Woodpecker damage to a home may be related to insects or mating. John Burroughs in A Year in the Fields wrote, “When the woodpecker is searching for food, or laying siege to some hidden grub, the sound of his hammer is dead or muffled and is heard but a few yards…It is only upon dry, seasoned timber, freed of its bark, that he beats his reveille to spring and wooes his mate.” The difference in the sound illustrates the difference in the wood. The muffled sound is the beak on wet wood. Wet wood is no good. Wet wood contains insects that need moisture to survive. The drumming sound on dry wood or other materials like aluminum gutters, plastic trim, or anything noisy is done to get attention from female woodpeckers. The third type of damage is nesting holes. Woodpeckers will create round nesting holes normally in November and February. This damage is circular. Insect excavation is normally linear following insect galleries and damage in the wood.
If you have linear damage, replace the wet wood and call us for a pest control inspection.
Woodpeckers attack structures for many reasons. Spring and fall are the most active times for excavation of nest and roost cavities and to establish territories. Both males and females will drum to mark territory and attract a mate. Woodpeckers will return repeatedly to a site, attacking the area again and again. The reasons for attack include finding food, often carpenter bees, or for a nest cavity or roosting site, or for other social reasons. Typically territorial drumming will be on surfaces that resonate well, such as metal trim, gutters, flashing or downspouts. In order to minimize damage, it is important to take action as soon as a woodpecker begins to attack your home. It may be prudent to continue those measures after the attacking bird has left. To avoid attracting other woodpeckers repair or replace any damaged areas on your home as soon as possible.
Woodpeckers are protected and a permit is needed to kill them from the US Fish and Wildlife service. If a permit is needed, the property owner must contact the USDA and they will help with the permitting. To start the process call Tim Cozine, Certified Wildlife Biologist and Staff Wildlife Biologist, USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services by phone at 866-487-3297.
General woodpecker deterrents and frightening methods.
Birds often acclimate to the same visual stimulus in the same exact place every single day. A moving deterrent or one that is moved is the best type.
Visual deterrents
• Mylar balloons can be tied to corners that are being attacked. They will move and because they will float up can be attached without a ladder. Aluminum foil strips or reflective tape, such as Irri-Tape, manufactured by Bird-X, hung from areas where damage occurs may scare away woodpeckers. The strips should be long enough to hang freely and blow in the breeze. An alternative is windsocks hung from house corners serve the same purpose as aluminum foil and better looking. Handheld windmills, especially those with reflective vanes, can be attached in areas of damage. The motion of the revolving vanes may discourage woodpeckers.
• Terror Eyes manufactured by Bird-X, may prove effective as an alternative to plastic owls. This product bounces from a spring, and the holographic eyes follow the bird in any direction.
Sound deterrents
• With an electronic distress call system, a recording of a woodpecker distress call followed by the call of a predator such as a Sharp-shinned Hawk is broadcast through a speaker system at various intervals to frighten woodpeckers away from your house. One example is BirdXPeller Pro, manufactured by Bird-X.
Sources: Cornell Lab Department of Ornithology, USDA APHIS Wildlife
Knotweed is a weed
Integrated Pest Management and Pest Control aka Pest ExterminationKnotweed, sometimes called wild bamboo, has a great root mass that prevents easy solutions. Make it starve all year by cutting down new growth. Then in late August cut again and use the highest rate of labeled non-selective herbicide on the stumps. Repeat the application two weeks later. You will have to be persistent for several years to manage and control knotweed.
Termite drop tubes on joists
Integrated Pest Management and Pest Control aka Pest ExterminationTermites build mud drop tubes from structural elements like these basement joists. These shelter tubes protect termites from exposure to air and light. Termites maintain the humidity of the tunnels in their food sources by carrying in soil from outside. All the soil for this shelter tube is from outside. This is an urban structure with exposed soil only in the front and back. Termites create an adhesive with their saliva and build these shelter tunnels over time. In crawl spaces with dirt floors, these drop tubes will reconnect with the soil below giving termites access to soil moisture for humidity. If you suspect you see mud on your joists call a professional before breaking the wood open. Only intact wood is used to recruit termites into an above ground bait station. Contact us today for termite control services and a free consultation.
Wood near foundation feeds termites and termite swarmers
Integrated Pest Management and Pest Control aka Pest ExterminationThis video is a great illustration of termite activity adjacent to a foundation. This home had a termite swarm inside. The finished basement made it impossible to find mud tubes or swarm castles. The home has a brick veneer on it. Termites enter behind the brick veneer below grade through cracks and weep holes below grade and feed up the sheathing behind the veneer. We found these termites under wooden pallets stored under a deck. Do not pile wood on the ground near a home. Keep woodpiles and stored wood raised off the ground and away from the foundation.
Termites are the biggest threat to your home’s structural integrity. They eat wood from the inside out. Termites avoid exposure to light and air. This cryptobiotic nature means they often go unseen until damage or a swarm appears.
Termite swarmers, workers, and soldiers are visible in this video. Swarmers are black with wings resting straight back over the body. Termite workers have a cream color. Soldiers have a cream-colored body with brown heads and pinchers to defend the colony from attack.
The next video shows termites feasting on Sentricon Termite Bait. The only way proven to eliminate termite colonies is by killing the termite queen. We install the bait around the outside perimeter of the foundation of the structure. Baits are spaced 10 to 20 feet apart and put closer together in areas where the activity is heavier or conducive conditions exist. At Greenhow we specialize in termite services such as treatment and control. Call for an inspection and service quote as well as a free consultation.
Greenhow products to solve minor home pest problems.
Integrated Pest Management and Pest Control aka Pest Extermination, Rodent Pest ControlHave a minor pest issue? If it can be resolved with an easily available product we recommend it here. These recommended products are for customers to solve issues they have at their property. We have organized a list of some common products at this Amazon page to make them easy to find. Follow this link to our recommended products page if a technician referred to a product and you are having trouble finding it. For example, Plink for disposal cleaning is listed here to reduce fruit flies. Other effective and often needed products include nets to hang under a bird feeder to catch seed and keep it off the ground.
Lawn Care Goes Green! What does that mean?
Lawn CareWhat does “green” mean?
The answer is (obviously) stated what “green” means to us, GreenHow, Inc. “Green” is a vague or ambiguous term. The term “greenwashing” is a response by consumers to a perceived or real misuse of the term “green.” Generally speaking “green” means environmentally-friendly products and services. Usually it is self imposed by a business, but it can be part of a certification or accreditation process. The term organic is often misused. Organic really means contains carbon, but materials called organic or used in organic production may not always contain carbon. Low impact and more specifically reduced risk materials are great ways to augment organic programs.
In our business lines, which are lawn care, pest control and termite control, the term “green” refers to different aspects. A brief description can help people determine if this fits into what they are looking for from a service provider. Starting with Lawn Care: The four main types of service programs are organic, organic based, low impact and hybrid.
First, organic service uses materials listed on the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) list. This service includes no chemical herbicides or insecticides. Broadleaf weed control and grub control may be added as needed or requested by a customer, but that will make the program not organic any longer.
Second, the organic based service uses blended or bridge materials. These materials are mostly (as a percent of weight) organic and contain synthetic forms of nitrogen. The purpose of the synthetic nitrogen is to 1) provide a more rapid nitrogen or fertility and 2) to allow greater coverage per 1,000 square feet which decreases material and labor costs (and consumer price). This service may be a better option for some customers who are transitioning to organic, and may opt for organic based for one intermediate year from traditional lawn care programs. Broadleaf weed control and grub control may be added as needed or requested.
The low impact lawn care service utilizes more traditional types of materials including synthetic nitrogen with options for herbicide and insecticides as needed depending on the site. This service normally includes preemergent weed control and post emergent weed control. A grub application is normally added to this service.
Finally, the hybrid program starts the year as a low impact program with preemergent and grub control, but finishes as organic based or organic program. The benefit is for customers with heavy weed and insect pressure is protection against summer annual weeds and summer grubs combined with the long term benefits of organic water insoluble nitrogen.
To learn about these programs in further detail, please call and we can walk you through them over the phone or in person at your property. As always, any lawn care program needs the foundation of a soil test, aeration and overseeding and leave the clippings.
-Lauren Greenhow, General Manager, GreenHow, Inc.
www.GreenHow.com. Effective Organic & Low Impact Solutions, Lawn Care, Pest Control & Termite Control in Newton and Metro Boston.
How to tell if a woodpecker is looking for insects?
Insects and EntomologyWoodpecker damage to a home may be related to insects or mating. John Burroughs in A Year in the Fields wrote, “When the woodpecker is searching for food, or laying siege to some hidden grub, the sound of his hammer is dead or muffled and is heard but a few yards…It is only upon dry, seasoned timber, freed of its bark, that he beats his reveille to spring andwooes his mate.” The difference in the sound illustrates the difference in the wood. The muffled sound is the beak on wet wood. Wet wood is no good. Wet wood contains insects that need moisture to survive. The drumming sound on dry wood or other materials like aluminum gutters, plastic trim, or anything noisy is done to get attention from female woodpeckers. The third type of damage is nesting holes. Woodpeckers will create round nesting holes normally in November and February. This damage is circular. Insect excavation is normally linear following insect galleries and damage in the wood.
If you have linear damage, replace the wet wood and call us for a pest control inspection.
Woodpeckers attack structures for many reasons. Spring and fall are the most active times for excavation of nest and roost cavities and to establish territories. Both males and females will drum to mark territory and attract a mate. Woodpeckers will return repeatedly to a site, attacking the area again and again. The reasons for attack include finding food, often carpenter bees, or for a nest cavity or roosting site, or for other social reasons. Typically territorial drumming will be on surfaces that resonate well, such as metal trim, gutters, flashing or downspouts. In order to minimize damage, it is important to take action as soon as a woodpecker begins to attack your home. It may be prudent to continue those measures after the attacking bird has left. To avoid attracting other woodpeckers repair or replace any damaged areas on your home as soon as possible.
Woodpeckers are protected and a permit is needed to kill them from the US Fish and Wildlife service. If a permit is needed, the property owner must contact the USDA and they will help with the permitting. To start the process call Tim Cozine, Certified Wildlife Biologist and Staff Wildlife Biologist, USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services by phone at 866-487-3297.
General woodpecker deterrents and frightening methods.
Birds often acclimate to the same visual stimulus in the same exact place every single day. A moving deterrent or one that is moved is the best type.
Visual deterrents
• Mylar balloons can be tied to corners that are being attacked. They will move and because they will float up can be attached without a ladder. Aluminum foil strips or reflective tape, such as Irri-Tape, manufactured by Bird-X, hung from areas where damage occurs may scare away woodpeckers. The strips should be long enough to hang freely and blow in the breeze. An alternative is windsocks hung from house corners serve the same purpose as aluminum foil and better looking. Handheld windmills, especially those with reflective vanes, can be attached in areas of damage. The motion of the revolving vanes may discourage woodpeckers.
• Terror Eyes manufactured by Bird-X, may prove effective as an alternative to plastic owls. This product bounces from a spring, and the holographic eyes follow the bird in any direction.
Sound deterrents
• With an electronic distress call system, a recording of a woodpecker distress call followed by the call of a predator such as a Sharp-shinned Hawk is broadcast through a speaker system at various intervals to frighten woodpeckers away from your house. One example is BirdXPeller Pro, manufactured by Bird-X.
Sources: Cornell Lab Department of Ornithology, USDA APHIS Wildlife
Growing Degree Days
Integrated Pest Management and Pest Control aka Pest ExterminationUse growing degree days instead of a calendar to determine the best time to scout for and treat for pests. Last April it was cold and snowed. Three years ago March was warm and that carried right into April. Trying to plan what to look for based on a calendar date can be frustrating when dealing with the changes of a New England spring.
Growing degree days in Massachusetts start accumulating on March 1st. After March 1st a simple calculation each day will let you know how many days accumulated.
Calculating GDD is simple math. Add the daily high temperature to the daily low temperature and divide by 2 to get the average daily temperature. If that number is greater than 50 subtract the number by the baseline temperature of 50 degrees. The result equals the number of days accumulated. For example, if today was 65 with a low of 40 the average daily temperature would be 52.5 an accumulation of 2.5 growing degree days.
Gypsy moth eggs hatch after accumulating between 90 and 100 growing degree days. Crabgrass germinates after around 200 growing degree days. Knowing the number of growing degree days necessary for a pest to appear and the number accumulated is a great tool for knowing when to apply preventative materials and when to scout for activity.
Cornell has resources to locate GDD accumulation for different parts of the northeast. The University of New Hampshire has excellent resources about GDD including by pest type, for example GDD’s of landscape pests.
News from the garden.
Integrated Pest Management and Pest Control aka Pest Extermination, Lawn Care, Plant Health Care, Termite Control aka Termite ExterminationSpring growth
We are thinking about ants, pest and termite control. Specifically green pest and green termite control and as we inspect homes, beautiful bulbs are emerging in the gardens.
Here is a snapshot of what is coming up in my garden.
Next, we will see aphids on the ornamental bushes. Now is the time to clean up the debris from winter storms.
Greenie Awards
Integrated Pest Management and Pest Control aka Pest ExterminationThis award recognizes the technician who has gone above and beyond the high level of expectations of his team and customers.
First award winner, Denis Lubega, selected unanimously for his contributions helping customers with rodents this winter.
Make an appointment with this great team.
Tips to selecting a pest control professional
Integrated Pest Management and Pest Control aka Pest ExterminationConsidering professional pest control help? Tips on selecting a professional.
Pick a pro and be in the know! Selecting a pest control professional will not take long if you are prepared to look for the right attributes.
First-who is coming.
A pest control professional is going to be a person you never met, sent to your home to apply materials designed to kill. Check out the standards they follow to hire and train the service team. Look for the QualityPro logo on the company website. This means they have an application and interview standards. The company runs motor vehicle record checks, criminal background checks and do drug testing. Once an employee joins the team, QualityPro company technicians must pass certification tests.
Earned by less than 3% of companies in the United States, the QualityPro designation demonstrates a commitment to excellence and provides consumers with an easy way to identify and be confident in their selection of a quality pest management provider.
Second-local or national.
Do you like local businesses or do you prefer a national organization? Make sure you know where the office of the company you are hiring is located. Do they have a support team in Eastern Massachusetts? Do they team members work for the company or are they subcontractors?
Third-check reviews and references.
Ask your neighbors who they use. Check out online reviews. Look at several review sites and see how local businesses stack up against each other. Do they have references they can share?
Fourth-check to see if they are licensed and in what category.
Many pesticides are not restricted use. In Massachusetts you must have category certification to apply restricted use pesticides. Category certification is similar to supervisory licensing in other states. An applicator needs to show time in the industry or educational courses completed to take a category certification exam. Passing the exam proves knowledge about the specific pests and integrated pest management methods.
Many companies in Massachusetts do not have categories in services they provide because it is not required. Even though it is not required, would you trust an operator who treats for mosquitoes without certification? Or doesn’t employ anyone with the training or experience to pass the state commercial certification for mosquitoes?
The EPA Pesticide Environmental Stewardship page on hiring a professional is an additional resource. Take the time to select the right company. Learn more about the Greenhow Difference.