In Arizona we generally only have 2 types of Bees, depending on which one it is decides a suitable course of action. It’s important to note that bees will swarm during migration for resting and will quickly move on. Below you will find some useful information on both types of bees.
European Honey Bees
These are the bees that we have all grown up with, living in wax colonies and providing a wonderful service to nature. They can stay at one nest site for many years, but on the whole will leave you alone if you offer them the same courtesy. In some cases however they can swarm within an occupied building, in which case you should call Beebe’s for professional Phoenix bee removal.
Africanized Honey Bees
These bees look their European cousins, but beware they defend their territory with force. Although they are no more venomous then regular bees, they do attack in larger numbers and have been known to pursue their victims over a longer distance. If irritated they can be on the defensive for days and guard a larger area then just their colony, alone. If you have ‘killer bees’ in your yard please call one of our Phoenix Bee Removal experts immediately at Beebe’s to solve your problem.
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Annual termite control contracts include an annual inspection by a pest control company to look for signs of termites and to treat any termite infestations occurring within the year. Is this guarantee and peace of mind worth the cost?
Catching signs of a termite infestation such as small honeycomb holes in wood, termite droppings, or mud tunnels can save your home from extensive damage. When the signs are more subtle or require expertise to notice, a contract with a yearly termite inspection can nip an infestation in the bud. Here are some points to keep in mind when considering a termite control contract.
If your house has been recently treated for a termite infestation you should assume that hidden damage is a possibility. Keep all documentation of your termite treatments, guarantees, and signs of infestation organized.
If you are planning on putting your home on the market. Termite damage is not included in home owner’s insurance. A termite control contract is a good way to show that you are proactive in protecting your home. Before a potential buyer will make an offer on your home a termite inspection is mandatory. If signs of a termite infestation are found, your pest control company will take care of it under the contract. Also, will your pest control continue the contract with the new homeowner or terminate the contract?
Quality termicides placed between your home and the soil remain active for 5 years however, they are not invincible. Soil disturbances can disrupt the termicide shield and create opportunities for termites to enter your home.
Finally, termites are all around. This does not mean they are constantly attacking your house, but the chance for an infestation is always more or less so present.
The most important part of a termite control contract is signing with a company you can trust to honor their commitment. Make sure your pest control company is reliable and that their reviews are positive to ensure they will be there to catch and take care of the infestation if the time comes.
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Termite infestations can be devastating to homeowners and their homes. Small termite infestations easily go unnoticed and may only become obvious when the damage has become severe. Prepare yourself and your home as the season of Arizona’s most common and destructive termite swarming approaches.
The title of Arizona’s most common and destructive termite belongs to the arid-land subterranean termites. In locations below 4,000 feet (central and southern Arizona, Phoenix and Tucson) they most often swarm in January through March. In locations above 4,000 feet (northern Arizona, Flagstaff) they most often swarm in June and July. For those of us in the central and southern parts of the state that season is fast approaching. Are you ready?
Know the signs of termite infestation. Be especially familiar with the signs of subterranean termites but keep in mind there are many species with different characteristics here in Arizona.
-“Honeycombed” or holes in wood with soil accumulation at the bottom are made by subterranean termites.
-Mud tunnels are constructed by subterranean termites to keep them cool and shaded on their path between their colony and source of timber.
-Drop tubes hanging from ceiling rafters.
-Fecal pellets.
-Galleries eaten into timber with no soil accumulation are made by non-subterranean termites.
A sign of termite infestation
Is your home termite friendly? Non-subterranean termites take open ends of timber found on unfinished or poorly constructed furniture as an invitation to create their home in that wooden piece. Minimize the number of unfinished wood ends in your home. Non-chemical methods of deterring subterranean termites include placing a metal or sand layer between your home and the soil. A good quality chemical layer between your home and the soil should deter subterranean termites for 5 years.
Finally, keep your pest control company’s contact details on hand and notify them at the first sign of termite infestation. Getting the termite infestation under control as quickly as possible will save your home from potential costly repairs. If your home is prone to termite infestations, contact your pest control company to see if a termite control contract is right for you.
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When considering which pest control company you will entrust to manage your pest control needs, it may be difficult at first to differentiate between various pest control companies in your area. It may be tempting to minimize your time spent researching different pest control companies. However, in the words of Matthew Fehling, BBB President/CEO, “While consumers may find urgency in ridding their homes of pest infestations, they should do their research to ensure they are enlisting the skills and expertise of a qualified and trustworthy pest control specialist.”
Here is a handy guide of which certifications and services to look for when choosing a pest control company to meet your specific needs.
#1 Ensure the pest control company has an up to date state license. Companies can be looked up at the Arizona Office of Pest Management at www.sb.state.az.us.
#2 Ensure the pest control company has a strong Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating at http://www.bbb.org/.
#3 Discuss your pest problem with the pest control company and obtain a treatment plan with fees and potential follow ups for addressing your pest problem. The reason for each part of the treatment should be explained. Determine how often the treatment needs to occur to manage your problem. Is it a onetime treatment or a monthly treatment? The treatment plan should also include chemicals to be used along with their potential side effects.
#4 Look for a company that can accurately diagnose the extent of the pest problem and use environmentally friendly treatments that minimize the harm to other animals and people.
#5 Look for a pest control company that uses integrative pest management. Chemicals are an important component of the overall treatment plan but so are different treatments used in conjunction such as removal and exclusion.an accurately diagnose the extent of the pest problem and use environmentally friendly treatments that minimize the harm to other animals and people.
#6 Read customer reviews of the pest control company.
There are many factors to look for when choosing the right pest control company for you. We encourage you to do your own research before selecting which pest control company to entrust your pest problem to. For a free estimate and available treatment plans please contact us and we will get back to you shortly.
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So in this economy a lot of people are trying to save money wherever possible. So when it comes to hiring someone for pest control, some people believe that they can do it themselves. They want to save money and get rid of the pests but how much does it really end up costing them. When hiring a pest control company you are hiring them for their knowledge and experience.
1. The National pesticide information center says:
“Effective pest control requires knowledge about the pest and its habits. The first step is to identify the pest correctly; the second step is to learn about its lifestyle. After that, you can evaluate strategies to control your pest problems.”Now ask yourself, how knowledgeable are you on all the bugs you have seen in your life?
2. Pest control professionals use pesticides that last at least 60 days, while the pesticides that you purchase in the store will only last you up to 30 days.
3. The pesticides used by professional pest control companies are regulated for consumer protection. Plus, a company will know the optimal amount of pesticide to use.
4. Pest Control companies require licenses, for this there has to be constant training. This ensures that the pest control company comes with the knowledge that is required to help you with your unwanted pests.
5. Professionals know the safest way to use the chemicals and treat the problem that you have. The reality is that pest control chemicals can be extremely harmful to people and pets and they should be used with great care.
When hiring a pest control company it may seem costly but it’s worth the investment. Because of their experience with the latest developments in pest control, professionals can safely handle your pest infestation in a timely manner with no risk to your family or pets. When you pay a pest control company you’re paying for the pesticides, knowledge, experience, and last but not least piece of mind. For a free estimate please contact us and we will get back to you shortly.
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Hearing that bee populations are dropping at an alarming rate throughout the world may sound like a pretty good thing. But you have to look at what will happen if Colony Collapse Disorder or CCD continues at the rate it has been going.
The worlds honey bee’s pollinate tangerines, watermelons, oranges, melons, apples, plums, pears, strawberries, blueberries and tomatoes just to name a few. Without the honey bees pollinating all these plants we would have very few fruits and vegetables available to us. Can you imagine a world without any fruits and vegetables in our diets, pretty bleak right?
In England alone 70 crops out of their staple 130 crops rely on the pollination from the honey bee, no bee’s and England’s crop source would be less then half of what it is today. Data from the US Department of Agriculture show a 29 percent drop in beehives in 2009, following a 36 percent decline in 2008 and a 32 percent fall in 2007. This affects not only honey production but around 15 billion dollars worth of crops that depend on bees for pollination. As of yet researchers can’t pin point as to what is causing CCD but the researchers are looking at viruses, parasites, insecticides, malnutrition and other environmental factors. The fact remains that CCD is a mystery, the factors above do not explain why there are no dead bee’s around hives. Recently one of the largest commercial bee hive operations in the US lost 4 billion honey bees, which vanished without trace, sounds like a case for the X files. The worlds honey bees disappearance is really a troubling mystery that must be solved in we are to continue living our lives in the same way. Whatever the case is we should really start respecting the world we live in, or what can start with honey bees could spread across nature’s delicate ecosystem.
At Beebe’s we are bee experts, we can help you remove the honey bees from you home, business, or school in bee friendly way and repopulate the hive. Should you need one of our experienced technicians to come out and help you please contact us.
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Gone are the days of the ‘spray and pray’ pest controller, walking round your house and spraying every area with toxic chemicals. Pest control has over the years been refined and we have found much more effective and less toxic ways to do that. So whether your concerns are how sensitive you or your family may be to these chemicals or their effect on the environment. In addition to new more environmentally friendly chemicals it is the use of new techniques that also help to minimize the use of chemicals altogether.
These can range from baiting and removal of pests to home exclusion techniques, a pro active approach that prevents most pests from ever entering your home. As well as dusting in areas that attract pests, we look at sealing all entry hole no matter how large. These can include but are not limited to exterior’s, cracks in the foundations, plumbing and electrical fixtures and fittings.
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Termites are known for their ability to silently destroy a home by eating away at its wooden structure. As long as they remain outside termites actually play a positive role in the environment by aiding in the decomposition of rotting wood. Unfortunately, they can’t tell the difference between a log in the forest and your house’s wooden frame, sheetrock, ceilings, etc. Arizona is in a region that suffers from some of the most significant termite-caused property damage in the world. As a matter of fact, termites are responsible for around $1.5 billion dollars in property damage throughout the southwestern United States every year — a figure much higher than the cost of most natural weather disasters. Termites pose even more danger to your home because you could have a serious infestation and not even realize it. Subterranean termite colonies can have a population ranging from 60,000 all the way up to one million termite “workers”. What’s frightening about the size of these colonies is that hundreds of thousands of termites can be silently eating at the inside of your house non-stop, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — and you might not ever see a single one.
While the problem may go undetected at first, the damage termites cause to your home will substantial if the situation isn’t addressed quickly and properly. A smaller colony numbering in the 60,000 range can consume nearly 1/5 ounce of wood each day. This may not sound like much, but as this process continues, the termites are literally chipping away at the structure of your dwelling. If the situation goes on unabated and unchecked, your home will eventually suffer significant damage requiring costly repairs. Luckily, there are ways to protect your beloved home from these not so lovable creatures. While you may think you can take care of the problem yourself, in almost every case the only way to solve a termite problem is through the services of a trained professional. A professional technician will always provide a WIR, or a Wood Infestation Report. This report determines if you have a termite infestation within the structure in question, which areas are effected and to what degree. At Beebe’s we offer a free termite inspection when you mention this blog or our website — a $75 dollar value. We will do nothing less than give you a fair, honest and commitment-free estimate. If we don’t beat a competitor’s price, we will certainly do our best to match it. If you have not had a termite inspection recently or would like one done just to ease concern, please call us at Beebe’s today. West Valley 623.847.1979 Central Valley 602.978.4412 East Valley 480.756.9560
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Many people will only deal with a pest problem once it’s already on their doorstep — or through it. Once a problem exists it obviously must be dealt with, but the most effective and efficient way of dealing with pests is to plan ahead and deter them from ever entering your living space in the first place. The key to pest exclusion is knowing where insects and other pests are most likely to enter your house. At Beebe’s our pest control technicians, through many years of experience, have practically developed a sixth sense for determining where these entry points will be.
Many pest control companies don’t take the proper measures to keep pests outside your home. Having your yard treated with insecticides, for example, will cause scorpions to move inside your home looking for food — even if you’ve had an indoor insecticide treatment as well. Most insecticides don’t kill scorpions, so the best way to make sure they don’t take up residence in your home is through professional, thorough exclusion and home sealing. At Beebe’s Pest Control, our home sealing and pest exclusion methods are second to none. We make sure we seal up your home’s exterior, gaps and cracks in the walls and foundation, and around windows, plumbing and electrical fixtures and fittings. While home sealing doesn’t guarantee total pest exclusion, it will keep out 90% of pests. Regular service can yield even more effective results. Beebe’s monthly package offers the best value for homeowners looking for long term results. Having our technicians treat your home once a month for just a few hours can save your property from a major pest problem that could end up costing significantly more while taking days or even weeks to solve. For more information on our services, please take a look at our home sealing service page on our website.
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There are around 90 species of scorpions native to the U.S and over 40 of those can be found in Arizona. All species in the order scorpions look relatively similar to the human eye, with identifiable characteristics including eight legs, a pair of claws and a venomous stinger at the end of a long tail. Most species are between half an inch and eight inches long, with the tail comprising a third or more of the total length.
Scorpions are most active at night, when they feed on a diet that consists largely of spiders. During the day they tend to hide under rocks and debris; most scorpions living inside homes are found underneath furniture and appliances and in cracks and crevices in the walls, trim and foundation.
The most venomous scorpion in North America is the Arizona Bark Scorpion. It is straw colored or light brown, and adult bark scorpions are usually around 2 inches long. Arizona Bark Scorpions are most dangerous to small children, people with suppressed immune systems and people who have severe allergic reactions to the scorpion’s venom. While deaths from Arizona Bark Scorpion stings once numbered in the hundreds across the U.S. and Mexico, advances in general knowledge and medical treatment have limited the total number of fatalities in Arizona to two in the last 40 years.
While deaths from scorpion stings are now uncommon, immediate medical attention is still advised in cases of extreme pain or if the individual who has been stung is a child or an adult in poor health.
How To Avoid Scorpions
• Close any doors, screen openings and window cracks so scorpions can’t get into your house
• Make sure you are dust and vacuum in corners, at the base of furniture and cabinets, and other places where scorpions can hide
• Get rid of the scorpions’ food (crickets, spiders, roaches and other insects) by using pesticides
• Common store bought pesticides don’t work well on scorpions. Contact a pest control company that should have the right chemicals for the job
• Eliminate outdoor places where scorpions can hide: debris, rock piles, decaying wood, etc
• Do not walk around the house with bare feet
• A professional pest control company can do a UV or “backlight” inspection to determine if there is a scorpion infestation, since scorpions glow when exposed to UV light
Contact us today to schedule our pest control service for your Arizona home.
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