Dealing with a Wasp Problem at Home

Wasps become a major pest issue as summer nears. This is the time when their nests are bigger and they seem to become a bit more aggressive. They can attack in huge numbers and when they see that they are threatened, they don’t hesitate in stinging you repeatedly. That’s why wasps are so dangerous – because they can hurt you. They even pose a certain risk to those who are naturally allergic to their venom.

If you happen to see wasps in your home, yard, or garden, then you should immediately do something about it. Don’t let them feel like they’re at home, because if you do, they’ll build nests and thrive in no time.

Getting Rid of Wasp Nests

Whenever you need to deal with wasp nests, the best solution is to call a pest exterminator. Yes, you may be able to do it yourself, but you should be aware of the risks involved in trying to get near a nest. In fact, you should never undermine the experience and skills of a prof in getting rid of wasp nests. One nest alone is able to produce about 30,000 wasps, which means that you are putting yourself in danger whenever they decide to strike back.

The usual locations of these nests are wall cavities, trees, garages and holes in the ground, sheds, lofts, and even bird boxes. The earlier you determine you have a wasp nest the easier it is to get rid of. Of course, if you decide to hire a professional wasp exterminator, then you should expect the following benefits:

1. Expert advice in terms of safely and conveniently removing the threat
2. Eliminating the possibility of you and the rest of your family from getting stung
3. Reliable pros will be offering you very reasonable rates

Wasp Exterminating Services

Once you see a wasp nest, the most common response would be to attempt to get rid of it using some kind of powder or spray you bought in a home improvement and supply store. However, you can’t just deal with any kind of wasp nest because it can be very dangerous. In fact, we only recommend you try removing it yourself if it is small enough and not in a difficult position. This means that you should not even think of doing it if you need to climb a tree or use a ladder. And if you’re allergic to wasp venom, you have no other choice but to call a professional.

The most notable advantage of calling a pest control professional is that they definitely know what they’re doing. Aside from that, they will be equipped and dressed up in protective gear, which means that they no longer are at risk of being stung by a wasp. With their level of expertise and experience, they can deal with all kinds of aggressive wasps and be able to use the right insecticides to kill them. A nest with at least 5,000 wasps is something that needs to be taken care of by a professional. It is not and never will be a homeowner’s task to handle it.

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Different Termite Treatment Options

Termite infestation is a problem every homeowner will face sooner or later. The good news is that there are several methods of treatments in order to get rid of them for good. But choosing the right one is crucial because not all of them will work on your particular situation. The decision has to be made based on careful and meticulous research. It is even recommended that you see a pest control professional or pest exterminator to help you decide.

Keep in mind that every home is unique, which means that treatment will have to be customized based on the kind of infestation and the home’s setup. By enlisting the help of a termite specialist, you will save yourself some time in coming up with the right termite treatment plan.

Here’s a look at the treatment options available:

Subterranean Termite Treatment

1 – Bait and Monitoring Station

This involves liquid treatment to be placed at the entry points and the infestation sites around your home. There will also be termite monitoring stations to be placed in different locations, the purpose of which is to detect termite activity. As soon as a pest control expert sees signs of termites, the monitoring stations will then be replaced with bait stations. Once termites ingest the bait, they will be sharing it with other termites in the nest, effectively eliminating the colony.

2 – Liquid Application – Repellent or Non-Repellent

These treatments may be utilized in both outside and inside of the property. Since they are a liquid treatment type, they can also be injected directly into the infested area. The purpose of repellent products, as the term suggests, is not to attract termites, but to repel them. Whenever they come into contact with it, they move away. Meanwhile, non-repellent products are designed to not easily get detected by termites. Therefore, they won’t be able to learn how to avoid the treated area. The same as the previous treatment method, forager termites will share it with the rest of the members of the colony, effectively killing them.

Drywood Termite Treatment

 

1 – Wood Treatment

The best thing about wood treatment is that it does not only kill termites, it also protects your home against possible infestations later on. It can be applied directly onto the wood or can be injected into bare wood.

2 – Fumigation

The main advantage of an entire structure treatment or fumigation is that it will be treating every corner and area of your home. It is the best solution in cases when there are various termite colonies in one property. Fumigation consists of a tent that will envelope the home before pest control experts step in and pump gas, thereby effectively spreading it all throughout the premises, reaching even the smallest cracks and crevices, which by the way are common hiding places for termites.

In choosing the right termite treatment option, you need to understand their differences. Liquid termiticides are primarily used for controlling and eliminating subterranean termites. Liquid termicides are classified into two, the old repellent type and the new non-repellent type.

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Best Ways to Get Rid of Mice

Even if you have all the skills to perform DIY pest control, you still cannot deny the fact that getting rid of mice is best achieved by hiring a professional pest control company. If you’ve been watching all those YouTube videos on how to eliminate the rodents in your home, you still don’t have all the right tools to do it. That’s why we always recommend hiring the experts if you want your mice problem solved right away.

But what if you’re just too stubborn to heed our advice, then you might as well find yourself visiting your nearest hardware or home improvement store to look for stuff to kill or deter mice at home. Now here’s a list of the best ways and the best tools to use if you’re doing it yourself.

1 – Snap Traps

Snap traps are the most conventional tools for getting rid of a mouse at home. They’ve been in use by millions of homeowners for decades. The snap trap best works when baited with some kind of sticky food. It has a heavy gauge steel spring bar designed to kill the mouse when the trap is activated or sprung. One great thing about a snap trap is that it’ll be easier to clean it up compared to other options on this list. They also are quite affordable. But it isn’t advisable to be placed in areas that are easily accessible to kids and pets.

2 – Live Traps

Live traps meanwhile don’t kill the mice; instead, they trap the animal while it searches for food. Traps like this need to be checked every day so that the animal won’t suffer from dehydration and hunger. This is best used for people who don’t intend to kill an animal, even if it is a mouse. But once you catch one, be sure you relocate it several miles away from home so that it won’t come back.

3 – Glue Traps

This kind of trap is not ideal for homeowners who don’t want to see mice suffer, even if they’re pests. Glue traps will be effective in trapping a mouse because they have a sticky substance placed on a tray or board. When the unsuspecting rodent sees the food and approaches it, it will be trapped in the sticky substance. It won’t kill the mouse instantly, so it basically allows a slow and painful death caused by starvation and dehydration.

4 – Poison

Rodent poison is another way of getting rid of mice and these days you can easily purchase them in any home improvement and supply store. When a mouse ingests this poison, it will affect their ability to clot blood, resulting to internal bleeding and death. The problem with this method is that when the poisoned mouse die inside your walls or underneath your flooring, then the awful smell will last for weeks if you can’t find the dead mouse in time.

5 – Electronic Mouse Traps

This is by far the most advanced of all the methods of mice elimination. It uses electric shock that will kill the mouse in seconds. As soon as the mouse steps into the internal plate, it will activate the circuit within that trap and receives a shock that’s enough to stop his heart. It uses four AA batteries and is very easy to use. The only problem is that it costs a lot more compared to the other methods on this list.

In the end, if you want to totally get rid of mice in your home, the best way to do it is by calling the pros, although you might be thinking twice because of the relatively high cost of paying for professional pest extermination. But if you feel like the problem is not that serious and you only see a few mice, then you might want to weigh on all those options we just discussed. Just make sure you’re picking the ideal way based on the kind of “mice situation” you have at home.

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Easy DIY Ways of Getting Rid of Mice

If you are facing a mice infestation, getting rid of them should be on top of your priority list. Most of them are hiding in the walls or come from the outside, in another shelter. But regardless of where they are found inside or around your home, you will have to eliminate them because they carry lots of bad stuff, including disease.

First of all, all species of mice that come into your home are attracted to food. As a matter of fact, it is food that they’re mostly interested in. While they may breed and build shelter in your home, the first thing you need to realize is that you can’t give them what they originally want, which is food. They are particularly attracted to all sweet things including fruits, bread, cheese, and others. They also feast on meat. In storing leftover food, you have to use tightly sealed plastic or glass containers. If there are crumbs after you eat in the kitchen, be sure you sweep them clean.

Seal Entry Points

Examine your home carefully and try to find any small holes and cracks. Remember that even a hole as small as a dime is enough for mice to squeeze in. seal all of them so that you prevent mice coming from the outside to enter your home. You also prevent those already inside from traveling or transferring with convenience from one room to the other. You also can use wire mesh in order to cover larger holes. The tiniest holes on the other hand can be sealed using crushed aluminum foil. Do not use plastic or paper in sealing because a mouse will only chew through it.

Getting Rid of Nesting Spots

Any potential nesting spot has to be removed as well. This includes stacks of paper, unused furniture, and piles of clothing. Don’t make your living space as if it is a hospitable area for mice to thrive. Furthermore, the surrounding area of your home will have to be cleaned, too. Aside from the inside, mice can also thrive outside while peeking in to see if you have leftover food for them. So cut tall grasses and thick trees and shrubs. They can become effective hiding places not just for mice but also for other types of rodents.

Using Traps

Still the most effective mouse trap inside the home is the conventional spring type. But you do have to use them using bait like bacon, cheese, or peanut butter. But you can’t just put them in any place you want because you might be putting your kids and pets at risk of getting injured by the trap. Put the conventional spring trap to areas where you believe mice are foraging.

Another option is the catch trap. It works by luring mice to enter a specific structure like a bowl. As soon as they get in, they won’t be able to get out and escape. But unlike the spring type, you will have to check a catch trap at least once every day, the purpose of which is for you to be able to get rid of the mouse that’s been trapped, if there’s one of course.

Mouse baits on the other hand are effective and dangerous at the same time. This time, you will be delivering a dose of poison to the mice, which means that you might also be giving them to your pets. This method is quite effective in extermination but the problem is that in most instances, a mouse might die in the most inconvenient locations, which leads to lingering, gross, and highly unpleasant odor.

Hiring Pros Instead

But by hiring a pro, you no longer will need to think about all those ways of getting rid of mice. With the kind of equipment, training, skills, and experience they have, pest control pros will be able to easily locate any area of your home that is infested by mice. They also will be more than qualified to use different methods to get rid of them for good. So if you want to address your mice problem at home, it is best that you hire the pros instead. You’d be paying for it, obviously, but it’s worth it if your mice in your property are eliminated.

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Proper Handling and Control of Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are a worldwide problem. They’re like those zombies in the movies that just won’t go away, wherever you are. They invade your home, no matter how clean you think it is. In reality, their existence isn’t based on the cleanliness or dirtiness of one’s property. What’s even worse is that they are very difficult to eliminate, once they invade and infest your home. So for most homeowners, dealing with bed bugs always means tapping the services of a professional pest exterminator. However, you as a homeowner still have the responsibility of controlling and at least preventing the likelihood of bed bug infestation. Here are some steps you can easily follow:

Step 1 – Treat your bedroom and mattress. First off, you can try using a steamer. Steam cleaning is an effective way of killing bed bugs because these insects cannot survive in the temperature. But be reminded that this method won’t kill those ones hiding in crevices.

Step 2 – Vacuum the mattress at home. First, strip the bed of its bedding and then store the bedding in a double trash bag. Vacuum the mattress as well as the box springs. Do it thoroughly. It is very important to deal with your mattress the soonest possible time. Bed bugs will attack you at night while you’re sleeping. Therefore, once you see any signs of them, you need to focus on your mattress and isolate the bed with the bed bugs. Next, you will need to get an encasement for the mattress. Choose one that is designed to keep out bed bugs. Likewise, get one that is durable enough not to easily rip.

Step 3 – You also need to cover both your mattress and box springs with individual or separate encasements. With those casings on, bed bugs won’t be able to conveniently transfer from one place to another.

Knowing the Signs of the Presence of Bed Bugs

Step 1 – The first place you should be looking at are the crevices. Bed bugs have adapted to whatever kind of environment they’re in and because of that, they have become experts and masters at hiding. They easily can hide in cracks, bedside table items, and mattresses. You should bring with you a flashlight to successfully spot them.

Step 2 – Know the signs. Bed bugs will be leaving behind some small black flecks, which are actually leftovers of their feces. You can also confirm that there are bed bugs when you see small drops of blood in your bed in the morning. And mind you, it is your own blood.

Step 3 – Check yourself if you have bites. You should also know that not everyone will show signs of a bed bug bite, even if they are already bitten. As a matter of fact, only one third of people will develop tangible spots in their skin after being bitten.

Step 4 – Check every room in your home. If one room is infested with bed bugs, it is likely that other rooms have them, too. There’s a chance that you already are bringing with you bed bugs as you sit on the couch in your living room or you spend some time in another room.

Calling the Experts

Keep in mind that it’s not really practical to immediately use any kind of pesticide to deal with bed bugs. As a matter of fact, any pesticide won’t do any good. If you really aren’t confident that you can control and handle the problem on your own, the best course of action is to call a pest exterminator. With the pros, you have some certainty that the problem will be addressed with the use of advanced tools and extermination equipment.

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New York City’s Pizza Rat Is The Latest Craze!

New York City is the largest city in our nation and it is plagued with pest control problems. However, the latest buzz around town is the now famous “Pizza Rat” video that has gone viral.  While this video is funny, it does highlight a problem that many cities face, including Baltimore. The problem of pest control within the city.

As Peter Rugg reported in his article titled, “Pizza Rat Is Hilarious, Dark Evidence of New York’s Failed Pest Control“;

The New York Times reports the city’s most recent budget set aside $2.9 million to target and eradicate the city’s high-density “rat reservoirs” where a dozen furry petri dishes have been birthed by the time you finish this sentence. The transit authority even removed nearly 40 subway trash cans in recent years, tacitly nudging commuters to portage out their trash and thus cut off some of the food supply. Thus far, neither measure seems to have made a dent. These rats, they breed like rabbits. View the entire article here: https://www.inverse.com/article/6396-pizza-rat-is-hilarious-dark-evidence-of-new-york-s-failed-pest-control

By the way, if you haven’t seen the video yet, here it is:

The #PizzaRat craze may seem funny to many and has caught the attention of late night hosts as depicted in this article by Jen Carlson;

Let Stephen Colbert ease you in with his indifferent attitude towards the viral star of yesteryear. “It’s Really Not That Big Of A Deal,” Colbert shrugged from behind his desk last night, noting that the video “shocked the tourists, but for those of us living in New York” we’re used to this. View the full post here: http://gothamist.com/2015/09/23/goodbye_to_all_rat.php

While this may seem to be funny and New Yorkers may adopt the same flippant attitude as Stephen Colbert, it is a real problem. There are basic sanitary and health issues to take into consideration. If you have a rat infestation problem, be sure to contact your local pest control company ASAP.

If you are in the Baltimore, Maryland area, then contact us to handle your rat extermination.  Call us at (410) 834-0134 for a free estimate.

image credit: Matt Little (youtube video)

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Baltimore Pest Control Services (410) 834-0134

Watch video on YouTube here: http://youtu.be/FeEuHrkEXUs
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