Apr 30, 2014 | Uncategorized
PREVENT ANTS FROM MARCHING ONE-BY-ONE INTO HOMES THIS SPRING
Northwest Exterminating shares five simple steps to prevent ants this spring
As weather conditions improve, ants will soon begin to enter homes in search of food and water. Northwest Exterminating encourages homeowners to take proactive steps to reduce the likelihood of seeing these nuisance pests in your garage or crawling across the kitchen counter in the coming weeks.
Ants often infest kitchens and bathrooms, but homeowners may also encounter them in cooler spaces like basements, garages and around air conditioning units. The key to preventing ants from finding a way inside is to eliminate harborage sites around the property.
Experts from the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) recommend the following five simple steps that homeowners can do today to thwart an ant infestation.
- Block off access points. Take time to inspect the outside of your home for cracks and crevices, paying special attention to areas where utility pipes enter. Seal any small holes or gaps with a silicone-based caulk. Keep tree branches and other shrubbery well trimmed and away from the structure.
- Eliminate sources of water in and around the home. Indoors, routinely check under sinks for areas of moisture and repair any leaky pipes. Consider using a dehumidifier in damp basements, crawl spaces or attics. Outside, ensure that downspouts and gutters are functioning properly so that water flows away from the home’s foundation.
- Keep a clean kitchen. Wipe down counter tops and sweep floors to remove crumbs and residue from spills. Store food in sealed containers, and keep ripe fruit in the refrigerator. Also, make sure to dispose of garbage regularly.
- Don’t forget about the pets. After mealtime, keep pet bowls clean and wipe up any spilled food or water around them promptly. Store dry pet food in a sealed plastic container rather than the paper bags they often come in, which can be easily accessed by ants, rodents and other pests.
- Work with a pest professional. Eliminating ants can be a challenge without the proper treatment. Some species of ants, like carpenter ants, can cause serious property damage while others can pose health threats. If you see ants in your home, contact a licensed pest professional to identify the species and recommend a course of treatment.
For more information on ants or other common household pests, please visit www.callnorthwest.com.
Source: PPMA
Apr 29, 2014 | Uncategorized
Could Roaches Be Used to Cure Human Diseases?
Cockroaches serve no other purpose than to gross us out, right? Not anymore! New research was conducted using roaches as a guinea pig for new technology. Scientists injected the roaches with nanobots, tiny robots that can be programed to carry out a task. This is the first step towards using nanobots to help cure human diseases sometime in the future. The nanobots were labeled with a fluorescent marker so they would glow to let the researchers track their progress, and they performed exactly as they should. The nanobots look like DNA, which is how it was injected into the roaches, and then it unfolded and moved to the target area as programmed.
Advances in modern science and medicine aside, roaches are still high on the gross out meter for most people.
Does this new science help your roach “gross out meter”?
Katherine King
[email protected]
Apr 25, 2014 | Uncategorized
Not All DIY Pest Control Methods Are Effective
Thanks to the wonders of Google and Pinterest we can become experts, or at least knowledgeable, on just about anything these days. Between YouTube videos and DIY blogs we’ve got a lot of information right at our fingertips without ever having to call a professional. Pest control is no exception.
Although some DIY pest control methods are effective there are other times when it’s necessary to call in a pest control professional. According to NPMA, “When a homeowner attempts to treat a pest problem on their own, they are often treating the ‘tip of the iceberg’, and not the root cause of the problem. The pests you see might be eliminated, but a larger infestation can continue to grow out of sight. These infestations can pose significant health risks to your family and cause damage to your property.”
So when should you call in a pest professional?
The above situations can cause serious damage to property or put your health at risk. By calling in the professionals they can properly identify and solve the issue and even help you with DIY tips to help avoid infestations in the future.
What DIY pest control methods have you tried that work?
Here’s a few DIY tips on our Pinterest board
Apr 21, 2014 | Uncategorized
Bed Bug Awareness Week
This week (April 20-26) is Bed Bug Awareness Week. It’s a week to spread awareness about bed bugs and what people can do to prevent bed bug infestations.
It’s no secret that bed bugs are one of the hardest pests to control, even by pest professionals. They are easily transported by hiding in handbags, luggage, etc., are quick to reproduce, and can be difficult to see with the naked eye. Even though they can be difficult to treat, rest assured, that they can be treated by a knowledgeable, highly trained pest control professional.
Throughout the next few months people will begin to travel more and it is important that people are educated and aware of the steps to take to prevent bed bugs. This is where Bed Bug Awareness Week and Northwest Exterminating come in to help!
What can you do to prevent bed bugs?
- Be aware of what bed bugs look like (here).
- When traveling, do not put luggage on the bed or on the floor. Use a luggage rack.
- Pull back the corner of the mattress cover to check mattress seams for signs of bed bugs.
- Check sheets and pillows for signs of bed bugs.
- When returning home, leave luggage outside and wash all clothes in hot water.
- Contact a pest professional if you think you may have a bed bug infestation in your home. A highly trained professional will be able to quickly identify the problem and develop a customized solution for your infestation.
For more tips on how to prevent bed bugs visit our past blogs for helpful tips:
How to Protect Yourself from Bed Bugs on Spring Break
The 411 on Bed Bugs
The Dreaded Hitchhikers…The Bed Bugs
Apr 17, 2014 | Uncategorized
Just hearing about bed bugs is enough to make most people’s skin crawl and frantically check their beds just in case the nasty little bugs have made it into the house. New research has led us to believe that there is actually a bed bug season. The researchers gathered information from various service providers over a 4 year period that offered bed bug treatments. They analyzed all of the data and noticed that there is a definite trend from April through October where the number of bed bug treatments increases. Bed bugs are like most other insects despite living indoors, they begin to make a reappearance as the weather warms up and decline as the weather cools down.
We are now entering bed bug season, so here are a few precautions to keep in mind:
- When arriving in your room be sure to pull back the sheets at the corners and check for the presence of bed bugs around the cracks and crevices of the mattress and box spring.
- Make sure to place your luggage on the luggage rack.
- When returning home from your trip be sure to wash/dry clean all contents.
- Luggage should be placed up in the attic or left out in the garage.
- If you do bring bed bugs into your house, Northwest Exterminating can help you out. We have bed bug specialists who only perform bed bug treatments. Northwest Exterminating will guarantee elimination of a bed bug infestation before the contract is considered finished. We can also provide preventative services that will decrease the likelihood of a bed bug population becoming established should they be brought in accidentally. Please visit the website at www.callnorthwest.com for more information.
Katherine King
[email protected]
