Pest Control - insect identification

Author

insect identification

richardfagerlund@yahoo.com

2006-12-15, 9:25 am

I just found this interesting group the other day. I am an
entomologist, pest management consultant, author and syndicated
columnist. I write weekly columns on non-toxic or least-toxic pest
control for several newspapers. My main theme is that a pest can't be
controlled unless it is properly identified. That is particularly true
of ants as different species have different food preferences, etc. I
never recommend using liquid pesticides for pest control. There are no
pests so insidious that you need to spray pesticides in your house or
business. Baits will work for almost all ants and roaches. A mixture
of water, alcohol and dishsoap will kill any bug on contact.

I will identify any household or garden or animal (ectoparasite) pest
in the United States for anyone who has a pest problem and recommend
non-toxic methods of controlling them, if possible. You can go to my
website, www.askthebugman.com, for information on how to ship bugs for
identification.

Richard "Bugman" Fagerlund

Lar

2006-12-15, 9:25 am

richardfagerlund@yahoo.com wrote:

> I
> never recommend using liquid pesticides for pest control. There are no
> pests so insidious that you need to spray pesticides in your house or
> business. ******************* A mixture
> of water, alcohol and dishsoap will kill any bug on contact.

Ummmm....liquid insecticide

Lar

bugs@bugs.com

2006-12-15, 8:25 pm

More recently, the Surgeon General that came out with a study suggesting
second hand smoke can be very hazardous to people and smoking should be
eliminated in public buildings. Apparently there are a number of chemicals
in tobacco smoke that can cause cancer along with other problems. Some of
the chemicals in tobacco smoke are; acetone, benzene, chromium, cresol,
methyl ethyl ketone, propionaldehyde, pyridine, resourcinol and toluene. All
of these chemicals are also part of the inert ingredients in many
pesticides. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
only require manufacturers to list the active ingredients on the label. They
allow the “inert” ingredients to be a trade secret leaving the consumer and
the applicator unaware of the possible danger they are exposed to. Many
inert ingredients are considered to be “hazardous pollutants”, “extremely
hazardous”, “suspected carcinogens” and “occupational hazards.”

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

This is a quote from your website. All I have to say is you are a damn liar.
Why don't you research your facts a little more before you start spreading
your lies. Benzene, Toluene, and many others you have listed here haven't
been as much as even registered much less used in pesticides for many years
going back as far as the late 80's or early 90's. So if you are pushing this
crap you are nothing more than a liar plain and simple. What are you trying
to sell oh I know another snake oil salesman.

I would love to see you go into a home completely infested with cockroaches
and tell the residents you are going to get rid of their infestation using
soap and water. They would laugh your XXX out the door and rightfully so.

Many of us have been here posting for years, there have been numerous others
such as yourself that come and cause a stink by spreading this bunch of
"don't spray pesticides or you will die crap" but not one of you has lasted.
I wonder why that is? I know why it is because you are all fly by night to
say it kindly.

Do yourself and everyone else that comes here wanting genuine advice a
favor, go back under the rock from whence you came, oh and take the soap and
water with you there may be some bugs you need to kill.............

gpsman

2006-12-17, 1:25 pm

richardfagerlund@yahoo.com wrote: <brevity snip>
> I am an
> entomologist, pest management consultant, author and syndicated
> columnist. I write weekly columns on non-toxic or least-toxic pest
> control for several newspapers.

> My main theme is that a pest can't be
> controlled unless it is properly identified.

A glue board will catch a rat -or- a squirrel -or- a chipmunk. I don't
need an IR camera/recorder setup to identify which is the problem
beforehand.

You probably ought to refer to yourself as an "insect" management
consultant since "pest" species cut a pretty wide swath.

> That is particularly true
> of ants as different species have different food preferences, etc.

Knowing the habits of a species is more important than what they
"prefer" to eat, from a pest control POV. Maybe I should recommend
removing all the wood from a home with carpenter ants...?

>I never recommend using liquid pesticides for pest control. There are no
> pests so insidious that you need to spray pesticides in your house or
> business.

Tell that to the manager of a home for the severely disabled, or a
hospital, or a school, with an infestation of bedbugs. I guess it
might be less risky to move all those who occupy those structures
elsewhere, but it isn't very practical.

> Baits will work for almost all ants and roaches.

How do you know? If I don't see any, is it safe to assume they're
gone...?

> A mixture
> of water, alcohol and dishsoap will kill any bug on contact.

If you can spray a mixture -on- a bug, why not just squish it...?!

> I will identify any household or garden or animal (ectoparasite) pest
> in the United States for anyone who has a pest problem and recommend
> non-toxic methods of controlling them, if possible.

Which substances have you identified as "non-toxic"?

I hope one isn't distilled water...
-----

- gpsman

bugs@bugs.com

2006-12-17, 1:25 pm

gspman, did you take a look at his website? He charges to ID a pest and
recommend a solution. People can come here and get the same advice only they
will get real advice that will work for free.....go figure.

I just love the fact that he states on his website that Benzene is still
being used in the making of pesticides. I was just subjected to a chemical
spill of over 50,000 gallons of Benzene and I have done lots of research on
it as well as my attorneys have done lots of research on it. Benzene was
stopped being used in pesticides back in the late 80's or early 90's. So he
is using scare tactics. Te company that spilled this chemical not more than
100 yards from my home is out of business because of it and rightfully so.

gpsman

2006-12-18, 1:25 pm

bugs@bugs.com wrote: <brevity snip>
> gspman, did you take a look at his website?

No, I didn't. I think I gleaned enough info from his post.

> He charges to ID a pest and
> recommend a solution. People can come here and get the same advice only they
> will get real advice that will work for free.....go figure.

Well, he's an entomologist. I'm not, but it seems as if it might be a
hard profession from which to eke out a living. I don't begrudge his
income from insect ID and advice, even if I disagree with the advice.

Lots of PCO's endorse baiting. I don't, since I've seen it fail, and
the callback costs me money and customer goodwill.

>
> I just love the fact that he states on his website that Benzene is still
> being used in the making of pesticides.

One problem with "these-type guys" is they have little, if any,
practical industry experience. And they always have an "out", since
they don't perform the actual service themselves, they just offer
"advice".

It's one thing to offer advice from afar, quite another to stand in a
kitchen and have the customer and the failed results before your nose.
-----

- gpsman

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