Pest Control Advice - Alabama - Autumn

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 Argentine Ant

The Argentine ant can be nearly impossible to control, especially during midsummer in areas such as Southern California. At best, regular treatments keep as few ants as possible from entering the home or business. General tips for limiting ant infestations include:

• Eliminating piles of lumber, bricks or other debris that could serve as a nesting site for ants.
• Keeping landscape mulch less than 2 inches thick and at least 12 inches away from foundations.
• Ensuring the sprinkler system does not spray directly onto the foundation.
• Sealing as many cracks in the building's exterior as possible.
• Keeping tree and shrub branches trimmed to prevent touching the home.
• Considering re-landscaping to avoid using plants that are prone to aphids and similar insects. At the very least, treat such plants for aphids regularly. A tree/shrub company, such as TruGreen ChemLawn, can be helpful with this task.

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 Carpenter Ant

Successfully controlling carpenter ants requires certain skills, knowledge and experience. Carpenter ant control involves tracking down and treating as many satellite colonies as possible inside and outside of the home as well as attempting to find and treat the parent colony. Accessing the parent colony may be difficult because it might be located high in a tree or on a neighboring property. In such cases, your service professional may use carpenter ant baits, but these may have varying results because of the carpenter ants’ finicky feeding habits. If conditions on your property (such as a large number of trees) create a high risk for reinfestation, your service professional may recommend regular pest management services to help prevent new infestations. These tips will help you limit carpenter ant infestation:

• Store any firewood away from your home and remove any dead wood or wood scraps from around the foundation.
• Trim dead limbs from trees and remove stumps. Rid your yard of these potential nesting sites.
• Make sure that all plumbing or roof leaks are sealed, and check crawl spaces for excess moisture.
• Water from rain gutters should be directed away from your home and not be allowed to accumulate close to the foundation.

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 Crazy Ant

This species may be difficult to control and does not feed much on ant baits. The keys to control are to find the colonies and subcolonies and treat them directly. Regular inspections and service are necessary to find and treat new colonies as they move from neighboring properties. The services of a professional, such as Terminix, are very helpful when encountering these ants. General tips for limiting ant infestations include:

• Eliminating piles of lumber, bricks or other debris that could serve as a nesting site for ants.
• Keeping landscape mulch less than 2 inches thick and at least 12 inches away from foundations.
• Ensuring the sprinkler system does not spray directly onto the foundation.
• Sealing as many cracks in the home's exterior as possible.
• Keeping tree and shrub branches trimmed to prevent touching the home.
• Considering re-landscaping to avoid using plants that are prone to aphids and similar insects. At the very least, treat such plants for aphids regularly. A tree/shrub company, such as TruGreen ChemLawn, can be helpful with this task.

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 Pharaoh Ant

Pharaoh ants can only be controlled by effective placement of ant baits. The type of bait that is ultimately successful is one on which the colony or colonies involved will feed for an extended period of time. The foraging workers return the bait to the colony, feeding it to other workers, larvae and queens.

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 Fire Ant

Because of the health threat posed by fire ants, it is important to take steps to control the ants around the home and in the yard. Over-the-counter fire ant baits can be effective if properly used, but regular applications are necessary because the ants readily reinvade from neighboring properties. Many homeowners employ the services of a professional company, such as Terminix, to provide fire ant services.

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 Smoky Brown Cockroach

The best way to control smoky brown cockroaches is to determine the source and treat it directly, usually with a cockroach bait product. To keep these cockroaches from invading, the following steps are helpful:

• Ensure the attic and/or crawl space has sufficient ventilation. Research has shown that proper ventilation creates an environment unsuitable for cockroaches and other pests. It also improves the heating and cooling efficiency of the home.
• Make sure that all foundation and attic vents are equipped with tight-fitting screens.
• Seal as many exterior cracks and holes as possible on the outside of the home.
• Do not allow pet food to sit out overnight. Pick it up after outdoor pets are finished eating.
• Store firewood as far from the house as possible, locating it off the ground and covering it with a tarp or plastic.
• Eliminate piles of lumber and debris where cockroaches could harbor.

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 Carpet Beetle

Your Terminix service professional can rid your home of these pests, but there are a few steps you can take to protect your clothing until your fabric pest problem can be controlled:

• Do not store boxes of clothes in the attic, garage or basement, if possible.
• If clothing must be stored in boxes, thoroughly clean the boxes before storage and seal all corners and openings with tape.
• Prior to storage, clean woolen and natural fiber clothing according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• In closets, store natural fiber clothing items by covering them with individual plastic covers.
• Consider storing clothing in large zippered plastic units.
• Use mothballs to help deter fabric pests, but be aware that they may leave an odor that could require dry cleaning.

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 Webbing Clothes Moth

Your Terminix service professional can rid your home of these pests, but there are a few steps you can take to protect your clothing until your fabric pest problem can be controlled:

• Do not store boxes of clothes in the attic, garage or basement, if possible.
• If clothing must be stored in boxes, thoroughly clean the boxes before storage and seal all corners and openings with tape.
• Prior to storage, clean woolen and natural fiber clothing according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• In closets, store natural fiber clothing items by covering them with individual plastic covers.
• Consider storing clothing in large zippered plastic units.
• Use mothballs to help deter fabric pests, but be aware that they may leave an odor that could require dry cleaning.

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 Ladybug

The best way to control such pests is by prevention, as described below. If it's too late and they are already inside, it takes a professional to find and treat the right areas to minimize the numbers of pests seen inside. If your home has experienced a problem with overwintering pests, take the following steps next summer to prevent a recurrence:

• Seal as many cracks and holes on the outside of the home as possible, especially on the south and west walls where the sun heats the home during the late summer and fall.
• Be sure that all foundation and attic vents have tight-fitting screens.
• Check the soffit vents and any gable vents or turbine vents on the roof.
• Have your Terminix professional treat the outside west and south walls of the home near the eaves. This treatment should be completed in mid- to late August.

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 House Mouse

The best way to avoid invasions of mice is to (1) provide as little harborage as possible that might attract rodents, and (2) seal as many holes and cracks in the outside of the home through which mice might enter. Follow these recommendations to help prevent rodents from seeking the shelter provided by your home:

• Keep firewood stored as far from the home as possible and store it off the ground. During the winter, store only enough wood next to the house to burn every couple of days.
• If possible, remove any piles of debris, stones, bricks, etc. If these are near the foundation of the home they serve as harborages to attract rodents. Once there, it is any easy step for rodents to enter the building itself.
• Do not allow piles of leaves to accumulate next to the home's foundation. This also serves as attractive harborage for rodents - mice in particular.
• Seal any hole or crack larger than 1/4 of an inch. A good rule of thumb is that if a pencil can fit into it, a mouse could too. Large holes or cracks should be stuffed with steel wool or wire mesh before sealing with caulk or foam, otherwise rodents could chew through to enter.
• Install good, thick weather-stripping on the bottom of all doors to prevent rodents from entering. The garage door may prove difficult to seal completely, so the door from the garage to the house must be sealed tightly.
• The installation of one or two wind-up mousetraps in the garage can catch many mice as they enter. These traps can catch up to 15 mice with one setting. Ask your Terminix service professional for more information.
• Remember, your Terminix service includes coverage of commensal rats and mice, and much of the service provided during the colder months is to inspect for signs of rodents and to maintain preventive control measures.

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 Norway Rat

The best way to avoid invasions of rats is to (1) provide as little harborage as possible that might attract rodents, and (2) seal as many holes and cracks in the outside of the home as possible through which rats might enter. The following recommendations should be followed to help prevent rats from seeking the food and shelter provided by your home:

• Keep firewood stored as far from the home as possible and store it off the ground. During the winter, store only enough wood next to the house to burn every couple of days.
• If possible, remove any piles of debris, stones, bricks, etc. If these are near the foundation of the home they serve as harborages to attract rodents. Once there, it is any easy step for rodents to enter the building itself.
• Seal any hole or crack larger than 1/4 of an inch. Large holes or cracks should be stuffed with steel wool or wire mesh before sealing with caulk or foam, otherwise rodents could chew through to enter.
• Install a good, thick weatherstrip on the bottom of all doors to prevent rodents from entering. The garage door may prove difficult to seal completely, so the door from the garage to the house must be sealed tightly.
• Remember, your Terminix service includes coverage of commensal rats and mice, and much of the service provided during the colder months is to inspect for signs of rodents and to maintain preventive control measures.

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 White-footed Mouse

If you live in an area where white-footed mice have been seen or could be present, it may be prudent and desirable to hire an experienced professional to control the mice. Remember, the risk of actually encountering hantavirus-infected white-footed mice is very remote, but taking the following steps can minimize any potential health risk:

• Never sweep or vacuum mouse droppings and dust or debris in mouse activity areas.
• Wear a respirator equipped with a High Efficiency Purifying Air (HEPA) filter as well as unvented protective goggles, and impermeable latex or rubber gloves.
• Soak mouse droppings and dusty areas with an EPA-registered disinfectant then wipe up with paper towels. Place the soiled towels in a sealed plastic bag and dispose in an outdoor trash receptacle.
• Clean protective equipment with the EPA-registered disinfectant, then again with soap and water, and allow to air dry before the next use.
• Spray dead white-footed mice with EPA-registered disinfectant before disposal. Handle traps wearing protective latex or rubber gloves and a HEPA-equipped respirator. Try to avoid touching or handling the carcass. Dispose of the carcass in a sealed plastic bag in an outdoor trash receptacle.

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 Brown Recluse Spider

If a home has experienced brown recluse spiders, the occupants can reduce the chances of bites by following the recommendations below:

• Clothing can be stored in sealed plastic bags inside drawers or inside plastic storage compartments hanging in closets.
• Shoes should be stored inside plastic shoeboxes.
• Clothes that have been left on the floor, in a clothing basket, or are otherwise exposed should always be shaken well and inspected before being put on.
• Avoid keeping clothing on floors.
• Beds should be moved out so they do not touch walls or curtains.
• Bed skirts around the box springs should be removed from beds, and bedspreads that come near or touch the floor should not be used. These items allow spiders easy access to climb onto the bed.
• Persons living in infested homes should get into the habit of inspecting bedding prior to climbing in.

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 House Spider

• Regular removal of spider webs is the best way to limit these spiders.
• Sealing up cracks around windows and doors helps prevent their entry.
• Switch exterior lights to the yellow "bug" light bulbs which attract fewer flying insects on which spiders feed.
• Treatments to exterior spider nesting sites can help reduce the numbers of spiders when combined with an overall pest management program.

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 Wolf Spider

The best approach for controlling wolf spiders is through placement of sticky traps to capture the few spiders that may have entered. Maintaining sticky traps behind furniture, to either side of exterior doors, and in the garage is an excellent way to intercept most spiders as they enter. Steps that should be taken to prevent new spiders from entering, include:

• Removing or limiting heavy, ground-covering vegetation near the building.
• Sealing cracks and holes in the building's exterior.
• Installing tight-fitting screens on all attic and foundation vents.
• Sealing holes around pipes indoors to prevent spiders from entering the living spaces by following plumbing lines in basements and crawl spaces.

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 Bald-faced Hornet

Hornets and yellow jackets should only be controlled by an experienced professional. The danger of stings is considerable, especially when proper protective clothing and equipment are not worn.

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 Yellow Jacket

The following precautions should be taken to prevent accidental stings:

• When working in a garden or flowerbed, be aware of numerous wasps flying into and away from a single point in the garden or to a hole in the side of the house. This will usually indicate where a colony might be located.
• Be careful when using powered lawn equipment, such as edgers, trimmers and mowers. Loud, vibrating noises disturb yellow jackets and may send them into an attacking frenzy.
• Stay away from yellow jacket nests once you know where they are located.
• If yellow jackets are seen entering and exiting a wall, DO NOT plug the hole. You will only force the wasps to find another way out. Sometimes they might actually eat through an interior wall and enter the house.

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