Polite Pest

How To Get Rid Of Cockroaches Forever

Thu, 18 May 2023 19:54:00 GMT

Cockroaches are one of the most common insect pests in America. They’re also one of the hardest to get rid of. Should you ever need it, here are some tips to rid your home of cockroaches and prevent their return.

What Are Cockroaches?

The American cockroach is usually one to three inches long and shaped like an oval. They have two antennae, six legs, and wings. This particular breed of cockroach lives about two years.

While they are commonly found outdoors, they will move into buildings if food is scarce or the weather is unfavorable. They like warm, moist environments and will eat any organic material.

Female roaches can lay over a thousand eggs a year, spreading quickly into any new territory. Eggs hidden in nooks and crannies will hatch even if you kill the adults. Chances are they’ll be back.

Are They Dangerous?

Cockroaches can bite but generally don’t. They’d much rather run and hide, but that doesn’t mean they’re completely benign.

Salmonella: Roaches can carry salmonella, a bacterial infection of the gut. It can transfer to your food. If you eat something without knowing roaches contaminated it or prepare food on a contaminated countertop, you could have stomach cramps, diarrhea, and a fever.

E. Coli: Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria also live in the gut. Most strains are harmless, but not all of them. According to the Mayo Clinic, E. coli O157:H7 , for example, E. coli can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting. Most adults will recover in about a week. Older people, children, and people with compromised immune systems are more at risk of developing kidney failure, which is life-threatening.

Allergies/Asthma: Cockroach feces, eggs, saliva, and body parts create particles in the air (which is how you smell their musty odor) and can cover surfaces. They can trigger allergic reactions or asthma attacks. Symptoms are difficulty breathing, a tight feeling in the chest, coughing, wheezing, itchy skin, and watery eyes. In extreme cases, people may even develop anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction causing low blood pressure and swelling of the lips, mouth, and airways, which can make it hard to breathe.

Where Do I Look?

The warm, moist environments cockroaches usually choose are gardens, compost piles, around pipes, in walls, and under appliances. Basements, attics, and garages are good places to hide, where they can find cardboard and other things to munch on.

Some signs you’ve found the infestation include:

Cockroach Pest Control

The number one way to control cockroaches is prevention. They will relocate if they can’t find the proper environment and food source in your home. Here is a handy checklist.

Pest Control

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you get uninvited and unwanted visitors that refuse to take the hint. While they sell roach sprays, traps, and poisons at your local grocery or hardware store, they are often toxic, which gets tricky if you have children or pets.

They are also slow acting. Roach traps have slow-acting poison. Roaches will eat the poison, then return to their nest. As they do so, they leave droppings that the other cockroaches eat, which also poisons them. It doesn’t kill the eggs.

The roach population drops, and you think you’ve solved the problem until a new group of eggs hatch, grow, and breed.

Pest control services for cockroaches are the best option for killing adults and destroying all eggs. In addition to their skill at reaching the difficult hiding places roaches prefer, professional exterminators have access to commercial-grade but environmentally friendly bug killers that are safe for your family. For more information or to schedule a free estimate, click here .

Seeing a live cockroach
Finding dead cockroaches
Cockroach droppings, which are small and dark, like coffee grounds or pepper granules.
A musty odor that gets more concentrated as the population grows.

Fix leaky pipes.
Keep mulch, fallen leaves, and compost piles away from the house.
Vacuum regularly to remove crumbs in carpet, sofas, and other furniture. This is especially important if you have pets or small children who will hide food in weird places.
Wash dishes and put food away after every meal.
Lift small appliances as you wipe down countertops so no crumbs are left behind. (Don’t forget to get bread crumbs from the toaster. There’s a release on the tray on the bottom of the toaster, or you can turn it upside down over the sink or trash can.)
A popular hiding spot is under fridges and stoves, where food falls, and we forget about it. Pulling these appliances out and cleaning under them periodically will eliminate a food source.
Store food in your pantry inside containers.
Clean crumbs from your shelves and cupboards regularly to eliminate food supplies.
Don’t leave pet food out.
Make regular inspections. Catching an infestation early will make getting rid of pests so much easier.

How Pest Control Specialists Keep Your Home Critter Free

Tue, 02 May 2023 19:49:00 GMT

Arizona has its share of creepy critters, including ants, termites, tarantulas, scorpions, bed bugs, mice, rats, and more. With such a variety of pests in the area, it’s nice to have a specialist on your side. This article explains what you can expect from your insect and pest control company.

A Quick Turnaround

Your pest control company should respect you, your family, and your time. We know you might take time off work for a pest control appointment, and we take that seriously.

While something might come up that delays your appointment temporarily (like a poisonous snake in a school, for example), you should expect clear communication from your chosen pest control company about the delay and an estimated time of arrival.

Generally, they should be at your home when they say they will.

The Assessment

Before your exterminator can decide what they must do to protect your home, they assess the problem to determine the following:

The Free Estimate

Once they’ve completed the assessment and understand the problem’s scope, they can give you a price for the initial service and any follow-up services you request.

Some pest removals are a one-and-done service, meaning the pests aren’t likely to return. Creatures like termites are more problematic with giant underground hives. The exterminator may suggest a regularly scheduled inspection and spray to keep termites from returning to munch on your home.

Removal/Extermination

Your exterminator’s method will depend on the type of critters you’re dealing with. They may employ baited traps for larger animals, environmentally safe sprays to deter colonies or hives from rebuilding once the exterminator has gone, or a combination of techniques.

(Be sure to inform your pest control company of any special needs your family may have, such as allergies, health problems, children, or pets. A knowledgeable exterminator will have multiple tools to rid your home of pests, even if they have to do a workaround for resident health concerns.)

Education

Before your specialist starts, they should explain precisely which measures they will take. And before they leave, they will walk you through the affected area.

Last But Not Least

By the time your pest control specialist leaves, you should feel comfortable with the job they have done and confident that your family is safe and secure in your home.

Ask any questions you still have about maintaining your pest-free home, but here’s a checklist that will help:

To Sum It All Up…

Peace of mind is the most significant benefit of hiring a polite, experienced, and professional exterminator to protect your home. There’s no guesswork, no frantic internet searches on how to kill persistent intruders, and no sketchy chemicals in your home. They nip the pest problem in the bud and catch even a hint of pest return before they can get comfortable and multiply.

What pest is causing the problem?
How many are there? Is it a single critter, like a snake, or a hive or colony?
How difficult will it be to get to the problem area?
What is the best technique to remove or exterminate them?
What attracted the pests in the first place?
How do they prevent the pests’ return?

Damage – What damage did the pests cause to the property? Rodents can chew through electrical wiring, creating a fire hazard. Termites can weaken the structural integrity of wooden homes, sheds, or furniture. Bees can build honeycombs and hives inside your walls, barbecue, or wood shed. You can then have the damage repaired so opportunistic pests don’t move into the dead bugs’ nest.
Attraction – What attracted them to the property? Do you have a leaky faucet, a wood pile next to the house, open food containers in the pantry, or openings that seem inviting to pests wanting to move in with you? If you know what attracted the pest to your home in the first place, you can take steps to make your home less inviting.
Home sealing for pest control – Block all extra entrances into the home. There are still the doors and windows to monitor if they’re left open, but at least you see the critters coming.
Signs of the pests’ return – If you aren’t scheduling recurring residential pest control services, your exterminators can give you warning signs to watch out for. Make regular inspections of your home. If you see the warning signs, you can call your exterminator to do an assessment.

Move wood piles and debris away from the house. It may be convenient to have the wood near the back door for easy retrieval when you’ve got a fire going, but it’s a popular hiding place for termites, spiders, and scorpions.
Fix any leaky faucets. Desert animals of all types search for a ready water source and will make their home nearby. While we understand their will to survive, it doesn’t have to be in our homes.
Remove any piles of cardboard and store unwrapped paper goods and other plant-based materials that will draw termites.
Seal cracks and crevices with weather-resistant caulking or cover the opening with fine wire mesh to block the unauthorized entrance.
Vacuum regularly, and not just the carpets. Bed bugs and spiders will find refuge in upholstered furniture and in and around the bedding.
Keep the kitchen surfaces free of all food sources, and ensure foods in the pantry are in closed containers. Note: If you find rodent droppings, use heavy plastic, glass, or metal. Mice and rats will eat through cardboard and thin plastic to get to your food. Once they find a ready food source, they will keep coming back.
Look for mud tunnels leading from the dirt to your home. This is a sign of termite activity.

Are Bark Scorpions A Dangerous Problem In Arizona?

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 16:47:00 GMT

If you live in Arizona, you’re familiar with desert predators like spiders and scorpions. What makes the bark scorpion a problem? Are they dangerous? Or just pests that look menacing?

What Are Scorpions?

Scorpions are arachnids, meaning they have eight legs. They have clawed front arms like crabs and a jointed stinger curling over their back.

As nocturnal desert predators, they benefit the environment by eating cockroaches, crickets, and spiders that could otherwise grow too numerous. That doesn’t mean you want to find one with your bare feet in the middle of the night.

What Makes The Bark Scorpion Different From Other Breeds?

Are Stings Fatal?

Contrary to popular belief, only two people have died from bark scorpion stings since they began recording statistics in the 1960s. That being said, children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to life-threatening symptoms and should be taken to the hospital immediately to be on the safe side.

Are Baby Scorpions More Dangerous?

Baby bark scorpion venom isn’t more powerful than a grown scorpion. Still, they have less control over how much venom they use. You may get a higher dose of venom from a baby than an adult.

Are Bark Scorpions Aggressive?

No. Stings are accidental. Bark scorpions will run and hide, given a chance. If they feel cornered or startled, or if you touch them, then they will sting reflexively.

Your hand jerks away from a hot frying pan when you get burned. Your body doesn’t give you time to think about it to save you from further harm. It’s the same with a scorpion sting.

What Are The Symptoms of a Bark Scorpion Sting?

Common symptoms include numbness, tingling, extreme pain at the site of the sting, involuntary muscle movements, rapid breathing, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.

Call your doctor if symptoms become distressing, but symptoms should lessen in 48-72 hours. (Pay special attention to those with compromised immune systems, the elderly, and children. Their condition could change rapidly.)

If you see the following symptoms, however, then it’s time to call 911 .

How To Get Rid Of Scorpions In The House

The two most effective methods are preventing them from coming in and calling pest control for scorpions.

Prevention

Unlike mice, scorpions can’t live on hidden crumbs in your pantry. But they can live on the bugs that go after the crumbs. Effectively eliminating the bugs in your house will starve the scorpions, and they will leave on their own.

Scorpion Removal

If you’re feeling brave, you can lower a glass over the scorpion, slide something under it, and carry it away from the house.

Ensure the item you’re sliding under the glass is sturdy enough to hold and thin enough to get under the glass edge without letting the scorpion escape. You should also make sure that the item you slide underneath can be lifted up without the glass shifting, or you may get stung.

If this all sounds a little too risky, call your local pest control company. Some professional-grade treatments can kill scorpions despite their armor plating. The exterminator can inspect your home to verify there aren’t more critters hiding out till nightfall. And they can show you how to prevent them from coming back.

The Takeaway…

While bark scorpions are generally non-lethal, their stings can be painful. If you have any doubts as to your ability to remove a scorpion from your home safely, call a professional scorpion exterminator in Phoenix.

We specialize in natural treatments that won’t expose your family members or pets to toxic chemicals, and you can count on our signature polite service from start to finish. Whether you need scorpion control in Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Phoenix, or Scottsdale, contact our professionals today.

As their names suggest, bark scorpions will climb trees and hide under bark during the heat of the day. This sets them apart from the other scorpions who make their homes in the ground. Their climbing ability allows them to scale your walls and ceiling in search of their prey.
Easily identified by their thin stinger tail and plain yellow color, they grow up to 3 inches long.
They are attracted to the moisture in and around your home as well as by bugs that find a way inside. Bark scorpions can flatten their tail and squeeze through openings the width of a credit card, just 1/16th of an inch.
Stores throughout Arizona sell blacklight flashlights because bark scorpion exoskeletons glow in the dark. (Since scorpions are nocturnal, you’re more likely to come across one in the middle of the night. Having one of these flashlights handy on your way to the bathroom at 2 a.m. is a good idea.)
Unlike its burrowing cousins, the bark scorpion will hide in wood piles, rock crevices, and other shadowed cracks around the home.
They are active in the warmer months and will hibernate during winter.
And it’s the only scorpion in North America whose venom is potent enough to cause severe symptoms in healthy adults without allergies.

Foaming at the mouth
Seizures
Paralysis
Swelling of the airway/difficulty breathing

Clean the space regularly.
Call an exterminator if the bug problem persists.
Seal cracks and gaps where the scorpion might enter.

Bed Bugs Are On The Rise

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 16:29:00 GMT

It’s an unpleasant topic, but bed bugs have been on the rise in the United States for the past decade. And it’s not just limited to our country. In Paris, they’re such a big problem that government officials set up a national emergency hotline to try to rein the pests in.

Why are they returning, and how can we stop it? Here’s the down-low from our expert bed bug exterminators.

What Are Bed Bugs?

Bed Bugs are small, flat, brown, and oval-shaped creatures that hide in your bedding and snack on you at night. Like mosquitos and ticks, they drink blood while you lay asleep and defenseless.

Some people never notice the bites. Others have a histamine response that makes the bite marks swell and itch.

Didn’t We Get Rid Of Bed Bugs?

Yes, for a while. Around World War II, they invented DDT, a chemical designed to combat bugs carrying bloodborne diseases like malaria. For years, the widespread use of DDT eradicated bugs in homes, gardens, and crops.

Unfortunately, DDT turned out to be toxic and long-lasting in the environment. It’s been linked to infertility in animals and people and can cause liver damage. The United Nations drew up a treaty with participating nations banning the use of DDT except in areas where the risks of malaria are more significant than the risks of the chemicals.

If We Got Rid Of Them, Why Are They Coming Back?

Bed bugs are becoming more of a problem every year. There are several known causes of their resurgence, including:

How Do You Know If You Have Bed Bugs?

A female bed bug lays hundreds of eggs in her lifetime, all about the size of a speck of dust. From the first day of their arrival till the end of the year, you could have three or four generations of bed bugs breeding in your bedding, couch, closet, and carpeting.

Consequently, it’s vital to detect them early. The best time to do this is before you take them home.

When traveling, do a bed bug inspection in and around the bed before unpacking. You should also place your suitcase on a suitcase stand or a solid surface like a table where you can see the bed bugs coming.

Signs of Infestation

If you find any signs of bed bugs, report it to the front desk and find another hotel. Check any luggage you might have taken into the room to ensure you’re not spreading the problem to the next location.

When You Get Home

Unpack everything in the washer when you get home. Avoid setting your suitcase on carpet, upholstery, or bedding until you’ve inspected it.

If you are suspicious, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Wash and dry clothing at the hottest temperatures if possible. If hot water damages the fabric, spray rubbing alcohol on the material of colorfast items to kill live bugs and dry on high heat to kill eggs. Dry clean-only items should be sealed in a plastic bag to take to a dry cleaner.

Wipe down the suitcase with rubbing alcohol, being careful to get the cracks and crevices.

If You Find Bed Bugs In Your Home

Take immediate action. Make an appointment for bed bug treatment services first and take the following steps to prevent the spread of bugs to other areas of your house.

Conclusion

The three most important things to remember are: There’s no shame in finding bed bugs; they could have come from anywhere. Take immediate action to prevent the spread to other areas of your home and to your neighbors. And call an exterminator who will prevent them from coming back.

Chemical Resistance – It’s survival of the fittest. The weak bugs die. New bugs are born in a toxic environment. They adapt to the new environment and are harder to kill than previous generations.
Hitchhiking – These crafty little bugs aren’t content to stay in one place. They hitch a ride in suitcases and clothing, looking for their next feeding and breeding ground.
Large Buildings – Bed bugs are tiny and find their way into walls, air vents, and under doors. If your neighbor returns from a trip with bed bugs in their suitcase, the bugs will spread to all the neighboring apartments.
Stigma – Because bed bugs were largely eradicated, anyone who had bed bugs was stigmatized. Since the bed bug diet is exclusively blood, they are not a sign of dirtiness. Your neighbor may keep an immaculate home, but one vacation can lead to an infestation. They resist reporting it, afraid of judgment by their neighbors, until the problem gets out of hand.

Signs of Infestation

Spots of blood on sheets or the mattress
Bug bites or an itchy rash on the body in lines or clusters
Black bug feces the size of a period in the previous paragraph
A musty smell
Bugs in the cracks and crevices
Shed bug exoskeletons

Wash all the bedding and dry it in the highest temperature settings. Be careful you don’t shake the material. Move it gently so as not to dislodge any of the dust-mote-sized eggs.
Vacuum using the brush wand to scrape any eggs from seams and cracks on the mattress, bedframe, upholstery, drapes, closets, carpets, baseboards, vents, and grates.
Cover the mattress with a sealed hypoallergenic dust cover. If any of the eggs survive, bed bugs can go several months without eating, so leave the cover on for a year to be safe. Or you can carry the mattress out in the sealed cover, preventing eggs from dropping as you transport the mattress to the dump. Then treat the home and buy a new mattress.
If you live in a tenement building, seal around baseboards and use a barrier under door frames to prevent unwelcome visitors.
If you use a laundromat, transport the clothing in plastic bags, dump them gently into the machine, then immediately carry the plastic bags to a trash bin outside. (It’s also a good idea to collect clean laundry in new plastic bags and fold them at home to prevent hitchhikers from the laundromat.)
Arrange for your bed bug exterminator to treat the area with EPA-approved solutions.

How do you know if you have rodents in your home and when should you call in the professionals?

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 07:20:00 GMT

Look For These Telltale Signs

If you suspect you have rodents in your home, there are several signs to look out for:

● Droppings: Rodents leave behind small, oval-shaped droppings usually found near their nests or food sources.

● Gnaw Marks: Rodents have a constant need to gnaw on things to keep their teeth sharp, so look for gnaw marks on wood, wires, or other materials.

● Holes And Burrows: Rodents often create holes and burrows in walls, floors, and ceilings to make their nests.

● Scratching Noises: Rodents are active at night, and you may hear scratching or scurrying sounds in walls, ceilings, or floors.

● Sightings: If you see a rodent, it’s a sure sign that you have an infestation.

If you suspect you have rodents in your home, it’s important to call a pest control company as soon as possible. Rodents can carry diseases and cause significant damage to your home, so it’s best to address the problem quickly.

A pest control company can inspect your home, identify the type of rodent, and determine the extent of the infestation. They can then develop a tailored treatment plan to eliminate the rodents and prevent them from coming back.

In addition, a pest control professional can offer advice on how to prevent future infestations, such as sealing up entry points and keeping your home clean and clutter-free.

Sholom Rosenbloom

Owner of Rosenbloom Pest Control .

There is nothing worse than entertaining uninvited, unwanted guests. It’s even worse when those “guests” are creepy little rodents that scurry around your house at night, gnawing on your food and leaving their droppings wherever they go. If you suspect you might have some of these unwanted guests in your house, keep reading. A few of our readers have shared some tips on how to know when you have rodents in your home and when you should call in the professionals.

Loren Ang

CEO of iPropertyManagement .

Look For Both Obvious and Subtle Signs

There are always some telltale signs to look for with rodents. While some can be obvious, such as hearing something scurry or skitter across your floor on a quiet night, others can be more subtle.

One of the keys is that rodents come into your house because they’re after shelter and especially food.

If you find odd tears, rips, and openings in food containers, rodents could definitely be the culprit. Rodents also tend to defecate where they eat, so if you find small, dark, oblong pellets near those damaged food containers, you’re probably looking at rodent droppings.

Rodents can be relatively easy to manage on a DIY basis as long as you’re not squeamish. There are a variety of consumer-grade traps available, including live traps if you’re particularly soft-hearted. Just make sure you’re checking those traps frequently; you don’t want to leave a decaying mouse corpse in your home any longer than you have to.

If consistent trapping doesn’t get rid of your unwelcome guests, it might be time to call an exterminator.

Max Shak

Founder of Survival Gear Shack.

Look Out For These Common Signs

There are several signs that can indicate the presence of rodents in your home. Here are some of the most common signs to look out for:

● Droppings: Rodents such as mice and rats leave droppings in areas where they have been active, such as in the kitchen or near food storage areas.

● Gnaw marks: Rodents need to gnaw to keep their teeth sharp, so look out for gnaw marks on food packaging or other surfaces.

● Tracks: Rodents may leave tracks in dusty or dirty areas such as the attic or basement.

● Squeaking Or Scratching Noises: You may hear squeaking or scratching noises coming from walls or other areas of the home where rodents are active.

● Nesting Materials: Rodents may use materials such as shredded paper or fabric to build nests in hidden areas of the home.

If you suspect rodents in your home, it’s important to take action as soon as possible to prevent an infestation from becoming more severe. Here are some steps you can take:

● Clean And Declutter: Keep your home clean and decluttered to eliminate hiding places and food sources for rodents.

● Seal Entry Points: Seal any gaps or cracks in your home’s foundation, walls, and roof to prevent rodents from entering.

● Use Traps: Use traps to capture rodents that are already in your home. There are a variety of traps available, from snap traps to live traps.

● Call A Pest Control Company: If you are unable to eliminate the rodent problem on your own or if you have a severe infestation, it’s best to call a pest control company. They will have the expertise and tools to safely and effectively eliminate the infestation.

Overall, it’s important to be aware of the signs of rodents in your home and take action to prevent or eliminate an infestation. You can keep your home rodent-free by cleaning and decluttering, sealing entry points, using traps, and calling a pest control company if necessary.

Susan Anderson

Founder of The Worthy Goods.

Strange Noises, Smells, or Sights

Rodents can be difficult to detect in your home, but there are a few signs to keep an eye out for, such as droppings, gnaw marks, and strange noises. You may also notice a musky smell or see nests or burrows in your attic or basement.

Quick action is important, as rodents can cause damage and pose a health risk. When considering whether to call a pest control company, think about the severity of the problem and your ability to handle it.

If it’s a small issue, you may be able to deal with it yourself using traps and exclusion methods. However, for larger infestations or if you’re unsure how to remove rodents safely, it’s best to call in professionals.

A reputable pest control company can assess the situation, develop a customized plan, and safely and effectively remove the rodents from your home. This will provide peace of mind and a rodent-free living environment.

Watch For Droppings and Listen For Noises

Other than physically seeing rodents in your home, two of the biggest signs that they are present are if you find droppings or if you can hear them.

You are most likely to find droppings [where] rodents are more commonly found, like in your basement or attic, in your floor-level cupboards, around your garbage cans, etc. Basically, anywhere that is dark and allows for easy hiding or access to food.

You want to call a pest control company as soon as you realize you are dealing with an infestation problem. The presence of rodents in your home is not just annoying- it can be a major health hazard for you and your family.

Rex Freiberger

CEO of GR Leaf Blowers.

Do I Need to Worry About Termites in Phoenix?

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 12:10:00 GMT

It’s estimated that three to five colonies of up to a million termites make their home in every acre of Arizona land. They cause over $5 billion in damages to homes and businesses across the US every year.

Unfortunately, that’s $5 billion in damages that most insurance companies don’t cover, leaving home and business owners to foot the bill for repairs. Termite damage can also prevent or complicate selling or refinancing the building.

Why Termites Are Destructive

Termites live on cellulose, meaning plant-based materials. Much of our environment is composed of cellulose, including the wood framing your house, flooring, furniture, paper, and landscaping.

A termite excretes bacteria from its hindquarters that dissolve the cellulose structure, making it edible. The termite then ingests the processed pulp and carries it back to the hive to feed the rest of the colony.

With up to a million termites in the hive, they consume wood at an alarming rate, and the property owner may only notice the infestation once there are thousands of dollars of damage.

Recognizing An Infestation

The key to avoiding expensive repairs is early detection. Understanding the types of termites in your area will help you spot them. Arizona is home to four different classifications of termites:

Dampwood Termites

Dampwood termites, as their name suggests, prefer to live in and eat wood that is constantly wet and rotting. This usually means wood next to standing or flowing water or wood buried in the soil.

While they aren’t as destructive on modern construction due to concrete foundations, they may attack the roots of living trees and shrubbery, killing your landscaping efforts.

Colonies tend to be smaller than their subterranean cousins. Look for rotting or spongey wood. You may see mud trails where they have used their feces to seal openings to maintain humidity in the hive.

You may also hear a tapping sound as the termites communicate by banging their mandibles against the wood.

Drywood Termites

Drywood termites, on the other hand, burrow into framing, walls, roofing, and furniture. Since they eat wood from the inside out, you may not see the damage until the structure of the infested wood is compromised.

Some warning signs are:

Arid and Desert Subterranean Termites

The arid subterranean and desert subterranean termites both live in the ground. The real difference is their location.

Arid termites prefer sunny, dry places and can be found in sand dunes or as high as 7,000 ft above sea level in the mountains. Arid termites like riverbeds and other moist areas as they can find water outside of the soil.

Desert termites avoid the sun. Most are born without eyes because they spend their lives in lightless tunnels. They are found in the desert but will dry out quickly if exposed. Desert termites are small enough to go where other termites can’t. They will eat anything made of wood, including paper and cardboard boxes.

Both termite species cause extensive damage to homes and businesses.

Spotting Subterranean termites

The best way to spot them is to look for tubes. Subterranean termites tunnel through the mud for both safety and to protect them from desiccation (drying out).

Consequently, when they come across stone or concrete, they will create mud tubes to protect them as they travel from the ground to the food source and back. Mud tubes can also be seen on walls, hanging from rooftops, and crossing ceilings.

Mud tubes are often small, allowing only a few termites to pass each other. They can also be larger if the demand for food grows. The rate of destruction increases in proportion to the growing colony. Since the queen lays eggs by the thousands, they can cause significant damage before they’re discovered and exterminated.

Fixing The Problem

DIY extermination is rarely effective. Professional-grade insecticides work more effectively than chemicals deemed safe to sell to the general public. In extreme cases, houses can be tented and fumigated for widespread infestations.

The exception is in dealing with dampwood termites. If the colony is contained in a tree and you remove the tree, then it’s possible to eradicate them. The best tactic a property owner can use is prevention.

Conclusion

All four termites commonly found in and around Phoenix are destructive and hard to spot. With the information in this article, you have the tools to catch them before they cost you thousands in damage and lower your property value. For more information about termite control in Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek, Scottsdale, or Phoenix, or to schedule a termite inspection with Polite Pest, click here .

Active swarms in the air
Discarded Wings
Dead bugs
Frass (small sand-like feces piles near their entry point)
Audible Tapping
Sagging Floors
Hollow Wood

Deal with water damage quickly, so the rotting wood doesn’t attract a new colony.
Pull firewood and other sources of untreated wood away from the structure.
Seal any cracks termites might use as an entrance into your building, especially near the foundation.
Ensure rain gutters are clear and functioning and that water doesn’t pool near the structure.
Inspect or hire an exterminator to inspect your home regularly for signs of termites.
If evidence of infestation is found, call a reputable termite control company immediately to prevent further damage.
Inspect the property regularly or hire a professional service to prevent termites from returning. An exterminator can advise you on how to seal your property and make your buildings less inviting to pests.

The Ants Go Marching One By One…Or Do They?

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 13:55:00 GMT

Ants are fascinating creatures on a National Geographic special. They lose their appeal, however, if they’re on your counter, your pet’s food, in the pantry, and on your skin. Killing or relocating one may be easy, but ants are never alone.

Communal Living: Why Home Remedies May Not Be Enough.

To give you an idea of the scope of the problem, let’s look at the facts:

● A young queen ant and her consorts leave her mother’s nest on a mating flight. That one flight will fertilize the new queen ant for the remainder of her life.

● The longest recorded lifespan of an ant queen is 28 years, and according to a study conducted by Texas AM University , they lay approximately 800 eggs a day. Colonies can number in the hundreds of thousands.

● Colonies are hidden in the ground, inside walls, in tree stumps and logs. What you see is just a tiny percentage of the population.

● The ants you see wandering through your house are worker drones. Once they find food or water, they mark the trail with a pheromone. That scent trail guides her sister drones back to the food source.

● Consequently, bug spray may kill a few hundred ants in your pantry, but the queen will replace them.

● Oils and vinegar may mask the scent trail, but new scouts emerge daily. New worker ants will forge trails back to your pantry as the oils, vinegar, and bug spray fade.

Ant Infestation Prevention

Preventative measures can stop a migrating colony from taking up residence. Such remedies include sealing the nooks and crannies of your home, keeping all food sources in tightly sealed containers, and never leaving crumbs, dirty dishes, or pet food out for the scouts to find.

Any parent or pet owner can tell you this is easier said than done. When you have little helping hands (or paws) living in your home. Crumbs get lost in the carpet, drinks get spilled, and bits of food fall where brooms can’t reach without rearranging the appliances.

Home Remedy Limitations

If you discover a trail of ants, you can try some home remedies.

Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous Earth spread around your home can stop ants from advancing. The microscopic razor-like edges kill ants as they walk across it. Unfortunately, it is irritating to our skin and lungs if we breathe it in. This becomes problematic if there are children or pets in the home.

It is also true that surrounding your house could prove useless if the colony has taken up residence in the walls or foundation of your home.

Insecticide

Insecticide is effective if used correctly. Bug spray is a short-term solution and is often toxic to people and animals.

An ant trap, on the other hand, attacks the root of the problem. The ants eat the poison-laced food and take it back to the colony to regurgitate and feed the queen. (Remember to keep the trap out of reach of children and pets.) No queen, no colony.

Insects do build a tolerance to insecticides , however. They may not take to the food, or the colony may raise another queen. It can take weeks before you know the insecticide did the trick.

If Simple Remedies Fail

Sometimes home remedies don’t work, or we want the pests gone yesterday. Decisive, quick action is necessary to:

● Get rid of or prevent invasion.

● Prevent colony building and the resulting damage to your home and property.

● Save kids and pets from painful bites if they stumble on a nest.

In such cases, the best solution is to hire a professional to eradicate the pests from your property.

Hiring an Ant Control Company

Entrusting the care of your home and family to a stranger can seem daunting. If you’ve never hired an exterminator, here are seven questions a savvy homeowner can use when narrowing their search.

1. Pests change from region to region. Does the company have experience with the pests in your neighborhood,. Here in the Phoenix area, that means ants , termites, scorpions , bed bugs, roaches, silverfish, poisonous spiders , and rodents .

2. Check customer reviews.

3. Does the company rotate its insecticides to prevent bugs from developing resistance to them?

4. Are their insecticides safe for people and pets?

5. What is their turnaround time after receiving a call?

6. Do they communicate with their clients on important matters, such as what they are doing to your property
and what to expect after they’ve completed service?

7. How often do they recommend service, and do they have plans at competitive prices?

Conclusion

Ants, while generally peaceful, are still a force to be reckoned with when dealing with a large colony. Killing worker ants won’t solve the problem, and killing the queen isn’t always easy. On the other hand, with the information in this article, you are forewarned and armed should you wind up facing a horde of ants bent on moving in with you.

Polite Pest provides pest control for ants and other pests in Phoenix, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek, and Scottsdale. For more information or to schedule an estimate, click here .

What are the differences between dealing with scorpions and other pest problems?

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 08:30:00 GMT

Everyday pests are an annoyance, but scorpions unlock a new level of difficulty when it comes to pests. What makes them different from other pests? Why are they more difficult to handle? Some of our readers shared their scorpion knowledge with us. Keep reading to find out what they had to say.

Max Shak

Founder of Survival Gear Shack .

Venomous Sting and Resilient

Dealing with scorpions requires a different approach than other pest problems due to their venomous sting, nocturnal activity, specific habitat preferences, and resilience. It is important to work with a pest control professional who has experience in scorpion control to ensure that the infestation is eliminated safely and effectively.

● Venomous sting: Unlike many other pests, scorpions can pose a health hazard to humans. Their venomous stings can cause pain, swelling, and even death in some cases. As a result, it is important to take extra precautions when dealing with scorpions.

● Nocturnal activity: Scorpions are primarily active at night, which can make them harder to detect and control. This means that it may be necessary to implement nighttime pest control measures, such as using blacklights to locate and trap scorpions.

● Habitat preferences: Scorpions have specific habitat preferences, such as rocky or sandy areas, and may require different treatment methods than other pests. For example, some scorpions may burrow in the soil, making it necessary to treat the soil around a property to eliminate them.

● Resilience: Scorpions are known for their resilience and ability to survive in harsh conditions. This means that it may be necessary to use more aggressive pest control methods to eliminate them.

When dealing with scorpions, it is important to take extra precautions, such as wearing protective clothing and gloves, and using insecticides specifically designed for scorpion control. It is also important to identify and eliminate their preferred habitats, such as piles of debris or rocks near the home.

Higher Level of Caution

When it comes to dealing with scorpions and other pest problems, there are several key differences that require a specialized approach. While other pests may be deterred by traditional methods such as traps or repellents, scorpions require a more targeted approach that addresses their unique behaviors and habitat preferences. Additionally, scorpion stings can be dangerous and even deadly in some cases, requiring a higher level of caution and expertise when dealing with infestations.

Difficult to Locate

When it comes to pest problems, dealing with scorpions requires a different approach than most other pests. Scorpions are venomous and can be dangerous, so it’s important to take extra precautions when trying to get rid of them.

Unlike other pests, scorpions can climb walls and ceilings, making it more difficult to locate and eliminate them. Additionally, scorpions have a unique behavior that allows them to survive without water for long periods of time, which means they can be found in dry areas like deserts.

Leighanne Everhart

Owner at Sell My House Fast Wilmington NC .

Henffrey M. Muthama

Marketing Executive at HardwareHow.