Articles Tagged ‘featured’

Household Rodent Control

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Keeping rodents from inside your home can be a difficult job. Comensal Rats and mice can find any small opening in your home, whether it's in the attic, basement or walls, and enter a structure to make their nests. Rodents breed rapidly and can quickly cause an infestation.

Prevention is the key to household rodent control. Keeping all holes sealed which could provide entry into your home is the first step. Rats can squeeze through an opening the size of a quarter, and mice, through holes the size of a dime. Seal off any hole larger than a quarter of an inch. Use metal materials, like steel wool and not sure if this works caulking to close the holes, and investigate for any burrows near your foundation. If burrows are found, place traps or baits near the entrances to control the problem.

Food sources are one main reason rodents will enter a home. Maintaining cleanliness in your food areas and when handling food will help to keep rodents away. Keep all food,including sealed in tight containers. Sweep or vacuum up spills. Keep fruits and vegetables stored properly, and any waste from these foods cleaned up and disposed. Pet food

Rodents also look for nesting material sources. Therefore, cardboard, newspapers and other cellulose products should be removed from homes or kept in sealed bins. Take items out of cardboard boxes and store them in plastic or metal containers.

If you find evidence of rodents, using traps we do not recommend baits in residentail situations. can help to get rid of a few pests. Handling rodents can be very dangerous and knowing the best methods to eradicate them is a difficult job. Be sure to follow all directions on any pest control applications. However, rodents can become a big problem fast, so if it appears that there may be a number of them in your home, it's best to contact a pest control expert.

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Termite Damage Signs

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Termites can damage your home in many ways. There are a number of signs to look for that can help you determine if termites have invaded your home.

Look for wood that sounds hollow when you tap on it. Termites will leave a thin layer of wood on the exterior, as they tunnel through the interior. This can be found in beams or studs in your wall, as well as floor joists or siding.

Another sign of termite activity are mud tunnels, or tubes built along your foundation. These are travel tubes that allow the subterranean termites to go from the nest that contains moisture to the wood source that contains food.

Swarms of termites are another sign of damage and potential infestation. Swarms will usually occur in the spring as the termites molt and become adults. As they molt, the termites drop their wings. Check for piles of termite wings as a sign of swarms as well.

Look for paint that appears to blister, or areas that appear to have minimal water damage. Usually these signs are found indoors, but can be present in your basement or near your foundation.

Lastly, look for the termites themselves. The workers are white and wingless, while the reproductive males and the queens have wings, and usually black or brown in color.

Presence of any of these signs doesn't mean an infestation, but it's recommended that if you find termite damage to have a pest control professional inspect your home. Usually, companies will offer a free inspection. Once your home is inspected, if active termites are found, the pest control company will work with you to develop an extermination plan and ways to address future infestations.

Termite damage can be costly. Any prevention you do now will save you money in the long run.

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How To Kill Bedbugs

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Bedbugs feed on human blood. They get their blood meals at night while the host person is sleeping. After they feed, bedbugs find a hiding place near the bed. The first step in eliminating bedbugs is finding their hiding places.

It is common to find bedbugs hiding in and around the bed. They hide in the bed frame, the headboard, and even in the bedding. Bedbugs also hide in the seams of the mattress, between the mattress and box spring, and even inside the box spring.

Before starting to kill bedbugs, take the bed completely apart. Wash the bedding. Temperatures above 113° can kill bedbugs. Throw pillows can be placed in the dryer on the high setting. It may be possible to heat treat extra large pillows and comforters by placing them into black plastic bags and setting them out in the sun for a few hours.

It is also important to inspect any items that were stored under the bed. Bedbugs will readily infest bags and boxes of stored items.

It is fairly easy to kill bedbugs with insecticide. Aerosol products should be injected into the cracks and crevices where the bedbugs were hiding. The bed frame, the headboard, and the baseboards behind the bed should all be treated.

Application should be made with equipment that will allow the insecticide to go into the cracks and crevices with no residue on the surface. This will minimize any risk to the people who will sleep in the bed later.

Bedbugs often hide behind baseboards. They move inside the wall and can travel from room-to-room. Dust insecticide is an effective way to treat the voids in the walls. This will usually require drilling tiny holes into the wall at the top of the baseboard.

Many people prefer to call pest control professionals to do the treatment. They have the products and the necessary equipment to treat bedbugs effectively.

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