Honey bees are fascinating creatures with some pretty amazing traits and abilities! Here are some interesting facts about them:
Incredible Navigation Skills
Honey bees use the sun as a compass and can even recognize landmarks. They communicate the location of flowers to other bees in the hive through a “waggle dance,” which indicates the direction and distance to the food source.
Social Structure
A honey bee colony consists of three types of bees: the queen, workers, and drones. The queen’s primary role is to lay eggs, while worker bees perform tasks like foraging, cleaning, and caring for the queen and brood. Drones, which are male bees, have the sole purpose of mating with a queen.
Amazing Flight
Honey bees can fly at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour and can visit 50 to 100 flowers in a single trip. They beat their wings approximately 200 times per second, creating the characteristic buzzing sound.
Honey Production
To produce just one pound of honey, bees must visit approximately 2 million flowers and travel over 55,000 miles. It takes about 12 bees working their entire lives to produce just one teaspoon of honey.
Complex Communication
Honey bees use a sophisticated system of communication. The waggle dance, mentioned earlier, is a form of symbolic language that conveys information about the distance, direction, and quality of the food source.
Temperature Regulation
Honey bees are capable of regulating the temperature inside their hive. They use their bodies to generate heat when it’s cold and fan their wings to cool down the hive when it’s too hot, maintaining an optimal temperature of about 95°F (35°C).
Variety of Honey
Honey varies greatly in flavor, color, and texture depending on the flowers the bees visit. For instance, clover honey is light and mild, while buckwheat honey is dark and has a strong flavor.
Declining Populations
Honey bee populations are under threat due to factors like habitat loss, pesticides, and disease. Their decline poses a significant risk to pollination and global food supply, as they are crucial for the pollination of many crops. They have recovered in recent years though!
Here are some lesser-known facts about honey bees that might surprise you:
Cognitive Abilities
Honey bees have impressive memory and learning abilities. They can remember the colors, shapes, and patterns of flowers, as well as the locations of those flowers. They can even recognize human faces and remember them for several days. Our honey bees in our back yard know we are the ones that feed them in winter and are super friendly with us!
Specialized Body Parts: Honey bees have specialized body parts for various tasks. For example, their legs have pollen baskets (corbiculae) that help them carry pollen back to the hive. Their proboscis, a long, tube-like tongue, is used to suck nectar from flowers.
Bee “Venom” Benefits
Honey bee venom contains compounds like melittin and apamin, which have been studied for their potential therapeutic benefits. Some research suggests that bee venom might have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties and could be useful in treating conditions like arthritis.
Queen Bee’s Pheromones
The queen bee produces a unique blend of pheromones known as the “queen substance” or “queen pheromone.” These pheromones not only help maintain the social structure of the hive by suppressing the development of other queens but also help in coordinating activities within the colony.
Hygienic Behavior
Honey bees exhibit “hygienic behavior” where they identify and remove diseased or parasitized brood (larvae and pupae) from the hive. This helps reduce the spread of diseases and parasites and maintains the overall health of the colony.
Bee Dancing Variants
In addition to the waggle dance, honey bees also perform a “round dance.” The round dance is used to indicate that food sources are very close to the hive. It’s a more straightforward communication method compared to the waggle dance, which is used for longer distances.
Pollination Preferences
Honey bees have preferences for certain types of flowers. They are particularly attracted to flowers with ultraviolet markings, which are invisible to humans but help guide bees to the nectar. Some flowers even have specific shapes that are adapted to bee pollination.
Bee Sleep Patterns
Honey bees have distinct sleep patterns. They do not sleep in the same way humans do but enter periods of rest where their body functions slow down. During these rest periods, their metabolic rate decreases, and they become less responsive to external stimuli.
These facts reveal just how intricate and sophisticated honey bee biology and behavior are, highlighting their crucial role in our ecosystems and the interactions within their colonies. Always remember that regular ol’ honey bees are not aggressive and won’t sting unless provoked!
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Cockroaches getting into your home can be vectors of disease transmission and bacteria spread. Canyon Lake, TX and the surrounding areas have a few outdoor roach species, such as American cockroaches, Smokey Brown cockroaches, and Brown-Banded cockroaches. There are also other species but these three are the most prevalent.
Roaches release odorous secretions which can cause odors in their general infestation area. They also carry protozoa, bacteria, and viruses inside their bodies, spreading disease and sickness. The most common sickness spread is gastroenteritis (food poisoning, dysentery, diarrhea). Sometimes roaches will invade a variety of foods, and have a preference for decaying organic matter. Gross. Shed skin can also cause allergic reactions or asthma symptoms in some people.
The unsanitary places where the roaches breed and live (sewers, drains, bathrooms, leaf piles, garbage disposals) is where the disease-causing aspect comes into play. They carry bacteria and filth on their bodies and then invade other areas like homes, bringing the filth into that environment.
Inspection & Sanitation
A proper assessment of the home will help identify problem areas. Excess moisture is a conducive condition for roaches to thrive. Leaf piles, clogged gutters, hollow trees, wood piles, standing water, over-watered ground cover or garden beds provide the environment needed for American roaches to survive. Sealing plumbing & HVAC lines coming into the house help prevent entry points. Removing any rotted wood or repairing water damaged decks and sheds also helps.
Inside the home seal pipes under sinks and around toilets. Also check door weatherstripping and make sure there are no large gaps. Cockroaches can also come inside with cardboard packaging, so any boxes should be discarded in the dumpster as soon as possible. Turning off porch lights at night can help since American cockroaches can fly, although not very good!
Food sources such as cereal, cookies, flour, sugar, and bread should be stored in airtight plastic containers until the infestation is remedied. Roaches love sweets! Do not leave dirty dishes on stoves or piled in the sink, since that food residue can feed numerous roaches.
Treatment Options
Baits are the most effective treatments for all types of roaches, and should be applied to the harborage areas and anywhere else they are seen. There are numerous different chemicals in baits but ones that are effective are boric acid based, fipronil, abamectin, indoxacarb, or silica-type baits are all effective. Outdoors granular scatter baits are more effective than gel baits and easier to spread to reach a wider area. Most bait containers have a flip-top lid to spread the baits effectively.
Indoors granular baits can be used in small plastic containers inside cabinets. Gel baits or bait stations, which are small plastic discs containing baits inside are effective when placed in cracks and under sinks and cabinets where roaches reside. Behind appliances or underneath them is another great area to place baits.
Dusts can be used in cracks and crevices, with care taken to avoid over-application or contaminating food supplies. Just a light puff of dust in electrical outlets or weep holes will help control roaches in those areas.
Alternative Pest Control is your cockroach control expert!
Give us a call and we can perform a proper inspection and treatment plan to give you results and allow you to enjoy your home again.
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Dealing with fleas in the Texas Hill County can be a chore because they thrive in the humid environment. Here in Canyon Lake and the surrounding areas what we lack in deer ticks we more than make up for with fleas. Here is the short and simple way to get rid of fleas in your home.
Identification
Adult fleas are about 1/8” long, oval shaped, and reddish or brownish color. They are very smooth which allows them to move through the fur or feathers of their host. They feed on the blood of the host and then lay eggs, 25-40 per day. These eggs will eventually hatch 2-5 days later then go through 3 larval stages and a pupal stage. Eventually they will become adult fleas in about 2 weeks. Flea dirt is their droppings that you will find on pets, which looks similar to ground pepper, but is actually dried blood and fecal matter from the fleas feeding on pets.
Pet Treatments
The absolute most important aspect of flea control is to have the animals treated with products that kill fleas, preferably before they bite the animal. Some products on the market no longer work due to the fleas becoming resistant to the ingredients. Ask your veterinarian which products work the best for your animal. If the products work and kill the adult fleas before they lay eggs, that is super important in stopping the reproduction cycle. Even with proper treatments, you will sometimes have another emergence of adult fleas after 2-3 weeks, which come from flea eggs that are still hatching.
Sanitation
Vacuuming is the single most effective, easiest way to gain control of a flea infestation quickly. Vacuuming removes flea eggs and flea dirt as well as agitating floors to cause fleas to hatch and get sucked up by the vacuum cleaner. We always have people start vacuuming daily before we arrive to do a flea treatment and it helps speed the process tremendously. Just be sure the empty the contents away from the house so fleas don’t hatch inside the vacuum and then crawl back out!
Bathing the pets will also help wash fleas down the drain and rid them of the allergic reaction-causing flea dirt that will irritate their skin. Flea bite dermatitis is a very uncomfortable condition for the pet, causing severe itching, hair loss, and even some animals pulling their hair out to get to the fleas. Bathe with a safe flea bath product or dish soap that will coat the fleas.
Also wash any bedding where the pet sleeps or spends the majority of time. If animals sleep on the bed then wash sheets as often as possible until the situation is improved. Washing eliminates flea eggs much the same way vacuuming does, except they go down the drain.
Flea Treatments
Flea traps, which have a small nightlight with a glue trap underneath it are very effective at catching adult fleas that are left after vacuuming. You can also make your own with a nightlight and small bowl of dish soap and water to drown fleas as they jump towards the warm light, thinking it is a host animal. They are fairly effective and a good monitoring device.
The most effective and fastest flea-killing insecticides contain permethrin, imidicloprid, and dinotefuran. They should also contain an insect grown regulator (IGR), methoprene or pyriproxyfen, that disrupts the flea egg/larval development and preventing future generations from being able to develop and survive.
Aerosols are easier to use than liquid concentrates and dry faster. All bedding, fabrics, carpets, rugs, and cushions should be treated. Flip couch cushions and treat both sides as well as the cracks around the cushions. Anywhere an animal rests there will be flea eggs that drop off the animal when it scratches.
Foggers or bug bombs are not recommended since they concentrate the chemical up into the air above the can and not down in the carpet fibers where the fleas and larva spend most of their time.
Yard Treatments
Yard treatments may be necessary, especially if there are wild animals that walk the premises. Deer, squirrels, possums, cats, dogs, skunks, raccoons, and most other mammals can be infested with fleas. Those flea eggs will drop off the animal and hatch in your yard, then get on your pets. Yard treatments aren’t always necessary but sometimes help gain control of a heavy infestation. Fresh animal carcasses can also be heavily infested with fleas, as well as sick or dying wild animals.
Professional pest control experts will have equipment and proper products to treat your house, yard, crawlspace and other problem areas. Plus we know what products work and what doesn’t!
Be sure to check out our other posts if you need information about controlling other pests!
Give us a call if you need help with a flea problem, or have questions about products or treatments. We have lot of resources and have pets of our own so we can guide you into having a flea-free home!
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As a resident of the Texas Hill Country you should be familiar with the basic variety of potentially dangerous pests that are native to the area. Here are the 4 most dangerous spiders in the Canyon Lake / Bulverde area:
Brown Recluse
The brown recluse is the most common spider that can cause harm in Texas and the Southern United States. It is a light tan or brown and identified by the violin-shaped marking on its head and thorax. They prefer dark, undisturbed areas like closets, attics, basements etc. They will also hide in piles of clothes and under furniture.
Their venom causes necrosis (tissue death) in severe cases. The bite will start as a small blister and develop into a painful ulcer.
Black Widow
Black widow spiders have a neurotoxin venom affecting the immune system causing pain, muscle cramps, nausea and sweating. Although dangerous they are rarely fatal with proper medical treatment. They are shiny black with a red hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen. Seeing one in person is actually fairly rare because they stay in dark, undisturbed areas like garages, wood piles, water main boxes. As a professional pest control operator I have only seen 2 live black widows in all my years doing pest control.
Wolf Spider
Wolf spiders are generally not dangerous to humans but their bite can cause an allergic reaction and/or swelling and redness. They are more active hunters and do not spin webs to catch food. They are usually fairly large, hairy, and brown, gray or black colored. They will hide in grass, logs, and yard debris like leaves and piles of mulch.
Brown Widow
Brown widows are similar in size and shape to the black widow but usually tan colored with the same red markings on the abdomen. It will have banded markings on the legs and some of them will be nearly black. They are known as cobweb spiders with their irregular webs. They have egg sacs one cm in diameter and known for their spiky appearance. Their natural predators are mud daubers. Bites are not as serious as a black widow, causing fever, muscle cramps, abdominal pain, weakness in legs and difficulty walking.
As much attention and fear that spiders invoke, serious reactions are not very common. Even in one instance where hundreds of brown recluse spiders were found in a home, the residents had no complaints of bites.
Most spiders do not have strong enough mouthparts to even puncture human skin. Proper identification needs to be made when assessing skin irritation or possible bites.
As always, contact us if you have questions or when you’re ready to schedule pest control service!
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Even if you are terrified of spiders, know that they are not out to get you! Spiders play an important role in the ecosystems around your residence. Spiders that are not venomous should be left in place if possible because they contribute to biological control (i.e. eating other insects). If you are determined to get rid of them here are some tips and tricks to control populations.
Spiders are difficult to control because they hang out in dark, cluttered areas away from predators and humans. Places like closets, garages, attics, wall voids and under furniture are prime habitats for 8-legged arachnids to live.
Inspections & Monitoring
A proper inspection is needed to determine the species and numbers of active spiders in a home. Check in the corners of closets, around light fixtures, under cabinets, inside cabinets, behind or inside boxes in garages, around electrical outlets, as well as around vegetation on the outside of the foundation. I tend to find the most spiders around light fixtures that stay on all night and in garages where there is plentiful prey for spiders.
Natural Control Methods
Glue boards, also called sticky traps, are a great way to monitor activity and find problem areas. This will help to properly identify which species are the problem as well as reduce other pest populations that go in the traps too! Removing and brushing away webs will also help reduce populations and irritate them so they will hopefully move on to another nesting area. Keeping bushes and trees trimmed away from the house a few feet will also help reduce harborage locations for spiders and other insects and also eliminate direct pathways for bugs to enter your house.
Filling in weep holes with mesh products like copper, stainless steel, or steel wool help keep eliminate entry points. Sealing plumbing and air conditioning pipe penetrations will help with other problem insects as well as spiders. Removing clutter and keeping storage items in tightly sealed containers take away dark habitats that spiders enjoy.
The most effective control measure I have found at my own house is switching to amber light bulbs on any lights that stay on at night. With newer LED bulbs in modern homes the insects are attracted to them at night and spiders spin webs where those lights are to catch prey. Switching to the amber or yellow bulbs makes a tremendous difference. Turning off all lights at night is recommended, but not always practical. Closing blinds at night will also help.
Natural Predators
Spiders are prey to lizards, birds, toads, frogs, and other spiders. Although it would be difficult to rely solely on natural predators to gain control of spider populations, creating a habitat that is hospitable for these predators will help the spider populations decrease slightly. The frogs will also help with mosquito control.
Chemical Control
I can say that after many years in pest control around Canyon Lake, Bulverde and Spring Branch, we can achieve about 80% or so reduction in spider populations with just a general pest control treatment alone, without doing a whole lot of extra exclusion or deep cleaning. Using a good residual concentrate designed for spiders along with proper use of dust products in voids and attics can greatly reduce the spider numbers as long as the service is maintained.
With the homeowner adding in some weep hole sealing, sealing gaps and cracks, de-cluttering, and other housekeeping measures, spiders can really become a non-issue.
Contact us today if you have questions or you’re ready to schedule pest control service!
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Mosquitoes can be a significant nuisance in the Texas hill country, making spending a time in your yard an awful experience. With proper preparation and management however, you can minimize their impact.
Preparation
Start by removing standing water around your property since mosquitoes breed in stagnant water. Empty containers, fix any leaks, and ensure proper drainage. Keeping your yard well-maintained by trimming vegetation and mowing the lawn reduces mosquito resting places. Installing screens on windows and doors is essential to keep mosquitoes out of your home. Additionally, applying EPA-approved mosquito repellents to exposed skin and clothing can help protect you from bites.
Dealing with Mosquitoes
Using mosquito traps in areas with high mosquito activity can significantly reduce their numbers. Encouraging natural predators like bats and birds by providing suitable habitats is another effective strategy. Treat any standing water that cannot be removed with larvicides to kill mosquito larvae before they mature. When outdoors, especially during peak mosquito hours at dawn and dusk, wearing long sleeves and pants provides an extra layer of protection.
Professional Help
If mosquito problems persist despite your best efforts, consider hiring professional pest control services. Professionals can offer comprehensive solutions, including targeted treatments and ongoing maintenance, to help manage mosquito populations effectively.
By taking these proactive steps, you can reduce the mosquito population around your home, making your environment more comfortable and safer during the mosquito season in South Texas.
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No matter how clean and well-maintained your home may be, pests have a knack for finding their way inside. New Braunfels residents can face pest invasions from fire ants, spiders, scorpions and more.
Understanding how these unwelcome guests make their way into your living spaces is crucial for effective pest prevention and maintaining a healthy environment. Here’s a breakdown of the common entry points and reasons pests might be turning your home into their new habitat.
The Texas Hill Country, with its rugged landscapes and warm climate, is a prime habitat for various wildlife, including the Striped Bark Scorpion, which is the most common species found in Texas. Understanding where these scorpions come from, their potential dangers, and how to effectively keep them out of your home is essential for living comfortably and safely in this region.
The Texas Hill Country, with its warm climate and abundant wildlife, provides an ideal environment for fleas to thrive. These tiny pests are not just a nuisance; they can pose serious health risks to pets and humans alike. Understanding flea behavior, how to prevent infestations, and effective control measures are crucial for residents of this region.
Termites, often referred to as silent destroyers, can cause havoc on your property without any immediate signs of damage. At Alternative Pest Control, located in the heart of Canyon Lake, TX, we’ve seen firsthand the destruction these pests can cause. That’s why we emphasize the critical nature of regular termite inspections to safeguard your home or business.
The Hidden Threat of Termites
Termites feed primarily on wood, but they can also damage paper, books, insulation, and even swimming pool liners and filtration systems. Over time, their relentless gnawing can compromise the structural stability of a building, leading to costly repairs. The most alarming aspect of termite damage is its stealthy nature; it can progress unnoticed until it has become extensive and serious.
Why Choose Alternative Pest Control for Termite Inspections?
Since 1996, our family-owned business has been at the forefront of combating pest-related challenges in Canyon Lake and Comal County. Our termite inspection service is a cornerstone of our commitment to protecting our community’s homes and businesses. Here’s why residents and business owners trust us for their termite inspection needs:
Expertise and Experience: Our licensed professionals are well-versed in the habits of termites and use advanced techniques to detect their presence, even in hidden areas.
Comprehensive Inspection: We conduct thorough inspections, assessing both the interior and exterior of your property for signs of termite activity and potential entry points.
Customized Solutions: Following the inspection, we provide detailed reports and recommend customized treatment plans to effectively address any termite issues.
Preventive Advice: Beyond identifying immediate threats, we offer guidance on preventing future infestations, helping you protect your property over the long term.
The Termite Inspection Process
Our process is thorough and methodical, ensuring no stone is left unturned. It involves:
Detailed Assessment: We examine your property’s foundation, basement, crawl spaces, and attic, looking for signs of termites, such as mud tubes, damaged wood, and droppings.
Risk Evaluation: We identify factors that may increase your risk of termite infestation, such as wood in contact with soil and moisture accumulation.
Report and Plan: You receive a comprehensive report detailing our findings and an action plan tailored to your specific situation.
Take Action Before It’s Too Late
Termite damage can be financially and structurally devastating. Regular inspections by qualified professionals like Alternative Pest Control are your best defense against this destructive pest. Don’t wait until the damage is done. Schedule a termite inspection today and ensure your property remains strong and secure for years to come.
For more information or to schedule your inspection, contact us at Alternative Pest Control. Protecting your home starts with taking the right steps today.
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