When it comes to keeping your house safe from pests, there might be none more feared than the termite. Termites are known for the massive damage they can cause to homes and if left unchecked long enough, sometimes they can even do so much damage that the home itself is in danger of collapse.

The earlier termites are caught and exterminated, the better off you and your home will be. Read on to learn the five signs you should never ignore that could mean termites.

Sign # 1: What Does That Cracked and Bubbling Paint Mean?

There are many different reasons that paint can bubble, crack, and peel, so this isn’t necessarily a sign that you have termites, but it’s not something that should be ignored. Generally the root cause of cracking paint, and especially bubbling paint, is that moisture is getting in the spaces between the wood and the paint. This causes the damage that comes off as flaking paint. While it might just be minor moisture and water damage, you’ll still want to check it out.

Damage of any kind is never good, and there’s a chance that the moisture is getting in because of termites burrowing into the wood. Don’t just paint over it – get these problems checked out by a pest control specialist just to be on the safe side! (more…)

Spring is finally on its way, and that means it’s time to get prepared for the warmer weather. If you’re anything like most people, the warmer temperatures are always welcome, as is the excitement of planting and other outdoor activities. One thing you may not realize is that this is also the best time of year for termites to enter your home. Let’s dig a little deeper into this, shall we?

Springtime and Termites

Even though termites are generally active year round, like most other pests, spring is when they do a considerable amount of multiplying. This means that existing colonies will grow exponentially, and that leads to swarmers. Swarmers are male and female termites that are known as “reproductives”, and they are the only ones in the colony that have wings.

When the warmer temperatures of spring arrive, the swarmers leave the colony and look for a mate. When a male responds to the female pheromones, the pair breaks off their wings. This means that they are mates, and are now on the lookout for prime nesting location, and this is often in your home. (more…)

When you travel, it’s possible to pick up hitchhiking bed bugs and bring them back to your home. In order to stop these pesky little insects from taking up residence in your belongings and infiltrating your house, there are a few things you need to know.

The thing that makes it so hard to identify these little creatures is because they can squeeze into tiny cracks and crevices and go completely unnoticed by a casual observer. A majority of them will cluster around areas where people sleep, but a few will hide out in dark remote areas. They avoid light and if disturbed, they will move to a quieter location.
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Cockroaches are found everywhere, and unfortunately, South Louisiana is no exception. There are few things that can bring on a shudder quite as quickly as seeing a cockroach (or several) scuttling across your kitchen floor. If you see one, you can bet that there are others nearby, and you’re going to want to do something about them.

Are Cockroaches Dangerous?

They can be. Unfortunately, they’re not just unsightly. They can carry diseases. In fact, you may have heard of cockroach disease – that’s actually a catch-all term for a variety of nasty illnesses they can carry, due to their habits of eating just about anything, and frequently living in unsanitary conditions. They can carry poliomyelitis, typhoid, gastroenteritis, dysentery and asthma, to name a few, and as they move from location to location, they carry the diseases with them. As if this isn’t bad enough, allergies to cockroach feces aren’t uncommon, and you can actually inhale the feces in the air – you don’t have to actually touch it.

You can also get sick from eating food that may contain bits of cockroach feces or saliva. Obviously, this is something you should take seriously if you’ve seen roaches in your home. They’re not going to go away on their own.

So How Can I Control Cockroaches?

If you want to be certain that cockroaches are totally eradicated, your best course of action is to call a professional exterminator. Also, don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because you’ve only seen a couple, which you’ve speedily sent on their way to Cockroach Hell, you’ve got them all – roaches really don’t like crowding, so if you’re seeing them in groups, it means they’re already well entrenched. There are a few things you can try:

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The calendar has changed over to June and summer is finally upon us. While the days have gotten longer and the air has gotten warmer, summer still carries with it the usual problems. Unfortunately for us, it turns out the fleas and ticks like the warm weather about as much as we do, which is why they’re at their most active during the summer months.

As most know, fleas and ticks can pose a serious health problem both for ourselves and our furry friends, so that’s why it’s essential that you take the necessary steps to keep them from infiltrating your home this summer.

How to Avoid Tracking Ticks into Your Home

Ticks are nasty! If you’ve ever been bitten by one or pulled one off of your dog, then you know what we’re talking about. These parasitic organisms can be more than just nasty, though. They’re also known to carry dangerous diseases, including Lyme Disease & Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. That’s why making sure you keep ticks out of your home is essential.

The best way to avoid letting ticks into your home is to avoid going into places where ticks are known to congregate. While a tick could theoretically be anywhere, they tend to live in heavily wooded or bushy areas. In addition, you’ll also find them in places with high, uncut grass and in leaf litter.

If you suspect that you may have been exposed to ticks, it’s essential that you check and clean your body. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that you shower within 2 hours of coming indoors, so that you can adequately find and remove any ticks that might be on your person. In addition, you’ll also want to examine your pets (if you have any) and gear that may have been exposed to a tick population.
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Termites are quite prevalent in Louisiana, and many homes will see termites over the course of their “lives”. Some homeowners do not think that they need annual inspections, if their home has been previously treated. This is a misconceived notion, because termite colonies don’t know the difference between wooden structures and dead wood found on the ground.

Periodic Inspections Are Important

Periodic termite inspections by trained and certified pest control technicians are a vital part of ensuring that your home or business is not affected by termites. Otherwise, termites can do a great deal of damage.

Termites will cause extensive damage if they are not detected. Subterranean termites can consume as much as three percent of their individual body weight in wood every day. The amount they consume is dependent on the colony size, the termite size and environmental conditions. A mature colony can consume 1/5 ounce or five grams of wood every day. A mature colony of termites can eat one foot of a 2×4 pine wall stud in less than three months, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

If Termites Go Unnoticed, They Go Untreated

Termites can damage a structure without even being detected, since home or business owners may overlook damage signs. During a trained pest control technician’s inspection, there may only be a small mud tube in the attic, crawlspace or on the foundation exterior to show that termites are actively consuming wood in the structure. The mud tube may be hidden behind tall grass or shrubbery.
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Formosan termites are subterranean members of the termite family, known around the world for their destructive tendencies. Read on to learn the best ways to prevent their spreading.

On What Do Formosan Termites Live?

These termites consume cellulose and wood at a rapid rate, and they are commonly found in Louisiana and Mississippi. The most effective way to control them is by making the area in which you live or work less attractive for termite colonies. This will help in diminishing their spread.

Address Any Moisture Problems in Your Business or Home

Formosan termites are attracted to buildings with drainage or moisture problems. These cause the wood and other building materials to stay moist. If this moisture persists, brown rot may develop, producing brown rot fungi. This fungus is very attractive to Formosan termites, and having fungi of this type in your home or business facility can encourage these termites to spread.
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In most instances, you will often notice the evidence of having a rodent problem in your home or office before you actually ever see one. And while your first inclination may be to reach for the strongest rat or mouse pellets you can find, you might want to rethink that strategy. Rodenticides will most likely kill a few of the rodents infesting your home, but they may not kill them all.

Having rodents present in your home poses health risks to everyone in the home. Their droppings can trigger allergic reactions and asthma. The parasites that they carry can transmit disease like the bubonic plague to members of your family. And, they can track a variety of bacteria, germs, and parasites onto your food stores and dishes for you to ingest.

Fortunately there are ways to eliminate existing infestations and discourage future infestations while minimizing the use of harsh and dangerous chemicals. Integrated pest management plans can not only address your rodent concerns, but can also provide benefits for the environment as well. (more…)