Inspecting Your Pantry for Pests

red flour beetles

Red flour beetles in a bag of flour

Baking is a big part of tradition for lots of people during the holiday season.  And what better time while you’re breaking out all of the baking supplies to inspect your pantry for signs of pests.  Pests are living creatures that are in search of the same things we are…food, water, and shelter.  A pantry where those necessities are stored is an ideal place for pests to make a home.

Common pests that are found in pantries:

Below are tips on ways to inspect your pantry for pests:

  • Place foods in tightly sealed containers.  This will keep bugs out and freshness in.
  • Unpack seasonal decorations outside.  Dried foliage, potpourri, etc, should be unpacked outside of the home and inspected before displaying in your home.
  • Place a bay leaf in containers of dry foods like flour and rice.  The smell of bay leaves often repels pests.
  • Inspect groceries before bringing them in to your home.  As with anything you bring into your home, be sure to inspect it.
  • Always check the date before using items in your pantry.  Frequent checks of this throughout the year can be beneficial.
  • Clean messes immediately.  Wipe any spills or crumbs as soon as they happen and take the trash out regularly.
  • Place trash in a tightly sealed bag.  Remove the bag frequently to a garbage can outside of the home that is equipped with a tightly sealed lid.
  • Seal cracks or holes that pests could use to enter your home.
  • Eliminate moisture areas.  Seal leaky pipes and use humidifiers in the home.  Water is a major attractant for bugs so the less access they have to water, the better.

If you find pests in your pantry, throw out the infested food immediately.  If pests have made a home in your pantry you should call your professional pest control company.  A professional exterminator will be able to inspect the area and treat the problem properly and efficiently.

Sources:

http://www.pestworld.org/news-and-views/pest-articles/articles/preventing-pantry-pests/

http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/resources/pantrypests304.shtml

Round 8 of Lawn Care

We are currently in Round 8 of our Lawn Care treatments.  The main focus of this treatment is lime application.  Lime is essential for regulating the pH levels in the soil.

For best results:

  • The treatment should be watered in within 48 hours.
  • The lawn should not be mowed 2 days before or after the treatment.

Round 8 is the final treatment in our year long treatment plan for a healthy lawn.  Each treatment is applied seasonally, due to the needs of lawns at that time.  Next, we will start Round 1.

For additional lawn care services such as aeration, overseeding, tree & shrub, bed control, and warm season aeration, call Northwest Lawn Care at 770-293-2700 or visit us online at https://www.callnorthwest.com/lawn-care/

Spiders are Here for the Holidays!

Common house spiders have made their way back into the comforts of your warm home this winter season.  Luckily, house spiders are a nuisance pest more than anything, meaning that your biggest concern is really the webs that they leave behind rather than the threat of the spider itself.

Spiders do not survive very long in modern homes with low humidity and that are pest free.  Without insects to feed on they cannot survive.  (This is just one of many reasons to make sure that your pest control stays up-to-date).  However, spiders do thrive in places with high humidity and insects to feed on such as garages, sheds, warehouses, basements, etc.

Spiders are often found in a home in corners, window frames, along baseboards, in garages, and close to light sources.  Dusting webs and keeping your pest control up to date can help you in keeping spiders out of your home.

For pest control, call Northwest Exterminating at 888.466.7849 or visit us online at www.callnorthwest.com

Northwest Exterminating and Builders Team Up

Builder ServicesBuilders in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and South Carolina can rest assured knowing that they have Northwest Exterminating in their corner during the termite pretreatment phase.  Time is money in the new construction business and Northwest’s New Construction Team helps make sure that your projects stay on track.  We are dedicated to providing superior services to the builder market.

Northwest’s New Construction Team is a department that is dedicated specifically to builders and their needs:

  • Prompt Scheduling
  • Online Scheduling
  • Online Letter Ordering
  • Quick Response Time
  • High Quality Service
  • Accurate Paperwork
  • 24 Hour Online Service
  • Damage Repair Warranty
  • Centralized Scheduling and Billing Department
  • Convenient Emailing of Closing Documents
  • Termite Treatment Options: Sentricon, Borate Wood Treatment, and Soil Treatments

A Northwest Exterminating New Construction representative will meet with you and customize a pretreatment plan to meet your needs.  We also continue this same great service once the home has been sold.  We take care of pest control, termite control, wildlife, commercial, TAP, lawn care, mosquito, fire ant, and bed bug solutions for homes and businesses.  Builders and homeowners alike can Trust the Mouse.

 

Why Are People Afraid of Bugs?

Spotting a spider or roach may cause someone to jump from fright. Most people who have a typical fear of bugs may have these fears for various reasons. For instance, people who avoid bees may have a legitimate concern about being stung, especially if they’ve been stung before and found themselves to be allergic. Some bugs such as bees, wasps, poisonous spiders and mosquitoes can carry threats that many people try to protect themselves from. Northwest Exterminating provides an extensive amount of services to protect homes and businesses from such threats.

Then there are the bugs that may not carry much of a threat but we know the sight of them indicates other unpleasant conditions. Flies and roaches tend to flock to places that are unhygienic and not the cleanest. Maintaining a clean living and working environment usually helps eliminate the presence of these bugs, as well as the related fear. Our preference for a bug-free environment may be due to that in more industrialized, urbanized societies, we do not have firsthand experience with bugs because we do not live in their natural environment. Out of sight is out of mind, so spotting an unusual insect might always be a little bit surprising.

Other people have much more than an aversion, but rather a legitimate fear of insects otherwise known as entomophobia. A well-known form of entomophobia is arachnophobia, the fear of spiders. As the definition suggestions, the fear or concern has little to do with bugs themselves and more to do with somebody’s psychological disposition.  Northwest Exterminating may not be able to fix your fears, but we can certainly take care of the bugs for you. Call us today to schedule an appointment!

Source

Melissa Brown
[email protected]

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