I love my job!

There’s nothing like the satisfaction that I get from helping someone with their pest problems, it’s the reason I love my job.  Last week a gentleman called with a mouse and red squirrel issue.  The mice and squirrels were getting into his kitchen area and really making a mess of things.  After discussing his situation, we developed a plan that he could carry out himself and best of all it wouldn’t pose a risk to his two cats!

Hearing the joy in his voice as he said “Miss Chris, I’m so glad I called you first”, I have to admit I had tears in my eyes as I wished him a good day.  It’s people like him that keep my smile alive and help me to remember that I’m blessed because I have a job that truly enjoy!

Check out our website http://www.crossroadspestcontrol.com for helpful information on how to deal with your mice and squirrel issues.

Pest Control and Home Maintenance

Home maintenance is a crucial part of your pest control or prevention plan.  The whole goal is to keep pests out and the best way to do that is to take a good hard look at your home, find access points and then work to exclude the targeted pests.  This is also an area where many people start to feel overwhelmed, but it doesn’t have to be that way.  There are a lot of simple things that you can do that will greatly reduce the access that pests have to your home.

I like to start with the interior of the home first.  Do a good walk through of your home, making notes of which rooms have had or are having pest problems.  Think of all the ways your specific pest could be entering that room.  Windows that have gaps around them, ripped or torn screens, doors with worn out closures, door sweeps or weather-stripping offer great access points for pests.  Electrical wiring and plumbing can also give pests access into your home.  Are there gaps at the ceilings or floors where they meet the walls?  Do your light fixtures have gaps around them allowing pests to enter the room from the ceiling or attic?  Check the switch and outlet covers to make sure they fit tightly. Do this for each room, correcting each situation will greatly reduce the number of pests you’re seeing.

Once the inside has been inspected and access points removed we can move to the outside of the home.  Grab that notebook and pencil and go for a nice slow walk around the outside of your home, paying close attention to where you have had pest problems on the inside of your home.  Look for cracks around windows and doors, wiring or pipes that enter from the outside.  What kind of siding is on your home?  Vinyl siding has corner pieces that are hollow and make great access points for all sorts of pests to enter your home.  Do you have shrubs, trees or vines growing close to the house?  Trees that overhang the house can allow pests access to your roof and once there they will find any opening that gives them access.  Shrubs and vines can grow into or under the siding giving pests another access point, so can grass, weeds and flowers.  Is there mulch around your foundation, does it come up to your siding? It shouldn’t. But we’ll cover landscaping another day.  Check for cracks in your foundation wall and gaps at your sill plate.

As you are doing this don’t forget to look up and check your roof, chimney, soffits, gutters etc.  In order to develop a proper pest prevention plan you need to start thinking like a pest.  Every living thing needs food, water and shelter, pests are no different.  Identify your pest, learning about their food sources can help you understand why they are there.  Once you do that you can put into motion a pest prevention plan that will cut their numbers on the inside of your home to an acceptable level.

Check out our website http://www.crossroadspestcontrol.com for lots of helpful tips on how home maintenance can cut your pest issues.  Just go to the Fast Facts section to get started.

Bug Bombs and why I hate them!

If I had my way bug bombs would be outlawed.  Most people grab a bug bomb as their first response to an indoor pest issue.  A lot of people take that one step farther and set off 2, 3 or even 4 times as many bug bombs per square footage as what’s recommended on the label.  If you want to live in a pesticide waste land that’s your option as a consumer, but I don’t recommend it for several reasons.

1. Bug Bombs fill the open space of your room with pesticide, that’s great if the room you’re treating is empty, I don’t know about you but none of my rooms are empty of furniture, etc.
2. Insects will instinctively try to escape into protected areas to avoid the pesticide that’s being released into the air when you set off those bug bombs; those walls look pretty cozy and offer a safe place to hang out until the coast is clear, so does the underside of your furniture.
3. You’ve set off your bug bombs and still have bugs so you break down and call a professional, now their job is 75% more difficult because those bug bombs have driven your unwanted house guests into places where they wouldn’t normally be found.
4. Overuse of the same chemical compound (active ingredient) will cause insects to become resistant to that chemical compound, yes you just made “super bugs”.

If you are dealing with fleas, roaches or bedbugs, I beg you not to use bug bombs, because you will only drive them into other areas of your home.  Bedbugs can live for 1 1/2 years without a blood meal.  An adult roach can live for an entire year on 1 corn flake and fleas, well fleas are fleas, they will make themselves comfy in your furniture and wait for you.  There are much better ways of dealing with these pests than by using a bug bomb.  Bug bombs should never be used in multi-family dwellings, hotels, motels or any other type of housing where many rooms are connected.

Now I will give bug bombs a fair shake and admit that they are useful when treating an unfinished and unattached garages or outbuildings for spiders, millipedes, etc.  Notice I said “unfinished” that is the key, one side of the wall must be open or unfinished so that the pesticide has full access to the space being treated and the insects have no safe harbourage.

Think twice, treat smart and enjoy being pest free!

 

 

 

Bedbugs, just a little food for thought

If you’ve had your worst nightmare confirmed and heard these words “I’m sorry, you have bedbugs” then you know the fear that strikes at the pit of your stomach.  Your head reels with questions, how did you get them, how do you get rid of them, should you tell others, what if others find out, and a whole realm of other questions dance through your head in those first few moments of panic.

Truth of the matter is, you will probably never know how you got bedbugs since they’re everywhere.  They’ve been found on every form of mass transit and taxi cabs.  Airlines are contracting pest control services to treat their airplanes for bedbugs.  Bedbugs have been found in every price range of lodging.  Simply put, we travel and sooner or later we are going to bump into bedbugs.

But it’s not just traveling that can lead to you meeting up with a bedbug or two.  I had a customer call me this summer, she had purchased a brand new high-end mattress and box springs, both were totally encased in plastic when shipped.  Like kids at Christmas they tore off the plastic and enjoyed their new bed for a few months before they started noticing some bite marks and realized they had bought more than they had intended.

Another customer bought a house and after several months they realized that their house came with bedbugs.  During the conversation she told me about the beautiful bed frame that had been left at the house when the previous owners moved out.  It wasn’t too hard to figure out why they’d left it behind, since it was home to bedbugs.  Since I think you’re probably starting to get the picture, we aren’t even going to cover the topic of why free furniture or curb surfing isn’t recommended.

Movie theaters and restaurants have had confirmed cases of bedbugs as well as offices, shopping malls and retailers, bedbugs are everywhere, it’s that simple.  Bedbugs don’t care how much money you have, what car you drive, to them every human is a walking, breathing “all you can eat diner”.

If you haven’t met a bedbug yet, count your blessings and understand that it’s only a matter of time, so it’s time to get serious.  Dust covers or encasements can keep bedbugs out of your mattress and box springs (box springs make a lovely home for bedbugs) saving you hundreds of dollars, they can also trap bedbugs inside and literally starve them to death, but that will take 1 1/2 years.  They will not prevent bedbugs!  Bedbug monitoring systems will tell you if you have bedbugs, but they don’t prevent them!  Learning how bedbugs hitch a ride from one place to another will give you the edge.  Educating yourself on safe traveling practises will increase that edge.  It’s time we educate ourselves, our friends and our families on the subject of bedbugs and their prevention.  Bedbugs aren’t going to go away on their own and our silence is merely helping bedbugs to spread.

Giving thanks on Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, a day that’s set aside for us to give thanks for all we have; family, friends, loved ones far and near.  I believe each day is a day to give thanks, for all those things and much more.  To our loyal customers, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts, for allowing us to service your pest control needs and for the referrals to your family, friends and co-workers.  It is a pleasure and an honor to know each and every one of you.  May your tables be filled with your favorite foods of the holiday season, your homes filled with the laughter of loved ones and your hearts filled with thanks for all that you hold precious and dear.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Bedbugs, who’s winning?

Hey Buglady!

That’s the typical greeting I get when I pull into someone’s driveway. I’m there because they called, I’m there to fix the pest problem that they are having. That’s my job, it’s what I do and I’m good at it! Not only am I good at fixing the problem, I’m good at preventing pest problems. Now that’s the part I like, educating the consumer. Giving them the power to make good choices, that makes me feel great at the end of a day. Having the chance to make a difference in people’s lives, is part of why I love my job so much. It’s more than just a job to me though, it’s my company. A company that I helped to build from the ground up, creating and shaping it until it’s an extention of me. I never would have guessed this was my calling, but it is and I love it! Check us out on the web at http://www.crossroadspestcontrol.com