10,000,000,000,000,000,000
We share our planet with over 10 quintillion individual insects, and we share our country with approximately 91,000 different species of insects. In fact, a study in Pennsylvania that surveyed an area of one acre yielded 425,000,000 individual insects (most of which being mites and springtails). Most of these are beneficial and play a very specific role in our ecosystem. That’s why it’s so important to know your local insects!
Here is some information that we’ve compiled over the past 25 years in this business.
Ants
This is a great place to add a tagline.
Out of the 700 species of ants, in Pennsylvania, we only have to live with 42. Most of these guys are respectable, well-mannered ants, who understand boundaries and don’t come in uninvited. However there are 3 groups that are the exception… carpenter, pavement, and odorous house ants. These guys are habitual line-steppers and won’t think twice about coming in after food, water, or shelter. All ants in PA go through a winged phase where they have a big party (often in your home) before settling down to start their own families. This is a tell-tale sign to give us a call so we can identify what’s swarming because the ant has a distant, and much more destructive cousin, the Termite; who behaves the same way…
Some Quick Tips
ANTS
There are hundreds of species of ants, and no single pest control – especially home remedies – works for all of them. For the most part, ants are content to live outdoors, where in most cases they are perfectly harmless and even helpful to the environment. There they prey on flea and fly larvae and aerate the soil. When they enter your home, they’re typically looking for shelter or food, particularly during very rainy weather or during drought.
Ants can enter your home or any building through the tiniest cracks in floors, walls and foundations. They’re typically looking for water or sweet, greasy food substances and are most likely found in the kitchen or food storage areas. Once they locate a source of food (primarily grains and sugars), they leave a scent trail of pheromones for other ants to follow. One of the best ways to avoid an infestation of ants is to keep your kitchen and storage areas very clean.
Ants will nest just about anywhere: in your lawn, tree stumps, even under your home’s foundation. They may also cause structural damage by hollowing out wood for nesting. Colonies can number in the millions and last as long as 15 years, but will quickly uproot and relocate when threatened.
PREVENTING ANTS
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Use caulk or screening to seal small cracks
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Keep garbage in a sealed container
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Regularly empty and wash garbage cans & recycling bins
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Keep kitchen counters, floors & stove tops clean
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Clean up crumbs & spills in your home thoroughly
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Store food in sealed plastic or glass containers
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Store sugars & honey in the refrigerator
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Store firewood as far away from your home as possible
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Keep rain gutters clean
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Repair any moisture-damaged wood
Bed Bug Infestations
Bed bugs are hard to control. They can hide in many places like beds, closets, furniture, behind pictures and in tiny cracks in the wall. Inspections and treatments must be thorough. We need your cooperation in order to control them.
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STRIP YOUR BEDS. Remove all sheets, blankets, mattress covers, pillowcases, etc. from your beds and wash them. Fold them and place them in plastic garbage bags. Do not put them back on the bed until the evening after pest control service.
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REMOVE EVERYTHING FROM BEDROOM AND HALL CLOSETS: Your closets must be empty. Empty all dresser drawers and nightstand drawers. Take everything out of nightstands and other furniture near the beds. Dresser drawers and nightstands must be empty. Remove all clothing, toys, boxes, etc. from bedroom floors. Place items in the living room.
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WASH ALL CLOTHING, TOWELS, AND OTHER LINENS: This means everything. Place the clean items inside plastic storage bins or plastic garbage bags. Store them in the living room until after treatment.
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VACUUM: Vacuum floors, furniture, and inside closets, dresser drawers, and bed stands. Also vacuum mattresses and box springs. Dispose of vacuum bag.
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PROVIDE ACCESS FOR PEST CONTROL TECHNICIAN: Make sure the technician can get into all closets. If possible, move bedroom furniture away from walls so there is a 3 foot space between the furniture and walls.
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AVOID CONTACT WITH INSECTICIDE UNTIL DRY: Make sure there are no animals or people in the apartment during treatment and for at least 2 hours afterwards.