Hooray for summer…but boo for the increased insect population buzzing around our heads and in our homes. It comes as no surprise that summertime sees a plethora of creepy crawlers, but why is that? Today, we are going to explain why pests love the heat, how they interact with summer weather, and what you can do to prevent them from ruining your summer season. Continue reading “Summer Heat – What It Means for Insect Pests”
Author: rpswp
Mouse in the House: How to Prevent Rodent Infestations
There is nothing worse than the scratching sound of tiny feet in your walls or ceiling. Whether they are little mice or giant rats, rodents can cause severe harm to your household if they start calling your house home. Today, we are going to teach you the best ways to prevent rodent infestations. Continue reading “Mouse in the House: How to Prevent Rodent Infestations”
Prevent Springtime Pests
Warm sunshine, blooming flowers, and the scent of fresh green grass are just around the corner. Unfortunately, as spring approaches, that means that pest problems will be on the rise. We suggest you follow these tips to prevent springtime pests from putting a hamper on the new season. Continue reading “Prevent Springtime Pests”
Health Threats Caused by Pests
It’s an obvious fact that none of us want to share our homes with nasty little critters like rodents, cockroaches, or bed bugs, especially when these creatures have the capacity to negatively impact the health of you and your family. Today, we will talk about the health threats caused by pests and why it is critical to remove them from your home. Continue reading “Health Threats Caused by Pests”
How to Prevent and Get Rid of Cockroaches
One of the most annoying and prevalent pests is the cockroach. These small insects are active year-round, are tough to kill, and are adept at hiding. This article lists the best ways you can prevent and get rid of cockroaches.
Preventing a Cockroach Infestation
Cockroaches, like all other pests, invade your home in search of food and water. They enter your home through small cracks and crevices, holes in vents or pipes, and other sneaky methods. To prevent cockroaches from choosing your home, take the following steps:
1. Clear out clutter
Cockroaches love clutter as it provides dark places where they can easily hide and breed. To prevent this, clear out your clutter. You especially want to remove newspapers and cardboard boxes, as those are their favorites.
2. Seal cracks
You don’t want to provide them with easy access to enter your home. Be sure to seal up the cracks around windows and doors, along the foundation or roof, throughout the attic and crawl spaces, and any holes used for electric, gas, or plumbing lines.
3. Perform home inspections
You want to regularly check your home for issues such as new cracks that lead outside, plumbing issues, or leaks. Cockroaches will search for moisture, so make sure that any problems are fixed immediately.
4. Keep food locked up tight
Cockroaches are looking for a buffet; don’t give it to them. You should:
- Seal up all food
- Don’t leave food on the counters
- Wash and put away dishes
- Regularly take out the trash
- Remove grease from the stovetop
- Clean up crumbs on the counters or floor
- Regularly sweep and mop the floors
- Put away pet food when they aren’t eating
How to Get Rid of Pests
Unfortunately, even our best efforts do not always stop these pesky critters from invading our homes. In this case, here are a few DIY methods that you can try.
1. Traps
Traps are essentially sticky strips that you lay down in high traffic areas for the cockroaches. The scent of the sticky materials draws them in, and then they die from being stuck there.
2. Bait
When cockroaches ingest the bait, it is really poison. They then return to their nests where they die, are eaten by other cockroaches, and the poison spreads to kill more of them.
3. Liquid Concentrates
Liquid concentrates are products that, once diluted, can be sprayed into cracks or hiding places. This concentrate repels the cockroaches and forces them to find another entry point.
4. Boric Acid
You can mix boric acid, flour, and sugar to make a dough. When the cockroaches eat the dough, it will poison them quite quickly. If, however, you have pets or small children in your home, do NOT try this.
If the above DIY solutions are not working, it is time to call Pest Control. Commonly, a cockroach infestation can get out of hand due to their quick breeding rate before you can self-manage it. When this happens, a licensed exterminator can handle it for you quickly and efficiently.
Pest Control Questions about Spiders Answered
Let’s be honest; there are many insects that we can handle invading our home…but spiders are the worst! In all reality, most spiders are completely harmless. There are 43,000 different spider species in the world, and less than 30 are considered dangerous. That doesn’t change the fact that the majority of us will scream in terror when we find one perched in our shower or scuttling along the wall. Today, we are going to answer your commonly asked questions about spiders in concern to pest control.
Continue reading “Pest Control Questions about Spiders Answered”
How the Weather Determines Pest Problems
As the weather gets colder and colder the deeper we head into winter, you may be wondering how the changes in weather affect pests. What temperatures hinder them, and what temperatures help them. What about rain, drought, or snow? Together, we will give a brief explanation of how changing weather patterns will affect the pests in your area!
Keep Your Home Pest Free This Winter
Winter is coming! When winter hits, some pests take to hibernating while others seek food and shelter. If you don’t want your home to become a pest’s winter residence, here are the steps you need to keep your home pest-free this winter.
5 Tips to Keep Ants Out of Your Home
Ants are a never-ending pest that can sneak into a home without the owner noticing until there is suddenly 50 of them trudging their way across your countertop. We want to help you keep ants out of your home, which is why we are providing these 5 easy DIY methods.
Don’t Give Them a Reason
The first and most important tip on how to keep ants out of your home is not to give them a reason to come inside. By keeping your home clean and storing all foods in air-tight containers, the ants will have no reason to go inside looking for food.
Sometimes, keeping the house squeaky clean just isn’t enough, which is why the next four tips are natural substances you can use to deter ants from entering your home.
Lemon
Ants are not a fan of lemon scents, and you can use that to your advantage. Squeeze lemon juice into ant entryways or block it with a lemon rind. You can also wash your countertops and floors with water mixed with a smidge of lemon juice.
If you want to take it a step further, you can use lemon eucalyptus oil. Lemon eucalyptus oils contain citronella, a hated commodity by many animals. To use, just soak a cotton ball with undiluted oil and stuff it where ants enter your home. Please note that this is an unhealthy substance for pets and children, so keep it well out of reach.
White Vinegar
Another scent that ants do not like is white vinegar. If you happen to see some ants, you can dump it straight on them. It is instant death for the existing ants, and it will repel others from joining them. In addition, washing your floors with a water and white vinegar mix will not only get them shiny clean, but it will also leave behind a strong scent for ants that humans can’t smell.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a strong scent for anyone, and for ants it is overwhelming. Sprinkling cinnamon or cloves at ant entry points as well as on windowsills and baseboards are an excellent deterrent; plus, it will make your home smell delightful!
Like with lemon, you can also get cinnamon leaf essential oil. Within the oil, there is trans-cinnamaldehyde, which is a powerful ant killer and repellent. You can soak cotton balls in the oil and place them at ant entryways. While not overly harmful to non-ant individuals, we still suggest keeping it away from pets and children.
Peppermint
If you don’t mind your home smelling like the holidays, peppermint is another natural remedy to keep ants away from your home. Simply mix ten drops of peppermint oil with a cup of water. Next, sprinkle the mixture wherever you find ants. This mixture isn’t nearly as powerful as the ones listed above, so you may need to reapply the mixture twice a day until the ants take the hit to get out!
Are none of these tips working, and you need professional help? Give us a call today, and we will help you choose the right treatment for your home.
7 Pest Control Myths Dispelled
People have been battling pests trying to invade their homes for centuries, which has created a vast array of knowledge on how to stop them. However, with that knowledge creates some myths, otherwise known as false facts that everyone knows. Today, we are going to dispel some of those myths!