Who Scares You More?

On October 24, 2018 / Blog

October begins my favorite time of year. The crisp weather, beautiful colors, and scent of fall bring a smile to my face. And of course, there is Halloween – my very favorite holiday! Lots of bugs and other creepy crawlies are associated with Halloween and part of the fun of Halloween is the scary movies that you watch, curled up in the dark. Let’s bring these two things together in what I like to call

“Who Scares You More?”

Hannibal Lecter – vs – Spiders

On the surface, you may think Hannibal Lecter wins scariest of these two hands down. But hold on, let’s take a closer look. Sure Hannibal is intimidating and smart, and he wants to eat you. So, yeah, those are pretty scary qualities, but spiders are really intimidating, too, especially big ones. They may not want to eat you but they can definitely bite you. Spiders also have that sticky web that you can never get off of you if you happen to walk into one. Hannibal will literally bite a piece of your face right off.

Hannibal wins scariest on this one.

Shark from Jaws – vs – Rats

Here we have a horror villain that you will only encounter in the ocean. Rats can be found in every major city in the U.S. Your odds of encountering a rat are much greater than a shark. Although there are stories of rats nibbling on live people as they slept, I don’t find that to be a big concern of mine. In the ocean though, sharks are a concern. And if one attacks you it won’t be just a nibble.

The shark is scarier.

Jigsaw -vs- Roaches

Jigsaw forces his victims to play games in order to escape harm. The games are both mentally and physically challenging. Roaches can invade your space, only coming out in the dark, hiding in cracks and corners; that right there sounds like a horror villain. I think that it is possible to solve one of Jigsaw’s puzzle and make your escape. There is no escape from creepy roaches that come out while you’re sleeping and contaminate every single thing they come in contact with.

Roaches are much scarier!

Cujo -vs – Bats

Well, this one is a dilemma, isn’t it? Cujo is a sweet, cuddly St. Bernard who gets bitten by a bat. The dog contracts rabies and it turns him into a murderous beast. Now, most people would say that a large dog that can maul and kill you is scarier than anything, but the fact that the bat is the one that gave the dog rabies makes me feel that he is much scarier.

Bats are scarier. (at least rabid ones are)

Well, it seems that there is a tie, 2 – 2.

What are your opinions on who is scarier? What would your tiebreaker be?

If you find yourself up against any of these pests give Rapid a call, we can help. Unfortunately, we can’t do anything about the horror monsters.

RAPID PEST SOLUTIONS

Because Timing Is Everything!

Happy Hauntings

On October 19, 2015 / Blog

October is my very favorite month and with that comes Halloween! To me October is apple cider, carving pumpkins, kids dressed up as their favorite characters, scary movies and the beautiful colors of the changing leaves. It seems the stores want to rush us right along to the Christmas season but please, let me enjoy October!

Spider House

Spiders scare me like no other. This house is hard for me to look at. Even though I know that there is nothing real about it.

Vampire Bat

I absolutely LOVE bats! I think they’re cute and they eat lots of mosquitoes in the summer months. Maybe the reason they are associated with Halloween is because of the Vampire Bat. Yes, there is such a thing.

I’m not sure – but isn’t the original idea of ‘Trick-or-Treating’ that the person gives you a treat or you will play a trick on them? What if the treat was the trick? How would things go over if the treats you were passing out were actually chocolate covered bugs?!

Chocolate covered scorpions, ants and crickets.

Vampire Spider

As if the things above aren’t scary enough, let’s not forget the Vampire Spider.

As I mentioned earlier, not everything about October is scary and related to Halloween. There are also the beautiful fall colors and traditions.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM RAPID PEST SOLUTIONS!

If you find something scary in your house this Halloween…spiders, mice, centipedes, or any other uninvited pests, contact Rapid Pest Solutions. We have a solution to fit your needs.

Because Timing Is Everything!

Bats – The Facts And The Fiction

On October 30, 2014 / Blog

Bats are a familiar symbol of Halloween and since that ghoulish holiday is tomorrow, I thought I would take a moment to fill you in on the facts and the fiction behind these very interesting creatures.

Personally I think that bats are super cute. I’m not afraid of them and in general I think they get a bad rap. Take a look at some of the pictures and info below. Maybe I can convert you into a bat lover too.

FICTION

Vampire Bat

Blind as a bat – They use echolocation to navigate but they can still see.
All bats have rabies – False. Less than 1% of bats have rabies.
Bats will drink your blood – Nope. There is such a thing as a vampire bat. They feed off of cows, chickens and other animals. They make a small incision in the skin with their teeth and then lap up the blood with their tongue. They do not swoop down onto a human, bite their neck and suck the blood.
Bats are a major pest – Not really. Bats are very beneficial. They help control insects like mosquitoes. And who doesn’t like that?
- Bats are dirty – They are really fairly clean. Bats groom themselves much like a cat.

FACTS

Malayan Flying Fox Bat

Bats are the only flying mammal.
Bats can eat up to 1000 mosquitoes in an hour.
Bats live an average of 10 to 20 years but it’s not unusual for a bat to live 30+ years.
The largest bat is the Malayan Flying Fox. It weighs about 2 pounds and can have a 6 foot wingspan.
The smallest bat is the Kitti’s Hog-Nosed Bat. It weighs about as much as a dime and has a wingspan of about 6 inches.

Kitti’s Hog-Nosed Bat

Is Dracula disguising himself as a bat?

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In the past bats and vampires were thought to be combined. The video sequence above shows Dracula changing into a bat in order to make his escape. I don’t think they do this as much in movies anymore but the bats in the picture below make me think they could easily turn into a debonair Dracula style vampire!

It is possible that a bat may find its way into your attic. If this happens don’t panic. There are companies that will remove the bats for you. Once this is done you may want to consider having some exclusion work done. Exclusion basically means you are making your home ‘bat proof’ and fixing the area where the bats were able to gain access. Poison is not used for bat control. Many species of bat are found in our area and some are protected by state law so contact a professional for help. If you suspect bats call Rapid Pest Solutions.

Scary Videos and Cute Costumes / Rapid Brings You Halloween

On October 27, 2014 / Blog

As the weather cools down the insect activity slows down. However, it is always ‘summer’ in your home. Pests will be looking for a warm retreat. Remember to contact Rapid Pest Solutions for any pest concerns you have, both bugs and mice.

The time for ghost stories, costumes, tricks and treats is here. It’s time for Halloween! As I was thinking about what to include in this blog I thought that Rapid could share some Halloween fun with you.

Below are four movies that involve creepy crawlies. Have you seen them?

Eight Legged Freaks – It just wouldn’t be Halloween without a movie about giant spiders. In this movie a noxious chemical has caused some poisonous spiders to increase to mega size!
Mimic – Imagine discovering that roaches are carrying a deadly disease and someone genetically creates an insect to kill those roaches. Now imagine the worst possible outcome…the new insects begin coming after mankind. This is that movie.
Empire of the Ants – Giant ants take over some real estate in the Florida Everglades. Just think of your typical 1970’s B horror movie.
The Fly – I personally like this one. An experiment gone wrong leads to a man/fly hybrid. It’s pretty gross.

Can’t get enough creepy movies? Check out this list of 100 Killer Animal/Insect Movies provided by IMDB.com.

Although we needn’t worry about the movies above coming true, there are plenty of real life horrors that we could worry about. I am including two of the most disturbing YouTube videos involving bugs invading the human body. Be warned – These videos are graphic.

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