Pest Control

 

Pest Control

Question:
Ever since my neighbor fogged their place for ants I seem to be getting them. I did not have them before. My neighbor has since moved out due to the ant problem. I live in a duplex. Is there any natural ways of getting rid of them?
Answer:

Small ants are one of the most difficult pests to rid a home of, for a variety of reasons. Among them are how many places ants can nest in and under: insulation, walls, sidewalks, roofing, foundations, flooring, etc… not to mention outside in the ground, trees, roots, bushes and plants. Ant colonies may contain hundreds of thousands of workers, and the queen replenishes those that are lost. Of the more than 8,800 ant species, your neighbor's attempt to eliminate ants may or may not be related to your infestation. And I would say it's not related at all if their only method of treatment was setting off store-bought foggers. Those foggers kill what's present at the time, but have no residual effectiveness that would drive them somewhere else. Most likely, the vacancy of the duplex next to you has caused them to come looking for food and water on your side. Some people have told us they find a reduction of ants by using ant bait such as “Terror�. Other low-cost, do-it-yourself methods you can try is mixing a teaspoon of liquid dish soap in a spray bottle of water and zapping them, or try sprinkling boric acid powder outside where you see ant trails.

Question:
I notice some mouse droppings in my garage and set traps. In the next five days I caught 17 mice. The problem seemed to go away but I have just recently caught two more mice. Do you think I have a colony of mice living under my house?
Answer:

As you have discovered, there's usually no such thing as “a mouse�… it's always a family of mice or, as in your case, an infestation of mice! The reason for this is because the standard house mouse can live indoors and outdoors and reproduces very rapidly year-round. Indoor mice activity is more noticeable in the Fall and Winter. You may very well have a family or several families of mice living in or under your home. They are known to nest in sub-floor, wall or attic insulation and heat ducts, among other places. If you live near a field, barn or water source (i.e. stream, pond, etc.) you may be getting mice from outside, but my guess is that they're somewhere inside or underneath your home because of the quantity. Besides baiting, a real key to eliminating rodent problems is performing exclusion work. You need to close off every possible entry the mice can have into your structures. Crawl space doors that are not sealed, broken vent screening, gaps around plumbing pipes and foundation cracks are common places mice use as entries.

Question:
How do I get fleas out of my carpet?
Answer:

Unfortunately, fleas are a difficult thing to get rid of. First, you must consult a licensed pest control specialist. They have the appropriate chemicals to kill the live fleas, eggs and other bugs. After you've had the exterminator come, then you can get your carpet cleaned to remove the dead flea eggs and shed skin left behind. The carpet cleaning process itself does not kill the fleas. If you can't hire an exterminator, I have had a few people tell me that some of the over the counter products from the local hardware store works.

Question:
I have an odor of mouse urine in my laundry area. Is there any to get rid of this? The floor in that area is brick set in concrete; the walls are wall paper on plywood.
Answer:

The odor is probably in the walls. Try washing your floors with a Clorox mixture.

Question:
How do you treat box elders both outdoors and now indoors. They seem to love my maple tree and the maple seed in the mulch. That is where they are the heaviest.
Answer:

We power spray the exterior with termiticide labeled for broadcast applications. We treat all windows and door frames to eliminate entry points. These two methods should put you on preventative maintenance.

Question:
How long does the female termite live?
Answer:

Female termites can live for thirty seven years, unless they have mated, then their life expectancy drops rapidly.

Question:
How to treat for the tiny ants that appears mainly in the kitchen, even with immaculate conditions?
Answer:

There are two types of very tiny ants that commonly infest kitchens the way you're describing. There are "ghost ants" that are very small, and a clear-yellow color with a black or dark end. They tend to move quickly and scatter easily when you disturb their trail. The other type of ant you may be seeing is called a pharaoh ant. They are reddish in color and tend to trail more slowly and deliberately than the ghost ants. Both of these ants can be controlled with ant baits. But if you use any sort of spray insecticide or strong smelling cleansers around pharaoh ants, you will aggravate the problem by causing them to briefly abandon the area they're in, and then show up in 2 or 3 other places in your home. They can easily be coming in from outside, so watch them very carefully and patiently when you see them trailing with food in their mouths, to see where they're going. They will sometimes lead you back to their source, and the solution may simply be to treat outside where they're coming in, and then caulk and seal their entry point.

Question:
I bought a twenty year old house. I found out it has had termites, and had it treated with Termidor. Was then told it wasn't treated properly and needs to be drilled every 12 inches. Do you think I need to redo? How can I be sure this house isn't full of termites?
Answer:

You can't be sure that your home isn't full of termites. But, it is rare that a home is "full of termites." Usually infestations are found before the damage is extensive. First of all, you've done the right thing by consulting a professional and having a full treatment done. When you're buying a termite protection service, you want to make sure you're hiring a company with a good reputation. Ideally, they're a company that's been in business for a number of years so that you can be reasonably sure they'll be around for the years while you own your home and maintain the termite treatment guarantee. Larger companies are more likely to have the insurance or financial means to handle a large claim, if you have to make one. They're also more likely to have better developed training programs and written treatment specifications so that their treatments are thorough and consistent with the termiticide label's specifications. That being said, Termidor is widely considered by our industry as the best liquid termiticide available at this time. It is important that the product be applied as the manufacturer's label directs. The type of foundation that your home is built on is the most important factor in determining how much product to use, where to apply it, whether drilling is necessary, and where the drilling should be done. In the meanwhile, make sure that the treatment warranty you purchased includes repair coverage.

Question:
What is the best way to rid my yard of unwanted pests, specifically moles. I have St. Augustine grass, neighbors with dogs who visit, and lots of shade where I find the tunnels. I obviously do not want to poison the grass or other animals (squirrels, birds, or the neighbor's dogs).
Answer:

Moles are generally digging to look for a food source, so if you have an abundance of lawn insects, they may continue to return to the same areas. If your lawn isn't plagued with more insects than normal, the mole will likely move on to another food source in short order.

Question:
About 2 weeks ago I heard loud bees in my attic. It appears that they are Carpenter Bees, since I found a dead bee in my A/C vent filter. I sprayed the hole they entered, but they still make noise. This is an area of my house without access due to a cathedral ceiling. What do you recommend to eliminate these bees?
Answer:

The safest product for use in that situation is a mixture of products called borid and drione in dust formulations. The trick is to find a place where you can get access, either by way of the attic, or by placing a small hole that can be easily patched in a strategic location through the drywall of the ceiling or an adjacent wall. We have an applicator with a treating tip that's about 1/4" wide, so it fits into very small holes easily. If you are in fact dealing with carpenter bees, they are the young bees emerging from holes drilled in the spring. If they can't find a way to the outside, they'll die fairly quickly. You'll want to inspect the exterior of your home to determine how the adults gained entry to the attic in the spring so that you can prevent that from happening again next year.