Dec 8, 2009, 16:43 PM by User Not Found

By Guest Blogger:  
Keith V. Birkemeyer 
ProBest Pest Management
Gilbert, AZ

In my former life I had a chance to meet with many PMP's usually on the Western half of the US and we frequently would discuss Brown Recluse Spiders. I always had people telling me they were bitten or had seen numerous Brown Recluse spiders wherever they lived. If you ever looked at the bell curve they reside mainly in Texas. I always tell the story that with the modern age comes the ease of movement - that is as we travel so do pests. In Arizona we have a Brown spider that is related to the Brown Recluse but not as aggressive.

That brings me to the real story - movement of pests. This week http://bit.ly/DyB8n the Arizona and California Departments of Agriculture issued a quarantine for citrus. They have found the Asian Citrus Psyllids which can carry Huanglongbing disease. All they know for now is that they may be getting infested from someplace - "whether we've got some nursery site that's producing these insects", "we just don't know, it's a complex problem". Within the last 2 months 2 mice have been aboard planes, here is one story http://bit.ly/4x12b7. I once was on a trip and when we landed the Flight Attendant came down the aisle spraying permethrin for mosquitoes, apparently Fiji didn't want mosquitoes. Another article recently suggested that bedbugs might be hanging out in moving vans; it does make sense - if you had a previous person moving and they had bedbugs they would probably fall off inside the van. Bedbugs can hitch a ride anywhere and on anything, from school backpacks to used furniture. So before you pick up that nice looking sofa on the side of the road - think of the real cost!

So I guess this brings me to the lesson of today - insects have adapted and will continue to adapt to us. Rodents, cockroaches rely on us pretty much these days but don't let that stop you; we need to continue to battle with these pests. If you must store items in a storage unit take precautions, if you can check your home monthly for any signs of pests. If you are in the Pest Control field don't assume anything - the insect or spider may have traveled to that place so I think it is wise to know about all kinds of insects because you never know when they will appear on your doorstep  or your customer's doorstep.