Dec 30, 2011 | Pest Control, Wildlife
This year, while packing up your holiday decorations, take some time to do a little pest control. We all know that bugs like to hide in places like attics, basements and other storage areas, so take this opportunity to do some exterminating. Before taking your boxes to their storage area, take a good look around. Below are some tips on what to look for before you store away your holiday decorations:
- Look for any openings that rodents or wildlife could use as an entrance. If you find openings, make sure to have them tightly sealed.
- Look for pest carcasses or droppings. Pests are attracted to other pests so be sure that you vacuum up any debris that is found.
- Standing water can be used as a water source for rodents and pests. Be sure to remove any standing water and have the source of the water repaired.
- Take note of any odd odors. Foul odors can be a tell-tale sign of pests or other intruders.
- Check any wood, wires, insulation or other items stored for gnawing or scratch marks.
- Inspect your boxes. Check your storage boxes for the above signs of pests.
If you see any of these signs while putting away decorations, be sure to contact your exterminator. By being proactive, you can save yourself the hassle of a future infestation. Remember, cleanliness is key to keeping bugs and other pests out of your home.
When do you put your decorations away?
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.
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.
Nov 16, 2011 | Wildlife
The flying squirrel isn’t just a dive you do off the diving board! It’s a real tree squirrel that is present right here in Georgia and the Southeast. The flying squirrel is a tree squirrel that can glide, rather than actually fly, over 80 yards! These are only considered pests once they enter your home. Once inside your home they can cause damage and odor with their urine. They are nocturnal creatures so they will surely keep you up at night but all in all, they are of minor medical concern to humans.
Flying squirrels are very similar to your everyday squirrel with their brown bodies and white bellies. However, the flying squirrel will have a loose fold of skin between the front and hind legs. These squirrels are the smallest of the tree squirrels and are the only ones that are nocturnal. They eat nuts, berries, insects and even meat when it is available. Flying squirrels are agile creatures that can turn mid glide and change their angle of decent, lightly landing on all fours. As graceful as they are in the air, they are clumsy creatures on the ground.
The flying squirrel favors the woodpecker by nesting in small holes in a tree. They may also find a home in your attic. During the winter, you may find 20 or more living together. Exclusion is the key to squirrel removal from your attic. It is best to call a professional animal removal service that can safely remove the squirrels, find the points of entry and seal any holes. For more information, visit us HERE!
Oct 31, 2011 | Pest Control, Wildlife
Happy Halloween!!! Tonight, you expect to see vampires, ghosts and goblins around your neighborhood but it’s the bedbugs, spiders and other pests that will be giving you nightmares! Bedbugs, spiders and other pests are still on the rise this season! As temperatures begin to cool, pests are looking for a warm place to take up residency. Unfortunately for you, they are looking in your home.
Certain pests, such as bedbugs, have a scary resemblance to those Halloween characters you will be seeing out and about tonight. Bedbugs are similar to vampires in the sense that they are both nocturnal, bloodsucking creatures. Lucky for us, when bitten by a bedbug we do not turn into a bedbug the same way that vampires turn their prey into vampires.
A vast majority of rabies cases that are reported in the US are bat related. Bats make wonderful Halloween decorations but you don’t want them hanging around your house (no pun intended)!! Bats are a serious health risk and require in-depth control procedures. If you have a bat problem, contact a pest professional instead of doing it yourself.
To keep spiders, mice, roaches, and other unwelcome creepy crawlers out of your home, keep all food and sweets stored in air tight containers. Don’t let your kids leave their candy on the floor…this is an open invitation for pests.
Don’t let these pests be a nightmare in your home any longer!!! Call Northwest Exterminating for your pest solutions!
Oct 19, 2011 | Pest Control, Wildlife
Rats and mice are often confused for one another. Some people think that a rat is just an over-sized mouse – this is simply not the case. Although rats and mice have their similarities, they are different types of rodents. All differences aside, we can assure you that you don’t want either to be present in your home. Call your local exterminator if you have found evidence of rats or mice in your home.
|
Rat
|
Mouse
|
| Full grown weighs a few pounds |
Full grown weighs a few ounces |
| Full grown is the size of a full grown mouse |
Full grown is the size of a young rat |
| Dig deep burrows 3 feet or longer |
Live behind walls, under or behind appliances |
| Aggressive. Will attack if they feel they are in danger |
Shy, scared and timid. Will freeze if they are cornered |
| ½”droppings |
1/8”-1/4” droppings |
| Travel further for food and water |
Stay close to nest for food and water |
| Smart – become familiar with traps and poisons and don’t return to those places |
Mice keep returning to areas where traps and poisons are set |
| Rats will kill each other if nest becomes too crowded and food source is in danger |
Not known to kill |
| Most common species: Roof rat and Norway rat |
Most common species: House mouse and Field mouse |
| Have larger features such as feet, ears, nose |
Have smaller features such as feet, ears, nose |
| Have small ears relative to the size of their head |
Have large ears relative to the size of their head |
Oct 3, 2011 | Wildlife
Fall is notorious for bringing rodents into the home. Here are 10 helpful tips on how to make sure your home is not attractive to rodents:
- Minimize the amount of standing water around your property.
- Keep all pet food in air tight, closed containers.
- If you feed your pets outside, take the food and water in at night.
- Clean up the area around your bird feeders. Bird seed debris left on the ground will attract hungry rodents.
- Make sure to keep the vegetation around your home trimmed and cut away from the exterior of the home.
- Keep your garage door closed whenever possible.
- Make sure to replace any worn or damaged weather stripping around doors.
- Make sure to seal up around any plumbing or electrical entry points.
- Compost areas should be enclosed and in bins whenever possible.
- If you are experiencing a rodent infestation call a Northwest Exterminating professional for additional help!
Adam Vannest
Monroe Service Center Manager
Northwest Exterminating
[email protected]
Sep 14, 2011 | Wildlife
We’ve all done it. While outside enjoying the weather we see a yellow jacket and we begin flailing our arms around to swat it away and then…it stings us! OUCH!! You feel the immediate pain and see a rapidly developing red, swollen and itchy bump appear at the sight of the sting. For most people, although painful, the sting of a yellow jacket is rarely serious. However, there are those who are allergic to bee stings or if you have received multiple stings you should take immediate precaution.
For those who are not allergic to bee stings and were only stung once, you may be feeling some discomfort, but chances are you’re going to be just fine. First, figure out if you were stung by a yellow jacket or a honey bee. A honey bee loses its stinger when it stings and will die. A yellow jacket keeps its stinger and can sting multiple times. Using a thin, flat tool such as a fingernail, car key, or coin, remove the stinger out of the skin by scraping in the opposite direction of the stingers entry. After the stinger is removed, wash the area with soap and water and dry. Apply ice or a cold rag to reduce the swelling. To ease the itchiness, use an over-the-counter medicine that contains enzymes that help neutralize wasp venom or Benadryl. Baking soda, Epsom salt, ammonia or meat tenderizer can be used in place of an over-the-counter medicine if you don’t have one available. Take a product that contains acetaminophen such as Tylenol for pain. Monitor the sting for 24 hours to ensure that the symptoms do not worsen.
Caution: As stated above, if you know or suspect that you are allergic to bee stings, seek medical help immediately. Severe allergic reactions that are not treated can be fatal. Pay attention for chest pains, wheezing, tightness in throat, hives, swelling in arms or legs, dizziness, nausea and/or vomiting.
