Monthly Archives: July 2019

Eager Beavers

Beavers or Castor Canadensis are giant, primarily nocturnal mammals. They are brown and have a long, leathery flattened tail that acts as a rudder in the water. Their teeth are yellow and curved, which they use to gnaw through wood. If they do not chew, their teeth will continue to grow until they break through their skulls. Chewing is imperative to their survival! Beavers played a significant role in Michigan’s early history. The beaver and the coureur des bois who traded their pelts and helped the Great Lakes region grow. Since the decline of the fur trade in Michigan, property owners have experienced an uptick in beaver related damage to homes and bodies of water.

Beaver Anatomy

They are the largest rodent in North America and can weigh over 60 pounds. They are America’s largest rodent and the third-largest in the world, often reaching lengths of 3.5 ft! Their body is well adapted to their aquatic world but also allows them the ability to waddle about a forest habitat in search of trees to fell. Their tails are flat, broad, flexible, and very muscular; serving as a prop when gnawing down trees. Their tails also function as a four-way rudder, and their large hind feet are completely webbed, which helps to propel them along, as well as adds strength to their ability to pull logs underwater. Their delicate forepaws are incredibly dexterous and function so well as ‘hands’ that they can carry small branches, mud, and even stones. Beavers have amazing construction abilities, using their incisors to fell trees, and their forepaws to construct dams.

Habitat

Beavers spend most of their time foraging along the banks of rivers and streams, and this is where people most often spot them. However, if there are no rivers readily available, beavers have no issue taking up residence in any body of water with banks suitable for their survival. Beavers burrow into th3e banks to make their dens; the entrances to these burrows are in a portion of the bank that submerges and angles, so the living quarters can be deep inside the bank while still above the water level.

If a beaver builds its dam too close to the ground’s surface, it may not have enough overhead support and can collapse. In the winter, when food is scarce, predators such as bears and wolf can dig into the den if it is not far enough underground. The problem is that many banks are not suitable for this type of excavation. Beavers will address this problem by mounding sticks over the den and piling mud on top of the sticks. During winter, the mud freezes, creating a rugged and durable barrier that protects the den.

Dams and Lodges

They construct dams and lodges out of sticks, mud, and logs on the banks of rivers and other bodies of water. The primary function of a beaver dam is to provide deep, still water to protect against any predators as well as to float building materials and sustenance. They may build multiple in the same river! Beaver lodges serve as their shelter, and they fashion them out of the same materials as the dams. Each summer, mature beavers will mud the exterior of the lodge so that it will freeze providing warmth and protection. Throughout the years, their population has declined severely due to hunting for their fur and glands (which is where castor oil comes from). Their hunting season is in the fall, but special permits can be granted in the off-season.

We most often receive calls from property owners experiencing issues due to beaver damage of trees and flooding of waterways, which interferes with land uses. This can cause devastating structural and landscaping damage if untreated. We specialize in the trapping and removal of these animals, so call us to set up an inspection today!

Fruit Flies

If you have seen small flies or gnat-like insects in your kitchen, odds are they are most likely fruit flies. Fruit flies are a year-round issue; however, they are especially common during late summer and fall months. This is primarily because they are most attracted to ripe, fermenting (rotting) fruits and vegetables. Fruit flies have oval bodies with six legs. Adults are about 1/8 inch in size and usually have red eyes. The front section of the body is tan, and the rear part is black. They feed on decaying food items, especially fruits and vegetables.

Melons, tomatoes, grapes, squash, and other perishable items from the garden are often the cause of an indoor infestation. Fruit flies thrive on rotting, unrefrigerated produce from the supermarket as well.

Biology

We find fruit flies most commonly in homes, restaurants, grocery stores, and wherever food can rot. Female fruit flies lay their eggs near the surface of rotting foods or on other moist, organic materials. Upon hatching, the small larvae continue to feed near the surface of the rotting item. This surface-feeding characteristic is significant; the affected over-ripe parts of the vegetables and fruits may be cut away without having to discard the entire piece out of fear of containing any developing larvae. Fruit flies reproduce like wildfire, notorious for laying up to 500 eggs at any given time! The entire lifecycle from egg to adult completes within seven days. All that is necessary for development is a moist film of fermenting material.

Behavior

Though fruit flies are especially attracted to ripened fruits and vegetables in the kitchen or pantry, they will also breed in trash cans, drains, garbage disposals, empty bottles and cans, mops, and cleaning rags. Infestations can enter the home via previously rotting or fermenting fruits and vegetables, or empty bottles and cans.

That being said, adults can also fly in from outside through windows and doors with inadequate screens. For those who live or work near orchards, even the cleanest home may still experience a fruit fly issue due to all of the rotting fruit. One of the best and most straightforward solutions is to keep a fan blowing at the most frequently used door. This works toward keeping the flies outside because, due to their tiny stature, they are unable to fly against the force of the wind.

This trick actually works with most fly species because they aren’t strong enough to fly against the blowing air. The primary issue associated with fruit flies is that they are nuisance pests. However, their excrement also has the potential to contaminate food with their bacteria and other disease-producing organisms.

Prevention

The most effective method to avoid a fruit fly infestation is to eliminate sources of attraction. Produce should be eaten, discarded, or refrigerated upon ripening. Cracked, bruised, or otherwise damaged portions of fruits and vegetables should be cut away and dumped– especially if eggs or larvae are present in the affected area. A single rotting potato or onion at the back of a pantry or sticky fruit juice under a refrigerator is breeding ground for thousands of fruit flies. In addition, full and unclean trash or recycling bins are also ideal locations.

People who can fruits and vegetables, or make their own beer, cider, or wine should ensure that the containers are well sealed. Otherwise, fruit flies will lay their eggs under the lid, and the tiny larvae will enter the container upon hatching. Equip windows and doors with tight-fitting (16 mesh) screens to help prevent adult fruit flies from entering from outdoors.

Eradication

Once a structure is infested with fruit flies, all potential breeding areas must be located and eliminated. Unless the breeding sites are removed or cleaned, the problem will continue no matter how often one applies insecticides. Finding the source(s) of attraction and breeding can be very challenging and usually will require much thought and persistence. We often suggest personal eradication attempts right off the bat because a small infestation can be easy to nip in the bud. Potential breeding sites that are not easily accessible to humans (i.e., garbage disposals and drains) can be inspected by taping a clear plastic food storage bag over the opening overnight. If flies are breeding in these areas, the adults will emerge and enter the container.

A better approach, however, is to construct a trap by placing a paper funnel (or roll a sheet of notebook paper) into a jar that contains a few ounces of cider vinegar. Place the jar trap(s) wherever fruit flies are buzzing about. This simple but effective trap will soon catch any remaining adult flies which can then be killed or released outdoors.

If you exhaust your personal attempts and still can’t seem to shake a fruit fly problem, Hogarth’s can inspect your property and assist in eradicating the issue completely.

Bald-faced Hornets

More closely related to the yellowjacket wasp than actual hornets, bald-faced hornets get their name from their mostly black bodies and stark white faces. They classify as hornets rather than wasps because of their size and aerial nests. Queen bald-faced hornets are larger than their adult-worker counterparts. Bald-faced hornets are social insects, although they are not true hornets. They are most noticeably active during the day and live in colonies that may contain between 100 and 400 members at their largest.

They construct their nests of a grey, paper-like substance; these nests are enclosed, unlike the cone-shaped structures of other stinging hornets and insects, such as yellowjackets and paper wasps. These nests will be at least three or more feet off of the ground and are most commonly found in bushes, trees, utility poles, on overhangs, sheds, and houses. The nests can reach up to 14 inches in diameter and more than 24 inches long!

Dangers of Bald-faced Hornets

The stings of bald-faced hornets are venomous and painful, and the sites may swell and itch up to one full day. Because of this, humans run the risk of allergic reactions from bald-faced hornet stings as with other insect stings. These are aggressive insects that will attack anything that invades their space; making them quite unlike other stinging insects that typically only sting when they feel exceptionally threatened. These factors make the removal, which you should always leave to a professional for safety purposes, somewhat tricky. Their stingers are short and smooth, so they can sting repeatedly; whereas other stinging insects with barbed stingers, such as honeybees, are only able to attack once before their stinger physically rips off.

Homeowners will begin to notice bald-faced hornets in late summer when the populations are at their largest. Males hatch from unfertilized eggs to impregnate the new females for the next year’s season in the late summer months. The inseminated hornets are the only ones that overwinter when the temperatures cool, while the remaining, uninseminated members die off. In the following spring and summer, the process repeats. Unlike other nest-building insects, bald-faced hornets do not reuse their nests year after year—the new members will rebuild them each year using fresh materials.

How To Avoid An Attack

Avoiding contact with these insects at all costs is key to preventing the painful attacks. Homeowners should seal up any tiny holes or cracks where bald-faced hornets are able to enter when seeking shelter. In addition, keeping food covered at all times, especially when outdoors, will help keep the hornets at bay. When spending time outdoors, you should avoid wearing strong perfumes or products with fragrances and opt for unscented products instead. Likewise, you should wear footwear that covers and protects feet from rogue hornets.

If you find what you assume to be a bald-faced hornet nest on your home or property, it is imperative that you do NOT make any attempt to remove it on your own. This can aggravate the colony, which will cause the hornets to attack and sting. Contacting a licensed pest control professional about proper hornet removal to avoid the risk of bald-faced hornet stings is the safest and most effective method.

Unfortunately for bald-faced hornets, they do not serve any real purpose like the honey bee; also, they do not pollinate plants. Hogarth’s Pest Control and Wildlife Removal can effectively and efficiently remove these types of hives from your property. Please give us a call if you happen to find one of these nests throughout the summer.

Busy Bees

When many picture a bee, the first species that comes to mind is often the bumblebee. The same goes for wood-boring insects; many assume them to be termites. What many do not expect is that there is a species of bee that bores into wood. Carpenter bees, like their relative the bumblebee, are large, black and yellow insects whose life only spans up to a year. Female carpenter bees rarely sting, only when provoked, and males completely lack the ability to. They are, however, quite territorial and are typically the gender that most people come into contact. Males will hover closely to people and structures, especially attracted to sudden movements, but do no more than create unnecessary fear. Though not particularly harmful to humans, carpenter bees can be a significant threat to wooden structures, affecting their integrity.

Found throughout the US, bees bore into raw wood and deck timbers, especially if it is weathered or has starter holes. As a result, a large number of bees can cause damage to log and wood-sided structures. In the case of thinner wood, such as siding, this damage can be severe. Contrary to popular belief, these bees do not eat the wood; they chew and live within it. Since they do not actually eat the wood they bore into, nectar from flowering plants is their primary food source. Some say that painting or staining wood will help to deter them, but they are known to damage that on occasion as well. The first signs of carpenter bee damage include small, smooth holes. A more advanced infestation may also include physically seeing bees hovering around the wood.

Carpenter Bee Nests

Unlike other common bees, such as honeybees, that live in colonies, carpenter bees are not social and build individual nests into trees or into the eaves, frames, or sides of buildings. Adult carpenter bees will overwinter in abandoned tunnels where they have stored pollen. The bees that survive the cold months will emerge when the temperatures warm up to feed on nectar, mate and make new nests, called galleries. Reused galleries expand every year, and some have been known to grow up to 10 ft in length.

The female makes large, open rooms to lay her eggs in off of the main gallery, called cells. She will ensure that each cell has enough pollen and regurgitated nectar for her developing young to feed. She will lay one egg in each gallery and seal off the entrance with wood pulp. The eggs take approximately 36 days to develop to an adult where they will then excavate themselves from the cell and into the gallery. Furthermore, the developing larvae, especially in homes, can oftentimes be attractive to woodpeckers that will seek out developing carpenter bees and create more extensive damage to the existing holes.

Eradicating Carpenter Bees

In order to keep carpenter bees out of the home, it is essential always to inspect the perimeter. Seal any cracks and crevices you jay see along the foundation and walls with caulk; repair holes in screens on windows or doors, and keep the doors closed unless in use. Professional treatment is vital if you have an active infestation. Dusting in entrance holes and an exterior pesticide treatment on affected wood is the most effective method for control. Carpenter bees typically require multiple treatments throughout a season. To prevent re-infestation, caulk and seal off holes, refinishing, or replacement of wood is necessary.

If you believe to be experiencing problems associated with carpenter bees, it is crucial to call licensed wildlife professionals. We have been keeping structures free from carpenter ants for over 25 years and are eager to help today!