Humane Rodent Pest Control

HOW TO GET RID OF MICE IN YOUR HOME

Mice: A Big Problem in a Pint-Sized Package

You see a shadow move from out of the corner of your eye. Then, you start noticing droppings along your baseboards, in the pantry, and maybe even on the kitchen countertops. You might as well face it: You have a mouse in the house—and probably more than one! Once you get over the “yuck” factor, there are some simple, no-nonsense steps you can take to get rid of mice in the house.

Quick Guide to Getting Rid of Mice in the House

Choose the type of mouse trap or bait station that best fits your needs.

Put mouse traps or bait stations in places where you see mouse droppings or other signs of activity.

Store food in sealed containers and don’t leave crumbs lying around.

Don’t leave out bowls of pet food.

Seal up all cracks and openings that lead outside.

Use Mice Behavior Against Them

Mice are creatures of habit—they like to take the same path to and from their nests. They’re also very curious, so they’ll check out any new thing along the way. Those two behaviors will help you control your mice problem. Put your traps or bait stations in several places where you see mouse poop. If you don’t catch a mouse within two days, move the trap or bait station to another spot.

Keep Food Away from Mice

Mice need a nice, warm place to live. Your house will do just fine. They also need only a little food, and not much water—the moisture in their food is enough. Make sure you store your grains and cereals in sealed containers. You should also store your fruit, potatoes, and other perishables in your refrigerator. Sweep or vacuum up any crumbs, and keep your garbage can lid on nice and tight. A tidy home will help reduce a mouse’s attraction to it!

Put Pet Food Away

If you leave a bowl of food outside for your dog, you’re effectively hanging out a sign on your home that says “Mouse Café”. If you leave some food in a bowl inside, it can compete with bait you’ve put out for rodents. So if you want to get rid of mice, put the leftover food away, especially at night, once Fido has eaten, to help avoid a mouse infestation.

 

Rodent and Animal Removal Specialists on Thumbtack cost

How much does rodent removal cost?

On average nationwide, professional rodent removal costs between $95 and $235, with the average cost to homeowners being $165. The exact price you’ll pay for this type of pest control depends on the size of your house and the type and number of rodents you have. The worse your rat, mouse, or other rodent problem, the longer it’ll take for a pest control company or exterminator to take care of removal, clean up and repairs.

Since nobody wants these pesky critters coming back, professionals will also clean up affected areas and make home repairs that can prevent pests from returning. Typically, these prices do not include the cost of repairing damage done to the house by rodents, beyond cleaning up urine, feces and other small messes. If the damage is particularly bad, consider hiring a home improvement specialist to help once you’ve finished with the removal.

To help you understand how much it will cost to hire an exterminator or wildlife control specialist to get rid of rodents in your home, this guide will break down extermination costs and what to expect in the pest removal process.

What impacts the cost of rodent removal?

Ultimately, your pest control costs reflect how much time and effort it will take to get rid of any unwanted animals in your home. To account for this, some pest control companies charge by the hour for rodent removals. Others have set-rate packages based on what animal has taken roost and how severe the infestation and damage is.

Inspection

Some rodent removal services, such as Pest Control, provide free inspections. They use this time to assess the extent of a pest problem and create a custom estimate based on what they have to do to exterminate or remove rodents from your home.

 

Ultimate Rodent Prevention Guide

You’re enjoying a quiet evening by reading in bed before turning in for the night. A small sound catches your attention for a moment, but you ignore it. A moment later you hear it again. This time you set your book down and listen. It’s a light scratching sound, but where is it coming from? Outside? You listen harder and hear it again, this time a little louder. It’s definitely not coming from outside. In fact, it sounds like it’s coming from your ceiling. Sure enough, the more you listen, the more sure you are. There is something moving around in your ceiling.

While any number of pests could have gotten into your house, you will likely hear rodents scratching and moving around at night. In some instances, you won’t hear rodents in your home, but you’ll discover their existence in other ways. Maybe you’ll find packages in your pantry with holes in them or find small black pellets on your counters or in your cupboards.

House Mice

House mice are the most common species of mice to give. residents’ trouble. Although they can live outdoors, they prefer structures, especially homes that provide a steady source of food and water. House mice like to nest in dark, secluded areas, so you’re likely to find their nests in your attic or within wall voids if they get into your house. House mice are usually gray with cream colored underbellies. They have pointed noses, large ears, and range in size from 2 ½” to 3 ¾” long. Their tails add another 2 ¾” to 4” to their total length.

Norway Rats

Norway rats are the most common type of rat to be found. You may know them as sewer rats. While they are quite comfortable living outdoors the majority of the time, they often find their way into homes when fall and winter arrive. Unlike roof rats, Norway rats prefer to stay at ground level or below, so they often build their nests in basements.

What Makes Rodents Dangerous

Rodents are dangerous for a few different reasons and on a few different levels. First, they cause a lot of damage to the places they frequent. Rodents gnaw on almost any object they can get their teeth on, which means that once they get into your house, they’re going to damage your belongings. That’s the least of your worries, though.

 

Get Rid of Rats and Mice

Rats and mice will quickly take advantage of any source of food or shelter. These rodents consume food discarded by humans, and they can fit through the tiniest of openings to access your home. Learn how to eliminate these pests from your home, and prevent them from returning.

The most common rodent pathways are sill ledges, fence rails, foundations, electrical wires, pipes, tree branches and conduits. Inspect your home, outbuildings and landscape for these rodent signs: droppings, gnaw marks and burrows.

Get Rid of Mice and Rats

The Three Lines of Defense

Most baiting programs start once an infestation is discovered. By baiting along the three lines of defense, you’re preventing an infestation from occurring.

Perimeter of the Property

Use tamper-resistant bait stations along the perimeter of your property. Use block bait as it can be secured inside bait stations on vertical or horizontal securing rods. Choose the correct product to reduce the risk of secondary poisoning to nontarget animals.

Exterior Baiting

Rodents tend to gravitate to warm air currents or where food odors emerge. Tamper-resistant bait stations or traps should be placed every 30 to 50 feet, depending on the severity of the infestation. Place bait or traps around every entry door.

Interior Baiting

Rodent device placement depends on the type of infestation. For mice, space placements at 8- to 12-foot intervals depending on the severity of the infestation. For rats, space placements at 15- to 30-foot intervals, depending on the severity of the infestation.

 

Rodents

Rats are one of the most common invasive and harmful pests found in homes across America. Able to squeeze into openings just a 1/4 inch around, rats are adept at getting into homes and businesses, while spreading diseases and causing destruction wherever they go

What are Norway rats?

Norway rats are a species of rodent known for their keen swimming ability, and are thus commonly found in or around bodies of water. They have heavy bodies with blunt noses, small ears, and small, bulging, black eyes.

Adult Norway rats measure between 7 and 9-1/2 inches in length. Their tails are shorter than their bodies, usually between 6 to 8 inches in length, and are bi-colored, with dark coloration on top and lighter color on the underside. Their fur is shaggy in appearance, usually brown and scattered with black hairs. The fur on their underside is lighter than the rest of their body.

Are Norway rats dangerous?

Yes, Norway rats are dangerous to both people and properties. Like other rodents, Norway rats need to constantly chew on objects to keep their front incisors from overgrowing; this habit will damage baseboards, walls, personal property, and even electrical wiring. Norway rats will contaminate food and food preparation areas with their urine, feces, and saliva. They also spread serious diseases and bacteria to people and pets, and they carry harmful parasites such as mites and fleas that will infest homes and businesses.

Why do I have a Norway rat problem?

Outside, Norway rats burrow in things like garbage piles, woodpiles, and under concrete slabs. Like other household pests, Norway rats are drawn inside to find food, water, and shelter. Norway rat infestations are most common inside homes and businesses in late fall and winter months when the weather outside pushes them to seek warmth, food, and shelter. This species of rats are poor climbers and, therefore, invade the basements, crawlspaces, and ground floors of homes and commercial properties.

How To Get Rid Of Ants

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO GET RID OF ANTS FOR GOOD?

Have you noticed that they seem a lot more active in summer? That’s because they are. Ants have the equivalent of a great work ethic come summertime. And it does make sense – it’s for their own livelihood. Ants must forage and store enough food in the summer months to keep them going through the cooler months. And like any good team member, when they hit a jackpot, they send out the word and an entire ant army comes a running. That’s why there is never just one ant – there are hundreds of them.

How do you keep ants out of your home and kitchen?

You may have noticed that ants love your kitchen and bathroom the most. It makes sense really as these areas have the sustenance they need for life – food and water. Cupboards chock full of tasty treats, floors with dropped food and bathrooms with an abundance of water drops perfect for a thirsty ant. Here’s some simple home remedies to try and combat those ants before they take hold.

Clean as you go

Clean as you go, so no leftover food is left on your kitchen benches. Clean out your cupboards and store food in containers and ziplock bags to prevent things like sugar spilling out and creating a sugary feast for your ant invaders.

Baby powder and coffee granules scare them off

Sprinkle some baby powder across the entry areas that your ants like to travel. They don’t like walking across it so baby powder up those surfaces! May be messy for a while but will do the trick. Coffee granules do the same however this may prove a bit more unsightly!

Pet Food Bowls – make a moat

Often a common party scene for ants as food can sit for longer periods of time as well as linger in the bowl even when licked clean. Simply pop your food bowl into another bowl filled with water – those ants won’t swim!

 

How to get rid of ants

ants are about as common as kookaburras and kangaroos. They play a crucial part in your garden’s ecosystem but inside the house can wreak havoc, finding their way into just about everything. Here we discover the best natural and not-so natural ways to get rid of ants.

Types of ants

home to lots of pests and critters and a plethora of ants, some of the most popular types of ants are:

Carpenter ants

Fire ants

Bull ants

Sugar ants

Black Ants

Argentine ants

Pharaoh ants

Red Ants

Don’t feed ‘em

First things first, if you want ants to stay away permanently don’t leave a buffet of sugary and fatty food out. Keep your home free of crumbs and food scraps and keep as much as you can in sealed containers. This isn’t a foolproof method but it will cut down their numbers inside your home.

Get them at the source

Here’s a simple and natural way to exterminate ants in one go.

Find the ants nest and using a small spade make a hole in the centre.

Pour boiling water into the hole, repeating until no more ants surface from the nest.

Homemade bait

Finding the ants manor is often easier said than done, so if you can’t find the source you could look at making your own ant trap.

 

How to Keep Ants Out of the House

It is ant season again! As soon as the weather starts to heat up, and particularly after a warm rainy day, ants decide that indoors is a good place to be. Sure, you can kill ants with various home remedies, but are there are lots of other things that you can do to keep ants out of the house?  Fortunately, the answer is YES!

What attracts ants in the first place?

If you want to keep ants out of the house, one of the first things you need to know is what attracts them into the home. Just like any other creature, ants search for food and water, and also a shelter of some sort.

There are many types of ants and not all of them are attracted to the same thing. Generally speaking though, ants like organic matter of some sort of sweetness. That means that anything from kitchen scraps to a spilled bit of honey will bring them inside. Even old cut flowers in water in a dirty vase can attract them.

All it takes is one ant!  If you see a single ant on your counter top and don’t consider it a big problem, think again.  If that guy finds a food supply, he’ll go back to his nest to tell his buddies and you’ll be seeing more of them soon.

As soon as an ant finds a food source, he will carry tiny bits of it back to the nest and mark the trail to the food source with pheromones to show other ants how to find the food supply. Squish that ant in his tracks!

 

WHAT MAKES THESE ANTS SO SUCCESSFUL?

Social organisation is one of the key factors that contributes to the success of ants as invaders. Their advanced social system has gifted them a number of unique ways that enhance survival and success. These benefits includes group protection against predators, organised resource exploitation, aggressive colony defence and buffering against environmental changes.

Colonies have many queens

Typically, an ant colony consists of a single fertilized female (the queen) attended by her daughters, which are sterile female workers.

From time to time, winged (alate) males and females are produced. These males and females normally leave the nest to mate and start new colonies. Invasive ants often have multiple queens per colony (polygyny), which increases reproductive output and leads to larger colony size.

Queen ants are responsible for all reproduction in the colony. The number of queens is an important factor in the problems invasive species cause, because usually the more queens there are, the more workers there are and the worse the problem is.

An extreme example of polygyny is the little fire ant.  In its invaded range, this species can be present in extraordinary densities of more than 220,000,000 individuals per hectare. And as many as 550,000 queens per hectare or 55 queens per square meter!

 

Fire Ant Frequently Asked Questions

What are red imported fire ants? What makes them different

Red imported fire ants or Solenopsis invicta are medium-sized red and black colored ants that build mounds of soft soil. Mounds are rarely larger than 18″ in diameter. In cold, dry areas such as the High Plains

mounds are usually much smaller and harder to detect. When disturbed, fire ants emerge aggressively, crawling up vertical surfaces, biting and stinging “all at once”. Their sting usually leaves a white pustule on the skin. Worker fire ants vary in size from small (1/16 inch) to large (almost ¼ inch) in length. Many native ant species have worker ants that are uniform in size and may vary in body color. Other small to medium-sized ants that build small nests in soil often have central nest openings through which the ants enter and leave whereas fire ants mounds have no central openings.

Harvester ants are much larger and make large bare areas with a single entrance hole to the colony.

Leafcutter ants are also much larger and have a distinctive built-up dense cluster of mounds at the colony’s center called a “town”, and have many entrance holes over a very large area.

Can I tell the difference between fire ants and native ants? How large are fire ants?

Some uncertainty comes from the fact that red imported fire ants vary in size (1/16 to almost 1/4 inch long – see image by S. D. Porter, USDA-ARS), with the largest workers 2 or 3 times larger than the smallest. Red imported fire ants are an exotic invasive species and in many areas

How To Prevent & Get Rid Of Silverfish

How to Get Rid of Silverfish Without Chemicals

What are Silverfish?

Lepisma saccharina, or the common silverfish, is a wingless insect that wriggles around when it moves. Silverfish bugs get their name because of its silvery color and strong resemblance to a fish. They rely mostly on carbohydrates to survive that come from starches and natural sugars.

Silverfish and their cousins the firebrats are nocturnal bugs that are usually between a half and one inch in length. They also have two long antennae at the back of their abdomens and have a set of eyes at the front of their bodies.

Firebrats and silverfish are considered to be some of the most damaging insects because of their ability to multiply quickly and destroy property. They will continuously feast on whatever food sources they find in the house and are quick to move around the rest of the house in search of more food.

Over the course of their lifetime, an adult silverfish can have as many as 66 offspring. If you have silverfish in your house, they are likely seeking food, a better environment, or more space to grow their population.

Silverfish find their way into homes through cracks and gaps around doors, windows, and walls, as wells as through foundation cracks. They can even find their way inside on boxes or bags from other infested locations. Once they see a hospitable place, they will likely remain there until you get rid of them.

 

Where do Silverfish Live?

Silverfish prefer dark, damp, moist areas — as do a variety of other household pests. Fortunately, this means that your efforts to get rid of them will also kill off many other bugs in your home, too.

They love the taste of paper and wet wood. You’ll typically find them around books, magazines, cereal boxes, storage boxes, and behind wallpaper, along with damp or rotting window sills or cupboards.

The best places to look for them are:

  • Bathrooms
  • Under sinks
  • Laundry room
  • Basement
  • Closets
  • Attics

 

Home Remedies for Silverfish and Fish Moth

Spread Boric Acid Along the Floor
Boric acid is an excellent weapon against household bugs like silverfish bugs. When ingested, boric acid can cause havoc in the bug’s stomach. The powder can also scratch and dry out the fish moth’s exoskeleton due to its abrasive nature. Spread the boric acid along all corners of the floor and in dark spaces such as the wardrobe and bedroom cabinets. Boric acid doesn’t kill pests immediately so you may not notice any effects until a week has passed.

Boric acid should be used carefully despite being a substance that occurs naturally. All safety precautions (e.g. masks, gloves) should be taken to limit the powder’s exposure to your body. Pet owners and families with young children should use food-grade diatomaceous earth as a safer alternative to boric acid.

Sprinkle Food-Grade Diatomaceous Earth
Food-grade diatomaceous earth has a similar effect to boric acid. To insects, diatomaceous earth can feel like shattered glass due to its microscopic sharp edges. Please make sure you get the food-grade version and not the pool-grade version. Sprinkle a liberal amount of food-grade diatomaceous earth on common silverfish hiding spots, such as bookcases and wardrobes. Be persistent and patient. Re-apply the powder once every few weeks and you should eventually see the silverfish bugs disappear.

Reduce Moisture with a Dehumidifier
Silverfish bugs like to relocate to dark, damp places. You should see an immediate difference after the humidity level is reduced in your home. It’s worthwhile investing in a dehumidifier if you live in an area that has high humidity levels. In some cases, the high humidity may be due to some sort of house maintenance issue, such as a leaking pipe or a leaking roof. Repairing these issues should make a huge difference in the presence of fish moths and other bugs that thrive in high-humidity environments.

Place Cedar Blocks to Repel Silverfish Bugs
Some studies have concluded that cedar can repel pests like silverfish bugs due to the strong aroma that’s given off by the cedar essential oil.

If you don’t mind the scent of cedar then consider placing some cedar blocks in various places around your home, such as the cabinets and windowsills. Cedar hangers may also help keep the silverfish bugs away from your valuable clothes.

Discard Old Newspapers and Cardboard Boxes
Silverfish bugs and fish moths love to feed on starchy paper-based material. Some homeowners have had their valuable books ruined due to a lack of control against the silverfish population. One of the first steps to eliminating silverfish bugs is to discard any unneeded paper materials. This includes old newspaper, cardboard boxes, old magazines, and crumbling wallpaper. You should also try to donate any books that you are no longer going to read. Hoarding will only make it more likely for silverfish bugs to appear in your home.

 

Seal Up Food

You don’t want to pour out a bowl of your favorite cereal just to find it’s swimming with these squirming insects. Penn State recommends sealing dry goods like cereal, pasta, rice, quinoa, flour, sugar, and pet food in sturdy, airtight containers to prevent silverfish from reaching these tempting food sources.

 

Keeping Silverfish Away

I followed up with these steps about six months later. Whilst I still found the odd few Silverfish, it was nothing to what I had found the first time. Also, I had no more damaged items in my wardrobe, which was a relief. Ever since, I make sure to re-do this method once a year and rarely if ever do I find any.

  • Make it a habit to spray some lavender oil around the skirting boards or cupboard doors to refresh the scent and keep those nasties away in between your big cleanings.
  • Try and leave areas as clutter-free as possible.
  • Keep paper to a minimum. If you do need to store it, try using plastic containers that are air-tight. There are a few key things that Silverfish are attracted to, but paper is one of them.

 

Seal Up Food

You don’t want to pour out a bowl of your favorite cereal just to find it’s swimming with these squirming insects. Penn State recommends sealing dry goods like cereal, pasta, rice, quinoa, flour, sugar, and pet food in sturdy, airtight containers to prevent silverfish from reaching these tempting food sources.

Kill Silverfish With Pest Control

THE BASICS OF SILVERFISH

It’s too bad silverfish (Lepisma saccharina) are so creepy, because these insects are actually quite interesting. In fact, they are among the oldest species of insects—evidence suggests that their relatives been around for over 400 million years, which makes them older than the dinosaurs. Imagine that you and T-Rex could possibly be creeped out by the same things! Silverfish can also can also live between two and six years, which is relatively long in the insect world.

Despite their long history on this planet, silverfish never developed wings. However, they possess incredible speed, and they can outrun most of their natural predators, including earwigs, house centipedes and spiders. Being nocturnal, it’s not unusual to find these guys during a late-night trip to the bathroom, scurrying around in the sink, bathtub, or any reliable source of water.

Silverfish are small (often measuring between .5 – 1 inch in length), and have flexible, grayish scales covering their bodies that protect them from predators. The scales, paired with the wiggling motion of their bodies when they run, are the reason they’re called silverfish. Their body shape also enables them to snuggle into book bindings (one of their favorite foods). Silverfish also recognizable by the three, threadlike tails sticking out of its abdomen—a shape resembling a pitchfork.

Silverfish prefer food that consists of complex sugars (polysaccharides) and starches. Some examples of these include paper, clothing, plaster, sugar, photos and bookbindings (these guys love bookbindings—if there was a contest for “Most Literate Bug” these guys would probably beat out the notorious bookworm). They will also feast on cotton, dead insects and other textiles. When food is scarce, silverfish have been known to munch on leather, but they can live up to a year without food if water is available.

Although silverfish do not cause harm to humans or transmit diseases, the damage they cause to clothes, books and other household items can be quite costly. For this reason, they are considered pests.

Where do Silverfish Come from?

Silverfish are most active at night in empty areas. They’re attracted to starch and sugar, which means that they gravitate toward materials containing these substances, including the silverfish favorite: books and newspapers. Book bindings, which contain starchy glue, are a common place to find silverfish — especially those of books that have not been used for a long while. Where else do silverfish like to hang out?

Dark and damp areas (think undersink cabinets, for example)

Cracks in walls

Fungal molds, often found in old pipes or in older bathrooms

Cellulose-containing products, such as shampoos and shaving foams, which is part of the reason why silverfish are commonly spotted in bathrooms

Cedar shake roofs, because chances of mold are higher in homes with this roof type

Fabrics. Check your curtains periodically, as the pests could be making tiny holes

 

How Serious Are Silverfish Problems?

May Cause Allergies

Silverfish often present a mild risk to people and property. They do not transmit disease, but the pests may trigger allergies in some people.

May Attract Other Pests

Their presence sometimes attracts carpet beetles and causes unease due to their strange appearance.

May Cause Damage to Personal Items

While indoors, silverfish also eat grains and chew large holes into clothing, upholstery, or paper. In large numbers, they can cause a lot of damage. Ruined items often include stored files, books, and vintage clothes.

 

5 Ways to Get Rid of Silverfish

Of all the insect infestations you can be cursed with, silverfish might just be the most skin-crawling — right after cockroaches, of course. Silverfish are mostly a (super-creepy) nuisance pest, but they can destroy books, wallpaper, and clothes with their excrement, according to the experts at Penn State’s Department of Entomology Cooperative Extension program. If you find silverfish in your home, you definitely want them gone fast, but pesticides aren’t the only way to go.

Follow these steps for an effective pest-control plan.

  1. Seal Up Food

You don’t want to pour out a bowl of your favorite cereal just to find it’s swimming with these squirming insects. Penn State recommends sealing dry goods like cereal, pasta, rice, quinoa, flour, sugar, and pet food in sturdy, airtight containers to prevent silverfish from reaching these tempting food sources.

  1. Reduce Humidity

Silverfish thrive in moist, humid environments, says James Norton of Fantastic Pest Control in London. Take away their favorite conditions by using a dehumidifier in damp basements, sealing up leaky pipes, and making sure the bathroom is well ventilated. You should also keep the weather out by sealing up exterior cracks with caulk and making sure gutters and downspouts are clear so water can run down and away, according to Penn State.

  1. Clear Clutter

Silverfish also love hiding in — and feasting upon — old papers, magazines, and books, so if you tend to save every piece of paper that crosses your desk, you might need to do some clearing out. Get rid of the stuff you haven’t looked at in forever, and store items you can’t bear to part with in airtight bins, especially if the papers are kept in the basement or attic.

  1. Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous Earth, or DE, is a white crumbly powder consisting of the fossilized remains of diatoms, a class of algae. When silverfish come in contact with DE, it destroyers their outer waxy coating, causing them to lose moisture and die. You can sprinkle it around the baseboards in your home, and other places you’ve seen silverfish.

Norton recommends applying it in the evening, since silverfish are nocturnal, and for several nights in a row in order for it to work. Purchase DE on Amazon or at a local home improvement store.

  1. Try Some Traps

To speed up these management strategies, add a few traps into the mix. You can buy small packets (like these) designed to trap and poison silverfish with boric acid.

Hide them in places where you’re likely to encounter the creepy crawlies, like bookshelves, dresser and desk drawers, under the sink, and in the basement and attic. Note that boric acid can be toxic if swallowed, so keep the traps where kids and pets can’t get to them and away from where you store food.

New tools needed

With the short reproduction time of these insects, and their genetic ability to evolve resistance to poisons, the scientists are urging less reliance on chemicals as a means of control.

“We need to emphasis that we need to use different tools – we can’t depend totally on chemicals we need to incorporate other alternatives,” said Dr Romero.

“The pest control industry are incorporating new tools, heat, vapour, encasement, there are a bunch of these non-chemical methods that definitely help.”

The scientists recognise and even admire the evolutionary ability of these creatures to rapidly overcome humanity’s attempts to control them.

Dr Romero says the latest research indicates that the bugs are unlikely to be effectively controlled by chemical means in the near future.

“It’s a very complex problem and we are going to have bed bugs for many years because of this problem with insecticides and then there is a social context that makes eradication and control very difficult.”