Power spray, backpack spray or hand spray?

In this article, I will be talking about the difference between the three major methods of pest control application and when each method is appropriate. Let's start with explaining the different methods of applying pesticides around your home. The three conventional methods are:

1.   Hand spraying. This is done with a one gallon manual hand pump with a very limited flow.

2.   Backpack spraying. This method is done by using a backpack. Backpack sprayers usually hold up to 4 gallons of pesticides and are usually, manually pressured with a hand pump. Flow is not as limited as a hand sprayer, but is still limited to less than 90 psi. We'll be coming back to why pressure is important a little later.

3.   Power spraying. The method of power spraying is when the pesticide is applied by using a power pressurized pump that is usually mounted to the applicator's truck. The power spraying "rig" consists of a tank, generally 25-100 gallons, a pump (electric or gas powered) and a hose reel with 300 feet of hose, plus or minus. This method can have a pump that very easily applies anywhere from 100 to 300 psi.

Now that we've listed and explained the conventional methods to apply pesticides around your home, let's explain the pros and cons of each.

Hand spraying is the best method to apply pesticides inside of the home. It allows for precision spraying at low pressure so you do not over apply. This is where most companies use this method, but some companies choose this method to apply around the outside. With the very limited flow and low pressure, you are not able to get into any of the nesting sites that might be underneath boulders or in cracks and crevices. Services where this method is used are generally very low priced and are limited to applying a barrier in front of doors and on the inside. This is the least effective way to apply pesticides around the outside.

Backpack spraying is a step up from hand spraying. With this method, a technician is able to get into inaccessible areas with a decent amount of flow and pressure. With the flow and decent pressure of a backpack, this is an acceptable method to apply a barrier around the out side of the home but should not be used on the inside as it could cause for over applying. The major problem with backpack spraying is that it, like the hand sprayer, doesn't have the necessary pressure to get into the cracks and crevices (where insects and pests create nests) around your home. Services using this method are moderately priced and are ok for homes that have a limited bug problem.

Power spraying is best method available for applying around the outside of a home, in a "normal" non restricted situation. Power sprayers have good flow at high amounts of pressure. This allows for the applicator to get deep into cracks and crevices, flushing out nesting sites deep under ground or under rocks and boulders. With high pressure, applicators are also able to reach great heights to keep spiders from creating nests above your porches and patios. Large barriers around a home are easily applied with this method, which is very important when treating for scorpions, spiders and other predator pests. This method cannot be used inside homes as it delivers too much product and will be be hugely over applying. This is generally the most pricey method of pest control but is the definitely most effective method.

A good pest control company will have all of these methods available and know when to use each.
Below are a couple videos showing the results of power spraying.

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Hunter Pest Control, Pest Control, pest, control, power spray, scorpion control, scorpions, spiders, spider control

The Black Widow

The Black Widow... Why is it called the black widow? What harm can they cause? Where can they be found? and What are the benefits of having them around? These are some questions that I will be going over today.

Why is it called the Black Widow? Is it because in the old days, men were getting bit by the spider while using the outhouse then dying, leaving there wives as widows? No, while this did happen the real reason is that after mating the female spider generally kills and eats the male. Kind of like women in today in today's society. That was a joke. The widow spiders come in all different colors and shapes. The "Black" Widow is named for its shiny black color. While some have white or red markings on their back, they are generally all black with the red hour glass on its belly.

What harm can a Black Widow cause? While the male Black Widows bite is not considered harmful, the female Black Widow's bite is very dangerous and sometimes fatal. It is to be treated as a medical emergency. Now that being said, a bite from a Black Widow is rarely fatal and usually only to unhealthy elderly people or young children and still rare in those cases. The mortality rate from a Black Widow bite is less than 1%. The bite is very painful and can have severe effects on your body. Some of the symptoms of a bite are: acute pain at the bite, severe abdominal pains, muscle cramping, tremors and serious cases may include vomiting, fainting, chest pain and respiratory problems. For a full description of symptoms see http://www.emedicinehealth.com/black_widow_spider_bite/page2_em.htm.

Where can Black Widows be found? Black Widows can be found all around the world, and all all across the United States. Here in Phoenix Arizona, they will quickly take over a home that is not being treated. Around your home, Black Widows can be found in dark secluded areas, in and around wood piles, under junk scattered in your yard, valve boxes and other places around your home. I have found Black Widows up underneath kids toys, like power wheels, tonka trucks, and even on kids bikes. They also love to get up in the vent holes where the foundation of your home meets the base of the stucco. They like to be lower to the ground usually knee level or lower so their webs can catch passing insects, although I have seen them up in the corners above porches and patios. They generally stay outside, but I have found a couple inside. In my 6 years of doing pest control, I've found 2 inside. One occasion the home was left vacant, the other was next to a kids bed. Basically, Black Widows can and will get anywhere so you need to be very careful.

What are the benefits of a Black Widow? Black Widows really do more good than bad. They feed on hundreds of insects such as, crickets, cockroaches, flies, silver fish, and many others. Once they pick their spot, that's where they stay, so you don't have to worry about them roaming around and getting on you in your sleep. If you decide to live with them, find where they are, make sure you are cautious in that area, and the Black Widow will help keep your bug problems under control.

The Black Widow is very interesting and very misunderstood. When being cautious, a person can live with them and benefit from them. But, if you do have zero tolerance for them, have young kids, pets, or other reasons to not have them around, they can and should be exterminated by a pest management professional.

Is Professional Pest Control Right for You?

Is Professional Pest Control Right for You? There are a couple questions you need to ask yourself before you can answer this one question. Those questions are: Do I have bugs?  What kinds of bugs do I have? Do these Bugs pose a threat and How tolerable am I of these bugs?

To answer the first question, pretty much everyone one has bugs, but this does not necessarily mean you need a professional pest control service. Bugs are everywhere and there is no way to ever completely eliminate them. Make sure you keep this in mind in determining if pest control is right for you.

Now the type of bugs you have is a big factor in whether or not you need an exterminator. Some bugs are good and actually help in your pest control efforts. For example, as ugly as they are, wolf spiders are good to have around. Wolf spiders are not harmful to humans, and really help keep the other insects at bay. The types of bugs you need to watch out for and would warrant hiring a professional would be insects that might cause harm.

Most bugs are harmless to humans, but there are some that can cause harm. Insects like earwigs, most spiders, and preying mantis' are harmless and are good to have around. Insects like scorpions, black widows, fire ants, and other venomous pests are harmful and should be professionally exterminated. 

Finally, if you have no tolerance for invading pests, regardless of what they are, professional pest control is probably for you.

La Cucaracha

Is Your Bug Guy right for You?

First let me start by saying, not all bug guys are created equal. Some are good and some are bad. Some of it is not their fault, and some of it is. There are three main factors in determining if your bug guy is right for you. The first is how they are trained. A bug guy's training is very important. If he is not trained properly, your home won't be serviced properly, leaving you susceptible to bugs. The best way to determine if your bug guy is trained properly is by asking him questions. A well trained bug guy should be able to answer most of your questions regarding how the service is performed, what specific things can be done to control specific bugs and other questions of that nature. If he does not know the answer to your question he should be trained to answer honestly by telling you he does not know the answer to your question, but will be happy to find out for you. Again, it is very important for your bug man to be well trained but if he is not, a good work ethic can make up for his lack of training. This brings me to the second factor determining if  your bug guy is right for you, his work ethic.  A bug guys work ethic can make up for some of the lack of training. If he has a good work ethic, he will want to make sure that he does the best that he can for you. He will train himself by trial and error. You will need to have a little patience with him, but a hard working self trained bug guy can be a very good bug guy to have. For the third factor ask yourself,  "Is my bug guy likable and trustworthy?"  Your bug guy is going to be walking in and around your home, seeing your personal belongings and interacting with your family and your pets. He needs to be a person that you trust with all of this. Now you won't be able to determine this right away. This is something that is built up over time. The best way to help this process along is to talk to your bug guy. You can tell a lot about a person just from talking. A good bug guy will want you to feel like you can trust him so he will be happy to help you get there. Now if your bug guy is neither well trained, has a good work ethic, nor is personable and trustworthy or if any one of these single factors is lacking and is to big to over look, I would have to say, your bug guy is not right for you.

Welcome to The Hunter of Bugs!

Good morning readers and hello world. This is the first of many blogs about everything you would like to know about insects, rodents, birds and other things bugging you. My name is Jeremy Waters. I am Co-Owner of Hunter Pest Control along with Chase Miller, operating out of Maricopa Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix Arizona and in the White Mountains out of Eagar Arizona. We are a full service pest control company that takes care of all of your pest control needs. My intentions here is to inform and educate the general population of all things associated with pest control. If you have any questions at all, I would love to hear them. If there is a topic you would like to know about, please let me know, and I will be happy to touch on it. From here forward, each blog will be on a different topic, such as, scorpions, rats, pigeons, spiders... I will cover where they come from, how they get into your home and the threats (if any) they cause. Thank you for following me. I look forward to your questions and feed back. Please check out my website at http://www.hunterpestaz.com/.