Call Me Bug Guy

Foul weather, even in the midst of spring, sometimes occurs, and there isn't much to be done about it.

It's finally getting warm enough to start seeing ant trails. I tend to find odorous house ants crawling up the corners of buildings, so it's an excellent place to start looking!

I've discussed holes around penetrations such as air conditioning lines and drainage pipes, but here is how I approach actually sealing such issues without permanently modifying the structure. Again, I do not recommend permanent or semi-permanent solutions such as caulk and spray foam for this purpose unless there is no other choice or regulations require their specific use. They are notoriously difficult to remove when the time arrives to replace them due to wear from the sun and elements. Generally, most pest control technicians do not do this sort of work as it is outside the scope of what they are trained and insured for. I'm just too nice of a guy, and it'll probably get me in trouble some day.

I don't normally search in crawlspaces for ant activity, but an opportunity presented itself to go behind a problem area, and I was rewarded with some healthy, amazing trails when there wasn't much activity going on in the living space and bar where they were originally reported. Diligence paid off! Had I baited only where the ants were seen, I would have, likely, had to go back.

Baiting outdoors is, oftentimes, necessary, but I sometimes find wonderful trails of ants indoors especially in unexpected locations. Here, I discovered a trail running between the kitchen and the washroom along the back of the utility closet. For a problem that wasn't presenting much activity, it was quite a welcome turn of events!

It has finally warmed up to the point where odorous house ants are venturing outdoors and can be baited both there and indoors. Granted, the bulk of the activity will be on the sun-facing side of buildings, but it's a sure sign that the spring ant season is in full swing!

Once I have a feeling for where activity is the greatest, I tend to begin inspecting outside near that portion of the home for possible entry points. Sometimes, I'm lucky, and it's a giant hole. Other times, I'm even more lucky and find a random mouse dropping dyed green through bait or other evidence such as eaten seeds or other food. Unfortunately, there are no great options for sealing such gaps except expanding foam.

I work in the pest control field, and, when possible, I attempt to find non-pesticide solutions to common household pest problems. Here is a video detailing a potential entry point for mice into a customer's home.

There's a period of time in spring where ants are active indoors but reluctant to forage outdoors. I'm not a fan of being in that situation, but customers don't want to hear, "Please wait for the weather to warm up before we send out a technician." I do what I can and hope that the efforts pay off.

Here's the first decent ant video of the season. I've found a few trails on the outside of this home, but it wasn't the end! A SECOND inspection revealed something I missed.

I work in the pest control field, and, when possible, I attempt to find non-pesticide solutions to common household pest problems. Nobody is perfect, and even I miss things the first time around. Take the opportunity on a recall or second look to examine things previously missed.

I, on a regular basis, encounter creatures which spread illnesses. Here is one such rodent which lives in my region and its identifying characteristics. Please follow the appropriate measures to reduce your risk of exposure. In the video I point to the lumpiness of the tail, but, in general, their tails tend to have long hair while other mice have very short hair. This mouse's tail is quite furry. https://www.cdc.gov/rodents/cleaning/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/hps/prevention.html