Latest news with #pestcontrol
The Sun
2 hours ago
- General
- The Sun
Expert reveals surprising reason wasps are swarming your garden this summer – and how to get rid of them
EVERYONE has a spring in their step when the sun comes out. But warmer weather means more bugs - including wasps. 2 2 Pest control experts say this year has been particularly bad for the stinging insects with reports of 'monster' nests in homes and gardens. Homeowners are turning to homemade deterrents to keep pests at bay. But one expert says while these can work, the real issue could be how you're storing your outdoor items. Scott Evans, a storage expert from Pink Storage, says that poor storage habits in summer could be creating the perfect environment for wasps to nest, especially in garden sheds, cushion boxes and patio storage containers. Scott said: "We often think of storage as just a way to tidy up the garden, but for wasps, it's a ready-made hideout. "If you've left food smells, sugary drinks or damp cushions in a box that isn't sealed properly, you might as well put out a welcome sign for them." Soft, undisturbed materials combined with heat create ideal nesting conditions for wasps, the experts say, so patio cushion boxes and garden benches are often the worst offenders. Scott said: "Make sure cushions are completely dry before storing and, where possible, bag them in airtight liners before placing them in boxes. "Even a slightly open lid is all a queen wasp needs to move in." Sheds and garages are another hot spot, especially when clutter builds up and corners, left untouched for weeks. How to Keep Wasps, Bees, and Flies Out of Your Home with a 5p Onion Hack The expert explains: "People often chuck things in their shed after a BBQ or garden party and forget about them. "But wasps love dark, quiet spaces, and if there's a leftover drinks can or food packaging, they'll find it." It's not just large nests that cause problems, Scott says. Even small, early-stage nests can expand rapidly if left undisturbed, leading to swarms of angry insects within days. That's why regular checks and routine tidying are essential throughout the warmer months. You should also check around bin storage areas, especially if bins are kept near outdoor storage units or fence panels. Scott said: "Sweet spills or juice leaks can attract pests instantly, and if there's a nearby storage box or shed with easy access, that's where they'll go to build." Wasps become aggressive in late summer and become more than just a nuisance, just before they die off. So if you want to keep them out of your garden, you need to act fast, according to Scott. He added: "You don't have to spend a fortune on wasp sprays. "A bit of peppermint oil in corners or a garlic-and-water mix sprayed near boxes can act as a natural repellent. "But the key is prevention, and that starts with smart storage."
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Greenix Joins Forces with Gridiron Capital to Fuel Growth
Customer-Focused, High-Performance Pest Control Platform Begins New Era of Growth with Gridiron Capital OREM, Utah, July 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Greenix Pest Control ("Greenix"), one of the nation's fastest-growing residential pest control companies, today announced a strategic partnership with Gridiron Capital Partners. This milestone marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Greenix as it accelerates the growth of its high-performance platform and reinforces its leadership in the pest control industry. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Orem, Utah, Greenix now protects more than 250,000 homes across 19 markets in 16 states. With 37 branches and a strong footprint in the Midwest and Northeast, Greenix delivers comprehensive pest management services—from general residential pest control to targeted treatments for rodents, mosquitoes, ticks, termites, and bed bugs. "This partnership with Gridiron Capital is a pivotal step toward unlocking the full potential of our exceptional team and platform," said Bob Nilsen, CEO of Greenix. "From our first conversations, it was clear that Gridiron shares our purpose-driven mindset—a deep commitment to people, and a core ethos centered on integrity, and excellence. We're energized to partner with a group that not only brings proven results, but also truly values what makes Greenix different." The Greenix team has collectively achieved rapid, values-led growth while remaining focused on long-term customer care. Since partnering with Riata Capital Group in 2020, Greenix has: Increased households served and revenue by over 150%, driven primarily by organic growth Generated over 40% of annual sales through digital channels Completed and integrated five strategic acquisitions, including:-Rise Pest Control (2021)-Bamboo Services (2023)-Insight Pest Solutions (2024)-ProActive/Spidexx (2025)-Rove Pest Control (2025) "Our time with Riata was transformational," Nilsen added. "Their belief in our vision helped us scale responsibly, expand into new markets, and invest in the people and technology that power our platform. But more than anything, we've preserved the customer-first, mission-driven culture that defines us. Gridiron's focus on building enduring, values-aligned businesses makes them the ideal partner for our next chapter." The new partnership positions Greenix for continued success through organic growth and strategic acquisitions, with an emphasis on market expansion, innovation, and cultural continuity under one unified brand. William Blair served as lead financial advisor. Kirkland & Ellis provided legal counsel. LR Tullius also advised Greenix on the transaction. About Greenix Pest Control Greenix is one of the largest independent residential pest control companies in the United States, delivering safe, eco-friendly pest control solutions that protect people, pets, and property. Ranked the 13th largest pest control service platform in the U.S. by Pest Control Technology (PCT), Greenix serves over 250,000 customers through 37 branches across 19 markets in 16 states. With a steadfast commitment to operational excellence, innovation, and purpose-driven service, Greenix continues to set the standard in customer care and sustainable growth. Learn more at About Gridiron Capital Gridiron Capital is a private equity firm that partners with founders and management teams to build market-leading companies in the business services, consumer, and niche industrial sectors. For more information, visit For media inquiries, please contact:Ben CranerEmail: media@ Web: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Greenix Pest Control Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Al Arabiya
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Locusts spread in Ukraine's south as war disrupts control measures
A massive locust invasion is threatening sunflower and other crops in Ukraine's southern regions, largely caused by the war against Russia's invasion that makes it impossible to use traditional pest control methods, officials and producers say. Locusts, which can destroy huge areas of crops in a matter of days, traditionally breed in secluded places along rivers or in uncultivated areas, and controlling that is almost impossible in regions neighboring the frontline. The situation is complicated by record high temperatures this summer, the inability to use aircraft for locust control and the absence of birds - locusts' natural predators - which are avoiding the combat zone. Local and government officials declined to provide data on the extent of the locust infestation or damage caused so far. Ukraine is the world's largest sunflower oil exporter and before the war ranked fifth among wheat exporters. Swarms of locusts are covering roads, fields and bushes in Zaporizhzhia region and farmers say the insects have destroyed up to a third of their sunflower crops. 'We saw a big swarm. And the next day the 'infantry' marched in. The small ones, they ate everything that was hanging low, they ate everything,' said Oleh Tolmatov, 46, a resident of Kushuhum village in Zaporizhzhia region. Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022, has partially occupied the southern Ukrainian regions of Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv and Kherson, forcing farmers to abandon their fields. Grains and oilseeds are traditional crops for these regions. 'The reason for all of this is high temperatures, the reason for all of this is abandoned land, the reason for all of this is the corresponding Russian aggression,' Vadym Chaikovskyi, Ukraine's Chief Phytosanitary Inspector, told Reuters. Denys Marchuk, deputy head of Ukraine's largest farm producers' union UAC, said that the destruction of the Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River by Russian troops two years ago had created huge swampy areas where locusts are breeding. Kyiv says that Russia blew up the Kakhovka dam in the summer of 2023, draining thousands of square kilometers of the former reservoir and leaving farms and Europe's largest nuclear power plant without water.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Climate change helping rats thrive in Canada, experts say
After years of rising complaints and worsening infestations, Toronto has all-but-officially declared a war on rats—one made necessary for reasons that may (or may not) surprise you. 'Climate change is a huge, huge driver here,' said City Councillor Alejandra Bravo in an interview with The Weather Network, explaining that Canada's cold winter temperatures once served as a natural form of pest-control. Not to mention birth control. DON'T MISS: 'But with climate change, they can reproduce constantly,' she said. 'A single pair can produce hundreds of offspring in one year. Maybe even as high as one thousand.' Orkin Canada's Bernie Grafe agreed that earlier springs and longer warm seasons are allowing rats to both survive in greater numbers and breed at breakneck speeds. 'Plus you're getting a rodent population that is getting smarter, getting more resilient,' he said. 'The longer that a rodent population will exist within a confined structure, the longer they have the ability to adapt. They just get smarter to the environment. They also get smarter at eluding traps. I mean, we have videos showing rats picking up sticks to set off rat traps, right?' Warmer temperatures due to climate change have helped rat populations grow in urban centres such as Toronto. (A Shot of Wildlife) Climate + construction = perfect rat storm It's not just the warmer weather. In Canada's biggest cities, rats are also being pushed out of their underground nests by construction projects…and into nearby homes and businesses. 'As soon as you shake up the ground and those nests… now they need a new home to live,' said Grafe. 'It doesn't take long for them to look next door and go, 'Hey, this looks great.'' Nowhere is this more apparent than in Toronto, where near-constant development is wreaking havoc in some neighbourhoods. Bravo, a key player behind the push for a coordinated rat response at City Hall, says she started hearing from residents about rats in 2022 while knocking on doors during the municipal election campaign. RELATED: 'A woman called into our office saying that she lives near construction, that her daughter had been awoken in the middle of the night by a rat jumping on her bed. Imagine what that does to that family.' Another woman reportedly told Bravo that 'rats were sunning themselves outside her screen door' every day, forcing the woman to 'bang on the glass every morning just to leave the house.' WATCH: Invasive species cost $1.3 trillion to world economy over nearly a half century Click here to view the video Not just a Toronto problem While Toronto may be the 'rattiest city in Canada,' it's not the only one seeing a surge. Cities like Montreal, Ottawa, and Vancouver are also experiencing more infestations—something experts warn could become the new normal as climate patterns shift. 'Ottawa is dealing with this right now… I got a request for an interview from Radio Canada in Montreal. They're also looking at this,' Bravo says. 'This isn't a problem that's going to go away. It's a problem that's only going to grow.' To wit, a U.S.-based study published in early 2025 found 'significant increasing trends in rat numbers' in 11 of 16 major cities worldwide. Toronto came in at spot number three with a faster-growing rat problem than Amsterdam, Buenos Aires and even New York City. 'Increasing rat numbers in cities are linked to climate warming, urbanization, and human population,' declare the study's authors. 'Warming temperatures and more people living in cities may be expanding the seasonal activity periods and food availability for urban rats. Cities will have to integrate the biological impacts of these variables into future management strategies.' A chart showing the number of rodent-related service requests in the city of Toronto from 2015-2024. (The Weather Network) A coordinated approach Rodent-related complaints have skyrocketed by more than 116 per cent in Canada's largest city over the past decade. In 2015, the City of Toronto received 1,165 service requests related to rodents. By 2024, that number had grown to 2,523. Unlike Alberta—where a no-nonsense Rat Control Program has kept infestations at bay—or Ottawa, which has a Rat Mitigation Working Group to coordinate citywide enforcement efforts, Toronto has never had a unified rat strategy. Until now. Councillors officially approved a new plan to get rodents under control during a meeting at City Hall on July 24. The initiative is expected to take effect sometime in 2026. SEE ALSO: First introduced by city manager Paul Johnson in June, the proposal outlines the creation of a dedicated rat response coordination team, public education campaigns, coordinated outreach to construction site managers, and blitz-style inspections in neighbourhoods with high rat density. While rats are not considered a major public health threat in Toronto, officials say the psychological impact on residents is real. 'Some people living in areas with rat infestations also report psychological distress, disturbed sleep and stress arising from safety concerns from perceived risk of disease transmission and damage to their homes,' reads a report from the City of Toronto. 'Rat sightings may affect mental health through the perceptions of powerlessness, neighbourhood stigma and fear associated with other neighbourhood disorders.' Prevention Over Elimination So what can individuals do to help combat the problem? Grave says the key is prevention, not just extermination. That means addressing the conditions that allow rats to thrive in the first place: garbage left in the open, structural gaps in buildings, and overgrown vegetation that offers shelter. 'If you eliminate breeding and feeding and places for them to hide… that could be something as simple as landscaping or garbage control,' he explains. 'Every time you have one of those situations in a back alley, where someone's decided that they're going to throw seven bags of garbage beside the dumpster because it's too full, well, guess what? You just created a buffet for every rat in the neighborhood.' Rats can be attracted to garbage that hasn't been disposed of properly. (Lauren O'Neil/TWN) Bravo agrees — and says public participation is going to be essential in any city's success. 'We have to recruit the people of Toronto to be part of the solution,' she said, pointing to proper food disposal and waste management, but also more benign-seeming human behaviours. 'When people feed pigeons, they don't realize they're also feeding rats, and that's something that we have to start to tell people: don't feed wildlife, because the rats are going to come and eat it.' 'Rodent populations go hand in hand with human existence… the amount of garbage and food that we do produce,' said Grafe similarly. 'The one recommendation I do have is to just take action. Ignoring it is never going to solve the problem.' Thumbnail image made with Canva Pro.
CBS News
2 days ago
- Science
- CBS News
Squishing spotted lanternflies isn't enough to eradicate the invasive insects. Here's what else you can do.
The dreaded spotted lanternfly doesn't bite and doesn't sting, but we have all been told to kill the invasive insect on sight. They are making a big comeback this summer and experts say there is a lot more you can do than just squish them to help end the threat. It may feel like you're helping, but experts say stomping on spotted lanternflies is no longer enough. They have been spotted nearly everywhere on Long Island this month, with many residents telling CBS News New York they have seen the insects in cars, on streets, on lawns, and even on themselves. Brittany Champey, with Spadefoot Design and Construction, says to halt the lanternflies' relentless attack on trees people need to rip out the invasive species or weeds they feed on. "If you really want to make a difference, you have to go where they are congregating," Champney said. "The biggest impact any person can make is doing invasive species removal." Champney says to take stock of what's growing in your yard. "Everybody should take a look at their backyards, which of these invasive species do they have, and how can they remove them because that directly impacts the lanternfly population," she said. That's what Spadefoot did on the grounds of the Science Museum of Long Island, replacing invasive with native plants. But in areas where invasive weeds still grow, armies of lanternflies are prevalent and about to grow wings. The insects, native to China, were first seen in the U.S. in 2014. They literally suck the sap out of 100 of our plant species, including grape vines. "Once an infestation takes over a winery they can reduce the crop by 90% or more in just one season," Champney said. They lay their eggs of the Tree of Heaven trees, and experts say those especially should be ripped out. "When the spotted lanternfly has access to that Tree of Heaven, that weedy species, it can lay seven times the number of eggs," said Brian Eschenaur of the Cornell Integrative Pest Management Program. Eschenaur says along with ripping out Tree of Heaven plants in your yard, you should buy or build traps with fly paper bags and even suck the insects up with a vacuum. "Take that Shop-Vac outside. That can be very effective," Eschenaur said. Another thing the public can do is check cars to make sure motorists are not giving the bugs a lift out East, where Long Island vineyards are on high alert. Lanternflies have already been spotted in the Finger Lakes wine region.
