Bed Bug Symptoms and Signs of an Infestation

Bed bugs have become increasingly infamous as they begin to take over entire homes within just a few days. Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs are not small enough to go unnoticed by the naked eye. However, because of their fairly small adult size and the shape of their body, they are able to easily hide and be concealed in cracks and crevices around virtually any piece of furniture in the room and the infestation can go unnoticed for an extended period of time before it gets out of control. It is important to look for all the right signs of bed bugs so that you can move quickly to eradicate the infestation.

Potential Signs of a Bed Bug Infestation: KEEP READING

This the season to be jolly! It’s a time of bright lights, eggnog, Santa and his elves, and sharing of gifts and love. The last thing that is on your mind this season is probably pest control. However, be careful! There are pests that stay active even during the winter season. In fact, some of the pests that invade the house during this season may seem like that they are more active than normal because they start to invade the home to find a warm shelter and a food source to sustain them during the cold. Here are the Top 5 Winter Invasion Pests that could distract you from the joys of this season:

• Bed Bugs: Are you and your family planning on traveling this winter? One of the most infamous pests that are found during, and after travelling, are bed bugs. They are able to hide in the tightest of cracks and crevices because of their shape and are infamous for hitchhiking on your luggage back to your home. Since bed bugs reproduce very quickly, the infestation can get overwhelming fairly quickly.
• Cockroaches: Cockroaches are nasty little pests that could possibly come in with new appliances and groceries. Watch out for those store bought gifts like tool sets or appliances. Cockroaches of any species are potentially very harmful to your health because of all the pathogens they carry around. Some children and people may even be allergic to them and being around cockroaches more than just gross them out, but will actually cause adverse effects on the breathing. A couple of the smaller species of cockroaches, like German cockroaches, will nest indoors, but during the winter, even the outdoor and much larger species of cockroaches will try to get inside to look for some shelter and food.

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It’s almost Thanksgiving y’all! That means good food and for many families, following a tradition of setting up the Christmas tree! These days, a lot of families opt for setting up artificial trees. They’re definitely reusable and can be easily stored away. For others though, they prefer to go and pick out a real tree and bring it home every season. They’re lots of fun and it’s a great tradition to have, but as you can imagine, there is this fear of bringing in unwanted and potentially harmful bugs and insects inside of your house. The following is a list of the most commonly found insect pests that can be brought in with a real Christmas tree. (these are not listed in any particular order) KEEP READING

It is that time again where the temperatures begin to drop during the night. Yes, pest control becomes a little bit easier because the insects seem to have disappeared; however, you may begin to experience some very uncomfortable issues with large animals entering the building to try and escape the cold. Of the animals that could possibly invade a house, the raccoon can be one of the biggest nuisance pests.

Raccoon Behavior in Urban Settings

The urban raccoon can be a fascinating sighting, but is of great nuisance to the community. They have learned to adapt well outside of its normal habitat and unlike in the past, a raccoon can use virtually use any urban setting to create a new habitat. Although most will not sleep in an urban setting, many will sleep nearby in the woods or in a forest and will explore the urban community to forage for food. Since the raccoon is normally a nocturnal animal, most people will not even notice that they have invaded the neighborhood. A food source for the raccoon can be fruit and insects as well as left over food that was disposed of in the garbage. If you have left the trash out for the night, you will most likely find that the trash has been broken into and spread out as the raccoon ravaged all the food that was left over inside the bag.

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Boxelder bugs are known as nuisance pests that usually congregate in people’s houses as the temperatures begin to drop in the fall and spring. Characteristically known for their black and red color, boxelder bugs emit a foul odor and may leave stains on walls and furniture when crashed. This foul odor acts as a defense mechanism against predators and also attracts other boxelder bugs to the location that has been found to be conducive as an overwinter shelter.
Although they rarely cause any harm to humans, boxelder bugs in the house become a bother due to their irritating foul smell and large numbers. They are known to increase in number in a relatively short amount of time after emerging from their overwinter sheltering areas. One should expect to find the first batch of nymphs after approximately eleven to nineteen days from the day you first notice their congregation.
It is worth noting that one should not wait until it is no longer hot to get rid of boxelder bugs. Waiting too long will make it harder to control the bugs because once the they begin to flock in a particular area, they will attract an even larger number of their kind through their smell. It is always wise to take the offensive and attack the bugs that emerge during the fall and prevent them from becoming part of the spring boxelder bug menace.
It is recommended that one locate all the areas in the house that the bugs gather and begin to vacuum the already congregated bugs. Usually these are crevices and cracks that are hard to reach and offer the boxelder bugs a secure and safe overwinter shelter. It is imperative that all these areas are sealed off in order to keep the boxelder bugs out of the house. Although it is a good preventative measure that keeps the bugs out, only sealing off the crevices cannot ensure that the hugs will permanently stop invading your house seeking a warm shelter for breeding.
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