Author Archives: Greg Pettis
How Do I get Rid of Stink Bugs?
April 5, 2009Q. How do I get rid of Stink Bugs?
A. This is a great question. Chances are you will not stop them yourself–you are going to need help. Stink bugs will sun-bathe on the side of your house, then enter your home around the windows, doors air conditioners and chimneys.
First, seal up any cracks that you can find that lead to the inside of your home such as cracks around your dryer vent, outside faucet, etc. If this does not stop them from getting in, you will most likely need professional help.
When we treat for Stink Bugs, we powerspray and stop them from entering, and stop them from sun-bathing on the side of your home. This keeps them “dying at the door” before they get in. You can not stop them from landing, but you can stop them from entering with quarterly powersprays.
Mice Can Cause Serious Problems To Your Home or Business
March 22, 2009If you are seeing or hearing mice run around right now, chances are they did not just show up…they have probably been there for a while, you just finally found out. Since they are primarily active at night, there is little detection except for their droppings. However, when there is more mice, sometimes there is a competition for food sources, and mice will be forced to run around in the day when the other mice are resting.
The problem with the common house mouse is that they have an instinct to gnaw, and many unknown causes of house fires are attributed to mice and rats chewing on wires. Recently, we were called to a college that had an entire building shut down because of rodents chewing on main wires.
Mice are looking to get inside Lancaster & York houses and businesses in the late fall and winter, due to extreme weather conditions. Basements, attics, and garages are usually the first entry points. After arriving, they will look for food sources. Once they find a source, they will nest somewhere within 10-15 feet. Finding the nest can be difficult, and require professional help. Over 60% of the time we are called in to a mice situation, the homeowner or business owner had tried everything on the market to resolve it themselves. If you are frustrated and concerned with a mouse in the house issue, it may be time to call for help.
Yellowjackets & Other Stinging Insects
March 21, 2009Yellowjackets can make a nest in the ground or inside structures such as walls in a home or business. If you have this situation, do not spray! If you do, you risk pushing them inside where they will not be able to get out. Wasps can make nests behind shutters, up in corners of eaves, inside lamp posts, etc. And of course, you have your Hornets that make potentially basketball size nests anywhere.
All of these stinging insects can be controlled by Dominion Pest Control. For some, it might be recommended to have a regular quarterly powerspray on the perimeter. In any event, control for pests is fairly simple. Depending on the situation, we may use a dust, or a non-repellent transferable product whereby the insects transfer the product one-to-another.
Can Termites Go Away On Their Own?
March 8, 2009Q. Can termites go away on their own after they have invaded a home or business?
A. Yes, they can go away on their own. Why is it a scary answer? Because you never know when they are going to come back! Without a termite treatment, there is no way of knowing when a healthy termite colony will return to re-infest a structure. “What made them go away in the first place?”, is a better question. One thing I know, is that waiting without doing a single thing to stop that colony is like playing Russian Roulette with your home. Over the years, I have seen people eager to sell a home, force a pest control company who is providing a Wood Destroying Insect inspection, give a green light to a house that once had termites, without evidence of a treatment. And, I have heard the horror stories of lawsuits after settlement when the termites decide to return. Even though we agree that they may go away on their own, more should know that termites may come back on their own, with a vengeance!