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Cockroaches are insects found in homes, restaurants, nursing homes, apartment complexes and just about anywhere cover can be found. The American and German Cockroach are most commonly seen in our area and are the most prominent nuisance facing pest control companies. You can mitigate a cockroach infestation by removing sources of food, water and harborage. Be especially careful about things like paper bags, cardboard boxes and other refuse that can provide roaches with a protected place to live and prosper. Clean floors after each meal and wash dishes in hot, soapy water to eliminate grease. Keep trash in a tight-lidded container and avoid placing a trashcan under the sink. Store unused portions of chips, cereal, flour, sugar, rice, etc. in tightly sealed plastic containers or large glass jars with screw-on lids.
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Bed bugs have made a strong reappearance in our area after nearly 50 years of eradication. Bed bug population in the United States has increased by 500% in the past few years. Contrary to popular myth, bed bugs are visible to the naked eye and are active in mattresses, bed linens, head and foot boards, and even carpeting, dressers and bedroom closets. Bed bugs are nocturnal and feed on humans at night while they sleep, drawing blood from their hosts and leaving behind a rash on the skin. Elimination of bed bugs must be a joint effort by the pest control company and the individual infested. Bed linens need to be laundered in extremely hot water and not replaced until all chemical treatments are complete. After final treatment, mattress and box-spring should be placed in a zippered bag made specifically for that purpose.
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Termites live in colonies that number from several hundred to several million! "You have termites" are words that can evoke terror in any homeowner. All termites eat cellulose which is found in wood. Because of the large numbers in a colony and their voracious appetites, termites can do tremendous damage to a home and to trees if not detected and eliminated. Sometimes confused by homeowners as ants, termites have only two parts to their body while ants have three distinct body parts.
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Ants differ in appearance from termites in that they have a head with antennae, small trunk and node-like rear section. Ants also live in colonies numbering from dozens to thousands. There are many different species of ants but homeowners usually see the two most common in our area: carpenter ants and little black ants (sugar ants). Carpenter ants eat into wood and cause structural damage to a house. Carpenter ant infestations should always be treated seriously when discovered as carpenter ants like to nest in damp wood and insulation where they can work unseen.
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Yellow jackets are the most abundant member of the wasp family in our area. They also nest in colonies and the number in each nest can be in the thousands. They usually build their nests in trees, shrubs and man-made structures: in sheds, under eaves of a house, under porches and hollow walls. Yellow jackets are known to sting repeatedly so a professional pest control technician should be called to eliminate any nest. Yellow jackets, hornets and bees can be aggressive and nests should not be disturbed by any individual without proper protective gear.
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Mice belong to the common species known as rodents. Mice and their rat cousins are considered harmful pests because they can spread disease through their parasites and their feces. Mice and rats are always on the lookout for food and water and tend to be more of a nuisance in the colder months when other food sources become unavailable to them. Because mice reproduce every twenty days elimination is important in a timely manner in order to avoid an infestation.
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