Everything You Need To Know About June Bugs
June bugs, also known as June beetles or May bugs, are scarab beetles that are commonly found on the east coast during the early to mid-summer, which is where they get their name from. June bugs are much larger than the average beetle found in New England, as they are typically ½” to 1” long. These beetles are reddish-brown with fat, oval shaped bodies and six legs. There are nearly 300 species of June bugs, but the most prevalent are the common June bug and the green June beetle.
Are June Bugs Harmful?
While June bugs do not bite and will very rarely infest homes, they can be harmful to the plants around your home and in your garden. While adult June bugs can damage plants by feeding on their leaves, they are most harmful when they are in their larvae stage. Adult June bugs lay their eggs in the soil, and the larvae that hatch out of these eggs are called white grubs. White grubs feed on the roots of grass and garden plants, which cuts off the plants ability to absorb nutrients, quickly killing them. To make matters worse, June bug larvae attract moles and other subterranean rodents, which can also eat crops and damage yards & gardens.
How Can I Prevent June Bugs?
There are a few different signs that can point to a June bug problem around your home:
- June bug sightings
- Patches of dead, brown grass around your lawn
- Ragged holes in plant leaves
- Noticing an influx in mole populations
- Small holes appearing in your lawn
If you notice any of these signs in May, June, or early July, there is a good chance that you have a June bug problem around your home! The good news is that there are a few different ways to prevent June bug infestations:
- Reduce fertilizer & chemical use on your plants, which will increase the number of natural predators that kill June bug larvae.
- Attract birds to your home with bird feeders and bird baths. These birds will eat adult June bugs, and some species will eat the white grubs out of the ground.
- Remove debris and dead grass from your lawn, which will help nutrients, air, and water reach the soil and can help reduce white grub populations.
- Hire a pest control professional to treat your lawn.
Contact Absolut Pest Control!
If you have any questions about June bugs or believe that you have a pest problem in or around your Massachusetts or New Hampshire home, contact Absolut Pest Control! We provide various pest removal services at affordable prices throughout the region! Contact us today by giving us a call at (978) 388-4589 or by filling out the contact form on our website!
Tips On Dealing With Horse Flies This Summer
As the warmer weather approaches here in New England, so do the pests that come with it, like mosquitoes, ticks, yellowjackets, hornets, ants, and perhaps the most annoying of all, horse flies. Horse flies are larger than average house flies, usually with lengths of around ½” to 1 ¼”. Female horse flies feed on human & animal blood, and they have blade-like mouthparts that tear the skin, and unlike mosquitos, horse flies do not release any anesthetic when they bite, making the bites extremely painful. Horse flies are relentless and will continue to attempt to bite you until they either do so or have been killed. Horse flies are not known to be vectors of disease, but their bites can cause allergic reactions, itchiness, and swelling.
How To Prevent Horse Flies From Frequenting Your Property
If you’ve noticed an influx of horse flies around your home, there are a few things you can do to try to get rid of them, or at least limit their numbers. Horse flies love to hang out around hot, damp areas like streams and ponds, but long grass and weedy areas can also produce enough humidity to attract them. For this reason, maintaining a well-kept yard by mowing and weeding regularly is a great way to limit the number of horse flies around your house. Horse flies, and most other fly species, are also attracted to garbage, so it’s important that your outdoor trash bins are well-sealed with a snug fitting lid. One more way to keep your outdoor space horse fly-free is to burn citronella candles or tiki torches. The smoke and smell that citronella oil produces repels horse flies, mosquitos, and other insects, making these candles and tiki torches great for backyard barbecues and other outdoor activities. If you are facing a serious problem with horse flies, your best bet is to consult a pest control specialist who can professionally treat your property with insect repellents!
Contact Absolut Pest Control!
If you have any questions about pest control this summer or believe that you have a pest problem at your Massachusetts or New Hampshire home, contact Absolut Pest Control! We provide various insect extermination and pest removal services at affordable prices throughout the region! Contact us today by giving us a call at (978) 388-4589 or by filling out the contact form on our website!
Tips For Fruit Fly Prevention & Extermination
Fruit flies are common household pests that are attracted to fruit and other sweet substances. These miniature flies are typically around 1/8th of an inch long with black or tan bodies and red eyes. Because of their appearance, fruit flies are sometimes confused for gnats. Fruit flies like to lay their eggs on rotting fruit or other organic materials, where the eggs will hatch about a day later and the larvae will continue to feed on the fruit or other fermenting material. While fruit flies do not sting or bite, they can be dangerous because they can spread bacteria and foodborne illnesses throughout your home or business. In this article, we’ll give you some tips on how you can prevent and exterminate these miniature pests! If you are a Massachusetts resident that is having trouble dealing with fruit flies or other insects, Absolut Pest Control is here to help! Contact us today for a free estimate on our pest control services!
Fruit Fly Prevention Tips
The best way to deal with a fruit fly problem is to never get them in the first place! You can prevent fruit flies in your home or business with just a few simple steps:
- Eliminate Sources Of Attraction: Fruit flies are primarily attracted to ripe or rotting produce. Be sure that any ripe produce you have is either stored or discarded properly! Store your fruits & vegetables in air tight containers in the refrigerator, or if you’re throwing something away, make sure it goes into a sealed container with a trash can liner!
- Clean Thoroughly: The next way to prevent fruit flies is to clean up thoroughly after any food or drink spill. Not only are fruit flies attracted to produce, but they also feed on soda, juice, beer, wine, and garbage. Anytime a liquid spills on your floor or countertop, be sure to clean it up with kitchen spray to ensure that nothing is left for insects to feed on!
- Properly Deal With Cracked Or Damaged Fruits: If you have any cracked or damaged fruit, you should cut off the wounded portion because this is where fruit fly larvae may be present.
Fruit Fly Extermination Tips
Fruit flies breed extremely quickly, so it’s important to eradicate the infestation in your home or business before it can get out of hand. While the best way to handle a fruit fly problem is to hire a pest control specialist, there are a few home “remedies” that you can try to exterminate the fruit flies on your own:
- Throw away all fruit and other ripe or rotting substances
- Clean rooms where the fruit flies are present thoroughly
- Create a trap using a jar & paper funnel, with apple cider vinegar as bait
- Use an aerosol insecticide
Contact Absolut Pest Control!
If you have any questions about fruit flies or any other insects, contact our team at Absolut Pest Control today! We provide a wide variety of affordable pest control services for insects and many other pests in Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire! Give us a call at (978) 388-4589 or fill out the contact form on our website, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
Frequently Asked Questions About Bed Bugs
What Are Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are small insects (often about the size of an apple seed) that feed on the blood of people and animals. These parasites have flat, brown bodies when they haven’t eaten recently, and balloon-like, reddish-brown bodies when they have been fed. When bed bugs bite, they leave several small red bumps in a line or zig-zag pattern. Female bed bugs lay hundreds of eggs in their lifetime (around 4 months to 1 year), so it’s important to deal with an infestation before it has the chance to get out of hand!
What Are The Signs Of A Bed Bug Infestation?
Bed bugs get their name from the fact that they are often found on beds and other furniture! Bed bugs are “hitchhikers”, meaning they often find their way into homes by catching a ride with pets, people, luggage, used furniture, and anything else that is brought into the house. Oftentimes, bed bug infestations are discovered after people notice that pattern of bed bug bites that are left on their bodies. Bed bugs also sometimes leave rust colored marks on mattresses, sheets, and carpets, which are the result of the insects’ feces. If you see the signs of a bed bug infestation in your home, you should contact a pest control professional right away before the infestation can get worse!
How Do You Treat A Bed Bug Infestation?
Although bed bugs typically do not present a serious threat to your health, it’s crucial to get rid of them as soon as they’re discovered. There are DIY methods that you can use to try to get rid of the bed bug infestation in your home, but they are typically not as effective as professional treatments. Some of these DIY treatments include:
- Washing clothes and bedding then drying them at a high heat
- Freezing clothes and bedding in a sealed bag for multiple days
- Using a steam cleaner to treat carpets, mattresses, and furniture
The best way to treat a bed bug infestation is to hire a professional. A professional pest control company will use a whole-room heat treatment using specially designed equipment that raises your home’s temperature above the limit that bed bugs & their eggs can survive (usually around 140 degrees). Using this professional heat treatment method is the only true way to get rid of every bed bug in your home!
Contact Absolut Pest Control!
The best way to solve a bed bug infestation is to hire a local pest control professional! Absolut Pest Control provides the Greater Boston region with pest control & removal services for a wide variety of pests, including bed bugs, other insects, mice, rats, bats, birds, termites, small mammals, and much more! Give us a call today at (978) 388-4589 or fill out the contact form on our website, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
What Are Silverfish?
A silverfish is a small, silverish-brown insect that is typically around ¾ of an inch long. Silverfish differ from other common insects like ants, beetles, and flies because they are primitive insects, meaning they almost look like a fossil that has come to life. Silverfish can move extremely quickly, sometimes looking like they are swimming across the ground, hence their name. These insects have six legs with long antennae and three additional appendages that stem from the end of their bodies, but they do not have wings. Silverfish are known to feed on and cause damage to a wide variety of items that might be found in your home: books, clothes, wallpaper, flour, sugar, coffee, oats, and much more. These insects often thrive in dark yet humid environments, such as basements, attics, bathrooms, pantries, laundry rooms, and any other place in a home that may have those characteristics. While silverfish are not particularly dangerous, they are considered a nuisance pest that can cause damage to items in your home and trigger allergies.
Should I Be Concerned About A Silverfish Infestation In My Home?
As mentioned above, silverfish do not pose any serious concerns to you or the other people living in your home. However, this does not mean that you want these insects living in your home. Silverfish are known to breed rapidly, meaning an infestation could get out of control faster than you may think. Additionally, silverfish can get into paper products and dry food items, both of which they feed on. If you notice that a silverfish has gotten into a bag of flour, coffee, sugar, or any other type of food, you should dispose of it as they are unsanitary insects. One more reason that silverfish can be a concern is that some people may be allergic to their dropping and shed scales, leading to symptoms like sneezing, itching, coughing, and other common allergy symptoms. Signs of a silverfish infestation include:
- Seeing live silverfish
- Silverfish dropping & shed skin
- Silverfish damage
Contact Absolut Pest Control!
If you believe your Massachusetts home contains a silverfish infestation, the best way to deal with it is to contact a pest control professional. Our team at Absolut Pest Control has years of experience dealing with a wide variety of pests, including insects, rodents, birds, bats, small mammals, and much more! Contact us today by giving us a call at (978) 388-4589 or by filling out the contact form on our website!
Tips On Getting Stink Bugs Out Of Your Home
Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs – more commonly known as just stink bugs – are native to eastern Asia but were unknowingly introduced into the United States ecosystem at some point in the mid-1990s. Stink bugs often begin to creep into homes in Massachusetts when the weather starts to get chillier in the fall and early winter. Stink bugs can be seriously annoying because they reproduce quickly and can seemingly appear in your home out of nowhere. Stink bugs also give off a foul smell when they’re killed, hence their name. For this reason, you may want to consider removing them from your home with alternate strategies. Absolut Pest Control provides southern New Hampshire and greater Boston with professional pest control services, including stink bug removal and prevention!
How To Remove Stink Bugs From Your House
While stink bugs can be an extreme annoyance because of the odor they give off, the good news is that they’re relatively easy to catch. Stink bugs fly rather quickly, but when crawling, they’re quite slow. If you notice one or many stink bugs inside your home, avoid touching or squishing them because they give off a terrible smell when they die. Instead, grab them gently with a plastic bag or trap them in a cup, then take them outside to dispose of them or set them free. If you notice them on the floor or on a carpet, you can vacuum them up, then empty your vacuum cleaner into an outdoor trash can. However, like with most pests, the best way to get rid of all your stink bugs and make sure they’re gone for good is to hire a pest control professional!
How To Prevent Stink Bugs From Getting Inside Your Home
Once you’ve gotten rid of the stink bugs that were already inside your home, it’s essential to prevent more from coming in. One way you can prevent stink bugs from entering your home is by going around the exterior of your house and sealing up any cracks in your screens, windows, and siding. Another strategy for preventing stink bugs is to coat your home’s entryways in an odor-free insect repellent. As always, if you’re worried about stink bugs or any other bugs entering your home, you should hire a pest control professional who will get the job done right!
Contact Absolut Pest Control!
If you have any questions about our pest control services or need pest control at your home, please don’t hesitate to contact us! Give us a call at (978) 388-4589 or fill out the contact form on our website, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
3 Pests That Are Common In The Fall
As the colder weather approaches New England, critters and pests begin looking for a warm place to stay for the winter. This article will go over some common pests that people often have problems with in the fall months.
Mice
Like many rodents, mice begin searching for food and warmth when the cold New England weather starts in the fall. Because of this, your home may seem like an attractive place for them to shack up in the fall and winter. The best way to prevent this is by being proactive and making sure to seal off any potential entry points like tiny holes in doors or screens, air vents, gaps around plumbing, and any other small holes that lead into your house. You may also consider setting some preventative mouse traps so you can catch them if they do somehow make their way into your home.
Spiders
Fall is the time of year when some species of spiders begin laying their eggs before their life comes to an end, which can increase the population and bring the creepy crawlers into your home. While New England doesn’t have many dangerous spider species, it’s still a good idea to call a pest control professional if you have a spider infestation because they can deal with the problem effectively and make sure that the infestation does not persist. If you see spiders or spider webs outside your home, it’s important to remember that spiders are a crucial part of our ecosystem because they control the population of other bugs.
Beetles
You may begin to see beetles in your home in the fall months because this is around the time that these insects look for a safe place to hibernate for the winter. Some of the most common New England beetles that people have issues with at this time of year are ladybugs and stink bugs. These beetles often congregate around warm areas, so keep an eye out for them near any heat source. When you see beetles, an effective way to get rid of them is by vacuuming them up. Be sure to close off windows and holes in screens so these beetles don’t have an easy entry point into your home.
Contact Absolut Pest Control!
If you have any more questions about autumn pests or have a pest control problem in the greater Boston or southern New Hampshire area, don’t hesitate to contact us! Give us a call at (978) 388-4589, or fill out the contact form on our website!
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.