Dec 7, 2012 | Uncategorized
Raccoons may look cute and cuddly but make no mistake about it…raccoons are one houseguest that you do not want. Raccoons are a common nuisance in the southeast. They can make a home in the attic of a structure and cause several thousands of dollars in damage. Many times raccoons will make a home in an attic to have their babies, called kits. They typically have 3-8 young in the late fall. They can be a nuisance by getting into trashcans found outside of homes or business looking for food.
Along with the damage they can do to your home, they can also be a health concern:
- Carry rabies in their saliva which can be transported by their bites.
- Carry parasites on their fur that can impact both humans and animals.
- Can transfer roundworms and fleas that they carry on their fur.
Common traits of raccoons:
- Female raccoons do not tend to be pack animals, however, males often form social groups to maintain their position against other males or predators.
- Raccoons become aggressive when protecting their young.
- Nocturnal.
- Adaptable creatures. Raccoons can easily adapt to their environments.
The feeding of raccoons by people has helped grow their population in urban areas. Some wildlife experts and public authorities warn against feeding wild animals such as raccoons to discourage them from becoming dependent on humans as a food source.
If you think you have a raccoon in your house call a professional animal control or professional animal removal company immediately to reduce health risks and damage to property.
Tip: Loud noises, flashing lights, and foul odors are said to drive away raccoons before they would typically leave the nest on their own.
Nov 16, 2012 | Uncategorized
According to a recent article by the Wall Street Journal, wildlife damage to crops, landscaping and infrastructure now exceeds $28 billion a year. The article addresses the benefits to the increase in wildlife but also the damage they can cause and the effect it has on our local economies.
This year, Princeton, N.J., has hired sharpshooters to cull 250 deer from the town’s herd of 550 over the winter. The cost: $58,700. Columbia, S.C., is spending $1 million to rid its drainage systems of beavers and their dams. The 2009 “miracle on the Hudson,” when US Airways flight 1549 had to make an emergency landing after its engines ingested Canada geese, saved 155 passengers and crew, but the $60 million A320 Airbus was a complete loss. In the U.S., the total cost of wildlife damage to crops, landscaping and infrastructure now exceeds $28 billion a year ($1.5 billion from deer-vehicle crashes alone), according to Michael Conover of Utah State University, who monitors conflicts between people and wildlife.
Click here to read the whole article.
For wildlife removal or exclusion needs in your home or business, call Northwest. A Wildlife Control representative will inspect your property for evidence of wildlife and will determine the points of entry being used by these critters to get into your structure. A customized plan will be developed to get the immediate nuisance under control and to seal off any known points of entry.
Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204846304578090753716856728.html#
Oct 22, 2012 | Pest Control
The German cockroach is the most common species of cockroach and can be found all around the world. They are most often found in kitchens and bathrooms due to their preference for warm, humid places that are near food and water sources. But you won’t always see them out in the open because they like to live in the cracks and crevices around homes and commercial buildings. In fact, they spend 75% of their time in the cracks and crevices.
Environment of German cockroaches:
- Cosmopolitan in distribution and will live anywhere humans build heated structures
- Usually found in kitchens in secluded areas
- Behind and under appliances
- In cracks and crevices behind backsplashes
- At counter edges
- Behind and under cabinets
- In void areas around plumbing
- Backs of drawer wells
- Will infest warm areas around appliance motors such as refrigerators and dishwashers
Not only are German cockroaches a nuisance pest but they are also a health risk. Studies have shown that German cockroaches have been linked to illness and allergic reaction in humans, especially children. They can spread at least 33 kinds of bacteria, six parasitic worms, and at least seven other kinds of human pathogens. They pick up germs while crawling around and transfer them as they crawl on our food and surfaces. They spread allergens as they crawl, and deposit droppings, secretions, cast skins, and dead bodies.
Health threats of German cockroaches:
- Will invade your home and leave fecal matter and other debris in and around food and food preparation areas
- Can enter homes when boxes or products are shipped moved from one location to another
- Reproduces at a high rate, completing a life cycle in 30 to 45 days
- Produces 30-48 eggs at a time
- Can generate 3 to 4 egg cases in a lifetime
- Difficult to eradicate because they can infest so many areas and can be very difficult to contact with an insecticide
Contact a professional pest control company if you think German cockroaches have taken up residence in your home. Trained personnel know where to look for harborage sites and what products to apply to achieve fast and effective results. It is much easier to eliminate a German cockroach problem when it is newly established and small, rather than when the population has time to build.
Jul 19, 2012 | Pest Control
Fruit flies are a nuisance in homes! That’s the bottom line! They seem to come out of nowhere and are extremely hard to get rid of. But the truth is, they don’t come out of nowhere…they come from up to miles away when they have smelled the scent of ripening fruit and vegetables. Because they are so small they are able to fit through even the tiniest of openings to get inside your home and to the fermenting fruit.
“Well that’s easy enough”, you say, “just throw away the fruit once you’ve seen fruit flies”…it’s not that easy. Fruit flies are fast reproducers! Fruit flies can lay up to 500 eggs at a time and their entire life cycle only takes 8-10 days. This makes them difficult to control once they have infested your home. It’s not just the fruit they are after, they can also lay their eggs in sink drains, garbage disposals, empty bottles and cans, garbage bags, and even damp mops and sponges.
Getting rid of fruit flies is difficult but it’s not impossible. By following some simple steps you can rid your home of fruit flies and ensure that they don’t return.
How to get rid of fruit flies:
- The first step is to remove the sources of attraction like fruits and vegetables.
- Remove breeding sources by throwing away old sponges and mops, and cleaning out dish drains.
- Store fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator rather than on the counter tops.
- Wipe down sides and bottom of trash cans for any debris that may have spilled over.
- For smaller infestations you can choose to try a DIY approach to eliminating fruit flies. Using a glass of some sort (jar or wine bottle) put a slice of banana or apple cider vinegar at the bottom of the glass and stick a paper funnel out of the top of the glass. The flies will enter the glass in search of the food source but will be unable to get out. After a few hours, seal the glass and throw away…the fruit flies should be gone.
- When DIY tricks don’t work…call the experts at Northwest Exterminating. A professional pest control company will be able to target the living fruit flies as well as the eggs. They will help you find the source of your problem and help you to control the issue.
