Blog

Spider Webs In Our Basement & Garage

Spiders are one of the most common household pests, and while rarely are they dangerous in Northeast Ohio, they can still be very frightening. Spiders feed off of other insects, and make there webs in order to catch their prey. The most common areas of a home that spiders are found in are basements, attics, and garages. As the weather gets colder spiders are noticed inside the house more and more, because the warmth inside allows them to flourish. Since there are a large number of species of spiders, there is a wide variety of behaviors and habitats that spiders enjoy. Some enjoy damp areas of the house such as basements and crawl spaces, others are more prone to be found in dry areas such as you living areas. One of the most common, and intimidating types of spider in our area is the Wolf Spider, at the onset of fall they seek out warmer areas, and are often found inside your home. Today we went to a house in Twinsburg Ohio that was having a problem with Wolf Spiders. We arrived at her house, did an exterior treatment, and then proceeded inside the home, where we knocked down any webs that we could find. When treating for these it is important to create a barrier around the entire house to prevent new spiders from coming in, and at the same time it is important to get rid of any spiders that are present in the home. If you leave spiders inside the home, they will continue to breed, and your problem will not go away. With our expertise, and experience we are able to squash any spider problem for you, just give us a call at 216-348-3379.

Carpenter Ants Found During Inspection

When purchasing a new home many people choose to have a general home inspection, and a Wood Destroying Insect (WDI) Pest Inspection. Having these both done are very good ideas, the general home inspector will tell you what the house needs to be in good shape, and having the WDI Pest Inspection will tell you if there are any critters that are eating your potential new home. When it comes to wood destroying insects most people immediately think of termites, and yes they are the most destructive of the bunch, but they are not the only ones to worry about. Today we found one of the most common wood destroying insects out there, carpenter ants. While they are not as damaging, or as difficult to control as termites, they can cause major damage if the issue is not addressed. At an inspection today, we found them in a home in Beachwood Ohio, and you can see a picture of the evidence we found below. Carpenter ants do not actually eat the wood like termites, they hollow it out to create their nest, this hollowing will compromise the integrity of the wood they are in, and as a nest expands it can become a serious problem. Some of the tell tale signs of a carpenter ant issue comes from the nature of their behavior, as they hollow out their nest they will eject frass (sawdust), and dead carpenter ants.  Carpenter ants are usually attracted to wet wood, however it is not required for them to be present.  In most cases regular routine quarterly pest control service will take care of a carpenter ant issue.  So if you are looking at buying a home, having a WDI Pest Inspection prior to the sale is always a good idea.

Caught a Mouse

Today we received a call from a customer who had a foul odor coming from her garage, we had done a treatment there a week prior for mice, so odds were we had caught a mouse. We arrived at her house in Pepper Pike Ohio the same day, and to no surprise found a mouse on one of our traps, we removed this dead mouse, checked all her bait stations, and traps, all for no additional charge!! Also while there we checked the entire exterior, to make sure no new entry points had developed, and that we did not miss any the time before. When you have a service done with us, you get a 90 day guarantee, so all you have to do if you have any issues in that time frame is give us a call, and we will get someone out there for you. If you have an issue with mice, or any other pest, just give us a call at 216-348-3379.

Yellow Jacket Breakthrough in a Living Room

Today we got a call from a customer who came home to a living room with about 100 yellow jackets flying around in it. When we arrived at his house in Aurora, as expected we found that the yellow jackets had chewed a hole in the ceiling, something that is not uncommon towards the end of the season. With this hole in the ceiling the entire nest now had access to their house. This may sound unusual, but this time of year it actually happens quite often. As the nest expands the first sign you will see of a nest about to break through into your house is the wall will discolor with what appears to be water damage, this is in fact saliva from the yellow jackets as they have started to chew through the dry wall. If you should see this happening, do not touch it, tape a piece of cardboard over the area to give yourself an extra barrier, and call us immediately at 216-348-3379.

Mice in the Kitchen!

Today we went to a house in Solon Ohio, for a customer who had been seeing mouse droppings under their kitchen sink, and even in a couple drawers in their kitchen. They had also seen 3 live ones on separate occasions running through the kitchen. While at his house, we also found that there were droppings in the basement, and under the oven. Also in doing our inspection of the property we were able to identify 5 ways that mice could get in, 4 of which we sealed up, the third required a handy man, so we made him aware of the issue. After that we set up a combination of bait stations and traps to rid the house of the problem. This is the time of year when mice are trying to get into your house, as they are looking for warmth, and food, so if you would like to get your house ready for the colder months call us at 216-348-3379.

Quarterly Pest Control

Being on a quarterly pest control program is the best way to prevent you from having any issues at your home. With a 3 month guarantee after every service this means you have year round coverage!! When you are proactive with your pest control it prevents those small invaders from becoming major infestations. Being on a regular program with us gets you a discounted rate, and keeps you from those big charges from an infestation developing, so ends up saving you money. So if you are interested in getting started on a quarterly program, and saving yourself some money, give us a call today at 216-348-3379.

Spiders in Gates Mills

Today we went to a customers house who had been having a problem with spiders throughout her entire house. We were able to make it to her home in Gates Mills, and do an exterior treatment for her, all while she was at work. Doing an exterior treatment for spiders is ideal because it keeps chemicals outside your home, and keeps spiders from entering. She now has a 90 day guarantee for this service, and if she still has a problem with spiders all she has to do is give us a call, and if you have any pest control needs you can do the same at 216-348-3379 and we will get you a free estimate.

Yellow Jackets in Our House!

Today we received a call from a customer who’s wife called him stating that there were yellow jackets all over the inside of their house in Richmond Heights. Upon talking to him on the phone he was unsure where the yellow jackets were on the outside. Our technicians were able to get out there the same day, treat the nest, and even seal up the inside of the house to keep more yellow jackets from coming in. This couple was very happy that we were able to get their problem taken care of so quickly, if you have a pest control issue give us a call at 216-348-3379.

Mouse in a Coat Closet

A customer of ours called today stating that her husband saw a mouse run into their coat closet, this was a concern to them because the pantry is right next to that closet. We were able to get out to her house in South Russell the same day they called, set up bait stations and traps,found 2 ways that mice could get in, and sealed those entry points, and were actually able to catch a mouse on site. She was very happy that we were able to get there so quickly to get her problem taken care of. If you have a mouse problem, or any other pest issue give us a call at 216-348-3379.

Yellow Jacket Nest in a Basement

Today we got a call from a customer who walked into her basement, and saw yellow jackets flying around, she quickly left the basement, and called us. Upon arriving at her house in Solon Ohio, we found where the yellow jackets were getting into the house, and then did an inspection of the basement to see how they were getting in. We walked down to find the entire nest exposed on the sill plate in her basement (pictured below.) We were able to remove the entire nest, and take care of the problem for her the same day that she called us at 216-348-3379. For all your pest control needs, just give us a call if it bugs you, bug us!