• Termite Inspection Request
  • Pest & Weed Request
  • Technical Papers
  • Contact
Foothill Sierra Pest Control
  • Pest Control Services
    • Residential Pest Control
    • Commercial Pest Control
  • Weed Control
    • Weed Control & Vegetation Management Overview
    • Annual Weed Control
    • Poison Oak Control
    • Star Thistle and Rangeland Weed Control
    • Guide to Weed Management
    • Wellhead Protection
  • Termites
  • Wildlife Services
    • Chickaree and Squirrel Exclusion
    • Bat Removal and Exclusion
    • Skunk Exclusion
  • Tree Services
  • Mosquitoes
  • Pest Control Services
    • Residential Pest Control
    • Commercial Pest Control
  • Weed Control
    • Weed Control & Vegetation Management Overview
    • Annual Weed Control
    • Poison Oak Control
    • Star Thistle and Rangeland Weed Control
    • Guide to Weed Management
    • Wellhead Protection
  • Termites
  • Wildlife Services
    • Chickaree and Squirrel Exclusion
    • Bat Removal and Exclusion
    • Skunk Exclusion
  • Tree Services
  • Mosquitoes
Archive for month: September 2017
JimVertebrate Control and ExclusionSeptember 28, 20170 Likes

The Monster Under the Bed

We received a call from a lady, in Sonora, who told us she had a possum living under her bed. The opossum had been living there at least two days. She heard it, but thought it was her cat. So she had been sleeping with an opossum for at least two days.

She likes to keep a sliding glass door, to her side deck, cracked open enough for her cat to go in and out.  An opossum discovered the opportunity and moved in. The customer’s bedroom was on the opposite side of the house. The opossum had to walk through the living room, and down a hallway, to get to her bedroom. She told us that when she went looking for her cat that morning, she looked under the bed, and found, to her surprise, an opossum.

Technicians Steve Deaver and Ryan McQuoid responded to the call, and took the photos and video, shown below. The photos show that opossum had tore a hole through the bottom of the box springs, to make a home.

Steve and Ryan escorted the recalcitrant critter outside. The customer plans to keep the door closed, and will a litter box for her cat to use.   Sometimes there really might be a beast under the bed. 27 September 2017.

 

The Monster Under the Bed

The Monster Under the Bed

The Monster Under the Bed

The Monster Under the Bed

 

 

JimWeedsSeptember 28, 20170 Likes

Pokeweed

Pokeweed, found in the Oakdale area. 27 September 2017. Photos by Ryan McQuoid. Thanks to Scott Oneto for the ID.

 

JimCustomer NotesSeptember 15, 20170 Likes

Preparing for a Flea Treatment

INTERIOR:
The flea life cycle goes from egg to larvae to pupa to adult.  Adult fleas stay on their host: they eat, mate and even lay their eggs on their host, such as a cat or dog. The female flea usually lays her eggs at night, and the eggs simply fall off the animal, accumulating where the animal spends more time, such as where they sleep and rest. Also, the fleas defecate blood protein-rich feces, and this falls in the same areas.  The feces provide a food source for the flea larvae after they hatch.

Thus, there are two parts to a good flea job: treatment of the pet itself, and treatment of the areas the pet frequents. It is the pet owner’s responsibility to treat their pets; we cannot do it. You can buy medications for the control of fleas on pets, at Amazon.com, for example.

FIRST: Vacuum! Vacuuming will suck up all stages of fleas, especially the eggs, larvae and pupa, as well as the flea feces. Vacuum all places the pets spend time at: pet beds and areas around them, next to sofas and chairs, the sofas themselves, behind and under the sofas, under beds, etc. Do not miss anything. You may need to wash pet blankets and other items the pets sleep on. While vacuuming, keep in mind that the eggs are tiny, and can work down into cracks. For example, with sofas, vacuum the top of the sofa, then remove the cushions, and vacuum under them, as the eggs and feces are likely to have settled through the spaces between the cushions.

Let us know all of these spots, as we will want to treat most of these same areas.

In preparation for a flea treatment:

  1. Remove all toys, clothing, and stored items from the floors, and other areas we want to treat.  All these areas need to accessible for treatment.
  2. Remove pet food and water dishes. If you have aquaria, cover them and turn off their aerators.

The service technician will answer any questions you have.

Thoroughness is key. If we miss an area, the flea problem is likely to persist. Let me give you an example. A lady, who did not own any pets, had fleas in her house. Her son, who lived out of the area, would sometimes come to visit her, and he would bring his dog. Her house was perfectly clean, well vacuumed, and yet, she had fleas. I moved a cushioned chair, and beneath it was dog hair, and a pile of dog poop! One spot, about 2 by 2 feet, missed in vacuuming, and she had fleas.

EXTERIOR AND SUBAREAS:

Often the fleas are developing under houses, or in some spot in the yard. Feral cats, or even a neighbor’s cat, might be getting under a house or other building, or resting in your yard. Opossums carry cat fleas, and we have had numerous cases where one has died under a house, and the fleas then dispersed to find whatever potential host was available. If you can, block access to the subarea.  If you need help with this, let us know, as we have staff that can do this for you.

DOG RUNS:

Sometimes dogs are kept in pens, or on cables and chains. In many of these cases, the ‘floor’ is dirt. Churned up soil does not kill flea eggs and larvae; they simply get mixed into it. Sometimes this loose soil is an inch or more thick. Spray that lands on this dusty soil hardly penetrates it. Therefore, we may need to come back and re-apply to these areas, maybe several times. Let us know if this is needed; it does not cost more.

 

JimPhotosSeptember 7, 20170 Likes

Flat bugs living inside pouch fungus conks

These flat bugs, family Aradidae, were living and breeding inside the fruiting bodies of pouch fungus. Flat bugs are fungus feeders and they found a good home here. The images show adults and nymphs.

Specimens collected by Ryles Richards, 7 August 2017, Groveland California, from dead pine trees along a road. Thanks to Dr. Lynn Kimsey for the ID.

 

Bill Pay
Refer a friend
Why pay for pest control in 10 feet of snow?  Contact us about our High Altitude plan today.

Foothill Sierra Pest Control is a member of the Better Business Bureau.

© 2020 Foothill Sierra Pest Control | Privacy Policy | Training
Serving Tuolumne County, Calaveras County and all surrounding counties. More Branches
Website Design by Level One Web Design