Pest solutions are not only effective at removing pests from your home, but they also help protect the environment. For example, microbial solutions such as bacillus thuringiensis are a smarter alternative to traditional chemicals, and they have low toxicity at exposure levels.
Keeping your yard clean and eliminating breeding grounds, barriers, and other conditions pests seek out helps prevent infestations. Regular inspections help catch pest problems before they grow. Click the https://natureshieldpestsolutions.com/ to learn more.
Each year termites destroy more than $5 billion worth of property across the United States. This voracious wood-eating pest enters homes through cracks as small as 1/64th of an inch and can cause significant damage in just a few short years. To help protect your investment, we offer effective termite control services.
The most common way to control termites is by using soil treatments that create a chemical barrier against these destructive insects. Liquid termiticides are injected into the ground around the foundation of buildings or in areas that have been exposed by removal of tree stumps and other wood debris. Injections may also be made into crevices and voids in walls, framing, and other structures to kill existing termites and prevent future infestations.
Monitoring stations are placed in the soil to locate areas with suspected termite activity. Once the locations are identified, bait stations replace monitoring stations. These contain slow-acting chemicals that worker termites ingest and carry back to their colonies, where they spread the material throughout the colony. The toxins disrupt the termite metabolism and result in multiple generations within the colony being killed.
Other termite control options include surface sprays and foam treatments that penetrate into infested wood to kill current termites and prevent new ones from gaining entry. Injected foams can reach into voids and cracks that sprays cannot. This type of treatment is typically used in conjunction with other methods to achieve a more complete termite control.
If you suspect a termite problem, it is important to contact a pest control professional right away. Early detection can save you thousands of dollars in repairs and stress. Watch out for signs of a termite infestation, including:
Bed Bug Control
The pests are tiny, resilient and incredibly difficult to eliminate. They can spread from house to house and even from person to person, as they are excellent hitchhikers. The critters are also notorious for spreading to places like offices and schools where the bugs can cause more widespread problems.
A thorough inspection is the first step in controlling bed bugs, which should be done both inside and outside the home. A professional can also recommend additional treatments if necessary.
Current research indicates that 85% of all bed bug infestations are found in or near the beds, so initial treatment usually concentrates on the mattress, box spring and headboard. Encasing the mattresses with special covers that are designed for this purpose is highly recommended. Vacuuming the floors, mattress and box springs, the frame of the bed and the headboard is a good idea as well, but vacuuming alone doesn’t remove eggs or reach deeply infested cracks and crevices where adult and nymph bed bugs may be hiding. Insecticide sprays and dusts that can be brushed into such locations are used as part of most bed bug control programs.
Pyrethroid sprays (a type of insecticide that is effective against the pests) are generally regarded as the most efficient. However, these sprays should be applied only when children are not present and the labels’ directions carefully followed. Some pyrethroids are also toxic to pets.
The best and most reliable way to eradicate a bed bug infestation is to consult an experienced pest management professional who has access to a variety of registered pesticides that are suitable for use against the pests. In addition to applying these pesticides where needed, a professional can offer suggestions for eliminating hiding places, including using silicon caulk to seal any small openings where the insects might sneak in.
Rodent Control
Rodents enter homes and commercial buildings in search of food, water, warmth, shelter and safety. They can damage structures and equipment and spread disease. Rodents can also be a health and safety risk, causing food contamination and posing fire hazards by chewing on electrical wires. Rodents are a significant problem for both residential and commercial properties, and require prompt pest control services.
Sanitation and rodent proofing are the most important aspects of pest management, although they can be difficult and time consuming for homeowners and business owners to implement. Proper sanitation practices can make a building less attractive to rodents by removing sources of food and water, including spillage, crumbs, and trash. Store food in airtight containers, dispose of garbage regularly, and keep pet food inside to prevent attracting rodents. Keep shrubs and trees trimmed and remove debris to reduce the amount of natural harborage in and around the home or building, and store firewood away from the house.
Regularly inspect the exterior of your property for signs of rodents, such as rodent droppings, gnawing holes in wood or walls, and smudge marks under doors and windows. Inspect crawl spaces and basements, especially those with moisture problems, for rodent nesting areas. Seal all exposed gaps and cracks, repair leaky pipes, and install vents to eliminate moisture issues in attics and crawl spaces.
Use non-toxic, non-chemical repellents to deter rodents from entering your property, such as peppermint oil (dip cotton balls in the oil and place them where rodent activity is observed), bay leaves, or cloves. Also consider ultrasonic repellents, which emit sounds that are irritating to rodents but inaudible to humans and pets. The most effective approach to rodent control is a combination of ongoing preventative measures and careful application of baits and traps by a professional.
Ant Control
Ants can become a serious nuisance in homes because they are constantly seeking food and water. They can also contaminate surfaces and food by spreading pathogens they have picked up while foraging in the soil. Several species, including carpenter ants, can cause structural damage to buildings. Some, such as fire ants, can inflict painful bites. Our ant control services are designed to address these problems and prevent future infestations.
We begin by identifying the type of ant and locating the nests. This information allows us to recommend the proper treatment. In addition, our technician can advise you on prevention measures and correct environmental concerns that may contribute to ant infestations.
Most ant species require different baiting and treatment methods for effective control. Homeowners can minimize ant entry by sealing around doors, windows, and utility openings where wires and pipes enter buildings. Inspecting frequently for ant trails and entry points will help you spot the problem quickly.
Depending on the type of ant, a variety of pesticides can be used to eliminate local or regional ant infestations. Products such as diatomaceous earth (D.E.), which is spread along ant trails, are useful for eliminating ants in gardens and lawns. However, this method is ineffective for controlling ant infestations inside a house because it only kills ants that it comes in contact with.
Other ant treatments include granular insecticides that can be spread with push-type fertilizer spreaders or sprays that are applied to the ground as a perimeter treatment around the home. These products can eliminate ants on the surface for months but will not affect colonies nesting deeper in the soil. For a better option, consider adding predatory nematodes to your integrated pest management program. These parasites target ant larvae and disrupt the ants’ ability to grow and function.
Mosquito Control
Mosquitoes are one of the world’s deadliest insects because they transmit diseases to people and animals by biting them. They have been linked to the Zika Virus, Dengue Fever, West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis. Not only are mosquitoes a nuisance, but they also disturb outdoor activities and can even lead to death due to disease.
Mosquito control is handled by many local government agencies and private companies. The best practice is to utilize a unified approach called integrated pest management (IPM). IPM incorporates prevention, pest reduction and monitoring, and is a science-based system that’s easy for everyone to use.
A key to effective mosquito control is the elimination of breeding sites. This is accomplished using larvicides (insecticides targeting immature mosquitoes) and adulticides (insecticides attacking adults). Larvicides are mainly used to treat large bodies of water that harbor mosquito larvae. They are available to homeowners as wettable powder, liquid, granular and capsule products. Some of the safest are methoprene and a bacteria known as Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis).
The most common adulticide is naled, which is applied as ultra-low volume sprays or foggers. ULV sprays dispense very fine aerosol droplets that stay aloft and kill mosquitoes on contact. This minimizes exposure and risks to people, pets and wildlife. It’s also environmentally friendly and highly effective compared to older barrier-spray methods that often disperse insecticide throughout the area, killing everything in its path.
Other ways to keep mosquito populations down include draining standing water around your home, reducing outside activity between dusk and dawn, and using an EPA approved repellent with DEET or picaridin. You can also employ a number of mechanical barriers such as mosquito netting, no-pest strips and coils.