Dec 7, 2011 | Wildlife
Wi
th colder temperatures, many animals are trying to find a warm place to call home. Oftentimes, your home is where they find comfort and warmth. No one wants an unwanted animal in their home. They can make nests, invite other unwanted critters, and cause an enormous amount of damage to your home.
Keeping these nuisances out of your home is important for the health of your home and family. Here a few tips to keep wildlife and other animals out of your home:
- Seal holes around home. These are open doors for nuisance animals to make their way into your home.
- Throw out any food left outdoors. This includes dog food, cat food, and bird feed.
- Take up any water that could possibly attract animals.
- Make sure trash bins are covered securely. The debris will only serve to attract animals.
- Keeping a clean home will also help. General housecleaning rules such as regular sweeping, vacuuming, and washing of dishes will help in not attracting animals.
- General yard maintenance.
If you do find yourself with an unwelcomed roommate, call a professional wildlife control company. This is not something that you want to take on yourself. It is common to find squirrels, rodents, raccoons, snakes, opossums, bees, armadillos and even chipmunks when an animal removal company comes out to your home. Northwest’s wildlife services team specializes in exclusion, removal, and control of these wildlife nuisances. A Northwest representative will inspect your home and develop a customized plan that works best for your home and the nuisances that have invaded so that you can sleep peacefully.
Dec 5, 2011 | Company News
It’s not breaking news that mold in a home is dangerous to those living in it. But with a recent study, they found that exposure to mold before the age of seven greatly increases a child’s risk of developing asthma. Genetics are important to consider in the risks of asthma. A child is more likely to develop asthma if their parents have it also.
The major focus of the study was exposure to molds during infancy and later childhood and the development of asthma. After they reviewed the results they concluded that there was a connection between dampness and/or mold and asthma. 577 homes that had an infant of 1 year old living there was assessed. For every home picked with a detection of mold or water damage a home without mold or water damage was also picked. The study investigated the association between asthma and allergic sensitivity to molds, cat, dog and dust mites. At the age of 7, 31 of 176 of those children were found to be asthmatic. Children that were living in a home with mold or water damage at a year old had more than twice the risk of developing asthma. The final recommendation was to minimize the exposure to molds. Removing mold and dampness from these homes resulted in a significant amount of reductions in hospital visits for children’s asthma.
Mold can be found almost anywhere that moisture is present. Just like a plant, molds create tiny spores and begin to reproduce. Mold spores constantly float through the air and when they land, they begin to grow.
Tips on how to eliminate mold in your home:
- Clean up any existing mold with soap and water. Let the area dry completely.
- Eliminate sources of moisture.
- Use exhaust fans or open a window in bathrooms and kitchen when showering, cooking or washing dishes.
- Promptly fix water leaks.
- Damp or wet items should be dried completely within 1 to 2 days to prevent mold from growing.
- Maintain low indoor humidity.
- According to recent studies, indoor air cleaners and humidifiers can significantly reduce air pollutants such as mold.
- Make sure that your HVAC system is working properly.
See Northwest’s crawl space enclosure service for a great solution to keep your home mold free.
Dec 2, 2011 | Insulation
The cold weather is here!! By installing TAP Insulation in your home you can be sure that you and your family stay comfortable throughout the season and lower your energy bills at the same time. Here is another testimonial from a happy TAP customer!
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to thank Northwest Exterminating for introducing me to TAP Insulation. You performed the installation in early October and I already have noticed a difference in the first 6 weeks. I am amazed when I leave for work each morning that it is cold outside that my roof is the only home in my neighborhood that is completely covered with frost. Simply stated, that tells me the heat is being kept in the house where it should be. I have also noticed that the heat does not turn on nearly as much as it used to. In years past, it seemed as my heat was constantly on. I can not wait to be able to compare my heating and cooling bills over the next year to those of the previous year.
I was also extremely pleased with the professionalism of the crew that came out to perform the work. These individuals were not only very polite, but took the time to make sure my home was the way it was before they left. In fact, it was probably cleaner than it was to begin with.
Again, I can not thank you all enough for introducing me to this product. Not only is it going to pay for itself by the monthly savings of my utilities, but it also going to help control those unwanted critters trying to get into my home.
Please do not hesitate to pass my name on to anyone that would like a referral, because this product works!
Sincerely,
S.M.
Nov 30, 2011 | Wildlife
We often get calls from people wanting us to come out and remove wildlife from their homes. One of the most common nuisances that we find are raccoons. Raccoons are native to North America and have made themselves at home in rural neighborhoods. They can be found living in hollowed out trees, caves, garages and attics. They are attracted to gardens, bird feeds, fish ponds, garbage cans, pet food and even your kitchen cabinets. Raccoons are on the hunt for food and a nice warm place to live, so if you have those, they are going to try to make themselves at home.
Raccoons are easily recognized by their grayish color, black mask and ringed tail. As adults they usually weigh between 10-20 lbs and are nocturnal creatures. Raccoons are typically kind animals but will attack if they feel they are in danger. They usually live up to 5 years in the wild and have a litter of 3-6 every spring. Raccoons are known for their ability to adapt to environmental changes. They are strong, intelligent creatures who are great climbers with skilled hands. With their excellent ability to climb they will often get into your home by breaking in through the roof or attic. Also, be sure to cover your pet doors because this is oftentimes an easy entrance for wildlife such as raccoons.
When raccoons, or other wildlife for that matter, get into your home they can cause serious damage. They have been known to cause a significant amount of damage to attics, garages, property and even living areas. It is best to hire a professional wildlife removal company to get rid of raccoons. A company such as Northwest Exterminating, will ensure that the animal is removed in a humane way that is best for the animal as well as the health of your home.
Nov 28, 2011 | Wildlife
As with many pests, squirrels and other rodents are finding their way into your attic this winter to take shelter from the cold. Squirrels may be cute but we can assure you that your attic is not where you want them to make their home. Squirrels can cause a great deal of damage if they take up residency in your attic. And if they are not taken care of, they may stay until spring which just so happens to be their breeding season…and that’s a problem that you don’t want to have.
Squirrels and other rodents are a nuisance to have in your home. Squirrels will often defecate and urinate in your attic which leads to a horrible stench. Not only will it stink, but they can also damage storage and insulation. When you’re insulation is damaged, it can cause the insulation to be less effective (see TAP Insulation). Speaking of stench, you will be in for a rude awakening if a decaying squirrel is stuck in the attic. And awakenings…you will most surely be awakened by the constant noise making of their gnawing or their scurrying.
Squirrels are known to carry hitchhikers such as fleas and mites and in some cases carry diseases. This is worrisome because they can attack if they feel they are in danger. They can also cause serious damage to your home. With their constant need to chew, they will chew on sheetrock, wood, insulation and roofing which could give them a path right into your living area. Chewing on wiring could potentially be a fire hazard for your home. If they chew a hole in the roof you could have a major moisture problem on your hands. All of this on top of damaging any storage that you may have in your attic.
To keep squirrels from entering your attic, seal any holes that lead into the attic, trim back trees from your house (they are great jumpers) and limit the food sources outside of your home such as bird feeds, pet food or garbage cans. If you hear scurrying in your attic call a pest professional that specializes in the exclusion, removal and control of these nuisances.
