Bed bugs are not a pest that you should try to control on your own. Attempting to resolves the issue yourself as improper treatment could spread the problem throughout and increase costs to eliminate the problem. You should AVOID discarding bedding and mattresses. This is not a solution and can spread the infestation throughout the house, and any new furniture can quickly become infested. To learn more about bed bug treatments in apartment units.
Most bed bugs can be found within a few feet of their feeding host, which includes mattresses, headboards, baseboards, and other furniture close by. Bat bugs may be seen in a few of these places as well, but are mainly found in areas that harbor bats, such as attics. They may be seen up on ceilings and on the walls, but usually stay within the vicinity of their food source.
The most reliable way to confirm you have bed bugs is to contact E&G Pest Solutions to identify a sample collected from your home. However, there are key warning signs that you may have an infestation:
- Going to bed and waking with bites, welts or rashes. Bite marks may appear in a rows and clusters.
- Dark spotting or blood droplets on mattresses or bedding. These are waste products bed bugs excrete while digesting a blood-meal.
- Visible observation of eggs, molted insect skin, or the insect. The failure to locate an insect does not indicate they are not present. Adult bed bugs are difficult to locate, and immature bed bugs can be difficult to see due to their size.
The common misconception by some homeowners who suspect bed bugs is that cleaning companies can get rid of active bed bugs without chemicals (or a pest control professional), and can simply clean out the bed bugs with their cleanup services. The short comings of the bed bug cleaning service include vacuuming and putting linens into the dryer on high heat. While this will get rid of visible bed bugs, it still does not address the main areas where they live and breed. Another issue with cleaning companies is that they often unknowingly mishandle linens. Shaking them or flinging them onto the floor can move the bed bugs and cause the infestation to relocate or even spread. While reducing clutter, vacuuming the room, and putting pillows and bed sheets into a dryer on high heat can help with bed bug infestations, it’s not a substitute for professional bed bug pest control.
In order for E&G Exterminators Inc. to provide a proper bed bug treatment there are a few things that we need you to do prior to treatment. These preparations are crucial to your treatment; however we try to keep these preparations to a minimum. Please download our preparation sheet for residential treatment for bed bugs here.
Boxelder bugs are an “overwintering pest,” migrating to wall voids in the early fall to keep warm and escape the harsh elements. They can be especially difficult to control once they enter the structure, making professional pest control necessary. Adult Boxelder bugs are about 1/2 inch long with 6 legs, and are black in color with red and orange markings on their abdomen. Their wings lay flat across the back and overlap. They live in boxelder trees during the Spring and Summer, feeding off of the leaves, flowers, and seeds.
Boxelder bugs spend their time thriving in nature during the warmer months. Once the weather becomes cold, they migrate in very large groups to find shelter in hopes of survival. If human made structures are nearby, they will enter through cracks and crevices to hide within wall voids for the winter. Boxelder bugs do not post a significant health threat to humans and although it’s not common, they may bite if provoked.
Trying to control a boxelder bug infestation on your own may result in complications and the worsening of pest activity. If you kill boxelder bugs within the wall voids on your own, the scent of their decaying bodies can attract beetles and increase insect populations within the structure. Boxelder bugs also leave a reddish-orange stain from their disposal of feces when they are squished, which can leave marks on your carpet, clothing, and other fabric items.
Boxelder bugs primarily feed on the seeds of boxelder trees, which are abundant on properties in our area, growing on their own in nature. Removing boxelder trees from your property will greatly reduce the likelihood of boxelder bug activity. Boxelder bugs are also known to feed on the sap of maple trees, ash trees, and the young fruit of grapes, apples, and plums that could be growing on or near your property. Come late summer/early fall, adult boxelder bugs begin their search for shelter for the duration of the winter. This leads to overwintering in your home that provides the warmth they need for survival.
Carpenter ants can cause damage to the wood that makes up your home and often will come back to the structure year after year. Carpenter ant problems can be difficult to control the first time, so you certainly do not want them to re-infest! Since carpenter ants are social insects, their colonies are organized into complex societies with a division of labor among the different castes. Carpenter ants play an important role in the environment by acting as major decomposers of dead or fallen trees within the forest. However, since they are very efficient destroyers of wood, they can become a very serious economic pest when they enter man-made structures.
Typical signs of carpenter ant infestations may include:
- Carpenter ant adults usually appear as large black ants. However, some species contain combinations of black, red or orange occurring on various parts of the body.
- Carpenter ants prefer to attack wood which has been moistened and is damp or weakened by decay. The difference between carpenter ants and termites is that termites eat the wood while carpenter ants make nests within the structure.
- Carpenter ant nests can be located in attics, underneath floor coverings, in ceilings, and cracks in walls.
- Carpenter ants are most active during the night when they forage for food
- Carpenter ants may bite in defense when their nest is disturbed
When outdoors, carpenter ants create nests in places such as decaying trees and other rotting or damp wood. They travel out of the nest in search of food sources as well as ideal locations to create satellite nests. These satellite nests are what you usually see with infestations of manmade structures. Carpenter ants burrow through wood, creating cavities within walls, wooden door or window frames, and decks around your home, in search of food.
Carpenter ants cause damage as they burrow through wood at your home. Their pathways look like smooth, round tunnels and can exist anywhere they nest. Carpenter ants are typically drawn to wet wood as opposed to dry wood. This means that they can be found in places such as damp wood in decks, door frames, window frames, and occasionally insulation. Although they do not cause extensive damage like termites would, their presence can lead to greater issues if left untreated for a long period of time.
Carpenter ants have a very complex set of biology and behavior. Consumer products that you can find at big box retailers look like an inexpensive alternative, but they cannot solve the infestation like a professional can because they do not get to the root of the problem. Without the knowledge of carpenter ant biology and the skills to implement the proper techniques with professional materials, store-bought ant control products are essentially a waste of money and your time. Carpenter ants come back year after year if their nests are not targeted properly and destroyed.
These bees look like large bumble bees, but unlike bumble bees they have a shiny black abdomen. Carpenter bees also have distinctive flight patterns and are often seen diving and darting about and “chasing” each other in flight. They are solitary bees that make nests by chewing perfectly round tunnels into the wood where they lay 6-8 eggs. Many times there will be a brownish stain on the wood directly beneath their nests. These nests are commonly found along the trim of the roof-line, but they can be found in other places around the house as well. Even though each nest is individual many females will often make their nests in the same general area, and will return every year.
There are a number of ways a pest professional may treat for carpenter bees, but a few common ways are residual liquid treatment, dust product application and plugging of carpenter bee holes. E&G exterminators provides liquid and dust treatment as well as the plugging of the carpenter bee holes.
Carpenter bees have a very distinct flying pattern. You can see carpenter bees darting and diving around as well as “chasing” each other. Carpenter bees are also primarily solitary bees, whereas bumble bees are social bees that nest together.
Unlike bumble bees, who are social bees that will sting to protect their nest, carpenter bees are solitary. Since they are primarily solitary bees, the female carpenter bees will only sting if seriously provoked.
Carpenter bees, which are often mistaken for bumble bees due to their similar appearance, are not typically a danger to you, but they can be to your home. They aggressively attack homes, especially along the eaves of roofs where they drill holes and chew into the wood where they build a nest to raise their young. In the fall, new carpenter bees tend to use these tunnels to survive the cold winterincreasing the number of bees and the damage they will create the next spring. Once a home gets carpenter bees the issue tends to reoccur each spring. Besides the damage carpenter bees can cause to wooden structures, their presence oftentimes can attract woodpeckers, which would create more extensive damage to the existing holes made by the bees.
Cicada killers may look very imposing because of their large size, but unlike other wasps they rarely sting humans unless they are provoked or threatened. Male cicada killers don’t even have stingers! They are black and yellow in color and have orange-brown legs. Cicada killers are solitary wasps, so each female cicada killer will make her own burrow in either bare ground or sparse grass to lay her eggs. They eat flower nectar as adults, but the females hunt and paralyze cicadas to provide food for the immature cicada killers over the winter. Cicada killers will often return to the same places year after year because the conditions are favorable.
Cicada killers are looking for cicada populations to feed on. If you have cicadas living in the bushes around your home, cicada killers will likely follow. Cicada killers are attracted to sparse lawns and bare, dry soil, so they will make nests on your property in areas that fit these criteria. Their nests are dug into the ground in areas such as along sidewalks, on your lawn, within flower beds, and in gardens. Their tunnels serve the purpose of laying larvae and dragging cicadas down to feed on.
Cicada killers are beneficial insects and in most instances will not sting humans. They can cause a small bit of damage to lawns and flowerbeds where their burrows leave small mounds of dirt and holes up to 1 inch in diameter. In general, cicada killers are good insects to have around because they reduce the cicada population, which results in less plant damage. However, they look very intimidating and the males can seem aggressive despite the fact that they cannot sting. Their stinger is solely used to paralyze their prey. Due to their frightening appearance, many people do not want them on their property.
Cicada killers have a preference for dry, sandy soil in exposed sunlight, making suburban homes a perfect breeding ground. Common places for cicada killer holes are dry patches in your lawn where dirt may be exposed, under bushes, or within the dirt in between your lawn and sidewalk. It is difficult to completely eliminate cicada killer activity, but chemical treatments to their holes will help to reduce the activity of the females. Having a dense lawn and dense coverage in planters, in addition to letting grass grow a bit taller in July and August will help deter cicada killers.
The best way to prevent cicada killers is to have a well-maintained lawn with no areas of bare soil since it is bare soil that is attractive to cicada killers. Allowing your lawn to grow a bit longer in July and August will also help to deter cicada killers.
Cockroaches are common pests that infest both houses and commercial buildings where there is food, warmth and moisture. There are multiple different species of cockroaches that can be found in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area including Oriental cockroaches, German cockroaches, and American cockroaches. They are mainly active at night and are often found in homes and restaurants. Unlike pests that primarily feed off of outdoors vegetation, cockroaches are drawn to things that are commonly found in homes such as store-bought food, toothpaste, and kitchen sponges. To learn more about cockroaches, click here.
German cockroaches are best identified by their small size and two dark parallel lines or “racing stripes” running from the back of the head to the wings. It is usually found in kitchens near dishwashers, stoves, and sinks, and in bathrooms of homes. They feed on a wide variety of foods, including almost anything like soap, glue, and toothpaste. American cockroaches are one of the largest cockroaches that invade homes and adult American cockroaches are reddish brown or mahogany colored. They are usually found in kitchens, bathrooms, basements, sump pump rooms, and electrical rooms.
Cockroach infestations most often begin when someone unknowingly brings an infested item into a home or building. Poor sanitation such as leaving out food or dirty dishes, can encourage an infestation since this type of clutter provides a good food source for the roaches. American roaches usually originate from drains or sewers, and make their way into working or living areas via the pipes and drains. The adults are very strong flyers, allowing them to easily migrate from building to building. Cockroaches also are drawn to less frequented areas near sewers and drainage where they can live among the moisture and clutter made by boxes and papers left in your basement, electrical room, or crawl space. Without addressing a cockroach infestation, they can multiply very quickly. To learn more about cockroach infestations, click here.
Cockroaches can cause major infestations and are quite unsanitary. They are a major source of food contamination leading to food poisoning and have also been found to cause allergies in humans. Cockroaches frequently live in sewers, bringing these conditions with them as they migrate indoors. Pet food bowels are also an easy target for cockroaches, making them a health threat to your dog or cat. Cockroaches can bite humans, but it’s highly unlikely. Although the odds are in your favor, there have been reported cases of cockroaches biting nails, eyelashes, and calloused skin on heels. To learn more about cockroach activity in residential homes, click here.
While it is highly unlikely that you would be able to completely eliminate a roach problem only by improving sanitation, it is an important factor in dealing with any cockroach problem. You can make your home far less inviting to cockroaches by keeping your home free of food debris, keeping trashcans and the area around them clean, keeping floors and counters clean, and not storing paper bags and cardboard. Unlike many household pests, cockroaches are prevalent year-round and require professional services in order to gain effective control.
The single most important thing you can do to prevent a cockroach infestation is keeping your home as sanitary as possible. This means avoiding clutter (especially paper bags and cardboard), making sure that no food is left out, and keeping floors and counters clean. Ensure that gaps around drain pipes underneath places such as your kitchen and bathroom sinks are properly sealed. If you see cockroaches in your home, call E&G exterminators immediately for a FREE INSPECTION AND ESTIMATE. The problem will not go away on its own and will escalate quickly if not addressed.
Crickets have two distinctive features: their large back legs and their chirping. While all crickets can be identified by their powerful hind legs, it is only the male crickets who chirp in order to attract females. Crickets normally find their way inside when they are seeking warmth and moisture. They tend to prefer living outside in the warmer months and will tend to be less of a problem then. There are two types of crickets that are commonly found indoors in New Jersey and Pennsylvania: house crickets and camel crickets.
You can find spider crickets living among other household pests in places such as garages, basements, crawl spaces, and under woodpiles. Anywhere that high levels of moisture exists can attract spider crickets. On the other hand, house crickets will attack paper, damage silk, woolens, fruits, and vegetables all kinds of foods, and even rubber. However, unless large numbers occur, such damage is usually minor. House crickets like warm places such as kitchens, fireplaces, and cracks and crevices and behind baseboards. To learn more about crickets, click here.
Crickets will eat practically anything, they can cause damage to clothing and curtains in your home, though the damage is seldom significant unless they are present in large numbers. Like most household pests, crickets try to avoid humans. They thrive where conditions are dark where we will not be spending the majority of our time such as crawl spaces and basements. Crickets are more of a nuisance than a direct threat to humans. These jumping pests often travel alone so if you hear chirping, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have a heavy infestation. To learn more about cricket infestations, click here.
Making changes to the landscaping on your property is helpful in reducing the number of crickets infesting your home. Be sure that the lawn is well maintained and there are not stacks of things such as firewood along the foundation. Sealing cracks and crevices where they can get in to the home is also very important. Pesticide applications to exterior and baiting or pesticide treatments inside can be very effective in dealing with crickets. You can try to seal up all cracks, crevices, and potential entry points where the crickets could enter your home. You can also switch to yellow (sodium vapor) lights outside since they will attract fewer crickets to them. To learn more about cricket elimination and prevention, click here.
Mice make their nests in houses where there human activity is the lowest. They seek out places where they are least likely to be disturbed to create their nest. A single mouse will create a nest to live and raise pups. Once pups are old enough to live on their own, they leave the nest and create their own individual nests. Nests can be found pretty much anywhere within a home or on the property. The most common hiding places for mice nests are: insulation, attics, under refrigerators, under stoves, and under dishwashers.
What many homeowners don’t realize is that mice can squeeze through holes much smaller than their body size, making it possible for them to into your home through even the smallest of holes on the exterior of your home. Mice can actually fit into holes as small as a dime and can quickly slip into your home unnoticed.”
The millipedes found in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area are small, black and brown in color, and have segmented, worm-like bodies, although they aren’t worms at all. Millipedes are actually arthropods. The name “millipede” comes from Latin origin, meaning “thousand feet.” It’s a common misconception that millipedes have 1,000 legs, because there have never been any recorded cases of millipedes reaching that amount. Millipedes have between 40-400 pairs of legs depending on the species, of which there about 10,000. Millipedes are slow moving and tend to curl up into a spiral when disturbed, releasing an unpleasant scent. To learn more about millipedes, click here.
Millipedes feed on decaying plant matter and prefer to live where they can find high levels of moisture and protection. Ideal living spaces include under rocks, mulch beds, flowerbeds, and gardens. You may see them in your home when it’s too dry or hot outside and your basement provides significant moisture. To learn more about millipede infestations, click here.
This is one of the most common questions that people ask about millipedes. Millipedes and centipedes are both arthropods that have segmented bodies and a large amount of legs. Both insects are commonly found in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, although you’re much more likely to see a centipede in your home than a millipede. The main differentiators are the number of legs, size, color, diet, and movement. To learn more about the differences between centipedes and millipedes, click here.
No, millipedes do not bite or sting. As a defense mechanism, millipedes will curl up and release an unpleasant smell. They are not dangerous, wood-destroying, poisonous, or a threat to your pets, food or possessions. If you see millipedes in your home, don’t be alarmed. To learn more about millipede biology, click here.
Millipedes can be controlled by sealing cracks and crevices that serve as entry points and keeping vegetation and moisture of any sort away from the foundation of your home. After heavy rains, it’s especially likely that millipedes will be pushed into your home if an entry point exists. Especially dry or hot weather creates an uncomfortable environment for millipedes, so they may be drawn into your home if you have water damage or humidity in your basement or garage. Simply vacuum them up as you see them because they will die in 24-48 hours indoors. To learn more about millipede elimination and prevention, click here.
If you’d like to take a stab at tackling the mosquitoes in your yard yourself, here are a few options you can try: mosquito repellent candles, natural plants, outdoor bug foggers, and outdoor bug sprays. Each option has their advantages and disadvantages when it comes to ease of us and effectiveness when compared to professional mosquito control.
You may experience increased mosquito activity if you live in an area near water sources that serve as breeding grounds. All species rely on a water source for their larval and pupal stages and cannot otherwise mature to an adult stage, where reproduction and blood meals begin. Mosquitoes of different species lay their eggs in water sources ranging from small containers to vast marshlands.
It’s important to know that DEET does not kill mosquitoes and ticks. DEET repels these pests that approach you by creating an invisible barrier around the areas where the product has been applied, making you undetectable to mosquitoes and ticks. Products that contain DEET display the amount of the ingredient by percentage. It’s important to note that higher percentages do not indicate a higher strength of DEET. The amount of DEET within a product dictates how long it will last once applied. For example, a product with 25% DEET will last several hours. However a product containing 4% DEET will last a much shorter length of time. When applying DEET, it’s important that you follow the instructions to remain safe.
When gutters are left open, debris from falling leaves and other vegetation clog up the water flow. Without anywhere to go, rainfall sits and continues to collect in the gutters. In general, mosquitoes are attracted to stagnant water in large or small quantities such as ponds, rain water collected in buckets around your home, in bird baths, and on plastic play sets in your back yard. Clogged gutters offer that same environment which is potentially more dangerous if your gutters aren’t cleaned regularly.
There are several different species of ants that are commonly found throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Even though most of the ant species are considered nuisance ants, there are species that can actually cause structural damage to your home. If you can correctly identify what type of ant is invading your home, you’ll be able to better understand the treatment options for that species. Nuisance ants typically include odorous house ants and pavement ants.
There are four key differences between flying ants and termites. Flying ants have a pinched waist and elbowed antennae, which often has them being mistaken for termites. They also have two sets of wings, which one set is larger than the second. Termites, however, have a straight antennae and their wing sets are of equal length. They also have more of a tubular, thick waist. Another major difference is that termites lose their wings readily, shedding them onto the ground, whereas the wings on ants typically remain attached to the insect’s body.
Bait placement is critical when trying to remove ants from a dwelling. Where you place the bait can determine if it will be a success or not. Just like spraying repellents, bait placement along ant trails (that include lines and edges) would be the first place to start. Follow the edges along baseboards and place your bait in a corner along that baseboard. You may also find ants crawling along the edges of your backsplash, if this is the case, place bait near those edges. If you already know the ant trail, start there. For instance, if you know you’re seeing ants in your kitchen near your dishwasher, perhaps start by spraying along the baseboards leading to that location. If there are any cracks or crevices, be sure to include those because they might be entry points for the ants.
The definition of repellent is as follows: “a substance that deters insects or other pests from approaching or settling.” Basically, an ant repellent does as its title implies: it repels ants. This means creating a barrier that the ants no longer want to cross and instead search for somewhere else to go. Some repellents can work, however, in the end you’ll just be redirecting the ants, and they may find another entryway into your home. Repellents don’t kill the colony, and if that’s what you want to do, then you may want to use a bait instead.
Controlling the flying ant population at your home can be challenging to do on your own. Once a swarm begins, flying ants will emerge in as many as hundreds of thousands. Fortunately, this typically only lasts for a few hours to a few days and then ceases. The goal of flying ants is to use their wings to leave the colony and reproduce. Swarming does not happen frequently, so pest control companies will focus on preventative rather than reactive services. You can vacuum up flying ants and dispose of them as they are visible.
Of all the ants that are native to our area, only carpenter ants and acrobat ants can cause structural damage to your home. Of the two, carpenter ants are more serious than acrobat ants because they will destroy sound wood in addition to wood that has been weakened by moisture damage. Acrobat ants tend to cause less damage and are usually associated in areas of the structure where moisture is a problem.
Generally carpenter ants are most active at night while they search for food. During the warm months they feed on other insects or substances obtained from other insects, such as a sugary secretion known as “honeydew,” produced from aphids. However, during the colder months the ants remain largely dormant and only become active when temperatures become warm or if their colony is located near a heat source, such as a heating duct in the wall.
The biggest concern with ant infestations within your home is the potential for disease. Ants are constantly moving back and forth, indoors and back out, picking up germs along the way. This means that bacteria living on the ground or in your pipes can surface and spread if ants cross your food. Sugar ants are the most likely to cause infection because of their specific attraction to sugary and greasy foods such as cookies and chips.
Your kitchen is the most common place to find nuisance ants. They are attracted to resources such as food and water to keep the colony alive and growing. Inevitably, your family will end up dropping small crumbs after snacks and meals without knowing it. Pet food bowls are a perfect way for small ants and other pests to thrive in your kitchen. Throw away uneaten pet food or lift it away from the floor into a sealed container at the end of each day to avoid this scenario. Ants and other pests can easily find pet food in poorly sealed containers such as the large paper bags that they come in.
Silverfish, also called “bristletails,” are shaped like a flattened carrot and are silver or gray in color. They grow to be between ½-¾ of an inch long and have three tail-like appendages at the tip of the abdomen. Silverfish are very active at night and can run very quickly. They are usually found in areas with relatively high levels of humidity and moisture, and their flat bodies allow them to live in very tight spaces. This means bathrooms, attics, garages, crawl spaces, and basements are especially vulnerable to silverfish activity.
Silverfish find their way in doors while searching for warmth, moisture and food. Easy entry points exist around your home such as windows, door frames, utility pipes, and shake roofs. They can also be brought in as stowaways in boxes or packages. Although silverfish don’t cause structural damage or pass on diseases to humans, they do cause damage to books, wallpaper, paper goods, and sometimes clothing.
Silverfish aren’t known to bite or attack humans and pets or spread diseases. Valuables such as photo albums, important documents, receipts, and treasured books can be targets for silverfish feeding. Their presence can be uncomfortable for those who have a low tolerance for pest activity in their home, which is when professional pest control becomes an option. Because they eat mold, persistent silverfish activity can be indicative of mold problems, water damage, or broken/leaking utility pipes. To learn more about silverfish, click here.
Since silverfish are nocturnal, spending their days hiding in small spaces, it is hard to get rid of an existing population without professional pest control. The best way to reduce the silverfish populations in your home is to create an environment that is not desirable for breeding. To learn more about silverfish infestations, click here.
To prevent silverfish you should make sure that you do all that you can to prevent build up of moisture, humidity, and mold in you home. This can be achieved by keeping up with regular maintenance and sanitation. Reducing the storage of clutter and cardboard boxes (which can lead to mold problems) is also helpful. However, it is difficult to eliminate their food sources because they are so disposed to eat paper and glue that holds wallpaper together. To learn more about silverfish prevention, click here.
Wolf spiders are large spiders that can be found in and around homes in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area. They are often mistaken for tarantulas because of their alarming appearance, speed, and size. If you have Wolf spiders living on your property, they could wander into your home in search of small insects to eat. Female wolf spiders are 3/8 – 1 3/8″ and males are 1/4 – 3/4″ and they can be a combination of varying shades of brown and black to help them camouflage. Wolf spiders, called lycosids, have 8 legs and 8 eyes separated into two rows. Their multitude of eyes provides them with keen night vision for nocturnal activity.
There are several types of spiders that are commonly found in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, which include the wolf spider, brown recluse spider, and cellar spider. Spiders are drawn to basements due to the dark, damp conditions that exist. They are actually beneficial because they eat almost every other tiny bug in your basement.
There are several different species of spiders that can be found in many New Jersey and Pennsylvania homes. However, most are harmless and are only seen as a nuisance rather than a threat. Common household spiders that aren’t dangerous include cellar spiders, American house spiders, jumping spiders, and wolf spiders. The only dangerous spiders is the black widow.
Daddy longleg is not an established name for any specific insect, but is a nickname originating in the United States due to their unique appearance. When someone says that they see a “daddy longleg,” they are unknowingly referring to Opilionids arachnids, which is not a spider at all, and more closely related to scorpions. They are also called “harvestmen” because some say that their legs resemble scythes used by farmers to harvest their crops.
Take a look around your roof and above the highest story of your home. Are there torn screens, broken gable vents, aged gutters, or other openings? Repairing all of these areas will block off easy access points for squirrel nesting. Keeping trees cut back 6-8 feet away from the home will remove natural bridges they can climb to access your gutters and attic. Do not hang bird feeders from trees. Squirrels can easily break in and steal any food, leaving the bird feeder broken in the process.
YYou can identify squirrel damage on the exterior of your home by looking for holes squirrels may have made in order to access your home. The holes are large enough for a big squirrel to fit through, and are along edges where material can be more easily separated. Signs of squirrel nesting in your attic include scratching noises, droppings, damaged fascia boards and damaged shingles. To learn more about squirrel damage, click here.
In the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area, the most common species of squirrel is the Eastern Gray Squirrel. They can find their way into your attic by entering through fascia boards, shingles, and eaves on your home. They take shelter and create their nests, typically housing 2-7 squirrels at a time. On the other hand, mice live in hidden areas such as garages, attics, lofts, and wall interiors, making them nearly impossible to remove on your own.
Paper wasps are one of the first insects to become active in the early spring months (April/May) and will continue to be active throughout the entire summer. As they emerge, they will begin to build their nests on various structures, including homes, decks, swing sets, storage sheds and much more. They will collect wood from wooden playsets, deck railings, fences or barks of trees to help construct their nests. Since many people are afraid of wasps, seeing a nest could cause alarm. Although wasps are only moderately aggressive, they will readily sting if they feel their nest is being threatened.
Most of the DIY remedies suggest that homeowners get in close contact with the yellow jacket nests to spray or dump the solution into the nest, however, this can be extremely dangerous. You should never get near a yellow jacket nest without the proper safety gear on otherwise you’re subjecting yourself to the possibility of getting stung multiple times.
To avoid stinging insects, never swat them if they fly around you or land on you. Gently brush them aside so they’re not tempted to sting. Garbage cans stored outside should be covered with tight-fitting lids. Yellow jackets in particular are attracted to sweets that could be in your trash can, not to mention open soda cans and uncovered food at your family barbecue.
If you are tempted to take down a wasp nest on your own, you’ve probably heard of the following strategies: fire/burning, dish soap, and using a bat. All of these dangerous acts can very easily cause the wasps to swarm and sting you severely. Professional pest control services differ from any DIY treatments because they have access to different tools. For example, wearing bee gear allows technicians to get very close to the nest without the risk of getting stung.
Stink bugs do not bite. They do not have fangs or a stinger but instead have a sucking mouth part. They are attracted to plant matter and fruits, including the fruit from trees that drop long bean pods, rather than seeking human flesh. Stink bugs do not pose any significant health risk to humans because they avoid areas of high traffic, taking shelter in wall voids away from predators.
Stink bugs make their ways indoors beginning in the late summer to overwinter in homes. Once they enter a structure, they will stay active all winter long. As the weather warms up and spring arrives, stink bugs will emerge throughout your home as they try to make their way outdoors once again. Although they pose no harm to humans, they can be troublesome for homeowners if they invade a home in large numbers, which can be frustrating when they become active.
The brown marmorated stink bug is the most abundant in our area and is what you will see in your bathroom. They are about the size of a penny so they don’t need a giant hole to enter homes. They are not destructive so they aren’t an immediate threat to your home. However, many clients call in about stink bug treatments because they simply don’t like seeing pests in their home.
Stink bugs are one of the most difficult pests to eliminate. Don’t panic! There are some precautionary measures you can take to prevent stink bug infestations on your own. While these tips will not prevent stink bugs with 100% success, but they will offer some relief if taken care of before stink bug season begins. To prevent stink bugs, seal cracks around the most common stink bug entry points which include windows, siding, utility pipes, and behind chimneys.
Termites are a common occurrence in nature, and are constantly in search of additional food sources. Worker termites travel underground looking for fallen trees, decaying wood, plant debris, and other cellulose materials to consume and bring back to the colony. It is not uncommon to find termites in mulch or a nearby wood pile around your home. Improper moisture control, leaf litter, and direct wood-to-soil contact are all prime conditions that can promote termite activity on your property, often times within close proximity to your home. To learn more about termites, click here.
At E&G Pest Solutions, we offer both extermination and preventive services to assist in the early detection and elimination of termites in your property. After a thorough inspection we will determine which treatment will work for your particular situation. If the inspection reveals termites, we will get rid of them with a traditional liquid termite treatment. If the inspection reveals no termites we would recommend our Advance Termite Bait System program to provide on-going protection against new colonies.
Protecting your home from termites depends where you are in the process of decision making. Not sure if you have termites? Proactive monitoring can help you detect termites on your property before they become a problem. Already have a termite problem? Baiting and liquid treatments applied by pest professionals are your best bet.
There are four key differences between flying ants and termites. Flying Ants have a pinched waist and elbowed antennae, which often has them being mistaken for termites. They also have two sets of wings, which one set is larger than the second. Termites, however, have a straight antennae and their wing sets are of equal length. They also have more of a tubular, thick waist. Another major difference is that termites lose their wings readily, shedding them onto the ground, whereas the wings on ants typically remain attached to the insect’s body. To learn more about termite identification, click here.
If your property is backed up to a wood line or you don’t regularly mow your lawn, it greatly increases your chances for tick activity. If your property has these elements, any host (dogs or humans) can fall prey to ticks, in turn bringing them indoors. Deer and other wild animals are even more susceptible to ticks simply because they live outdoors and venture back and forth between your yard and the woods or other natural habitats. Even homes without wood lines can fall victim to tick activity through visits from these critters.
Ticks live in places such as unmanicured lawns, brush, along wood lines, tall grasses, fields, and parks. Areas with an abundance of tall foliage are conducive to tick activity, giving them a perfect place to latch onto while waiting for a host. When humans or animals such as pets walk through these areas of dense growth, ticks cling onto exposed skin to feed off of their new host. New Jersey and Pennsylvania are no exceptions, having one of the highest tick populations this season than ever before.
