Protect your Home From Pests

Protect Your Home and Family from Pests
September 1, 2009

Ironically, most pests aren’t born to be pests:  Insects and rodents are simply following their natural instincts.  These creatures only become pests when they enter our homes or businesses, where they provide no benefit and are often a threat to our health, property and peace of mind.

Termites, Carpenter Ants and even Cockroaches eat or nest in decaying plant material, such as dead wood and leaves.  By using this plant material in the woods or forest, they help it decompose.  Cockroaches eat garbage, so they can be very beneficial in a garbage dump.  Bees eat nectar to survive.  In the process, they pollinate flowers and fruit trees, providing us with beautiful gardens and delicious food!

“Even though termites create over $2 billion in structural damage every year in the US, they are good for the environment,” says Bernie Holst, Jr., founder and president of Horizon and immediate past president of the National Pest Management Association. “Termites help rotting wood decompose, recycling it back into the earth.”

However, when these same insects decide to take residence in our homes or yards, they can cause extensive and expensive damage to our property, annoy us, or even threaten our health, they become PESTS.  Rest assured; there are preventative measures you can take to protect your home and property from the problems associated with pest invasions.

Termites

A termite colony consists of anywhere from 350,000 to over a million workers, soldiers, and swarmers (termites with wings). A single termite queen can lay thousands of eggs per day and live between 30 and 50 years, so they can cause tremendous devastation over their lifetime.

There are only three things that termites need to survive:  Soil, wood, and water.  They use soil to create mud tubes leading from their underground colonies to above ground food sources, like the wood in your home.  Wood contains a high percentage of cellulose, which is their favorite food source, so termites seek out wood.  And, termites cannot survive without a source of water. Whether in the form of a leaky faucet or natural precipitation, termites will always search for some source of moisture to survive.

Reducing these three things will help prevent termites from infesting your home.  1) Find and fix all water leaks in and around your home.  2) Remove any vegetation that can create areas of intense moisture. 3) Eliminate any standing or pooling water.  4) Store excess building materials and firewood away from the house. 5) Use treated lumber for wooden structures that will have direct contact with the ground.  6) Avoid using mulch near your home. The qualities of mulch that make it attractive for use in the garden are the very qualities that attract termites. Instead, try using one of the newer rubber mulches or small stones.  7) Remove any dead trees, old stumps, or roots in your yard. As these items decay, they attract termites to the area by providing a food source. When the food is gone, the termite colony will look for new sources of food, like your house.  8) Seal any cracks or holes within the foundation of your home.  9) Keep all gutters and waterlines clean of debris.  10) Periodically, get your home inspected for termite damage. A once-a-year inspection by a professional pest control company can save your home through early detection of infestations. They may catch something you missed.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are keen predators and have highly developed sensors to help track their prey:  1) Chemical sensors - Mosquitoes can sense carbon dioxide and lactic acid up to 100 feet away. Mammals and birds gives off these gases as part of their normal breathing. Chemicals in sweat also attract mosquitoes.  2) Visual sensors – If you wear clothing that contrasts with the background, and if you move at the same time, mosquitoes can zoom in on you. Their strategy is that anything moving is alive and full of blood, and it works!  3) Heat sensors - Mosquitoes can detect heat, so they can find warm-blooded animals very easily once they get close enough.

Since most of us can’t stop breathing, moving, or generating heat, try these preventative measures to reduce mosquito populations in your yard:  1) Eliminate or reduce breeding sites by removing and preventing water accumulation in areas like bird baths and gutters.  Ideally, install “filter-type” gutter guards.  2) Introduce mosquito-eating fish such as green sunfish, bluegills, and minnows to ponds.  3) Screen windows, doors and other openings with mesh that is at least 18 x 18 strands per inch and seal all screen edges.  Keep doors and windows shut to prevent pest entry.  4) Avoid going outdoors when mosquitoes are most active: dusk and dawn.  Use insect repellant on exposed skin when or where mosquitoes are likely to bite.  Wear long-sleeved shirts and long-legged pants to reduce exposure.

Stinging Insects

All stinging insects defend their nests and food, but Yellow Jackets are the most aggressive. They are also better at stinging:  Yellow jackets can sting repeatedly, whereas bees have a barbed stinger and can sting mammals only once.  You can easily ID Yellow Jackets by their thin "waists", as opposed to Bees’ thick waists.  Yellow Jackets also have no body hair like bees do.

Both of these stinging insects are persistent pests, because they look for food far away from their nests.  Consider the following steps to make your home less attractive to them:  1) Limit availability of sweet drinks and greasy foods. Soft drinks and fruit drinks are their favorites, as are barbecued meats. These attractive food odors drift for long distances.  2) Clean up spilled food and beverages immediately.  3) Cover pitchers and dispose of all empty drink containers. Use caution drinking from cans, because you can’t see if a stinging insect has flown inside of it.  4) Cover standing food or put it away as soon as possible.  5) Use trash cans with tight-fitting lids & keep trash area clean.  6) Avoid sweet perfumes, colognes and deodorants.  7)  Apply safe insect repellants when you know you are going to be outdoors.  8) Consider a professional seasonal preventive program.

Rodents

Don’t let their cute and cuddly outward appearance fool you – rats and mice are the two most destructive mammals in the world!  Mice can help spread diseases like Lymes Disease, Salmonella, and Hantavirus; contaminate food by leaving thousands of micro-droplets of urine wherever they walk; and create millions of dollars in damage to buildings and stored products due to their habit of constant gnawing.

Rodents live at our expense and contribute nothing in return.  When it gets colder outside, they take advantage of the food and shelter our homes provide, so it’s important to take time to “rodent-proof” your property:  1) Keep food, including pet food and bird seed, and garbage in tightly sealed containers.  2) Feed birds away from your house.  3) Trim weeds and shrubs back from the house.  4) Keep your garage door closed at all times.  5) Seal holes, cracks and crevices around your house.

No matter what the pest, if you start to see activity, that’s when you should call a professional pest control company for help.  Look for a Quality Pro Company – the pest control industry’s equivalent to the Good Housekeeping seal of approval – that employs licensed pest management professionals.  They will be able to quickly assess your pest control needs and develop a plan to remedy the problem as effectively as possible.

“Our job is not to simply kill pests, but protect families, homes, and businesses from the diseases and damage pests cause,” said Bernie Holst Jr., founder and president of Horizon Pest Control and immediate past president of NPMA.  “We are proactive in protecting health and providing peace of mind to home - and business - owners alike.”

Vicki Holst

Horizon Pest Control

908-664-0303

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