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Spring Cleaning Advice to Keep Pests at Bay

Now that spring has finally arrived, and the weather conditions are beginning to improve along the east coast, many homeowners will be spending the next couple of weekends tackling their spring cleaning to-do lists. If you are one of these people, make sure that you address the pest hot spots around your home in between wiping down the windows and shampooing the rugs. Here’s a handy room-by-room guide of specific things to do to keep pests at bay this spring.

Kitchen

spring keeping advice kitch   Ants, among other common pests, are known to infest kitchen spaces because this room provides easy access to food and water sources. They often march one-by-one through the heart of the home while searching for crumbs left behind from dinner, sticky residue from liquid spills and overripe fruit sitting out on the countertop. Although you may make a concerted effort to keep the kitchen clean on a daily basis, there are still a few other projects you can do to make it less attractive to pests. First, remove all of the items from your cabinets and pantry. Go through them and discard of stale spices and other dated items such as flour. These baking ingredients attract pantry pests, including several types of beetlesIndian meal moths and ants. Next, wipe down the inside of your cabinets and install fresh shelf paper. Then, pull out your appliances from the wall as much as possible and vacuum behind them. You might be surprised how much dust, dirt and crumbs you find! Lastly, give the kitchen counter and floor a good scrub-down. Wash them with a sponge and a squirt of dishwashing liquid mixed in a bucket of warm water. Bathroom spring keeping advice bathroom Many pests like cockroaches and silverfish are attracted to moisture, so they are commonly found in bathrooms. Eliminating sources of water in the bathroom is the best way to prevent pest infestations, especially because this pest can only survive for one week without water. In addition to washing the shower curtain and liner, and cleaning out the medicine cabinet, you should check under the sink and around the tub and toilet to ensure there are no moisture issues from leaky pipes or faucets. Basement spring cleaning advice basement Rodentsspiders and a slew of other pests can make themselves at home in the basement. The main reason that pests often take up refuge in this underground space is because this room tends to harbor dark corners and clutter, which provides the ideal place for rodents and spiders to hide. Take some time to go through your valuables and eliminate clutter where possible. Steer clear from using cardboard boxes to store items, using plastic bins with secure lids instead. You should also be sure to seal any cracks or crevices with a silicone-based caulk that pests could use to enter your home. Remember, mice can fit through an opening the size of a dime and other small insects need only a paper-thin crack to gain entry. Outdoor Space spring keeping advice backyard Once you complete your list of tasks inside, conduct an audit of your home’s perimeter, taking stock of any damage done over the winter months. Start on the roof by repairing fascia and rotted roof shingles, as some insects are drawn to deteriorating wood. Then, clean out clogged gutters and downspouts to ensure they are properly functioning before the April showers roll in. You may also find you need to repair ripped screens, replace weather-stripping and repair loose mortar around the foundation and windows.  

Scary Halloween Pests

Bats, Bugs, and Rats Rank High on the List of Scary Pests Halloween Highlights Our Fears

Ghosts and goblins, witches and other scary fictional characters are favorite Halloween creatures, but pests, too, are high on the list. Homes are often decorated by featuring insect and rodent pests. Bats, spiders and their webs, share holiday honors. “A lot of pest-related Halloween items have to do with the historic role they have played in spreading plagues,” said Leonard Douglen, the Executive director of the New Jersey Pest Management Association. “The most famous combination were the fleas and rats that spread the bubonic plague that was also known as the Black Death. It killed a quarter of Europe’s population in the 14th century.” “With the exception of rabid bats, the bat population gets a bum rap,” said Douglen. “They play an important role in keeping the insect population in check, but they are famously associated with castles, vampires, and dark caves.” Douglen notes that bats are protected by law in most states. As a result, if homeowners discover that bats have taken up residence in their homes, they must call on the services of pest management professionals. “Homeowners should not undertake do-it-yourself efforts because bat droppings can cause histoplasmosis, a lung infection.” “There are two pests that have always cause fear,” said Douglen, “and they are spiders and rats. There’s even a term, arachnophobia, for the fear of spiders. Two species of spider in particular pose a threat to humans, the brown recluse and the black widow. They will bite humans when disturbed and the bites are painful, are known to cause allergic reactions, and occasionally can even be fatal for small children.” “Rats, of course, have been reviled throughout history,” said Douglen. “In fact, the pest control profession got its beginning when eliminating a rat or mouse infestation meant hiring rat catchers. Early British royalty would appoint an official rat catcher to keep their castles rodent-free. In modern times, everyone can call pest management professionals.” The Pied Piper entered popular culture with a story of how, after offering to rid Hamelin of its rats, the Piper was rebuffed and turned his musical skills to luring all the children out of town. “Rodents were despised even in ancient times for the way they contaminate food and spread disease,” said Douglen. “They also do a great deal of property damage. Wherever you find large concentrations of humans, you will find rodents,” adding that the same is true for cockroaches. “An old bug species has made a dramatic comeback,” said Douglen. “Bed bugs that had been virtually eliminated following World War II and the use of DDT, but after it was banned pest management professionals have developed alternative means to get rid of them.” “As the weather turns cooler mice and rats look for harborage inside structures and it is a time when many homeowners discover they have unwanted guests,” says Douglen. “What they often do not discover for years is that their home has been playing host to a termite infestation.” The fall is a good time to invest in an inspection of one’s home, says Douglen. “It can save the cost of the damage a termite infestation can generate if not eliminated. A pest control expert can identify the many areas of a home where either insects or rodents can gain access and, of course, one wants to avoid giving larger creatures such as raccoons and opossums and opportunity to gain entry.”

NJPMA - The Dangers of Do-It-Yourself Pest Control

Maybe You Shouldn’t Do-it-Yourself When it comes to Pest Control? Especially if you risk burning your home to the ground!

NJPMA - The Dangers of Do-It-Yourself Pest Control By:Len Douglen | The New Jersey Pest Management Association In June, a Woodbury, NJ homeowner managed to set his house on fire in the course of a do-it-yourself pest control effort to rid it of bed bugs. He was reportedly using a space heater, a hair dryer, and a heat gun in order to exterminate bed bugs in a room on the second floor. “He went online, got some instructions,” said a neighbor, referring to one method pest management professionals (PMPs) use to rid a room of bed bugs by raising the heat to a point that exterminates them. PMPs, however, are extensively trained in this and other methods to ensure safety. Over the years there have been many instances in which homeowners have used “bug bombs” to rid a room or two of a particular pest only to have the volatile elements of the spray explode due to contact with an oven pilot light or some other source of flame. “People commonly purchase an off-the-shelf pesticide,” says Leonard Douglen, Executive Director of the New Jersey Pest Management Association, “but many homeowners and apartment dwellers are disappointed with the results and end up calling a pest management firm. I’m biased, but most of the time, they should make that call first.” “As often as people are told that pesticides are toxic chemicals,” says Douglen, “they still tend not to read the instructions or use them properly when they do. Pest management professionals (PMPs), licensed and certified by the State Department of Environmental Protection, receive extensive, on-going training. The arrival of summer guarantees “Lots of bugs and bites,” says Douglen. “It is a particularly active season for pest management professionals. Among the insects making a big comeback are bed bugs and fleas.” Fleas, Douglen explains, had become less of a problem that PMPs were treating because of the advent of a host of products sold by veterinarians and applied directly by pet owners. “What PMPs know, however, is that fleas like other insect pests can, over time, build a resistance to the chemicals in those products and the result is that pet owners are discovering flea infestations in their homes and apartments.” “Bed bugs had virtually been eliminated as a household pest in the 1950s are the new plague,” said Douglen, “and they have become a major problem involving new techniques to deal with them, including dogs that are especially trained to find them. This is not an insect problem that can be eliminated without professional help.” Let’s not forget those perennials, ants and roaches. “Roaches have been around since the days of the dinosaurs and, along with ants, they reproduce in such vast numbers that virtually no place is immune to an infestation,” says Douglen. “A legion of PMPs works around the clock in New Jersey to insure that homes, schools, hospitals, restaurants, hotels and offices are kept free of these invaders. Because a lot of pest management work is done at night, the public does not see them, but they are on the job.” The combination of heat and moisture makes summertime the ideal time for insect pests to thrive. “People who like to barbeque in the backyard or enjoy the outdoors know that they can find themselves under attack by yellow jackets, wasps, and other stinging insects,” says Douglen. “Around one’s home, these problems do not yield to a quick spray with an off-the-shelf pesticide and it’s a bad idea to be spraying indiscriminately. You may get one or two, but there’s always an entire colony nearby that needs elimination and you may never find it. That, too, is the job of professionals who are trained to spot their nests and other habitats.” “Aside from the annoyance or pain of being stung,” says Douglen, “there is the very real threat of the diseases many insect pests like ticks and mosquitoes can spread. West Nile Fever and Lyme Disease are just two diseases that are still active throughout the state. Here again, pest management professionals can protect your family from being exposed to them.” When a pest problem occurs, Douglen recommends a quick call to a pest management firm. “One way to determine whether a particular firm has the right credentials to do the job is to ask if they are a member of the New Jersey Pest Management Association,” says Douglen. “You can visit our website at www.njpestcontrol.com for information on a member company in your area.” The New Jersey Pest Management Association was founded in 1941 and its members are also members of the National Pest Management Association.

Spring Season & Termites

When Spring Arrives NJ Homeowners May Discover Termites. Don’t Panic. They’ve Been There for Years

“It’s an annual ritual of spring,” says Leonard Douglen, the Executive Director of the New Jersey Pest Management Association. “Along with the warm weather, thousands of homeowners will discover that they have been playing host to colonies of termites.” “In the springtime the most visible evidence of a termite infestation are the winged “elates”, those termites whose job it is to start new colonies. This mating flight of hundreds and, in some cases, thousands, usually lasts from three to five days.” The presence inside a home of winged swarmers, usually gathering around windows as sunlight streams in, is a guaranteed sign that the structure has a termite colony. Estimates of the nationwide cost of the damage termites do every year range between five and six billion dollars. Several species of termites are native to New Jersey and the tri-state area. “By far the Subterranean termite species pose the greatest problem,” says Douglen, “because they are the most difficult to control and their nest may be below ground.” The most visible sign of an infestation are the mud tunnels termites build to access a structure, often against a foundation or pier post, and frequently visible in basement void areas under porches and other parts of the home. The Eastern Subterranean Termite is among the most common in the tri-state area. Homeowners are advised to eliminate any water leaks in the roof and other areas, and inspect the system of gutters that keep water away from wooden surfaces. Crawl spaces in attics or basements should be kept dry through ventilation or vapor barriers. “It is essential to eliminate all wood-to-soil contact,” says Douglen, “and to avoid having mulch against the structure.” Based on normal feeding activity, it can take from three to eight years for a termite colony to do serious damage to any structure. Experts believe that, under ideal conditions, a termite colony of 60,000 workers will consume one foot of a 2-inch by 4-inch pine word in 118 to 157 days. Termites eat wood, flooring, sheetrock, wallpaper, plastics, paper products, and fabric made of plant fibers. “One of the best investments homeowners can make,” says Douglen, “is an annual termite inspection by a certified, trained pest management technician to identify such potential points of infestation.” The bad news is that a colony of hundreds of thousands of termites may operate in different locations throughout a structure. Choose Termite Inspectors Carefully “Homeowners need to be aware that New Jersey allows anyone, even someone without any previous knowledge or training of any kind, to perform a wood destroying insect inspection,” said Douglen. “It is essential to know that the person hired to inspect has the proper credentials and training to insure that, if a termite colony exists and that he can find it.” The New Jersey Pest Management Association has, for many years, a training course for its members and others who wish to become inspectors. On successful completion of the course, the Association issues a certificate granting the status of Credentialed Wood Destroying Insect Inspector. An untrained inspector or one lacking sufficient training can easily miss the signs of an infestation. Termite infestations go unnoticed because, though eating wood throughout a structure, termites rarely break through the surface areas of the wood, leaving it intact. Douglen notes that people sometimes think the swarming termite alates, the winged reproductive class, are winged ants because “ants and termite swarmers not only look similar, but they come out at the same time, either to expand their colonies or to start a new satellite one.” The termite swarmer is drawn to any light source such as a window or where the sun is shining on a wall. The usually drop their wings. “A termite has a straight body compared to an ant which has a pinched waist. The termite’s antennae are straight while ants have an elbowed antennae.” Douglen recommends gathering a few samples of the winged insects and seal them in a plastic envelope such as a sandwich bag. Then call a pest control firm. “They will send a technician who has been trained to identify various insect species.” Pest control professionals recommend that you vacuum the uninvited winged invaders, but expect to have to repeat the process for several days. Mother Nature always deals in massive numbers. “Pest management professionals have the licensing and certification, and the training to provide the best protection and to eliminate an existing termite infestation,” says Douglen. “This is definitely not a do-it-yourself project.” Founded in 1941, the New Jersey Pest Management Association is affiliated with the National Pest Control Association. The NJPMA maintains a website at www.njpestcontrol.com/nj. The website provides a library of information for visitors seeking information on pest species and a directory of member firms. Read More on Viking Pest Control's Termite Services. Click Here