You Know it’s Going to be a Special Kind of Day When…

You wouldn’t think, being in the pest control business, that life would be that interesting. Quite the contrary!

I tend to see people at their most fearful and vulnerable. Women up on chairs and men trying in vain to be the brave one (while clearly rattled, nonetheless). Not too terribly long ago, we got a call from one such terrified individual. A woman selling houses in the area had discovered ‘an infestation’ of ‘huge rats’. At that precise moment one was in fact stalking her. The theme from “Ben” drifted quietly through my head.

Here I Come To Save The Day!

Yes, thank you, I did catch the irony there… Mighty Mouse’s Theme Song, I get it. Upon arrival at the scene of the rat attack, I discovered only a sprinkling of the tiniest of mouse droppings. After clean up and disinfection, it was determined that a puppy door may have been the means of enemy infiltration. From experience, I also determined that this was no rat pack but more likely a lone mouse that had lost its way in search of a new home that he’d heard was on the market. The realtor did not share my humor. I dutifully set a trap for the demon vermin and placed it behind the fridge—where most of the droppings had appeared.

Is That Billy Joel?

What I didn’t realize at the time was that, while muscling the fridge back into place, my cell phone had slipped out of my belt holster and silently found its way under the fridge. The rest of the day was relatively uneventful and I didn’t even miss my phone until much later. It’s insured so I thought little of it and made a mental note to stop and replace it the next day (or as soon as I could).

But the next day we received a call from the realtor saying that we’d succeeded in trapping her ‘rat’ and could we please come over and dispose of it ASAP? When I walked it the woman was shaking her head seemingly in disbelief. I looked questioningly at her and she asked me with all due sincerity, “are the 80’s particularly effective with rodents?” I had no idea to what it possibly was that she was referring.

Turns out my cell phone had been ‘ringing’ over and over again and was driving her bonkers (hey, I like the 80’s so they’re my ring tones and alerts). She assumed it was utilized in our method to first attract, and then trap our deadly prey. Let’s hear the guys at other pest control companies top that pest tale!

8 Things You must Know When Hiring Pest Control Services

Many companies claim to be the best when it comes to getting rid of pests, however, not all of them are what they claim to be. Here are simple steps to guide you in making the decision to a company that will serve you best.     1.       Get quality, not discounted price only

The temptation to get the cheapest service provider is attractive but do not fall into it. The cheapest will not get you a good service and the most expensive is not necessarily the best. The aim is not to look for the price range first but the quality of services offered. Once you are satisfied with the service and the quality then you can proceed to negotiating the price. Never do it the other way around.

    2.       Avoid door sales

Marketing requires a level of aggressiveness and that is why you will find many salespeople knocking at your door. However, when it comes to pest control do not welcome the pest exterminator at your door readily. Unlike other services that you may require anytime of the day like insurance, the rule does not apply for pests.

You need their services when you have a pest or require an inspection. Besides, door-to-door pest exterminators have a bad reputation of actually placing the pest in your home so that you call them in. Avoid this scam!

     3.       Check the fine print

When dealing with pest control companies make sure you read the fine print. Most companies work on a contract basis so ensure what you are singing into before your signature land on the dotted line.

     4.       Check for insurance

When searching for a service provider, on top of checking their quality of work ensure you find out if they are insured. You do not want to face an insurance case later on. Check as well whether they are certified and licensed to operate their business.

     5.       Check for guaranteed services

When you agree to the terms, find out which service you will be getting. Look out for companies that guarantee you of their work and offer a follow up. At times one may miss the pest the first time around or have a recurring case. Ensure they follow up and deliver.  If they do not you may want to look for another solution

      6.       Associations add credibility

You will be assigned a specific exterminator who depending on the intensity of the job will come with other workers. Some are pest experts and others contractors. Ensure that the team that arrives at your house is certified and at least the leader of the team if not the company belongs to recognised associations.

       7.       Safety first

Before they begin their work, make sure you ask about the pesticide agents they will be suing. Most pesticides are harmful to human beings as well, when ingested. Ask for regulations governing their use so that you do not place yourself or your family at risk. Keep your pets and children away from the exterminators when they are working.

       8.       Get a recommendation

One of the best ways to find a reliable pest control service provider is to inquire from a friend or a relative. Chances are they will have heard or encountered a service provider you can trust.

Leave a comment or call us and tell us your experience with pest control services.

5 Indicators To Show That You Have Pesky Rodents In Your Home

Embarrassing moments arise when you have a guest over and a mouse decides to scurry across the room interrupting the whole dinner. Alternatively, you are cooking with a friend only to get into the cardboard and remove what is clearly a gnawed pack of flour or loaf of bread. To avoid such situations, tackle the issue before hand by looking for the following signs in your home and calling pest control:      1.       The noises at night

One sure sign you have rodents in your home are the rustling noise you hear at night. They are more active at night when the house is quiet and they can move around with little bother looking for food. Listen for squeaks and scratches in locked areas such as wardrobes, drawers, cupboards and in between walls.

     2.       The black rice

Mice leave their droppings all over, given that in one day they will poop about 60 times. Once you see black droppings that resemble rice grains then you have mice in the house. You will find this black rice in areas they frequent especially where they get their food. Ensure you empty out your pantry shelves and cupboards in the kitchen to know whether you have mice.

     3.       Gnawing marks

To know the difference between a hole made in a food package by a mouse and any other thing is the gnaw marks. The hole made by a mouse will have razor edges. Mice like chewing on paper, plastic and bees wax. The chew on items for two main reasons: either get their way to a food source or get some material to make their nests.

     4.       Smell

Mice do not smell but their urine does. An area inhabited by mice for some time will have a distinctive musky smell. Check for such smells in hidden corners once you have another sign to back you up to establish whether the mice are in the house or live outside.

     5.       Mice nests

The final thing to look for is their area of living. Check for mice nests inside your sofas, under the furniture and in the attic. Mostly nests are in hidden and quiet corners.

Once you are sure you have mice activity in the house the last thing you should do is buy poison from the store. Poison to kill mice is very effective but it has one great disadvantage. Once the mouse eats the poison, they will not die on the spot. The discomfort will get them to their hiding place that is in hard to reach area. The smell exuded by a dead decomposing mouse is terrible and will make your house smell and even inhabitable. Imagine having 2 or 3 dead mice in your ceiling, you may have to deodorize you whole home

The best solution is to call a professional pest control service who knows of better and equally effective ways to get rid of the mice. After the mice are gone and a full inspection performed, ensure you get to maintain the house well by fixing it up. You may get rid of the mice but as long as your home has holes and entry points, other pests can get in. You might find yourself facing a snake or squirrel the next time so are you going to take a risk?

5 Reasons Why You Might Be Attracting Ants Into Your Home

ants-home

If you find ants in your home, maybe once in a month, you will need to get rid of them but there is nothing much to get worried about. It could be summer and the heat is driving them indoors or simply an isolated case. The cause of worry starts when you spot them every few days. This means you are actually inviting them in for dinner literally! Many things we do cause the ants to scurry to our homes and they all center on food. When one ant finds food, it sends a signal to the rest through certain pheromones and the rest of the colony will join in the party. If you wonder why ants seem to be following a specific path, it is because they are – well, they are following the pheromone secreted by their colleague.

Understand what ant-invitation cards you have sent out in your home and see if you can try to cancel the invitations!

               1.       The spills and crumbs

One common statement is “I will do that later”. We say that when we spill a drink on the counter but do not want to miss a second of our favorite program or when we are too sleepy to get rid of the crumbs. In a matter of minutes, you have ants crawling up. The solution is to obviously clean up after a mess. After having a meal, a snack, cooking, or even doing dishes, ensure you wipe up the counter or table with a damp cloth to remove all sticky messes.

              2.       The dirty dishes in the sink

You may be too tired or simply lazy to do the dishes immediately but do not leave a huge mess at the sink. At least ensure you rid the food remains from the plates into the bin and place the dishes in the sink or in the dishwasher. When you leave them in the sink, pour some water over them to avoid the food sticking on the plates and the scent attracting ants.

              3.       The hurried cleaning

Many people clean the house on a daily basis but they perform a simple hurried clean of the areas one can see. Ensure that at least once in a week you clean under the fridge, the shelves, the microwave, and the area where you keep the bin. These areas tend to accumulate grease from food particles and make a buffet for the ants.

              4.       The open and ripening food

Ripe fruits do not attract ants but fruit flies that are harmless but a great nuisance. Instead of buying ripe groceries buy those about to ripen such that by the time you get to consume them they are not overripe and calling out for flies. Also, do not leave food uncovered even if it is in a dish. Place all food and ripe fruits in the fridge and well covered.

             5.       The wood lying around

If you have wood in your house such as timber or logs you use for firewood or for construction ensure they are kept in a dry areas and away from the ground. Decomposing and wet wood is food for termites and a home to carpenter ants. Once you invite one pest, the rest will come following so make sure you pay attention to this!

If you have a pest problem leave a comment or call us for advice.