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Tag: exclusive pest control

Signs of Bed Bugs While Traveling

Posted on by john

It’s every traveler’s nightmare; discovering that the hotel or inn you’re staying in is infested with bed bugs. These stubborn little creatures can hitch a ride in luggage or in clothing and return to infest your home, a very unwelcome souvenir from your trip. Fortunately, there are a few precautions you can take to avoid bringing home insect hitchhikers.

Store Luggage Carefully

When you arrive, store your luggage in the bathroom adjacent to your room. Bed bugs are extremely unlikely to travel across the cold tile floors, preferring to take refuge in the warm crevices and seams of the bed and along trim and in other small cracks. By isolating your luggage, you reduce the risk of picking up bed bugs if they are present. Once you’re positive the room is not infested, keep your luggage on top of the dresser or on another raised surface to minimize your risk of picking up any potential hitchhikers.

Check the Bedding

Once your luggage is safely stashed, examine the bedding closely for any signs of bed bugs. Check the seams of the mattress and underneath. Look particularly for small brownish or blackish spots on the sheets and mattress that resemble flecks of black pepper. Bed bugs exude waste in the form of dried blood after eating, and tend to leave tell-tale spots behind. The bed bugs themselves are about the size and shape of an apple seed. You may find a few adults or exoskeletons in the seams of the mattress. If you find signs of bed bugs, notify the staff immediately, and consider finding another place to stay for the night.

Post-Vacation

Once you get home, as a precaution, wash all your clothing in hot water and run it through the dryer. If you did happen to pick up any bugs, they can’t survive at temperatures above 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Clothes that are too delicate to be washed in hot water should be sent to the cleaners. Enjoy your vacation, bug-free. If you suspect you’ve brought bed bugs home from vacation, contact Exclusive Pest to keep the infestation from taking hold.

How to Prevent Mosquitos

Posted on by john

Mosquito bites are more than just an itchy, uncomfortable nuisance. The insects spread disease and cause a variety of nasty illnesses. Preventing mosquito bites means taking a two-pronged approach: defending your personal space from the buzzing invaders and preventing them from congregating around your home.

Personal Space

Avoiding mosquito bites can be simple enough if you take a few common sense precautions whenever you intend to be outdoors during the spring and summer- peak mosquito season. Wear a bug repellant containing Deet for best results. When used according to the instructions, it’s safe enough for use even on children. Apply bug repellent to clothing and use your hands to apply it to the face and neck areas. Wear long sleeves to protect your skin from mosquitos, especially when walking or hiking through wooded areas. Avoid shady patches, especially during the early mornings and evenings when mosquitos are most active.

Clear Breeding Spaces

Mosquitos require standing water in which to lay and hatch their eggs. Early in the spring, walk through your yard and property and examine the area for any standing water that might offer mosquitos a haven. Turn over any containers that could collect rainwater and remove old tires and other debris that can provide breeding grounds. Empty or treat pools and consider having a professional service spray the area to reduce the population.

Trim the Lawn

Mosquitos love shady, damp spaces and are attracted to hedges and other low-growing brush. Be sure to keep bushes well-trimmed and away from the house. Consider having a professional evaluation of your property. Professional exterminators can point out potential breeding and gathering points that attract mosquitos and recommend treatments that are safe for children and pets but that will discourage the insects from swarming on your property. Enjoy your outdoors this summer, and evict any insect pests before they have an opportunity to settle in.

Palmetto Bugs Versus Cockroaches

Posted on by john

What is a Palmetto bug? The easy answer is, it’s a cockroach. The main concern most people have when asking the palmetto bug versus roach question is whether the bugs that occupy the trees and bushes around their homes will move in and become an infestation.

Palmetto Bug SC

In South Carolina and other southern parts of the United States, palmetto plants are common. Since cockroaches tend to congregate in those plants, they have become commonly known as palmetto bugs. The beetles are actually several different species. While roaches may use palmetto plants for refuge, they’re usually not a problem for homeowners unless the plants are near the home and the roaches are attracted indoors.

What Makes Roaches Move In?

Roaches are attracted to several things in a home. Light is a major source of attraction for most beetles and having a large palmetto bug flying at the light when you enter your home can be disconcerting to say the least. The insect is not attacking, however. It’s simply trying to get to the light. They’re also attracted to sources of water, food, warmth, and shelter. Especially in the cooler spring and fall months, roaches may move from their vegetative habitats and attempt to invade your home.

How do I Get Rid of Them?

The best way to fight a roach infestation is to prevent the bugs from moving in. Clear vegetation away from the foundation of your home, leaving a solid gap of open space between the home and the vegetation. Be aware that most of the beetles that prefer living in the vegetation outdoors do not move indoors. There are many species of cockroaches. The ones most typically found indoors tend to prefer that living situation over the trees and vegetation. If you suspect you have a roach infestation, call Exclusive Pest for a full evaluation and a plan for clearing pests from your home.

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