Sentricon HD Bait now is patented.

Termites active in Sentricon AG (above ground) station.

Dow announced that Recruit HD bait was given a patent.  They credit the rapid adoption of the HD bait in helping get patent protection.  We switched all our existing bait stations to HD as soon as it was available and unlike other companies that offer ESP and HD we only utilize HD for its ability to control termites and the fact termites prefer HD bait over wood.  HD bait improves in the ground, it gets better with age from the perspective of termites.
Read more about the patent at the Dow blog.



-Lauren Greenhow, General Manager, GreenHow, Inc. GreenHow.com. Effective Organic and Low Impact Solutions, Lawn Care, Pest Control and Termite Control in Newton and Metro Boston.

Termites Swarming!

It has been a busy few weeks around eastern Massachusetts, with two warmer days leading to some spotty termite swarming. Affected homes and homeowners usually discovered hundreds of wings on the floor and furniture, or hundreds of wings and what resemble ants, small, black, but with a thick waist (unlike the pinched waist of an ant). Continued cool temperatures will reduce termite swarming until it gets warm, over 75 or 80 degrees F. If you suspect a swarm has occured in your home, call a professional and have it inspected.
-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.

Flying Ants.

Often the first time a customer has an idea about a termite infestation is the spring swarm. Termite swarmers differ from ants because they have a thick waist where ants have a pinched waist. Termite swarmers are black, which differ from the white of the workers. Most companies will inspect the home for termites at the time of any pest issue, even ants and mice.
-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.

What does green mean? Continued.

Termite Control: The most difficult area to be green. Our use of the Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination system, an EPA Presidential Green Chemistry Award Winner, relies on grams of material instead of gallons to control termites. We first used Sentricon in 1996, and as a system has evolved over time, becoming more effective. In the meantime, at least 4 other liquid termiticides have made the rounds from favored product to disappearing. The strategies are the same with non repellent liquid or bait, a few termites get involved with the active material and are used to eliminate the rest of the colony, the difference is the amount of pesticide (volume) used to control them. Since I am writing about green, here is our ecological commitment.
Our Ecological Commitment: At our offices, on the road, we commit to reducing the amount of resources it takes to bring solutions to you. That means eliminating paper use wherever possible, cutting electric and fuel consumption. That means designing service routes that are as efficient as possible and using the most fuel efficient service vehicles with alternative fuels if available. It also means making your green life simpler, by offering a simple fluorescent bulb disposal program and by setting up your family’s composting program. Whether we are in our office or your home or business, our commitment is to save resources and source supplies locally.
In our office, we reuse materials, avoid printing whenever possible. Our business has regulations that require we use paper to document material usage and provide certain information to customers and regulators. As much as we can, we minimize that use. Then, when it comes time to get rid of the old deposit slips or other records, we shred them and introduce them to the compost pile, where they serve as the brown ratio (remember 3 to 1, brown to green) when leaves are not available.
-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.

Getting close to time for termites

With active interior mud tubes being found and termite swarm's starting to peek out, we are getting close to time for termites. Weather over the next few days is expected to top 50 degrees Fahrenheit and if you add a period of rain, increasing humidity, we are reminded that spring is on its way. These winter weather breaks are usually followed by more cold, snow and ice, but serve as welcome reminders that spring is imminent. We have begun urgently preparing for spring with the feeling that (like every year) it seems to approach faster than we expect it. That means ordering materials, reviewing our Sentricon Installation and Maintenance Procedures, and honing our inspection skills. We are excited to continue to use the Sentricon Colony Elimination System, a winner of the Presidential Green Chemistry Award and registered under the EPA's Reduced Risk Pesticide Initiative, this system is both effective and low-impact. Those properties of the system dovetail nicely with our customers goals of having an effective and environmentally friendly solution to their termite problems.
Here's to looking forward to spring.
-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.