You may not think of your attic except simply as a storage area, but other living creatures may enjoy the warmth and shelter an attic provides. If you have noticed telltale signs of potential attic invaders, pest control can be the right solution. Discover three attic pests to watch out for.
You might think of raccoons as cuddly and cute creatures. However, these rascally creatures will make your attic their permanent home if you aren’t aware of them or remove them.
The holidays are just around the corner, and with them comes a time when you can add light and holiday cheer to your home and yard. If you plan on decking your halls with holiday lights, be sure to make wise decisions before you have them put up. Follow these tips to make sure you, your light installers, and your property are safe this holiday season.
Weather is unpredictable most of the time but even more so in the winter months surrounding holidays. Snow, rain, and cold temperatures can make the environment difficult for installing lights around your home’s exterior.
Moisture means the possibility of ice on walkways and surfaces, which can make standing on a ladder to string lights a very dangerous task. Lots of snow can also put pressure on trees and build up on roofs — and you don’t want to be under falling branches or snow.
You might think of fleas as something that only your pet gets, but fleas can affect you too. Discover what to know about fleas with these four common questions that homeowners ask about flea pest control.
1. How Do I Know If I Have a Flea Issue?
Fleas are very small, so they can be hard to detect. However, you do have some ways to determine whether your home has a flea problem.
Pests are never pleasant additions to your home or property, but ones that can physically hurt you are even less so. Common insects like bees, hornets, wasps, and yellow jackets are known for stinging humans and animals when they feel threatened. They can also infest your property and discourage you from going outside if you don’t want to risk being stung.
Have you noticed an increase in ticks around your property lately? These summer pests might seem like harmless insects, but they often carry diseases that can affect both people and pets. So if you’ve found more ticks lately than usual, then arm yourself with the knowledge about two common diseases that ticks can carry and transmit. And, of course, contact the professionals about tick pest control.
When mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks are found in nature, they are part of the wildlife. When they’re on your property, however, they are pests. These pests are a problem not because they simply live in your yard but because they have a tendency to turn your yard into the wilderness.
Pests of all kinds can be a concern, but termites promise a particular threat to homeowners. Termites can cause expensive structural damage to a home.
How can you tell you have termites before too much damage is caused? Learn about a few tips to help you identify the presence of termites in your home.
Right now is prime mosquito season. As temperatures rise, mosquitos come out to eat, breed, and live. As mosquitos increase, they’re more likely to bite. And while most mosquito bites are harmless or only irritating if a person has to scratch them, some mosquito bites are harmful or even deadly, carrying diseases like malaria, Zika virus, or West Nile virus. Protect yourself with these five prevention methods.
Among the most dreaded pests that can infest your home, cockroaches top the list. Unfortunately, there is a stigma attached to a roach problem that may hinder many homeowners from reaching out to pest control experts. Not every home with roaches is dirty; in some instances, other factors contribute to the cockroaches’ access to your home.
Household pests, such as insects and rodents, are not only annoying; they can also spread serious health conditions. Preventing the spread of dangerous diseases is one of the main reasons you need to keep your home pest free. This article examines some of the most serious health issues caused by common pests.
West Nile Virus
Mosquitoes are responsible for a number of serious diseases in humans, with one of the most significant being West Nile Virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the disease is the most common cause of mosquito-borne disease in the country. Most people who are bitten by a mosquito that carries the virus do not develop serious symptoms.
Did you know that you can improve your home’s energy efficiency and control common household pests simply by adding new insulation? Here is everything homeowners should know about thermal acoustic pest control insulation.
What Is Thermal Acoustic Pest Control Insulation?
Thermal acoustic pest control insulation is a type of cellulose insulation that is made from recycled post-consumer paper fibers. This makes thermal acoustic pest control insulation an environmentally friendly green choice for your home.
Most homes have rain gutters than run the perimeter of the house at the roof line. The gutters, in conjunction with downspouts, carry water away from your home’s foundation. Without rain gutters and downspouts, water would simply run off the roof, down the side walls, and pool at the base, causing problems.
As essential as gutters are, if they are clogged, they won’t work. Thankfully, professionally installed gutter guards eliminate most clogged rain gutter issues. Gutter guards are covers that go over the gutters and prevent debris entering. Here are two benefits of installing gutter guards.
1. You Won’t Have to Clean Your Gutters as Often
When fall comes around, many people like to hunker down in their homes to stay warm and comfortable as the temperatures drop. Unfortunately, certain pests and rodents may have the same idea and try to take up residence in your house.
Learn about some key tips you can use to keep your home pest-free this autumn.
Use Weatherstripping
The various entryways of your house, such as the doors and windows, are a vulnerable spot in your fight against pesky critter invasions. And insects and rodents often gain access to your home through very small openings, such as gaps between your doors and windows and the walls of your house.
What are those yellow-striped bugs flying around your house and making loud buzzing noises? Are they bees or yellow jackets? How can you tell which bug is which? Here’s important information about bees and yellow jackets to help you spot the differences between the two insects.
Bees Want Pollen
There are numerous species of bees in the U.S., including 49 species of bumblebees. Some bees make a lot of noise when moving around and inside of flowers, but the buzzing noises aren’t warnings. For example, the bumblebee’s fast and loud movements inside a flower cause the pollen to sonically move from the blossom to the bumblebee’s legs.
Sadly, bed bugs have become an increasingly common concern in American homes. They are found in all 50 states, and they spread easily. Homeowners often bring bed bugs home after staying in a hotel or other vacation accommodation, so as you travel this summer, you should be wary of these pests. Below, you’ll find some advice to help you avoid bringing bed bugs home from your summer vacation.
What Do Bed Bugs Look Like?
Summer should be a time when you feel comfortable lounging in your backyard, grilling with friends, or tending to your garden. If your backyard is infested with mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks, enjoying that space becomes difficult.
Whether you’ve just started to notice a few mosquitoes or your yard is completely overrun by fleas, here are a few ways to reclaim your outdoor space this summer.
Clean Up Extra Junk
Summer means an increase in insects that fly and sting, like bees and wasps. If your business is related to the food service industry, you may face special challenges concerning flying stingers.
Unfortunately, people, food, and stinging insects do not mix well. Both people and flying stingers are attracted by the food you offer, but the results can be annoying or even deadly. Here’s what to know about flying stingers and how they can impact your business.
Compared to other pests, the moth seems like a quiet, inoffensive creature. The insect does not buzz around like flies, threaten to sting like bees, or cause nightmares as the average spider can. Moths also often don’t gnaw on wood and destroy a home. But while the moth may seem harmless compared to other insects, it is a pest that homeowners should not ignore.
Ants are unwanted house guests. If you’ve ever opened a bag of chips to find a cluster of ants waiting for you, then you understand the frustration of finding these pests in your house. Fortunately, you don’t have to live with ants. Here are five tips you can use to make your home ant-free once again.
Ants are often driven inside by inclement weather. When it gets hot and there is a shortage of water outside, ants may seek shelter in your cooler home. That’s why you often find ants indoors during the summer.
As winter transitions to spring in Virginia, you might begin to look forward to barbecues, picnics, and other outdoor activities. But your outdoor activities could be disrupted if you don’t take certain precautions. One springtime nuisance that can throw a wrench in your outdoor plans is mosquitoes coming out of hibernation.
The spring months are when female mosquitoes wake up after being dormant all winter. These hungry insects then search for a blood meal so they can feed themselves and their eggs. Mosquitoes can lay as many as 300 eggs at once, which means a small infestation can quickly spiral out of control.
If you want to enjoy the spring sunshine without worrying about mosquito bites, use this guide to keep your yard — and home — mosquito-free.
When you look for a hotel, you probably look for amenities like a comfortable bed, a pool, and good room service. Pests are not nearly as picky. In fact, the more damp and musty the space, the more attractive they’ll find it. Your crawl space, for example, may appear to be the perfect hotel for insects, rodents, and other pests — especially as they seek shelter from the cold this winter.
What Pests May Take up Residence in Your Crawl Space?
This time of year, almost any animal or insect that seeks shelter may find its way into your crawl space. Some of the most common crawl space invaders include termites, cockroaches, spiders, silverfish, rats, and mice. Less often, homeowners also find larger pests, like raccoons and possums, in their crawl spaces.
Some pests can irritate you and some pests that can put you at risk of health issues. Ticks are one of those pests that can lead to serious health problems. The information here will educate you on tick risks, tick prevention, and other important advice so you can protect yourself and your family from this tiny, dangerous pest.
Identifying Ticks
Different types of ticks exist, but they all have a few things in common. Ticks are small, ticks embed their head under your skin, and all tick bites should be taken seriously.
As the weather grows colder, many animals look for warmer places to nest through the winter months. Bats are no exception. They may take up residence in your attic, entering through tiny crevices in the eaves or vents.
Having bats in your home is more than just a nuisance; it is a danger to your health. The average bat species carries 1.79 zoonotic viruses — those which are transmissible to humans — not to mention various types of infectious bacteria. Read on for a more in-depth look at some of the most common and concerning diseases transmitted by bats.
Rabies is a fatal disease that affects almost all mammals, including bats. You may contract rabies if you are bitten by a bat carrying the virus. Although only one or two people die from rabies in the average year in the United States, most human rabies cases occur after contact with an infected bat. An infected bat could also bite and infect your cat or dog, particularly if your cat or dog has not been properly vaccinated.
Autumn is almost here, and before long, the leaves will be falling from the trees. If you have trees in your yard, then some of those leaves will probably end up in your gutters. Clearing the gutters of leaves and debris is therefore a necessary fall maintenance task. Fail to do so, and you could end up with clogged gutters — which are an open invitation for insects to invade your home and yard.
Keep reading to learn more about the insects that are likely to show up when your gutters are clogged, along with some gutter-cleaning advice.
Which Insects Are Attracted to Clogged Gutters?
From termites to spiders, all the creepy crawlies in the area would be happy to find a home in your basement. This can make spending time in the basement uncomfortable and unpleasant. If you are a homeowner who would like to keep bugs out of your basement, check out these tips for a cleaner and more comfortable basement you can enjoy.
1. Fix Plumbing Leaks Promptly
Moisture in the soil often finds its way into the home via cracks in the foundation. Sometimes this moisture causes floods, mold, mildew, and a general dampness. You have many ways that you can waterproof your basement.
When we think of larger pests like mice or skunks, we often think of a direct odor associated with them. The same association is typically not applied to insects. While you might see many signs of an insect infestation in your home, the smell of an insect could be one of the key factors.
A wide range of insects emit odors. When these insects are in large groups or infesting your home, the smells may become more pungent. Learn about a variety of insects and the various ways their scents may be detected so you can tell if you have a problem. Once you do smell the insects, you’ll know to call an exterminator and to get rid of the problem.
Bats, rodents, birds, wildlife and even insects can find their way into your attic to make themselves at home. The insulation in your attic, along with relatively private quarters, makes this often-ignored space of your house inviting for a variety of pests.
Use this guide to learn more about the signs that you have creatures dwelling in your attic and what you can do about infestations.
With spring comes warmer temperatures and the increased risk of pests around the home. A pest problem can quickly become an infestation without quick action, so do what you can now to prevent pests later on.
Ants
To keep ants out of your home, remove food sources like crumbs or open packages of food. Toss out any opened boxes, wrappers, or containers of food, and set ant traps in cupboards and cabinets. Spritz doorways with a mixture of white vinegar and water to deter ants.
If you’re like most homeowners, your pantry is filled with hundreds of dollars of food that you wouldn’t want to replace. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to you, something inside your pantry could be harboring insects. There are a variety of insects, including the cigarette beetle, sawtoothed grain beetle, granary weevil, and the Indian meal moth, that will devour several items inside your pantry.
Don’t allow pantry pests to destroy your groceries by following these simple tips.
In the United States, four primary types of cockroaches tend to invade homes: German, American, brown-banded, and Oriental cockroaches. The first three get plenty of attention, but homeowners often forget about the Oriental cockroach. It is a less frequent pest in most areas than the other three, but still, you should know the basics about the Oriental cockroach so you can effectively defend your home.
How Can You Identify Oriental Cockroaches?
The National Pesticide Information Center reports on a new bug species that has quickly become a pest to both farmers and homeowners: the brown marmorated stink bug. Originating in Asia, this tiny critter poses no health risk to humans.
However, the brown marmorated stink bug does feed on fruit and vegetable crops. During the colder months, stink bugs will also look for shelter indoors, where they become an annoyance to those living in the homes. Read on to understand, prevent, and eliminate the brown marmorated stink bug from your property.
Nobody wants to contend with rodents in their home. Whether you are facing an infestation of house mice, wood mice, or brown rats, you are not happy. Understanding rodent infestations can help you understand how to best deal with them.
How Likely Are You to Face a Rodent Infestation?
Remember that rodents thrive all over the country. You will not find a home in the United States that is totally safe from some sort of infestation, so your home might face an infestation at some point.
Termites are some of the most bothersome creatures on the planet, and they are also some of the most misunderstood. While you don’t need to be an expert in termite extermination — you can rely on your pest control company for that — it is important for you to understand the basics about these bugs and how they affect your home.
Some of the things homeowners often believe about termites are just not true and can lead to poor management and extermination choices. To that end, here are three common but mistaken beliefs about termites.
Insects that invade homes can be divided into two categories: true indoor pests and occasional house pests. Cockroaches, ants, and termites all fall into the first category since they truly prefer to live in homes. Other pests, like earwigs, ladybugs, and silverfish, are referred to as occasional house pests because they usually live outside and only invade homes on occasion — under the right conditions.
Occasional house pests can be tough to get rid of once they move in, but the good news is, there are some great strategies to keep them from coming inside in the first place.
When you think of spring, you probably envision blooming flowers and the return of warmer weather. But in the pest control industry, spring marks the beginning of peak pest season, when most insects are coming out of their winter hiding spots, mating – and in some cases – finding their way into our homes. Unfortunately, one of the most common springtime pests is also one of biggest threats to our homes and properties – termites.
Termites seem to come out of the woodwork every spring… but could they actually be coming in and infesting your home? Learn more about these costly pests and their life cycle.
When you think of spring, you probably envision blooming flowers and the return of warmer weather. But in the pest control industry, spring marks the beginning of peak pest season, when most insects are coming out of their winter hiding spots, mating – and in some cases – finding their way into our homes. Unfortunately,
After the long, cold winter experienced across much of the country, spring can’t come soon enough for many people. Before we know it, daylight will last longer, flowers will start blooming and children will be spending more time playing outdoors. But, as the weather continues to warm, people may also start to see an unwelcome sign that spring has sprung – the presence of swarmers, or flying termites.
Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness caused by infection with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi.
Who can get Lyme disease?
People of any age can get Lyme disease, particularly those who spend a significant amount of time in outdoor activities. It occurs most commonly during the late spring and early summer months, but can occur during the fall and winter. Dogs, cats and horses also can get Lyme disease.
Consider all the advantages you have over the fruit fly: You’re able to use tools, make jokes, binge-watch “Game of Thrones.”
But you know what? You can get too fat for your waistband. The fruit fly, that ubiquitous subject of scientific experimentation, cannot.
Next time you’re browsing the supermarket in search of the makings of that night’s dinner, pause a moment to read the ingredients labels of your favorite red-colored ingestibles and
cosmetics. Chances are, you’ll discover a notation for cochineal, carmine, or carminic acid, pigments whose origins might surprise and possibly disgust you.
Cochineal and its close cousin carmine (also known as carminic acid) are derived from the crushed carcasses of a particular South and Central American insect. These popular colorants, which today are used to impart a deep red shade to fruit juices, gelatins, candies, shampoos, and more, come from the female Dactylopius coccus, an insect that
A group of researchers reported in October 2014 the Triatomine bug, a reduviid bug living in the
United States, can carry a parasite that causes Chagas disease.
Melissa Nolan Garcia, a research associate at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, presented two studies at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. For one study, Garcia and her team collected 40 triatomine bugs in Texas and discovered nearly 75% of the bugs were carrying the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi.
“Vehicles possess the ideal attributes that attract rodents in winter, including shelter and built-up warmth from commutes,” says Michael Bentley, Ph.D., a staff entomologist at NPMA. “Rodents hate being out in the open where they are vulnerable to predators, so when they see a car holding freshly generated heat that also offers protection from the great outdoors, they are drawn to it for cover.”
Bed bugs were virtually eradicated in the United States during the 1940s with the use of chloradane, lindane and DDT. Bed Bugs did however remain commonplace in other areas of the world like parts of Europe, Asia, South and Central America. With the advent of easier and less expensive worldwide travel, immigration and trade; changes in pest management (less residual insecticides, less frequent chemical application and older effective insecticides are now illegal); and a new American public that is not familiar with bed bugs, their habits and their bites; bed bugs have been able to proliferate once again.
Although bed bugs are typically thought to be a household pest, they can hitchhike with people to their places of employment. In fact, a 2015 Bugs Without Borders survey by NPMA found that 45% of pest control professionals have encountered bed bugs in office buildings. Here are the NPMA’s tips to prevent bringing bed bugs home from the workplace:
Almost all homeowners know the feeling of unease that accompanies finding mice or rodents in your home. Whether in the kitchen, attic, basement or dining room – a rodent sighting can incite surprise and fear in even the most composed homeowner. Unfortunately, these common pests are resourceful creatures that can enter a building or home through the smallest opening or crack, and require very little space to travel inside.
1. Cockroaches have been around since dinosaurs.
For millions of years, they’ve been evolving into some of the most adaptable creeps on Earth.
2. Cockroaches cure cancer! Maybe?
Scientists found that contact with the insects’ nervous tissue was found to kill 90% of MRSA and E. coli with no harmful effect on human cells. Yay!
3. There are about 4,000 species of cockroaches in the world.
About 70 of these species are found in the United States. ‘Murica.
4. Cockroaches are dirtier than you think (if that’s possible).
They are capable of spreading nearly 33 different kinds of bacteria. They do this by contaminating food by shedding their skins. Their cast off skin and waste byproducts (aka poop) are allergens that can trigger allergic reactions, asthma and other illnesses.
5. It’s hard to drown a cockroach.
They can hold their breath for 40 minutes. Not to mention they can live up 2 weeks without water.
6. Some female cockroaches know how to tie a man down.
They have the ability only mate once and stay pregnant for life.
7. Cockroaches are invincible, to an extent.
They can live for up to one week without its head.
8. The FDA deems anything below 60 insect parts per 100 grams to be safe for human consumption.
Why do you need to know this? Because, on average, there are 8 insect parts in that chocolate bar you just scarfed down. Chocolate’s best friend, peanut butter—along with cheese, popcorn, and others—also usually contain some amount of cockroach.
9. From 2010 to the end of 2013, the value of dried cockroach increased tenfold in China. The nasty little buggers are actually farmed and are powdered to be used by cosmetic companies that buy them as a source of protein. Now go wash your face.
If you have a case of the heeby geebies now, call PermaTreat for a free analysis and treatment consultation.
Pets are important members of many families and the season’s summer showers and warm temperatures are bringing an unwelcomed risk to their health in the form of tiny, biting, blood-feeding pests. PermaTreat encourages people to protect their pets from ticks and fleas and safeguard against infestations.
Animals are ideal hosts for fleas and ticks because they are low to the ground and easy to hitch rides on, and their fur provides the perfect cover. These pests should be taken seriously as they pose significant health threats to both humans and animal friends, and are capable of transmitting multiple diseases.
Fleas, for instance, are an itchy annoyance causing flea allergy dermatitis, but they can also cause anemia, transfer tapeworms to animals and Bubonic Plague to humans. Ticks are equally dangerous, and depending on the species, are known to transmit Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and can even cause tick paralysis.
The best way to protect your family from biting pests is to prevent an infestation from occurring in the first place. Pet owners should employ the use of preventive treatment options, thoroughly check pets’ fur after every trip outside, and maintain outdoor properties to be less inviting to flea and tick populations.
PermaTreat provides additional advice for keeping fleas and ticks off your pets and out of your home:
For more information, visit: PermaTreat.com.
A group of periodical cicadas, classified as Brood V, is expected to blanket select areas of the country this spring after spending 17 years underground. Last seen in 1999, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) says this specific brood will remain above ground for about a month to reproduce en masse and eventually die-off. Their offspring will burrow back in the soil and will not be seen again until 2033.
“Periodical cicadas are known to emerge from underground in 13- or 17-year cycles, typically once the temperature eight inches below the surface reaches 64 degrees,” said Dr. Jim Fredericks, chief entomologist and vice president of technical and regulatory affairs for the NPMA. “These noisy creatures will likely first be heard in late April or early May in parts of Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Areas heavily dense with mature trees should expect to see the most cicadas.”
Periodical cicadas are easily identifiable by their striking black bodies, red eyes and the loud buzzing noise that males make to attract female mates. These insects do not pose a health threat to humans, but they can cause minor damage to tree and plant branches — particularly younger branches — on which females deposit their eggs.
Although long-term damage from cicadas is rare, if you’re concerned about protecting young trees from cicadas you can cover small trees or branches with netting, cheesecloth or a similar material. Knock off any bugs found on the plants by spraying them with a garden hose, or by hand if you’re not grossed out by these big bugs.
If big buzzing bugs aren’t your thing, avoid spending time outdoors during the daytime when cicadas are most active. However, PermaTreat has another take on the cicada invasion. “Go outside and enjoy this really cool event. The sound that they produce is extremely loud and it really is a wonder and a sight to see.”
As new cases of Zika continue to pop up across the United States, it’s more essential than ever to take proper precautions to avoid contact with biting mosquito populations. Mosquitoes are vector pests and can transmit other harmful diseases such as West Nile virus and Chikungunya, in addition to Zika. With warm weather rolling in, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and PermaTreat are urging the public to take extra precautions when spending time outdoors and when getting their homes and property in shape for spring.
Prime mosquito season is fast-approaching and it is important for people to be aware and to know how to protect themselves from these potentially dangerous insects. Given the health risks like Zika that are increasing in our country, it’s important to remain vigilant in mosquito prevention techniques, which include eliminating breeding grounds around the yard, understanding these pests’ behaviors, and correctly applying insect repellent.”
To prevent the health risks that can potentially accompany an already-pesky mosquito bite, be sure to follow these mosquito prevention tips from the NPMA:
For more information on mosquito control call PermaTreat today!
Concerned about Zika virus? Watch this video to learn the proper way to apply insect repellent and stay safe from mosquitoes when outdoors.
Many pests like cockroaches and silverfish are attracted to moisture, so they are commonly found in bathrooms. Eliminating sources of water in the bathroom is the best way to prevent pest infestations, especially because this pest can only survive for one week without water. In addition to washing the shower curtain and liner, and cleaning out the medicine cabinet, you should check under the sink and around the tub and toilet to ensure there are no moisture issues from leaky pipes or faucets.
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Oriental cockroaches are believed to be of North African origin, despite their name. Oriental roaches are sometimes called “waterbugs” because they come out of drains, and “black beetle cockroaches” because of their smooth, dark bodies. They are known for their strong, unpleasant, “roachy” odor.
Call PermaTreat today for a free pest control estimate!
The odorous house ant gets its name from the strong, rotten coconut-like smell it gives off when crushed. These tiny brown ants range in size from one-sixteenth of an inch to one-eighth of an inch long.
Call PermaTreat Pest and Termite Control today for a free inspection!
You may have noticed the unsightly earthen mounds of the imported fire ant popping up in your home vegetable garden plot. Although fire ants can be beneficial insects, the problems they cause in urban areas usually outweigh the benefits.
Fire ant stings can pose a serious medical threat during weeding and harvesting.
Occasionally feeding on vegetable plants in home gardens, they tunnel underground into potatoes and feed on okra buds and the developing pods.
Fire ants prey on landscape and garden pests such as flea larvae, ticks, cockroach eggs and caterpillars, but protect or “tend” others, such as aphids, by keeping the aphid’s natural enemies away, making the aphid infestation worse.
It may not be possible to completely eradicate fire ants, but we can make them easier to live with. Rarely is there a single best method for managing fire ants. The best management programs use a combination of nonchemical and chemical methods that are the least harmful to the environment, yet effective and economical.
The most important first step in any management program is to properly identify the pest.
People are often surprised to learn there are many different types of ants.
If the ants in your vegetable garden have been properly identified as fire ants, the next step is to choose a plan to manage them. There are bait products and contact insecticides labeled specifically for fire ant management in the vegetable garden.
When using any kind of pesticide, always read and understand the entire pesticide label and strictly follow all the instructions as written.
If you do not understand the label, or need additional information, contact your local Clemson Extension Office for interpretation or further instruction.
Keep in mind that it is still a little too early for fire ant bait treatments, due to the cool/cold nighttime temperatures in our area. The earliest I recommend using a bait product inside the garden is late April to early May.
Products containing spinosad (such as Ferti-lome Come and Get It! or Payback Fire Ant Bait) can be used in spring. Ideally, the timing for using bait treatment in the garden is late September to early October. Using Extinguish Fire Ant Bait (methoprene) or Esteem Ant Bait (pyriproxyfen) in the fall will help control fire ants in the spring.
When applying a fire ant bait treatment, be sure that the fire ants are actively foraging by using the potato chip test: Put out a regular, greasy potato chip. After 30 minutes, check the potato chip for the presence of fire ants.
If fire ants are present, they are foraging and the bait can be applied.
If there are no fire ants present, do not apply the bait product. Bait only when the fire ants are foraging.
Products that are not specifically registered for use in the home vegetable garden, such as products registered for controlling ants in turf areas, can be applied outside the garden’s perimeter as a barrier.
Foraging ants from colonies both inside and outside the garden will collect the bait and take it back to their colonies.
In fact, a perimeter bait treatment on a small garden, less than 1/4 acre, is often a very effective way to manage fire ants within the garden.
Contact PermaTreat Pest and Termite Control for a professional evaluation and control!
It’s easy to take pest control for granted, especially because many people don’t understand the vital role pest professionals play in protecting public health and property from significant pest threats until they experience a pest problem firsthand.
Over the years, countless invasive species have made their way into the United States, both intentionally and accidentally. Read on to learn more about 7 of the most common U.S. invasive species and the threats they pose to human health and property.
If you find any of these pests in or around your home, contact PermaTreat Pest and Termite Control right away to determine the best course of treatment.
Most occasional invaders enter structures because outside weather conditions become too hostile for their survival. However, occasional invaders are often just nuisance pests because they cannot survive for long periods of time indoors.
Take, for example, the brown marmorated stink bug, which has become notorious for its “smelly” reputation. The stink bug earned its name from its tendency to release an odor when disturbed or when crushed. Many other insects have these same characteristics, including some species of ants, beetles and other bugs.
To prevent stink bugs from entering homes and buildings, seal cracks around windows, doors, siding, utility pipes, behind chimneys, and underneath the wood fascia and other openings. Use a good quality silicone or silicone-latex caulk. Damaged screens on doors and windows should be repaired or replaced. A licensed pest professional can treat for stink bugs in the late summer or fall just prior to bug congregation. Stink bugs have the potential to spread throughout the country, which could be harmful to the agricultural industry, as they destroy crops. Although stink bugs are not known to bite humans, their tendency to invade homes in high numbers can be a nuisance.
If you need to get rid of stink bugs that have already entered a home or building, a vacuum cleaner can aid in the removal of live or dead stink bugs. The bag must be discarded to prevent odor from permeating the area. If an infestation has developed inside the home or building, a licensed stink bug control operator should be called to evaluate and assess the problem. Call PermaTreat Pest and Termite Control today! To schedule an inspection click here.
Cockroaches have been long despised by homeowners due to their creepy appearance. Cockroach control and management are important for health and safety reasons, because cockroaches are known to cause allergic reactions and trigger asthma attacks, especially in children. They also spread nearly 33 kinds of bacteria including E. coli and Salmonella.
The American cockroach is the largest of the house-infesting cockroaches. Despite its name, the American cockroach is not native to North America, but was probably introduced via ships from Africa in the 1600s.
Bed bugs can withstand temperatures from nearly freezing to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes controlling them extremely difficult. However, they often succumb after a few days of exposure to temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The bad news is our homes provide the perfect habitat for bed bugs to survive during the winter months.
Are you battling an ant infestation? Sometimes just a cheap spray picked up at the grocery store is all you need to remove these small pesky ants from your house. But you would probably not be reading this article if this had worked for you.
Ants are attracted to sugar for the same reason we are: it’s a dense source of energy that’s relatively rare in nature. If you’ve ever watched ants running around your yard, you get the idea that ants need a lot of energy. Not as much energy as bees, to be sure, but still a lot.
But there’s a lot more to the story than that.
Although ants are attracted to sugar, that’s not the only thing that attracts them. Ants are like us in many ways (they have societies, they wage wars, they farm), including the fact that they’re omnivores. Ants want to eat a variety of different foods in order to be healthy and thrive, although some ants prefer more meat and others prefer more vegetables.
Ants range out from their colony in all directions, with numerous scouts that can range for an extended distance around their homes. How far they go depends on the species of ant, just like the ant’s food preferences.
Once ants find a source of sugar, they will take news of that find back to their nest, leaving a chemical trail that will lead its fellow ants to the site of a sugar spill. When they encounter other members of their nest, they will also swap stomach contents, which tells the other ant what kind of food can be found when they get to the end of the trail. This is why ants swarm around sugar.
But ants will also do this with other types of food, such as the carcass of a dead mouse. The main reason why we don’t tend to notice this is that we (hopefully) don’t have as many dead mouse carcasses in our home as sugar spills. But if you have other spills in the home, such as peanut butter or grease, ants will swarm around those as well.
Another reason why we tend to notice ants swarming sugar more often is that ants which are common domestic pests tend toward preferring the sweet end of the continuum, as opposed to the salty, though there are definitely ants that prefer a salty snack.
If you are having difficulty with household pest species like ants, we can help. Please contact us today.
Homes in Virginia are occasionally inhabited by black widow spiders. Listed below are some interesting facts about black widow spiders.
If you live in Virginia and encounter a black widow spider infestation in your home, contact us for a free inspection and evaluation.
Are pests invading your home? Call PermaTreat now at 866-737-6287 for a home inspection today!
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