Flying Ants or Flying Termites?

Flying ants are often confused for flying termites. It's an easy mistake to make if you are unsure of what to look for. It can also be helpful in knowing how to treat the problem since nobody wants flying, breeding bugs around the house! Both bug species grow wings in order to breed and are referred to as a "swarmer" but thankfully their anatomy differs quite a bit from each other allowing the distinction easier to identify.

For starters, ant antennae are bent as opposed to termite antennae, which is straight. An ant swarmer's body has a pinched, defined waist as opposed to the thick, straight waist of a termite swarmer. The wings of the ant are often uneven in length, white in color and stacked when spread open. A termite's wings, however, are typically even in length, yellowish in color and separated when spread open. 

If ever you find yourself in a situation where you are unsure of your type of swarmer, give us a call and we will do a complimentary evaluation for you. Make sure to keep a few swarmers or fallen wings in a small, lunch baggy so the inspector can see what your seeing to allow him to make further recommendations.

For additional questions about knowing the difference between flying ants and flying termites, feel free to give us a call at (951) 694-8100.

Mounds of Problems

So, you have a gopher problem. 

Gophers are an ongoing pest problem that affect homeowners and business owners year round, meaning there is no such thing as 'gopher season'. While gophers are active throughout the year, you may find them to be most problematic during the Spring and Summer months when fresh plants are most commonly put in from gardening. Given their preference, gophers prefer fresh roots from new plants, but this doesn't stop them from eating anything else you've got growing in your yards. *sigh* 

The most common gophers we have in California are the pocket gophers. They typically spend a majority of their lifetime underground, so spotting one above ground is a rarity. Aside from the obvious reasons for controlling a gopher problem, such as curb appeal and overall aesthetic, you shouldn't overlook a gopher problem. If left to their own devices, gophers will destroy expensive landscaping and threaten homeowner safety by potentially burrowing under the foundation, and in some cases, cause the home to collapse. To prevent this from happening, there are several methods used to treat a gopher problem. Some of these methods are bating, trapping, using a Gopher X machine or fumitoxin, which is a inorganic chemical compound. Gophers are very territorial in nature, so naturally this makes them very stubborn to get rid of!

Treating gophers is easy if you have a gopher specialist who is there to help. Often times, DIY gopher control is costly, frustrating and ineffective. Needless to say, we definitely do not recommend taking on your gopher problem on your own. Unfortunately, if you've had a gopher problem in the past or have neighbors that are currently experiencing a gopher problem, the likelihood of having an ongoing gopher problem, yourself, is very great. In light of this, we recommend getting on a gopher control service. 

Give Black Knight a call (951-694-8100) to get in touch with our gopher specialist who can recommend the best method to control your unique gopher problem! We promise you won't be disappointed!

Celebrating 20 Years

     We are so proud to announce that Black Knight Termite & Pest Control, Inc. celebrated our very own 20th anniversary last month! We have come a long ways since we first started, particularly growing our small family owned business to a slightly bigger family owned business! 

     Black Knight originally started 20 years ago with only 2 trucks and 2 employees. Since then, we have been so blessed by our community making it possible to expand our family to having 15 trucks and 18 employees! *gasp* We have broadened our areas of expertise significantly as well. We now offer a wide variety of pest services in addition to termite and general pest control, such as gopher control, rodent control, bird control as well as thermal heat treatment!

     Earlier this year, we also acquired a new pest control route taking Black Knight to Redlands, Riverside and Menifee for accounts ranging from commercial to residential. We have seen our greatest improvement in the amount of active pest control routes that we are continuously adding to. Overall, in our 20 years of business, Black Knight has had the pleasure of serving the Riverside, San Diego as well as San Bernardino counties respectfully. 

     We are very proud of where we come from and are looking forward to thriving in the New Year. In light of our 20 year anniversary, all of our trucks are fashioning the new decal posted above. Thanks for all your love and support as we continue doing what we love. Wishing you all a prosperous year

-BK 

A Bed Bug Free Holiday Season

It's officially November which means that it's officially the holiday season! As you already know, this is the time where travel becomes a lot more frequent and you may find yourself staying in hotels or even guest bedrooms as you visit friends and family for the holidays.

A good rule of thumb when settling in to wherever you are staying it that bed bugs can essentially hide anywhere. Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs are not limited to just beds. Meaning, they can hide in couches, luggage, behind picture frames, in closets, in purses, or even coat racks. Wherever people are, bed bugs can hitch a ride and find a new victim to feed on, which makes hotels a perfect place for this. *Cue look of disgust*

Bed bugs are parasitic insects that feed on blood. The Cimex Lectularius, which is the most common among bed bugs, prefers to feed on the blood of humans. (Kinda like vampires...gross!) You can always tell you have a bed bug problem from the tell tale signs:

1. Rusty or reddish stains on bed sheets or mattresses caused by bed bugs being crushed.
2. Dark spots (about this size: • ...)
3. Eggs and eggshells, which are tiny (about 1mm) and pale yellow skins that nymphs shed as they grow larger.
4. Live bed bugs.

If you are unfamiliar with what live bed bugs may look like, they are flat, reddish-brown, oval insects up to 4 to 5 mm long or the size of an apple seed. After a meal, they typically swell up and become more of a reddish color.

Bed bugs are tenacious little buggers (pun intended) because they are constantly moving from one victim to another and are pros at hiding. One way that we can eradicate a bed bug problem is using the thermal heat treating method to kill off the mature adults but also the eggs that they've laid, preventing them from spreading. 

Our advise to have a bed bug free holiday season?

1. Always do a thorough inspection of the bed by pulling back the sheets and observing the mattress seams. 
2. Do a brief inspection of the baseboards, outlets and picture frames remembering to inspect the curtains or drapes. 
3. After traveling, never place your luggage on your bed. Always unpack your luggage in the garage or laundry room and do laundry right away to avoid any bed bugs from spreading, preferably with the hottest water setting possible. 
4 . Call Black Knight for a free bed bug pest inspection so we can prevent an infestation from spreading. 

Happy Holidaying!