Sep 17, 2012 | Pest Control
Around this time of year, cooler temperatures drive people to stay indoors. As some homeowners may know, a number of household pests such as rodents, spiders, ants, and roaches seek coziness from the weather too. Pests are more than just unwelcome houseguests – they bring the possibility of disease, food contamination and allergies too.
Below are some tips from the National Pest Management Association on pest-proofing your house for the fall. However, these tips don’t always work on some of those hard-to-get-rid -of pests, always remember you can call Northwest Exterminating for your pest management needs because creating healthier living and work environments is our business.
- Install door sweeps on the exterior of doors and repair door and window screens. Also seal cracks and holes around the perimeter of your home.
- Place screens over vents and chimney openings
- Store food in tightly sealed containers and dispose of trash regularly.
- Keep your attic, basement and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry (ask your Northwest representative about TAP attic insulation and Complete Crawlspace). Sites of moisture are breeding grounds for pests.
- Store firewood at least 20 feet away from the house and keep your lawn and shrubs trimmed and cut back from the house (ask your representative about Northwest’s services).
- If you suspect that your home has been infested, contact a licensed pest professional to inspect and treat the problem – for the best, Call Northwest!
Melissa Brown
[email protected]
Sep 12, 2012 | Pest Control
We know that bugs are gross and unsanitary but did you also know that they can be bad for our health. WebMD discusses some of the worst bugs and the potential harm they can do to our health:
- Ticks –Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and allergic reactions.
- Black Widow Spiders – Poisonous.
- Brown Recluse Spiders – Poisonous, can cause serious wounds, infection, and in some cases can be deadly.
- Head Lice – Itchiness can lead to infection, loss of hair.
- Fleas – Itchiness can lead to infection.
- Bee, Wasp, Hornet, Yellow Jacket – Painful sting, and can cause allergic reaction.
- Fire Ants – Painful sting, venomous, red bumps that burn and itch, and can cause allergic reaction.
- Chiggers – Itchy red welts.
- Scabies – Itchiness, sores.
- Bedbugs – Itchy, red bumps, can develop infection from scratching, and can cause allergic reaction.
- Puss Caterpillar – Poisonous, painful sting, rash, fever, vomiting, and muscle cramps.
- Scorpions – Poisonous, painful, and can be deadly.
- Deerflies – Infection, and Tularemia.
- Mosquitoes – West Nile virus, dengue fever, other diseases, and scratching can cause skin infection.
- Houseflies – Carries more than 1 million bacteria, intestinal infections by contaminating food.
- Cockroaches – Salmonella and other diseases, dead carcasses can trigger allergic reactions and asthma.
Tips to prevent feeling the sting of these health issues:
- Make sure your home is treated by a professional exterminator. A professional can diagnose current problems, and prevent new issues from coming into your home efficiently and effectively.
- Wear long clothing when outdoors.
- Wear DEET repellant when outdoors.
- Keep a clean, sanitary home and yard. This will prevent insects from seeing your home as a place for them to call home.
For more information on these insects and their health hazards, visit WebMD: Bad Bugs Slideshow: Identifying Bugs and Their Bites.
If you think you may have been bitten or stung by any of the insects above, please take note of your body’s reaction and seek medical assistance immediately.
Sep 10, 2012 | Pest Control
Insects and other pests may inspire a myriad of thoughts but fashion likely does not come to mind. Still, the array of colors and shapes found in the insect world may already have invaded your closet! Take a look at these bug inspired fashions below that are crawling down the hottest runways.
If these outfits don’t pique your interest, perhaps these jewelry options below may intrigue you. Bug jewelry comes not only in artful bug designs but also feature actual insects!
Bugs are “in” this season but you don’t want them “in” your home. Call Northwest Exterminating or visit www.callnorthwest.com to learn how we can help you. If you want to see more artsy insect creations, please visit us on our Pinterest page.
Melissa Brown
[email protected]
Sep 7, 2012 | Pest Control
You are probably seeing cicada killer wasps working overtime these last few weeks of summer. They are preparing to overwinter by digging their underground burrows and stuffing them with paralyzed cicadas that they will use as food for their larvae.
Cicada tunnels can range from 30-70 inches long and run 12-15 inches below the surface. Each tunnel has an average of 15 side chambers. Each tunnel contains 1-3 paralyzed cicadas and a cicada egg that is due to hatch in 2-3 days. The larvae will feed for about 10 days before leaving the tunnel. Cicadas only produce one generation each year.
Where are cicadas found?
Cicadas do not have a pack mentality; they are typically a solitary species. They prefer dry, light textured soils in full sunlight that are near trees that harbor other cicadas. Common places to find cicada killers are along sidewalks, patios, in flowers beds, gardens, sand boxes and in lawns.
Do cicadas sting?
Female cicadas have stingers that are used to inject venom into other cicadas that causes them to be paralyzed. Female cicada stings are very painful. Luckily, females are not territorial like honey bees or hornets. Male cicadas do not have stingers but are very territorial.
Can cicada killers cause damage?
Female cicada killers burrow and dig tunnels which cause the soil to be misplaced and smother grass. Cicadas dig loose soil in garden and flower beds that can ruin garden plants and/or vegetables. A burrow at the base of a plant can disrupt the root system.
How to get rid of cicadas?
Cicadas do not like wet soil so keeping soil watered will deter them from making their borrows and cause current cicadas to abandon the site. Watering the soil can also help to settle the soil back into the ground if it has been disrupted by a burrowing cicada. Another tip is to regularly stir soil or sand to discourage wasps from creating tunnels.
When treating for cicadas, the application should be made directly into the burrow or at entrance. If you have cicadas messing up your lawn, call Northwest!
Sep 5, 2012 | Pest Control
With kids being settled back into the school year, September is the perfect time of year for Head Lice Prevention Month. Here are some tips on how to keep head lice from bugging your household:
- Avoid sharing clothing or other belongings that might have come in contact with lice or nits (lice eggs).
- Avoid head-to-head contact.
- Do not share hats, brushes, combs, hair accessories, helmets, coats, or other pieces that come in contact with someone’s hair.
- To disinfect combs, brushes, or towels that have come in contact with lice, soak them in hot water for 5-10 minutes.
- Avoid laying on linens, pillows, or carpets where someone with lice has recently been.
- Wash and dry clothing, linens, or towels that have come into contact with someone infected with lice during the 2 days prior to treatment. Wash and dry on the highest heat.
- Vacuum carpet and furniture where a person with lice has recently come in contact.
Using the simple tips above can help prevent the spread of lice from one household to another. For more information on preventing head lice visit the CDC’s website.
Other useful blogs about head lice:
September is Head Lice Prevention Month
School Has Started…So Has Lice
Aug 29, 2012 | Fire Ant, Pest Control
Though having pests in your home may be a different story, books about bugs have always been favorite reads for children. Below is a list of fictional stories about bugs that your kids are sure to enjoy:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
This picture book features the tale of a caterpillar’s metamorphosis into a butterfly accompanied by vivid colored pictures. Children will not only learn about caterpillars, but also about numbers, healthy eating and days of the week as they chronicle his journey from newborn to cocoon.
Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg
Ever wonder what ants are up to when they invade your home? Before you call the exterminator, let this picture book give you a glimpse into the mischievous adventures of two ants. Children will learn the importance of following directions and the consequences of their choices.
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
This classic of children’s literature features a fun-filled cast of characters starting with a young orphan named James. With the help of a magic potion, James causes a peach tree to blossom an abnormally large fruit, which becomes home to an assortment of interesting insects. This perfect first chapter book will offer your children lessons of friendship, bravery and loyalty.
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
This American classic comes from the author of another well-known tale, Stuart Little. Told from the perspective of a pig, this novel follows the life of barn house creatures, one of which is a spider named Charlotte. Charlotte offers Wilbur much wisdom in one of the most beautiful friendships ever written.
The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
This story follows a cricket from Connecticut who boards the wrong train to Times Square in New York. There he meets many interesting characters, both human and animal, that teach him many lessons, including how to play classical music.
Melissa Brown
[email protected]
Aug 13, 2012 | Fire Ant, Pest Control
Ants are one of the pests that can be an issue year around. Although controlling ants can be difficult…it is possible.
Size is a big advantage to the small ants. Because they are so small, they can enter a structure through even the tiniest of entryways. When ants enter your home, they are looking for food and water. Sweets and greasy foods are amongst some of their favorite foods. To lead other ants to food, they leave behind a pheromone that allows the other ants to follow to the source of food.
Ants are social insects, meaning they live in large colonies. You can find 300,000-500,000 ants in a single colony. Ants can uproot and move their whole colony rather quickly. Worker ants can live up to 7 years while queens can live up to 15 years.
Although size and quantity are on the side of ants, there are ways to keep ants out of your home:
- Eliminate standing water. This will help keep away ants, as well as other pests such as mosquitoes and termites.
- Keep foliage away from the structure. Ants and other pests can use branches, leaves, etc as a way to enter your home.
- Seal your home. Cracks and crevices around your home are used as entrances to your home by pests.
- DIY methods. Although some DIY methods can be helpful in getting rid of ants, you are not getting to the real source of the problem. A professional pest control company can inspect your home and help you come up with a customized plan to get rid of and control future ants from coming in your home.
Call Northwest Exterminating at 888.466.7849 if you are having ant problems in your home or business. Visit us online to find out more information about ants and how to control them.
Aug 6, 2012 | Pest Control
Do bees give you the creeps or do they down right frighten you into hyperventilation? If it’s the latter, you are possibly suffering from entomophobia. Entomophobia is a fear of insects or bugs. This predicament can bring about emotional and mental states such as panic attacks.
A famous entomophobe was the artist Salvador Dali. When Dalí was five years old, he witnessed an insect that had been eaten by ants where the shell was the only thing that remained. The swarming ants in Dalí’s pieces and models are innuendos to death and decomposition, and are hints of human mortality and uncertainty.
Ant Face by Salvador Dali
Dalí had an extreme phobia of grasshoppers, brought on from his adolescent harassment by other kids, who frequently hurled grasshoppers and other insects at him. When they emerge in Dalí’s art, grasshoppers are utilized as an indication of devastation, decay and despair. Dalí characterizes them with a fearsome nature, as huge and alarming in comparison to the other figures, and they are shown in the act of eating the main subject of the work a number of times.
Although Salvador Dali was an odd guy, we can all agree that some insects are just plain creepy.
What is your phobia?
Cara Carver
[email protected]
Jul 30, 2012 | Bed Bug, Pest Control
It’s a rite of passage for many college students to be on their own in a dorm or apartment. Parents go to inspect the new place of residency, making sure all is safe. But is it really safe? Dorm room bed bug problems are becoming increasingly more prevalent.
Bed bugs are small insects that are brown to reddish brown in color and broadly oval and flat in shape. Bed bugs harbor in cracks and crevices during the day and come out to feed at night. They prefer to feed on humans but will feed on other warm blooded animals. Typically, they can be found around mattresses, in box springs or their coverings, and in any crevice of a wooden bed frame, such as where members join. Before students move ANY of their belongings into their new home, they should check in and around wall hangings such as picture frames, night stands, stuffed furniture, baseboards, floorboard cracks, behind loose wallpaper, light switches, door and window frames, conduits, etc. Also check mattress covers for small, brownish stains. It would be wise to purchase mattress and box spring encasings as a precaution.
Bed bugs can be introduced into a structure via used furniture, clothing, boxes, suitcases, or other goods that are moved from residence to residence. Keep this in mind when your kids come home from college to visit. Make sure to check bags and boxes thoroughly before they enter your home.
Bed bugs are most active at night and bite any exposed areas of skin while an individual is sleeping. The face, neck, hands, and arms are common sites for bed bug bites. The bite itself is painless and is not noticed. Small, flat, or raised bumps on the skin are the most common sign; redness, swelling, and itching commonly occur. If scratched, the bite areas can become infected. A peculiarity of bed bug bites is the tendency to find several bites lined up in a row. Infectious disease specialists refer to this as the “breakfast, lunch, and dinner” sign signifying the sequential feeding that occurs from site to site.
Getting rid of bed bugs is not an easy process and most cases of bed bug infestations will require treatment by a pest control expert. If bed bugs are suspected in a dorm room, contact the RA (Residential Adviser) immediately and make sure that they use a pest control expert like Northwest Exterminating.
Do you have a child going off to college this year?
Around this time of year, cooler temperatures drive people to stay indoors. As some homeowners may know, a number of household pests such as rodents, spiders, ants, and roaches seek coziness from the weather too. Pests are more than just unwelcome houseguests – they bring the possibility of disease, food contamination and allergies too.
