What Foods Attract Mice & Rats
No one wants mice or rats in their home. You especially don’t want these rodents in your office or other business as they can be a public health concern. Regular pest control can help you deal with rodents once they appear, but at Absolut Pest Control, we recommend that homeowners and business owners prevent pests from even entering the property in the first place. From making sure that there are no holes in your siding, roofing, and property perimeter to using pest deterrents there are many ways to prevent pest infestation. One thing every property owner should do is limit the amount of food that is available for pests.
Pet Food & Rodent Control
If you leave pet food out either inside or outside of your home, it can attract other animals. Rats and rodents love pet food as it is easily accessible since it is usually on the floor. Additionally many pet foods for dogs and cats have strong odors that can draw in rats and mice. To avoid this it is important to clean up after your pets at night and not leave dog food or cat food sitting out for long periods of time.
Snack Food & Crumbs
Another common accidental treat left for rodents are the crumbs that are created from snacks. Many families do not leave too many crumbs on the table during the main meals during the day. Plates are usually collected and cleaned, and it is rare for there to be a large mess left behind. But snack foods are often eaten without plate or bowl and kids and teens will frequently leave open bags of chips in their rooms or not notice when pieces of popcorn fall out of their hands onto the floor. This food debris can add up quickly and attract a variety of pests as well as give pests reasons to stay. It is recommended that when you and your family snack that you use a plate to avoid making a mess. Additionally, regular vacuuming of your home can get rid of excess crumbs.
Unwashed Dishes & Trash Bags
Even with a clean home, rodents can still find meals in your home. If it is possible for rodents to get into your trash or if you leave food in the sink on plates and dishes, rodents will be happy to scavenge for their meals there. Additionally, flies and ants can also increase if the sink is not regularly cleaned out. Although no one loves doing dishes or taking out the trash, they are important chores to prevent pest infestation. Making trash inaccessible to rodents can prevent them from choosing your home as their new home.
Get Pest Control Services in Massachusetts
Absolut Pest Control provides pest control services to homes and businesses throughout the Greater Boston area. For pest inspection or pest control services please contact our team.
How To Tell Between Rats & Mice
Whether you see it crawl across the floor or hear it in the walls, rodents can be a real problem. Not only do many people rightfully dislike rodents, but rodents can both carry disease, bite you and your pets, and destroy property. In New England, rodents usually migrate into homes before the winter begins. They look for homes that have easy entrance and exit points (potentially due to issues with siding, gutters, roofing, etc). They also look for homes that are warm and have access to food. Understanding what type of rodent you have can affect what pest control methods you attempt to get rid of the rodent.
Differences Between Rats & Mice
Often times the most common mistake made between rats and mice is between a small rat or an adult mouse. Many homeowners or business owners assume that the only key detail between rats and mice is their body size. And this can cause confusion as young rats can be smaller than adult mice. Pest control experts can use many different factors to tell the difference. Here are a few defining characteristics between rats and mice.
- Size: Although size can be confusing when dealing with rats and mice of different ages it is a defining characteristic in adult rodents. Rats can grow to 18 inches (or a foot and half) in length, while adult mice generally stop growing past 8 inches. If the rodent is larger than 8 inches, it is likely a rat.
- Tails: Mice generally have thin hairy tails. Rats on the other hand have thicker and hairless tails.
- Nose: A mouse’s head and nose is usually triangular in shape and comes to a point. Meanwhile, a rat has a more square or blunted nose shape.
- Fur Color: Although mice and rats can be grey or brown, black fur usually indicates a rat.
- Droppings: Many of these features require you to see the rodent. Which might not be possible. However, you can examine droppings to determine what type of rodent you have. Mice droppings usually have pointed ends and are about a quarter-inch long. Rat droppings have flat ends and are 3/4 inches long.
Contact Absolut Pest Control
Understanding what type of rodent is in your home can impact how you handle pest control. Many storebought mousetraps may be ineffective against rats or even larger mice. If you have tried to use traps and still deal with rodents, you should consider calling pest control. Absolut Pest Control serves homeowners throughout Massachusetts. Contact us today for more information.
How To Identify Different Types Of Spiders In Your Home
No one wants to see a spider crawling around their room. But spiders are very common pests and in fact, in many cases, they are actually beneficial. Spiders are in a sense, a form of pest control as they kill and eat other more dangerous pests like mosquitoes or carpenter ants. That being said, the type of spider has a lot to say about whether or not you should call pest control. Most common spiders that you would find in a New England home are not dangerous and the most the damage they can do is a simple bite. That being said we completely understand when homeowners ask us to help remove spiders from their home. Many people arachnophobia or simply do not want spider webs indoors.
How To Identify The Common House Spider
The most common spider you will find at home is the aptly named house spider. They are yellowish-brown in color and have V-shaped dark stripes. They are very small and are usually somewhere around 1/8 of an inch in size. House spiders are known for making webs around lights and upper corners of doorways. They tend to migrate around a home making a lot of webs to catch more prey. They usually won’t bite unless provoked and even if they do bite their bites rarely require any medical attention.
How To Identify Orb-Weavers
An orb weaver is another common spider species. It has a bright yellow stripe on its back and is known for weaving round webs. Similar to a house spider it will not bite unless provoked and even then the bite is relatively harmless and poses no permanent health threat. These spiders usually make their webs in trees, or in light fixtures, or any area where there are significant structures to support their three-dimensional web.
How To Identify Daddy-Long-Legs
Of all of the spider varieties, daddy-long-legs spiders are probably the easiest to visually identify. They are named after the fact that they have small bodies but extended legs. These spiders usually are found around barns and other wooden buildings as they tend to make their spiderwebs in dark and damp areas. There is a common story kids tell that daddy-long-legs are venomous but their mouths are not large enough to bite humans. In fact, there is no evidence that daddy-long-legs bites are at all poisonous.
Get Help With Spiders in The Greater Boston Area
Absolut Pest Control serves the Greater Boston area with a variety of pest control services. From taking care of large rodents to small insects, if you have a pest control problem, we have a pest control solution for you. We work with businesses as well as homeowners and can help with your spider problem. Simply give us a call or send us an online contact form.
How To Identify & Get Rid of Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are a common pest throughout America. Like many of the worst insect pests, bed bugs drink blood which means the most common way of finding out you have them is by getting bit. Bed bugs usually enter our homes via clothing, furniture, or moving boxes. Once they find a home they can quickly infest it. A single female bed bug can lay thousands of eggs in her lifetime.
How To Identify Bed Bugs
Bedbugs are relatively small. Adults are about half a centimeter or the size of an eraser head on a pencil. They are oval-shaped and usually greyish in color. They cannot fly and most commonly live in upholstered furniture and textiles. Like fleas, bed bugs have to be introduced into a home. There are often horror stories of motels and hotels with large bed bug problems that then spread bed bugs to homes and apartments throughout the country.
How To Prevent Bed Bugs
The following tips can help you prevent bed bug infestation from your home.
- Check secondhand furniture and clothing. If you get any furniture from a yard sale, garage sale, or from goodwill, you should always check it for bed bugs and make sure to clean it.
- Be careful when using shared laundry rooms. If your building has a community laundry room or you are using a laundromat down the street make sure to inspect your clothes after they come out of the dryer for bed bugs. This is why folding your clothing at the laundromat or in the community laundry room is a great practice.
- Inspect your suitcase after traveling. The common horror story is homes getting infested after visiting the wrong hotel or motel. Make sure to check your suitcase for any hitchhiking bedbugs before your stow away your clothing.
- If you live in a larger building make sure to secure your living space. Multi-home buildings and apartment buildings can run the risk of spreading pests. Make sure to seal cracks in the flooring and baseboards around your unit (it can also help decrease noise pollution from your neighbors).
How To Get Rid of Bed Bugs
If you already have bed bugs you likely want to get rid of them. Of course, a pest control company may be the quickest and most effective way to get rid of a pest. And if you live in Massachusetts or Southern New Hampshire we would be happy to provide a quote. But there are a few ways homeowners and renters can deal with their bed bug problem on their own if needed. Make sure to do your research on the products that are available. Foggers can effectively get rid of pests but it is important to make sure to research how the product works and how to do it safely.
How To Treat Bed Bug Bites
Typically a bed bug bite is harmless like a mosquito bite or a bite from a flea. It may be very annoying and may cause extreme itchiness. Home remedies for itching include oatmeal baths for the affected area, but there are also topical creams that can help reduce the itchy sensation. Fortunately, bed bugs do not seem to spread illnesses like fleas, rodents, and ticks.
How To Prevent Fleas
Whether or not you are a pet owner, you may one day have to deal with fleas. Rodents and other pests that enter your home can bring fleas in. Fleas are an annoyance for both humans and pets. And in many cases, fleas can carry disease. Naturally, you will want to do everything you can to avoid a flea infestation. However, if your home or building already has an issue with fleas, the team at Absolut Pest Control can help. We handle pest problems across Massachusetts. In the meantime; here are a few helpful tips to decreasing the chances of fleas showing up in your home.
Take Care Of Your Yard
Fleas and ticks will usually be found in tall grassy areas. Cutting your grass and spraying your yard can prevent ticks and fleas from latching on to your pets. Spray treatments designed for front and backyards have been proven effective at decreasing the risk of pest problems inside a home. If you decide to buy a flea yard spray make sure to follow the instruction and read warnings that may affect your children and your pets.
Take Care Of Your Pets
If you have outdoor pets you should make sure they are regularly cleaned and that they see a vet. Pay attention to your pet, if you notice that they are consistently itching an area of their body or biting at their fur, consider bringing them to a vet to find out what the issue. There are also a variety of flea treatments for pet fur; if your pet has fleas consider talking to a vet about these treatments. Make sure your pets are getting regular baths that help prevent insects from living in their fur.
Take Care Of Your Home
Fleas will often hide in carpets and upholstered furniture. Regular vacuuming and regularly changing your vacuum bags is a good way to prevent insects and fleas from infesting your home. Additionally, there are carpet sprays that you can use to treat your carpets and prevent flea infestation. Make sure to also wash bedding on a regular basis with warm or hot water.
Issues With Fleas? Give us a Call
If you notice fleas around your home and are dealing with an infestation, our team can help. We provide flea removal services throughout the Greater Boston area. Give us a call to set up an appointment, get a quote, or ask more about our flea removal services.
What Spiders In Your Home Tell You About Other Pests
How do you feel about spiders? This can be a bit of a divisive question. For some people spiders are pets or at the very least a group of bugs that do us a nice service by getting rid of flies, mosquitoes, and other more annoying insects. In a sense, a spider may even be seen as a pest control expert. But for others, especially those with arachnophobia (the fear of spiders), seeing any spiders in the home is not a welcome occurrence. If you are seeing an increasing number of 8-legged creatures in your home, it may be a sign you have a worse pest problem.
Why Do Spiders Make Webs In Your Home
There are two main reasons for spiders to show up at your house: shelter and food. As a pest control team in Massachusetts, we often remind our clients that they should be inspecting their homes for pests as soon as the ground freezes. Many rodents, insects, and even spiders are quick to move indoors for the winter because of the free heat. But the main reason you see an increase in spiders in your home is because they clearly have a food source. Ants are attracted to crumbs and food, termites are attracted to wooden features of your home, and spiders are attracted to the ants and termites that are already living in your house. If you notice an increase of spiderwebs and spiders at your property, it is likely that spiders aren’t the least of your pest problems. Spiders can actually be a helpful sign that you have another pest, and knowing what type of spider you have can help you understand what types of pests you have.
What Type Of Spider Is In Your Home
The most common type of spider you will see in Massachusetts home is the well-named “house spider”. House spiders are usually yellowish-brown and have stripes. they are usually a little smaller than a quarter of an inch, and often are responsible for the intricate web designs you will see in the corners of doorways. They feast mostly on smaller flying insects and their nets are usually higher up. An increase in house spiders will usually indicate an increase in flies, moths, and mosquitoes in your home (or other flying insects). If you have house spiders it is highly likely that you have flying insects. If you have larger spiders that you see crawling on the ground this could be a sign of ants, termites, or other non-flying insects.
What Should You Do If You Have A Spider Problem
If you notice an increase of spiders in your home, you should call a pest control provider. Although spiders make a good pest control providers, there is no replacement for an experienced professional pest control team. In Massachusetts, Absolut Pest Control helps homeowners with inspections, pest removal services, and with preventative pest control solutions where one of our team members will help make recommendations that can prevent future infestations. If you are interested in our pest control services please contact us.
What Is The Difference Between Carpenter Ants & Regular Ants?
Do you have ants crawling around your home? No matter what species of ant they are you probably want to get rid of them. If they are only a few ants, you may be able to use ant bait, but once a colony moves in your best bet is working with pest control. Depending on the ant infestation, the potential threat of the pests is very different. Normal ants, are a nuisance and may eat or spoil your food, but carpenter ants can actually destroy your home. That’s why knowing the difference between the two types of ants is so important.
What Are Carpenter Ants?
There are a variety of carpenter ant species, but they all share one thing in common; instead of making their home outdoors in the dirt, they make their homes inside wooden materials. That includes anything from trees to your walls and ceilings. This is what makes them a much worse threat compared to other groups of ant species. Carpenter ants are often compared to termites and even mistaken for termites because they consistently chew up wood and cause structural damage to buildings. Regular ants usually infest a home because they are looking for food, and their colony is usually located outside the home close to a gap in the siding or gutters or windows. But carpenter ants actually live inside your walls or floors and continually destroy more and more property.
How To Tell The Difference Between Carpenter Ants & Regular Ants
There are a few visual differences between carpenter ants and regular ants. The first is the difference in thorax shape. The thorax is the middle of an ant’s body between their head and their back. A regular ant will have an indented thorax, and a carpenter ant will have a fully round thorax. Although if you aren’t looking at individual ants under a magnifying glass it may be hard to tell. Another visual distinction is that carpenter ants are larger than their regular-sized counterparts. A full-grown carpenter ant is usually around half an inch, whereas most normal ants are about 0.2 inches in length. But most importantly, you can tell the difference based on signs around your home. If you notice small holes in wooden furniture, sawdust, wood shavings, and similar debris, it is likely you have carpenter ants.
How To Handle Carpenter Ants
If you think you have either carpenter ants or termites in your home, the best thing to do is get rid of them by hiring pest control. A licensed and professional pest control expert can quickly solve the problem. For homeowners and businesses in Massachusetts, Absolut Pest Control can help with termites, carpenter ants, and regular ants. Contact us for more information.
How To Prevent Ants From Entering Your Home
Spring is upon on us, and although we can all enjoy the warmer weather, the return of flowers, and the leaves growing on trees, spring also ushers in the return of many pests. Mosquitos, fleas, ticks, and ants are all common in spring. As pest control experts in the Greater Boston area, we often help our clients deal with these annoying insects. But one thing that sets us apart is aside from providing inspections, extermination, and pest removal services, we also provide pest prevention advice to stop returning pests in the future. Here are a few tips we give on how to prevent ants. And if you have an ant infestation, feel free to call us and set up an appointment.
Know The Signs of Ant Infestation
Groups of ants are known as colonies for a variety of reasons. First, they like to find a home to infest and build elaborate infrastructure in. Second, different ants have different roles. Scout ants have the specific job of scouting for a potential home for the colony. Usually, ants travel in large groups either in straight lines or even in swarms. But scout ants go off on their own looking for food to bring back to the anthill. If you notice a few ants in your kitchen, it is likely that a colony is nearby.
Keep Surfaces Clean
The first reason an ant colony will move into your home is if they have immediate and easy access to crumbs. Keep surfaces in your kitchen clean of crumbs and other food particles. Wherever you eat in your home; dining rooms, family rooms, bedrooms, etc. you should always keep these places regularly cleaned. Simply wiping down counter surfaces and not leaving out dishes can deter ants from moving in.
Proper Food Storage
After you have handled cleaning your kitchen, pay attention to how food is stored. Make sure that all pantry items are sealed tight. If ants can get inside bags of chips or into boxes of cereal, they are sure to come back on routine visits. Keeping food sealed is important in stopping ants from coming back.
What To Do When You Already Have Ants
If you notice scout ants walking around your home, there are a variety of things you may want to consider for preventing the colony from moving in. First, make sure to follow the above steps to potentially deter any chance of infestation. Afterwards, consider the following steps.
- Removing Ant Trails: When an ant walks across a surface they leave scent trails for other ants to follow. Wipe down surfaces with vinegar and water to remove these trails. It is important to do this wherever you see ants.
- Set Bait: You may want to strategically set some storebought ant bait on your countertops. Many ant baits are designed to kill scout ants and even potentially destroy nearby colonies as the bait is brought back to the colony.
- Destroy Colonies: It is likely that ants that enter your home actually live in colonies around your building. If you see mounds of dirt, you can apply an extermination product to the ant colony to destroy it.
- Hire Pest Control: If you are unable to get rid of your ant problem, you may want to contact a professional pest control expert.
Absolut Pest Control’s Ant Services in Greater Boston
Absolut Pest Control, based in Amesbury Massachusetts, provides ant control solutions for homeowners and businesses throughout Greater Boston. Learn more and contact us for an appointment by visiting our website.
5 Ways To Prevent Mosquitos This Spring
For Massachusetts residents, spring and summer are often a long-awaited time of the year. With our seasons, it is not strange how excited residents get to open up their back decks, de-winterize their pools, and start planning that beach trip. One issue that every homeowner feels though is the returns of bugs and pests. There are a variety of insects and bugs that bother homeowners, but on the top of that list are mosquitoes. Not only are mosquito bites annoying, but in some areas, mosquitoes can transfer deadly diseases. That is why it is important to prevent mosquitos from getting inside your home. Here are a few tips to prevent mosquitos.
Get Rid Of Standing Water
Mosquitos need still water for their eggs. In just 14 days mosquitos can breed and lay hundreds of eggs in still water. Because there is so much rainfall during the early spring months it is important to check around your property for standing water. Check for puddles, water around your gutters, and birdbaths to make sure you do not leave standing water available for mosquitoes.
Use Window & Door Screens
Wire screens are one of the most effective ways to stop mosquitoes from getting indoors. Every spring you should inspect any wire screens you have near your windows or doors. Make sure there are no large holes. If there are any tears you can either repair or replace your wiring. We also recommend making sure that the screen and window hang straight inside of the window’s cutout. Any small gaps can be potential entry points for small insects.
Stay Indoors At Night
We have all experienced it, bugs tend to get worse at night. That is because mosquitos are more likely to feed during the darker hours. If you are having a BBQ outdoors, we highly recommend taking it indoors after the sunsets.
Use Repellents
Even during the daylight, mosquitos can be a problem. That is why it is recommended to use repellents and bug spray. The most effective repellents use DEET. According to the CDC, DEET is safe to use but you should avoid spraying it near the eyes or mouth. If you are worried about synthetic chemical compounds, you can consider using a natural alternative. There are a variety of natural bug sprays that use eucalyptus to get rid of bugs.
Hire A Pest Control Service
Pest control services that specialize in insect removal can help you prevent mosquitos, wasps, bees, and yellowjackets. A pest control expert can go over your property and make recommendations to help prevent mosquitos from nesting and breeding near your property. If you live in Massachusetts and have a problem with mosquitoes or would like a pest control inspection, please give us a call.
Pest Control Services During COVID19
With the recent COVID19 outbreak in America, non-essential businesses have closed throughout Massachusetts as per a recent message from Governor Charlie Baker. A large majority of the workforce is working from home. During this extended time at home, pest control services are an important consideration every homeowner and business owner should think about.
Pest Control For Closing Businesses
When a building is uninhabited for an extended duration of time (i.e. vacation or a seasonal business closing) there can be issues with pests. Both rodents and insects are more likely to infest an unoccupied building compared to an occupied one. If you are switching to a work from home schedule and will be leaving your office building unattended consider hiring a pest control service to make routine checks or to provide preventative maintenance tips. This is especially true for restaurants and other food services. With so many restaurants closing throughout Boston and Massachusetts, it is important to take time to secure all non-perishable foods and properly dispose of perishable foods. The team at Absolut Pest Control can help make recommendations to shore up your security while you are gone. We provide preventative pest control services where we will inspect a building for any potential weaknesses that may lead to pest problems in the future.
Pest Control For Work From Home Families
As more and more workers adjust to work from home life, it becomes more important to make sure that you take proper pest control precautions. Spring is upon us, and like many seasonal changes, this brings unique pest problems. Beehives, wasps, yellow jackets, mosquitos, and other pests will become more prevalent. Many homeowners will also have to deal with nesting birds or rodents around their property. If you need pest control services, the team at Absolut Pest Control can help. Our team of licensed pest control professionals can provide you with pest solutions and help remove any hives or nests from the outside of your property. Just give us a call, and a member of our team can help.
Questions? Send us a message!
During this COVID19 outbreak, we are getting many questions from homeowners about our pest control services. If you have a question about any of our pest control solutions, send us a message. We would love to help you with any pest problem you are having on your property. We also offer general pest inspections for apartment buildings and office buildings that may need extra protection this season.