What Is The Most Effective Ways To Get Rid of Mosquitoes
It is almost summer. And when summer is around the corner we are all excited for days at the beach, road trips, and of course summer BBQs. In fact with the recent heat waves, you may have already installed your air conditioning units and fired up the grill a few times this June. But summer isn’t all fun and relaxing. Summer is when insect pests thrive. And nowhere is that felt more than with mosquitoes.
What Should Know About Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are one of the most hated pests. Aside from annoying bites, they often carry diseases from animals to humans. This includes the West Nile Virus. A single mosquito can lay over 100 eggs, so their growth happens exponentially. The most important thing to understand is the difference between mosquito repellent and mosquito killers. Repellant only keeps mosquitoes at bay for a limited time. The mosquitoes will still be on your property and continue to create new generations. However, killing mosquitoes isn’t an easy task or good for the environment. Years of pesticides have allowed certain species of mosquitoes to become more resistant to pesticides. This means we have to use stronger methods which could be hazardous to other animals and plant life. The best thing you can do is prevent mosquitoes in the first place.
How To Prevent Mosquitoes
Throughout the spring and summer, you want to eliminate standing water around your property. This includes your gutters, bird baths, and large puddles. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water, so eliminating this can prevent mosquitoes from breeding a new generation right outside your door.
How To Handle Mosquitoes Inside Your Home
If you hear a mosquito buzzing around your room you can lure the mosquito by turning off the lights and then using a flashlight. Like many insects, mosquitoes are drawn to light. This is an easy way to quickly get insects all in one place. Then you can use a fly swatter or other tool to get rid of them. To stop mosquitoes from getting inside, make sure to inspect window and door screens, install mosquito nets, and identify any issues with windows/doors/siding that might allow mosquitos inside. There are also a variety of mosquito repellants that homeowners swear by including essential oils that use lavender or lemon.
How To Handle Mosquitoes Outside Your Home
Mosquitoes can be just as annoying outside as they are inside. One of the most effective ways to handle mosquitoes is with a bug zapper. Bug zappers use insects natural draw towards bright lights against them by zapping the insects as they get too close. There are also a variety of products that spread smells that repel mosquitoes including special candles. This another great method as it has no lasting impact on the environment around your home. Outdoor fans can also help push mosquitoes away from your patio or deck by constantly moving air around making it difficult to fly.
When To Call Pest Control
If there are large swarms of mosquitoes inside or outside of your home, it may be time to call pest control. A pest control expert can help you handle mosquitoes throughout your property. For more information please give our team a call.
How to Identify & Get Rid of Carpenter Ants
Generally, ants are harmless but they can be annoying and very destructive to your home. The carpenter ant is probably the best example of this. They become very active in warmer months, during which they search for new homes and for food. They could infest your sidewalks, driveways, and siding, and your home.
This guide will cover both how to identify and how to get rid of carpenter ants from your home.
How Do You Identify Carpenter ants?
Carpenter ants are often misunderstood as termites. Both damage your home, and both are annoying pests. But termites eat wood, while carpenter ants simply burrow. Carpenter ants won’t eat the wood, rather chew it and make their way in, leaving behind traces of debris.
Carpenter Ants are usually all-red, black or brown, or a combination. They are 6 legged (like all insects), oval in shape, and are 1/2” to 5/8” in size. They are found throughout America and are commonly found in New England and the northeast. They live in colonies which usually house 20,000 to 50,000. Compared to termites, carpenter ants leave a lot of debris because they do not eat the wood they burrow into. Compared to regular ants, they are larger and consistently make their colonies near trees, siding, and other wooden structures.
How do they get in?
These ants love moist wood that makes it easy for them to set up a colony. These ants can invade your home through any crack or opening, including cracks in your siding. You can find them in areas near AC units, sinks, bathrooms, dishwashers, etc. due to the moisture these appliances generate.
How to get rid of Carpenter ants?
The most effective way to get rid of any pest is to call a local pest control provider. However, there are some DIY methods that may prove effective including:
Carpenter Ant Bait
Ant bait is an effective way to draw out ants and get rid of them. You can buy ant bait at many different stores in the home improvement section. Or you can make your own. Most ant baits use sugar to draw ants in and then a poison to kill them. Always make sure to check if the bait is safe for your pets and children.
Clear their trails
Insects, other ants, and carpenter ants rely heavily on their scented trails to locate food and return on the same path. You can erase that trail by using tea tree oil, lemon, orange, or cedarwood. Put any of these on a sponge and clear the trail. You can also use dishwashing soap plus water and pour it on the trail. Erasing trails is a good method early on before ants infest your home. Unfortunately, if you have a colony living in your home this method will not be effective but is effective when you only have a few scouts in your home.
Destroy the nest
If you are able to locate a nest inside your home or outside, destroying it may deter ants from staying and rebuilding. Inside a home, you can drill a small hole into your siding or your walls, and then use ant-killing products to destroy the colony. Boric acid is often recommended but is not a great DIY solution as it presents a significant danger to your home. It is recommended you consult a pest control team in advance before using boric acid.
Conclusion
Now that you know how carpenter ants can destroy your living, it’s time to act. You can contact our team at Absolut Pest Control to get rid of ants and other pests.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ant Pest Control
One of the most common pests that bug homeowners nationwide are ants. There is a variety of different types of ants including carpenter ants that destroy furniture, walls, and flooring, but no matter what type of ant problem you have it is still a problem. As pest control experts in Massachusetts, we help homes and businesses throughout Greater Boston handle all sorts of problems including ants. Here are some of the common questions we often hear when it comes to ant problems.
How Do I Prevent Ants?
The best way to deal with pests is to not have pests in the first place. There are two things you need to consider when preventing pests from moving into your home: access & resources. When ants (or really any pest) are picking a place to live they need a place that provides food for their entire colony and that is easy to get into. The key to pest-proofing a home is to start by making it harder for pests to enter. Check door and window screens, look around entrances for gaps between the frames and the doors, check on the siding and roofing for holes, and do a quick perimeter search for damage. Your second priority is to decrease access to food. Keep food in airtight containers to prevent ants or mice from getting inside. Take out the trash consistently (including small bins in bedrooms and other rooms). Vacuum the floors weekly, and make sure to empty out the vacuum into the trash regularly.
What’s The Best DIY Solution for Ants?
Even though we are a pest control company we understand that not every issue requires professional help. Often ant colonies send out a few scouts to look for new homes. If you take the right precautions early you can avoid needing full-service pest control for your problem. Baits are an effective way to quickly handle ant problems. You can buy them at stores, or make your own by mixing Borax with sugar at a 1 to 1 ratio.
What Type Of Ants Are In My Home (Carpenter or Regular Ants)?
With most pests, identification isn’t as high of a priority as just simply getting rid of them. However, when it comes to ants you really want to know what you are dealing with. Carpenter ants pose a much larger threat to your property than regular ants. We wrote an entire article on how to tell the difference. But in short, if you notice wood shavings around your floors you likely have termites or carpenter ants that are destroying your home.
Call Absolut Pest Control For Insect Removal in Boston
Absolut Pest Control travels throughout the Greater Boston area to provide ant removal services. If you need ants removed from your property give us a call or send us a message via our website.
Tips For Preventing Insects This Summer
Late winter and early spring is the best time to prevent summer pests. As you start looking forward to working on your yard, your garden, de-winterizing your pool, you should also start thinking about how to prevent pests. Mosquitoes, bees, wasps, and other annoying insects are looking for homes and breeding grounds in late winter. Here are a few tactics to deter insects from choosing your home.
Pests are looking for a variety of things when choosing where to make nests. One of those is easy access to food. In the wintertime and late fall, we recommend that homeowners avoid leaving out any food indoors as the combination of a shelter and easy access to crumbs is the perfect incentive for most pests to set up in your house. During the spring and summer, you want to decrease food waste inside and outside your home. Take out the trash promptly and do not leave garbage rotting in bins outside. This will attract ants, other insects, and even rodents. Always rinse out your cans and food containers before putting them in recycling bins. Anything you can do to decrease potential food for pests will help you in the long run.
Be On The Lookout For Hives
Unfortunately, bees, wasps, and yellowjackets can get by eating pollen from local flowers and plants. So unless you live in a city, it is impossible to remove the food source for these pests. That is why you need to be on the lookout for nests. Corners of homes are usually where bees will build nests because of the natural walls it provides them. Bees want to be efficient so they tend to build in the corners of porches and roofing, especially near a garden. The quicker they can zip to and from the nest the better. So be aware of where your flowers are and any nearby structures that would be prime real estate for their nests. Honeybees are an important part of our ecosystem but that doesn’t mean you have to live with them. Pest control professionals at Absolut Pest Control remove nests and relocate them to protect the bees.
Remove Standing Water
Aside from looking for food and shelter, many pests are looking for standing water. Mosquitoes breed and lay eggs in standing water, and usually can be found where ever it is humid and damp. If you have birdbath, or puddles that have developed on your lawn, you should consider finding ways to drain them. Additionally, if you have a pool, covering it when it is not in use can help prevent pests from breeding.
Pest Problem? Give Us A Call
For homes and businesses in Amesbury and Greater Boston the team at Absolut Pest Control is happy to help you prepare your property for the summer and handle any pest problems you are dealing with, contact us for more information about pest control.
When Should You Call Pest Control?
The mere presence of a single pest may make you uncomfortable or concerned, especially depending on the type of pest or the sort of damage it causes. Some pest issues you can handle on your own with a little know-how or an instructional guide on the web. Other cases require expert help to remedy the problem and give you some peace of mind. Often, homeowners and renters waste time and money on insufficient traps, baits, and other at-home solutions. In the long run, it could save you money on repairs needed to fix damages caused by nuisance pests. When should you actually call pest control? Here’s a look at when’s a good time to give your local pest control company a call.
Seeing Pests Around
Seeing isn’t believing, it’s knowing. Sightings of pests on your property are a clear sign that you have unwanted guests around. If you spot one rat, for example, likely, there are more around for you to deal with. Some pests like ants and termites create a colony which is an indication of an infestation. A single pest sighting should give you cause for concern and compel you to investigate further to know the extent of the pest infestation. You may need expert help and pest- control professionals can determine the kind of solution that you need. Many homeowners are dismayed that even after a storebought trap successfully catches one mouse, the sounds of mice in the walls or the sight of them scurrying across the floor doesn’t immediately go away.
Pest Droppings and Urine
Maybe you’ve come across what looks like urine and droppings in your attic or basement. You might not be able to identify what type of pest did it, but you know it’s a sign of trouble to come. Pest droppings are a health hazard for you and your family, especially those with allergies. Droppings contain plenty of bacteria and viruses that can spread illnesses, from salmonella to murine typhus. Pests are nuisances that you should never tolerate in your home and ignoring them can be perilous for you. For this reason, you want to get rid of pests at the first sign of their existence.
Damage to Your Property
Have you noticed gnawing marks on your walls or furniture? Maybe you’ve seen claw marks in your attic or holes chewed in your siding. Some pests can be destructive and cost you money in property damage. Squirrels, for example, are believed to be the source of 25% of house fires. Rodents are known to gnaw on wires that can lead to electrical fires and other pests, like termites can inflict damage to the structural integrity of your home. The last thing that you want is for your pest problem to get out of control.
Scratching and Rustling Noise
Does hearing scratches or rustling sounds while doing house chores cause you to pause? Trying to figure out what it could be? It’s not likely to be paranormal activity. What it may turn out to be could be much worse- a pest invasion. Scampering across your floors, for example, is usually a sign that mice are present. Get professionals to check it out if you can’t access the location the noise is coming from or are scared. If pests are around, it’s in your best interest to have them removed asap.
Contact Absolut Pest Control For Services in Amesbury
Absolut Pest Control is a great pest control company that can provide you with expert solutions. We are equipped to provide the first line of defense against the pesky invaders that want to take over your home. Call or send a message to our team to speak to our pest control expert and to get a quote today.
How To Keep Squirrels Off Your Property
Although many of us find squirrels to be one of the cuter rodents, they are still dangerous and can become a real problem. While you may not mind a squirrel scampering across a public park or out in the woods when they are in your yard, they can lead to the destruction of property, bite/scratch your pets, and they can even transmit rabies. Here are a few ways you can keep squirrels away from your home.
Do Not Feed Squirrels
This should go without saying, but if you provide a steady source of food for local pests/rodents, they will keep coming back. Any food found outside your property is likely to attract pests. This is why it is recommended to not leave food out for stray cats or other animals. Make sure to secure your garbage so it can’t be broken into by raccoons or squirrels. And consider getting read of that birdfeeder. As fun as it is to watch birds fly close to your home, bird feeders attract many different animals that you might be less excited to see out your window.
Clean Your Garden/Yard Frequently
Raking your yard can help you remove twigs and sticks, but more importantly, it can help remove any fallen fruit, nuts, or seeds. Squirrels are looking for yards that have trees, bushes, and other plants that provide a steady source of food for them. Protect your personal garden otherwise animals might enjoy your tomatoes, zucchini, and garden vegetables before you can.
Scare Squirrels & Racoons with Your Dog
Aside from removing what draws squirrels and raccoons to your home, there are also deterrents you can employ. If a squirrel has to choose between the home with an open trash can and no pets or the one with the open trash can and the scary dog it will choose the former. Outdoor dogs and cats are an effective way to keep rodents away from your home. If you do not have a pet, faux-owl decorations can convince your local squirrels that there is a dangerous predator in that yard.
Use Capsaicin or Another Repellent
There are a few repellents you can use to deter squirrels and other rodents from your yard Capsaicin for example can be used on nuts and seeds to deter squirrels from eating in your yard. Additionally, planting mint leaves around your garden can deter squirrels. Make sure not to apply Capsaicin to any vegetables or plants you plan to consume.
Hire Pest Control
If squirrels have already made your home their home it may be difficult to get them to leave. Local pest control services may need to be called to get squirrels off of your property, this is especially true if they have moved indoors. Removing pests can be dangerous as animals backed into a corner can become very violent. At Absolut Pest Control we service the Amesbury and Boston Massachusetts areas with our pest control services.
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.