Bug Zero

Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite!

noreply@blogger.com (Bug Zero) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:25:00 +0000

Checkout this bed bug article published in the Springfield, MO News-Leader. This article contains expert advice from Bug Zero's Michael Woodring for tips of what to look for to determine if you have a bed bug issue.

Bug Zero is a certified Bed Bug Free Company. If you have any evidence of bed bugs contact Bug Zero.

PCT Magazine's Best Pest Photo Contest Finalist

noreply@blogger.com (Bug Zero) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:27:00 +0000

This photo of a Japanese Beetle was submitted by Michael Woodring of Bug Zero as an entry in the 2009 PCT Best Pest Photo Contest. Michael's photo was selected as a finalist from numerous entries from across the country. This means that Michael's submitted photo was among the 10 best photo's submitted according to the PCT judges and will be printed in PCT's February 2010 issue.

Along with the print version, PCT is featuring the photo on their website. Click here to check out the full profile and see other contest entries from across the country.

Congratulations Michael!

A Very Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Bug Zero) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:12:00 +0000

Bug Zero held its annual holiday party on December 15th at Flame Restaurant.
Employees and their spouses enjoyed an evening of fine food and fellowship.
A white elephant gift exchange rounded out the evening of fun!

Bug Zero's Service Area Is Growing

noreply@blogger.com (Bug Zero) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:59:00 +0000

After 19-plus years of service to SW Missouri, Bug Zero has expanded our service area to SE Missouri. Client demand has stretched our original service radius into Arkansas, Kansas, and east to Rolla and West Plains. In order to maintain our standards of customer service and timely response, there is now a Bug Zero headquarters in SE Missouri.

Chris Horrell (right) will operate the SEMO office, based in Cape Girardeau. Chris has the exact blend of qualities necessary to be successful in this endeavor. He has the work ethic learned from growing up on a family farm, a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science from Southeast Missouri State University, and business experience gained from his position with a major telecommunications company that involved responsibility for architecture, design and development work. Bug Zero and our new Clients in SEMO are fortunate to have Chris at the helm of this office.

While some might be afraid to make such a move in this economy, we at Bug Zero believe the time is always right for top quality service at a competitive price. The first few weeks of operation bear this out as we have been welcomed with open arms.

Associated Pest Services- Atlanta Georgia

noreply@blogger.com (Bug Zero) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:08:00 +0000

Bug Zero is a proud member of Associated Pest Services, INC. This past week Michael Woodring of Bug Zero attended a sales and managment conference held by Associated Pest Services, INC in Atlanta Georgia.

Associated's mission is to help member pest management firms achieve success. Associated members meet 3 times per year to share ideas and best practices in an open forum.

Member firms are family owned and operated and are among the finest regional firms in the world, employing over 2000 professionals, with $300 million in annual revenues.

This "invitation only" organization is made up of the most highly respected businesses within their communities and the inidustry, Associated has had more Past Presidents of the National Pest Management Association than any other organization.

This organization gives locally owned and operated member firms the ability to be leaders in the latest integrated pest management techniques.

noreply@blogger.com (Bug Zero) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:05:00 +0000

Michael Woodring and Charles Valentine, of Bug Zero, Inc., attended Bed Bug University, September 14-17 in New Jersey. Bug Zero is now a bedbugFREE Approved Company. Bed Bug University is a one-of-a-kind intensive training program dedicated to effective control of this challenging pest. Bed bugs have emerged as a growing threat to homes, hotels, apartments, and just about any place humans sleep.

Learn more about bed bugs and Bed Bug University at bugzero.com and bedbugcentral.com.

Spiders

noreply@blogger.com (Bug Zero) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:39:00 +0000

http://www.kspr.com/news/local/50056087.html

Spider pressure is increasing right now in the Ozarks and will peak in late summer. Homeowners should focus on sealing entry points, minimizing harborage, and positioning exterior lighting away from the doors and windows. Add an exterior applications from

Bug Zero and these pests will be kept in check.

For more information on our residential service offerings to control spiders please visit: http://www.bugzero.com/insecta-shield.php

Japanese Beetles

noreply@blogger.com (Bug Zero) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:52:00 +0000

http://www.ky3.com/home/video/50087057.html

Japanese Beetles are thriving in the Ozarks right now. KY3 News sought our opinion. See the link above for the full story.

While pheremone attractant bags are available over the counter, oftentimes they actually attract more Japanese Beetles to the area trying to be protected.
A targeted application of an appropriately labled pesticide, applied by a licensed applicator, is the single most effective means of controlling this pest.

Japanese Beetles were introduced into New Jersey on nursery stock from Japan in 1913. Larvae feed on roots of grass, herbaceous plants and nursery stock, while adults feed on foliage and fruit.
Japanese Beetles feed on over 275 plant species. This includes all deciduous tree fruits, many small fruits, vegetables, grasses, and weeds.
Adults are 3/8-1/2 inch (8-10 mm) long, metallic green to greenish bronze with coppery red wings and small white tufts on the sides and tip of the abdomen (see photo above). Larvae are "C"-shaped, cream-colored white grubs with brown heads and are 3/4 - 1 inch (20-25 mm) long when mature.
Grubs overwinter 8-10 inches (20-25 cm) deep in the soil. As spring temperatures increase, the grubs move up in the soil to feed on grass and other small roots. They pupate in late May to June and adults start emerging in late June to mid-July. Adults which live from 30 to 45 days, feed through late summer or early fall. Females lay eggs 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) deep in the soil during July and August, and grubs hatch in 10 to 12 days. Grubs first feed on decaying matter but soon feed on roots as they move deeper to an overwintering site. The eggs and first instar larvae of Japanese beetle are poor at retaining water, consequently they are vulnerable to drought conditions. A general requirement is for a total of 10 inches of rain over June, July and August. Adult populations are commonly reduced in years following summers of inadequate rainfall.
Both adults and larvae cause plant damage, but the host and nature of damage are usually different. Adults cause damage on foliage and flowers of a wide range of hosts and are most active on warm sunny days. The feeding on the upper leaf surface usually results in skeletonization. The grubs, which primarily feed on roots of grasses cause considerable damage to pasture, lawn and golf courses. Feeding damage on roots reduces the ability of grass to take up enough water to withstand stresses of hot and dry weather, and result in dead patches.

BUG ZERO LEADS COOPERATIVE EFFORT TO SAVE VITAL INSECTS

noreply@blogger.com (Bug Zero) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:42:00 +0000

See KSFX news coverage here: http://ozarksfirst.com/content/video/?cid=161762

Bug Zero recently coordinated the safe removal of a large colony of Honey Bees; arguably the most beneficial insect pest known to man.

Combined efforts through Bug Zero, Evangel University, and local Bee Keeper Paul Harris will ensure this colony of bees survives in order to continue pollinating the Ozarks.

Missouri designated the honeybee (Apis mellifera) as the official state insect in 1985. Bee pollination is critical to plant and human survival - beeswax and honey are just surplus gifts from this tiny wonder of nature.

About one-third of the human diet comes from insect-pollinated plants, and the honeybee is responsible for 80 percent of that pollination, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The preservation of this hive of bees is an example of Bug Zero's use of Integrated Pest Management (an ecological approach with a main goal of significantly reducing or eliminating the use of pesticides while at the same time managing pest populations at an acceptable level)

BUG ZERO SUPPORTS ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL

noreply@blogger.com (Bug Zero) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:41:00 +0000

Bug Zero was honored when asked by the Springfield Home Builders Association and Sam Bradley Homes to participate in this years St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway.

Bug Zero provided a complete termite treatment to the home located in the Lions Gate subdivision in Southwest Springfield.

Unlike conventional soil treatments, Bug Zero used the newest "GREEN" treatment option available...BoraCare! This product is applied directly to the homes wood structure, not the ground, eliminating the need to pump pesticides into the ground.

BoraCare is a low toxicity wood preservative that has a low environmental impact. It protects wood structures from most wood destroying organisms including subterranean termites, wood destroying beetles, carpenter ants, and decay fungi.
BoraCare is a combination of the naturally found mineral borate and a patented mixture of glycol-based components that easily absorb into the porous fibers of wood and draw the borates with it. Since borates don't break down, the protection from termites and their ability to tube over wood and cement remains for the life of the wood.

As soon as beetles and ants attempt to consume treated wood they die. Subterranean termites won't even try to eat treated wood and if they attempt to build a tube on treated wood, the termites start to die. This alerts the termite colony and they abandon the wood structure.

http://www.springfieldhba.com/

http://www.sambradleyhomes.com/

Bug Zero featured on KSFX

noreply@blogger.com (Bug Zero) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:29:00 +0000

Defending Your Home from Ant Attacks

http://ozarksfirst.com/content/fulltext/?cid=157482 id=157482

(Springfield, MO) -- One of the most heated battles is firing up in the Ozarks right now including in many of your homes.About this time every year, the assault begins. The attack can come from nearly anywhere. The trenches, neighbors front yard, even your kitchen sink.The front lines for Joan Johnson aren't in the deserts of Iraq or Afghanistan, but under her kitchen sink."They're pesky animals, they just like to get in where the food is," says Johnson.Nearly every year, Johnson says an explosion of odorous house ants rock her world."Probably a couple dozen at one time," says Johnson.Bret Lovekamp, Bug Zero Technician, adds, "It seems like we've had a lot of calls this year. A lot to do with the rain. Rain tends to make ants move."Exterminators like Lovekamp say the pests pick their point of attack carefully, usually targeting sweets and proteins. In the war on bugs, experts say over the counter sprays will work. But you do need to be careful."Sometimes that can actually split nests. Just because you're taking that away, where they're coming in at, so if they sense any time of danger, they're going to find a different place to leave." explains Lovekamp. If you don't have time to bring in professional reinforcements, Lovekamp says there are other ways to build a barrier.He advises, "Maintain a clean environment. They tend to find if you have food sitting out, or trash or anything like that you've got around the house, they'll find it."Exterminators say if there are ants in your home, it's important to try and get rid of them early. It's not uncommon for ants to move their nests indoors and live near a water source inside your home. Pest experts say you also need to identify the ant. Different species require different types of extermination methods.

Bug Zero contributes to Alzheimer's Association's Memory Walk

noreply@blogger.com (Bug Zero) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:21:00 +0000

www.alz.org/swmo

September 26th, 2009

Jordan Valley Park- Springfield, MO

Bug Zero is proud to make a monetary contribution to the Alzheimer's Association's 2009 Memory Walk.

Bug Zero donates to "Taste of the Ozarks" fundraiser

noreply@blogger.com (Bug Zero) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:32:00 +0000

Bug Zero donates to "Taste fo the Ozarks" raffle. Proceeds support over 1400 local children who benefit from services provided by Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks.

www.bigbro.com

Taste of the Ozarks

July 30, 2009
Time: 6:00 pm

Location: University Plaza Convention Center

Join Big Brothers Big Sisters for an evening of great food from local restaurants, exceptional silent and live auction items, a raffle for $25,000 and huge fun!

Bug Zero to attend Bed Bug University

noreply@blogger.com (Bug Zero) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:29:00 +0000

Bed Bug University is held in Lawrenceville, NJ and is an intensive 4 day course which includes extensive bed bug biology and behavior, explores the unique legal challenges of bed bugs, reviews all of the Bed Bug Central protocols and philosophies in detail along with the challenges bed bugs pose. Collectively this information will provide the student the information about what it takes to be a "bedbugFREE" company. Field training will be part of the University, where students will take what they learn in the classroom and see how it is applied in a field setting. Students will also be exploring business models, marketing and pricing of bed bug services. Students will leave the University with a complete understanding of what it takes to be bedbugFREE and will be prepared to seize bed bug opportunities.

Bug Zero Sponsors 4th Annual Charity Shoot Out for Autism

noreply@blogger.com (Bug Zero) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 22:53:00 +0000

Bug Zero supports Autism Speaks by sponsoring the 4th Annual Charity Shoot Out for Autism. The Shoot Out for Autism is an annual charity sporting clays tournament held at Ozark Shooters Sports Complex. This year more than $7,000 were raised for Autism Speaks; the largest non for profit organization dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism.

http://ozarksfirst.com/content/fulltext/?cid=151712

http://www.autismspeaks.org/

http://www.shootoutforautism.com/

Are GPS units in jeopardy?

noreply@blogger.com (Bug Zero) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:31:00 +0000

Bug Zero opinion sought by KSFX.

http://ozarksfirst.com/content/fulltext/?cid=151611

Problematic Ants!

noreply@blogger.com (Bug Zero) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:59:00 +0000

Ants… They're a problem.No matter how your home or business is constructed, where it's located, or how old it is, it could be invaded by ants. Expansion joints, foundation cracks, and tiny gaps around plumbing are all opportunities for pests to enter. It's a frustrating problem for millions of business owners and homeowners who find themselves in a battle to get rid of ants. In fact, ants are the number one "nuisance pest" in the U.S. and the one that seem to multiply faster by the hour. They enter because that’s where food and water are.The good news is we can get rid of your ants.Your Bug Zero technician will apply non repellent, low odor insecticides to both the exterior and interior perimeters of you’re home or business to eliminate the ants today, and prevent ants tomorrow.