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5 Facts About the Life Cycle of an Ant

5 Facts About the Life Cycle of an Ant

What are some facts about the ant’s life cycle?

  1. Some eggs hatch, some get eaten
  2. Larvae feeding is crucial
  3. Ants metamorphose
  4. Colonies have castes
  5. Timelines differ per species

 

Where do ants come from? Have you ever wondered what goes on underneath those ant mounds you see outside? Their tunnels are filled with thousands of ants for one queen, and yet we almost never see what happens to their growth. The ant life cycle might be mostly hidden from our eyes, but it’s no longer a secret.

Ants go through four stages in their lives: as eggs, as larvae, as pupae, and as adults. Keep on reading to learn some more facts about the lives of ants!

 

Some eggs hatch, some get eaten

All ants start as eggs. They are white, oval, and roughly 1 mm in length each. I’m sure you could imagine just how small the eggs of insects as small as ants must be. But ant eggs are more than just amazingly small.

Queen ants can lay up to 800 eggs on average each day. When an egg is fertilized, it will hatch into a female. Unfertilized eggs produce males. You could understand how ant colonies grow so populous, but not all eggs become adults.

Some eggs get eaten before they even hatch. While the colony is just starting, the queen may eat some of the eggs for sustenance. Workers would also feed some eggs to the larvae. Tough luck for them!

 

Larvae feeding is crucial

Larvae feeding is crucial

Ant larvae emerge from the eggs after about 3-4 weeks. These larvae look like worms with no eyes. During this stage, the larvae do nothing but eat and grow. They get fed by the workers and they rapidly molt and grow. These larvae would shed their skin again and again during this 1-2-week stage of their lives.

How is this crucial? Larvae that get fed more grow bigger. And eventually, they grow into queens. The other less-fed larvae grow into simple workers. Future queens are determined by the amount that larvae eat.

 

Ants metamorphose

Metamorphosis isn’t exclusive to butterflies. When larvae get big enough, they pupate or become pupa. This is the transition period when they metamorphose (transform) into full-fledged adults.

They start to look more like adults in this stage, except with legs and antennae tucked close to their bodies. Some species of ants even form a silk cocoon and attach themselves to walls as they pupate. After 9-30 days, the transformation will be complete.

 

Colonies have castes

Colonies have castes

Adult ants arise from pupae, and then the direction of the life cycle branches out. As fully formed mature ants, they stay the same size for the entirety of their lives. However, adults are separated into different castes and play different roles for the colony.

Adult ants can become queens, workers, or males. The biggest of them are the queens. These ants have wings that let them fly off, mate, and start their own colonies, completing the ant life cycle. The queens tear off their wings before burrowing into the ground and laying the first eggs of the colony.

Workers are smaller females than queens, and they are the backbone of the colony. Workers do everything; they gather food, take care of the young, build and maintain the colony, and everything in between! Larger workers are the ones that defend the colony, sometimes called soldiers.

Males, or drones, are winged and fertile. They can fly and they can mate with queens. Other than that, they don’t really do anything. They don’t help with any of the chores of the colony, and they die after a few weeks.

 

Timelines differ per species

The life cycle lasts around 6-10 weeks on average, from egg to adult. The timeline becomes a lot different when they become adults in their own castes, and it’s also different for each species.

Drones only last for a few weeks. They’re the quickest to die in a colony, and since they don’t help anyway, that’s one less mouth to feed.

Workers can live for a few months at a time, but they have high mortality rates. After all, they’re the ones who venture out of the nest. Good thing the queen can produce hundreds in a day!

Ant queens are tough. In the right conditions, they can live for over a decade. They keep the colony alive, so if you wanted to get rid of them, the queen should be a prime target.

The lives of ants differ largely on the species and conditions that they are in, so it is difficult to give a single estimation for all ants.

 

Key Takeaway

Ants live life very differently from us. Understanding how they live and how they develop gives us more insight into how they function. This deeper understanding can help us study them better, or learn how to counter them.

Ant problems are very common, and we know that very well. If you have an invasive ant problem, then you’re in the right place to be! Just send us a message here and we can talk about shortening the lifespan of the ants in your home!

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Why Do Ants Keep Coming Back?

Why Do Ants Keep Coming Back

Why do ants keep coming back?

  1. Presence of an ant colony nearby
  2. Access to their survival needs
  3. Remaining ant pheromones
  4. Accessible entry points
  5. Ineffective home remedies

 

It might be tempting to squish ants and be done with it, but their family and friends will keep coming back. If this occurs to you often, there might be some things that you’re overlooking or doing wrong. If that’s the case, you might need pest control services soon. If you’re wondering why ants keep coming back, keep on reading!

 

Presence of an Ant Colony Nearby

Although some species of ants typically travel, others prefer to build a nest. That’s why killing a few ants won’t be enough if there is an ant colony nearby. This could be built in trees, underground, or inside ant plants. Some colonies have even survived for hundreds of years, so as long as it’s there, the ants will keep coming back. Aside from nesting outdoors, they can also live inside your home or establishment. You could find them inside walls or behind the baseboard.

Although some ant colonies have only a few dozen ants, the average nest has thousands of ants. This is why a pest control professional is needed if the colony is still alive. They can help find the roots of an infestation and prevent it from causing further problems.

 

Access to Their Survival Needs

Access to Their Survival Needs

Just like other pests, ants need food, water, and shelter to survive. If you have a messy kitchen, then that’s another reason why they keep coming back. Store food in airtight containers, clean up the mess as soon as possible and take the trash out regularly. Check the pet bowl for leftovers too, as this can attract them.

Other than that, ants also need moisture. Check your pipes for leaks and drips to keep them away. Keeping your place clean and hygienic can help stop them from coming back. It will also keep other pests away.

 

Remaining Ant Pheromones

They might look small and unintelligent, but ants use special navigational methods to find their way back to your home. As ants move, they produce a special pheromone and deposits it along a route. This acts as a guide to the other ants on how to find specific food sources in your home. That’s why you will see a line of ants going through the same trail.

If you only kill the ants and forget to clean the area where they have gone through, you can’t get rid of the pheromone trail that they made. This might be the reason why other ants keep coming back. One way to solve the problem is to use a mixture of vinegar-water spray. The strong scent will mask the scent and pheromones on the trail.

 

Accessible Entry Points

 

Accessible Entry Points

If you provide ants an entry point into your home or establishment, they will keep coming back. And this just doesn’t mean closing doors and windows. Any cracks and crevices in the wall, door frame, or ground are a means of entry.

To stop ants from coming back, it’s a good idea to perform some repairs and renovations. Patch up holes, fix the caulking around doors, and replace the screens on the window. Inspect the foundation for entry points too because there might be some loose mortar in there. Other than that, be mindful of trees and shrubs as these can acts as bridges into your home.

 

Ineffective Home Remedies

If you ignore an ant problem with the hope that it will resolve eventually, the problem will worsen. Queen ants can produce multiple eggs per day, so an infestation could grow in no time. But it’s also important to do your research if you’re trying home remedies.

For example, spraying your entire home with ant repellent might not be the wisest choice. Instead of getting rid of the problem for good, you’re contaminating your living space with harsh chemicals. Often, this is only a short-term solution and you’ll see ants again soon. If you have a severe infestation, the best option is to hire a pest control professional.

 

Key Takeaway

Ants are a persistent problem for many homes and business owners. Unfortunately, they will keep coming back as long as the colony survives, they can access their necessities, detect pheromones from other ants, and find holes they can enter through. Spraying them with an ant repellant might not be the best solution too.

If you’re wondering why ants keep coming back, Topbest can help you! As a professional pest control company, we have methods to detect and treat an ant problem in your home or establishment. It comes with a free inspection too. To get started, you can contact us here.

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How to Not Attract Ants to Your Home

Silhouette red ant walking on tree branch and sunset background

How can you not attract ants to your home?

  1. Throw away food wrappers
  2. Don’t leave any dishes in the sink
  3. Store dry food properly
  4. Seal any holes in your house

 

If you own a house, you’ve probably thought about different ways of how to not attract ants to your home. You buy all the insecticides and pesticides that you can think of — only to end up having to deal with another ant trail that you thought was gone forever.

In dealing with ants, you don’t even need to do too many complicated things. Preventing them from infesting your home can be as simple as throwing away food wrappers, religiously washing your dishes, or practicing proper food storage. Read on to learn more

 

Throw Away Food Wrappers

Bad news: ants have an exceptionally good sense of smell that’s even considered to be around 5 times better compared to other insects. The good news, however, is that you’re not powerless against this ability. Those food wrappers lying around your house? They’re the perfect breeding ground to attract ants of all kinds. But throwing them away is one of your best defenses.

As much as possible, you’ll want to make it a habit to dispose of any snack packaging or disposable food-related packaging as soon as you’re done with them. Don’t put them off or leave them lying in an open area that can be reachable by these pests.

If you can’t trust yourself with this, a good practice is to make sure that there’s a garbage bin nearby you. Although its contents will have to be taken out later on, it’s definitely better than leaving wrappers randomly around the house.

 

Don’t Leave Any Dishes in The Sink

A lot of dirty dishes lie in the sink in the kitchen that needs

Another simple tip that you can use against ants, is to make sure that you don’t leave any unwashed dishes in the sink. Sure, this may be a lot of work if you’re living with a lot of people under the same roof, but there is a way to make the job less taxing.

For example, after using any kitchen utensil, dish, cup, mug, etc., you may rinse them under running water and leave them for washing later. In this way, any residue left from your last snack or meal has already been dampened, lessening the chances of an ant colony detecting them.

However, you can only do so much by rinsing your dishes for a few seconds. The better option is still to wash them thoroughly as soon as you’re done with them. For best results, scrub each item using a dishwashing liquid in order to remove grime that can attract ants to the area.

 

Store Dry Food Properly

If you don’t have a pantry or dedicated shelving for any food items, then it’s common to leave them sitting on a table or on a countertop. While this may be a common practice among households, it increases the likelihood of ants that may feed on the food.

What you can do instead, is to transfer the food from their original packaging into washable and reusable containers that are also airtight, if possible. These containers offer a protective barrier against not only ants but other insects that may flock to your kitchen or dining room.

Alternatively, you could also turn to your refrigerator even in storing these items. Aside from helping the food stay fresher for a much longer time, ants are averse to the low temperatures and cold conditions. They prefer locations that are warmer and less humid in order to survive.

 

Seal Any Holes in Your House

A person applies sealing paste on a wall with a spatula

Another measure that you can take against ants is to examine and assess certain parts of your home for any cracks, holes, or damages, oftentimes these can serve as a way for these insects to entire your home. They may be difficult to spot but there are some signs that you can watch out for.

For example, you can look around hotspots in your house — living room, dining room, kitchen — for any ant trails. You could also inspect window ledges, window frames, or door frames for any dead ants lying nearby. Both of these serve as good indications of ant presence in or around the area.

First, you’ll need to eliminate any ants that have already entered by spraying on pesticides or wiping them away with a damp cloth. Once this is done, you can now seal the crack or hole with a caulk that can prevent further entry in the future.

 

Key Takeaway

Knowing how to not attract ants to your home is the key to having one less pest to deal with. This guide has outlined a number of measures that you can take. You can do simple things like washing dishes after eating, throwing away wrappers, storing food properly, or inspecting your home for any potential sources of entry.

As always if you have an ant problem that’s just too great for you to deal with alone, you can always enlist the services of a professional pest control service. Topbest Pest Services can help keep your home safe from termites, ants, and other unwanted bugs and insects in your home. Get in touch with us here for more inquiries!

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The 5 Places Where Ant Colonies Hide

Physical Appearance

Where will you most commonly find ant colonies?

  1. The Kitchen
  2. Inside Walls
  3. The Trash
  4. Under Flooring
  5. The Living Room

 

Ants can be found almost anywhere as long as there is a suitable habitat for them. There is no one place where ant colonies hide. As long as there are cracks, holes, and gaps a colony can easily build up.

Ant colonies usually live in wood or soil outside of the house. They may enter your house to get some food or when it starts to rain. It’s also possible that they live inside a building or your home at certain points of time.

If there’s an unusual number of ants moving all over your house, then there might be an ant colony hiding in the wings! Here are the top 5 places where ant colonies might be hiding in your home!

 

The Kitchen

ants on the floor. close-up

If you are thinking of where to look first, it has got to be the kitchen. The kitchen, be it the floor, the refrigerator, or anywhere there’s food, is a pest’s paradise. Ants are the same.

The kitchen is the most likely place for an ant colony to thrive.

Ants live by feeding on food scraps and whatever water they can find. All of which can be found in or very close to the kitchen.

Take a look at the hard to reach places in your kitchen. Behind the kitchen cabinets and right below the kitchen sink and the stove where a lot of grease builds up. These are perfect sweet spots for ant colonies to buildup and hide!

Follow ant lines as soon as you find them in your kitchen. That way you will easily find and get rid of the ant colony that is invading your kitchen pantry!

 

Inside Walls

Most people would think that their walls are full enough that there won’t be any space for pests to move through. But time and time again, pests have proven otherwise.

Ants are probably the most annoying ones with this. It is like whatever you do, the ants will find a way through. Be it through large openings such as doorways or windows, or very small cracks in the walls, ants and other insects can just squeeze on through.

It won’t be easy to find them clumped up, but you will find ant lines moving into small cracks. That’s a sign of a possible ant colony within the walls of your home.

Bear in mind that some ant colonies prefer to hit build their colonies outside, while some prefer a safer place. The walls inside your home give these species of ants a place that is safe and can easily reach the outdoors as well.

 

The Trash

woman hand holding garbage bag for recycle putting in to trash

It may not come as a surprise that in your trashcan or anywhere you place your trash is one of the most common places where you’ll find an ant colony. It is an easy place for them to thrive, especially if it’s a little bit neglected. This place is an amazing habitat for ants because it’s got everything they need.

You will most commonly see them under the trashcan, or somewhere that won’t be moved too much. These ant colonies are the easiest to spot as they’ll be crawling any garbage that’s placed there.

To prevent the colony from getting big, take out the garbage at a regular interval. You may also move the trash bins somewhere else. Segregating your trash will also help prevent ants and other pests from living in that place.

 

Under Flooring

If you have even a small garden at the front of your house, there’s a high chance that there’s an ant colony just outside your doorstep. Ant colonies could have created a nest under some concrete slabs within or around your house.

The most obvious sign of this is an unusual number of ants scouring your floor for food and other knick-knacks.

There are pesticides and other tools such as ant bombs that will easily get rid of them. Experts say this is the best way to deal with colonies under floorings and concrete slabs!

 

The Living Room

The Living Room

Or anywhere else that you frequently spend time eating in like your bedroom or the dining room. If the rooms aren’t regularly cleaned of the food scraps, pests will easily take a liking to the place.

Ant colonies might start to form behind or inside furniture, cabinets, and as mentioned above, the walls!

 

Key Takeaway

Ants are some of the harder pests to deal with because of how resilient they are. They come and go whenever and will almost always find a way to sneak through your defenses.

Finding out where ant colonies hide is one of the best ways to remove them early. When ants start showing around your home, search for their colonies immediately! That way, you can stop them from becoming too much to handle in the future!

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How to Get Rid of Ants Naturally

Many ant are walking on plaster walls.

How do you get rid of ants the natural way?

  1. Prepare a white vinegar solution
  2. Try using peppermint
  3. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth
  4. Remove food sources
  5. Eliminate the nesting sites

 

Let’s admit it, you dread having ants inside the house. Their bites are not only painful, but their colonies can cause property damage as well. With this, you might be wondering about how to get rid of ants naturally.

Ants are pests that have about 12,000 species scattered all over the world. While it’s true that only a small chunk of this can be identified as home invaders, there are some types you need to watch out for. Fire ants are aggressive and can cause painful bites. On the other hand, carpenter ants are responsible for structural damage.

Once ants take over your living spaces, they can be challenging to get rid of. This is especially true in areas where food is present. Luckily, we are here to suggest some helpful natural remedies to ensure there are no ants invading your house. Read on!

 

Prepare A White Vinegar Solution

You read it right. Ants absolutely hate white vinegar. This is because they cannot bear the strong scent that comes with it.

Prepare a white vinegar solution. Do this by mixing equal amounts of water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Shake it well and spray your natural pesticide at entry points. Some of the most common entry points are windowsills and doorways. This will definitely stop ants from entering your household in the first place.

 

Try Using Peppermint

Try Using Peppermint

If you can’t seem to stand the smell of white vinegar, make use of peppermint. You can try planting mint around your household or use its essential oil version. As ants hate the smell of peppermint, it makes an effective and natural remedy for your infestation problems.

Simply mix ten drops of peppermint essential oil and two cups of water. Wipe the mixture in the suspected areas and let it dry.

 

Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth

Head to the nearest store and purchase a food-grade diatomaceous earth powder. It is a very effective pest killer that does not harm humans and even pets.

It’s comprised of tiny fossil shards known as diatoms. Once the ants walk over the diatomaceous earth, their bodies will dry out and break down. This happens because the microscopic sharp edges of the powder cut through the cuticles of ants’ exoskeletons.

Sprinkle a thin layer of the diatomaceous earth around baseboards, windowsills, and areas where you frequently see ants.

It would be wise to be cautious of inhaling diatomaceous earth. While it is not poisonous, the tiny particles can make it hard for you to breathe. In addition, store the powder in a dry place. It becomes ineffective when it gets wet. This also applies when the air is damp.

 

Remove Food Sources

Teamwork concept,Ants eating sugar from popcorn caramel.

Just like other pests, ants are devised to detect and seek out food sources. As we stated earlier, there are numerous ant species. Other species tend to prefer certain foods over others.

From sugary food, decaying sources of proteins, grass, to even other bugs – ants have quite a diverse diet. With that being said, the most obvious tip to getting rid of ants naturally is to remove their food sources.

Never make it easy for ants to munch on your food. Stop leaving out leftovers and wipe every spill on kitchen countertops. Store all your food items in tightly sealed containers as well. Never leave unwashed dishes in the sink overnight. Moreover, ensure that your trashcans have lids.

Ants are persistent creatures. To avoid infestations, it would be wise to keep your household clean and tidy all the time.

 

Eliminate the Nesting Sites

If it so happens that ants still swarm your household after the sprays and traps, you’ll have to look for their nest.

Observe where the trail of ants is leading to. Follow it as far as you can. Depending on the species you’re dealing with, you might find the ant nest inside your house, hidden on debris, or old vegetation.

No infestation is the same. To know about the kind of species you’re dealing with, seek out the help of professional pest control service providers. They are the ones who know how to properly take out ant nests and they will give you advice on the habits to avoid infestations as well.

 

Key Takeaway

When it comes to the question of how to get rid of ants naturally, follow the five tips stated above. Remember, if you have a severe infestation in your household that seems too much for you to handle, rely on the professional help of Topbest.

With years of experience in the industry, the Topbest team is the leading pest control service provider in the Philippines. Our team will effectively get rid of those pesky ants for you!

Click here to know more about our effective solutions today.

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4 of the Deadliest Insects in the World

4-of-the-Deadliest-Insects-in-the-World

Every creature in the world plays an important role in balancing the ecosystem. However, despite their significance, some insects are perceived as pests because of their harmful effects to both humans and the environment. There are many types of insects – such as ants, cockroaches, fruit flies, and termites – that can damage your house and spread various diseases. One of the best means of avoiding and preventing them from invading your home is by seeking the help of various professional pest control companies. Familiarizing yourself with the various pests that may invade your home is also very beneficial. To do this, check some of the deadliest insects below and the reasons why you should avoid them.

Anopheles Mosquito

Mosquitoes are some of the most terrible and annoying pests in the world. This insect feeds on human blood and can spread various diseases. One of the deadly types of mosquitoes is the anopheles mosquito. It is known for transmitting blood-borne diseases like malaria – a disease that is responsible for more than one million deaths every year. A German entomologist, Johann Wilhelm Meigen was the first person to describe the genus anopheles.

10040375154_ba88a8120d_b

TseTse Fly

Found in Africa, tsetse fly is a large biting fly that tends to feed on the blood of a vertebrate. It resembles a house fly; as a matter of fact, both insects’ size ranges from 8 to 17 mm. This insect is a carrier of trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness. Like an anopheles mosquito, the tsetse fly bites humans, transferring the disease to its victim. Sleeping sickness is characterized by fever, headache, and joint pain.

Giant Japanese Hornet

The giant Japanese hornet or Asian hornet is one of the most dangerous insects in the world. It only takes 20 to 30 of this type of wasp to annihilate a hive of honeybees! Aside from posing a threat to other insects, Asian hornets are also dangerous to humans. After all, its sting can knock you out due to the various toxins it contains. Actually, its sting has an enzyme that is capable of disintegrating human tissue and a high concentration of Acetylocholine – a chemical that causes pain. You should definitely stay away from this insect because unlike bees, the Asian hornet can sting repeatedly.

ant-macro-insect-red-40825

Fire Ants

Fire ants are usually found in Asia, America, and Europe. Unlike other types of ants, fire ants build their home in large mounds of soil. Although they generally feed on plants and small insects, fire ants can still be lethal. Their venomous sting does not only leave a burning feeling, it also leads to swelling. Although a few stings are easily remedied, you won’t stand a chance if their whole colony swarms you. Every day, fire ants contribute to the destruction of crops and cause over 150 deaths.

Most insects are small, but don’t be fooled by their size; even the smallest ones can transmit fatal diseases and venom. Avoid fatal situations by staying away from the mentioned insects above.

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DON’T-Do-It-Yourself: Dangerous DIYs

Pest Control

Dangerous DIY pest control methods

  1. Using sugar to lure house flies
  2. Insecticides as the be-all, end-all solution
  3. Dependence on Roach Motels
  4. Food as rodent bait
  5. Termite Traps
  6. Using heat to kill bedbugs
  7. Leaving mouse traps out in the open
  8. Spraying plants

Let’s face it: Sometimes pest control services can get very expensive, which is why some of us resort to DIY methods. Sure, the Internet is a great resource for almost any topic but some things are best left to the experts. Sometimes, the solutions we use create more problems than we can solve. And before you know it, your house could be overrun with termites, ants, vermin and other pests.

In light of this, here are some DDIY (Don’t-Do-It-Yourself) pest control problems you should definitely avoid.

DDIY #1: Using Sugar Water to Lure House Flies

Undoubtedly, this trick does work, but cleanup is the tricky (and messy) part. But what about the other flies that aren’t affected by this trap? Honey and vinegar traps don’t work on them, either.

DDIY #2: Insecticides as the Be-All, End-All Solution

Yes, insecticides do stop any insect in their tracks, but consider the consequences: the toxic chemicals of the generic solution you used are left out in the open. If you don’t clean the mess right after, you risk affecting your children’s, pet’s and home environment’s safety with the harmful toxins spread in the air.

Second, you may have gotten rid of the immediate pest, but remember that you could be dealing with an entire colony of ants, termites, or groups of vermin hiding in your house. If you don’t get to the root of the problem, trust that you’ll still see some creepy-crawlies around.

Consider using baits such as insecticide gels instead. These kinds of bait are slow acting killers that look like food to pests. This is useful because the harvester pests will bring it back to their colonies/nests where the rest of their family will eat it. Eventually the whole colony will die because of the insecticide found in the gel.

Lastly, if you use the wrong insecticide for the wrong bug, you won’t kill it at all. You basically just wasted good money on the wrong product.

DDIY #3: Dependence on Roach Motels

Roach motels are very effective against cockroaches, but too much reliance on them could do worse than good. There are some personal habits you have to consider as to why your home is being infested by these buggers, like a dirty kitchen. Even if you buy more traps, roaches will keep coming until you eliminate the scent of food.

DDIY #4: Food as Rodent Bait

Never, ever, attempt this method. While rodents will definitely fall for this trick, you could be getting more than you bargained for, as ants, termites, other pests, and more rodents will definitely storm to your house once they sense food nearby.

Plus, the downside to luring rodents is that you have to “finish the job”. If you don’t have the stomach for that, it’s best to leave it to the exterminators.

DDIY #5: Termite Traps

Moist piles of paper and cardboard attract termites. But if you don’t know how to dispose of it, pretty soon that trap is going to turn against you, inviting more termites in your home to look for wooden furniture to nest it. The trick is to burn the trap after 2 days (if there are termites nesting). If you have no experience with this whatsoever, stay away from this DIY method.

DDIY #6: Using Heat to Kill Bed Bugs

While it has been shown that extremely high temperatures are effective at killing bed bugs, you must be careful when trying this method. In fact, when you have a severe infestation, you must leave this only to the profession. This is because they know how to safely use heat to exterminate bed bugs. Making a mistake while using heat as a pest control method due to lack of knowledge could lead to severe damage to your home; you could end up burning it down. This is not only a danger to your family, but also such a disaster will leave you in a sudden financial crisis.

The only time that you can really do DIY pest control for bed bugs is when the infestation is still small and excessive amounts of heat are not needed.

DDIY #7: Leaving Mouse Traps out in the Open

It is important to note that mice spread disease just be being around an area. Their waste may be the main way they spread out deadly viruses, but they also have harmful bacteria and germs that live on their skin and fur. The very presence of mice in a home means that these microorganisms are near you and your loved ones.

You want to keep them out or, at the very least, inside the walls where you can safely use sprays. Thus, leaving mouse traps out in the open inside your home may kill the mice, but it will invite the harmful bacteria, germs, and diseases to live near you.

Also, rodents tend to move along the edges and walls since they find open areas to be dangerous to themselves. If you really insist on using mouse traps inside your home, then leave them in a visible area along the side of a wall and wherever you see rodent droppings.

Do not use traps with baits if you have pets or overly-curious kids at home.

DDIY #8: Spraying Plants

Spraying too much pesticides is dangerous to all living things. You may be thinking that spraying these chemicals in your garden will keep your plants safe from pests such as aphids and caterpillars. However, these chemicals have also been known to kill plants if not properly applied.

This could be because of overuse of the product or using the wrong kinds of pesticides. If you want to do DIY pest control in your garden, then it is important that you do the proper research. You must know which products to use and how to use them. Failure to do so could lead to the death of your favorite shade tree.

Key Takeaway

While doing DIY pest control is an attractive option for you to save some money, it is important to remember that knowledge is power. Do not do it until you completely sure of all the science and safety measures behind a certain DIY pest control method that you see online.

However, there is no beating the excellence that you would get from hiring a professional service, which have experienced and educated experts to handle any pest infestation. It is possible to educate yourself on how to achieve this quality yourself and perform good DIY pest control but be prepared to give same time and effort that these professionals did to learn all about pests.

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10 Habits You Need To Develop To Never See Flying Roaches

Flying Cockroach

Habits you need to develop to never see flying roaches

  1. Cleanliness
  2. Prevention
  3. Regular Gardening
  4. Purchasing Roach Motels and Traps
  5. Get rid of cellulose-based materials
  6. Call your exterminator regularly
  7. Have a water spray ready
  8. Keep the temperature low
  9. Minimize the amount of wood in your home
  10. Use dimmers to keep the lights low

Next to termites and rodents, cockroaches are probably the most disgusting critters you can find in your homes. Do you want to know what’s even worse than roaches? Flying cockroaches! As if being germs on six legs wasn’t enough, God decided to give them wings to spread their bacteria-infested insect bodies all the more.

Flying roaches are known to make even the toughest, most macho of men run and scream like little sissy girls when they flutter in their presence. Macho or not, if cockroaches are fluttering all over the place, maybe it’s best to call pest control services.

But sometimes, there is no quick fix to a flying roach infestation. The root cause is, ultimately, the habits we develop. An unclean kitchen or room may be the reason why flying roaches have developed a preference for your home amongst others. In order to eliminate flying roaches for good, here are 7 good habits you need to develop.

Habit #1: Cleanliness

Just like any other pest, flying cockroaches are attracted to the scents of improperly stored food and drink. Make sure your kitchen and room is free from food crumbs and stains. Also, store food and drink in airtight containers, so flying roaches cannot infect them. As an added precaution, do store your leftovers in the refrigerator, since cold temperatures repel cockroaches and other insects.

Habit #2: Prevention

Since flying roaches are small, they can fit in through cracks or other openings they may find in your home. Make that all windows and doors leading outside are closed so that flying cockroaches and other pests don’t find their way in your home. Seal any holes you find around your home with screen mesh or cracks with silicone sealant.

Habit #3: Regular Gardening

Flying roaches like tall grass, wet wood, and other damp places they can find in your garden. Getting rid of places where these insects, and other pests, frequently inhabit will reduce their infestations in your home.

Habit #4: Purchasing Roach Motels & Other Traps

If you definitely see flying roaches in your house, one effective way of catching them is purchasing a Roach Motel trap. Place near wall corners (especially in the kitchen) and beneath appliances. Roach Motels attract and trap/kill roaches with glucose bait (laced with poison) inside or a sticky substance inside.

Another effective method to do this is purchase sticky paper and leave them in the same places at night. Chances are, you might find a roach or two the next day.

Habit #5: Get Rid of Cellulose-Based Materials

Roaches and termites love making homes in piles of newspaper, paper bags, and cardboard. Be sure you take these out of your house so these pests don’t have an open invitation to stay in your house.

Habit #6: Call Your Exterminator for Regular Inspection

Because let’s face it, when all the D-I-Y methods don’t work anymore, it’s time to call in specialists to deal with your flying cockroach problem.

Habit #7: Have a Water Spray Ready

Generally, cockroaches fly when they are disturbed. This is why is it terrifying to try to kill them because the slightest irritation could lead them to take flight. However, the very first thing you could do to make sure that they don’t fly is to spray them with water or, better yet, to douse them with a small cup of it. Cockroach wings are very light and they cannot function if it is drenched in water. When the roach cannot fly, it will be vulnerable and you can kill it easily.

Habit #8: Keep the Temperature Low

Cockroaches tend to fly more often when the temperature is hot. The Chairperson of the Biology Department of the University of Texas, Srini Kambhampati, said that “Because of the extreme heat, they may be trying to find a more comfortable place in which to live”. In search of said place, they desperately scour for it which why they resort to flying.

If ever your preventive measures have failed and you see cockroaches inside your home, then try to keep the temperature low so that they don’t fly and become difficult to kill.

Habit #9: Minimize the Amount of Wood Around Your Home

Primarily, you want to minimize the amount of wood in your home to discourage termites from infesting your home. However, for flying cockroaches, you want to minimize this amount that is outside your home. This is because most of the roaches that are capable of flying are of the wooden variety. These types of roaches prefer to live outdoors, moist sources of wood such as wood piles, inside decaying logs, and under the loose bark of trees, logs or branches.

When it comes time to mate, these critters will find their way into your home. Once they do get to reproduce inside your home, they will quickly infest your space.

Also, be careful when bringing in firewood from the outside. These roaches may hitch a ride on these pieces of wood and get to enter your home. When you have the time, seal any holes and openings in your pile of firewood.

Habit #10: Use Dimmers and Keep the Brightness Low

From wood roaches, the males are the more active flyers. The males have also been shown to be more attracted to light than females. When they see bright sources of light from your home, they will try to find cracks and openings so they can enter and find this source. To prevent or minimize this, use dimmers on your lights or don’t open too much light at night.

Key Takeaway

You will be able to prevent a good number of flying cockroaches from entering your home just by practicing general preventive measures for pest control. These include general cleanliness, the right pest traps, and proper food storage. But to prevent flying cockroaches in particular, the amount cellulose and wood in and around the home should be reduced. Also, less lights should be used at night in order for your home to not appear so attractive to male wood cockroaches.

If they have already found their way into your home, then keep the temperature low and have a water spray ready to quickly and easily kill them.

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9 Familiar Habits That Attract Pests

Familiar habits that attract pests

  1. Leaving food out
  2. Negligent house maintenance
  3. Keeping paper bags beneath the kitchen sink
  4. Leaving a messy room
  5. Having a lot of wooden furniture
  6. Not taking out the trash
  7. Not repairing what needs to be repaired
  8. Not covering the trash
  9. Negligence in plant care

Have you ever wondered why pests keep appearing in your home? No matter what you do, whether it’s calling pest control in the Philippines to treat your house regularly or applying your own techniques, like bug spray or traps, they just keep coming back after a while, and it’s costing you an arm and a leg to constantly have to get rid of them.

Living Room

Before you make another call to your exterminator or buy another bottle of bug aerosol, stop to consider how you and your family have been treating your home. Yes, the focus is on your daily routines. There are many bad habits we unintentionally do that cause these pests to return.

And while bug spray and other modern techniques kill these pests, the reason why they keep coming back to your house is because you only deal with the effects, and not the root of the problem: bad habits. Today, we’ll look at 7 bad habits we may not be familiar with that attract pests to your residence.

1. Leaving Food Out

Leaving food out in the open is like giving these pests an invitation to infest your home. Unsealed foodstuff or groceries and unswept crumbs could attract a group of ants in a matter of minutes or become a late night snack for a mouse or rat. Place food in airtight containers when done eating or not needed and keep away from the dining and kitchen tables. If possible, store all food in the refrigerator. Sweep away crumbs on the floor to prevent these pesky invaders from ever returning.

2. Negligent House Maintenance

Insects can pass through the tiniest cracks, while rodents like mice and rats can squeeze their bodies through an opening the size of a quarter. Other damaged portions of your home can become entrances for these tricky trespassers. Repair and seal all wall cracks, broken doors, windows, and other areas that may act as gateways for pests into your home.

3. Keeping Paper Bags Beneath the Kitchen Sink

You may do this as part of your routine to keep the bags for further use, but in reality, it only draws cockroaches to live in them. Worse, they may release their fecal matter in the bags. This causes even more cockroaches to stay in the paper bags. If you have paper bags under the sink with a few cockroaches inside, immediately take them out and burn them. From now on, fold unused paper bags and store them in drawers instead.

4. Leaving a Messy Room

A pile of clothes and other items on the floor do attract pests. Rodents, like staying beneath dirty clothes because it keeps them warm, while crumpled pieces of paper can become a home for spiders, since they can spin webs onto them. Also, when your room accumulates a large amount of dust, the more likely it is for cockroaches to flock around and scurry about.

With that said, the moral of the story: Clean up your room. You’d be amazed at how much this can benefit you.

5. Having a lot of Wooden Furniture

Wood is a termite haven, since they eat the material to live and make a home. Ridding your house of all wooden furniture will definitely lower the risk of a termite infestation.

6. Not Taking out the Trash

In every household, the accumulation of waste is unavoidable at best. Why else would a house keep trash cans?

Anyways, the best way to handle this is to take out the trash when your bin is too full. Otherwise, expect to see more roaches in your home.

7. Not Repairing What Needs to be Repaired

This is more for home maintenance than warding off pests, as well as a continuation of Habit #2. Bear with it though as this is still a factor in attracting pests into your home.

Nowadays, people are always too busy to do anything. With their work entailing them a huge amount of responsibility, people tend to see that as a top priority than maintaining their home. If one does not maintain their home, a number of things can happen, which in turn can attract more pests.

For instance, a leaking pipe is more than just a household inconvenience. Cockroaches tend to gather around in dark and moist areas, making it more likely for them to gather around for some coolness. Also, an issue like leaking is more than likely to happen during the rainy season, which is also the time where a lot of pests gather above ground and go about their business, at the cost of your peace of mind as a homeowner.

With that said, it’s best to take care of and repair these problems as soon as you spot them. That way, you’ll be able to make things indoors easier and ward off any pest from wandering inside your home.

8. Not Covering the Trash

Speaking of trash (see number 6 above), there are instances where the trash is left without its lid on, especially outdoors. This further attracts pests to your home due to its foul and pungent odor.

For this, all you have to do is keep your trash cans with their lids on at all times. That way, you’ll be able to prevent yourself from seeing another cockroach, rat, ant, or any other pest for as long as you wish.

9. Negligence in Plant Care

When one has a green thumb, it’s their nature to care for any plant-life that comes their way. When one doesn’t have a green thumb, or any penchant in caring for plants, then the more likely these green masterpieces will be left in the dust, which in turn can attract pests to take dispose of it.

For this, all you really need to do is give your best in caring for any plants you may have in your home. Otherwise, if your plant is as good as dead, then dispose of it as soon as possible.

Key Takeaway

These habits can be understandably hard to kick. It’s become part of daily life that it’s been instilled in your mentality. But, if ever you’re guilty of practicing these habits, now you know what kind of repercussions they can bring.

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The Essential Pest Control Tips: Rat-Proof Your House

How to rat-proof your house

  1. Trim your yard
  2. Look for seal and entry points
  3. Sticky paper
  4. Store food in airtight containers
  5. Mouse/rat traps
  6. High-frequency pest repellent
  7. Rat bait
  8. Proper home cleanliness

In a previous article (please link to The Essential Pest Control Tips: Rat-Proof Your House), tips on how to cockroach proof your house were put into thorough discussion. Today, this piece will be looking at a different, yet well-known kind of animal for pest control: the rat. The pest control minneapolis experts can help when it comes to getting rid of these pests.

Pest Control - how to rat proof your house
 

Rats are very destructive creatures. Not only do they bring diseases with them, but they can also be a detriment to anything, and anyone in the household.

Their teeth don’t stop growing in their lifetime, so in order for them to keep its size normal, they gnaw on numerous substances such as wood, concrete, metal, etc. If you find holes, chips, dents, and cracks on furniture in certain areas in your house, you can be sure that a rat or mouse has been scurrying nearby.

Another dangerous fact about rodents is their surprisingly fast breeding. Since male rats can reach maturity in about 4-6 weeks, they can start breeding by then. In a Serious Facts article, Peter M. Notes that 2 rats can have more than one million descendants in 18 months! That large number of rodents could utterly destroy your home!

Like most pests, rats are also the cause and/or carriers of multiple diseases. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention established that rats can cause serious diseases such as the plague and lymphocytic Choriomeningitis, and rat-bite fever. Rat urine and droppings also cause leptospirosis, kidney, liver, and heart problems. With the help of pest control puyallup such pest related diseases can be eradicated.

After reading the devastating effect rats have on your health and home, doesn’t that make you want to get rid of them all the more? We hope so. If you’re wondering how to do that, look no further. Here are essential pest-control tips to make your house rat and rodent proof.

1.  Regularly Trim Your Yard

One of the surest ways to keep rats away from your vicinity and out of your house is to keep your plants and hedges neat and tidy. Christopher Solomon of MSN Real Estate says that shrubs and trees give them protection and shelter. Solomon adds that tree branches should be 18 inches from the ground, while higher branches should be 3 feet far from your roof, as rats can access your home from there as well.

2.  Look for and Seal Entry Points

Take the time to walk around your house (inside and out) and find possible entry points such as holes or cracks in walls, doors, etc. Rodents can amazingly squeeze into spaces where coins can slip through. Some materials you can use to seal these spaces are steel wool, metal sheeting, and caulk.

To get the job done, all you need is a bit of concrete. That way, you won’t have to worry about the rats re-entering your home.

3.  Sticky Paper

This method of rat-proofing is one of the most common ones around. With this, you’ll be able to know whether rats are indeed in your home or not.

Place these traps along corners in your kitchen and/or living room at night. In the morning, you might find a rodent or two stuck, verifying that there is an infestation somewhere.

4.  Store Food in Airtight Containers

Just like for other pests, doing so prevents rodents from being attracted to the smell and contaminating said food item when they nibble through the container. By doing this, you’ll be able to preserve your food under the right conditions, further warding off the risk of spoilage and warding off rats.

5.  Mouse/Rat Traps

Using this handy little contraption is also one of the most common methods in rat-proofing your home. When put in the wrong hands, however, it can cause massive amounts of pain to the wrongdoer.

Anyway, using this trap to rat-proof your home is pretty simple. All you have to do is lure them out by placing food on top of the trap’s trigger. Once that’s been done, all that’s left for you to do is wait for them to take the bait. Just be sure to dispose of the rats once everything has been set and triggered.

6.  High-Frequency Pest Repellent

In today’s day and age, many aspects of everyday life are getting a technological boost, especially home improvement and warding off pests. In fact, one of these devices that can help in the latter is a high-frequency pest repellent.

How this works is simple: Simply plug your device into any area in your home and, soon enough, any pest residing within the dark corners of your home will be affected by the sound waves emitted by the device and pack up and leave. This is an easy and convenient approach for every household of this generation.

7.  Rat Bait

Speaking of rat traps, another key method in rat-proofing your home is the use of actual rat bait. They’re these little pellet-shaped items that rats eat…at the cost of their lives.

For this to be done, just place the baits in different areas of your home. Then, like the use of rat traps, all that’s left to do is wait for them to literally take the bait.

8.  Proper Home Cleanliness

As with any other pest, rats are attracted to places where filth and dirt are an abundance. Those kinds of surroundings make it suitable for them to breed, nest, and even leave droppings everywhere.

For this, as how it is usually mentioned with other articles related to the topic at hand, cleanliness is and will always be a key factor in warding off all kinds of pests away. Just be sure to clean your home on a regular basis to maintain cleanliness, order, and a pest-free environment.

Key Takeaway

There are other methods of rat-proofing your home. No matter what method you choose, it’ll be as effective as other methods.

Nonetheless, your home should be maintained as the perfect source of shelter for you and your family. A place where you can all relax and be by yourselves with peace and quiet if you wish so. With all these rat-proofing methods for you to try, your home is guaranteed to be 100% pest-free.