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west nile virus is TOO CLOSE TO HOME...

9/28/2018

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As you may recently have read or viewed on local news, a Florence, SC resident has contracted West Nile Virus after being bitten by a mosquito as reported by WMBF News.

These are a few ways to reduce the mosquito population around your home.

  1. Empty or get rid of containers, old tires, etc. that can hold stagnating water
  2. Eliminate standing water in saucers under potted plants
  3. Empty and wash birdbaths weekly
  4. Keep your roof gutters free of leaves and other debris
  5. Examine flat roofs after rains to be sure no water remains on them
  6. Keep screens on doors and windows in good repair
  7. If you use barrels/containers to collect rainwater for watering gardens, cover them with screening to keep out debris and mosquitoes. Keep the screens clear of debris as well
  8. Store boats, canoes and other objects so that they do not collect rainwater
  9. Cover or drain unused swimming pools. If you cover them with a tarp, make sure you remove leaves and other debris that collect on the surface
  10. Correct drainage problems in your yard that allow rainwater to pool in low lying areas

YOU MAY BE SURPRISED HOW AFFORDABLE PROFESSIONAL MOSQUITO REDUCTION ACTUALLY IS.
FOR A FREE MOSQUITO EVALUATION, CALL TODAY. 843-756-2436
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Fire Ants

3/29/2016

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Are Your Pets Protected Against Fire Ants?
 
We love our pets at Ecotec. A serious concern this spring for our pets is definitely fire ants.
 
You may not know, but fire ants can cause serious health problems for your pets. Fire ants can sting and occasionally threaten the life of small animals. Pets with health problems or limited mobility are the most vulnerable of being affected by stinging fire ants.
 
Check areas around your lawn for mounds. Mounds that contain thousands of stinging fire ants can be a threat to small animals when disturbed by pets playing, running or digging outside. Another area to keep an eye on is in your pet’s feeding area. Fire ants are attracted to pet food, where they can bury themselves making it dangerous for pets to eat.
 
If you want to worry less about fire ants, just give us a call. We offer a service that will control fire ants for one year! One of our pest experts will inspect and treat your outdoor area. If you see fire ants for one whole year, just give us a call. We will come back at no extra charge!
 
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insects: Friend or foe?

5/22/2015

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When does an insect become a pest?

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We are always talking about beneficial insects vs. nuisance pests that invade our customer's homes, especially in the spring and summer months. There is so  much to consider when determining a custom pest control plan for a customer. We have to inspect to determine current pest activity in the home, as well as nesting areas, harborage areas and conducive conditions that bring the pests into the home and outdoor activity areas that are considered invasive.

Take a look at this little guy buzzing in the video above. In the spring,
he happens to be a wonderful pollinator. This bee is often mistaken for a honey bee. You would never know that he is a wood boring bee, known as the Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa spp.). Carpenter bees construct nests in exterior wood such as siding, fascia boards, porch ceilings, window sills and trim. A round entrance hole is a chewed in the wood surface then a tunnel is bored that can be used year after year. This tunneling eventually weakens the wood. Entrance holes can allow water to get in and cause wood to rot. Not to mention, can later be used as infesting areas for other pests, such as beetles, moths, wasps and ants.

Pest control is about knowing the biology, habits and management of each insect we come across. Each of these elements determines how we will go about developing a custom pest control plan that is not only considerate of the customer's needs, but also conscious of the benefits of each insect in it's natural environment.

Whether found in the forest or around blooming flowers, the carpenter bee is in it's natural habitat. However, if you find your home or garage is riddled with carpenter bee holes, we recommend treatment to the immediate area, as well as caulking or repairing the holes to prevent bees from enlarging the tunnels year after year. 

Here are a couple of tips for prevention and identification:

Because unfinished wood surfaces are more likely to be attacked than finished wood, painting or staining is also recommended to resist carpenter bee attack. Prevention is always best.

If you notice yellowish or brownish stains on the side of the home, just below entrance holes, you may have a problem.

You may notice the adults in spring and summer.

As you can see there is a lot of knowledge behind every pest control treatment, making each job interesting and challenging.




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the bed bug battle:  MAN SETS RENTAL CAR ON FIRE WHILE TRYING TO KILL BED BUGS. 

4/16/2015

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Bed bugs can live just about anywhere!

Just yesterday, it was all over the news that a Long Island man set his rental car ablaze while trying to rid the car of bedbugs.


Don't go to extremes trying to solve your bed bug problems.

We have a bed bug expert at Ecotec that knows how to help you!

Call us today.  843.756.2436
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The history of the palmetto bug

3/23/2015

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In the office, we continually say... "Oh you must have Palmetto Bugs!" because people move to the coastal areas of South Carolina and are not used to these creepy crawling, flying creatures that invade their space from the outside. One day, Dottie asked if the Palmetto bug a.k.a., the American cockroach, got it's name from living in the Palmetto State. So, we looked it up.

We found an article with more interesting facts other than where Palmetto bugs originated.

What do you think? Can Palmetto bugs be taught how to sit and roll over?

It is strange to think of the troublesome bugs as circus animals or Broadway stars, however according to the fascinating history of the Palmetto Bug this is exactly what happened! Discover how you can turn your household pest into a household pet by reading the entertaining article below from The Palm Beach Post. 

Here is a link to the full article:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2206&dat=19840531&id=-tAmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vwIGAAAAIBAJ&pg=1438,4527536&hl=en


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termite facts

2/18/2015

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            wow!                      hungry critters.                 How long?

Annually, Subterranean termites cause more
property damage than fire and windstorms combined.
Termites eat 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week.
A termite queen can
live up to 20 years.

for a complimentary inspection, call 843-756-2436!

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veterans day 2014

11/11/2014

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Ticks in South Carolina

9/25/2014

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A Ticky Situation.

Just a couple of days ago, I was enjoying a walk at Hunting Island State Park.  I had no idea that during this time I had become a host for six little creatures having a feast.  That is right... six little, tiny creatures... Ticks. 

Just before leaving, I noticed a speck of dirt crawling on my arm.  That was a freak out moment for me to say the least because... Where there is one, there are MORE!  Sure enough, I ended up finding six ticks that looked just like freckles on my skin.

I thought I would share some information on ticks, straight from Clemson University, Department of Entomology.

Ticks are closely related to scorpions, spiders and mites.  They are not insects.  They are external parasites that need a blood meal to survive and reproduce. Ticks can feed on humans and other mammals, reptiles, birds or even frogs.  All life stages of ticks feed on blood.  Ticks can transmit several diseases, such as Lyme disease, rocky mountain spotted fever, tick paralysis, and others, but most tick bites do not result in illness.

There are about 80 different kinds of ticks in the United States.  However, more common in South Carolina are:

Wood Tick

The name wood tick is used for many ticks including the blacklegged or deer tick, lone star tick and American dog tick.  These are usually found in woodland areas.  If a home is built in an area that was recently a field or forest, there is a higher chance that these ticks will be close-by.  They crawl around for several hours often before attaching themselves to a host, so they may be accidentally brought into a home on pets or clothing.  Wood ticks do not establish populations indoors.

Brown Dog Tick

The brown dog tick can be a nuisance in the home.  It is one of only a few ticks that will infest a structure.  The brown dog tick prefers to feed on dogs, but will occasionally feed on other hosts, such as humans.

They usually are found only where dogs occur.  They can be picked up in such common places as infested homes, kennels, veterinarian’s office, or outdoor areas frequented by an infested animal.  On the animal, the larval and nymphal stages of the tick are normally found in the long hair along the back of a dog.  The adult stage is found in the ear or between the toes.  When an infestation occurs indoors, ticks will be found in cracks, crevices, behind baseboards and in other protected places close to the floor.  Since the brown dog tick and adult female can lay as many as 5,000 eggs, the infestation can be very large.

Although avoiding tick infested areas is the best way to prevent tick bites, what happens when you have an infestation around your home or worse, in your home?

HERE ARE A FEW THINGS YOU CAN DO:

  1. If you have noticed a problem with rodents or other wild animals, such as raccoons or opossums, take measures to remove them from your home and yard. 
  2. Keep shrubs trimmed along the paths near your home. 
  3. Keep grass mowed, and remove weeds, brush and leaf litter close to your house to reduce tick problems.
  4. Make sure you consult your vet for medication or collars to help with control of ticks for your pets.
  5. For your home and areas surrounding your home, the solution is to call Ecotec!













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Ecotec Pest Control Ice bucket challenge!

8/29/2014

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There is nothing like an ice cold bucket of water to start the day!  The employees at Ecotec Pest Control woke up bright and early to take the ALS Challenge!  Lou Gehrig's Disease is close to our hearts and we will also be donating to continue our support.  We challenge YOU to do the same!  Have some laughs and enjoy our video.
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what a bright idea!

7/1/2014

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Have you ever noticed all of the bugs around your porch lights at night?  If you have incandescent lighting in your outdoor living areas, switch from white to yellow bulbs. The wavelengths of yellow bulbs are less visible to most bugs than those of white bulbs. 

If they can't see a light source, they can't swarm there! 

Who knew? This is definitely something to try in the long summer months of South Carolina.
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