Beetles

To the right you will see a section of bamboo floor with beetle exit holes marked with red circles. The large oblong circle also covers a difficult to see powderpost beetle frass. This was found by the owner of a Boston condo in a 6 unit 5 year old building. Traditionally, the treatment options were fumigation or removal of the infested wood in finished wood like this because surface treatments would not be effective due to the wood finish.

-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.

Valentine's Day Lovebug

  The Lovebug is a small black fly that is common in areas of South, Central and Gulf Coast North America.  The male and female Lovebugs are known for their large swarms twice a year.  Lovebugs will mate and remain attached for days, even in flight, leading to their name.  These bugs are unfortunately attracted to vehicle exhaust, especially diesel exhaust, and end up in large numbers near roads and highways.  They are so numerous near highways they cover windshields, body panels and even radiators leading to engine overheating in extreme cases.  In entomological terms, the name Lovebug lets you know it is not a true bug.  True bugs, order Hemiptera, have a space between the name and the word bug, like Bed bug.  Ladybugs and Lovebugs are not true bugs, so have no space in the name.  The Disney movie of the same name is based on the Volkswagen Beetle, but rules don't apply when describing a car.

-Sean Greenhow

Consumer Information Bulletins

Each year we mail and email the Massachusetts Consumer Information Bulletins for pest control, termite control, lawn care and plant health care to all our active customers.
If you did not receive one, or would like another copy, please follow this link to the Pesticide Consumer Information Bulletin web page.

Sean Greenhow
Greenhow, Inc

Santa Fe Warranty Increasing

The reason we sell Santa Fe dehumidifiers from Thermastor is the great customer service.  They just increased the warranty to 6 years on their dehumidifiers, the best in the industry.
A great machine that removes twice the water at 1/5 of the power of a appliance store machine
AND it operates at low temperatures typically found in basements
WITH a industry best 6 year warranty
AND it is backed up by the best customer service in the industry.
We sell, install and service Santa Fe dehumidifiers even offering free loaner machines if yours has to be brought in for service.  The combination of the Santa Fe machine with our quality installation and service makes it easy to deal with New England humidity issues.
Sean Greenhow
Greenhow, Inc.

Little Black Ants-In Winter

Its the middle of winter and you are seeing little black ants.  In Metro Boston, we see Pavement ants and White Footed ants showing up inside, especially in kitchens and finished basements and also around fireplaces and furnaces.  The solution is simple, clean the areas of food, and use an appropriate bait along the ant trails.  The ants should be gone in 24 hours.  A small number of ants may be seen around 7 to 10 days later as the ants pupate inside the colony and emerge, but the remaining bait at the ant trails will make sure this is a brief event.  If the bait has dried out or become compromised, rebait the trails.


-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.

Keeping Rodents Out

If you see mouse droppings, or a mouse, it is time to take action:  Trap, Block, & Clean Up.

Trap:  Set up traps inside. If you are uncertain where your mice may be, focus on warm areas, like under the refrigerator where the compressor keeps the area warm.

Block:  Try to block mice from getting in.  This may be a huge task in some New England homes, especially those with older foundations, stone foundations, or porches and decks you cannot get under.  Your foundation is your frontline.  Filling mouse holes is like filling pot holes, it should be done regularly because rodents will make new openings and the expansion and contraction of buildings in the northeast climate can create openings, particularly where wood and cement or concrete meet (the foundation) or around door seals, such as garage door bases and trim seals.

Clean up:  Clean up, carefully, by spraying the droppings with water, or a light soapy water (to keep dust down) and then pad the droppings up with a disposable paper towel or napkin. Please don't vacuum rodent droppings since action may pull any harmful microorganisms into the air or onto other surfaces where they can cause an illness.

-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.

January is the month for catching up

January is the month for catching up with cleaning, organizing, blogging.  The space after the hectic end of year allows time for planning the new year and organizing to make sure those plans happen.
How many times do you think about taking advantage of the change in the calendar to make changes to your environment? Clean the attic or basement, the desk or the closet? Resolve to organize the paperwork in your life? I suggest you take advantage of your motivation and dig into any piles of stuff that are hanging around and clean them out. You should donate or discard any clutter that keeps you from seeing what is really important. An added benefit is reduced clutter will take away harborages for any pest and even dust.

-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.