Head lice are not considered one of the "traditional" pests but ask anyone who’s had to deal with lice and they’ll tell you head lice are definitely pests.

Just like trying to control a flea infestation, it can be helpful to understand the life cycle of a head louse. There are three stages to the head lice life cycle:

1. Eggs – Eggs from louse are often called nits and can be mistaken for dandruff because of their size and color. Nits can be found near the scalp at the base of the hair; they like the warmth. Louse eggs can take six to nine days to hatch.
2. Nymphs – A nymph is the result of a hatched louse egg; they’re about the size of a pin head. Nymphs remain at that stage for seven days and will go through three molts during those seven days.
3. Adults – Adult lice have six legs are about the size of a sesame seed; they can live on a human head for about a month.

Lice can only live for a day or two without a meal, but it is important to treat your home for lice while treating yourself or kids. Oh, and don’t worry about Fifi and Fido; lice are species specific and head lice aren’t particularly interested in your dog or cat. Here are some basic steps to get a good handle on your lice infestation:

Wash – According to the CDC, lice are killed after being exposed for five minutes to temperatures higher than 128°F…so wash and dry appropriate articles on high heat. Here are some common items to wash:

• clothing 
• bedding 
• hats (don’t forget the ball caps) 
• scarves
• stuffed animals

Combs and brushes can be soaked and washed on a daily basis with soapy hot water while you still have an infestation.

If something cannot be washed, can it be dry cleaned?

Freeze – Freezing can be a great alternative to washing items (lice should be dead after 10  hours in a freezer at 5°F or below, according to the CDC); sealing items in a bag for two weeks is another option…here are some items commonly treated by freezing:

• headphones
• helmets
• head bands, hair ribbons, etc…

Vacuum – This is great mechanical way to physically remove the lice…you may want to toss the bag or dump out your vacuum’s canister after sweeping. Try vacuuming these areas:

• carpets
• floors
• furniture
• cribs
• mattresses
• car seats, floors, etc..

Head lice are more of a nuisance than a health hazard; they are not known to transmit diseases or bacteria.

{Photo Credit (louse life cycle): CDC}

Pepé Le Pew is one of the most beloved skunks off all time; unfortunately, skunks in real life can be quite the nuisance and not so charming.

There are over 10 species of skunks in the world but only two species of skunks live in California; the spotted skunk (below) and the striped skunk (left) which happens to be the most common.

There are several problems associated with skunks including:

Carry diseases – Skunks may be annoying but they are also considered a health concern because they can and often do carry rabies. If you have been bitten by a skunk, regardless of its behavior, seek medical attention. Behavior of skunks with rabies is similar to other mammals with the infectious disease; wild skunks that seem domesticated, unafraid of humans and wander around during the day may have rabies. Skunks can also carry listeriosis, canine distemper and canine hepatitis to name a few diseases.

They Stink – Skunks are infamous for their spraying. They spray as a defense mechanism and can spray up 10-12 feet. Skunk musk is a mixture of sulfur-containing chemicals and is expelled from glands on their back end. The odor of skunk spray is strong enough to keep bears away and is thought to be detectable to a downwind human nose up to a mile away.

Skunk Odor Removal Note: Do not try to store this solution. A small chemical reaction occurs when the solution is mixed; the expanding gases of the mixture could explode if stored in a bottle.

Dig Your Garden and Lawn – These nocturnal animals eat insects, berries, grains, eggs and even garbage; they have no problem digging small holes in your lawn hoping to find a nice grub or two.

Have Skunks? You do have a few options but it may be best to call your local pest control company; chances are they know the most efficient way to solve your skunk problems. If you do want to try some DIY skunk removal, trapping is an option although it’s best to have experience before trapping a skunk. Beware, in California you can not relocate the skunk to another area without a permit.

Some people claim to have success with using ammonia as repellent and to “chase” them from under decks, patios, etc…

There are a few steps you can take to reduce the chances of having a skunk problem.

• Exclusion or sealing common nesting spaces such as under decks and porches is an excellent way to keep the skunks from sharing your house with you; just make sure there aren’t any skunks already in the space you plan to block off.
• Controlling the bugs in your yard is another way to prevent skunks from hanging around. Also, keep pet food, bird feed, etc… in tightly sealed containers and out of skunk reach if possible. Remember, pests look for food, shelter and water and they’ll stick around if they’re given everything they need.

{photo credit top left: Charles and Clint}

Integrated Pest Management, commonly referred to as IPM, is actually a program or a group of steps adopted to effectively control pests.

IPM is important because it looks for the best (and most cost effective) way to manage pest problems with the least possible damage to the environment, people and even property.

Elements of IPM:

• Prevention – as we’ve mentioned many times, prevention is key to pest management. Prevention also fits well with IPM because it is often inexpensive and there is little to no harm to people and the environment
• Control – the use of pesticides are of course part of control but there are other methods, and many of these methods are considered before pesticides. Trapping is one example of a mechanical method for control.
• Identifying Pests – properly identifying pests is one of the most important steps in IPM … some pesticides work better for some pests than others and IPM helps to keep unneeded pesticides out of the situation. Being able to properly identify the pest also helps to understand the life cycle which is very important to successfully treating the problem.

IPM can be used in a variety of environments from commercial buildings to homes and even in agricultural settings. Schools are the ideal place for IPM; it’s a safer and cost effective solution to pest control.

If you’d like more information, check out the University of California’s website for their statewide integrated pest management program; the site is full of valuable information on managing and identifying pests in California.

On a side note: Have a thing for ugly bugs? Vote in the 2009 Ugly Bug Contest…the cockroach and the paper wasp are just two of the 10 insects up for the prestigious title.

Ticks are a really common pest found through out the United States. They wont be found in your house, but they may be in your yard or a nearby wooded area. Ticks latch on to the host and feed off the host’s (cat, dog, human, etc…) blood. One of the concerns with ticks are the diseases that can be contracted by a tick bite; Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Ehrlichiosis are a few tick-borne diseases.

There’s no need to avoid the outdoors; with some prevention and careful attention, you can reduce the chances of being bitten and becoming infected with a tick-bourne disease.

Here are a few ways to protect yourself from ticks:

• Wear light colored clothing – this helps to spot the ticks before they bite
• Use insect repellent with 20-30% DEET (What is DEET?)
• Wear long pants and tuck your pants into your socks – this makes it even more difficult for the ticks to get to you
• Enjoy the outdoors but know where you may find ticks – ticks live in grassy/wooded areas as well as moist and humid environments – staying on trails helps to avoid any contact with ticks that may be on plants
• Check yourself daily for ticks – remember ticks enjoy warm areas such as armpits, behind the knees and even in the belly button
• Use monthly flea and tick medicine on your pets (cats and dogs)
• Pesticides are sometimes an option, contact your local pest control company

Bitten by a tick?

We’ve talked about a lot of pests on this blog but I just noticed that we’ve never mentioned ANY beetles. So let’s talk about carpet beetles in California.

Carpet beetles do not bite or sting but they can cause serious damage to any natural fibers. These beetles are common pests in homes, warehouses and even museums; carpet, fur and fabric are just a few of the carpet beetles’ favorite foods.

The majority of the damage by this pest is caused by the larvae. Moths can cause similar damage and it can be difficult to tell the difference but the carpet beetles usually damage one large spot and moths will create scattered holes.

There are three species of carpet beetles in California:

 Varied Carpet Beetle

  Furniture Carpet Beetle

Black Carpet Beetle

As with most pest control, prevention (in this case housekeeping) is most beneficial. On a regular basis, vacuum carpets, remove hair and lint from carpet and shelves; avoid storing useless clothes, animal furs, etc… The goal is to remove all food sources for carpet beetles and the carpet beetle larvae.

Properly storing items is another way to prevent damage to important belongings. When possible, store items in an air tight container layered with paper. Moth balls and crystals can also be used for extra protection. There is some debate about cedar chests. Some believe the chests are effective against the beetles but others believe the cedar oil disappears as the chest ages and will only affect the smaller larvae.

Carpet beetles can be one of the most difficult indoor pests to control since they can be found all over the building in odd places. For washable items such as clothing and blankets, a thorough wash will kill all three cycles of the carpet beetle. There are carpet beetle pesticides for consumer use but professional pest control companies are typically more successful with eliminating carpet beetles.

It is not uncommon to occasionally see a fruit fly (or several) in the house. Yes, they are annoying but can they carry diseases? Fruit flies can transfer bacteria and other disease carrying organisms to any food they land on.

Prevention is the best way to avoid any problems with fruit flies, here are some tips:

• Clean up any spilled food or liquid on counters, near garbage cans, in cupboards, etc…
• Eat or throw away any over ripe fruit
• Keep an eye on your recycling bin, the flies love food residue left on cans and bottles
• Take out the garbage on a regular basis

If you already have a problem with the flies you’ll want to eliminate any food source. Once you eliminate all food sources that could attract the flies, you’ll want to thoroughly clean all surfaces where the flies could’ve laid eggs. This is important because while you may not see any flies, their eggs may still be in hiding.  Doing a good deep clean is usually effective against the fruit flies.

If you’d like to trap the adult fruit flies, many people have success with setting out bowls of dish soap and vinegar, red wine or even rotting fruit covered with saran wrap and a small hole poked into it; the flies go in but can’t find their way out.

Fruit flies may be a nuisance in the house but the tiny flies are beneficial; fruit flies are often used in college science labs, they’re used to help develop new mosquito repellents and fruit flies are even used to research human genetics.

Dealing with pest infestations is a lot easier on the front end if just a few preventative steps are taken. Being one step ahead of the pests saves time, money and sometimes, your sanity.

One of the simplest ways to prevent pests is to think of the basic needs of any bug (or rodent, snake, etc…) and these include food, a place to hide and maybe even moisture. If you make it as difficult as possible for the pests to get comfortable in your home then you are less likely to have a problem.

So what are some good pest prevention practices to avoid an infestation?

• This is probably common sense but clean up any spilled food or drinks…these can attract pests
• Declutter – don’t give pests a place to hide
• Repair easy access points to the structure.. i.e. window seals, door jams, etc…
• Be conscientious – don’t leave doors open, avoid leaving dirty dishes for the morning, keep screens in the window when it’s open, etc…

Even if you try to prevent pests from moving in, you may still face an infestation. One of the most important steps to controlling the infestation is to properly identify the pest. If you figure out what you’re dealing with then you can take steps to make their life more difficult i.e. dumping out stagnant water so mosquitoes don’t have a place to breed near your house or structure. Another positive to properly identifying the pest is the correct pesticide can be used for the problem.

Hiring a professional pest control company is a worthwhile investment. Professionals know what pesticide to use and the correct amount needed to get the job done, plus professionals are regulated by organizations such as the Structural Pest Control Board.

Choosing a professional may be the best value for your money and time, both of which are important regardless if the structure is residential or commercial. Also, pest control company guarantees are not uncommon.

So in addition to knowledge and expertise, what should you expect from your pest control company?

• Arrive on time when scheduled
• Learn about previous termite work by asking questions
• Wear clean uniforms and have a positive attitude
• No smoking
• Wear shoe covers and use drop clothes to protect floors and other surfaces
• Let you know what will be done before the treatment is performed
• Thoroughly explain the findings and the possible solutions
• Say “please” and “thank you” – you can never be too polite
• Stay until the job is complete

No one wants to invite pests into the home but unfortunately that’s often the case, especially with rodents. Mice may be cute to some but the effects of the rodent’s presence can actually be quite detrimental. Rodents including mice often cause physical damage to properties and structures and can even carry diseases including salmonellosis.

There are often obvious signs that mice are present; these signs include mice droppings, shredded paper, cardboard, etc… and gnaw marks.

According to the CDC, one of the best ways to prevent a rodent infestation is to seal up holes inside and outside the home. Some of the most common spots for gaps include around the fireplace, around pipes under sinks, attic vents and dryer vents. See the CDC’s site for preventing rodents to see an extensive list of common entrances.

To fix these gaps, fill the holes with steel wool and then caulk around the holes.  Don’t forget to seal garages and sheds too! It’s also beneficial to practice good sanitization when trying to prevent a rodent outbreak; mice are looking for food and shelter so avoid giving them what they need.

If you already have a rodent infestation, you can set baits or traps yourself. Traps are effective for a small number of mice or rodents but it is time consuming. Baits also work but take care because rat poison and rodent baits can be very toxic to pets and humans. But as always, call a professional exterminator when you are unsure or have more rodents then you know what to do with.

Many people try do-it-yourself pest control when there is an outbreak of insects in the house, and with the number of chemicals, sprays, powders, etc…there are plenty of options. But there are some natural and non toxic options that may be just as effective without exposing kids, pets, or yourself to the pesticides.

One of the most interesting ways to control pests outside the house is with plants, flowers, etc… that repel a particular insect. For instance, marigolds are known as a natural insect repellent because of their fragrance; natural and nice to look at, it’s win win.

There are natural insecticides out there but did you know that cucumbers can repel ants? There are plenty of these little tips and tricks to try to when it comes to green pest control, here are some of my favorite:

• Catnip naturally repels roaches…place little bags of catnip around the house where the cockroaches like to hang out
• Throw some sage or rosemary on your coals when cooking on a charcoal grill to keep mosquitos from loitering
• Use cloves to repel winged bugs like moths…and cloves smell better than moth balls

Don’t forget, one of the easiest ways to prevent some pest problems is to keep your house clean. If worse comes to worse, you can always call a professional pest control company that has likely dealt with the same pest problem before.