Differences Between Common Black Ants & Carpenter Ants
All ants can be nuisances, invading your home in search of food and multiplying to the point where it can become a serious issue. Here in the northeast, the two types of ants we most commonly see homeowners have problems with are common black ants and carpenter ants. These two species of ants can look reasonably similar to the naked eye, but the dangers they bring to your home are vastly different. In this article, we’ll go over the main differences between common black ants & carpenter ants and give you some tips on what you can do to prevent them!
Common Black Ant Characteristics
Common black ants are the ant species that many of us are accustomed to. These ants are scavengers and commonly enter homes searching for food and water. When black ants enter your home, they often come with a large group and will stick around if there is ample food for them to forage. Black ants are typically five to seven millimeters long and have three noticeable body sections: the head, thorax, and abdomen. They commonly invade homes in the New England spring & summertime and can be a nuisance to get rid of once they have taken up residence.
Carpenter Ant Characteristics
Carpenter ants are typically a little bit larger than black ants, as they are usually around ½ inch long. Carpenter ants also have a heart-shaped head, a slight bend or crook in their antennae, and are more likely to have a dual set of wings. While physical differences are important for identifying the species of ant, the most impactful difference between carpenter ants and black ants is the damage they can cause to your home. Similar to termites, carpenter ants can damage the structural integrity of your home. These ants burrow into and make their nests in wood, weakening the walls and framing of your home or building. Carpenter ants typically make their homes in wet wood, so keep your eye out for signs of them in your kitchen, bathroom, and any other room that’s commonly exposed to moisture.
Tips On Preventing Ants
The best way to prevent common black ants is to thoroughly clean your home of any and all food crumbs. Be sure to regularly vacuum carpets, hardwood, and tiles to pick up any food that may be on the ground. Preventing carpenter ants can be a little more tricky. These ants target wet wood and moisture, so it’s essential to make sure you don’t have any leaks or water spots in the walls, floors, and ceilings of your home. If you notice carpenter ants around your house or building, it’s essential to contact a pest control professional as soon as possible to prevent or remedy any damage to the structure of your home.
Contact Absolut Pest Control!
If you have an ant problem in northeastern Massachusetts or southern New Hampshire, Absolut Pest Control is always here to help! Our team has years of experience dealing with ants and various other insects, so you can count on us to solve your problem and prevent these pests from coming back! 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!
Pest Control Tips For Spring 2022
Days are becoming warmer here in New England and April is almost here, meaning it’s a great time to start preparing your home for springtime pests! Being proactive about preventing pests now can save you tons of time and effort in a month or so when spring bugs and wildlife begin to infringe on your property. In this article, we’ll go over some things you can do around your home and yard to prevent pests before they have the chance to “bug” you!
Seal Cracks & Holes Around Your Home
After a long New England winter, small cracks and holes can appear around your home’s entryways and foundation, caused by ice & snow or just general wear & tear. These cracks can act like little doors into your home for not only insects, but also small rodents and other pests. For example, a mouse can fit through a hole that’s only the size of a dime and may enter your home in search of food, water, and shelter. You can easily seal these cracks & holes that lead into your home with caulk, making it a cost-effective way to prevent pests this spring.
Use Window Screens
Similar to the above tip, make sure to use window screens when the weather starts to get warmer and you want some fresh air in your house. Having an open window without a screen is like an open invite for insects and other flying creatures to enter your home! If you don’t have window screens, now is a great time to install them while the bugs of New England are at bay!
Get Rid Of Standing Water
If there’s one tip that you take away from this article, it should probably be this: remove any standing water from your property. Standing water, or water that isn’t constantly flowing, can quickly become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects, allowing them to quickly multiply on your property. Standing water is commonly found in gutters, wheelbarrows, buckets, and anywhere else rain can accumulate. Being proactive and moving these sources of potential standing water now can save you a serious headache when mosquito breeding season comes around!
Properly Store Food
One more tip to get you ready for springtime pests is to always properly store your food. This includes your trash, garden, and even the snacks in your pantry. Be sure to keep your garbage in barrels with lids, put a fence around your garden, and seal your food in air-tight containers. By storing your food correctly, you’ll prevent pests from venturing onto your property in search of food sources!
Contact Absolut Pest Control!
If you’re having a pest problem in Eastern Massachusetts or Southern New Hampshire, Absolut Pest Control is here to help! We provide the region with pest control & removal services for a wide variety of pests, including insects, rodents, 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!
How To Treat Bee Stings
Spring and summer are slowly approaching, meaning it’s an excellent time to start preparing for warmer-weather pests here in the northeast. One spring “pest” that we all know so well are bees. While bees are an essential part of our ecosystem, they can be annoying when they’re swarming food or flowers, especially when there’s the threat of them stinging you. In this article, we’ll go over some tips on how you can prevent bee stings and how you should treat them if they happen.
Tips On Preventing Bee Stings
The best way to prevent bee stings is to avoid their hives. Bees are most likely to sting you when you’re around their hives because they can become defensive if they feel you’re threatening them. If you discover a beehive on or around your home, your best course of action is to call a pest control professional who can remove the beehive without exterminating the bees, as they’re essential to plant growth and our environment as a whole. Another way to prevent bee stings is to avoid wearing sweet fragrances like perfumes and colognes because bees and wasps are attracted to these scents. If you’re planning a picnic or other outdoor activity, be sure to keep food and drinks in sealed containers so you don’t attract unwanted attention from bees and other insects. By keeping these tips in mind this spring and summer, you’ll reduce the chances of bee and wasp stings!
Tips On Treating Bee Stings
If you have the misfortune of being stung by a bee, seek medical attention immediately if you’re allergic to bees. If you’re not allergic, the first thing you should do is remove the stinger. Stingers that are not removed can cause a longer-lasting, more severe reaction. You can remove the stinger by swiping over the spot of the sting with your fingernail or credit card. Avoid using tweezers to remove a bee stinger because the pinching can cause more venom to be released into your skin. Once you’ve successfully removed the stinger from your skin, clean the affected area with soap and warm water to avoid the possibility of infection. You can then treat the pain and swelling caused by the sting with a cold compress or ice pack. If the reaction persists, you should ask your doctor about using anti-inflammatories, antihistamines, or hydrocortisone ointments to treat the sting.
Contact Absolut Pest Control!
If you have any questions about bee removal or any other pest control-related problem in northeastern Massachusetts or southern New Hampshire, don’t hesitate to contact Absolut Pest Control! We provide a wide variety of affordable pest control services to residents and businesses of the region! 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!
Signs Of A Termite Infestation
Termites are insects that feed on wood and wooden structures, which is why they’re so dangerous to have in your home. Termites can damage the structural integrity of your home by eating away at it in places you won’t always notice. If you believe your home may have a termite infestation, it’s crucial that you contact a pest control professional as soon as possible in order to stop these dangerous pests from further damaging your home or property. In this article, we’ll talk about some of the ways you can identify a termite problem so that you can stop them in their tracks before the issue becomes worse!
Swarmers & Discarded Wings
Termite swarmers are adult flying termites. Swarmers are the reproductive members of termite colonies and are the only ones that live outside of whatever wooden structure the colony is currently eating away at. Termite swarmers have two large pairs of wings that are about ½ inch in length, so you should be able to distinguish between them and other harmless insects. When swarmers have found a mate, they’ll shed their wings, which you can also keep an eye out for. Swarmers are a telltale sign of an active termite infestation, so if you believe that you’ve seen these insects around your home, it’s essential to contact a pest control professional immediately!
Mud Tubes
Another telltale sign of a termite infestation is the discovery of mud tubes. Mud tubes are tiny tunnels that are found around the foundation of termite-infested homes. These tubes are 1/4 to 1 inch in diameter and are usually made up of a combination of soil, wood, and termite saliva. If you find what you think might be mud tubes, you can break off a piece of it and wait a few days to see if it comes back. If it does, there’s a very good chance that you have an active termite infestation in your home, and you should contact a pest control professional as soon as possible!
Termite Damage
One more reasonably self-explanatory sign of a termite infestation is finding the damage they’ve created. Termite damage often looks like tiny holes, mazes, or tunnels in wooden walls, floors, studs, and more. Another sign of termite damage is if a piece of wood sounds hollow or dull when tapped. If you believe that you’ve discovered termite damage in your home, you should contact a pest control professional to either confirm that the infestation is not active or eradicate them if it is.
Contact Absolut Pest Control!
If you have any questions about termite infestation or believe your home may contain one, contact Absolut Pest Control! We provide a wide variety of affordable pest control services in Eastern 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!
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!
Controlling Squirrels In Your Home And On Your Property
While squirrels can sometimes seem like cute and innocent creatures, they can also be a nuisance to homeowners due to the damage they sometimes cause. Squirrels cause damage by gnawing on various parts of your home including walls, insulation, wiring, and more. Squirrels are often found in attics, especially when seeking shelter in the colder months of the year. If you believe your home has a squirrel problem, contact Absolut Pest Control for ethical pest control services in Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire! Our team of pest control experts would be happy to speak to you about your options for squirrel removal or any other pest control service.
How Do I Know If There’s A Squirrel In My House?
There are many signs that a squirrel might be living in your home. Squirrels can chew their way into your home through weak points like roof shingles and small holes where roofing meets siding. This is the first sign that squirrels may be nesting in your house: by spotting their entry and exit points. The next way you can tell if there’s a squirrel in your home is by listening for scampering and scratching sound in your walls or ceiling. While this sound could be coming from many different kinds of pests, it’s not unlikely that a squirrel is the culprit. One final sign that there may be a squirrel or squirrels in your home is by paying attention to unpleasant odors. These odors can come from squirrel feces and urine, as well as from squirrels that have died within your attic or walls. If you believe your home has a squirrel problem, you should contact a pest control professional like Absolut Pest Control!
How Can I Get Squirrels Out Of My House?
The best way to ensure your safety and effectiveness when dealing with a squirrel problem is by hiring pest control professionals to get the job done. Pest control specialists will remove the squirrel or squirrels humanely and efficiently, then ensure that the problem will not happen again by sealing entry points the pests had been using. At Absolut Pest Control, we use a trap and release method for squirrel problems, so you can put your mind at ease knowing that the critters will be safe and sound – just not in your residence.
Contact Absolut Pest Control!
Absolut Pest Control provides squirrel control and many other pest control services in eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. If you have any questions about the services we provide, don’t hesitate to contact us by giving us a call at (978) 388-4589 or by filling out the contact form on our website!
Removing Fleas From Your Home
Everyone knows that fleas are harmful to dogs and cats, but did you know that they can spread diseases and cause tapeworms in humans as well? Fleas often enter your home on the backs of your pets, then they jump off and begin living throughout your home. According to a study conducted by Texas A&M University, female fleas lay an average of 27 eggs per day. These eggs then take just 12 days to hatch, and soon thereafter will begin laying their own eggs. For this reason, it’s extremely important to remove fleas from your home as soon as you realize an infestation is present, before they begin to reproduce and multiply.
How To Know If There Are Fleas In Your Home
Obviously, the most sure-fire way of knowing you have a flea infestation is by actually seeing them. While fleas are tiny little bugs, just millimeters in length, they are still visible to the human eye. They are usually a brownish-red or black color, have 6 legs, and are wingless. However, they move extremely quickly so they are usually hard to spot. Without actually seeing the fleas themselves, there are a few other telltale signs that your home may have a flea infestation. One of these signs to look out for is itchy, red bites on your skin. While flea bites are often mistaken for mosquito bites, fleas usually bite between your knees and feet because they like to hide in your carpet and on the floor. Another sign that your home may have a flea infestation is finding flea eggs or flea “dirt” on your carpet, on your pet, or on your pet’s bedding. Flea eggs look like tiny white flecks, and flea “dirt”, which is actually flea feces, look like tiny black flecks: almost like ground black pepper. Finally, if you notice that your dog or cat is excessively scratching or their skin appears to have bites or irritation, there is a good chance they have fleas and have brought them into your home.
How To Remove Fleas From Your Home
Fleas are a challenging pest to remove from your home on your own because they are so small, quick, and hard to see. For this reason, the best option for exterminating a flea infestation is hiring a professional pest control company like Absolut Pest Control. As far as home remedies for flea infestations, you should focus on getting them out of your carpets, where they are likely hiding. One method to do this is to sprinkle baking soda all over your carpet, which should kill them, then vacuum it up. You can also use salt for this method. You should also be sure to give your pets anti-flea medication so they stop bringing new fleas into your home!
Contact Absolut Pest Control!
If you believe your home may have a flea infestation or any other kind of pest problem in Massachusetts or southern New Hampshire, contact us! We provide professional pest control services and an outstanding customer service team who would be happy to answer any questions you might have. Give us a call at (978) 388-4589 or fill out the contact form on our website for a free estimate!
How To Get Bats Out Of Your Attic
Bats often take up residency in the attics of older houses because they look for homes in compact, dark places. Bats only need a hole or crack with about an inch diameter to squeeze in, so older homes are often the ones that give them access through chimneys, vents, siding, or other openings. Bat problems should always be dealt with by a professional pest control company because they are essential to our environment and are illegal to kill in most states, including Massachusetts. Bats are extremely important to the environment because they control the insect population, some bats eating several thousand bugs per night.
Why Get Rid Of Bats?
Bats usually do not cause any problems to the people whose house they are living in because they rarely make noise and are usually found in rooms, like attics and crawl spaces, that humans don’t use very often. In fact, most people with bats in their home have no idea that the winged creatures are in there. Bats can, however, become a problem when a large colony of them move into your attic and begin making lots of noise. Bats can also give an unpleasant odor to the home they are staying in. Bats also carry diseases sometimes, like rabies and viruses similar to SARs and COVID. When these sorts of bat problems arise, be sure to call a qualified pest control specialist like Absolut Pest Control.
Tips On Getting Rid Of Bats
As we said above, the best way to get bats out of your home in an ethical and legal manner is by calling a pest control specialist who can both remove the bats safely and show you where they have been coming in and out of. However, there are a few things you can do for do-it-yourself bat control. One way to lure bats out of your home is by installing bat-houses outside your house. Like birds, bats will be attracted to houses built for them because they like living in compact shelters off the ground so they can stay away from predators and the elements. Another way to get bats out of your house is by removing all still-standing water from the area. Not only do bats drink from this water, but they hunt insects that lay their eggs in stagnant water like mosquitoes. Make sure you get rid of or constantly change the water in bird baths, outdoor water bowls for pets, trash cans, and buckets. You should also clear debris out of gutters and drains that may be causing water build up.
Contact Absolut Pest Control
If you’re in the greater Boston or north shore area of Massachusetts and have a bat (or any other pest) problem, Absolut Pest Control has the solution! Give us a call at (978) 388-4589 or fill out the contact form on our website!
Tips On Removing Rodents From Your Home
If you suspect, or know, that rodents have taken up residence in your home, Absolut Pest Control has some tips on what you can do to evict them! While the summer is still raging on, rodents like mice, rats, and squirrels will begin coming into homes soon to ensure they will be protected in the winter.
How Do I Know If There Are Rodents In My House?
If you think your home may have a rodent problem, there are a few tell-tale signs you can look for. One clear indicator that mice are in your home is by looking for their droppings. These droppings look like dark grains of rice, and can be found in basements, attics, crawl spaces, and anywhere else the rodents may be nesting out of your site. Another way to tell if a mouse or rodent is living in your home is by looking for their nests. These usually look like a small pile or gathering of scrap materials, like cloth, wood chips, paper, straw, or grass. Nests are generally only about 4 to 6 inches in diameter. Each female mouse can have a litter of 5 to 12 babies, and will not stop breeding until they are exterminated or removed from your home. One more way to recognize rodents in your home is by paying attention to scratching noises in your walls or ceilings. While older homes often make noises on their own, like the old saying of “a house settling”, it should be pretty easy to tell when the source of the noise is a pesky rodent.
How Can I Remove Rodents From My Home?
The easiest and most effective way to be sure your home is rodent-free once again is by calling a professional exterminator, like Absolut Pest Control. Rodents are some of the most common pest control problems that we see, so our team of experts is well versed in getting rid of them once and for all. Give our Emergency Hotline a call at (978) 388-4589 to have your rodent problem dealt with anytime, day or night. The next best way to deal with rodent problems is by using store bought traps. Your best bet is to lay down traps in areas that you suspect the rodents are often in. For example, in a basement or attic that you’ve found droppings or a nest in, a hole in the wall, or a pantry.
Contact Absolut Pest Control
For help with rodent problems or any other pest control issues in Massachusetts or southern New Hampshire, contact Absolut Pest Control by giving us a call at (978) 388-4589 or by filling out the contact form on our website!