Attack of the Ants!

Blame the heat for the ant invasion! According to CBS8 News, "San Diego has been hit with scorching heat, humidity and rain all of which force ants inside, because they don't want to be out in the extreme temperatures." The heat has forced ant colonies to seek refuge inside homes, where they have access to food and water as well as cooler temperatures. Unfortunately the rain hasn't helped much either, causing the same invasive reaction from the six-legged pests. 

Many customers have asked us where they come from when they suddenly appear, uninvited, in your kitchens and bathrooms. Most of the time, they come up through the piping and drains. (Which is super inconvenient, if were being honest.) The best way to eradicate your ant problem is to eliminate their food source by wiping down your counters and keeping pantry items stored away. While sugar is their favorite delicacy, ants are omnivorous which means they will eat whatever edible substance they can find. We understand that no matter how immaculate your home is, ants may still appear in hopes to scavenger something to bring back to their colony. While we can't speak for all ants species, the Argentine ants are the most common within the Southern California region. These are the little black ants that you commonly see crawling around on sidewalks. 

We have been very busy this week responding to ant calls and helping our customers out where we can. Having a pest control service in place is ideal for sporadic heat waves, such as this one, where follow up sprays are complimentary for our customers in between their regular services. We have a couple of different ways of eradicating ant problems (all which are covered under our general pest control services!) so give us a call today and we can partner you with a technician (Erm...hero! Minus the cape.) who can save you from your ant situation.  

What's All the Buzz About Bees?

Bees, you can't live with em' and you definitely can't live without em'! Bees are responsible for pollinating trees and plants that produce fruits, nuts and vegetables absolutely essential to the nation's food industry. (Karimi, 2016) In fact, bees contribute to billions of dollars toward U.S. agriculture each year making them a highly valued asset to our economy and (let's be honest) our kitchens and pantries.

As Black Knight has seen a significant rise in bee related phone calls, we wanted to touch upon the importance of bees and why they are so fascinating and essential. We know that having a raging beehive right outside your front door is neither comforting nor welcoming, so we wanted to put your mind at ease. Here are a couple of things to consider when you encounter a beehive on your property and your weighing your options between relocating or exterminating the bees.

Exterminating an entire hive is not always the best option although sometimes necessary given the location of the hive. If the hive is located in a chimney, for example, or even an attic, a professional beekeeper is really limited to preserving the hive or even having appropriate access to the bees. In other cases, if a beehive is located on a fascia board or neighboring tree outside your home, the chances of relocating the bees successfully is very likely. Something to also remember is to never try to exterminate or relocate a beehive yourself. This is very dangerous and just an all-round bad idea. Simply put - just don't do it. 

Surprisingly, the cost of relocating bees is sometimes equal to if not less than if you were to exterminate them. So if you are unsure of which option is more budget friendly, our suggestion is to call around and ask. You may find that most professionals will need to come out to your home first and inspect the area where the hive is located before they can come out and do what they need to do. This is normal, because giving a bid over the phone can range in price, drastically.  

Overall, while we are a pest control company, bees hold a special place in our hearts given the weight of impact that they have on our environment. If you have an active beehive on your property, give us a call and we can help put you in contact with a local beekeeper that we have partnered with. If your interested in learning more information, feel free to check out the clip below which covers Colony Collapse Disorder which is plaguing the bee population, globally. 

References

Karimi, F. (2016, October 1). Bees place on endangered species list -- a first in the US. CNN News. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/01/us/hawaii-bee-species-endangered/

Spivak, M. (2013). Why bees are disappearing. TED Talks. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/marla_spivak_why_bees_are_disappearing?utm_source=tedcomshare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=tedspread