How to find bed bugs when traveling

Concerned travelers may want to check their bed for telltale signs of the bugs -- a common practice years ago. This would entail examining the bed sheets and upper and lower seams of the mattress. Some professionals also suggest removal and examination behind the headboard, a frequent hiding place for the bugs in hotel rooms. If bed bugs are detected, travelers can request another room. Concerned travelers may also want to elevate suitcases off the floor (e.g. on a luggage stand). Inspecting or vacuuming luggage upon arriving home is less useful since it is hard to detect bedbugs inside a suitcase.

Ant Prevention Quick Tips

Make your house less attractive to ants
Caulk cracks and crevices around foundations that provide entry from outside.

Trim branches and limbs of trees and shrubs that touch the building to keep ants from gaining access via these routes.

Eliminate food sources inside the building or prevent access to suitable food by keeping it in ant-proof containers.

Clean up sugary spills.

Provide a dry, vegetation-free border, such as gravel or stones, around the perimeter of house foundations to discourage nest building; wood chip mulches and landscape plants provide a good nesting environment.

Manage honeydew-producing insects such as aphids, whiteflies, psyllids, and soft scales on plants near the house. These honeydew producers often support large colonies of ants that subsequently invade homes. Remove trees that consistently host ants and are adjacent to houses .

There are a number of simple things you can do to lessen the chance of infestation, whether it's from termites, ants, or even rodents.

Don't put out a welcome mat for them. Keep stacks of firewood away from the house. Keep trees and bushes trimmed from the house so your siding doesn't get damp and moldy. Don't leave piles of brush or leaves near the house.

If your siding is close to ground level, be sure that leaves or brush do not accumulate and cover the siding. Even if you have vinyl of aluminum siding, the materials under the siding may not be moisture resistant.

Have your roof checked by a pro every few years to look for signs of deterioration in the roof itself and all flashing. One particular spot that is prone to leakage is the flashing around the chimney. The reason this is important, even if you do not see any obvious wall or ceiling stains inside the house, is that damp wood attracts carpenter ants, and once they move in, they will do considerable damage to your home.

Bird houses are a joy to many people during the winter months. But the fact is that the seed does not only attract birds. Rodents also love the seed, and will more likely take up residence in your house if you supply them such a fine food source close to great motel accommodations... your home.

How we determine if you need pest control

Procedure:

Integrated Pest Management means considering the use of all or a combination of methods available to control a pest. These methods include inspection, insect, rodent or animal identification and location of a source. The first and most important decision to be made is whether or not a pesticide application is even necessary. Recommendations for sanitation, maintenance improvements, habitat alteration, reduction of moisture, work procedure changes, safe practices and treatment methods are all considered. A detailed plan and schedule are discussed for desired results. Actual treatment techniques include the perimeter, crack and crevice, baiting, spot, fogging, and void treatments. Exclusion methods with screen, caulks, steel wool and plastics are possibilities. There are other pest problems and treatment methods not listed here due to the number of possibilities. Also keeping our techniques current, as technology develops new treatments and methods.

Inspection:

All areas and adjacent areas must be thoroughly inspected. During the inspection process evidence is compiled to determine what exactly the problem is. Questions are posed to the customer regarding their observations. Inspection of the premises, the building structure and the customers traffic times and patterns are all considered by the our qualified representatives before any applications are made. :

Pest Identification:

This is very important. For example, there are several different species of rodents in the New York Long Island area. There are several species of mice and two species of rats common to this area, Norway and Roof rats. Roof rats and mice will travel and most likely live higher up in a building whereas the Norway rats will tend to favor areas closer to the ground. Once the rodent has been correctly identified, it is obviously easier to eliminate it. Food sources, harborage, and their entrance and exit routes, all help with the identification of the pest to be eliminated, when studied by a professional exterminator. The same is true for insects. The German Roach usually lives around the kitchen and bathroom areas, while a Cadelle beetle lives outside and is commonly mistaken for a roach. Treatment and exclusion (non-chemical) techniques are quite different.

Sanitation:

In regards to German Roaches, sanitation is 60% of the battle. With a good program in place, both interior and exterior and for both insects and rodents, a vast majority of pest problems can be controlled. All pests, from bacteria to bears, need and require, food and harborage. By limiting the food and harborage you can help control the pest probably by 20% to 30% more. So at 90% reduction, just by following these recommendations, you can see how cooperation is so important.

Temperature:

Most insects and rodents thrive within certain temperature range. For German Roaches, a temperature of 65 degrees or less, affects both movement and production. A temperature above 150 degrees in an attic will kill most insects and rodents over a period of time.

Water:

Elimination of water will also make a big difference. Carpenter ants for example can thrive in a wall behind a leaky bathtub. Water on a regular basis creates mold, which is a major food source. The heat in the home provides a comfortable setting for the insects to live in.

Harborage:

This is the pest's shelter. Once the insect, rodent, or animal is identified and a thorough inspection is completed, the harborage will be found or limited to a certain area. German roaches can and will, live in or on practically anything. They prefer paper and wood. We have found them in clocks, radios, alarms, ultra sound boxes (which by the way is supposed to REPEL them), bags, napkins, microwaves, brushes, brooms, behind wallpaper and paneling, behind fake brick, and many other strange places. That is why the German roach is so hard to control. German roach is so hard to control.

Decision:

A decision has to be made. The question to ask is 'What technique can be utilized to best control the pest without exposing humans and pets to un-necessary chemical hazards?' A technician is able to evaluate the entire situation, examine all available information and use an Integrated Pest Management Program, with cooperation, the result will be the control of the current pest problem and all future pests as well.

Home and Termite Inspection:

An exterminator inspects a home and sees things in a certain way. A mason or carpenter would look at a home differently. An exterminator has to be aware of all trades. The general construction of the building has a lot to do with control, hidden damage and infestations. An inspection would begin at the neighbor's property. A quick glance, taking notice of streams, and water runoff, would help determine, whether or not there may be moisture problems. Foliage density, landscaping, tree limbs, which may provide access for squirrels and raccoons, and proximity to your neighbors is a consideration. Next, the utilities, can be a highway to your home. Electric and cable wires can be runways for ants, sewer pipes provide avenues for rats to burrow around. All areas of the home or building must be inspected.

Conclusion:

There is much more to exterminating than meets the eye. We would not recommend the general public handle pesticides of any nature. They are only safe when applied by a trained professional. Horror stories include an individual trying to rid themselves of a bees nest in their home by burning it, and a woman blowing up her trailer after using an over the counter fogger with the pilot light of her stove still lit. (all because she didn't read the can.)

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