Have Rodents Come Home for the Holidays? Know the Signs.
Despite the cold, the winter brings activities designed for comfort: snuggling under the covers during a holiday movie night, making hot cocoa and cookies, and roasting marshmallows over a fire. As much as we enjoy the creature comforts of winter, other creatures do the same. Disease-carrying mice and rats will chew their way through walls and windows or flatten their bodies to crawl through any tiny crack or crevice to get inside in search of warmth, shelter, and food.
Having rodents in your home (or business) is a serious problem. Not only do common species of mice and rats wreak havoc on a building’s structure, they also carry dangerous bacteria that can put your family, friends, and coworkers at risk for allergies and infection.
Here are the signs that rodents have come home for the holidays:
- Droppings – Since mice and rats leave droppings where they eat, you’ll often find this proof where you keep most of your food. Look for small, dark pellets in cabinets, pantries, cardboard boxes, and under sinks.
- Nests – If you see shredded paper, cotton, fabrics, or packing material lying around, you could have a pest nesting.
- Gnaw marks – Mice and rats will chew through nearly any type of material to get to food and water quickly, including plastic and lead pipes.
- Grease marks – Rats are dirty pests and their fur leaves dark grease or dirt marks along walls. Shine a flashlight onto areas of suspicion to see if any pests have found their way in.
- Noises – If you’re hearing bumps and scratches in the middle of the night, it’s likely nocturnal rodents scurrying between walls.
- Rodents themselves – Rodents are rapid breeders. Mice can get pregnant between five and 10 times a year, and rats can have up to six litters a year. If you actually lay eyes on just one of these sneaky pests, there are likely dozens of others around.
How to handle a rodent infestation:
You may think that over-the-counter rodent treatments are a good idea, but they fail to address the source of the infestation, and many contain chemicals that can be harmful to pets, children, and people with respiratory conditions. For safe and fast removal, you need to have a professional inspection performed by a pest control expert to determine the source of your problem, seal off the rodents’ point of entry, and remove the pests from your property.
With Command Pest Control’s advanced treatments and trained technicians on the case, your property is guaranteed to be protected. Our pest control experts create custom solutions that combine effective rodent extermination treatments with long-lasting preventative care. For the best pest control services in Arkansas, contact us today and receive a free estimate.
Common House Spiders: Friends or Foes?
As fall creeps in, you may notice some creepy crawly spiders around your home. These friendly, or not-so-friendly, eight-legged friends can hide in the nooks and crannies of your home or yard. With 40,000 known species of spiders worldwide and 3,000 calling North America home, learning the difference between friend and foe is crucial. Here’s a list of everything you need to know about common house spiders in Arkansas.
1. You may have seen these creatures, also called Harvestmen, walking around on your porch or near your home in wooded areas during the fall. Daddy Longlegs have eight long, skinny legs that extend off of a tiny, round body. It’s actually their round body, sporting only two eyes, that lets us know they’re actually not spiders at all. Although these critters are one of the creepiest looking on this list, they are harmless and contain no venom.
2. While you may not like to think about it, the American House Spider is very common in the south – recognizable by their small and gray size, often smaller than a nickel. You may notice them in tight, dark corners, inside closets and cabinets, or along the windows, and this species can live for years after they mature. These spiders are harmless at least, and an annoyance at worst.
3. Like most spiders, Brown Recluses like to hide in out-of-the-way spots. You might find them underneath furniture, in small corners, in the basement, in closets, and inside clothing. As the name suggests, they are brown and have a violin-shaped marking on their back. A single bite from this creepy crawler can lead to symptoms such as fever, chills, serious pain, nausea, necrosis at the site of the bite, and can be life-threatening.
4. Black Widows have a characteristic bright red, hourglass shape on their undersides, and if you see one, stay back! One bite from this venomous spider can cause serious pain, muscle stiffness, and nausea. If these spiders get into your house, they’ll mostly stay in dark, hidden areas. However, you might see them in corners as well.
5. Hobo Spiders are most noticeable in the fall when their dew-covered webs are visible in the morning hours. They will build their webs in a variety of places including windows, doorways, and cellars. While reactions vary from person to person, Hobo Spiders are considered nontoxic to humans.
6. Yellow Sac Spiders use their silk to construct tent-like coverings in low corners. They hide behind these structures during the daytime, resting up for nocturnal hunting. These pests vary drastically in coloring and are sometimes confused for other spiders due to their varying characteristics. Keep your distance from these spiders, as their venom contains cytotoxin that is toxic to humans.
Since 1995, Command Pest Control has been providing Arkansas property owners and commercial managers with exceptional services to help safely eliminate pests. Our exterminators can diagnose your spider issue and determine the best solution for your home or business. With our advanced treatments, those unwanted pests will be gone in no time! Protect your family from dangerous home invaders like these poisonous spiders when you book an appointment today at https://commandpest.com.
How to Keep Your Pantry Pest-Free
Summer marks a time of picnics, fresh produce, and sunshine. This season also brings all types of insects, from ants to mosquitos. Command Pest Control knows the importance of keeping your home pest free, and we have some tips for specifically keeping your pantry pest-free this summer.
1. Use Proper Storage
The first step in preventing pests is to use airtight containers to store food in your pantry. Since some insects are small enough to squeeze into tiny spaces, you should always look for containers with an airtight seal. Instead of storing cereal or rolled oats in an open box, transfer the contents to a sealed plastic container with a convenient pouring lid. For a more sustainable option, use mason jars! They are durable, don’t absorb odors, and are infinitely reusable.
2. Keep Your Kitchen And Pantry Clean
Since pests are attracted to food sources, the importance of proper sanitation cannot be stressed enough. When messes happen, clean up any crumbs, debris, or liquid as soon as possible – and dispose of trash regularly. Also consider seasonally cleaning your pantry with soap and water to eliminate any bugs or larvae that may be hiding.
3. Set Out Bay Leaves/Cinnamon
Placing dried bay leaves on your pantry shelves can ward off bugs like ants, fleas, cockroaches and moths. Bay leaves also contain no harmful chemicals or toxins and are safe if children or pets accidentally ingest them.
For further prevention, consider cinnamon. Sprinkle a line of cinnamon across the entry of your pantry or spice cabinet, and ants won’t cross it. You can also place cinnamon sticks in with your perishable and nonperishable items to both prevent pests and keep your kitchen smelling great!
3. Hire Command Pest Control
Sometimes DIY efforts simply won’t work for infestations. That’s when it’s time to call the professionals who can evaluate your entire home and properly apply treatments to eradicate problem pests. Contact us today at https://commandpest.com/residential for a free estimate today.
Tips for Keeping Fall Pests Out of Your Home
Fall is arguably one of the better seasons of the year- cool weather, spooky holidays, and pumpkin spice- what’s not to love? One downside of the changing season is the fall pests that can cause problems within your home. Luckly, we at Command Pest Control are experts in pest control and have some advice for preventative maintenance for your home during Autumn.
1. Locate any open vents
Open vents can be a welcome mat for unwanted pests, especially during cooler weather. Chimneys, attic vents, or pet doors in your home can all be overlooked entries for bugs, rodents, or other pests. For items that cannot be sealed, use a screen to protect them from unwanted pests.
2. Maintain your outdoor space
The cooler weather means more outdoor events like cookouts with friends and family. With outdoor spaces such as gazebos or firepits, the best preventative maintenance to prevent rodents and other pests is to dispose of your outdoor waste properly, including firewood and food waste. Clogged gutters can welcome rodents, so be sure to maintain these as well.
3. Seal cracks around your home
Use caulk or other insulation tools to seal any cracks in the exterior of your home. Bugs can inconspicuously slip through these cracks, seeking the warmth of your home during cooler months. By taking preventative measures to close off these entrances, you will help to protect your home from these unwanted fall pests.
4. Watch for signs of infestation
Rodent droppings, nests, and burrowing can all be indicators of rodent or pest infestation within your home. The best course of action if you suspect you have an infestation is to call our professionals at Command Pest Control at 1(877)596-1026 or visit us online to schedule an appointment at https://commandpest.com.
Can A Cat Fix A Rodent Problem?
Time and time again we’ve seen homeowners come to the same conclusion after discovering a rodent problem – it’s time to get a cat. Felines are natural hunters, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility that introducing a cat to a home with a rodent problem will result in a few dead rats and mice. But as far as a cat being an end-all solution to your rodent problem, we’re still not convinced.
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How To: Relieve Bug Bite Itches
Command is here to help prevent you from being mosquito bitten in your home or workplace or any other residential / commercial place you visit that is a customer of ours. However, we understand being outdoors automatically ups your risk of being bitten by these pesky bugs, especially at night when you are grilling and watching the stars. There’s nothing more appetizing or romantic than a red, itchy bug bite, right? If you don’t happen to have one of those nifty Benadryl roller sticks, here are some at-home ways to ease the pain.
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4 Signs Termites are Taking Over Your Home
Spring has officially sprung, complete with chirping birds, blooming flowers, and unfortunately, very hungry termites. Although they’re tiny, these pests pack a mighty appetite and can cause extensive, pricy damage to your home if untreated.
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Summer is when Termite Activity Heats Up.
During the cooler months of winter, subterranean termites retreat underground in order to survive. As the weather begins to warm up, these destructive insects emerge from their winter nests…and, yes, they’re hungry! If your home is near their nest, it could become where they make their dinner reservations…for 60,000 or more.
What to look for.
Subterranean termites often swarm on summer days. They form colonies underneath damp soil, and create little mud tunnels to move about. These mud tunnels are what allow them to make their way up to your house. Once they penetrate your foundation, or any other sort of wood source, they will eat it. The tricky thing about the way they eat is they do it from the inside out, so you may not notice that there is damage until it collapses. Do not be fooled by any smooth surface that may appear on the outside of a stretch of wood. Knock on it. If it sounds hollow, that is a sign that termites are inside feasting away. Another sign to look for is tiny slits on the outside of the wood. These slits may be an entrance that the termite created to get on the inside.
What to do to protect your home.
As you begin preparations for the summer months around your home, be sure to consider the possibility of a termite infestation. Knowing where they hideout and the common ways they get in is a good start to identifying if activity is present. If you do find signs of termites in your home contact a professional pest control company to come out and evaluate the extent of your damage and provide you with a plan and cost to get rid of the termites and replace all damaged wood.
Even if you don’t see any termite activity, which we hope is the case, we do recommend that you schedule an annual termite treatment. Doing this keep termites away from your home and protects you from being put in the uncomfortable position of having to pay a significant repair bill for damage caused by a termite infestation.
Termite Prevention:
Termite prevention requires proactive inspections of the wooden structures of your home. Discovering an infestation can be difficult – termites are usually detected when significant damage has already occurred – but there are a number of tell-tale signs of their presence. If you come across any of these signs, contact a pest control professional immediately for their safe and effective removal.
When All Else Fails, Call The Pest Control Professionals
Although they can pose a big problem for homeowners in the summer, Pests can be easily prevented if proper precautions are taken. Starting now will help prevent major infestations from happening in your home and it will make eliminating the few pests that do find their way indoors much easier. If these tips don’t do the trick and your home is taken over by insects, you may consider contacting a professional pest control company to have the problem treated for good.
House Hunters: Pest Control Edition
Last month we talked about things that we wished homeowners knew about pest control… but what about the step that comes before homeownership? That’s right, house hunters, we have the red flags that you need to be on the lookout for when shopping for your potential home. And just to be certain, we’ve ranked them on a sliding scale from 1 (cause for concern) to 5 (call us immediately). After all, creepy, crawly past residents aren’t the kind of house warming presents you’d like to receive.
Pest Control – Older Versus Newer Home
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