The last thing you want as a memory from your vacation is a case of bed bugs. It's bad enough if you encounter them in your hotel while you're away, but to bring them home is surely worse. Unlike some pests, they aren't disease carriers, but the itchiness, scabs and welts they leave on your body aren't any fun either. Long after they're gone, they're still likely to cause anxiety and worry that your home hasn't been fully rid of them.
One way to reduce that frustration is to call experts at a company like Abell Pest Control, which specializes in pest control that includes bed bug removal. That way, you'll be assured of a comprehensive bed bug treatment plan that will address the problem and give you advice on how to prevent a recurrence.
To limit the chance that you'll bring these pests home with you, do your homework on the hotels where you'll be staying during a trip. If there have been reports of bed bugs, particularly recent incidents, you may question whether the hotel staff is doing thorough pest management at their facility.
When you settle on accommodations with a clean record, it still doesn't hurt to take precautions as soon as you arrive at your destination. Always take a flashlight with you to do a simple check of your hotel room before unpacking and placing your clothes at risk of becoming bed bug carriers. Look under sheets, around the edges and seams of mattresses, behind headboards and wall mirrors and around the nightstands. If you see any tiny dots that may be feces or dead bugs, call hotel management immediately and insist that you be moved to a room on another floor.
Even if your trip hasn't been interrupted by a bed bug scare, you could still be harboring the pests without knowing it. For this reason, it's a good idea to put your vacation clothes in a dryer as soon as you get home to kill any bed bugs and their eggs. If you wash them, use hot water.
If you don't have time to address the laundry immediately, there's an alternative. Place the clothes in airtight bags, seal them and any bed bugs will be contained until you can get to the wash. In addition, you should be extra careful about housekeeping for the first few days after you return home in case you discover any bed bugs that have made the trip home with you.
You probably already know that most people are repulsed by the simple sight of cockroaches. If you are personally dealing with a cockroach infestation, the feelings of disgust are probably even more intense. Unfortunately, the cold winter weather tends to be one of the reasons this pest ends up in your home in the first place, according to Any Pest. While you may know that you don't want to share your home with cockroaches this winter, there are a number of interesting facts about this pest that you've probably never heard.
Because of the high amount of traffic and the versatility of the facilities, pests are naturally attracted to long-term care institutions. Many nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other care facilities include on-site kitchens and cafeterias as well as private rooms and common spaces. All of these places are susceptible to attracting pests because of the presence of food, water and viable habitats.
During the summer months, some people love to go camping with family and friends. Yet this fun trip can be ruined with a few unwanted visitors, most notably different types of bugs. Crawling spiders, hungry mosquitoes and buzzing flies can become annoying quickly. How can you avoid these pests when you're outdoors? Consider these tips to keep bugs out of your campsite.
Carpenter ants can chew through the strongest studs and stringers in a house as they hollow the wooden beams out for nesting. The resulting damage can weaken the home's structural support and require expensive repairs. Professional pest control workers can remove a colony of ants, but the best practice for homeowners is to learn the best ways to keep out an ant colony and prevent the problem before it begins.
As the weather cools, you'll probably see fewer pests than you did during the warmer months, but that doesn't mean they're all gone just yet. Some insects can actually come out in full force during the autumn, while others might seek refuge in your warm home. Here are some key tips to keep in mind as fall gets underway:
As the middle of summer approaches, you need to be vigilant about keeping your garden free of pests. Many insects breed during the summertime, which means they're on the lookout for great places to lay their eggs. For many bugs, that means near a source of food. In fact, some species of insects will lay their eggs inside budding vegetables and fruit so their larvae have something to eat as soon as they hatch. That's why you have to keep harmful bugs out without damaging the bugs that could help you, such as bumble bees.
You might have noticed that, with the exception of the kitchen, you find more pests in your bathroom than in the rest of your home. This is because insects and rodents see the bathroom as a convenient watering hole. Pests love leaky pipes and standing water because these offer them a hydrating oasis in the otherwise dry biome that is your house or apartment. And if your bathroom develops mold, all the better for pests, who may eat fungus or use it to lay their eggs.
The kitchen is largest gathering place for pests in a residential home. The reason is simple: pests can grab a bite to eat and take a sip of water while they're here. And when they find such a bountiful place, they will return home to their nests and report the finding - before you know it, your whole pantry is a buffet for ants! The problem could get even worse if a piece of food falls somewhere and begins to rot. Similarly, fruit and vegetables you bring into your home may be harboring unseen pests waiting to hatch.
