Mosquitoes are attracted to moisture and humidity, and heavy rain can cause their population to increase. After it rains, female mosquitoes lay eggs in standing water, such as water that collects in puddles. Depending on the temperature, the eggs can hatch in as little as a week, and the resulting adult mosquitoes will then look for victims to bite.

Why Is Mosquito Control Important? Some mosquitoes are harmful and can spread viruses like West Nile, dengue, Zika, and parasites like malaria. Other mosquitoes bother people and are considered “nuisance” mosquitoes. Nuisance mosquitoes bite people, but don’t spread germs. Of the over 200 types of mosquitoes in the United States and US territories, about 12 types spread germs. Local government departments and mosquito control professionals track the numbers and types of mosquitoes in an area and the germs they may be spreading. When infected adult mosquitoes are spreading germs to people, acting quickly can stop further spread and prevent people from getting sick.

Cold weather brings everyone indoors. Your family may not be the only ones enjoying the warmth of your home. Pests such as rats, mice, cockroaches and some species of spiders have life cycles longer than a year, meaning they need to find shelter during the winter to survive. Below are some pest-proofing tips that every homeowner can follow to keep pests outside during the fall and winter: -Screen attic vents and openings to chimneys, and any other areas where homes may be open to the outdoors. -Seal cracks and crevices on the outside of the home using caulk and steel wool. Pay close attention to where utility pipes enter the structure. Some rodents can fit through a hole the size of a dime. -Replace weather-stripping and repair loose mortar around the foundation and windows. These are easy ways to keep not only pests, but also cold air out of the house. -Store firewood at least 20 feet away from the house. -Avoid leaving pets’ food dishes out for long periods of time. Follow these pest-proofing tips in the fall when the temperature begins to drop. However, if you think you have a pest infestation, be sure to contact a pest professional to assess the situation and recommend treatment.

Furniture and Bedbugs If you have a bed bug problem, tossing your mattress or box spring will not solve your problem. When you have an infestation, bed bugs aren’t only hiding in your bed. They have likely spread to other spots in your property. If you get rid of your mattress or replace it for a new one, chances are your brand-new bed will get infested, too! Do I Need to Throw Away My Furniture? Sometimes, YES! Unfortunately, bed bugs are known to hide in cracks and crevices, even in your wood table or chair! But with proper treatment most or all items should be able to be salvaged.

DO YOUR OWN ROACH CONTROL When cockroaches start showing up in your home, you might consider dealing with them on your own. But cockroach control is not easy. If you don't perform treatments correctly, cockroaches will survive your treatments. If cockroaches sense danger, the group will respond to the threat by avoiding it. A cockroach can get resistant to any product they find in their environment. If you use pesticides to kill roaches, they can get resistant to the pesticides you used. Cockroaches reproduce quickly. If you eliminate some roaches in your home, it might make you feel like you're winning the battle. This is a never ending battle. Cockroaches are drawn too tight spaces. If you apply a pest control spray, it won't get into the places these insects are hiding.

The first sign most people have of a bed bug infestation is bite marks on their skin. However, many other insect bites and spider bites look the same, so this isn’t definitive. You cannot feel a bed bug bite. Some people do not react to bed bug bites, while others get huge welts after the bites. It is the itching and welts that bother people. Unfortunately, you can’t tell whether a bed bug has bitten you or a flea has. The bites look the same. Bed bugs defecate on the bedding before and during feeding. Bed bug excrement looks like small dark brown or black dots that tend to bleed around the edges. You can also find these in large numbers where bed bugs congregate. You may find bloodstains on your bedding and nightclothes. These stains represent bed bugs that you crush as you roll over them at night. Bed bugs are nocturnal, so they are not as visible during the day. Bed bug colonies hide in cracks and along seams then. They can get into any crack that is the thickness of a credit card, where they spend most of their time. If you see live bed bugs, then you have a problem. However, many people misidentify other insects and mites as bed bugs, so make sure you have actual bed bugs before you start treating your house.

If you’ve ever successfully treated a roach problem, you’ve probably wondered to yourself, do roaches come back after extermination? The short answer is, yes, roaches can come back after extermination even after professional treatment. Eradicating the roaches is only one part of an effective pest control plan. Even if you do hire a reputable exterminator to take care of your roach problem, it isn’t a one and done type of situation. Roaches can re infest a home even after successful extermination. Recommended routine regular treatments keep roaches at bay over the long term.

When spring arrives, we aren’t the only ones happy to get outside and enjoy the warmer weather and fresh air! You’ve probably noticed that there are a lot more bugs outside at this time of year than during the colder months. Bugs have a variety of methods for surviving the coldness of winter and often gain shelter in different types of micro habitats. Some even take up residence in your home in the wintertime, which is why you’ll encounter many more bugs near windowsills and other areas of your house during the cold months, though they will be very sluggish Many bugs aren’t active at all during the winter. The bugs hardly move at all and their metabolic rate is just high enough to keep them alive. Regardless of where bugs go during the winter they basically pass the time where they can be safe until the warmer weather of spring arrives.

Roach Baiting and a clean kitchen German cockroaches are small, so they tend to go more toward gel baits, and less so to solid, larger granular baits. The gel is moist and attracts them, and the inert ingredients contain the carbohydrates and proteins their diets need. They then inadvertently consume the active ingredient in feeding on the baits and die. But, in order for the baits to work, there has to be little food competition, which unfortunately poorly sanitized kitchens provide. You may or may not get cooperation with the client in cleaning the kitchen. Education about cleaning and removing clutter is important. Baits are effective, but they may require persistence, patience, reapplication and repeated reminders to keep a clean kitchen to help with the eradication process.