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Although carpenter ants are capable of causing significant damage to structures, such cases are rare and are usually the result of long-term infestations. Most homeowners take steps to control carpenter ants soon after ants are noticed inside so little damage has usually occurred. Also, carpenter ant main (parent) colonies require a constant moisture source (like a leak that results in wet wood) to live indoors. Most parent colonies live outdoors in trees and landscape timbers, and they often set up satellite colonies indoors. An experienced professional takes time to identify as many nest locations as possible and then treats those directly. Control is achieved by finding as many colonies as possible and treating each directly. Treating the parent colony is required to prevent new invasions of satellite colonies. Carpenter ant infestations can be difficult and often costly to eliminate or control due to the number of satellite colonies they may establish.
Spiders
Cellar spiders are thin, pale-colored spiders with extremely long legs that are typically found hanging upside down in large webs. They are best controlled by regular removal using a vacuum or brush.
Termites
Colonies of ants and termites both produce winged reproductives that fly out to start new colonies. Carpenter ant swarmers are quite large – about 3/4-inch in length. Termites and other ant species are usually 1/2-inch in length or larger. The key way to distinguish winged ants and winged termites is by examining the wings. Termite swarmers have wings that are all the same size. If the hind wings are much smaller than the front wings, you have ants. Collect a few and have them identified by a professional if you want to be sure.
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are small, oval, reddish-brown insects about 1/4-inch long as adults. They live in cracks in beds and walls as well as in furniture near beds. At night, they will crawl into the bed and bite a sleeping person. The bite is usually not painful and, fortunately, bed bugs do not transmit any diseases. Bed bugs can prove difficult to control so a professional should be consulted.
Cockroaches
Bait stations may be effective in controlling cockroaches if placed properly. Baits, however, rely on every cockroach in a population to feed on the bait before the infestation can be eliminated. Bait stations should be combined with other control efforts such as crack and void treatments to ensure the infestation is eliminated. Knowing where to apply each product effectively is where the experience of a professional is helpful. In addition, your professional will also look for any conditions that might contribute to cockroach infestations and make recommendations for correcting such conditions.
Silverfish
They are difficult to eliminate, not because they are resistant to treatments but because they often hide deep within walls or attics where treatments are difficult to apply. Apply a residual pest control dust product into all cracks and voids where activity has been seen. You may need to treat the attic beneath insulation where silverfish are found. Silverfish do not respond well to feeding on insect baits so crack and crevice treatments are the best options. Persistence in inspecting and treating new areas of activity over several months is also helpful. Experience has shown that homes with wood shingle roofs typically have the most difficult of silverfish infestations.
Bees
Yes, we offers pest control services for carpenter bees. Carpenter bees chew tunnels in wood to make a nest cavity in which their larvae can grow. To prevent the bees from making the holes, the surfaces being attacked may be treated using a residual liquid product. If the holes are already present, a dust product may be applied into the holes and then the surrounding wood treated with the liquid product. Such treatments may need to be repeated after a couple of months to further deter the bees. You can consult a professional for a comprehensive inspection and treatment plan.
Wasps
Household eaves represent some of the most common nesting locations for many pests, particularly spiders and wasps. Our Aerial Defense service includes sweeping down spider webs and using a web-a-way (a natural product that discourages web building in spiders) as well as removing all reachable wasp nests on the first and second story eaves.
Crickets
Crickets are attracted to buildings by bright exterior lights. Changing commercial lighting to sodium vapor lamps and home lighting to yellow “bug light bulbs” greatly reduces the numbers of crickets attracted. In addition, heavy ground cover (such as ivy) should be minimized in landscaping, especially next to the building. Sites where crickets could harbor, such as piles of lumber and bricks, should be removed. Also, seal as many exterior cracks and holes and make sure all doors have tight-fitting weather strips on the bottom.
Earwigs
First of all, earwigs do not bite and are not dangerous. Earwigs control requires the treatment of cracks inside where the insects are seen, cracks in the home’s exterior, and likely harborage sites (woodpile, landscape timbers, etc.) outside. A residual aerosol or dust insecticide labeled for indoor crack and crevice treatment should be used indoors. Outdoors, a suitable exterior household insecticide can be applied to areas where earwigs might live. Many people seek to hire a professional, when dealing with a significant infestation of earwigs due to all the areas that must be located and treated.
Mosquitoes
Flies
The small brown, red-eyed fruit fly is usually carried inside homes in fresh fruits and vegetables, most often bananas. The items in which the flies are breeding must be found and discarded in the outdoor trash. To deal with the remaining adult flies, create a trap by pouring a few ounces of vinegar into a cup and covering the cup with a plastic wrap secured with tape or a rubber band. Poke a hole about 1/8 to 1/4 inch through the plastic. Place the trap in rooms where the flies are seen. The flies enter through the opening but have difficulty exiting, eventually drowning in the vinegar.
Centipedes
If they have very long legs, they are likely house centipedes that can breed indoors and feed on spiders and insects. Homes with house centipedes usually have a crawlspace or basement underneath where the centipedes harbor. You may want to consult a professional to inspect and advise you for the best course of action.
Millipedes
These sound like they are millipedes which are related to insects. They live in moist areas outside and feed on organic matter in mulch, lawns, and leaf litter. When it gets too hot, too wet, too dry, etc., millipedes may try to enter a home, sometimes in large numbers. You will need to seal cracks and holes in the home’s exterior walls. Keep mulch to a thickness of 2 inches or less and try to keep it 10-12 inches from the foundation. You may want to treat the foundation and ground around the home with a product labeled for exterior use around homes. Follow the label directions. Otherwise, you can call in a professional company to do a treatment and provide recommendations.
Beetles
The description sounds like carpet beetles or cabinet beetles. These beetles feed on woolen items as well as dead insects, pet and human hair trapped in carpets, and food items in pantries. They can be very difficult to control so it is recommended you consult a pest management professional.
Moths
Clothes moths are best controlled by first cleaning the affected clothing and other clothing items that were stored with it. Clean items according to the clothing manufacturer’s instructions. Next, thoroughly clean the closet, dresser, or storage area. Cracks in these areas may also be treated using a properly-labeled indoor pest control product. Pheromone traps are available for clothes moths to monitor for moth activity.
Mites
The description sounds like clover mites that live in the grass outside and invade homes during the spring. During the fall, the adults will deposit eggs in cracks in the outside of buildings. When these eggs hatch in the spring, the tiny, red mite “larvae” crawl up the foundation and find their way inside. This problem is usually remedied by treating the exterior foundation and the ground several feet out from the house. You may want to consult a professional to apply this treatment.
Gnats
It is very important to identify these flies or gnats. The type of fly/gnat is critical in providing useful advice for control. If the fly is tiny and black, it may be a fungus gnat that lives in the wet soil of potted plants. Small tan flies with red eyes are fruit flies that breed in fresh fruit – especially bananas – and garbage. Other types of flies breed elsewhere. Please get the gnats identified, and we can help you with control solutions.
Firebrats
Firebrats are related to silverfish and prefer very warm areas such as furnace rooms, heat ducts, boiler rooms and fireplaces. Cracks and voids in areas such as these should be treated using a residual dust pest control product labeled for indoor use. This pest often proves difficult to control so you may want to consult a professional.
If you live by a field or in the woods, it is likely that you will always have to deal with mice every fall and winter. Your best strategy is to seal as many openings and holes in the exterior walls as possible and to put weather strips on the bottom of all doors, especially the garage door, to prevent mice from entering. If you can stick a pencil through a crack or hole, a mouse can squeeze through it. Place live traps inside the garage on either side of the doorway to catch mice and rats as they enter. Check the traps often. Make sure all foundation and attic vents have 1/4-inch hardware cloths tightly fitted over the opening and do the same for any turbine vents in the roof. Trim all tree branches at least 10 feet from the roof.
Rats
All general pest control: roaches, rats, mice, ants, silverfish, gnats, millipedes, weevils, fruit flies, earwigs, beetles, spiders, flying insects, bees and mosquitoes
Squirrels
Squirrels of any kind must either be excluded from reentering once they leave the attic, or they can be trapped and relocated. The site where they entered must be located and sealed. Squirrels can be difficult to trap in attics and you may want to consult with Northeast Exterminators for assistance.