Is your commercial inventory protected from pests? It should be!

Roof rats, raccoons, and snakes can often be found infesting a home's attic or crawlspaces. In this case, pest removal services are what you require.

That really isn’t a large variety considering the fact that there are 2000 termite species in the world. Termites are very destructive and known as silent destroyers.

Ticks are on the rise, so are tick bites. Call us to remove all ticks from your area. We will come to you right away, just call Overson Pest Control in Mesa, Arizona.

Mosquitoes are more than just a summertime nuisance, it is true that they are capable of carrying diseases that affect humans and can cause serious illnesses. Mosquitoes are part of the family Culicidae (order Diptera) and go through four stages in their life cycle: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Even though the survival of the mosquitoes at the younger ages is only around 5% of the brood, that is still a lot of mosquitoes that will make to adulthood! The egg stage of a mosquito shows that the eggs are white and then darken in a day or so. The eggs on closer look are oblong and incubate at different rates depending on the species. When the eggs are left to hatch in water, they do so within one to four days if the water temperature accommodates them. but when mosquito eggs are laid in wet or moist soil instead, the larvae can sleep for a year or more , as they wait for the field to be flooded to support their growth. Yes, that’s right, mosquitoes can “hibernate” in a way, and if they are not eradicated from your property, the colonies and populations of mosquitoes to bite you next year will grow exponentially. During the larvae stage (called wigglers), all mosquitoes live in water. Their abdomen holds a siphon tube that acts as a snorkeling gear for them to allow them to breathe air above the water’s surface. Most of the larvae eat anything small that floats their way, even cannibalizing other mosquito larvae, as they grow to the next stage of development. At the mosquito’s pupae stage (called tumblers), the mosquitoes grow two respiratory horn-like features to help them breathe even better underwater. At this stage, they go into a fast, and they don’t eat much at all. In the final stage of a mosquito’s life cycle, the mosquito matures into an adult. Here they are able to fly and find a meal. Considering that they haven’t eaten at all during the prior stage of growth, it sure explains why adult mosquitoes are starving and always so hungry! The female mosquitoes feast on animal blood and plant nectar, while the males usually eat nectar and plant secretions exclusively. Once females take on a blood meal (from your arms and legs in the summer sun), they’ll develop eggs a few days later and the mosquito cycle starts all over again. When you need help getting rid of mosquitoes on your property, just give us a call. We are your premier pest control service in the Mesa area. Call us for help with pest extermination service in the Mesa area today! We are here for you and are ready to rid your home or business of any pests that you encounter. Call now. References Entnemdept.u.fl.edu/fasulo/vector/chap03.pdf

The myth about earwigs being able to crawl in our ears and feed on the brains of sleeping people is just that – a myth. It is a silly superstition that gave this bug its name, and you can be sure earwigs have no intention to go into our ears for any reason. The truth is that the earwig is an insect that does like to live in houses, but it is usually harmless to humans. The earwig is around 5 to 25 millimeters in length, has two antenna, six legs, three body sections and pincers like a crab at the end of its abdomen. They are nocturnal, live in colonies and prefer to hide out and stay in cool wet areas around the home that hold moisture such as near brush, under bushes or burrowed in mulch. Female earwigs can make up to 60 eggs a season and prefer to burrow into the soil around a house a few inches under the ground, making them hard to find. They winter over in the soil and will come out strong in the spring. Knowing this, it is better to keep your yard clear and free from wet leaf piles, grass clippings and check in the areas around wet mulch if you suspect an earwig infestation. Once the earwigs get into the garden, they can cause a nuisance by eating vegetation outdoors. Indoors they are a pest that can hide in walls, foundation cracks, pipes and in window frames. The way to help prevent an infestation of earwigs is to rid the outside areas of the property of spaces where earwigs can hide. This includes repairing all rotten wood around the home, and turning off any lighting in and around flower beds and low shrubbery near the home. You may want to consider getting ornamental stones or gravel in areas along stone walls or near dark corners of the property to help prevent earwing colonies from forming in these areas of the yard. Also, it will be important to make sure that any downspouts are directed away from the foundation, and keep all gutters clean to prevent a buildup of water near the ground areas around the home. If you suspect that you have earwigs, give us a call right away. We are able to eradicate any earwig colony and prevent an infestation that will look to winter over in areas in the home. We are hear for you 24/7, just give us a call today!

Some people hear crickets on a warm summer’s evening, and immediately think of grasshoppers. Others believe that they are basically the same bug. Well, nothing is further from the truth, as there are some major differences between crickets and grasshoppers, and here is the reason why. Crickets typically only come out at night , while grasshoppers are seen mostly during the daytime hours. Crickets are omnivores, while grasshoppers are strictly plant eaters. The antennae are different too, with crickets sporting a long antennae, while grasshoppers have short ones. And the most derivative difference of all – crickets rub their forewings together to make their telltale chirping noise, while grasshoppers rub their hind legs to their forewing to call their mates. There are over 900 different species of crickets (Gryllidae) that are found naturally to live quite comfortably on the North and South American continents. Historically, crickets were known as a sign of good luck, and in some cultures are even kept as pets in small handmade bamboo stick cages. Crickets are part of the general food chain, and are eaten by birds, bears, spiders and even are a delicacy in Southeastern culture as a favored deep-fried snack. The body of a cricket is round, with a round head, long antennae and super strong hind legs. They can be a range of colors from green, to olive or brown. Crickets come to residential properties in search of food, light or shelter from the elements. Crickets like to hide out in gardens or tall grassy areas around the home. At the end of the summer season, they can come indoors as the fall season days drop outdoor temperatures lower. They are happy to live in the home rent free by hiding out in dark corners or behind furniture if they can get away with it. In general, crickets don’t bite or sting humans, but they do have an irritating chirp that is rather annoying once they have found their way indoors and remain hidden from sight. They eat other small plants and insects (meat eaters), and have even been known to eat other crickets as well if need be (cannibals). Here’s a fun fact about crickets: The male crickets (never the females) really do chirp louder when it is warmer in temperature outside. A scientist invented a formula to determine the cricket chirps per minute on a chirp scale called Dolbear’s Law, that measures chirps at 50 degrees F (which is 40 chirps per minute/4) or at 40 degrees F (chirping measured over 15 seconds). This might be fun to measure when you are outside enjoying a cool summer’s evening stroll, it really works! But it is not so fun when you have a noticeable infestation of crickets in or around your home. If that is the case, it is time to call in the professionals to remediate this problem once and for all. Crickets will lay their eggs in the fall, winter over in a home or garden, and hatch their young ones in the springtime. Once hatched, the nymphs molt and grow quickly while shedding their bodies as they mature. Another fact that is not so fun, is that during one lifetime, one female cricket can lay up to 400 eggs. If you have a few crickets in a crawlspace, that will be a lot of eggs that can potentially hatch over time. If there were a dozen crickets, just imagine the number of eggs that could potentially hatch in an infestation. For this reason, it is critical that any time that you see large numbers of crickets in or around your home, you will need to call for pest control in Mesa, for getting ahead of this issue right away. There is not time to lose whenever you find an infestation of crickets, and we are here to help you get rid of them right away. Call us 24/7 whenever you need us to rid your property of a cricket infestation today.

Carpet beetles (Dermestid Beetles) are insects commonly found in Colorado homes and office environments. Carpet beetles are used to living in close contact with humans, and feed quite happily on: • Dead insects • Pet hairs • Lint • Woven fibers • Pet fur • Pet feathers • Clothing • Wool items • Cloth furniture If carpets are made of synthetic non-wool fibers, the carpet beetles will not be a threat. But the carpet beetle can feed on more than just carpets. It can easily be found in food pantries, in the kitchen eating crumbs from the floor, behind the walls in a building, and wherever food is prepared in an office. These pests can be managed first by removing their food resources, treating them with heat or cold to reduce the infestation, and to search the outside for colonies or larvae that have been feeding outside the property. The carpet beetle has young that hatch from an egg 1-2 weeks after the egg is laid. The larvae are reddish brown or lighter brown in color, with a fuzzy outer body. The young shed their skin as they mature, and these discarded exoskeleton shells are a sure sign that carpet beetles are present in the home or office environment. The larvae can initially take nearly a year to develop eggs before they are hatched, and can have a gestation period of up to 2 years. Generally speaking, the carpet beetles found in commercial buildings are as a result of a wild population from a bird’s nest or animal den that was cultivated outside of the building where they now are found. For example, adult beetles can feed on plant pollen and flowers such as spirea and viburnum as well. The usual household infestation of carpet beetles in Colorado can begin when adult beetles fly into a home, find sustainable food resources, and stay to raise young for the next generation. Carpet beetles can also hitch a ride on used furniture therefore, it is important to inspect any used furniture before bringing it home or to the office space for pests and carpet beetles. If you see discarded carpet beetle shells in your residential or commercial property, there is a good chance that you have a carpet beetle infestation. Just give us a call at the first sign of carpet beetles – we know how to get the infestation under control and “outta there” without any delay. Call now, we are on call to come to you whenever you need us. Call today! References Dermestid Beetles (nd). Colorado State University Extension. Colostate.edu.

An amazing fact that is true is that black widow spiders have the uncanny ability to create and spin webs that are as strong as steel! It seems almost impossible that a black widow spider web, as messily as they are constructed could have an unprecedented amount of tensile strength, but there you have it – it’s a fact. The science community marvels at the amino acids that are naturally present in spider silk proteins which produce spider used fibers and webs. In general, scientific research in the past has determined that spider webs are as strong as they are because of small specialized nanoscale molecules which are the reason for this super human strength exhibited by some spiders with some webs. Engineers reviewing the mechanics of the black widow spiders, notice that these extra durable webs and spider silks are spin from the spider’s abdomen with specific proteins. Likewise, the material is continuing to be researched to determine if it can be duplicated for use by humans. The uses will span many different applications, such as for military textiles, applications in building and construction industries for bridge cables, and with sustainability applications as well. There is even a nod to whether these types of materials if created using the same spider technology, could be created able to be useful and help with first responders when responding to emergencies requiring strong materials for rescues and the saving of lives in the future. Black widows have cornered the market on strength when it comes to their webs, and here is why. The result is that the protein used to create the web is the ticket to understanding how it is earth defyingly strong. This black widow silk protein, as the code is definitely cracked, is actually considered to be as durable as the Kevlar material used in the bulletproof vests of our law enforcement agencies. Most spider webs that we see outside are spun and created in an orb, or a complex circular pattern that winds around and around with regularity and accurate distance from one level to the next. This web pattern is not so prominent with the black widow spider web. At first glance, the black widow web looks haphazard and unkempt, with no rhyme or reason, but that would be an inaccurate portrayal of that spider’s efforts to make webs for sure. The black widow spider web has support scaffolding, silk anchor lines and a definite plan to catch prey. By combining the protein with the web design, the black widow has an effective plan to find, detain and capture prey, and makes a durable web that is not going anywhere anytime soon. Now knowing that black widow spiders set up shop in hiding places around your home or office to stay put for a while. This makes it more and more pressing that you call in the reinforcements to get rid of black widow spiders once and for all. We are able to come to you whenever you call us to remove any black widow spiders, and we will remove the threat that they will come back to your residential or commercial property. Black widow spider bites are usually rare, but it is necessary to get rid of them professionally, since as you can see, they set up shop to stay on the premises for a long time. These spiders are fully capable to build a strong and durable web. Don’t take any chances, give us a call right now, and we will rid your home or office of black widow spiders today. References 1. Black widow spins super silk (1996). Sciencemag.org . Retrieved from https://www.sciencemag.org/news/1996/12/black-widows-spin-super-silk. 2. Mystery of how black widow spiders create steel-strength silk webs further unravelled (2018). Sciencedaily.co m. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181022150938.htm.

Roof rats (Rattus rattus) are a rat species native to Arizona and have become a threat and health nuisance for the last few decades, and possibly even before that time. These rats can live on roofs in the Southwest and are also known to carry a number of diseases that can affect pets or humans such as: Rat bite fever Salmonellosis Leptospirosis Murine typhus Roof rates are also a hazard to have on the residential property because they can chew wires as they nest in and near roofs and attic spaces, and will often feed on stored foods or supplies to sustain their litters. They can contaminate insulation and will live inside and outside of multiple attic areas. They chew on young tress and can kill the trees, and are capable to eating the insides of fruit such as oranges, while the orange is still firmly hanging onto the tree limb. These rats are able to take advantage of their ability to climb citrus trees, palm trees and scurry atop other mature landscaping in a yard to gain easy access to the roof and attic area of a home. All rats exhibit a telltale long tail, but the roof rat tail is without any hair. It has scales on the tail, and their tails are actually longer than the combined measurement length of their body and head put together. If you are wanting to uncover these rats, look closely at where their droppings land for a clue to confirm their location around the home and their identity. Roof rat droppings are crescent shaped, black in color and are ¼ to ½ inch long. The roof rates will run several hundred feet for food and resources to live on. They have been known to make burrows in the ground, but will just as easily prefer to live rent free in any available soffit, overhead garage storage area, or hide easily inside of the vine cover of a building or nearby fencing. Other signs that you have roof rates nearby include: dark smudge marks on the walls or roofs, where the rat’s dirty fur makes a streak on the walls, urine or chewing on outside areas of the home. These rats give birth year-round, and can produce up to over 40-45 pups each year. The roof rate is a plant and animal eating species (omnivore), and they love to dine on a roof rat practically paleo diet of oranges, dates, birdseed, insects, snails and your leftovers from last night if you grant them access to them through your garbage. The prevention of roof rates is easy to manage, when you call in the experts to handle these pests. Our technicians are highly qualified and are licensed exterminators, ready to rid you of roof rats right now. Roof rats are not a protected species in Arizona, and that means that the can be remediated with professional humans strategies that we will put into place to get rid of them for good. Homeowners should be on the lookout for signs of roof rats. It is possible to help prevent roof rats from taking hold of your property and making themselves “ta’ home,” by: Not leaving food resources within the roof rat’s access or reach Harvesting fruit from trees quickly Taking down birdfeeders and bird baths Stopping hoses from continually dripping water (free drinks for the rats) Pruning shrubbery back and removing all ground cover near the home Staking firewood on pallets at least 18 inches above ground and a foo away from fences or walls Removing and pruning dead fronds from broad leaf trees Keeping bushes pruned to not have branches hanging down to the ground Roof rates are smart, and they are rightly skiddish of traps. For this reason, it is not the best idea to DIY on this pest. We are better able to manage and handle the eradication of roof rats, therefore in this case, you should leave it to the pros. Give us a call any time that you suspect that you have roof rates on your residential or commercial property. We will come, rid your home or office of roof rats and give you peace of mind to say goodbye to these freeloaders for good.