BIO-CHEMICAL PHENOMENA

 

 

VARMINTS

 

      We have come full-circle again on our trip around the Mandala, and now move inward to the next sphere of influence, the Bio-Chemical phenomena.  Earth is home to thousands of animal species, all roaming constantly in search of food, water, and shelter.  We humans build houses to help provide for our own needs, but simply calling a house ‘ours’ doesn’t mean that some of these other species won’t also call it ‘theirs’ at the same time.  After all, our survival needs are quite similar, and what works well for us might also appeal to them.  Completely uninvited, these unwanted guests move in and make themselves comfortable in basements, crawl spaces, hidden cavities, attics, garages, vent ducts, under decks and eaves, and even inside the fireplace chimney.  Destructive and annoying, these animal pests are the very definition of the term ‘Varmints’.  They chew through the walls and wiring, shred the insulation to build their nests, undermine the footings and slabs of the foundation, smell bad, are noisy, unsanitary, and often transport insects and disease wherever they go.  At times they can be aggressive and dangerous, not only to humans but also to pets.  In their search for food, they can cause havoc in the kitchen and pantry areas, while in the yard they devour our precious plants and scatter the garbage everywhere.  As builders, we should do all we can to keep these creatures as far from the house as possible.

 

 

      Varmints can be categorized into several groups according to their basic behavior patterns and choices of habitat.  The Rodents, in general, are the most common invaders and are the most troublesome, thriving in urban neighborhoods as well as in more rural settings.  The ‘Big Three’  –  Rats, Mice, and Squirrels  –  prefer to build their nests inside the house and venture outside only occasionally.  They are all ‘chewers’ and like nothing better than gnawing their way into the protected recesses of our walls and attics where they can reproduce at an alarming rate.  Female rats and mice can have ten or more pups every month.  Around their nests, excrement accumulates and the odor can become intolerable while at the same time attracting insects, fungus, and other vermin.  Another common group of Varmints includes the nocturnal foragers who prefer to nest in crawl spaces, under decks, or inside nearby storage enclosures.  These omnivorous scroungers include Raccoons, Skunks and Opossums who emerge at night to prowl in search of food.  If they can get in through the cat-door or the dog-door, they have no qualms about coming right into the kitchen to help themselves.  Pet food and garbage containers are particularly attractive.  And these sharp-toothed creatures are dangerous because they will attack whoever gets too close to them, not to mention the fact that they are armed with well-developed musk glands.  The third group of Varmints resides underground outside the house and primarily threatens the landscaping and irrigation systems.  These skillful vegetarian burrowers include Gophers, Groundhogs, and Rabbits, and their digging can undermine patios, walkways, plumbing, and even the foundation of the house.  They can devour a beautiful garden in a very short time.  The last group of Varmints, the flying creatures, is the least worrisome but can still cause problems.  Nesting in eaves and attics, these uninvited guests include Owls, Pigeons, Woodpeckers, and Bats.  They are mostly unwanted because they make messes and can attract vermin.

 

 

     There are several ways of dealing with Varmints in order to keep them from becoming a problem.  The best method is to prevent them from entering the house in the first place, an approach pest control specialists call ‘exclusion’.  It requires fastidious attention to the exterior surface of the house, using materials and assemblies not easily chewed through, making sure that EVERY opening is plugged to create an impenetrable barrier from top to bottom.  As amazing as it seems, Mice can squeeze through holes as small as 1/4″ wide and the Rats can enter through openings as small as 1/2″.  All vents and utility pipes must be thoroughly screened.  Dog-doors and cat-doors should be provided with security panels.  Underfloor spaces can be ‘rat-proofed’ with a thin layer of concrete poured continuously on the ground.  Eaves and roof overhangs can be boxed in.  In addition to ‘exclusion’, effective Varmint control includes making the living conditions within vulnerable spaces unsuitable.  Secure food storage containers should be used in garages, pantries, and basements.  Trash and recycling bins should be kept away from the house as far as is reasonable.  Chemical deterrents can be placed in cavities and inaccessible recesses before they are enclosed.  Beyond these measures, abatement may be necessary using traps and, as a last resort, poisons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

INSECTS

 

 

     As numerous as Varmints are, they don’t compare in quantity to the thousands of Insect species that populate the biosphere  ….  more than 5 million by some estimates.  And a single species can have billions of members.   Insects are everywhere, and they comprise about half of the total animal bio-mass on the planet including the oceans.  From an evolutionary point-of-view, Insects have been around for at least 300 million years, beginning with the Beetles and then branching into the Flies about 50 million years later and into the Moths and Wasps 100 million years after that.  All true Insects are six-legged creatures classified as Hexapods, but if we’re talking about ‘bugs’ invading our home we should also include the Spiders and Mites (Chelicerates) along with the Millipedes and Centipedes (Myriapods).  Each of these groups belongs to the animal phylum called Arthropods.  And like the Varmints, they are attracted to our houses by the promise of shelter and nourishment within.

 

 

     The most destructive species of Insect that threatens a house is the Termite.  These ‘detritivores’ get their nourishment from dead wood and other cellulose debris, and if there are enough of them they can devour half the structure:  floor joists and flooring, wall framing, door jambs and window frames, and cabinetry.  Subterranean Termites live in colonies under-ground but enter the woodwork through tunnels (shelter tubes) to eat and carry food back to the nest.  They thrive in moist environments, and in some regions cause hundreds of millions of dollars damage every year.  Dry Wood Termites make their nests inside the house, usually in the attic or roof structure, and require much less moisture.  However, they are far less numerous than the subterranean species and do only a small fraction of the damage.

 

 

     Ants are another troublesome species  ….  as a group comprising about 15% of the terrestrial animal bio-mass.  It is their vast numbers that make them such a nuisance as they come by the hundreds and thousands into our home, eating their way through anything they find appetizing.  Much like the subterranean termites, ants normally nest in the ground and thrive where there is moisture, and are often found side-by-side with them around rotting wood.

 

     Other crawling Insects that feed on detritus and cause infestations include Cockroaches, Beetles, and Silverfish.  Although their populations are much smaller than the Termites and Ants, they are individually much larger and can cause significant damage when conditions are right.  These pests are often more prevalent in urban developments.

 

 

     Flying Insect pests can basically be divided into two groups  ….  those that nest in the house but find their food outside, and those whose primary reason for coming inside is to eat.  The first group includes Bees, Wasps, and Hornets.   These industrious social creatures construct elaborate structures from mud and wax which can grow quite large and messy, while they also attract other vermin.  I once encountered an attic bee colony which for years had been disposing of their dead in the wall spaces of the lower story, eventually filling them to a depth of nearly 4 feet.   Also, these nest builders can be physically dangerous to people and pets because they often attack and sting anyone threatening ‘their’ home.

 

 

     The second group of flying Insects that we should be aware of includes Flies, Moths, and Mosquitos who are looking for nothing but a square meal.  While inside they are mostly asocial, hunting alone for their preferred foods.  Flies primarily consume organic waste around kitchens and bathrooms;  Moths lay their eggs in clothing which provides food for their young;  Mosquitos come only to feast on us.

     Finally, we get to the Spiders, perhaps the most misunderstood and most reviled of all the bugs.  Nearly everyone hates Spiders  ….  probably because they are so alien with their eight eyes and eight legs and large, poisonous fangs.  It’s understandable.  But the fact is that Spiders may be the best deterrent available against all the other insects trying to move in on us.  It is even said that the sign of a truly healthy house environment is the presence of Spiders.  Obviously they need to be chased into their corners on occasion and the old cobwebs should be swept away, but other than the ‘creep’ factor they offer little real threat (other than Black Widows, which should be eliminated).  Spiders can be your allies.

 

 

     The fact is, there’s no way to keep all insects out of the house.  The best we can do is limit their numbers and perhaps choose who stays and who goes.  The three-part strategy used to accomplish this is the same that applied to Varmints  —  exclusion, inhospitable living conditions, and eradication.

     Exclusion means keeping them out to begin with  —  no entrance!  But sealing the envelope of the house against insects is no easy task.  Starting in the ground, the building foundation should be made of entirely impervious materials (concrete, stone, steel) and rise at least 6″ to 8″ above the surface of the soil.  No wood should be used below this level.  Wood in contact with the foundation should be pressure treated to resist infestation and can be separated from it by installing termite shields and waterproof membranes.  Keep cracks and seams to a minimum.  The seam between the foundation materials and the wood structure should be caulked continuously from the outside, and the bottom edge of the water-proofing membrane should extend below this seam and be sealed to the foundation.   Tight framing and siding restricts the ‘highways’ through the walls.  Tight framing and blocking at the roof eave also restricts entry into the attic, and boxed eaves can prevent nest building.  Carefully installed weather-stripping, flashing, jacks, and mechanical terminations are essential, and all openings should be covered by screens or wire mesh.

     Making the living environment inhospitable to insects begins with moisture control.  Generally speaking, dry is good and damp is bad.   Without water, the bugs can’t hydrate themselves and their food sources will dry up as well.  Any wood in a location that might potentially get wet should be pressure treated with copper arsenate compounds or creosote.  Other chemicals, such as boric acid powder , can be safely left in the wall cavities and other sealed spaces to reduce insect reproduction.

     When all else fails, insecticides can provide the last line of defense against infestation.  Sometimes, professional Pest Control help is a good idea.