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      Larry Cross

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For professionals wishing to keep current with new products, pest management news and technology,
 

Pest News:

Mice with Hantavirus Found in San Diego

SAN DIEGO - Three more wild mice trapped in San Diego County have tested positive for hantavirus. A harvest mouse was found in the Tijuana River Valley and two Northern Baja mice were discovered in San Marcos and Carlsbad, according to the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health. So far, 11 mice have been confirmed to have hantavirus locally this year, according to the DEH.  

Hantavirus is carried by wild rodents, primarily deer mice. It is found in rodent droppings and urine and can be inhaled by humans when it becomes airborne. The airborne virus can cause a rare illness called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, or HPS.

To prevent exposure, residents should not sweep or vacuum rodent droppings or urine, and instead use a 10 percent bleach to water solution and rubber gloves to clean up contaminated areas, according to the DEH.

New ways to get rid of bedbugs

The pest control industry is now unveiling new weapons in the fight against bedbugs. Once an infestation of bedbugs starts, they are tough to get rid of. Some traditional sprays and chemicals no longer work in places they have been frequently used. "A high percentage of the bedbugs that we're encountering from around the United States have developed immunity to our most widely used group of insecticides for bedbug control," entomologist Dr. Michael Potter said.

 One technique is called ThermaPureHeat. Experts use special equipment to heat up a room to around 140 degrees. "We have to get those temperatures inside of mattresses and box springs, inside of wall voids, underneath carpet and padding," ThermaPureHeat spokesperson Michael Linford said. “It has to be circulated heated air, properly measured and filtered so that we achieve a kill."

You can also freeze them out. Cryonite is an icy carbon dioxide spray that kills the critters on contact. "You can spray it in electrical outlets, you can spray it in kitchen equipment,” said Douglas Stern, of Stern Environmental Group. “It's doesn't harm the furniture because it's dry. It totally evaporates."

Dr. Potter says these techniques show promise, but there are limitations. He says the snowy spray only kills what it hits, so you may miss some hiding in cracks. And with the heating method, some might escape to an adjoining room. The creators of the heat technique say that's why they suggest treating the entire home in severe cases. As for the cold spray: "We recommend leaving some sort of chemical or non-chemical residual behind to catch the ones that we are not able to kill," Stern said.
Experts say it's easier to get rid of bedbugs when you catch them early. If you wake up with itchy welts, it's not a guarantee you're infested but it is a possible sign.
 

Electronic Rodent Control Devices Are A Scam
We get numerous questions submitted to "ask the experts" regarding electronic rodent control. Here is a typical example:

  In your answer to the question #122 and several others - 'do these electronic devices really work' - you state that if they did, pest professionals would be using them.  I feel that it would be counter-productive for pest control companies to use these devices, as their services would no longer be necessary, thus putting you out of business. I am an informed consumer and will be looking elsewhere for completely unbiased information on these devices.   Diane.  Coombs, BC. 

Thank you for your input on this subject.  We would be pleased to hear from you again when you have found some unbiased information that favors the use of electronic rodent control devices.  We will publish that information on the home page of this web site.  We have been researching these devices for years and so far the only unbiased info we have been able to find has all been negative. For example here is a quote from a study done at The University of California/Davis:
   "Although mice are easily frightened by strange or unfamiliar noises, they quickly become accustomed to regularly repeated sounds. Ultrasonic sounds, those above the range of human hearing, have very limited use in rodent control because they are directional and do not penetrate behind objects. They also lose their intensity quickly with distance. There is little evidence that electronic, sound, magnetic, or vibration devices of any kind will drive established mice or rats from buildings or provide adequate control. Despite their lack of effectiveness, many such devices continue to be sold through magazine advertisements and at some retail outlets."
You can read more on this study on this web page: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7483.html 

Another good source of information is the Illinois Department of Health
http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/pchousemouse.htm 

New York State Moving to Limit Use of Bug Bombs

Toronto Bedbug Problem is Epidemic

The number of calls about bed bugs in Toronto has jumped almost 1,000 per cent - mostly stemming from incidents in multi-unit dwellings, such as apartments, student residences and hotels. The tiny blood-suckers have sparked more than 1,400 calls to Toronto Public Health this year - up from only 147 calls in 2006. And city officials say they know exactly why the critters are making a comeback.

Infestations are being blamed on an increase in international travel and a decrease in the use of effective insecticides.  Environmental activists have successfully generated an attitude of fear around the use of any pesticides including those that are beneficial in the control of many pests that could pose a health hazard. Health Canada has approved a few products for bedbug control that are not considered harmful to human health or the environment when used according to the label directions.  The approval process to bring more effective products onto the market is slow because of the rigorous testing and research. 

"We're no longer using highly toxic chemicals in order to kill bed bugs or other types of insects," noted city councilor Paula Fletcher. "So they're kind of creeping their way back into our homes and into our bedrooms."

Was Rachel Carson wrong about DDT?
      Read the opinions of those who think so.

Malaria Kills An African Child Every 30 Seconds. 

  "The effect of Malaria right now is equivalent to crashing
       seven jumbo jets filled with children every day". 
Professor Wen Kilama of the African Malaria Vaccine Testing Network in Tanzania
Read Full Story

. The rates of death and illness caused by malaria has not abated.  http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/malaria/index.cfm

This is one of many questions posted on the "What is this pest" page

1513  This bug was found in Rosedale, Chilliwack, BC.  Angela..  This is a giant water bug (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae), a.k.a. toe biter or electric light bug. They are voracious predators on aquatic invertebrates as well as the occasional tadpole or small fish, and can deliver quite a painful ‘bite’ if mishandled. See nos. 1498, 1457, and 1378 for other examples. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.

Spider Webs
       Links to 48 spider information web sites    

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EXTERMINATOR!          FUMIGATOR!

Two words that are almost extinct in the Canadian pest control industry. 
Find out why "Integrated Pest Management" is the process
professionals now use.
Click here. 

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