Mold and Mildew - Eliminate and Control

Mold and Mildew can be very dangerous.  There are many people that are allergic to these mold spores including myself.  Having to deal with the symptoms that mold and mildew trigger is something that nobody wants to live with.  Health problems associated with high levels of airborne mold spores include allergic reactions, asthma episodes, irritations of the eye, nose and throat, infections, sinus congestion, and other respiratory problems. When inhaled by an immunocompromised individual, some mold spores may begin to grow on living tissue, attaching to cells along the respiratory tract  and causing further problems in those with weak immune systems.

Correcting the conditions that create this mold is extremely important.  It is also important to kill the living mold and mildew.  Molds can excrete a substance referred to as mycotoxins.  In large amounts these are very dangerous to humans.  Some believe their is a direct impact other believe that the continued triggering of the immune response is the culprit in causing people to be extremely ill after long term exposure to high amounts of mold.  Either way, I am certain it isn't good to be around long term.  Best to take care of it, and by using the Mold Blaster to kill the mold, and Mold Block to prevent regrowth you are well on your way to a much healthier indoor environment.

Mold Blaster and Mold Blocker also work great outdoors for mold that may continually grow on the sides of your home, decks, sidewalks, driveways and other areas you want free from mold and mildew.

Do Rat's have a Skeleton?

Over the years I have heard quite a few myths and misconceptions concerning rats and rodent control.  Today I was reminded by a customer of an old one.  "Rats do not have a back bone that's why they can fit through such small holes."  I have heard comments similar to this for over 20 years.  I can see why people might find this easy to believe.  Rats can fit through some of the smallest places, that it seems like they must have bodies without any bones structure.  The reality is, that rats have bones and cartilidge just like us.  They just have very long and typically slender bodies.  A healthy rat can usually fit through any hole their heads can fit through.

I have seen younger rats fit through holes as small as a quarter.  That is less than an inch in diameter.  It is not uncommon for Roof Rats especially to squeeze through holes this size to make it into an attic space.  They also have an incredible ability to climb.  With nails that resemble needles they can move up the side of a structure with the same speed and agility they run across flat ground.  This allows them easy access into attics which generally have openings almost the entire length of the fascia where the gutters are attached.  Watch the video below to get some ideas on how to seal up all of the areas where rats can find their way in.  The combination of the copper wool(which will not degrade) and the pur foam to lock it in place has been very successful at eliminating the access points that rats use to enter a home or business. 

Stink Bugs! The NE States are under Seige!

Wow, I can not even begin to tell you how many calls we have heard on stink bugs.  The states of PA, DE, MD, NJ and WV are experiencing unbelievable levels of Stink Bug infestations.  Go to our expansive article to get all the info you can on these invasive little pests.  Not only are they coming in large numbers...they STINK!    http://www.bugspray.com/article/stinkbug.html

Trapping is so much easier with the right attractants.

So you have an animal you want to trap. You have a good trap, but what do you put into the trap to attract the target animal? Well all animals have a variety of foods that they like. So you can always try a variety of foods that you have readily available to draw them in. This can be hit or miss, and you may use something that will attract a non-target animal into the trap. Sometimes this is a good thing, other times it can prevent you from catching the problem animal. Animal attractants is an art and a complex science that can take a lifetime to perfect. So if you have time, trail and error may be the method you choose.

When time is of the essence, trial and error is probably not the best route. Professionals depend on the experience of the professionals that came before them. Trapping pastes and oils have been designed over 30-40 years to create the best combination of attractants to catch your target animal. Depending on what animal you are trying to trap, asking one of the U-Spray Team for a recommendation is a good idea. A common situation that can happen when trying to trap a raccoon is you catch a cat or opossum instead. Raccoons will often become a problem when a homeowner is feeding cats in their yard. So the very food that is attractive to a raccoon is also attractive to a cat. Knowing what foods drive a raccoon crazy and are completely offensive to a cat is essential in this situation. This is easily resolved with our Loganberry Surprise trapping paste. Cats turn their noses up at the smell of this delectable raccoon attractant. The Loganberry Surprise is a proprietary(Top Secret) mixture of oils including loganberry oil. This paste combined with a common household ingredient sold at every grocery store will help you catch a raccoon overnight with no risk of trapping a cat that may frequent the same areas. If another attractant is used, you very well may catch the cat, and never be able to catch the raccoon as a result. You don't need 30-40 years experience personally to trap an animal, but it sure is easier when you have access to the people who do. If you have any questions you can call us at 800-877-7290. Don't forget the invaluable information at our website http://bugspray.com/

Does your house look like something the Adams Family lives in?

Seriously, there is no reason why you should have to live in a house covered in spider webs.  Using the tools in the video above and following up with good residuals listed in the article at http://www.brownrecluse.com/ and you are on your way to a web free home.

Just because it's getting colder doesn't mean you can forget yard treatments.

Tired of having your yard filled with weeds? Killing the weeds as they appear can be costly, time consuming and if not done correctly can injure your lawn. Now is the time to get down a pre-emergent herbicide. Taking this simple preventative action can make a world of difference this spring. Seeds are germinating as we speak, and will start to rear their ugly heads in a couple of months when it starts warming up. Pre-emergents are designed for use on established lawns. This is not the product to use if you are about to reseed. The great thing about Surflan is it will continue to prevent the germination of new seeds for 90 days. This application should also be done in the late fall as well. Keep in mind that these are the "best" times to apply a pre-emergent. If you don't treat your yard during these times it doesn't mean that it is worthless to apply later. Anytime you apply a pre-emergent it will have an impact. So instead of 500 weeds thriving in your yard, you may keep it down to 10% of that level. Then you can use a post-emergent herbicide to get the remaining weeds. If you are looking for a golf course quality lawn, use the best products available to treat your lawn. Use the products that the golf courses rely on to beautify their landscape. Check out our weed control products at http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page1991.html or call us at 800-877-7290 to order the best lawn products on the market.

Noises in your attic.

During the winter a variety of animals can move into your attic for protection from the elements. Just like you protection from the elements is a must for their survival. The most common visitors this time of year are squirrels, roof rats, flying squirrels, opposums and raccoons. Any of these visitors can cause expensive damage to your home. Types of damage include wiring, pipes, HVAC systems, roofing, vents, and facia boards. If you are hearing noises in the attic do a visual inspection looking for the animal or any evidence that may help you identify the unwelcome guest. Live traps are a great way to remove the animals from living in your attic. Lower risk of harm to the animal, trap shyness is less of an issue and no risk of the animal climbing into an inaccesable area of the home and dying. If you are dealing with any of these issues please go to our list of articles at www.bugspray.com If the articles do not answer all of your questions, please give us a call at 1-800-877-7290

Chipmunk caught in live trap and on video!

We are continually adding new videos to show exactly how to do pest control yourself.  This video took some time to get, not because it's hard to to trap, but catching it at the right time is a challenge.    This is just one of the hundreds of videos that we have showing you how to use our products.  New videos are added weekly, so if you have a question about one of our products and think a video would help let us know.  We will be more than happy to oblige.  It is likely that you are not the only one that would benefit from the information being presented in a video format.

Use a good quality live trap.

This is an example of a good quality live trap. The front door is spring loaded with an additional mechanism for holding the door shut no matter what position the live trap is in. The trip pan is 3/4 of the way back. This insures the animal is far enough inside the trap prior to "tripping" the door that they will not be able to back out of the trap. The bait should be trailed into the trap from a point just in front of the trap and trail into the trap. The reward can be placed behind the trip pan. My preference is to use a small disposible plastic cup cut down to about 2 inches and zip tied to the bottom fo the trap. This will prevent the animal from being able to steal food from the outside edges of the trap. In order to get the reward the animal will have to figure out how to get in the trap. When this is not done, no matter what style trap, the animal can trip the door and steal the food without ever entering the trap. When this happens some people will credit the animal with extraordinary intelligence the animal just doesn't have. The opposite is actually true. The animal reached in from the side because they have not yet figured out how to enter the trap and instead reach through the mesh to get what they can. Please read more about live trapping at www.bugspray.com or call us at 800-877-7290 to order your proffesional live trap.

We get a lot of opportunities to ID strange things.

Last weekend a customer brought in a snake for ID. Technically two snakes. The larger is a juvenile Copperhead. One of the only venomous snakes in the Metro Atlanta area. The only venomous snake that has been officially seen in the Atlanta Area in years. I often hear of sightings of others, especially the Water Moccasin(aka...Cotton Mouth) but have yet to see one trapped, brought in, photographed or identified by an actual expert in the field.

So back to the photo. What you are looking at is a Copperhead that had recently eaten a smaller brown snake. I am always amazed at what a snake can eat relative to their size. Apparently the Copperhead chased down this Brown Snake(actual name not just a description) and swallowed it from tail to head. When the customer smacked it with a shovel about midway down the body, the brown snake started falling out. Kind of gross, but interesting at the same time.

Bugspray.com Blog is back up.

Well after a long break from the blogosphere, we are back. We have been putting a lot of time into revamping some of our websites and adding videos to add to the level of instruction that we are already well known for.