there is activity and if not treated, there can be a lot of damage to a home.

Yellowjackets: Yellowjackets are the type of wasp that stings the most.  Yellowjackets are 3/8 to 5/8″ in length.  They have two wings, six legs, and a black and yellow stripped body.  Most yellowjacket nests are located under the ground, but occasionally they will build their nest on the side of homes or trees.  When a human disturb the nests, yellowjackets feel threatened and will sting.  The sting can be very painful.  This wasp can sting many times, so one you get stung try to leave the area or move indoors.  The wasps feed on larvae and then in the summer switch to fruits and garbage.

Whitefaced hornets: Closely related to yellowjackets, whitefaced hornets are black and white in color. They are usually 5/8 to 1″ in length with two wings and six legs.  Like yellowjackets, these hornets can sting multiple times so if you get stung, move away from the area.  Their nests are usually located in elevated areas, like bushes or trees.  They are attracted to human food.

Paper wasps: Paper wasps look very similar to yellowjackets; yellow and black stripped body with two wings and six legs.  They need a branch or twig to start their nests, so there will usually live in bushes or trees.  Like the whitefaced hornets, the nests are usually disturbed while people are doing yard work around the yard.  People can be allergic to either bees or wasps, so in you get stung and have an allergic reaction, get medical help immediately.

Bees and wasps are a nuisance to humans.  They can harm people if disturbed and cause damage to homes.   JP McHale Pest Management is a Westchester pest control company that serves in the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut area. We are a family business that has run over 30 years. We offer home solutions that are safe and effective in the prevention of pests in and around homes. Our services cover bee and wasp extermination, so please contact us with any questions or to get an estimate for your home.

JP McHale Pest Management is a Westchester pest control company that serves in the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut area. We are a family business that has run over 30 years. We offer home solutions that are safe and effective in the prevention of pests in and around homes. Please contact us with any questions or to get an estiate for your home.
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Underneath the fur of your pet feline are fleas, tiny parasites that suck their blood. Most cats found at home are the hosts of these cat fleas although they are also seen to infect other animals like rabbits and dogs. Fleas are a common occurrence in a dog’s or cat’s body although in very few amounts. Make sure that it does not develop into Flea Allergy Dermatitis which is a precursor of more serious problems with regards to the skin. An increase in the number of fleas however may lead to a severe loss of blood, causing the host to be anemic. Fleas are also notorious for being carriers for several other parasites such as tapeworm and other organisms.

What are the signs to check if your pet cat has a flea infection? First and most obvious sign is frequent biting and scratching of their fur as if something is irritating them. Since cats normally scratch their fur, it is also vital that you actually take a closer look at your cat’s skin to check for the presence of dark brown crawling insects. It would be quite hard to see if your cat has dark fur so it is also suggested to inspect their beddings as well.

Whenever cats are scratching their fur, these pesky fleas fall off. Another way of checking of the presence of these blood sucking-insects is to rub the fur lightly while they are standing on a big sheet of white paper. Apply a demister afterwards. The presence of dark brown marks with red stains on the paper is a positive indicator of the existence of fleas on your feline.

Removing the fleas from your cat is not quite easy to do since they are found to react quite sensitively to chemicals. There are some products available on the market to help eradicate this problem and leave you feline flea free.

A flea collar is the most common form of a cat flea removal product. Poison is found on these collars in enough quantities to kill those adult fleas on and in the vicinity of the neck and head region. However, the fleas existing on the lower part of the body are not affected.

Another product is the flea shampoo that contains chemicals that can exterminate the fleas. Extreme care must be used to avoid irritating the skin of the cat and causing them much discomfort.

A chemical free technique to get rid of these cat fleas, especially the adult ones is by using a flea comb. Be prepared with a bowl of water with a bit of detergent mixed into it to put the gathered fleas in to drown. Putting a dollop of petroleum jelly on the flea comb can help catch the fleas by letting them stick on the comb easily.

Flea powders may also be utilized but not frequently to avoid drying and irritating the fur and skin of your pet feline.

Oral medicines may be mixed with their food which will be taken up into the blood. When the fleas feed on the blood, it will act by preventing the maturation of their eggs. This method is best used in combination with another method that effectively kills the adult cat flea.

Application of topical creams and ointments may also be effective, depending on brand and the degree of flea infestation. It is usually applied once every month until the cat is free of fleas.

For a successful management of these cat fleas, the area where the cat usually stays is treated as well. These fleas frequently hide in carpets, curtains, beds, and anywhere conducive to its existence. For a total eradication of these cat fleas, it is a highly suggested to have the whole house cleaned and treated from top to bottom, indoors and outdoors. Other pets are also included in the flea free program.

Lastly, it is always recommended to consult with your neighborhood veterinarian first before using any flea removing product to make sure that both you and your feline is safe and on his way to becoming flea free.

Article by Sven Ullmann, who runs My Lovely Cat – Useful information about cats. Read more about How to get rid of Cat Flea.
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News agencies started reporting on a disturbing phenomenon in the bee population, in the spring of 2007. It was reported beekeepers were visiting their hives to discover that their bees had disappeared. The queen and a few newly hatched bees were all that remained. The presence of predators feeding on the bees did not leave any evidence of having been there. There was no evidence of dead bees from bee diseases either. Based on the lack of evidence, it seemed unlikely that the bees had gotten sick and died. However, many beekeepers reported that moths, animals, and other bees steered clear of the newly emptied nests. This is a normal reaction when bees die from disease or chemical contamination.

The news reports were alarming. They described beekeepers losing more than half of their bees and explained the importance of honeybees in the pollination of food crops. Some of the articles implied with the disappearance of the bees widespread starvation would follow. The disappearing of bees or otherwise called “Colony Collapse Disorder: is a real phenomenon. It has the potential to impact food and honey production, but it is more complex than it has been reported. The colony collapse disorder has had an effect primarily on the domestic, commercial honeybees. These bees are raised exclusively for producing honey and pollinating crops. It also seems to effect bees from hives that are moved from place to place to pollinate crops. Of the overall bee population, the commercial honeybees make up only a small portion. Africanized honeybees, along with other types of bees, do not seem to be affected.

Also, this is not the first time the honeybee population has suddenly and unexpectedly declined. In the last 100 years beekeepers have reported sharp decreases in their hive populations several time. In 1915, beekeepers in several states reported substantial bee losses. The condition became known as the “Disappearing Disease”. It was not named for the bees disappearing, but because the condition was limited and did not happen again.

Researchers never determined the cause for Disappearing Disease or the declines in bee population, and the causes are still unclear today for the colony collapse disorder. Several possibilities have been ruled out because they are not present in all of the affected colonies. The bees in the affected colonies were all feed using different methods, mites and other pests were controlled in a different way. The bees did not even come from the same supplier. The work group investigating the phenomenon does not suspect genetically altered crops to be the problem.

There are some theories on the causes of colony collapse disorder.

The process of transporting bees over long distances in order to pollinate crops may cause stress, which has depressed the bees’ immune system, exposed them to additional diseases or affected their navigational abilities.

Mites generally feeding on the bees may be exposing the bees to an unknown virus. Mites have caused colony collapse in the past, but they have also left evidence, which is not the case in colony collapse disorders.

One common theory regarding cell phones as the culprit, but it has been discounted. This theory made the news in April, 2007, “The Independent” who featured the article about a study being done on the cell phones and linking them to the bee disappearance, they failed to dig deep enough for their story. The study was not related to cell phones, but was on the electromagnetic energy coming from the base units of cordless phones. A cordless phone uses a different wavelength than the cell phone.

It is unknown exactly where the honeybee species is headed or exactly how the drop in the population of the bee will affect the world’s food supply. The drop in population in all likelihood not lead to the sudden extinction of the human race, it is going to have an l effect on what we eat if it continues.

Visit the Bee Facts website to learn about mason bees and bees disappearing.

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A beekeeper, whether a casual hobbyist or a large commercial producer, can not be successful unless they fully understand the life cycle of the honey bee.

The honey bees life cycle is a unique and fascinating process.

It all starts with the egg. The hives queen bee lays an egg in one of the cells constructed for the soul purpose of laying eggs. Once queen has laid the egg and moved on to lay another (during the spring months the queen can lay an average of 1900 eggs daily) the egg is attached to the cell with a mucus strand.

When the egg hatches a larvae emerges. Nurse bees are in charge of caring for the young larvae. They feed the eggs bee bread. Bee bread is a strange mixture of gland secretions and honey. The larvae will go through five distinct growth stages. After each of these stages the larvae sheds its outer skin. When the larvae is six days old, a worker bee comes along and caps the larvae, caccooning the larvae in its cell. The larvae stays the in the cocoon for for eight to ten days, when it emerges from the cocoon it is a fully formed young bee.

The average length of life average honey bee depends on what purpose the bee fulfills in the hive. A queen bee can live for two years providing that she was able to get herself inseminated with enough sperm during her nuptial flight. A good strong queen bee can lay as many as 2000 eggs a day. She is in charge of killing her sisters and mothers. The queen bee doesn’t have to worry about taking care of herself, she is always surrounded by an entourage of worker bees who feed her and remove her waste. It is not uncommon for the elderly queen bee to leave the nest in the springtime when the rest of the hive is getting ready to swarm. Experts believe that the queen produces some sort of pheromone that prevents the hives workers bees from becoming interested in sex. A queen bee who has not made her nuptial flight is called a virgin queen. Drone bees are male bees that live only to impregnate queen bees during the queens nuptial flight.

After mating with a queen the drone dies. During the winter months, a worker bee can live up to one hundred and forty days old. During the summer months the worker bee is lucky to live for forty days, the short summer life span is because the worker bees are literally worked to death. The worker bee’s duties are wide and varied. Worker bees called nurse bees are in charge of caring for the young larvae, other workers are sent out to gather pollen to be made into honey. Some workers spend their time capping off honey combs, other workers are responsible for taking care of the queen. Worker bees are in charge of starving the unwanted drone bees and cleaning the hive. There can be any were from twenty thousand to two hundred thousand worker bees in a single hive. Worker bees are always sterile. If a worker bee lays an egg it becomes a drone bee. Workers bees are the bees that people see defending the hive.

The survival of the bee hive depends on the hive having a healthy queen that is laying eggs. If something happens to the queen the hive will die.

Want to find out about bee supplies and ground bees? Get tips from the Bee Facts website.

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Departing from Narita, Japan, Japanese flight attendants creatively trying to put Japanese into English fail to surprise me. The first time a Western flight attendant asked me if I wanted green or black tea did surprise me though. Never having heard another native English speaker refer to black tea, or not remembering, I wondered if that was common English usage where she came from. The flight attendant explained that black tea differentiated black tea from green tea, but the term was new to her too.

Googling, I found millions of references to black tea. Wasp tea references merely numbered in the hundreds. Never having drunk wasp tea, I wondered what it would taste like. Once in Morocco, sitting outdoors on a plaza in Fez, or perhaps Marrakech, drinking sweet tea, the wasps began to gather. Attracted by the sweet scent of the tea they climbed up the spout and into the teapot. A few wasps became ten and then twenty and then over a hundred.

I don’t know if wasp tea offers health benefits. Green and black tea certainly do. Living in Japan, one hears of the many health benefits that green tea offers. Green tea reduces cancer risk by inhibiting the growth of cancer cells. Green tea also lowers your total cholesterol levels and improves your ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol. The list goes on to cover health benefits for rheumatoid arthritis, infections, and more. While green tea may not have all the powers we hear about, it does offer much.

We may think that black tea does not offer as many benefits as green tea, but black and green tea are from the same plant. They basically offer the same benefits. As green tea is less processed than black tea, black tea offers fewer antioxidants than green tea, but the difference is not as significant as one might imagine.

Milton Schiffenbauer of Pace University states that both green and black tea can fight viruses in your mouth like herpes. According to Schiffenbauer, tea also helps to prevent diarrhea, pneumonia, cystitis, and skin infections. Research at Rutgers University has shown the potential of black tea for preventing stomach, prostate, and breast cancer. Black tea contains a compound called TF-2 that may slow down cancer growth. TF-2 can kill cancer sells while leaving healthy cells untouched.

Dr. Joseph Vita of the Boston University School of Medicine has shown how black tea also fights potential heart attacks and strokes by saving our arteries. His tests compared heart patients who drank plain water with others who drank black tea. After only one month, the tea-drinking patients had improved their impaired blood vessel functioning by 50%. Additional health benefits from black tea are preventing tooth decay, lowering cholesterol, and soothing arthritis. Black tea may help us to burn fat too.

The list of benefits of green and black tea go on. For cultural reasons black tea may not have as many vocal admirers as green tea. Scientists who conduct research and black tea drinkers may just not feel as strongly as green tea researchers and drinkers. For many Japanese, green tea is more than a drink. Green tea is part of their national heritage and a source of pride. Publicizing green tea health benefits may seem like a mission to many Japanese whereas publicizing the health benefits of black tea speaks only to health for most Americans. Most of us do not identify with black tea the way Japanese do with green tea. Black tea is just a terrific drink, not a way of life. Coffee is probably more a way of life to Americans.

Either way, tea research is still in its infancy and more research is necessary on both animals and humans to further investigate and understand the health benefits of tea.
 Personally, I am pleased to hear that black tea is as healthy as green tea. I like both, but tea bags are just so easy. While you can buy green tea tea bags, making green tea from tea bags is not the way for me to drink green tea. It just seems so…

Green and black tea aside, I am now waiting to hear of the benefits of wasp tea.

At Aaron Language Services (http://www.aaronlanguage.com/), we provide translation from Japanese to European languages, proofreading of English and other languages, and online English coaching to a primarily Japanese client base. Our site also offers many resources for ESL students. Japanese food lovers may be interested in our sushi pages with over 100 different kinds of sushi.
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