Evans Pest Management » Pest Control Service

Aphids: Prevention is better than cure!

pestman — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:48:13 +0000

For many years it has been widely believed that Aphids only attack rose bushes but that is not the case. Whether this is because they adapted their natural feeding environment is not known, but the fact is that Aphids will attach just about any type of plant with soft and tender parts, flowers or growing parts that they can pierce to suck out the sap.

Your plants will only experience problems when new aphid colonies are formed in your region. This usually happens when Aphid colonies become overcrowded and the males grow wings and go and look for other less populated ‘territories’. It is impossible to predict when this happens so in terms of prevention there is no specific time to look out for them. Spring and summer is the season when they are most active but their appearance on your plants may not be limited to the warmer seasons.

What are Aphids?

Aphids are common garden pests that form up to several colonies on a single plant. They are tiny, soft-bodied, pear-shaped insects that have long antennae and a characteristic pair of cornicles (short tubes) extending on either side of their abdomen. Their translucent bodies are most usually green, red, brown, yellow or white.

Where do they feed?

As I mentioned earlier, Aphids today feed on just about any plant. They will form colonies underneath leaves, the tips of branches, around growth points and even on soft and tender bark. Aphids pierce the stems, bark or leaves to get to the sap so they will almost always be on the soft places of the plant. If you notice spotty and yellow discoloration on the leaves of your plants then it is more than likely becauso of this common garden pest. By turning the leaves over you will quickly be able to recognize them.

How can I prevent it?

There are a few tips that I will give you on what you can possibly do to prevent Aphids in your garden. It will not always work and even when you have a healthy, great looking garden, these little creatures can become a pest. When that happens, it is always best to consult a professional.

The first thing you can do is to make sure that your plants are healthy and eating well. This means giving them prescribed plant food, feeding their soil with the correct types of compost and fertilizer. If you do not know what the best types of soils and fertilizers for your plants are, contact us as we can both advise and supply you with what you need.
Try not to have trees, flowers and other plants in your garden with yellow colors. Aphids are extremely attracted to yellow and will give preference to plants with this color.
Embed old CD’s, pieces from a broken mirror or even tinfoil in the soil around the base of your plant. This somehow works quite well.
Stick yellow double-sided tape around the base of your plants. As this is their color of choice, they will be attracted to this first, allowing you to catch them before they can form a colony.

If you end up in the unfortunate situation of an Aphid infestation make sure that get it sorted out ASAP. Their colonies can grow extremely quickly and do serious damage to your garden if it is not treated properly and quickly. To find out how we can help you feel free top browse through our services.

Controlling Spiders around Your Home

admin — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:50:27 +0000

Hello, my name is Brian H and I am from JP McHale Pest Management, located in New York. I hope you enjoy our guest post.

Spiders are very common in all areas of the county. They vary in size from1/4″ to 1″, large legs make them appear a lot larger.

There are many types of spiders, some of the most popular being:

1. Brown Recluse Spiders
2. House Spiders
3. Black Widow

All of these spiders live in the same environment, be hot and humid areas.

To prevent spiders from entering you home there are many things you can do around your home. This is called Integrated Pest Management. First, take a look around your home and asses it, ask yourself some questions.

1. Are there wood piles around my home?
2. Are there a lot of cracks and crevasse?
3. Are trees touching my home?

You need to know that spiders are moisture driven, and you need to eliminate and moisture that is around your home.

Wood piles and woodchips should be removed from contact with your home. Grass clippings and leaf piles should be moved far away also. This is to ensure the spiders have no comfortable environment to live near your home.

It’s imperative that you keep your windows screened, and that you prevent attracting spiders into your home by lighting. Spiders are attracted to light and hang out around them. Keep your grass cut.

Thank you, Evans Pest Management for the opportunity to talk about spiders. If you need New York Pest Control please do not hesitate to visit our website located at www.NoPests.com

If you are in the Bay Area in California and are interested in our exterminator services, green exterminator services, tree service, or need tree trimming call 408 882 7535 or email us through our website: EvansPestManagement.com.

Recently…

admin — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 17:39:55 +0000

In the past two months, we have been experiencing a record number of calls for gopher control in Atherton, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Woodside and Portola Valley. (Although I am told by fellow professionals that this is indicative of a general trend throughout the peninsula and south bay area, including Cupertino, Los Gatos, Mountain View, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Belmont, Redwood City and Emerald Hills.)

What can be done to eliminate this possibly very serious and destructive pest?

We primarily use trapping. This is an option which totally friendly to the environment. Contact us with any questions today!

If you are intested in our exterminator services, green exterminator services, tree service, or need tree trimming call 408 882 7535 or email us through our website: EvansPestManagement.com.

Pest Control and Landscape Services

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:23:02 +0000

Today in Atherton I finished a job on a large property that involved tree spraying (for insect and fungus control and fertilization as well), a garden spray (for the same reasons, exterminator services are very much part of what we do when required), an orchard spray (horticultural oil), pest management around the home, and weed abatement as well.

A number of our clients make use of the fact that unlike most pest control firms, we provide a wide variety of landscaping services. (With our partners, we even provide full service arboriculture and landscape design and installation services.)

Orchard spraying is an area of our special expertise. Orchards contain “domesticated” trees, which have been developed over the centuries specifically for bearing fruit. Hence, they have developed in a context that presumes some kind of spray maintenance. The most environmentally friendly products can be used, to eliminate risk of toxicity and the trees receive the protection from insects and fungus they need to bear the most fruit possible.

Also, we spray very large trees. When found in ornamental landscapes (such as around homes and office buildings), and often out of their native habitats, trees often develop a variety of problems. Although the possibilities are myriad, the most common problems generally fall into three main areas:

1. Insect Infestations

2. Fungus Problems (in the soil as well as in the tree)

3. Undernourishment

Hence, we recommend annual, biannual, or quarterly spray maintenance for most ornamental trees. Naturally, we always include protection against insects, fungus and we also apply fertilizer to the foliage.

Lastly, we offer this same kind of protection to all your ornamental plants when we do garden sprays. This is truly one of my favorite services to provide as it improves the visual appeal, health and beauty of any garden tremendously. The foliage stays green and healthy and free of the many diseases and insect problems that can diminish a garden’s beauty.

Also, bear in mind that we offer various kinds of weed abatement and removal. Whether you have poison oak that you need destroyed and removed, have weed growing in your lawn, or simply have a patch of dirt that would be bare were it not infested with weeds, we can help you.

Thank You,
Nathaniel Evans

Integrated Pest Management – Does it work?

admin — Thu, 14 May 2009 00:12:36 +0000

A new study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology talks about the benefits of using integrated pest managemen or IPM, and finds that in terms of effectiveness, ecological impact and cost, integrated pest management is generally better than conventional methods.

You can read more here.

This is something that pest control operators have known for sometime, but because of the higher cost of IPM businesses and goverments have been wary of using new methods. They instead rely on the proven methods that generally involve regular spraying of chemicals that kill bugs and pests. But IPM methods, according to this new study suggests that because of the environmental impact and the effectiveness of IPM, it may be cheaper to avoid the standard pest control methods.

Of course there is no solution that will work for everyone. It is best to consult with a professional exterminator about what the best solution for your property will be. And we would be happy to hear from you at 408 882 7535 or contact us through our website.

If you are intested in our exterminator services, green exterminator services, tree service, or need tree trimming call 408 882 7535 or email us through our website: EvansPestManagement.com.

Pest Control Tips – From USA Today

admin — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:32:17 +0000

There is a good article on home pest control in USA Today that reviews a few things consumers can do to manage the pests in and around the home. All too often people that are not knowledgable just reach for a can of Raid which is not often the best policy.

A couple excerpts:

•Keep outdoor insects under control. This does not mean bombing your yard with pesticides or getting one of those bug zappers (they kill lots of beneficial insects, Antonelli says). Instead, limit outdoor breeding grounds, Miller advises. Insects love wood piles, tarps, kiddie pools (especially the moist underside) and mulch. If you must use mulch, keep the stuff at least six inches from your foundation, she says.

•Keep outside insects out. Repair screens, caulk cracks, replace inadequate weather stripping and outfit door bottoms with tight rubber sweeps. If you can, Miller says, avoid lighting up doorways at night: That attracts insects, which attract spiders, which are then happy to come inside.

You can read the rest here or you can read some advice from Evans Pest Management regarding

If you are intested in our exterminator services, green exterminator services, tree service, or need tree trimming call 408 882 7535 or email us through our website: EvansPestManagement.com.

Ants, Bees, and Aphids

admin — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:16:06 +0000

We have been getting so many questions lately about what we can do to address ant infestations, bee problems and aphid’s that we decided to go ahead and update the website a bit with some new pages.

For more information about these specific services reference the following pages:

If there are other specific questions you have please don’t hesitate to contact us or leave a comment on the blog here. We would be happy to answer any question you have as best we can.

If you are intested in our exterminator services, green exterminator services, tree service, or need tree trimming call 408 882 7535 or email us through our website: EvansPestManagement.com.

Aphid Pest Control – Bay Area

admin — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 06:35:45 +0000

As the weather in the Bay Area begins to warm, the aphids which were eggs in the fall and have overwintered become active. The many species of aphids cause damage to both woody and green plant tissue and also spread plant diseases.

Aphids reproduce very, very rapidly. In about a week an aphid can mature and reproduce. They can also be controlled very easily with green products.

Look at the following pictures to see typical aphid damage. If you see anything like this, need to get rid of aphids, or have not had your trees or plant inspected for aphids recently, contact us.

If you are intested in our exterminator services, green exterminator services, tree service, or need tree trimming call 408 882 7535 or email us through our website: EvansPestManagement.com.

Spider Control – What Can You Do For Your Bay Area Home?

admin — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 03:08:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered what causes spiders to become a problem in your home, workplace, or yard?

We know that they are often beneficial, eating unwanted insect such as flies. However, when they come into close contact with humans, their bites can be painful at least or fatal at worst.

Clearly, this concern should be managed in advance of an infestation!

Here’s what you can do.

1. Clean the interior of a structure from wall to wall and floor to ceiling regularly. twice a year is ideal. Also, keep it as clean as possible and clutter free all the time.

Even some of the most apparently neat, tidy spaces are rarely cleaned completely. A deep spring cleaning is an important part of pest control, and a totally green approach. I recommend using a cleaner with orange oil. It cleans, disinfects, and has pesticidal properties, besides having a pleasant aroma.

This cleaning requires all furniture to be moved, all drapes to be taken down and all cabinets emptied. Every corner and every square inch of surface area in the building must be cleaned, dusted and kept free of clutter. (This is because spiders can only live in undisturbed places.)

Cobwebs must be removed from even the most hard to reach places: under desks, couches, chandeliers, corner of the ceiling: no exceptions! (This can be done with a feather duster on an extension pole.)

2. The landscaping should be maintained to limit spider habitats.

Spiders often live in or crawl through bushes and trees. The larger a bush, the more undisturbed interior space, which is what attracts and keeps them.

So, regularly trimming all trees and shrubbery is important to spider protection. (Consider hiring a pest management professional to spray the trees as well.) Furthermore, trees and shrubs should be far enough from the structure that spiders are not likely to crawl inside with people.

However, this may not be practical. If a building is surrounded by bushes and trees, regular brushing of the eves for spider webs may be necessary, and regular trimming becomes even more important.

3. Control spiders prey by sealing off sugars and proteins.

Spiders eat other insects, such as flies or ants. These are attracted to protein and sugar via odor. Therefore, keep all food (for humans and animals) sealed and put away. in clean airtight containers.

And if you still have a spider or are intested in our exterminator services, green exterminator services, tree service, or need tree trimming call 408 882 7535 or email us through our website: EvansPestManagement.com.
Evans Pest Management

Dealing with Ant Problems – Bay Area Pest Control and Extermination

admin — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:10:54 +0000

Get Rid Of Ants

Recently, I dealt with a severe ant problem in Portola Valley. There were several ant hills in the back yard, and the ants were proliferating at an alarming rate. The problem was solved in the following manner:

1. Initial Measure: Inspection

First, I examined the the hillside where the ant hills were living. What I discovered, based upon the ant trails, was that they appeared to be moving into other parts of the yard as their numbers grew. This meant that intervention (control measures) was in order.

2. Secondary Measure: Control

Insecticide was applied to both the ant hills, and to the surrounding area. This seems to have provided effective control. And follow up measures such as additional spraying and landscaping improvements are available as well.

We provide Ant Management / Extermination using green products which are non-toxic, but effective.

If you are intested in our exterminator services, green exterminator services, tree service, or need tree trimming call 408 882 7535 or email us through our website: EvansPestManagement.com.