Bugged Out: The XTERMIGATOR Report

A homeowner calls about tiny, fuzzy flies hovering around the kitchen sink and garbage disposal—an annoyance that often hides a moisture and sanitation problem. In this episode Mike and Dana walk through a real field scene to show how to distinguish drain flies and phorid flies from fruit flies, what environmental clues to look for (biofilm, slow drains, leaking fittings, grease traps), and why mo...

When a homeowner hears a steady buzz coming from the eaves, it’s tempting to panic or reach for dramatic fixes. This episode walks listeners through a real field case—buzz in the soffit—then uses integrated pest management to identify likely culprits (paper wasps, yellowjackets, or hornets), understand nesting behavior, and prioritize safety. You’ll get clear clues to listen and look for (visible...

We use integrated pest management to turn a common backyard compost problem into practical pest prevention you can act on immediately. In this episode Mikey and Dana walk a listener through a call about maggots, scratch marks at the base of a bin, and nighttime rodent visits. You’ll learn to read the clues (droppings, chewing, larvae, persistent odors), differentiate the likely culprits (rodents v...

A property manager calls ABCO about complaints from three apartments: roaches in the laundry room, mice tracks in a stairwell, and tiny flyers near hallway lights. This episode turns that multi-unit mystery into clear, practical Integrated Pest Management (IPM). We walk through the clues—drain odors, wet baseboards, pipe chases, shared soffits—and show how pests exploit shared plumbing, laundry dr...

Mike and Dana walk listeners through a common commercial/residential problem that hides above us: mice and small rodents using suspended/drop ceilings as travel corridors, nesting sites, and food highways. Using a real-but-anonymized call, this episode identifies the clues—scraping noises, droppings on tiles, displaced insulation, and wiring gnaw marks—then explains how to tell murine activity fro...

When someone calls at 2 a.m. convinced their favorite sweater is being eaten alive, it’s usually one of two culprits: clothes moths or carpet beetles. In this 10-minute, IPM-first episode Mike and Dana walk through a real-call from a closet cleanup and turn it into practical prevention you can do tonight. You’ll learn how to read the clues—tiny holes, fuzzy larvae casings, adult moths or shiny bee...

Swarm Season: Spotting Termite Swarmers vs. Other Winged Pests teaches listeners how to read the clues that separate a fleeting swarm from a sign of a structural problem. In this 10-minute, field-tested monologue, Mikey walks a listener through what was seen at a house—winged insects near windows and basements—and Dana provides the integrated pest management frame: inspection, exclusion, sanitatio...

A focused, practical 10-minute episode that starts with a late-season service call: homeowners noticing slow, lumbering flies clustered on sunny window sills and a handful in the attic. Mike and Dana use that case file to teach listeners how to recognize cluster flies vs. common houseflies, why these flies overwinter in wall and attic voids, and the typical clues—clusters near windowsills, sluggis...

Crawlspaces are out of sight but not out of trouble. In this episode Mikey walks a caller’s crawlspace inspection and Dana breaks down why moisture, torn vapor barriers, missing insulation, and foundation gaps invite rodents, cockroaches, spiders, and even structural wood pests. You’ll learn clear identification clues (droppings, grease marks, frass, damp insulation), how pests use access routes u...

A routine service call led to a kitchen scene a lot of listeners will recognize: a dog bowl on the floor surrounded by tiny workers and a suspicious smear on the pantry shelf. This episode uses that field story to teach clear, checklist-driven Integrated Pest Management: inspection, identification, exclusion, sanitation, and monitoring — focused on pet feeding zones. You’ll learn how ants, cockroa...

A neighbor calls after nightly clusters of moths, crickets, and the occasional roach show up along the back door and the garage threshold. In this field-tested monologue Mike and Dana explain why exterior factors—lighting placement, plantings near doors, open garage habits, and gaps at thresholds—create a bridge that lets night-active insects and opportunistic pests move from yard to home. We iden...

When a homeowner reported roaches appearing near the kitchen sink at night, our crew found more than crumbs — they found plumbing pathways. This episode explains how common roaches (German and American) exploit drains, pipe chases, sink overflows, and gaps around traps to move between units and rooms. You’ll get an ID-and-behavior breakdown, simple inspection tips for plumbing-related entry points...

Moving, deliveries, and secondhand finds are great until your next surprise guest arrives hidden in a box or behind a couch cushion. This episode unpacks a field call where a tenant moved in and noticed droppings and tiny insects around a used armchair. We walk through quick, professional ID clues, explain why pests hitch rides (food residue, nesting materials, hidden eggs, and sheltered crevices)...

On today’s Bugged Out we chase a common household puzzle: a steady, unsettling buzz coming from inside a wall or under the eaves. In a single, field-tested monologue we walk through a typical callout and show how ABCO XTERMIGATORS uses integrated pest management to identify whether you’re hearing paper wasps, yellow jackets, cavity-nesting bees, or mud daubers. You’ll learn the behavior clues that...

Pantry pests are one of the most common, embarrassing, and avoidable problems homeowners and managers face. In this episode Mikey breaks down a real call about webbing in flour and tiny beetles in a rice bin, then Dana walks through how to identify Indian meal moths, grain weevils, and look-alikes. You’ll learn why these pests turn stored food into habitat—what clues to look for (webbing, sawdust-...

Houseplants bring life to a room — and sometimes a cloud of tiny black flies. This episode breaks down fungus gnats and similar indoor plant pests with the same practical, prevention-first approach ABCO XTERMIGATORS uses in the field. We open with a short call-from-the-field where a renter notices swarms around a potted fern, then walk through identification clues (larvae in potting mix, adult fli...

Drop ceilings are the secret highways many buildings don’t see until a tenant hears scratching or a light fixture drops a surprise: rodent droppings. This episode walks a property manager through a real call — signs we found, why mice favor tile ceilings and plenum spaces, and the practical integrated pest management steps that actually stop repeat activity. Youll get a clear ID and behavior break...

Many homeowners blame the kitchen or yard for pests—but the real highway is often your HVAC: ductwork, returns, condensation pans and attic runs. In this episode Mikey walks a real service call where roach activity traced back to a dirty return vent and a damp condensation pan; Dana breaks down the likely suspects (roaches, silverfish, occasional rodents and stored-product pests) and how moving ai...

Homes and buildings hide a lot up top: quiet creaks, tiny piles of wood shavings, or a late-night scuttle in the insulation. In this episode Mikey and Dana walk listeners through a common attic call where homeowners heard activity above the ceiling. We identify likely culprits—carpenter ants, drywood termites, and non-wood-destroying invaders—explain key clues you can spot without climbing into th...

Bathrooms, basements, bookcases, and cardboard boxes—those damp, shaded spots invite small, moisture-loving pests: silverfish, springtails, and booklice. This episode walks a listener through a real call where a homeowner found tiny white specks along baseboards and shredded book paper. We'll break down the likely culprits, how to tell them apart, and why humidity, microclimates, and stored paper...

When stormwater pushes through yards, basements, crawlspaces or building perimeters, pests follow the opportunity. This episode walks a single-device monologue through a realistic field call where homeowners found ants, mosquitoes breeding in pooled water, and mice taking shelter in a damp garage after heavy rain. We identify clues that separate transient visitors from developing infestations, exp...

When a family opened a new bulk bin order and found tiny beetles and silky flakes in their cereal, it sounded like a simple nuisance—until the moths hatched. In this episode Mike “Mikey” Carver walks listeners through a common but often-misunderstood problem: pantry pests that hitch a ride in packaged foods, bulk bins, and grocery deliveries. You’ll learn crisp ID clues (silky webbing, pepper-like...

Houseplants bring life to a home — and sometimes uninvited guests. In this episode Mikey and Dana walk through a real field call where a cluster of potted plants started attracting tiny black flies, sticky residue on leaves, and white fuzzy visitors in the soil. We identify the usual suspects (fungus gnats, mealybugs, springtails), explain how watering, potting mix, and drainage create habitat, an...

Window and portable air conditioners are lifesavers—but they also create food, water, shelter and easy entry for ants, roaches, spiders, wasps and even mice. In this episode Mike and Dana walk through a real field call where a humming window unit turned into a hidden highway for pests. You’ll get clear identification clues (condensation stains, droppings in the sleeve, gaps behind the unit, nest m...

We respond to a commercial call where tenants hear scratching above the tiles and find insulation disturbed — a classic drop-ceiling mystery. This episode walks listeners through what technicians look for during an inspection, how to distinguish mouse activity from harmless noises, and which clues (droppings, gnaw marks, heat-loss gaps, and insulation nests) point to a pest problem versus a buildi...