Pests not covered …

Pets can be pests too - but they're much cuter :)

Pets can be pests too – but they’re much cuter 🙂

Was surprised to read that damage by pests is not typically covered under home insurance in this CBC article 6 big home insurance misconceptions.

Not because I thought they would be – but because I would never have thought that they might be in the first place! Doesn’t seem, to me, as if it even needed saying.

In most cases, if pests have got to the point where they have actually caused that much damage, it is because a relatively small problem was left untreated and allowed to grow to the point where the damage caused far outweighs the amount it would have cost to deal with it.

Of course,  a determined rodent or two can make short work of whatever takes their fancy, as I learned when my new chinchillas got access to a bit of window frame for a very short time (stupid cover fell down; oops! It’s a good thing they are cute).  And we have seen significant amounts of damage caused by a few hungry woodpeckers in search of carpenter ants once or twice. Distressing – but highly unlikely to ever be covered by insurance. I wouldn’t have even thought to ask, actually.

Pretty sure insurance companies expect that we keep the rodents out (or in cages if they happen to be cute!), and deal with carpenter ant problems long before the woodpeckers show up.

It is always cheaper to prevent a problem than to solve one, or to intervene when it’s small rather than waiting until it gets big – and Ross at Cottage Country Pest Control is always happy to help you to save time, money & aggravation. Give us a call at 705-534-7863, or email ccpestcontrol@gmail.com and we will be happy to help.

 

 

 

New Summer Helper!

CarlyMugShot

Carly Robillard, the newest member of the CCPC team.

The busy summer season is here again, and Cottage Country Pest Control has hired an extra pair of hands to help take on the task.

Carly is a Biology graduate with a career background in wildlife education and reptile care.  You may have seen her before giving presentations at Awenda Provincial Park or caring for birds of prey at the Wye Marsh.  Carly intends to pursue graduate studies in Science Communication, and she loves being able to tell new people about the exciting natural world around them.  Until September, she can be found helping Ross with the Spider Sprays and other pest control tasks, and can be heard on the phone with our customers.

Integrated Pest Management

Integrated pest management is something that a lot of pest control companies use in their daily operations, however not everyone is aware of what it is, so I want to explain it a bit so you can get an understanding of it and how it can benefit you.

 

IPM is an effective and environmentally responsible approach to pest management that integrates pesticides and herbicides into the management system and incorporates a combination of common-sense practices. It uses current and comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interactions with the environment.

 

This information, in combination with pest control methods is used to manage pest damage by the most economical means, and with the least possible harm to people, property and the environment.

 

IPM is not a single pest control method, but as series of evaluations, decisions and controls.

 

As stated on Wikipedia, IPM focuses on the following:

 

1. Proper identification of pest – What is it? Cases of mistaken identity may result in ineffective actions. If plant damage due to over-watering are mistaken for fungal infection, spray costs can be incurred, and the plant is no better off.

 

 

2. Learn pest and host life cycle and biology. At the time you see a pest, it may be too late to do much about it except maybe spray with a pesticide[citation needed]. Often, there is another stage of the life cycle that is susceptible to preventative actions. For example, weeds reproducing from last year’s seed can be prevented with mulches. Also, learning what a pest needs to survive allows you to remove these.

 

3. Monitor or sample environment for pest population – How many are here? Preventative actions must be taken at the correct time if they are to be effective. For this reason, once the pest is correctly identified, monitoring must begin before it becomes a problem. For example, in school cafeterias where roaches may be expected to appear, sticky traps are set out before school starts. Traps are checked at regular intervals so populations can be monitored and controlled before they get out of hand. Some factors to consider and monitor include: Is the pest present/absent? What is the distribution – all over or only in certain spots? Is the pest population increasing, decreasing or remaining constant?

 

4. Establish action threshold (economic, health or aesthetic) – How many are too many? In some cases, a certain number of pests can be tolerated. Soybeans are quite tolerant of defoliation, so if there are a few caterpillars in the field and their population is not increasing dramatically, there is not necessarily any action necessary. Conversely, there is a point at which action must be taken to control cost. For the farmer, that point is the one at which the cost of damage by the pest is more than the cost of control. This is an economic threshold. Tolerance of pests varies also by whether or not they are a health hazard (low tolerance) or merely a cosmetic damage (high tolerance in a non-commercial situation).

 

Different sites may also have varying requirements based on specific areas. White clover may be perfectly acceptable on the sides of a tee box on a golf course, but unacceptable in the fairway where it could cause confusion in the field of play.

 

5. Choose an appropriate combination of management tactics For any pest situation, there will be several options to consider. Options include, mechanical or physical control, cultural controls, biological controls and chemical controls. Mechanical or physical controls include picking pests off plants, or using netting or other material to exclude pests such as birds from grapes or rodents from structures. Cultural controls include keeping an area free of conducive conditions by removing or storing waste properly, removing diseased areas of plants properly. Biological controls can be support either through conservation of natural predators or augmentation of natural predators.

 

It’s important to know that not all pest control companies that claim to follow IPM actually do. Cottage Country Pest Control is environmentally responsible, and we do follow IPM. Always.

 

We firmly believe that IPM is the way to go and that when done properly it can be the most effective approach to getting rid of pests in your home. If you have any questions or you want to book an appointment please call 705-534-7863 or email us today.

Back in Business

animpequins…the website I mean… not Cottage Country Pest Control, since we are always available to solve your pest problems – even when dirty nasty rotten hackers and incompetent tech ~support~ people (I use the term loosely!) mess up the website.

In any case, I’ve copied things over …. arranged to have the kid redo all the category stuff, since I have 2 courses I’ve just finished teaching to write up stuff for, plus 3 courses that I’m going to be teaching starting next week to get sorted…. and a meeting to go to…and workshops …and…and… and ….

ANYWAY… the website is all fixed, and that’s the main thing.

Now if the weather would just cooperate a bit so that we could get out there and start spraying! We, she says …as if I go with. Ha! Not a chance … but I do very much wish HE could get started anyway …rather enjoy sending him off to work and having the house to myself while he’s gone 🙂

Got a pest problem anywhere in Muskoka, Tiny, Tay, Simcoe, or… I know I’m missing some! …anyway … cottage country Ontario pretty much covers it, anyway…. give us a call at 705-534-7863 or email ccpestcontrol@gmail.com and Ross will be happy to solve it for you.

 

Hacked!

I am very VERY Lauralee is beyond cranky! unhappy!!!

Got a warning that our site had been hacked!

Have moved it to a new and more secure server and am now in the process of redoing all of our posts and pages – but that is likely to take me a bit.

In the meantime, though, Ross is right here and would be happy to help you with any pest problems you may have – please do feel free to contact us by emailing ccpestcontrol@gmail.com, or calling 705-534-7863.

Happy Spring

Lovely weather we’re having, eh? Or not!

Almost the end of March and still with the snow! On the plus side though, the weather means a later start to the majority of the pests that are a problem up here in cottage country… but of course, that’s a bigger plus for you than for us

We’re still dealing with bedbugs, mice, squirrels and the occasional bat problem… looking forward to the return of spiders and carpenter ants though!

Gearing up for another year

Well, it’s almost that time again …

soon the snow will melt and the bugs will be back…

and Ross at Cottage Country Pest Control will still be there to solve all of your pest problems using the most environmentally responsible integrated pest management processes & products available.

Spiders, bedbugs, mice & rats, carpenter ants, cockroaches, wasps & bees, fleas …whatever your issue, Ross will be happy to help. And yes, we do deal with the occasional racoon, squirrel or other rodents as well. Oh, and he does bird & bat remediation & exclusion also.

Give us a call at 705-534-7863 or email ccpestcontrol@gmail.com for any pest problems at your home, cottage or business in Tiny, Tay, Simcoe, Muskoka…. we’re situated in Victoria Harbour, but cover a fairly wide area –  and yes, he does island calls too!

Fully licensed & insured.

Thunder Bay bedbug infestation

Happened across this article about a severe infestation of bedbugs in a building in Thunder Bay http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/story/2013/09/11/tby-thunder-bay-bedbugs-infestation.html – fun times!

Bed bugs have been coming up in a lot of ways this week – my kids are looking for a new apartment, too – and have been hearing which buildings in Oshawa have had problems, which deal with them when they show up, and which are less likely to. The joys of living near other people, eh?

On the plus side, though, we did not see a huge increase in bed bug calls here in cottage country this summer. Last year, it seemed as though people were having company who were perhaps prone to bringing a few unwanted guests with them! This year, not so much. Still seeing them in some residential type places, but not cottages, at least.

In any case, as always, if you are having any sort of pest problems, even bed bugs, do send us an email at ccpestcontrol@gmail.com, or give us a call at 707-534-7863 and Ross will be happy to solve your problem for you. We’re hear year round to provide you with environmentally responsible pest control services in Tiny, Tay, Simcoe, Muskoka, Severn … what am I missing? … oh well… you get the idea, right?

Drat! Now I’m all itchy!! Hate it when that happens!