tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25599236327157981422024-03-06T22:27:26.262+13:00The King's CastleThe Kings Castle. The official Bug King blog.
This blog helps us and our customers by providing a link to more in-depth articles about items that interest them.TheKingsCastleNZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648468452837881379noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559923632715798142.post-42641727530044222302018-07-24T10:41:00.000+12:002018-07-24T10:41:45.963+12:00Wait, What? I can do it myself?!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Winter; The month we all dread! The sun disappears at 5pm,
its cold, people get sick more often, and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">rodents</b>
make an appearance! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The reason why mice and rats start becoming more noticeable
is because they are cold too. They find your roof cavity and internal of the
home a nice cosy place for them to call home. Here we are warming up the house
for ourselves and our family, when we are also making it a warm spot for
rodents to come and enjoy the warmth with us!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rats/mice can produce 10 babies in 1 litter. This can happen
every 8 weeks if the conditions are ideal. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So you could image how many extra little
tenants you could have in your home if you let them be. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They also can cause terrible damage to insulation, ducting
in the roof, electrical wiring and even plumbing pipes! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Great, so I’ve told you all the cons about rodents, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">what are the pros?</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They can be evicted! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let’s not lie to ourselves; money makes the world go around.
Bug King has a solution for low cost rodent control... DO IT YOURSELF! Having the
right products is only 20% of the solution. The other 80% is knowing how to use
them effectively. And this is where we come in...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Below is a link to all of our DIY rodent packages. The
packages include baits, bait stations, full instructions on how to effectively
kill the current rodent nests, and more importantly, to keep them from getting
re-established. Not only that, you will receive help where needed from Bug
Kings professional help line. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bug Kings DIY Pest
Control Link: </b>https://diypestcontrol.net.nz/ <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DIY not for you? Or you don’t have the time? Call us on 0800
54 64 54 or email on <a href="mailto:service@bugking.co.nz">service@bugking.co.nz</a>
to discuss getting a professional pest control technician to you. </span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07912035174565625382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559923632715798142.post-32443613933595517052018-07-16T14:33:00.000+12:002018-07-16T14:33:17.350+12:00What's That Biting Me?<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Here at Bug King, we get many calls from customers who aren’t sure what’s biting them, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">especially in the night. Now, there could be a multitude of things biting, but the most common </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">biters here in Auckland, are fleas, mosquitoes and bed bugs.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">But how do I know what it is?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Mosquitoes are an obvious one; they’ll be buzzing around, especially in the warm summer months </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">and annoying you with that high pitch of theirs. We can help reduce the number of mosquitoes in </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">your home by conducting a fly treatment. Call us to find out more about that!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">It gets a bit trickier to work out when the culprits are tiny!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">We often get phone calls from customers who are convinced that they have bed bugs because </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">they only seem to be bitten in their beds at night. Well, the truth is, fleas also love your bed and </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">quite quickly make it their home. So how can you tell the difference?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">There are a few points of difference between flea and bed bug infestations:</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
<ul>
<li>Flea bites will often be on the lower part of your body (especially feet and ankles), or scattered throughout your body if the fleas are in your bed, whereas bed bugs most often only target the top half of your body. Places like shoulders, neck, arms, chest and stomach are bed bug territory!</li>
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<li>Bed bugs don’t jump, and they can be seen with the naked eye. If there are tiny jumping things on your sheets, you’re dealing with fleas.</li>
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<li>Bed bugs are more commonly found in apartments, or where dwellings are close together, whereas we find more flea infestations in suburban homes, where there are more pets present.</li>
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<li>Bed bugs hideaway during the day, and can be found on the bed frame, headboard, mattress, box spring, skirting boards and in crevices and seams of furniture and curtaining. They come out when they sense an increase in carbon dioxide, a sign that we are sleeping!</li>
</ul>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">I’ve searched for Bedbugs but can’t find any; does this mean I have fleas??</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Not necessarily! Bed bugs can be tricky to find, especially in earlier infestations. Before assuming </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">that there are none, give us a call and we can talk you through a few things to diagnose further. The </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">best solution is to book us in for an inspection. Our technicians are specially trained on all the signs </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">of bed bugs and they will hunt them down! Only once they say there are no signs, do we then look </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">at doing a flea treatment.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The technicians can often see signs of a flea infestation and can get a good idea whether they think </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">it's fleas by chatting with you.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Our flea treatments are applied to the floor, fabric couches, pet areas and stripped beds. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">This ensures that we get every last one in the house. We don’t just treat your bedroom for fleas, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">as the little buggers can move throughout your house very quickly! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">With Bug King, you can be rest assured that whether its fleas or bedbugs keeping you up at night, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">we will get it sorted for you. Our flea treatments come with a 6 month warranty, and our bed bug </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">treatments with a 9 month one.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Call us on 0800 54 64 54 today so that we can get you bug free!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07912035174565625382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559923632715798142.post-63097520954879895222018-02-27T08:55:00.003+13:002018-02-27T08:55:58.635+13:00White Footed House Ants<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">White-Footed House
Ants<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">What are
white footed ants?</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">White-Footed house ants have become quite well in
established in the Auckland region. They are one of the most common invaders of
ants in homes and businesses in NZ. They got their name from the yellowish
lower legs. Despite their small size of 3.0mm to 3.5mm long, they are a huge
nuisance, especially when they are found throughout the kitchen pantry in large
numbers!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">Nesting <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">White-Footed house ants are</span><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">
found both indoors and outdoors. They enjoy nesting <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">within walls, ceiling cavities and sub-floors. Here they are safe from
the environmental factors like the rain and wind. One ant nest can have many
queen ants and up to 2 million individuals! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">A lot of our customers
notice piles of dead ants, bits of wood and dust right under light fittings or
window sills. Ants like to have a clean nest, so they will clear out any scraps
and dead ants from their nest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">They don’t cause damage,
however if they were to be nesting along power boxes it may cause short
circuiting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">Diet/Do it yourself baiting<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">White-Footed house ants
have a sweet-tooth. They enjoy a good meal of honey dew and nectar. They also
love a good feast on ant bait you buy from the supermarket, or your local
hardware store, as it is full of sugary goodness for them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">Do it yourself baiting
can make the problem you have a whole lot worse! The ants that you see out and
about are worker ants. This type of bait will usually only kill the ants that
have taken the bait, not the colony. The ants unaffected by the bait realize
something is going on and they may decide to relocate to avoid extermination.
Or they may start laying more eggs to repopulate! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Treatment:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The best way to attack a nest is to do it slowly. Applying a
treatment that is invisible to ants is the most effective way to wipe those
little suckers out once and for all. The ants will walk through the treatment
and tread it back to the nest to pass it on to the other workers and the queen.
Slowly but surely this will exterminate the nest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559923632715798142.post-10274364650634082222018-01-24T08:44:00.001+13:002018-01-24T08:46:04.288+13:00When you’re away, the fleas WON’T play!<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Warm, summer days often bring a surge
of flea infestations to many of our customers. Often people who didn’t even
realise that they had fleas are greeted by hundreds of fleas as they return
from their holiday.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">We also have lots of customers who book
in a treatment as they are leaving for holiday. It may seem like a good plan to
get a flea treatment as you’re about to go on holiday and you’ll surely come
home to a lovely, flea-free home... </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">But, as you walk in the door, what are
you greeted by? </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Yup, you guessed it, FLEAS! And lots of
them, no less. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">But why is
this the case? And how can we prevent it? </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Unfortunately, the holiday plan doesn’t
often work as well as everyone would like. When you go on holiday, so do the
fleas. When our houses have no activity in them, those pesky little fleas go
dormant and on your return they are starving! </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">Adult fleas feast on
warm blood and if they do not have a host they can go into a dormant
state which can last up to two years. Normally, flea eggs hatch in one to
twelve days and the larva eats debris from animal hairs or vegetable matter. It
generally takes about 3 weeks for the larvae to reach adulthood. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">When no one is around,
however, the adults in their pupal stage will just stay and wait until a host
is present. If there is no movement in the house, they’ll go dormant, and won’t
be hopping on the carpet and coming into contact with our treatment. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">You open the front
door after your amazing time away, and the fleas detect you by picking up
vibrations. This triggers them to come out of dormancy and look for food. This
is why, when you get home from your relaxing summer holiday, you get swarmed by
fleas even though you may have had a treatment done. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">Even a milder flea
infestation, that you may not have even noticed, will appear severe as they
jump on your legs looking for lunch!</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">So what can you do to prevent this from happening?</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt;">If you didn’t realise that you had
fleas, and they are all of a sudden everywhere once returning home, call
us to book in a treatment, on 0800 54 64 54.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt;">If the property is empty or you’re
planning a trip away, its important that someone goes around each day and
has a good stomp in every room so that the fleas don’t go into the dormant
state. The more active they are, the faster they will come into contact
with the treatment. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 12pt;">Rather get your house treated when you
return from holiday or just a day before. This means that there is no
chance of the fleas entering the dormant state and we’ll be able to
eradicate them at a much quicker rate. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt;">If you’ve got a flea
problem, call us on 0800 54 64 54 and we can discuss a solution with you.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559923632715798142.post-62070778709894597862017-09-13T08:38:00.001+12:002017-09-13T08:38:22.589+12:00Borer; it’s that time of year again!<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Borer; it’s that time of year again!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>October and November</b> is the time of year when Borer beetles start
emerging from the wood. This is when most homeowners start to notice the first
signs of Borer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Borer is scary; well that’s how it
comes across until you know all the facts and that we can do something about
it!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Borer in the roof cavity and under the
floor are usually picked up on if you have insulation installed, or if you have
an electrician or builder do some maintenance. Borer throughout the house
is usually picked up on between October and February. This is when the borer
throughout the home emerges from little holes in the wood causing piles of fine
sawdust. However if you are noticing borer holes this doesn’t mean you
have active borer. It could be an old infestation that has already been
treated.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pl9fMmFgwPQ/WbhD5stlG8I/AAAAAAAAADg/oQqc0p9Lwn4T9FvNrWIWUU37UipJOuO4QCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="520" height="184" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pl9fMmFgwPQ/WbhD5stlG8I/AAAAAAAAADg/oQqc0p9Lwn4T9FvNrWIWUU37UipJOuO4QCLcBGAs/s200/Untitled.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Borer damage can also leave a line pattern as <br />shown
above. This is usually inactive <br />and was present when the timber was milled.<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTcIunTIUQA/WbhE7C0XgCI/AAAAAAAAADs/Sa2gIW-pU1YTiUXTyGe3KAMMefQ1AJImgCLcBGAs/s1600/Untitled3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="520" height="184" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZTcIunTIUQA/WbhE7C0XgCI/AAAAAAAAADs/Sa2gIW-pU1YTiUXTyGe3KAMMefQ1AJImgCLcBGAs/s200/Untitled3.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">Active borer will leave little circular </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">holes on
surface of the wood as seen here</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<b><u>Borer in
the roof or subfloor</u></b> can
be treated at any time of the year. This is because the wood in these areas is
usually unpainted; meaning the treatment we apply will penetrate the wood and
kill the borer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<b><u>Borer
internally, also known as borer on the wing</u></b> must be treated between September and October
before the borer flight season. This is because throughout the internal of the
home the wood is usually vanished or painted and products cannot penetrate into
the wood. Internal borer must be treated every year for 4 years continuously
which will kill the lifecycle of the borer. You will also be happy to know it
will help reduce flies over summer too, as it is also effective on flies that
come in contact with the treatment.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
At Bug
King we offer a pre inspection before treatment. This is so we can examine the
borer activity and provide you with an accurate quote, as it may only be a
small portion of the home affected, or an old infestation that doesn’t require
treatment at all. If you are worried and would like to book an inspection
or just chat to someone about any borer concerns, call the team at Bug King on
0800 54 64 54.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559923632715798142.post-72528382419289427932016-09-28T09:59:00.000+13:002016-09-28T09:59:39.535+13:00Invasion of the Stinging Kind!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ovNCwqh23sg/V-raizo2LSI/AAAAAAAAAA4/ud7Asffxxfo_VBB04xzubpbE-rxGLIN3ACLcB/s1600/wasps.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ovNCwqh23sg/V-raizo2LSI/AAAAAAAAAA4/ud7Asffxxfo_VBB04xzubpbE-rxGLIN3ACLcB/s200/wasps.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Whether it is cyclic or due to global warming, the winter
just gone has been pretty half pie. Fantastic for an early flush in the flower
garden, but not so good for us when it comes to those stinging, harassing,
pesky wasps!</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b>Let me tell you
why...<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #222222;">The life cycle of the wasp
involves the need for the next generations’ queens to hibernate during the
winter months. With our short winter being borderline to a sham, our
hibernating queens have made it through easy enough and are now starting to
emerge with intent to start a family. The problem is that they are almost 2 months
too early! With the surviving nests already at early summer numbers, this only
means one thing; it’s going to be a big summer for wasps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="color: #222222;">Food attractions<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #222222;">Wasps do a great job of
keeping the insect population down but everything is fair game to them,
including the monarch caterpillars on your swan plants.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222;">To protect your
monarch caterpillars, once you feel there are enough caterpillars on the plant
you can cover the plant with an old net curtain, tying it off at the bottom so
no wasps can get in. Take off the cover when they are in their chrysalis. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #222222;">Wasps are on the hunt for the
bugs and grubs in your garden, meat in your sandwich or fish bait 1km offshore,
yes they harass us fishermen too. They are also after honeydew and will<b> travel over 1km from their nest when
searching for food. </b>This also makes it hard when we get called out to a
property where there is no nest located. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="color: #222222;">Prevention<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #222222;">So what can be done to reduce
the numbers of wasps in the situation there is no nest in sight?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #222222;">Wasps are attracted to the
honeydew found on our giant aphids. These aphids live on those high sap
producing trees, such as the willow tree. As you look into a willow you will
see wasps bouncing around the leaves and then flying off in different
directions. The solution to this is to eliminate the wasp’s food source, the
aphids. Contact your local garden store for safe and effective ways to put an
end to the aphids.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="color: #222222;">When to treat a nest yourself<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-NZ; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
Now for the inevitable, wasp nests and what to do about them! If the nest is
visible, by being under the eaves or on the fence etc, then it is more than
likely to be an Asian paper wasp nest. These are usually handled quite easily
and can be shoved off and squashed due to their small size. We don’t </span><span style="color: #222222;">recommend do it yourself
remedies, especially in the situation where you are unsure of the nest size.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #222222;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #222222;">Nests under the ground or in
the roof cavity can be hard to decipher the size. This is when it can get dangerous.
Our technicians are fully trained and equipped to deal with worst case
scenarios. Nothing is too big or too small for us!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gywDrbAsOIg/V-ra7Cyh1BI/AAAAAAAAABA/M6bXNvNC6M4Y5Q4r7-dmGc-pRD3B8KLLQCLcB/s1600/20160201_120404%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gywDrbAsOIg/V-ra7Cyh1BI/AAAAAAAAABA/M6bXNvNC6M4Y5Q4r7-dmGc-pRD3B8KLLQCLcB/s200/20160201_120404%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small paper wasp nest.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vyCWN3zs5LU/V-ra57Rz9FI/AAAAAAAAAA8/kNgqwnEF8jIdOJDxhQZB_yxHF9A8W9VNQCLcB/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vyCWN3zs5LU/V-ra57Rz9FI/AAAAAAAAAA8/kNgqwnEF8jIdOJDxhQZB_yxHF9A8W9VNQCLcB/s200/unnamed.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large nest found in ceiling cavity, about the size of a beach ball!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #222222;">As a foot note, I would like
to remind you that wasps are a dangerous pest when they feel threatened and
they will defend the hive aggressively. Attempting to eliminate a wasp nest
without gauging its size correctly or not using the proper protection or
products could result in serious injury. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #222222;">If you have any questions
about wasps, you can call our team at Bug King on 0800 54 64 54 to discuss it
further.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #222222;"><br />
Have a happy and safe summer from your local pesties.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #222222;">Jonathan – Bug King Pest
Control.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><br /><br /><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559923632715798142.post-91828953692294594002016-07-26T13:00:00.001+12:002016-07-26T13:03:15.098+12:00Is the cat in the roof? Is it a ghost? The wind? Nope, it’s just those pesky rodents having a party in my roof again!<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b>Not only are you feeling the cold, but so are a lot of
the winter pests.</b> Rodents look for warm shelter during this time of year,
unfortunately this can mean inside your roof cavity, walls, sub-floor and even
throughout the internal of your home!</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Mice are a lot smaller then rats, this means it doesn’t take
a big gap for them to get into your home. Both mice and rats can use tree
branches and power lines to gain access into your home. They are also quite the
athlete and can jump over 1 metre. </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b>Fast Facts!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Mice and rat tails can grow as long as their
body!</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->They can carry diseases, such as Salmonella!</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Age expectancy is between 6 and 36 months.
During their life span they can have up to 6 litters of 6-10 babies!</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->A mouse will eat 15-20 times a day, this means
they won’t travel too far from nests.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->You may even find them having a swim in your
swimming pool, as they are excellent swimmers! </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
A lot of our
customers don’t realise they have cracks or holes around the house, until they
notice rodent droppings or see a sneaky mouse running from the TV unit to under
the couch! They aren’t the most ideal flat mate either, leaving droppings, urinating
on insulation (which causes a horrible stench), gnawing through wiring and pipe
work and keeping you awake at night running from one side of the roof cavity to
the other at 2am in the morning! </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Visit the rodent section on Bug Kings website for more
information on where and why mice and rats are found in the home <a href="http://www.bugking.co.nz/rodents.html">http://www.bugking.co.nz/rodents.html</a>
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Most of our customers call to inform us there is a noise
in the roof and there is a family of rodents living in there. While most of the
time this is the case, it can also be birds on the roof outside too! Birds will
also make noises which will seem like its coming from inside the roof cavity.
The way to decipher if it is birds or rodents is by the time of day the noises
are occurring. If it is early morning as the sun is rising and during the day,
there is a chance it could be birds. If it is late at night and early morning
while it is still dark, the problem is definitely rodents.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Bug King also offers rodent control for commercial
properties. See <a href="http://www.bugking.co.nz/commercial.html">http://www.bugking.co.nz/commercial.html</a> for more information.</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
If you would like proofing advice or help to keep rodents
out and away from the home, get in touch with Bug King to help give you some
peace of mind. We are always happy to help.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559923632715798142.post-36590991953202598372015-06-24T12:56:00.000+12:002015-06-24T12:56:05.483+12:00Changes to the Food ACT 2014. What does it mean for you.<h3>
"What's this 108 page Food Control Plan the council's just handed me? Help!"</h3>
<br />
Under the new <a href="http://www.foodsafety.govt.nz/policy-law/food-act-2014/" target="_blank">Food Act 2014</a> you're going to need to have a Food Control Plan in place if you prepare and sell food for general consumption.<br />
<br />
Although the official implementation date is March 2016 a number of Food Safety Officers have approached businesses to enroll them in the early adopter program. It appears the communication on this has been poor about what they need to do to complete the Food Safety Plan template.<br />
<br />
We have had a number of our customers coming to us very confused and more than a little worried about their compliance under the new act.<br />
<br />
So essentially;<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The Food ACT 2014 was passed last year</li>
<li>Under the act businesses will be classed as high or medium risk</li>
<li>High risk businesses - one's that prepare and sell meals, sell raw meat, sell seafood</li>
<li>Medium risk businesses - one's that sell pre-packaged food</li>
<li>High risk businesses will need to operate under a written Food Control Plan</li>
<li>Medium risk businesses can operate under a National Program</li>
<li>Higher risk businesses will be transitioned to the new Food Control Plans first. This will happen progressively from March 2016</li>
<li>Most high risk businesses are using the MPI <a href="http://www.foodsafety.govt.nz/elibrary/industry/food-control-food-fcp-plans/Food%20Control%20Plan%20Version%203.pdf" target="_blank">Food Control Plan Template</a></li>
</ul>
<div>
Now this is where the fun starts! The Food Control Plan template is a 108 page document that needs to be completed by the business owner. Many small business owners, particularly where English is the second language, are finding this a daunting prospect. First impressions are that they will need to invest a lot of time and money to ensure they comply under the new act.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That's the bad news. The good news is you should be doing what the food plan is asking now, it's just a matter of documenting the process to ensure all essential tasks are covered and their is a person responsible for completing these tasks.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You can complete this yourself, which will be confusing and time consuming or you can engage a consultant to complete this for you, again there would be an invest in time as well as significant cost.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
At Bug King we're providing free consultancy services for customers on our A.R.M. Assure and A.R.M. Assure+ Pest Control Programs to complete the plan. We're very knowledgeable of the Food Plan requirements and can significantly reduce your investment in time and cost.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you're looking to review your current Pest Control program or need a program under the new Food Control Plan, please give us a call and kill two birds with one stone.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The team at Bug King</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
p. 0800 54 64 54 e. <a href="mailto:info@bugking.co.nz">info@bugking.co.nz</a> w. <a href="http://bugking.co.nz/">bugking.co.nz</a></div>
TheKingsCastleNZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648468452837881379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559923632715798142.post-51907118378405296902014-08-21T11:19:00.002+12:002014-08-21T11:19:14.794+12:00Breaking News - the Kiwi sausage sizzle is almost legal<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Hang on, you're telling me it's illegal?</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Well......yes. According to the Food Act 1981 it is.</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Incredibly, simple activities like fundraising sausage sizzles and cake stalls at school fairs need to comply with the Food Hygiene Regulations (1974) under the Food Act (1981). This means the poor old PTA and Sport's Club needs to have the same systems and processes in place as large business operations like retail food outlets and food processors.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Luckily the authorities recognise the inflexibility of the situation and generally turn a blind eye, otherwise we'd be paying about $20.00 for a sausage outside Bunnings. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When the new Food Act 2014 finally comes into force there will be a clear exemption for these Kiwi traditions with the only rule being that the food sold must be safe. Viva le sausage and banana cake!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OK, so what's this got to do with pest control?</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, a formal Pest Control Program will be an essential requirement under the Food Act 2014 if you are classed as high risk. That's;</span><br />
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You prepare and/or sell meals (retail food).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You process food and/or sell raw meat or seafood (food processors).</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you fall into a high risk category, you've got a significant work to do to meet the new requirements under the revised act.</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Businesses classed as high risk will operate under far more stringent requirements including having a documented Food Control Plan, including a formal Pest Control Program. How well you manage/operate this food plan will have a direct impact on your compliance costs. Businesses performing well will require less frequent checks, business that not managing food safety well will receive extra attention.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Information on the implementation of the new Food Act is available <a href="http://www.foodsafety.govt.nz/policy-law/food-act-2014/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The good news is the new act won't come into full force until 1 March 2016, so you have a good period of time to change processes to meet the new requirements. As mentioned these are significant but we can help simplify the process for you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The commercial team at Bug King have done a good amount of research on the new act and the requirements of this, Pest Control in particular. If you need any advice on this or an audit of your current processes and their compliance under the new law, please contact the team to arrange a time to discuss and review.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">The team at Bug King 0800 KING KING (54 64 54) <a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_2016583221"> </a></span><a href="http://www.bugking.co.nz/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">www.bugking.co.nz</span></a><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
TheKingsCastleNZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648468452837881379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559923632715798142.post-21890387466465900492014-03-16T17:23:00.000+13:002014-03-16T17:23:44.421+13:00New Zealand's deadliest spider?<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The legend that is the Daddy Long Legs.</span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And it is just that, an Urban Legend.</span></h4>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've all heard the about of the Daddy Long Legs. Apparently they have the world's most potent venom but it's OK, they can't bite us because their fangs are to small.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is something I believed before I became your friendly pest controller and did a little research.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know where the legend started but the Daddy Long Legs (the correct name is actually the Cellar Spider) can prey on other spiders including venomous spiders. So the reasoning goes, if the Daddy Long Legs can kill venomous spiders capable of killing humans then it must be even deadlier but it can't bite us for some reason.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The actual reason they can prey on venomous spiders isn't the strength of their venom but more a combination of speed and their web spinning ability.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a good example of this check out the following video of a Daddy Long Legs vs White-tail Spider;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/tj-6x9_Pwlk/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/tj-6x9_Pwlk&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/tj-6x9_Pwlk&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The venom of the Daddy Long Legs has been tested and found to be not that potent, even against other insects and although their fangs are small (about 0.25mm) they can still bite us. The good news is, if this happens the worst effect you'll feel will probably be a mild short-lived burning sensation.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It might even pay to keep them around to help take care of any White-tails..........provided you can put up with all those ugly webs that is.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">The team at Bug King 0800 KING KING (54 64 54) </span><a href="http://www.bugking.co.nz/" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">www.bugking.co.nz</a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br /></div>
TheKingsCastleNZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648468452837881379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559923632715798142.post-79019573233575838282013-06-26T17:50:00.000+12:002013-06-27T07:45:07.759+12:00Hunting for bed-bugs? <h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They're hard to find</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is what you need to look for.</span></h4>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you think you've got bed-bugs and want to inspect your bed to confirm it......this is a great example of what you're looking for.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The following video has some excellent close up shots of all stages of the bed-bug life-cycle as well as good examples of faecal specks and moulted shells. This is filmed very close up so to get a good idea of scale, the large adult bed-bugs you're seeing are about the size of an apple seed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The size of these infestations are quite large, so the signs are quite obvious. For a smaller infestation you would be looking for faecal specks in seams of the mattress........or more likely at the head end of the bed-base in/under wooden slats or if a solid base on the underside of the base in the material seams around the staples.</span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rUsnpaeuck0?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you don't find any obvious signs you may still have an infestation but it's probably in the early stages.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We hope this helps and as always, please feel free to give the team a call for advice or to help diagnose the problem and recommend appropriate treatments.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
The team at Bug King/Chimney King 0800 KING KING (54 64 54)<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<a href="http://www.bugking.co.nz/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">www.bugking.co.nz</a> <a href="http://www.chimneyking.co.nz/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">www.chimneyking.co.nz</a></div>
TheKingsCastleNZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648468452837881379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559923632715798142.post-69085525192797056172013-06-16T13:26:00.000+12:002013-06-16T13:26:35.808+12:00Oh no it's the ants invasion<h3>
Everybody seems to be having problems with ants at the moment.</h3>
<br />
<br />
We're getting a high number of calls about ants at the moment. Why?<br />
<br />
Well at this time of year the cold wet weather affects the ants food supply. Diminishing food sources outside are making ants forage indoors for substitutes and our high sugar/carbohydrate, high protein foods make an excellent alternative.<br />
<br />
In addition to this rain is affecting ants that nest outdoors and forcing them to re-locate somewhere warmer and dryer.......your garden shed, your home and even your car.<br />
<br />
As the little pests have started moving inside we've noticed a significant increase in calls about how to get rid of them......and that all depends on the type of ant. There are a number of different species of ant out there and the methods required to exterminate them vary significantly depending on the species. To make this post simpler, we'll target the information to the two which generate 90% of our ant calls;<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>The white footed house ant.</li>
<li>The black house ant.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>White-footed House Ant</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The white-footed house ant is hands down the most common invader of Auckland homes. This is because they prefer to live in the walls and ceilings of your home. This is a lot closer to your food than other ants. Which means a far greater probability the foragers will find it, let the rest of the nest know and.....WHAM an</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
ant party all over the bench in the morning.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AqMkIT0NpwfKcRGHZJwrjzIt162ahq6f5j3cV-9sEXC8MmLuJ5J4moTM-v1fyQNVKzY0VSq6lQ41C8lasOZzR3WfBDih9-L1U85pwEhiBVanvdbGLKPKXEhXZzY0sCaaHzd1XS9iyho/s1600/white-footed+house+ant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="White-footed House Ant" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AqMkIT0NpwfKcRGHZJwrjzIt162ahq6f5j3cV-9sEXC8MmLuJ5J4moTM-v1fyQNVKzY0VSq6lQ41C8lasOZzR3WfBDih9-L1U85pwEhiBVanvdbGLKPKXEhXZzY0sCaaHzd1XS9iyho/s200/white-footed+house+ant.jpg" title="" width="157" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-footed House Ant<br />
Actual size 3.5mm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When this happens people usually pop down to the local hardware store for some bait. When you do this all that usually happens is you start getting piles of ants on the window sills and under light fittings as the ants throw the ants killed by the bait out of the nest. This is because white-footed house ants feeding habits usually mean only the ants that directly take the bait are killed.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The most effective treatment against white-footed house ants is a slower acting contact treatment that the ants will pick-up on their legs and bodies, track back to the nest and pass it on to all other workers and the queen, eventually exterminating the nest.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We also strongly recommend applying a repellent barrier treatment 1-2 weeks later to stop the territory left by the exterminated ants being taken over by the neighbours ants. Do not....I repeat.....do not apply a barrier treatment before you exterminate the nest. All you will do is trap the ants inside the house and<br />
make the problem much, much worse.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Black House Ant</b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GsO7s6tCm_h_ssUn5z-iTbcNDBubdHmYPuSBcX5mjMHIw2q3LuyLa5bIPuw9Qfp3Ac4PMlnTsyPwX-OscJ7lr9z0gHmsFBmrG2aJDcl6vpEh_2yaj5yJEsqcJX4FjVHYWR7e79Cyo2c/s1600/common-black-house-ant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GsO7s6tCm_h_ssUn5z-iTbcNDBubdHmYPuSBcX5mjMHIw2q3LuyLa5bIPuw9Qfp3Ac4PMlnTsyPwX-OscJ7lr9z0gHmsFBmrG2aJDcl6vpEh_2yaj5yJEsqcJX4FjVHYWR7e79Cyo2c/s200/common-black-house-ant.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black House Ant<br />Actual size 2.5mm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Another common invader of Auckland homes is the common black house ant. These guys usually live outside but can occasionally be found living in the home. If you get an invasion they'll more than likely be feeding on a sugary liquid (beer, cans of soft drink, etc). We don't get as many calls about these guys as there feeding habits mean baits work a lot better on them, however you will need a lot of bait and I do mean a <b><u>lot</u></b> of bait. If you're not to worried about them being outside and just want to stop them getting in the home an external barrier treatment is usually sufficient. Alternatively we can find the nest, kill it and apply a barrier treatment around the perimeter of your property to stop the neighbours ants taking over the vacant territory.<br />
<br />
These are the main two that will cause problems, however there is another ant that's becoming an increasing nuisance. The Argentine Ant. This one is a whole different kettle of fish and I'll blog about this separately.<br />
<br />
So in summary.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>It's getting cold and wet as Winters almost here.</li>
<li>This affects the ants food and harbourage, forcing them inside to survive.</li>
<li>You may be able to get rid of the black house ants with baits.</li>
<li>Your going to need a professional to control white-footed house ants.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As always, if you need any assistance or advice about ant issues, please feel free to call the team at Bug King on 0800 KING KING (54 64 54)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
The team at Bug King/Chimney King</div>
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<a href="http://www.bugking.co.nz/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">www.bugking.co.nz</a> <a href="http://www.chimneyking.co.nz/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">www.chimneyking.co.nz</a></div>
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TheKingsCastleNZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648468452837881379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559923632715798142.post-75810068787135702442013-03-27T20:21:00.003+13:002013-03-27T20:21:53.597+13:00There's a rat in my kitchen<h3>
Bug King got another mention in the NZ Herald today, so......</h3>
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Seems like a good time for another post.</h4>
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Today there was an article in the NZ Herald re: the increasing rodent problem in Auckland. You can read it <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10873863" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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The gist of the article was about the increasing problems with rodents in the home. So, is the rodent population in Auckland increasing?</div>
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YES!</div>
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Is it more noticeable than usual?</div>
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YES!</div>
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Why? Well it's been a long hot summer, which means it's been great breeding conditions for rodents.......but, unfortunately it's also been a very dry summer. Why's this unfortunate? Well rodents, just like us, have 3 basic needs. Food, water and somewhere to live. This summer has provided food and shelter in abundance but because it's been so dry the usual water sources for rodents have dried up. This is forcing them to search for water in places they wouldn't usually frequent this time of year. Pet water bowls, fish ponds, bird baths or even worse indoors. This is why where noticing the unusually high rodent activity now.</div>
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Unfortunately things aren't going to improve. When winter finally takes hold the problem is only going to get worse as the abundance of rodents that have bred outside seek shelter from the cold wet weather and start to move indoors.</div>
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At Bug King we're predicting a bumper rodent season this winter.</div>
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If you need more information about rodents look at the frequently asked questions about rodents at our website <a href="http://www.aucklandrodentcontrol.co.nz/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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As always, if you need any assistance or advice about rodent issues, please feel free to call the team at Bug King on 0800 KING KING (54 64 54)</div>
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The team at Bug King/Chimney King</div>
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<a href="http://www.bugking.co.nz/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">www.bugking.co.nz</a> <a href="http://www.chimneyking.co.nz/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">www.chimneyking.co.nz</a></div>
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TheKingsCastleNZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648468452837881379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559923632715798142.post-56774253610328109812013-01-20T16:43:00.002+13:002013-01-20T16:43:44.025+13:00The top pests for December were.......<h3>
There's been a big change in pest activity leading up to the Christmas break.</h3>
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The holiday break always see's a big increase in calls about;</h4>
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<b>Number 1: Fleas</b></div>
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These are always a major problem over the Christmas break and it's because Kiwi's love to go away on holiday.</div>
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Why flea problems? Well, fleas always prefer to live on your pet but when you're off on holiday you tend to put the fur babies into a cattery/kennels or confine them to the yard. The problem with this is there's nothing for the fleas to feed on while your away......and when you get home they're going to be very, very hungry and not to picky about their food source. So you'll come back from holiday, walk in door and get covered in fleas as the vibrations of your feet bring them out of hibernation.</div>
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It's all to do with the flea life-cycle, for more information click on our blog post <a href="http://thekingscastlenz.blogspot.co.nz/2012/07/3-bombs-and-still-got-fleas.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<b>Number 2: Flies</b></div>
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Fly populations always explode as the weather warms up, this is due to an increase in their food supply. As the temperature increases so do the calls about fly control.</div>
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Treatments for flies are one of the most common requests over the Summer. We're actually very lucky because of our temperate climate. This makes these treatments a very effective means of fly control. In most countries where there are major fly problems, fly treatments aren't effective as temperatures are generally greater than 28 degrees. Temperatures higher than this allow the flies to pass the treatment through their system (metabolise it) before it has a chance to take effect.</div>
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<b>Number 3: Spiders</b></div>
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Same as flies, the increase in the spider population over the Summer months is due to an increase in the food source. This year has been no different with spider control coming in at number 3 on the top pest for December list.</div>
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There have been reports of an increase in white-tail spider activity (see the New Zealand Herald article <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10859147" target="_blank">here</a>) but at Bug King we're seeing the same level of enquiries as past years.</div>
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It's been a very, very busy few months for the team at Bug King and it looks like continuing into January, February. If you're having problem with any of these pests (or any others) don't hesitate to give the team at Bug King a call.</div>
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The team at Bug King/Chimney King</div>
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<a href="http://www.bugking.co.nz/" style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: initial;">www.bugking.co.nz</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><a href="http://www.chimneyking.co.nz/" style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: initial;">www.chimneyking.co.nz</a> </div>
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TheKingsCastleNZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648468452837881379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559923632715798142.post-56084560675730858952012-10-05T19:55:00.000+13:002012-10-05T19:55:29.803+13:00Spring is officially here.........according to the bugs<h3>
There's been a definite change in pest problems.</h3>
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Less rats and mice and a lot more flying insects.</h4>
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The top three pests last month were;</div>
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<li>Rodents</li>
<li>Fleas</li>
<li>Wood/native cockroaches</li>
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It's only early days but we've noticed a big change in calls about bugs. It's shaping up for a big month for;</div>
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<li>Wasps</li>
<li>Flies</li>
<li>Fleas</li>
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These are definitely warm weather pests.........so the team at Bug king would officially like to welcome in the spring season.</div>
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Our top two recommendations to keep your home pest free this Spring/Summer;</div>
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<li>Treat for flies now to control the population before the weather gets any hotter and the flies really start to breed.</li>
<li>If you've got pets and you're planning a holiday, get a flea treatment before you go. This will ensure you're not attacked by hungry fleas when you get back.</li>
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The team at Bug King/Chimney King</div>
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<a href="http://www.bugking.co.nz/">www.bugking.co.nz</a> <a href="http://www.chimneyking.co.nz/">www.chimneyking.co.nz</a></div>
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<br />TheKingsCastleNZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648468452837881379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559923632715798142.post-72137694156015851362012-09-13T19:48:00.000+12:002012-09-13T19:48:19.671+12:00It's almost borer season<h3>
October is the adult borer flight season</h3>
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So what! Well if you think you've got borer, now's the time to sort it out and break the borer life-cycle.</h4>
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If you've got borer you're going to start noticing new holes, dark brown beetles and sawdust very shortly. This is because borer flight season is almost upon us.</div>
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Borer will happily bore away inside untreated timber throughout the year but you'll only really notice them from October-ish onwards. This is when the mature larvae pupate and emerge from your newly painted timber as adult borer beetles.</div>
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If you're seeing borer damage in visible timber it doesn't necessarily mean you've got a borer infestation. This could be old damage that has been treated in the past, however if you are seeing sawdust on flat surfaces it's more than likely that you have an active infestation.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1eobpQKNhJi6W-TNOcYQBtCSxTqV1ajJE4zd_4tj4c6KRHt2bRnKNhUtdmZl7TVU7jl05kMGPyChZciKikY9RONeFJT1y8xCvC8zJ0NVJzVovIamHfcS-ONz5hb4gVzZe-eq515JzpcE/s1600/borer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1eobpQKNhJi6W-TNOcYQBtCSxTqV1ajJE4zd_4tj4c6KRHt2bRnKNhUtdmZl7TVU7jl05kMGPyChZciKikY9RONeFJT1y8xCvC8zJ0NVJzVovIamHfcS-ONz5hb4gVzZe-eq515JzpcE/s1600/borer.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Borer top view</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOfasb16KjIR5rIsvMuAdUKMjt12d6QAdt-aTrAw7HAxE47e7Am7VCcib1jqdL8uwm8BBZ5spIgWbNMVZqpsIqSK9QQ90N4qpXN5hQf4scdKyx5Veq4VI_ZfNeqiLa3UJpamXeApLHdM/s1600/borer1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOfasb16KjIR5rIsvMuAdUKMjt12d6QAdt-aTrAw7HAxE47e7Am7VCcib1jqdL8uwm8BBZ5spIgWbNMVZqpsIqSK9QQ90N4qpXN5hQf4scdKyx5Veq4VI_ZfNeqiLa3UJpamXeApLHdM/s1600/borer1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
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DON'T PANIC! It is treatable. If the borer infestation is in the ceiling or sub-floor spaces a professional can apply a one off treatment that will kill the borer larvae in the wood before they have a chance to pupate and emerge as adult beetles (broken life-cycle = no more borer).</div>
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If you're seeing borer holes in timber inside your home the remedy is a little different. We can't treat the timber directly as it won't soak into the wood due to the paint and varnish but we can exterminate the beetles as they emerge from the wood and break the life cycle (broken life-cycle = no more borer). Unfortunately this means you'll need to get treatments sprayed on wooden surfaces throughout the home for the next four years to confidently eradicate the infestation. The good news is this is also an effective fly and spider treatment.....so no creepy crawlies over Summer for at least four years. Yayyyyyy.</div>
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So if you think you've got borer and need a professional opinion, don't hesitate to call the team at Bug King for some friendly advice.</div>
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The team at Bug King/Chimney King</div>
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<a href="http://www.bugking.co.nz/">www.bugking.co.nz</a> <a href="http://www.chimneyking.co.nz/">www.chimneyking.co.nz</a></div>
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TheKingsCastleNZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648468452837881379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2559923632715798142.post-12463630392602302182012-07-11T19:27:00.000+12:002012-07-11T19:27:44.845+12:00The top pests for June are...<h3>
It's the middle of winter and the flies are gone.</h3>
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<br />But that's seen an increase in....</h4>
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Number 1: Rodents</div>
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Rats and mice are moving into the home because it's getting bloody cold and wet out there.</div>
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Look around the neighbourhood, can you see trees touching the roof of your neighbours home? There's more than a 50% chance that they've got rodents in the ceiling and don't even know it.</div>
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Number 2: Wood/native cockroaches</div>
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It's the cold and rain again, or it could be because you've just had a trailer load of wood delivered for the fireplace. Wood + disturbed habitat = outdoor cockroaches in the home.</div>
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p.s. <a href="http://thekingscastlenz.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/arrghhh-cockroaches-what-will.html">Check out our post on native vs German cockroaches.</a></div>
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Number 3: Ants</div>
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Amazing little insects but not so adorable when they're crawling all over the kitchen. Again it's the weather that's driving them inside. They want what we want, a nice dry, warm home.</div>
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All these guys would probably prefer to be outside....but not when it's cold and wet and there's plenty to eat inside.</div>
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You know the drill....give the team a call if you're having problems with any of these pests and we'll make sure they stay outside where they belong.</div>
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The team at Bug King / Chimney King</div>
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<a href="http://www.bugking.co.nz/">www.bugking.co.nz</a> <a href="http://www.chimneyking.co.nz/">www.chimneyking.co.nz</a></div>
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<br />TheKingsCastleNZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11648468452837881379noreply@blogger.com0