Tips
What can homeowners do to reduce the risk from mosquitoes?
Reduce risk from mosquitoes by removing standing water from around your home at least once a week. Remove unneeded vegetation or trash from around any standing water sources that cannot be changed, dumped or removed. Screen windows, doors, and other openings with fine mesh, sealing around all screen edges and keeping doors and windows shut to prevent entry. Avoid going outdoors when and where mosquitoes are most active: during disk or dawn, Use repellent on exposed skin wherever mosquitoes are likely to bite. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long-legged pants, preferably treated with a repellent as well.
Can a pest control service be green?
Yes. There are many different shades of green when it comes to termite & pest control, and we feel is up to each homeowner to decide what is the best for their family and their home. We have designed all for our programs with your family & home & environment in mind. All of our programs limit the amount of pest control materials inside your home. Our perimeter pest control & Perimeter Plus program focuses on treating the outside, perimeter of your home to stop pests before they get inside. The sentricon system is a non-chemical termite treatment, and our “Green” Pest control programs natural, botanical based products.
How do I know if I have termites?
Telltale signs of termite infestation include soft wood in the home, Mud tubes in the interior or exterior of your home (often near the foundation), and darkening or blistering of wood structures, in Middle Tennessee, termite swarms are usually visible in April & May. Termite swarms can be confused with flying ants. The best thing to do is to call us for a free Termite inspection. We’re trained to look for visible signs of termites and conductive conditions.
How long does a treatment last?
Treatment effectiveness varies by type of pest, likelihood of re-infestation and product longevity, Ask your Area Wide Exterminators pest professional about your particular circumstance and they can give you a realistic estimate.
QUICK FACTS & TIPS
Depending on the species, and ant colony can include 500,00 individuals.
Secure your attic Vents, window joints, siding and under eaves from drywood termites.
Termites cause more than $5 billion in home damage every year.
Repair and clean faulty gutters and downspouts to prevent excessive moisture.
To enter your home, mouse can fit through holes as thin as a pencil.
Rats shed more that 500,000 body hairs yearly and 20 to 50 dropping per day.
Other Tips and Facts:
Mosquitos:
- Unused pools are often great breeding sites for mosquitoes.
- People over 50 are at greater risk of contacting severe forms of West Nile virus.
- Keep your gutters clean and free of leaves to prevent mosquito breeding.
- Mosquito biting activity increases 500 times with a full moon.
- There is NO virus that can prevent West Nile Virus in humans.
Fleas:
- All pet bedding should be washed in hot water
- The pet needs to be treated with an on-animal flea treatment.
- Just before your flea service, you should:
- Add a flea collar to your vacuum cleaner bag.
- Thoroughly vacuum rugs (with a beater brush), floor and furniture.
- While vacuuming removes few eggs and larvae, it has a number of significant benefits. It triggers flea emergence from cocoons so they become more susceptible to treatment.
- It fluffs up the carpeting and straightens the nap, thereby improving insecticide penetration.
Ridding Your House of Pests and Rodents
Ants
The most common insect problem in homes is ants.
Look where food or water is located.
Look along edges.
Ants are attracted to edges such as sidewalk edges, damaged door frames, utility boxes, window frames, and fence lines.
A natural way to get rid of ants is to remove food sources such as food debris in the kitchen and outdoor pet food.
Also remove water sources such as leaky hose bibs/spigots on the outside of the house.
Clear gutters of debris and standing water is helpful.
Termites
Termites eat materials that contain cellulose, so they can eat paper off of sheetrock or even the studs in a wall.
Fleas
Preparation is key for any flea treatment.
First you will need to take your pet to the veterinarian to have them treated to remove the fleas.
Next you will need to vacuum the entire house thoroughly. This includes the cushions and crevices of all furniture.
Mow the yard
Fleas live on the blades of grass
We recommend that you vacuum every other day for a week and discard the remnants after each use. This will remove any eggs or larva left in the carpet or furniture.
Mice
Mice and rats seek food, water, and harborage, so if you can eliminate one of these, they will leave.
Roaches
Roaches contaminate food and eating utensils. They also transmit bacteria such as salmonella spp. and shigella spp. German cockroaches are believed capable of transmitting diseases such as streptococcus spp. and staphylococcus spp. They have been implicated in the spread of Typhoid and Dysentery. Getting control of roaches is important for the welfare of your family and our clients. Non-chemical controls include:
- Improving sanitation
- Repair and eliminate moisture problems
- Reduce clutter
- Seal cracks and crevices
- Store food in cockroach proof containers
- Pick up pet food when pets are done eating
Getting Rid Of Roaches
If you discover one roach in your house, you probably have hundreds living under your roof. Maybe thousands. Or even a lot more.
Let's do some math. Roaches can produce up to 30 egg capsules and within those capsules there could be 15 to 50 eggs. One female cockroach can have up to 30,000 offspring in their lifetime. Here we go: 30x50x30,000 = a LOT of roaches…
Just the sight of one single roach should be enough warning that you have others. Don't delay: getting rid of roaches should be your primary concern.
The first thing you need to do is to clean your house. Even if you have a clean house there might be food in the cracks of your kitchen counter, a piece of old dog food underneath the couch, or a popsicle stick between the couch pillows. Is that important? You bet. It only takes one kernel of popcorn to feed 15 to 20 roaches. Even your dog's chew toy could hold enough food particles to host a cockroach buffet.
Once your house is clean and there is no more food or water for the cockroaches to live on, you need to find a way to get rid of the cockroaches that are already there. Once the roaches are gone you need to prevent them from coming back by keeping your home clean, and sealing up places where they might get into the house.
How to Prevent Roaches By Roach-Proofing Your House
If you have roaches in your home, they are only there because you let them in. You have provided a place for them to live. Roaches are always on the move, looking for a comfortable nest. Right now the path they travel runs through your house. There are many ways for you to cut down this road traffic. The most important thing you can do is block the access to your house. Make sure there are no piles of leaves or lose trash nearby. Roaches love to get into wet damp areas where they can hide from the sunlight. These are breeding grounds for roaches and you don’t want them anywhere near your house. Look for cracks in your foundation near the ground. Those cracks could lead up to the interior of your walls.
When you have cleared the perimeter of your home the next step is installing screens on all your windows and vents. Make sure these screens are in good condition, with no holes or tears. This includes your floors and drains and ducts -- even the exhaust vent to your dryer can be the entranceway for a roach. If you have gaps in your windows or underneath your doors make sure that you put some weather-stripping or caulk in those areas. Any little crack is an enough for a cockroach. If the weather-stripping is not sufficient you may want to use both weather stripping and caulk to fill the holes. For added protection you might also want to spray pesticides in your yard. Spraying close to your house and around garbage cans will eliminate the cockroaches before they even get into your house.
The inside of your house is just as important. If you have a lot of debris and clutter, such as piles of magazines, newspapers, or books, you are creating an ideal environment for your unwelcome house guests. If you don't know where the roaches are, turn on the lights at night you will see where they are hiding.
Area Wide Exterminators | Toll-Free: 877-748-7327Stockton: 209-464-4731 | Lodi: 209-334-6272
Modesto: 209-521-0287 | Tracy: 209-835-2071
Email: lisa.awe@comcast.net
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