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Pest Prevention

Bed Bugs

bedbug

Very much like the vampires of lore, bed bugs not only want to feed on your blood, but they also inject saliva that contains an anesthetic and an anti-clotting agent so your blood with flow freely. You won’t feel a thing. Drawn by your body heat and the carbon dioxide you exhale, which also means you are easier to locate, bed bugs will feed on you for about 10 minutes and leave to digest.

Bed bugs like mattresses because they make ideal places to hide and are near their main food source, you.

Signs of Bed Bugs:

  • You can see the bed bugs themselves, or their fecal droppings in mattress seams and other items in the bedroom.

  • Blood drops on sheets.

  • Bites on your skin.

They are called bed bugs as they are often found hiding in the edging of the mattress or bedding. While they aren’t big, roughly 5-7 mm. long and 2-3 mm. wide, they are still visible to the naked eye.  While they are called bed bugs, there are several ways they get into your home:

  • Furniture purchased from thrift stores or consignment shops.  Always check along the seams and underneath to make sure the only thing that comes home with you, is the furniture.
  • Staying overnight away from home, even 5-star hotels have been found to have bed bugs. Hostels, any type of hotel, all can have bed bugs. They are also found in hospitals, offices, retail stores and libraries.   When traveling put your luggage up off the ground and check the seams along the mattress. If you see any evidence of bed bugs themselves or small droplets of blood, request a room change.
  • Bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers. They will attach themselves to backpacks, purses, clothing, laptop bags, and luggage.

Bed bugs are not attracted to fecal matter and have little to do with places that are dirty.

According to the Bureau of Epidemiology of Utah:

  • Bed bugs cannot transmit diseases to humans.
  • It has been shown that one person can have an immediate reaction to the bite of a bed bug, probably an allergic reaction, while someone else has no reaction.
  • Bed bugs can be killed by cold temperatures. While that is true, the freezing temperatures must be for an extended period.

They are found in all fifty states, and while they are more likely to be found in urban areas due to increased hitchhiking, which increases their rapid spread; rural areas suffer as well. They can live without feeding for several months, hanging out in suitcases, furniture, and bags. They can survive freezing temperatures as well as extreme heat. Hiring the professionals at Victoria’s Pest Control is the best way of resolving your bed bug issues.

They are called bed bugs but will hide in picture frames, box springs, mattress crevices, behind electrical switch plates, and even behind wallpaper during the day.  But at nighttime, the carbon dioxide we exhale often coaxes them out of their hiding spots. They are predictable, when a host is found, bed bugs will feed for five to 10 minutes until full.  The bites if there are any, will often be in a cluster.  They will then hide and digest for about a week. While they do not feed at this time, they will mate and lay eggs.

If you find signs of bed bugs, don’t try to get rid of them alone.  After calling for a professional’s help, take these steps:

  • Wash all bedclothes on the hottest water setting, and dry on high as well.
  • Buy bed bug interceptor cups, these go around each bed footing. Sprinkle with talcum powder. They are sloped so when bed bugs fall in, they cannot climb out.
  • Vacuum and toss the vacuum bag after you have sealed it when you are done.

 

Having the professionals at Victoria’s Pest Control in the survey what needs to do is the fastest way to enjoying your home in peace again.

04/15/2021 | mice / Pest Facts / Pest Prevention

Unwanted Guests: Cockroaches

Cockroaches are in the same family as bedbugs, so having them in your home is just not a good thing. They can arrive on items brought into the home like the paper bags groceries come in, or items purchased at a thrift store. Cockroaches can also start out at your neighbor’s ill-kempt yard, straight into your home. They are opportunistic to say the least.

cockroaches

Cockroaches will eat anything; crumbs left on a countertop, sugar and grease, the glue in the bindings of books and trash, they are indiscriminate in their tastes. Although your home may be clean, there is generally no way to assure that your neighbors uphold the same level of cleanliness you do. That is a part of the problem. The other part of the problem comes as the weather changes cockroaches seek warm moist places to ‘chill’ and multiply.

cockroaches2

There are many things to dislike about cockroaches, among them: Cockroaches are most active when the temperatures are warm, they thrive in warm environments with easily accessible food and water. These insects are mainly nocturnal and will run away when exposed to light. If you happen into the kitchen at 2 a.m. and flick on the light, and see a few cockroaches bolting away, realize there are many more that you are not seeing! Cockroaches can live up to three months without food and a month without water. This is why calling in professionals at Victoria’s Pest Control is an awesome idea!

Cockroaches have many negative consequences for human health because certain proteins, called allergens, found in cockroach feces, saliva and body parts can cause allergic reactions or trigger asthma symptoms, especially in children. Meaning that merely having cockroaches in the vicinity of your children or other family members can cause a serious health issue. Cockroaches will climb over laundry, crawl up walls seeking glue and slip into the crevices of the house that have water like the basement or laundry room. Since 1959, cockroach allergies have been confirmed via allergy tests. This is noted as a rash merely from having a cockroach walk over someone’s skin. Further studies showed that cockroach allergens can act as a trigger for acute asthma attacks. They also passively transport microbes on their bodies including pathogens that are potentially dangerous to humans. On that list is various bacteria, including E. coli and Salmonella species, parasitic worms, and other types of human pathogens. The ick factor of cockroaches is large. The relief of getting rid of them is beyond measure.

There are over four thousand types of cockroaches and you will never see over 98% of them. That said, these are a few that are interested in your home, they include:

rsz_1american-cockroach

The American, also known as the water bug –

  • It is the largest, up to 2 inches.
  • Coloring is dark reddish brown.
  • Often found in basements, bathrooms, laundry rooms and sump pump rooms as they seek moist warm ground.
  • They feed on beer, pet food, fermenting fruit as well as human food.
  • They come up through drains from the sewers.
Brown-Banded-Cockroach

Brown-banded

  • These are not driven by the need for water.
  • Only measure half an inch long.
  • These like items with a higher starch content, like as book bindings, wallpaper glue and stamps.
pennsylvania-wood-cockroach

Pennsylvanian wood

  • They come into homes via firewood bark.
  • Their markings are dark brown with yellow margins.
  • The males fly in search of females for mating, but they are not good flyers.

Weirdly, as often happens with insects, although getting rid of them entirely sounds like a great idea, we need them, even cockroaches. First, they are nature’s phenomenal recyclers, while they are beyond annoying in your home, out in the wild they eat just about anything, including dead plants and animals, and animal waste. Their digestive systems contain bacteria and protozoa that help convert the world's waste into easily absorbed nutrients. This also helps with something called the nitrogen cycle, which is vital to most of us, animal and human. Cockroaches feed on decaying organic matter which traps nitrogen, the nitrogen gets released through their feces which then goes into the soil and feeds plants and trees. The lack of cockroaches would negatively impact forests, woods, and meadows and all that live in them. Yes, we need cockroach poop.

cockroaches-habitat

While there are benefits of cockroaches out in the wild, that does not include your home. You are unlikely to resolve a cockroach problem on your own. However, you can make your home less pleasant for them:

  • Removing sources of food for them.
  • Wipe up spills, wipe down counters.
  • Get rid of paper bags and cardboard.
  • Wash dishes. Keep floors clean, as well as trash cans.

Calling Victoria’s Pest Control to come and resolve this problem is great for a couple of reasons. They will be able to get rid of the cockroaches and locate where the cockroaches might have found access to your home and resolve that issue as well.

11/15/2020 | Pest Prevention

Mouse in the House Prevention

house-mouse

At last, the weather is turning cooler, night is gathering earlier as well. Of all the pitter patter of little feet you enjoy hearing, the scrabbling of tiny feet is not one of them. Of course, mice would like the warmth of your home, and the added bonus of availability of food, and there is a mouse party in the making.

Signs to watch for:

  • Look for any cracks or holes in your foundation or where the foundation meets the house. Mice need minimal (1/4 of an inch) room to wiggle into a crack. Think of spaces around gas lines or sewer lines.
mouse

Seal all the cracks you can. Fill small holes with steel wool and put caulk around the steel wool to keep it in place. Use metal screens or metal sheeting to fix larger holes.

  • Unwanted items, furniture or trash scattered around the yard can be an invitation.
mouse-in-garbage

Clean up any debris and make sure your trash cans have secure lids.

  • Bird feeders are a source of food for unwanted rodents.
Small mouse in a hanging bird feeder

Make sure bird feeders are well away from the house. Remember to sweep up seed leavenings regularly.

  • Leaves piled against the home and mulch, or wood stacks is another way for rodents to get near the home and remember they can jump nearly a foot as well.
mouse-in-leaves

Keep all these materials away from the foundation of the home. Remember to rake around shrubs near the home to keep the area free of leaves.

  • Signs of gnawing, either on baseboards or around vents, cupboards, holes in dog food, or frayed wires.
signs-of-a-mouse

These are signs mice are already in the home. Either begin setting traps and call for professional assistance.

You can certainly try and get rid of mice on your own.

Here are some ways of reducing the mouse population:

  • Traps, there are a wide variety of traps to choose from, including snap traps as well as humane traps where the mouse is caught live and will then need to be transported away from the area. Mice are excellent trackers.
  • Peppermint can be soaked in cotton balls and may help deter mice.
  • Crushed onions and peppers may work as well.

Female mice can produce 10 litters in a year and as an inside house mouse may live to 3 years of age. Her offspring can start reproducing at 4 to 7 weeks. If you keep finding mouse feces or signs of mice infestation, after a time of setting out traps, call in the experts at Victoria’s Pest Control.

Unlike the cartoons of our youth, rats and mice DO NOT CO-EXIST!!!!! What may start out as a mouse issue can quickly become a rat issue and that means larger holes more extensive gnawing and the smaller traps you have gotten will go unused. If you started with mice, whose droppings (feces) are approximately1/4-inch-long with pointed ends; and now see visible signs of larger(feces), rat droppings are longer (3/4 inch) with blunt ends, it is time for professional level care.

10/01/2020 | mice / Pest Facts / Pest Prevention

Can We Help With the Spotted Lantern Fly?

The short answer is no, the longer answer is also no, but with a caveat which involves a longer conversation. The longer conversation is that as a responsible pest control company we are bound by the law or legality stated on the chemical container. If the canister does not specify spotted lanternfly as a preventive, we cannot tell you it will kill spotted lanternflies. We are limited to what the poison does kill, not what we would like it to eradicate. Will some likely be destroyed when we go after a different infestation in your home, probably. But as it is not specifically stated on the can, we cannot specify that ourselves.

The spotted lanternfly though, is becoming a New Jersey problem. So, what is happening regarding the spotted lanternfly?

Rutgers University of New Jersey as well as other universities are looking for solutions. The spotted lanternfly is susceptible to several insecticide drenches. The problem is that while drenches used in the fall work on the spotted lanternfly, they need to be used with care on trees near pollen and nectar sources, like flowers, for bees as the levels still present can be at harmful in the spring.

There are two species of natural occurring fungi that can attack the spotted lanternfly, Beauvaria bassiana and Batkoa major. These are being studied as while the fungi kill the spotted lanternfly (SLF), the amount of fungi available is an issue. A few beneficial insects have also been observed attacking SLF, including the praying mantis, the wheel bug and some spiders.

Quarantine compliance and management of the adult population will reduce the spread of SLF to new areas and counties, protecting New Jersey resources including forests and agriculture. Quarantine compliance and management means checking vehicles in the quarantine counties so that these plant hoppers do not hop into more counties. Crush any you come across, the spotted lanternfly is much more a plant jumper than flyer, meaning they will land sometime. It also means keeping an eye out for the egg masses which look like mud spots on your trees. These egg sacks are set on tree trunks, woodpiles, or outside furniture in the fall and overwinter. If found, scrap into a plastic bag filled with either dish soap or hand sanitizer. Coming up with a solution for the spotted lanternfly and the hardwoods it harms is something we can all get behind.

08/19/2020 | Pest Prevention

Bees and Home Invasions

There are three types of bees buzzing about your yard and home, one is most likely to cause harm to your home and need removal; one has been known to cause harm and needs specialized removal and one...wants to hang out with your flowers and isn’t interested in your home at all.

Bees, for reasons including the use of pesticides, loss of habitat and lack of native wildflowers, among others are on the decline. Although some bees make themselves overly familiar with your home, preserving bees still need to be a priority.

eastern-carpenter-bee

Eastern Carpenter Bees can do damage to your home as they bore into the wood to create nests. Carpenter bees do not bite. The female does have a stinger but will only use it if directly handled. While in a forest, carpenter bees would bore into older trees, a house will give them a similar nesting opportunity. They like unpainted wood, so painting more than staining wood, helps deter them. They do not chew the wood, instead they tunnel into it for nesting chambers.

The tell-tale signs are:

  • Sawdust piles.
  • Round holes about ½ an inch deep.
  • The holes are usually located on the underside of wood surfaces like siding, overhangs, decks, fence posts, and fascia boards.
carpenter_bee_damage

Inside where the tunneling occurs, there will be a network of hollowed pathways. Over the years the pathways can extend over 10 feet in length. The purpose of the pathways leads to nesting chambers so the female can lay eggs.

Eastern Carpenter bees are big, nearly an inch in size! Like the bumblebee it has black and yellow hairs, the abdomen though is shiny black.

These bees are not very social, live in in small related groups and stay in the same area for generations. While the males cannot sting, they will divebomb people or pets that come near.

Calling Victoria’s Pest Control to remove these bees will help regain the integrity of your home and the damage can be repaired.

Keeping Carpenter Bees at Bay:

  • Paint the house.
  • Fill a paper bag with plastic bags and string it up, carpenter bees are terrified of hornets and that bag will resemble a nest to them.
  • Loud music is another deterrent as they dislike the vibrations.

If after protecting your home from re-infestation, there is an old shed or other unused wood on your property, remember that carpenter bees:

  • Are pollinators for native plants, gardens and some trees.
  • They visit flowers, feed on nectar, pick up pollen and disperse it.
  • They are the sole pollinators of the passionflower.
Westliche Honigbiene

Honey Bees are European natives that have lived here since the 1600’s. They are slender with wooly abdomens with bands of yellow to brown. They are about ½ an inch long. Honeybees are considered ‘social’ and live in large communal groups, between 20,000 to 40,000 bees.

They usually reside in hives, either in trees or man-made beehives structures for beekeeping. When the swarm decides a house is their new home, they often inhabit attics or spaces between walls. That communal group can number into the many thousands. They can also become aggressive and defensive. However, they will die upon stinging once, as the stinger is torn from their bodies.

It is ILLEGAL to kill honey bees!

Due to the honey-making likelihood of honey bees in your home, calling professionals is two-fold: to safely remove these bees and relocate them to a beekeeper’s frame and to seal up any entrances or crevices so they don’t come back.

Honeybees facts:

  • It is the only insect that produces food eaten by humans
  • Honeybees produce beeswax from eight paired glands on the underside of their abdomen
  • They pollinate about 130 crops in the USA, including fruit, nut and vegetable crops as well as flowers
  • A honeybee visits 50 to 100 flowers during a collection trip
  • Honey bees communicate with one another by dancing

honey-bee-comb
bumble-bee

Bumblebees are social, generally live in small colonies in the ground or at the base of trees or under dead leaves. They are non-aggressive and are focused on flowers, not you or your home. They are pollinators and do produce honey but not in large amounts. They make honey by chewing the pollen and mixing it with their saliva.

Bees in all their forms are incredibly important to pollination of flowers and crops in New Jersey and the world. It is not that humans would die if there were no bees, but there would be a much smaller sampling of food as a result. And bees are dying. Here are some ways to help bees:

  • Stop using pesticides, the poisons in these deterrents not only harm insects but also the environment, including the soil and waterways.
  • Plant bee friendly gardens or allow part of your yard to be native wildflowers.
  • Have a water feature in your yard, pollinating is thirsty work.

With Victoria’s Pest Control helping save your home from bees and having a bee friendly yard, you can have a bee-ti-ful summer!

07/11/2020 | Pest Prevention

Preventing Termites

Termites are not white ants. They are more closely related to the cockroach family. That alone might inspire you to call Victoria’s Pest Control. The thing about termites is that often they are unseen and when they are ‘seen’ thousands of dollars in damage has already occurred. Worker termites are the ones that do the damage, their whole lives are spent in dark tunnels, where they literally blindly chew and feed on wood.

04/16/2020 | Pest Prevention

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