Sugar Ants of Katy, Texas

As families gather in kitchens over the city to make tasty goodies and holiday meals, insects in the neighborhood may come in from the cool weather to help themselves to the treats. Bah humbug!

There are a number of small ants that like to feed on sweets indoors. Commonly referred to as “sugar ants,” which isn’t an ant specie at all, the most common identified are Rover, Pharaoh, Crazy, Ghost, and the Fire Ant, with the occasional Honey, Little Black, Acrobat, or White Footed Ant thrown in for good measure. All these ants also need protein and water, and may even be found under the Christmas tree feeding on popcorn strings or flour in handmade plaster ornaments.

Usually, the first reaction to the insect sighting is to pull out the trusty bug spray and squirt their trails. This procedure can be fairly gratifying and may appear to eliminate the problem initially. However, most insecticides are repellent and the ants that survive the ill-conceived attack must go somewhere else to feed – the guest room, perhaps; relatives will love that! Better to choose a simpler approach.

Use a dust buster or vacuum cleaner and suck them into the reservoir, along with a bit of insecticide dust such as boric acid if you have some, then throw away the collection. If you don’t have any insecticide dust or just don’t want to use it, try a shot of liquid soap in some water. This will suffocate the ants and not leave a repellent residual.

Thereafter, I recommend you contact JNJ Pest Control and Grounds Care, Inc. to schedule a time when we can identify the ant that is the nuisance and develop an appropriate control program using a combination of baits and non-repellent insecticides based on the habits of the specific critter.

We wish you a very happy and safe holiday season! FLEAS NAVIDAD!

Protect Katy Palms

Most are aware of protecting tropical plants like Hibiscus and Bouganvilla from freezing weather but many forget about palms. Palm trees more closely related to a grass than a tree. Queen and King Palms are examples of palms that cannot tolerate long periods of freezing temperatures. Cold temperatures slow the growth rate of palms, reduce root activity and weaken the plant, making it more susceptible to disease. Frost temperatures will kill the foliage of many palm species and can reduce the function of water conducting tissue. Wrapping the trunk with freeze cloth is a good idea. Larger palm foliage might be protected by spraying with an anti-transpirant such as Cloud Cover. Bundling the fronds can protect the tender palm “heart.”

If preventive measures are not taken, to help the palm survive a restoration program using copper based fungicides should be initiated within a couple weeks after a hard freeze. However, the final results of the program will not be apparent until late spring. Don’t cut back any fronds that have green remaining and leave totally dead leaves until spring, as they can insulate the palm from further cold temperatures.

When attempting to protect plants during cold weather it’s best to use a freeze cloth designed for that purpose and which will allow the plants to breathe. Home Depot has an insulated cloth material called Planket Plant Covers which, it appears, would make the whole process easier. View that product at www.theplanket.com.

Pest Control Katy, Texas

Welcome to our initial posting to Katy PestScription. The purpose of this medium is to provide timely notification of predictable pest infestations in the greater Katy area as well as confirmed sightings of not-so-predictable pest problems in homes or businesses, lawns, ornamental plants or trees, and noxious weeds. Along with problem identification I will suggest appropriate prevention and control measures, including services available from JNJ Pest Control and Grounds Care, Inc.

We have been in the pest control industry since 1979, when my Uncle Harold Garrett and his wife LaJoy, who were very successful in the pest control industry in Dallas, recognized my disinterest in accountancy where I was floundering. Uncle Harold took me under his wing and mentored me into a full-fledged pest control operator and now an Associate Certified Entomologist. I understand what metamorphosis means and have picked up interesting tidbits about the pest world which I will periodically relay.

Also, I wish to thank my business partner and loving wife of 36 years, Nancy, for putting up with my antics, especially during those years I felt compelled to get involved with the Greater Houston Pest Control Association, Katy Chamber of Commerce, Katy BNI club, and the Katy Rotary Club by taking administrative positions in these organizations. Nancy was understanding and handled important company business matters that were my responsibility while I was occupied with organization concerns. She also has promised to edit all postings before I shame myself with grammatical errors

What Nancy and I have enjoyed most about this industry are the business friendships we have nurtured through the years. More lives have been lost to illnesses caused by insect transmission than any other cause, and there are some great people who have dedicated their careers to entomology, the study of insects, and other sciences to make all our lives safer and more enjoyable. We will interview some of these professionals of pest control and give you some insight into the industry.

I hope you will subscribe to our blog and that we will keep your interest with our periodic postings