The image of rats, from the time of the plague during the Middle Ages until today, has never been good. Considering how much harm they can pose humans and pets, it's no wonder they're among the pests that people dread coming upon most.
Rats can often be found in or near commercial spaces that include warehouses, retail centers and hospitality businesses where they can subsist on human food and garbage. These rodents spread dozens of diseases in a variety of ways - contamination of food and water, waste droppings, bites, and indirectly through parasitic pests like fleas, ticks and mosquitoes that they can carry onto the sites, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The best way for property managers to remove opportunities for rats to thrive in their environments is to limit the places where they can find shelter. Sealing up cracks, holes and other openings that lead into commercial buildings - particularly where food is stored - is the first line of defense against a rat infestation.
The next move is to contact a professional pest control service like Abell Pest Control that will come to your place of business and inspect the premises thoroughly to find where the rats are nesting and surviving. With a pest removal plan customized to the situation, they can treat the areas to eliminate the rats that are there and give managers guidance on how to prevent an infestation from taking place again.
People sometimes make jokes about rats in sewers, but they're based on some measure of truth. If a sewer line that's connected to a commercial building or a home is breached, rats may indeed have an easier time getting inside the structure. Installing a "rat stop" allows water to flow but blocks the entry of rats beyond the sewer line into a structure.
Beyond such measures, prevention is the key to stopping an influx of rats in your commercial property. Keeping a clean perimeter around your building and grounds, which includes locating the trash dumpsters some distance from the structure, should be a priority. Any debris that's deemed edible by rats will keep them coming in search of more food, so the entire trash area must be kept clean with the dumpsters closed at all times.
For homeowners, the precautions are the same with some added advice. Trash cans should have tight-fitting lids and bird feeders and composting bins should have rat-resistant blocks or covers.
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.
Ants can be a real pain, especially in months with higher temperatures. They literally get into everything, whether it's an outdoor picnic, a party or even just lunch outside. It seems like these little creatures are everywhere and can quickly make a good time go bad. One of their favorite spots is near a barbecue grill, so they can dig into every meal you make. So what's a homeowner to do? Consider these tips to keep ants out if you don't want grilled ant for dinner.
