Flea and Ticks 

The flea is an insect that feeds on the blood of its host—domestic animals, wildlife and the occasional human are equally susceptible to its bite. Typically making their way into the home via the family pet, difficult flea infestations can appear seemingly overnight. Eggs that are laid on dogs or cats are easily dispersed throughout the home as the pet scratches to relieve itching from irritating bites. While flea bites are typically not painful, in pets and humans alike they resemble a single, raised mark on the skin that may become increasingly itchy and inflamed.

What to do if you suspect a flea infestation in your home:

Due to the life cycle of fleas, they are not easily controlled by over the counter products. Instead of reaching for flea bombs and foggers, whenever possible, the best way to get rid of a flea infestation is by persistent vacuuming, treatment with a long-acting insecticide, and prevention. Pets with known flea problems should be treated and maintained with a veterinarian-approved flea control product such as Frontline Plus. Meanwhile, areas where pets rest should be either vacuumed or laundered. Areas to pay special attention to typically include:

 Human and pet bedding—launder and dry on hottest allowable setting

Floors, area rugs, and furniture—vacuum daily, paying special attention to areas where pets rest

Dog houses, pet-perches, and under Fido’s favorite tree—these locations harbor flea eggs, which make it critical to keep your pets’ flea control maintained

When to call in a professional:

Over the counter products for fleas are regulated to be safe for the consumer to apply it, and based on the assumption that the average consumer might not always follow the label exactly as it is written. For this reason, and others, OTC treatment products typically have a limited life. When all efforts to vacuum and launder to break the reproductive cycle have failed, it is recommended that liquid or aerosol flea treatments be performed by a licensed pest control professional.

Bees & Wasps

Of all insect species, the honey bee is perhaps the most beneficial. There is, of course, honey: about 200 million pounds of it is produced commercially each year. But the honey bee makes its greatest contribution by pollinating plants. More than one half of all fruit and vegetable crops are pollinated by honey bees. Wasps contribute by preying on many pest insects harmful to crops. Without bees and wasps, our menu would be very limited. Unfortunately, bees and wasps can be a threat to human health. Each year, 50 to 100 people die from bee and wasp stings. Most die from an allergic reaction to venom within one hour of the sting. About 1 percent of the population is allergic to  bee and wasp venom. Those allergic to stings should carry emergency epinephrine injection kits as directed by their doctors.

Scorpions

The best time to hunt scorpions is in the dark!  Using a black light, scorpions are easily spotted because their exoskeleton glows.  Ultraviolet LED flashlights can be found for fewer than twenty dollars.

Scorpions are common in newer homes especially in homes built on the outskirts of busy metropolitan areas.

Scorpions can live up to 15 years but generally live three to six years in the wild.

Scorpions do not gather in large groups or nest together.  They prefer to stay under rocks and inside holes by themselves.  If you happen to find several scorpions in one place, it is more likely a circumstance of limited nesting areas than colony formation.

Scorpions cannot climb vertically on smooth glass.

Scorpions are not hatched from eggs but are actually born live.  Baby scorpions will live on their mothers back for weeks until mature enough to live on their own.

Spiders

Behavior, Diet & Habits

Some spiders like moisture and are found in basements, crawl spaces and other damp parts of buildings. Others like dry, warm areas such as subfloor air vents, upper corners of rooms and attics. They hide in dark areas. They feed on insects, other spiders and any other prey they are able to subdue.

Reproduction

Females produce an egg sac from which emerge spiderlings. Spiderlings undergo a series of molts and eventually become adults. Males of many spider species court the female. For example, male jumping spiders perform elaborate dances to attract the attention of a female. Mating can be a dangerous event for males, since they may become a meal for the female afterwards.

How Do They Get in the Home?

Spiders commonly enter homes in two primary ways: entering through open, poorly screened windows and doors and through cracks and gaps around door and window frames. Most of the time, spiders come inside the home looking for prey. The other common method of entry is accidentally hitchhiking inside boxes, on outdoor items and numerous other things that are brought inside a home or business. Contact your pest management professional if you find spiders in your home. Your pest management profession will conduct an inspection and a create a comprehensive control plan that is based on the inspection findings.

Termites

In their search for food (wood/cellulose) and moisture, subterranean termites will squeeze through cracks as narrow as 1/32 of an inch to enter your home! Expansion joints, foundation cracks, tiny gaps around plumbing, and service entries are all potential entry points. And once they’re in, undetected termites can mean untold damage.

Unlike subterranean termites, dry wood termites do not require contact with the soil in order to live. Consequently, they can enter your home on any floor or through your attic, rather than through cracks and gaps near your home’s foundation.

Termidor® termiticide/insecticide is a professional termite defense product effective on native subterranean termites, Formosan termites, and dry wood termites. It utilizes an advanced non-repellent, or “undetectable,” liquid technology that termites cannot see, smell, taste, or avoid. Instead, they contact, ingest, and share Termidor, completely unaware that doing so will inevitably kill them.

Ants

Entry
Ants can enter through even the tiniest cracks, seeking water and sweet or greasy food substances in the kitchen pantry or storeroom areas.

Scent trails
Ants leave an invisible chemical trail which contains pheromones for others to follow once they locate the food source.

Nest locations
They can nest about anywhere in and around your house; in lawns, walls, stumps, even under foundations.

Colony size
Colonies can number up to 300,000 to 500,000, and whole colonies can uproot and relocate quickly when threatened.

Colony Lifetime
A colony can live a relatively long lifetime. Worker ants may live seven years, and the queen may live as long as 15 years.

Professional Help:
Professional help is often needed to tackle tough ant problems