Sunday, August 24, 2014

Cascade's New Informative Rodent Video

We at Cascade Pest Control are happy to announce a new and very informative video about rodents: Rats and Mice, their behavior and examples of what might be found at a home. In the video we explore rat evidenced and signs, what rodents eat, and the many places in a home that rats and mice can gain entry. We explore the house exterior, roof, crawlspace and more. Rats are an important pest in the greater Seattle area and they run rampant on Mercer Islann, and in communities like Medina, Bellevue, Issaquah and Kirkland laregly due to all the waterfront areas. But rats are not confined there. Rat populations are soaring throughout the eastside (of Lake Washington), south King county and throughout most of Snohomish county due to the growth in human population. Rats are "commensal rodents" meaning they live with or near humans--actually dependent on human habitation. So rats are now being found throughout all residential neighborhoods, whether urban or suburban. Rats also cause considerable damage to homes and can carry harmful diseases. Please take a look at our rodent vieo to learn more. http://www.cascadepest.com/videos/

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Abundant Blackberries in Seattle Area Invite Rats

This hot and dry summer has been a boon to the blackberry patches in and around the greater Seattle area. Throughout King and Snohomish counties we have loads of blackberry bushes, sometimes taking over corners of lots, or even whole vacant lots. These berries are a source of enjoyment for all of us each year. However, these same blackberries--along with other berries and fruits--atract rats. And the blackberry vines and bushes create well hidden spaces for them to hide. Rats and other pests thrive on the berries this time of year, encouraging them to bread and multiply while the food is plentiful. Later, after the rat population has increased and it gets cold, the rats will tend to move into the attics, garages and crawlspaces of our homes. This hot and dry summer has been a boon to the blackberry patches in and around the greater Seattle area. Throughout King and Snohomish counties we have loads of blackberry bushes, sometimes taking over corners of lots, or even whole vacant lots. These berries are a source of enjoyment for all of us each year. However, these same blackberries--along with other berries and fruits--atract rats. And the blackberry vines and bushes create well hidden spaces for them to hide. Rats and other pests thrive on the berries this time of year, encouraging them to bread and multiply while the food is plentiful. Later, after the rat population has increased and it gets cold, the rats will tend to move into the attics, garages and crawlspaces of our homes. http://nematode.unl.edu/norway_rat1.jpg We're not suggesting you remove all blackberries from you property. Nor could you remove them from adjacent or nearby property without permission. Plus, the blackberries are for you to enjoy. But if you have blackberries growing nearby it is all the more reason to have Cascade set up a protective barrier around your home and service it often enough to keep the rats at bay. So, enjoy those blackberries...and have Cascade protect your home today. 1-888-989-9879 We're not suggesting you remove all blackberries from you property. Nor could you remove them from adjacent or nearby property without permission. Plus, the blackberries are for you to enjoy. But if you have blackberries growing nearby it is all the more reason to have Cascade set up a protective barrier around your home and service it often enough to keep the rats at bay. So, enjoy those blackberries...and have Cascade protect your home today. 1-888-989-9879

Pregnant Mother of Four Dies from Bee Stings

A young mother of four children from the state of Vriginia died from wasps stings. She was only 32 years old and pregnant with her fifth child. http://freeyellowjacketremoval.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/YellowJacket.jpeg While this is rare, the wasps encountered are plentiful here in the greater Seattle area. During August and September wasp nests, particularly Yellow Jackets, have populations of up to four thousand in any one nest! Problems we've encountered with wasps and yellow jackets in the Seattle area, Bellevue and Redmond include wall nests that can break into the living space of the home presenting an escalated risk to people and pests. What happens is the wasps nest in wall cavities or in attics just above the ceiling, and the wasps slowly scratch through the sheetrock until there is only a layer of paper and paint separating them from the home interior. We at Cascade have had a number of people over the years call us from their neighbor's house because they were driven out from the yellow jackets breaking through the wall and invading their home. In a few cases we caught the situation before they'd broken through. If you have wasps, yellow jackets or other pests--or, better yet, to set up pest protection before it's a problem, call Cascade today! 1-888-989-78979 WWW.CASCADEPEST.COM

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Animated Video on Rat Infestation and Control

Cascade Pest Control is delighted to announce that we have released a great animation that depicts rodent problems in a home in a way that is both thorough and entertaining. View the video. The video dramatizes rat infestation and consequences accurately to educate the public. Rats are an important pest in the greater Seattle area, including The Eastside, Bellevue, Redmond, Everett and beyond. The video, while short, demonstrates the "how" and "why" of rat and rodent control, including assessment, initial control, exclusion and periodic service.

Cascade Pest Control's Rodent Service from No Pests on Vimeo.

Spiders Can Kill - Fortunately Brown Recluse Not Normally Found in Seattle Area

At least two people have died in the US in 2014 from the bites of brown recluse spiders. One was reported from Mulberry Conty, Florida, where a 62-year-old man, Ronald Reese, was renovating a home and got bitten on the back of his neck. His father, 89, reported that Ron thought it would heal on it's own but that, instead, it "rotted to the vertbrae." Brown Recluse spider bites often do heal, but because they break down red blood cells and can become systemic they should always be checked by medical professionals. Obviously, some can cause death. The most recent death attributed to brown recluse spiders occured in Michigan--a rare case for that area. The woman was 58 years old and was bitten on her foot. Similarly, she rsisted seeing a doctor until it was too late. Usually, a brown recluse bite on a foot woiuldn't be fatal but the bite ocurred directly into a blood vessel, allowing the venum to ciculate into the blood stream. By the time an ambulence came she was non-responsive. She died shortly thereafter. While we have no resident brown recluse spider population in the Puget Sound region, they can conceivably be shipped from the south central part of the United States. Also, while a spider bite here shouldn't be from a brown recluse, we do have the aggressive house spider and the hobo spider--both of which can cause severe symptoms, apparently including auditory hallucinations in some cases. For more information about local spiders and their control contact Cascade Pest Control.