Most wasps will only nest where they can find shelter against the wet, in a nice dry, dark and secluded place away from constant disruption. If you keep getting nests then consider the following prevention tips:

•  Deny access by sealing off wherever the wasps nest. Use insect mesh to cover air bricks and soffits.
• Treat timbers with a wasp repellent mix of 1part eucalyptus oil, 1 part menthol, 1 part citronella oil in teak oil. Apply    sparingly. You do not have to saturate the timbers.
• Inspect nesting areas every two to three days and remove any early forming nests. You can use a vacuum to do this if the nest is no bigger than a tennis ball but be careful not to get stung and make sure the vacuum remains switched on for at least 10 minutes after you have cleared away the nest so that the heat from the vacuum kills off any live wasps.
• If you tend to get ground nesting wasps then inspect your garden/back yard each winter and fill in any abandoned rodent nests or holes. Ground nesting wasps tend to take over the burrows of other animals or insects.
• Take care around hedgerows. Try not to plant boxwoods and firs next to your home.
• If you find you have a mature nest then call Absolute Pest Control to have it removed. Wasps are far too dangerous to attempt do it yourself!

What to do if you get stung:

Quickly and with as little swatting or flailing of arms remove yourself from the vicinity of the stinging wasp(s).

Do NOT sit or rest (unless you feel that you may faint). Get near to a telephone, relative or friend. Try not to be alone for the next few hours. In some cases people develop a reaction to wasp stings which can be fatal and this may happen immediately or after a few hours. SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL HELP if you start having problems breathing or if you start to feel your throat or face swelling or if you start to develop red hives which are patches of hot, red, irritated and raised (swollen) skin. In case of swelling of the throat or face do not lie down unless you feel you may lose consciousness. Stand and keep moving (to keep your body’s natural levels of adrenaline high) or if this becomes impossible then sit upright. Apply a cold press at the same time to try to keep the swelling down.

Immediately wash the wound and apply an antiseptic salve. This is important because many wasp stings are infected with pus and are likely to lead to infection. Monitor the wound for the next few hours. If it continues to feel hot and swollen after four hours then the likelihood is that it will be infected and will require antibiotic treatment. If you get an intense itch you can treat this with an oral antihistamine. Sedating antihistamines work best provided you do not have to drive or operate machinery because they will make you feel drowsy. Skin preparations containing the anaesthetics benzocaine and lidocaine are helpful in relieving pain and itch. Skin preparations containing antihistamines should be avoided because they can cause allergic type reactions and sensitisation to sun light.
 

Background
On May 17, 2010, Pediatrics, the official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, published a new study authored by Maryse Bouchard, Ph.D. from the University of Montreal at Sainte?Justine University Hospital Centre and Marc Weisskopf of the Harvard School of Public Health detailing a recent study of 1,139 American
children, aged 8 ? 15 years, examining the link between organophosphates and the incidence of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Although the authors clearly state that the study “uncovers only an association, not a direct causal link” between organophosphates – a commonly used class of pesticides in agriculture – and ADHD, the study is receiving immense media coverage as this is not only the first study of the general population with regard to pesticide
exposure but also, it is the first study to examine average exposure to pesticides rather than excessive exposure. More, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) now reports that three to seven percent of school?aged children – or 4.5 million children – are now affected by ADHD. (Please note organophosphates are not used within the
structural pest control industry.)
For methodology, subjects had a single urine sample taken and tested for the level of pesticide byproducts present within their urine. It was found that those children with above?average levels of pesticide byproducts in their urine were more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. As such, it was extrapolated that those with a greater
exposure to pesticides, specifically organophosphates, were more likely to develop/be diagnosed with ADHD.
At the heart of the study, however, is a single assumption – that children are most commonly exposed to pesticides via their diet, especially fruits and vegetables. Sarah Klein of Health.com even writes in her story on
CNN.com that since EPA regulations “have eliminated most residential uses for the pesticides (including lawn care and termite extermination) the largest source of exposure for children is believed to be food, especially
commercially grown produce.” As such, the agriculture industry, and its use of agricultural pesticides on food, is very much at the center of this
report. Drs. Bouchard and Weisskopf clearly indicate in the report and within the media that organophosphates are “designed to have toxic effects on the nervous system, which is how insects are killed” and as such, it would
seem “plausible,” that exposure to organophosphates might have negative effects on sensitive nervous systems, such as children. And while the study explicitly addresses the agricultural use of pesticides, it does make mention of not using DIY pest products within the home as one way to limit possible exposure in children.
Regardless of the focus, a study that shows an association between pesticides and ADHD is certain to reignite a public discussion of the effect of any pesticide exposure upon children’s health. Drs. Bouchard and Weisskopf have publicly recommended further research on this association. Although the
methodology is wholly sound in testing one sample per child participating in the study, the research team acknowledges that its results beckon further investigation, notably whether ongoing testing might show that pesticide byproducts within children’s urine ebb and flow and if so, what factors cause this ebb and flow? In the meantime, the study recommends four (4) general preventative measures for limiting a child’s exposure to
pesticides:
• Buy organic fruits and vegetables whenever possible.
• Limit or eliminate the amount of pesticides in the home, such as insect sprays.
• Limit or eliminate the amount of pesticides and/or chemicals used on lawns; Buy natural products whenever possible.
• Buy fruits that can be peeled or fruit that has a hard exterior, such as apples, which can be washed.

Statement
“The NPMA has reviewed the study produced by Drs. Bouchard and Weisskopf and believes that far greater research is necessary regarding the potential association found between organophosphates and ADHD before any definitive action is taken. Within the professional pest management industry, products used to address pest infestations – infestations, which can negatively affect public health and property – are an important and
essential tool. All pest products used within the industry are reviewed and registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and as such, consumers should feel confident that the application of such products will be done expertly and only by qualified and licensed pest professionals as directed on the product label.”
Speaking Points • We cannot speak specifically to the use and/or prevalence of organophosphates in agricultural pest management. However, we can say that all products used in the treatment of structural pest infestations – for which NPMA members are responsible ? are rigorously reviewed and registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be used by certified applicators for pest management. The NPMA works closely with the EPA to ensure that all products used in pest management practices are
consistently reviewed, re?registered and provided with accurate and comprehensive labeling for use.
• If concerned by the issues raised in recent study offered by Pediatrics as related to your overall pest management plan, the NPMA encourages consumers to consult with a qualified and licensed pest professional to discuss these concerns and discuss the proactive and preventative measures that they can take to avoid pest infestations. More importantly, by working with a pest professional, consumers can ensure that a pest problem is properly identified and effectively – and efficiently – treated.

Josie Cruz, deputy commissioner of the Streets & Sanitation's Bureau of Rodent Control, which operates Daley's Dumpster Task Force, said the rodent infestation and poor housekeeping led to the store being shut down.

"This location will not be allowed to reopen until they have revamped their pest control and housekeeping programs, cleaned and pest proofed their business and then request and pass a tough follow-up reinspection," Cruz said.

We set a trap and trapped the little critter on the same day.  As it turns out it is a Bushy Tailed Wood Rat.  The only native rat species to Canada.

IDENTIFICATION:
Though commonly known as the pack rat, the bushy-tailed woodrat is actually more closely related to the deer mouse than to what many people think of as a rat—those scaly-tailed residents of big city sewers. This dapper-looking rodent has large round ears, long whiskers, soft buff-gray fur, big onyx eyes, white feet, and a bushy, squirrel-like tail. From nose to tail tip it measures roughly 15 inches.

Both Wang and a study released this week for the city of Toronto concur that bedbug infestation is growing rapidly, fighting it is expensive and nothing short of a concerted and unified plan will stop it. DDT was highly effective in all but eradicating bedbugs in Western countries in the 1940s and 1950s but at the cost of its extreme toxicity, Wang said. Frequent misdiagnoses by doctors, increased travel, slow public response and poor understanding of effective control methods have brought bedbugs back and are allowing them to multiply.

"Before 2003, they have been characterized by Toronto Public Health as sporadic and mild," the report by WoodGreen Community Services and Habitat Services for the city and the province said. "In 2003, a Toronto study showed that there were only 46 reports of bed bugs to Toronto Public Health but by 2008, (there were) almost 1,500 bed bug infestations between March and October." Tiny, resilient and devious, bedbugs hide in electrical outlets, laptop vents, shoe seams and book spines during the day, can walk down an apartment hallway, live up to 18 months without feeding and, in egg form, can resist the suck of a vacuum cleaner. In Wang's study, only half of the 16 apartments came through bedbug-free, mostly because of the human factor: people who wouldn't or couldn't afford to dump grossly infested furniture or wouldn't follow the tedious, painstaking methods to eradicate them, including ditching or cleaning up clutter.

The researchers used a combination of wrapping mattresses, hot steam cleaning, furniture legs stuck in the bowls and then either two pesticide treatments: diatomaceous earth dust or chlorfenapyr spray. Most striking, said Wang, were the clumps of dead bedbugs in the bowls days after they thought the insects had been eliminated. Since furniture and bedding can't be directly doused with pesticide, he said, the bowls are a strong alternative. The system involved placing a small bowl with a bottom coating of talcum powder and diatomaceous earth, a kind of talc, inside a larger bowl and putting furniture legs in the bowls. Initially, Wang said, they used ethylene glycol in the larger bowls but developed concerns about its toxicity to pets. Talcum powder is slippery and harmless to humans but punctures the bugs' shells, dehydrating them.

Wang, who has advised Toronto hotels, travel agencies and pest-control consultants, warns that bedbugs deterred from one apartment often just jump to the next. "Apartment manages and contractors have to inspect the neighbours. They'll find at least 60 per cent of the neighbours also have bugs. There has to be a program or they can never be controlled." Hotels, facing quickly damaged reputations, will usually take the expensive and quick eradication route of enveloping a building in a four-hour barrage of steam at 44 C or above, said Wang.

Apartment dwellers are at the mercy of fellow tenants and managers. "Toronto Community Housing has had to increase its pest control budget from $1 million in total to $2.5 million for bed bugs alone," the WoodGreen report said. "There is a stigma attached to having bed bugs and it causes hardship for those with infestations," Steve Floros of TCH is quoted as saying in the report. "There is a false perception that individuals with a bed bug infestation must not be clean. There have been occasions when Echoing Wang, Cathy Loik of Toronto Public Health said, "We need to develop strategies for entire buildings, mass education campaigns for the public at large, increase social assistance for vulnerable populations, have more public awareness to reduce stigma, get landlords on board teaching people integrated pest management, stop self-treating with over-the-counter products (as this builds resistance in bed bugs)." The report calls on the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to lead the education and eradication campaign.

History And Life Cycle The bed bug is an old pest that was common in homes prior to World War II. For the last 50 years, bed bugs have rarely been seen outside of cramped living quarters and less than sanitary conditions in jails and homeless shelters. Not anymore. In the last five years there has been a resurgence. Bed bugs have become a particular problem in hotels, motels, and hostels where there is a high rate of occupant turnover. Even five star hotels are having problems with bed bugs. Bed bugs are blood-feeding insects. They are a light tan color, but turn dark-reddish brown once they have fed on blood. Before feeding, the adult bed bug is about ¼ inch long and flattened. Once engorged with blood, it swells in size. Bed bugs can be easily seen with the naked eye, but it’s not easy to find bed bugs in a room. Bed bugs can’t fly, so they either crawl or are carried from place to place. Bed bugs or their eggs can hitchhike in a traveler’s suitcase or clothing. Business people now routinely travel to and from countries where bed bugs are common, even in good hotels. The offspring of one pregnant female bed bug that crawls out of a suitcase can infest a room, and eventually other rooms nearby. Bed bugs usually feed at night and spend the day hidden. Their flattened shape lets them squeeze into narrow places in bed  frames, headboards, in bedside furniture, behind pictures and switch plates, behind baseboards, under buttons on mattresses, in box springs, and in other cracks and crevices. Speckles of dried blood excrement can be found on bedding or places where bed bugs hide. A bed bug feeds about once a week, usually for several minutes. It most often feeds on a sleeper’s exposed skin. The bite is nearly painless and is not felt by most people. Some people have no reaction afterwards, but most people develop a hard bump with a whitish center which can itch for days. Although bed bugs suck blood like other human parasites, there has been no evidence that they spread diseases. Bed bugs can survive for several months between blood meals if there is no person or animal for them to feed on.

Indeed, earwigs are often beneficial in habit, acting as scavengers of decaying matter and predators of insect larvae, slug eggs, aphids, and other garden pests.The length of the adult earwig is approximately 1.5 to 2.0 cm long. It is elongated and flattened, with a tough, shiny, reddish-brown exoskeleton and antennae about half as long as the body. This insect is distinguished by prominent pincers, or forceps, at the end of its body.Earwigs live only one year.

They spend the winter hiding just below the soil surface, usually close to house foundations. Warm weather brings them out of hibernation. In the spring, each female lays as many as 60 round, pearly white eggs in a nest in the top 5 cm of the soil.During the day, earwigs like to hide in cool, dark, moist places.Earwigs come out of hiding at dusk to begin foraging. While decaying organic matter forms the largest part of their diet.In search of food and shelter, they crawl over the ground, climb houses, fences and trees, and usually begin to infiltrate homes in June or July. What is particularly objectionable is to find these insects among foodstuffs, clothes and occasionally between bed covers.

Sow Bugs and Pill Bugs

Sowbugs are land crustaceans which look very similar to pillbugs, at least at first glance. Sowbugs are small crustaceans with oval bodies when viewed from above. Their back consists of a number of overlapping, articulating plates. They have 7 pairs of legs, and antennae which reach about half the body length. Most are slate gray in color, and may reach about 15 mm long and 8 mm wide.The Pillbug When disturbed, frequently rolls into a tight ball, with its legs tucked inside.

Sowbugs have gills which need constant moisture, so they tend to live in moister northwest climates. They are primarily nocturnal, and eat decaying leaf litter and vegetable matter. They may also feed on the tips of young plants, so can be considered pests, but they also help the environment by breaking up decaying plant matter and help speed up the recycling of the nutrients they contain.

Millipedes and Centipedes

Warm, wet weather always encourages the activity of several moisture-loving animals, including millipedes, or “thousand-legged worms,” and their near relatives, the centipedes.

Centipedes are related to millipedes and are also worm-like in form, but they differ in having flattened bodies and only one pair of legs on each body segment. They also possess a pair of poison claws or legs just behind the head which are used to paralyze their prey – usually insects or other small animals.Millipede eggs are deposited in masses in the soil. Young millipedes mature the second year after hatching. Some species may live for several years.

Millipedes feed on organic matter, including decayed plant material such as leaves and wood.If millipedes are abundant in mulches and litter in landscape plantings around homes and other buildings, they often enter through cracks and crevices. Once inside, they usually die unless basements are very moist. Entry into structures is most common after heavy spring rains saturate the soil and drive millipedes to higher ground and in the fall, when they seek hibernation sites.

The best way to control kitchen insects is to prevent them from entering the kitchen or becoming a problem once in the kitchen. More on this later. First, which insects are commonly found in the kitchen? The ones that turn up most are saw-toothed grain beetles, flour beetles and the Indian-meal moth. They are other insects such as the cockroach, larder beetle and carpet beetle, which turn up in the kitchen but they also inhabit other areas of the house.

Saw-Toothed Grain Beetles
They get their common name from the saw-toothed looking edges on the top body area between their head and their abdomen (thorax). There are two separate species of this insect: the merchant grain beetle and saw-toothed grain beetle. These insects will infest virtually any product in the kitchen, whether it is packaged or left as food debris on shelves or counters. The adult is a reddish-brown beetle that is slender and somewhat flattened. It is about 2-3 mm in length and about 1/2 mm in width. These beetles can penetrate packaged foods readily except for tinfoil-packaged foods. Eggs are laid in or near food, hatch in 3-17 days in heated areas, and the larvae will pupate to an adult in 3-6 weeks. The adult reportedly can live up to three years.

Confused Flour Beetle
The adult is a brown beetle, about 4 mm long, and closely resembles the red flour beetle. Adult females have a life span of 2 years, while the males live a year longer. The female lays 200 to 700 eggs loosely in the food. From these small, white eggs are hatched wormlike larvae which are marked with yellow bands. Before pupating, the larvae may reach a length of 8 mm. Development from egg to adult may be completed in 24 to 26 days under optimum conditions – a temperature of 32°C and relative humidity of 70%. The temperature range for complete development is 20° to 37°C. These insects do not fly and they depend on local flour and grain residues for survival.

Flour Beetles
There are also two species of flour beetle: the red flour beetle and the confused flour beetle. The red flour beetle is more commonly found in rural areas associated with grain storage or around country elevators, whereas the confused flour beetle is found mainly in flour but it does infest most other products in the kitchen. They are a shiny, reddish-brown, flattened insect about 3 mm in length and about 3/4 to 1 mm in width. Slight differences in antennae and thorax shape differentiate the two insects. The adult may live as long as 1-3 years. Their life cycle from egg through larvae, pupa and adult takes from 7 weeks to several months, depending on temperature and the food source. Like the grain beetle, their flattened body and small size allows them to enter most products that are not well sealed or in a strong package.

Indian-Meal Moth
This moth is often mistaken for a clothes moth. It can be distinguished by wing markings. The wings of an Indian-meal moth are metallic reddish-brown on the outer two-thirds and creamy-grey on the inner third. The larvae is about 13 mm long, usually dirty-white but sometimes tinted green or pink. Larvae leave a trail of silk wherever they crawl. They will completely infest the food product they are in with a mat of silk. When you see the larvae crawling in the cupboard or on the ceiling, they are usually looking for a place to pupate. They infest most foods in a kitchen but are characteristically known to infest dried fruits. Of the other foods, coarse grain are usually infested instead of finely milled grains. Their life cycle varies with food and temperature from five weeks to nearly a year.

Control
Prevention is the best control.. Vacuum up crumbs and clean shelves of spilled food frequently. If some eggs do hatch and there is no food, the larvae dies.

You may inadvertently bring food pests into your home in the foot products you buy. Don’t give them a chance to move to any other part of the kitchen. Seal them inside a container which they can not escape from. Use air-tight containers such as mason jars with rubber rings and metal ring caps. A “Tupperware” type container is the next best container to use, as long as it is airtight. Find containers for all grain-based products in the kitchen, including four. Store larger bags of flour in a garage or some outside, cool location. The insects will develop slowly in the cool temperatures; this will give you time to control the problem. Put products you suspect may be infested in the freezer at the lowest setting for 3-5 days if they are freezable.