Tap to call 231-264-6060

Monthly Archives: February 2021

Top 5 Destinations for Spring Break Pests

As spring breakers flock eagerly to the Sunshine State, another swarm gets ready to descend upon us all…pests! As the weather warms up, the bugs start coming back in full force. As Michiganders, it’s unlikely that we know what kinds of pests to expect in a different state. Pests are often an afterthought when packing for a vacation. But, as always, knowledge is power, so the more you know, the better!

What kind of bugs can you expect during springtime in Florida? Icky palmetto bugs, mosquitos, stinging insects, and more are all ready to join the party. Don’t let that stop you from your plans though.

Palmetto bug on rock

Here are the top 5 destinations you might find these spring break pests lurking.

1. Kitchens and bathrooms

The cooler weather of the Floridian winter was a nice break, especially when it came to being free of encounters of the bug kind. Palmetto bugs and roaches are back on the scene though, and your kitchen and bathroom are their favorite place to throw down. In search of moist conditions and food, they might mistake your screams for the kind of reveling partiers.

2. Anywhere there’s wood

Spring is a time for termites too, and Florida is rather prone to them. Anywhere you have exposed wood, watch for any termite damage. 

3. Your lawn

There’s something so glorious about having a nice, green lawn in Florida. Until the chinch bugs come for a spring break party, leaving dead grass patches in their wake. 

4. In your home

Did someone say, “Party?” If it’s a spring break party with Florida carpenter ants, we’ll be there. And we’ll bring plenty of refreshments to ensure these spring breakers get back out of town. They love wood damaged by termites. Chances are if you’ve got a termite party, these guys have probably turned up too.

5. Buzzing around your yard

There are two types of spring break pests that come to call at this time of year – mosquitos and other stinging insects like wasps, bees, and yellow jackets. It was so peaceful in your yard just weeks ago, but now you can’t enjoy your coffee without hearing buzzing in your ear, or worse, being chased back indoors by one of the more aggressive varieties. 

No matter where you travel, pests are to be expected. Whether they are different or the same as those we have in our home states, knowing how to avoid potential run-ins with these pests will make all the difference!

Beaver Freezer

Beavers are the largest yet most elusive rodent species in Michigan. Even though these mammals often top the scales at more than 50 lbs, it’s quite challenging to scope them out because of their mostly nocturnal and semi-aquatic tendencies. They are hands down the best dam builders in the state (HAHA). In late autumn, beavers prepare for winter by improving their dams, adding extra sticks and mud to their lodges; but also, and most importantly, beavers stock their underwater pantries. Wildlife biologists like to call the winter food cache a ‘Beaver Freezer.’ Rarely does a human look inside these underwater sites; as ice freezes, it quickly becomes opaque, snow blocks any view.

What are food caches?

Each fall, beavers that live in cold areas (including all of Michigan) construct various Beaver Freezers in relatively deep waters close to their lodge or just a short swim away under the ice. Each Beaver Freezer is an accumulation of tree branches and sustains the family throughout the winter months. As the days of autumn wane, the diligent beavers fell and gnaw tree limbs and saplings into short, manageable lengths, dragging them to the lakeshore. In doing so, they move along canals they’ve created to keep exposure to predators at a minimum. Once back in the lake, the beavers jab one end of a limb into the muddy floor to secure it in place. After few days of this, these winter caches look like miniature underwater forests.

What do beavers eat?

When a beaver becomes hungry, they can flip down into one of the lodge openings beneath the ice and swim to their underwater Beaver Freezer. The beavers then drag the day’s meal into the lodge’s feeding chamber, strip off and eat the bark and inner cambium layers where the nutrients are, and discard the rest. This method is not too far removed from humans eating corn on the cob. This winter, the remains of some early woody meals floated up to the bottom of the clear ice and can be seen next to trapped air bubbles exposing a secret of the beaver freezer.

When spring approaches, or if the ice melts early, the adult beavers emerge from their dark aquatic world to feed on fresh woody stems and emergent vegetation along the shore. During these forays, they are vulnerable to wolves and cougars in the north country of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. In the Lower Peninsula, they draw the attention of coyotes. But now, as winter settles in, the beavers are safe and secure in their snow-capped lodges.

As mentioned previously, beavers fell and gnaw trees surrounding bodies of water. Oftentimes these trees happen to be on property under the ownership of humans. Humans do not take kindly to flooded property or babbling brooks running dry. In these cases, property owners need to seek professionals’ aid to assist in curbing the beaver problem. Not only is Hogarth’s Pest Control and Wildlife Removal skilled in beaver trapping and removal— we rather enjoy it! Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you require assistance. We are happy to help!

Groundhog Day

The day is February 2, 1887. Groundhog Day, a holiday featuring a rodent meteorologist, is celebrated for the first time at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The legend goes, if a groundhog comes out of its hole and sees its shadow, it gets scared, running back into its burrow; this means six more weeks of winter weather. No shadow, on the other hand, means spring is right around the corner.

Groundhog Day has roots in the ancient Christian tradition of Candlemas. Candlemas is a day where clergy members would bless and then distribute candles needed for the winter. Each candle represents the long and cold winter. Germans expanded upon this concept by selecting their own mammal meteorologist, the hedgehog, to predict their weather. Once in America, German settlers in Pennsylvania carried on the tradition, although they switched from hedgehogs to groundhogs, which were plentiful.

What is a Groundhog?

Groundhogs are also referred to as woodchucks, whistle-pigs, or land-beavers. The term whistle-pig comes from the fact that, when alarmed, a groundhog emits a high-pitched whistle as a warning to the rest of its colony. The name woodchuck has nothing to do with wood. Or chucking. It comes from the Algonquian name for the critters, wuchak. These rodents typically weigh 12 to 15 pounds and live six to eight years. Their diet consists of vegetables and fruits. Groundhogs whistle when afraid or looking for a mate, and are some know them as whistle pigs. They can also climb trees and swim.

Groundhogs begin to hibernate as fall comes to an end; their body temperatures drop significantly during this time. Their heartbeats slow from around eighty to approximately five beats per minute, and they typically lose up to 30% of their body mass. Male groundhogs emerge from their burrows in February to look for a mate (not to predict the weather) before going back underground. They leave hibernation for the season by March.

In 1887, and this is no lie, a groundhog hunting newspaper editor from Punxsutawney, PA writes that Phil, the honorary Punxsutawney groundhog, was America’s only true weather-forecasting groundhog. The line of groundhogs that go by Phil are easily America’s most famous groundhogs; however, other places across North America have their own weather-predicters, from Staten Island Chuck to Birmingham Bill.

Bill Murray’s 1993 film movie Groundhog Day popularized the usage of the term “groundhog day” as one that is repeated over and over. Today, tens of thousands of people converge on Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney each February 2 to witness Phil’s prediction. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club hosts a three-day celebration featuring entertainment and activities.

.

7 Facts About the Groundhog You Didn’t Know

Happy Groundhog Day, fine folks! Today is when we look towards a rodent to find out how much more winter we’ll have to endure. 

 Legend states the groundhog looks out of its burrow today to see if it has a shadow. If it is sunny enough for a shadow, the groundhog will return to the comfort of the den, and winter goes on an additional six weeks.

In honor of the holiday, we’ve rounded up seven tidbits about groundhogs that are likely to be new to you. One for each additional week of winter that’s been forecasted, plus one extra for good measure

1. How much wood? 

Groundhogs are also called whistle-pigs, land-beavers, and more commonly, the woodchuck. The nickname ‘whistle-pig’ comes from the fact that, when frightened, a groundhog emits a high-pitched whistle warning to the rest of the lot. The term ‘woodchuck’ has nothing to do with wood. Or chucking. It comes from the Algonquian name, wuchak.

2. Home on the range 

Both males and females occupy the same territories generationally. There is minimal overlap between home ranges for female woodchucks except for the late spring and early summer months, as females generally try to expand territories. During this time, ranges may overlap by as much as 10%. Males also have territories that do not overlap, though any male territory usually coincides with between one and three adult female territories.

3. Bundles of joy! 

After being born in April, young stick around their home range for only about two or three months. After this, they leave mom’s burrow and disperse. However, at least thirty-five percent of females stick around longer than that, leaving home just after their first birthdays, right before a new litter.

4. Family tradition

Typically, groundhog family groups consist of one male and two females, each toting a litter from the previous breeding season (usually consisting of all females) and their current young. Interactions within a female’s group are friendly for the most part. However, interactions between female groups, even when the same male shares those groups, are rare and aggressive. Even though Papa Woodchuck doesn’t live at home, he visits each of his females and their litter daily.

5. Models of good health

Strangely enough, the groundhog happens to be a good animal for the study of hepatitis B-related liver cancer. Suppose a woodchuck is infected with the hepatitis B virus. In that case, the animal always develops liver cancer, making them integral for the study of both hepatitis b and liver cancer.

6. Looking up

Groundhogs can, in fact, climb trees, though they spend most of their time on and under the ground.

7.  Kiss Kiss 

Groundhogs greet each other with their own version of the Eskimo kiss: a groundhog approaches another and touches their nose to the mouth of the second groundhog. Or, as scientists call it, they make “naso-oral contact.”