Dangerous Droppings: Rat and Mouse Poop in the Home

A mouse trapped in a corner looking up at the camera

Rat and mouse poop, from a distance, they can look like tracks of dirt. It’s upon closer inspection that you can determine whether or not it’s evidence of a rodent infestation. It’s not pleasant to have any kind of animal leavings in your home – but act carefully. You can’t sweep up rodent droppings like you would other forms of poop. It might look easy, but it’s actually a health hazard. At Garrie Pest Control we’re experts on rodent control in the Lower Hudson Valley, and if you have evidence of a rodent infestation, we can help. Before that happens, though, you may want to know for certain if the droppings in your home are mouse or rat poop. We can tell you the indicators, how to clean their mess safely, and what our expert exterminators can do to help.

What Does Rodent Poop Look Like?

Though they’re both considered rodents, rats and mice are very different creatures with different habits. Mice are tidy poopers that tend to designate a particular space outside the nest to serve as their toilet. This might look like your silverware drawer, or in the space behind where you store your food. Mouse droppings are small and brown – similar to cockroach poop, only pointed at either end like a grain of rice. Rats, on the other hand, drop much larger pellets shaped like a grape or coffee bean. They are sometimes mistaken for squirrel poop, only squirrel poop is rounded and will lighten over time. And while mice will pick a place to defecate in, rats will spread their waste everywhere they go.

Whether mouse or rat, rodent droppings are unpleasant and frustrating to come across. But before you reach for the broom or vacuum, stop and breathe a second. There’s a better way to clean it up.

How to Clean Mouse and Rat Poop

Most feces carry some kind of illness-causing bacteria, and rat and mouse droppings are no exception. One of the most dangerous possibilities that can come from exposure to rodent droppings is the threat of Hantavirus. Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome is a respiratory disease that is transferred from rodents to humans and which has a fatality rate of 38%. At first symptoms present like the flu or a bad cold, with a fever and fatigue, but if left untreated it could result in your lungs filling with fluid. Not all rodent droppings are infected. If they are, though, and you disturb them with a broom or vacuum cleaner, you’ll be sending virus particles into the air. So, what should you do instead?

First, you’ll need protective gear, mainly eye goggles, a face mask and plastic or rubber gloves. Spray the area, droppings and urine, with bleach or a disinfectant and allow it to soak for five minutes. Then you can wipe the mess with a paper towel and throw it away, along with your mask and gloves. After that, you can continue cleaning as you usually would for the area in mind. But before you do that, you should take a moment to call a professional rodent exterminator like the ones at Garrie Pest Control.

Garrie Pest Control Rodent Exterminators

For over 50 years, Garrie Pest Control has been helping to keep homes and businesses in the Lower Hudson Valley pest-free. We know the damage that rats and mice can cause if left untreated. They can tear through your insulation, wood and wiring – causing risk of an electrical fire. Rodents can ruin your belongings and contaminate your food. To put it simply, they are trouble, and our team knows exactly how to deal with them. Your Garrie Pest Control expert will craft a removal and prevention plan that’s personalized for you, and your home’s needs. When we’re done, you’ll be able to live with the ease and comfort that comes from not always being on the lookout for mystery poop. To get started, contact us today!

DIY Pest Control: Dangers and Downsides

Man in hardware store looking at pesticides

At first glance, it may seem like DIY pest control is an easy way to save money, time, and unnecessary hassle: Why bother contacting and waiting around for a professional exterminator when you can simply purchase some pesticide products at your local hardware store? It’s good in theory – perhaps too good to be true. If you’re considering this approach, you need to make sure you understand the downsides involved so you can take measures to minimize the risk to yourself, your family, and your home. 

What Are the Risks of DIY Pest Control?

Do-it-yourself pest control isn’t as easy as applying some chemical solution and suddenly being free of pests. There are many risks that come with it, such as overusing pesticides, killing beneficial insects, or just wasting money on useless products. And there’s a significant chance of illness or injury – both from misuse of chemicals and bites and stings from aggravated insects. Even something like a bug zapper, a seemingly user-friendly pest control medium, can pack a painful electric shock if improperly installed. Pesticides are not meant to be handled lightly. If you do want to try a hands-on approach before calling a professional, it’s vital you follow the guidelines on the label and read the instructions to minimize risks.

Negligence

Few people consider the legal ramifications of DIY pest control when they’re faced with an insect or rodent infestation. Nevertheless, it’s important to know that there are situations where you can be held negligent or liable for your pest control practices. What does that mean? It differs on the circumstances. It could be that you sprayed pesticides in an unventilated space, resulting in illness and respiratory irritation to others in the building. Awareness is important when it comes to pest control, especially if you’re working with a product that requires occupants to leave the space and stay away for a period of time. It could also be that the species of pest you’re trying to get rid of is actually protected by the law. Garrie Pest Control knows the insects that are rare and near extinct, and without that insight and experience you may wind up with a criminal charge on your hands.

Pesticide Exposure

You likely already know by now that pesticides can hurt you if applied improperly. What you may not know is that a mishandled chemical can affect your environment on a far larger scale. DIY pest control tactics can potentially result in chemicals contaminating the ground and air around your home. They can leak toxic chemicals into the water supply of not just your household, but potentially your entire neighborhood. And though your do-it-yourself pest control attempt may succeed in getting rid of your infestation, it may also severely affect the balance of your local ecosystem. If the chemicals get into the water, any frogs, fish or birds that come into contact with it will face potentially fatal results. The same applies when you use an exterior pesticide treatment without checking for open windows and other entry points, both of which can cause exposure to toxic materials for anyone inside. The same applies to pesticides sprayed indoors without ventilation, or even just the chemicals themselves being stored within the reach of animals or small children,

Health and Safety Issues

When it comes to do-it-yourself pest control, there really is no such thing as being too prepared. Protective clothing is a must – that means gloves, as well as equipment like a mask or eye goggles. And once you’ve cleared out the infestation it’s important to thoroughly sanitize the area to avoid attracting another wave of pests. Of course, this should only be done after sufficient research, as certain pest droppings can contain bacterial or roundworms that could make you deeply ill. That’s one more reason to keep pregnant women and young children from entering the area where pesticides have been used. It’s a much bigger undertaking than most may expect, so it’s completely understandable if you’d rather skip the trouble and leave your pest infection to the professionals.

Conclusion

While DIY pest control could save you money and time, it also comes with considerable risk. Both the chemicals themselves – as well as the pests they’re meant to combat – have the potential to harm you, your loved ones, and even your property as a whole. A professional pest technician knows what needs to be done and how to do it. They can trace an insect or rodent infestation to a single source, giving you the insight you need to stop making your home so welcoming to pests. This professional exterminator can also gauge your landscaping and let you know any possible changes you can make to limit activity by bugs and larger animals. That’s a lot of use you can get from one technician, and if you’re in the Putnam, Westchester or Rockland counties we can provide service that’s infinitely more convenient than a DIY approach, 

Professional Pest Control

Since 1972, Garrie Pest Control has been providing effective and affordable professional pest control services in Peekskill, New York, and surrounding areas. That’s over fifty years of clearing homes and businesses of pests as big as a bird or as tiny as a termite. We have the technical expertise to get the job done safely and thoroughly. So instead of rolling up your sleeves,  let us handle your pest control needs so you can go back to living your life. Contact us today for a free quote! 

The Most Dangerous Ants in the US

Red imported fire ant crawling

Don’t be surprised if you see ants in or around your home. Ants are one of the most prolific insects on earth. There are more than 12,000 species of ants and they live almost everywhere on the planet except for arctic locations like Greenland, Iceland, and a few other islands.

Because ants live almost everywhere that people do, it’s inevitable that we’re going to encounter each other sometimes. And that’s okay. Ants might be a nuisance but most of them aren’t a hazard to humans. However, there are a few species that are dangerous to people because they’re aggressive or their venom is extremely powerful. If you know which types of ants have these traits then you can reduce your risk of getting an ant bite or sting. The experts at Garrie Pest Control show you which types of ants to avoid.

The Most Dangerous Ants in the US

The field ant is a common ant species in the eastern two-thirds of the country. They typically build their nests underground but sometimes they’ll build them within rotting wood. While they’re not venomous or aggressive, they made the cut because 1) They’re so common in so many of the populous parts of the US and 2) They’ll bite you if you disturb their nest.

We’re cheating a bit here. The velvet ant is actually a type of wasp, but the females of the species are often mistaken for ants because they don’t have wings. They have an extremely painful and venomous sting, which has given this insect the nickname “cow-killer” in the eastern US where it lives. 

In the US, there are numerous species of harvester ants. Most of these aren’t a threat to humans. However, two species, the Maricopa harvester ant and Florida harvester ant are very dangerous. The Maricopa harvester ant is one of the most common ant species in Arizona. It lives throughout the US southwest and Mexico. It has the most toxic known insect venom on earth. The Florida harvester ant, which is common between Florida and North Carolina, has venom that’s more toxic than a cobra’s!

The red imported fire ant is an invasive non-native species in the US. It originated in South America but was accidentally brought to the US in the 1930s. It is, without question, the most dangerous ant species in America. Its venom is particularly powerful. It doesn’t just cause swelling and burning. It also causes itchy pus-filled blisters that can last for up to ten days. Worse, some people have an allergic reaction to the venom and go into anaphylactic shock after being stung. Texas A&M University estimates that 14 million people per year are stung by these insects, most of them in the southeast. Red imported fire ant stings have caused more than 80 deaths in the US.

How Ant Bites Work

Ants use their mandibles (jaws) to bite the skin of their target. They then release formic acid – an irritating chemical – on the target’s skin. Ant bites usually cause redness, swelling and irritation. Some people are allergic to formic acid and they may experience more serious symptoms, like those that accompany an ant sting. 

How Ant Stings Work

While almost all ants have mandibles to bite with, only some can sting. Even fewer have venom potent enough to pose a threat to humans.

Ant stings start like ant bites. The ant locks their mandibles in the skin of their target and releases formic acid. Then they’ll rotate the rear of their body and inject venom into the target through their stinger. The longer it takes to remove them, the more times the target can be stung, the more venom will be injected and the more painful it will be. Ant venom, especially fire ant venom, can also cause an allergic reaction which may include: itchiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, hives, and tightness in the chest, or difficulty breathing.

Experienced Ant Exterminators in Peekskill NY

Garrie Pest Control has been eliminating ants from homes and businesses in the Peekskill NY area since 1972. If you have ants in or around your property, contact us today for a free quote!

Getting Rid of American Cockroaches

An American cockroach

Are you seeing big, reddish-brown cockroaches scuttling about in your home or business this summer? Chances are you’re dealing with an infestation of American cockroaches. This is one of the more common cockroach species living around Peekskill NY. They thrive off of the combination of heat and humidity in the area.

It goes without saying that when you find cockroaches in your dwelling or place of business, you’ll look for the quickest ways to get rid of them. In order to do this, though, it’s important to learn a bit about what they like and the usual reasons for their appearance. Keep reading for cockroach control advice from the experts at Garrie Pest Control!

Learn About American Cockroaches

As you can tell by their name, American cockroaches are some of the most common kinds of cockroaches in our country. You can identify American cockroaches by these features:

  • Large in size, usually ranging between 1.5 and 2.5 inches in length
  • Reddish-brown color that gets lighter ranging from the center of the back to the limbs
  • Living in and around wet areas like drains, sewers, and bathrooms
  • Moving very quickly—American cockroaches can run at paces faster than three miles per hour (which seems slow but is actually impressive)

How to Prevent the American Cockroach

Because American cockroaches need to live in moist or humid places to survive, you’ll usually find them outside where water collects more easily. However, if they’re struggling to find the right environment outside, they’ll have no problem looking for what they need in your building. Because getting rid of an existing infestation is so difficult, we recommend taking the roach prevention steps regularly:

  1. Check for leaks in plumbing fixtures, cracked pipes, and poor ventilation in bathrooms and kitchens often. Any pooling water can spur an infestation.
  2. Clean spills promptly. Roaches also need a food source nearby, and because they’re not picky, they will resort to crumbs, spills, and residue on your floors to get by.
  3. Take your trash out regularly. If you’re throwing out food, roaches will find it. Use sealable bins or bags to dispose of your trash.

Roach Exterminators in Peekskill NY

One of the main issues with roaches is that they are good at staying hidden. If you find one roach, it probably means there are many more hiding out of sight. At this point, your best bet to get rid of them is to work with a professional roach control company. Our team at Garrie Pest Control is fit to handle every cockroach species around Peekskill NY. We can quickly eradicate them and work with you to form a plan that keeps them out for good. Reach out today for a free quote!

Mosquito Prevention: 4 Signals You Send to Mosquitoes

What mosquitoes look like in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

Although they can seem impossible to avoid, you don’t have to deal with mosquitoes all spring and summer long. Mosquitoes are simple insects that use a small set of signals to guide them to food, suitable environments, and potential hosts. Learning how to prevent mosquitoes from finding you can help you avoid their bites while spending time outdoors. Looking for mosquito prevention advice? Read on to learn from the Peekskill NY mosquito experts at Garrie Pest Control!

4 Signals Mosquitoes Use

Some people claim to be mosquito magnets—you may even be one yourself! Although some people certainly see more mosquito bites than others, there is no consensus on the exact factors that make certain people more attractive to mosquitoes than others. However, we do know 4 signs that mosquitoes take note of when looking for people to feed on:

  1. Breath: When humans breathe, we exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide. Mosquitoes pick up on the CO2 that we release with specially attuned organs to track down hosts.
  2. Body odor: Increased perspiration means amplified body odor, which mosquitoes use to detect us. Mosquitoes are also attracted to floral perfumes because they feed on plant nectar primarily.
  3. Body temperature: A high internal body temperature creates a signal for mosquitoes, so exercising around places where they rest or breed is a bad idea.
  4. Color: Mosquitoes seek out the longer wavelengths of light that human skin gives off. Regardless of pigmentation, exposed skin will attract mosquitoes.

Preventing Mosquito Bites

It can be tasking to remember and keep up with all of the mosquito prevention strategies available to you, but taking the time to keep mosquitoes away will pay off! Here are some key ways to limit your exposure to mosquitoes:

  • Clear out still water: Mosquitoes lay their eggs in pools of standing water, so pour it out wherever you find it. Rainwater commonly builds up in tarps, gutters, buckets, planters, and more places.
  • Choose clothing carefully: You want to avoid dark colors and short sleeves to keep your body temperature low and your skin concealed. Light colors and long sleeves can help you prevent mosquito bites.
  • Use bug spray: Safe application of EPA-registered insect repellents containing either DEET or picaridin are your best options for skin or clothes-application mosquito repellent. Natural options include lemon eucalyptus oil and citronella oil.

Mosquito Abatement in Peekskill NY

If you believe you’ve done everything you can to protect yourself from mosquito bites and you’re still having problems, reach out to your local pest control company. Our mosquito exterminators at Garrie Pest Control can assess your property for vulnerable spots to create a unique barrier spray system. This technique can keep mosquitoes out of your yard for months at a time! Reach out today to get started with a free quote.

10 Tips for a Pest-Free Backyard

Servicing a backyard in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

We’re all excited about the weather finally warming up here in Peekskill NY. However, it’s not just us that take advantage of lovely spring and summer conditions every year. All sorts of pests will be out and about in your backyard, finding ample food, hiding spots, and breeding grounds if you don’t put in the work to prevent them. If you’re looking to pest-proof your backyard, read on. We’ve put together some advice from our expert exterminators at Garrie Pest Control!

10 Tips to Pest-Proof Your Backyard:

All kinds of pests live in our region, so there are many different types of pest attractions to keep watch for and prevent. Here are our top 10 tips for keeping pests out of your backyard in Peekskill NY:

  1. Cut your grass: Mow your lawn once a week to maintain a short but healthy grass blade length. Letting your grass grow out of hand will lead to a labyrinth of pest hiding places and standing water.
  2. Trim plants: Keeping your bushes, shrubs, and trees nice and neat will prevent pest hiding places. This can also get rid of small shaded spots that pests like ticks and mosquitoes take advantage of to rest in during the heat of the day.
  3. Remove yard waste: Piles of yard waste in your backyard can serve as perfect shelters or breeding grounds for insects, arachnids, and rodents alike. Dispose of yard waste often to discourage this.
  4. Get rid of standing water: Standing water pools can serve as hydration sources for all kinds of pests, but they are most infamously used as mosquito breeding grounds. Pour out or tip over standing water when you find it in gutters, planter boxes, tarps, buckets, or elsewhere.
  5. Use garden netting: Your garden can attract pests as small as aphids and as large as raccoons. Using netting to protect your plants will allow them to grow without the threat of thievery or destruction.
  6. Dethatch your lawn: A layer of thatch too thick for your lawn will suffocate your grass and allow for many types of common lawn pests to take easy shelter.
  7. Water your grass properly: Both overwatering and underwatering your lawn can lead to pest problems for different reasons. Installing a sprinkler system or irrigation system is the best way to ensure that your lawn is receiving a regulated and evenly-distributed amount of water.
  8. Store firewood properly: Leftover firewood stacks from winter can lead to termite problems in the house. Store your firewood above ground and away from your house in a place where it can stay dry.
  9. Keep bins sealed and far away: Make sure your trash cans are sealed and kept away from your home to prevent foraging pests ranging from wasps to opossums.
  10. Hire an exterminator: A professional pest control technician can be the expert eye you need to figure out why pests are invading your backyard!

Pest Control for Your Backyard in Peekskill NY

If you’re looking to keep pests out of every corner of your backyard all spring and summer long, it’s time to get help from a local residential exterminator. Our team at Garrie Pest Control can assess your yard for vulnerabilities, find active pest breeding grounds, and safely remove all active pests while setting up lasting exclusion methods. For a free quote or to learn more, contact us today!

How to Handle Carpenter Ant Damage

Carpenter ants in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

Carpenter ants might not be able to do the same amount of damage as termites, but they create problems for people all around Peekskill NY year after year. One of the reasons that carpenter ants are so hard to deal with is that they build their nests inside our walls, not in the earth like termites. Given that they never have to leave, carpenter ants can cause damage undetected for long stretches of time. Whether you’re wondering if you have carpenter ant damage or you’ve already found them and need them gone, read on for advice from the carpenter ant exterminators at Garrie Pest Control!

Is That Carpenter Ant Damage?

People rarely ever find their carpenter ant infestation early on. Carpenter ants create their nests hidden away in our walls, and when their numbers grow large enough, they’ll even break off to build satellite nests around the building. Here are some signs of carpenter ant damage to keep watch for:

  1. Small piles of wood shavings popping up where you wouldn’t expect them to
  2. Quiet rustling sounds inside your walls
  3. Winged ants sneaking out of cracks and crevices in your building

Carpenter ants can be identified by their large mandibles that they use to chew through wood. They are around ¼-⅜” in length and are all black in color. Finding ants of this appearance near unexplained holes in your walls is a sure sign of a carpenter ant infestation.

How to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants and Stop Damage

If you’ve found suspected signs of carpenter ant damage or the ants themselves on your property, you’ll want to act quickly to stop them from creating more damage or spreading to new areas. You can try these DIY carpenter ant removal methods if you see fit:

  • Pouring soapy water into suspected nesting areas to flush out the ants
  • Mixing borax with sugar water to create an enticing, poisonous trap
  • Spread lemon eucalyptus oil, citrus based cleaners, or cinnamon around areas of activity to drive them away

The problem with DIY carpenter ant control is that it usually can’t tackle the source of the problem. All active nests must be completely eliminated to ensure that they can cause no more damage.

Expert Carpenter Ant Exterminators in Peekskill NY

The only way to know for sure that your home or business won’t be torn through by carpenter ants any more is to seek out professional ant extermination services. Here at Garrie Pest Control, we train our ant removal team to provide complete wood-destroying insect reports by extending their inspections to corners of your home you wouldn’t think to look. With the tools and expertise to get rid of entire carpenter ant colonies, we can make sure your building is never damaged by carpenter ants again. For a free quote, contact us today!

Ways to Spot Common Houseplant Pests

Houseplants with pests in Peekskill NY home - Garrie Pest Control

Whether you’ve recently bought your first indoor plant or you’re a houseplant aficionado, the presence of pests near (or on) your plants can be any plant parent’s worst nightmare. These plant pests can appear overnight in hoards, making it difficult to know where they came from in the first place. Like most pests, these insects are drawn to excess moisture. This is why they commonly infest houseplants in Tennessee homes. At Garrie Pest Control, we know how frustrating it can be to find these minuscule insects all over your beloved indoor plants. Keep reading to learn about the most common ones we deal with.

5 Common Houseplant Insects

1. Aphids

While you can usually spot the arrival of aphids on houseplants while they’re still relatively harmless, they can multiply quickly, forming thick clusters under leaves, on flower buds, or on the newly grown tips. Usually, they are green, but aphids can also be orange, yellow, brown, or even black. As they feed on the sap, they can cause yellow, misshapen leaves, and a generally unhealthy appearance. Once spotted, they need to be eradicated immediately. Usually, spraying the plant with water will be enough to dislodge them, although insecticidal soap is effective as well.

2. Mites

Extremely small and very hard to spot, mites are actually more closely related to spiders than they are to insects. In fact, they’re so small, usually, the first sign of their presence will be noticed in the white webbing you’ll find wrapped around stems and leaves. Another way to tell if a plant has mites is if you notice the leaves are sickly and mottled. If you notice this or small bits of silky web hanging from the leaves, spray the plant up and down. This will dislodge the mites while destroying their webs.

3. Scales

Scales are parasites that you first might notice as brown or white bumps on stems, or gathering near the surface and undersides of leaves. Feeding on plant sap, they’ll leave a sticky residue commonly known as “honeydew”. This honeydew can lead to mold growth which can harm the plant, and result in poor indoor air quality. If you spot the formation of scales, they can be simply rubbed off in their early stages. If you’ve done this already, and they won’t go away, it’s recommended that you spray the plant with insecticidal soap.

4. Whiteflies

Powdery white in appearance — and resembling tiny moths — whiteflies can infest a plant, stunting its growth, and turning the leaves yellow. If you don’t notice the whiteflies on the plant itself, one way to know if a plant is infested is if the plant is disturbed, you’ll see a white cloud as the whiteflies flutter about before resettling on the plant. Spraying with water will kill or dislodge the whiteflies, and if that doesn’t work, then spraying with insecticidal soap should rid you of the problem.

Need Help Getting Rid of Houseplant Pests?

Simply keeping track of your plants’ health should be enough to keep them safe from pests. If, however, the problem is particularly severe — or persists over time — and you require help, the experts at Garrie Pest Control can help. We’ve been helping families eliminate their pests since 1972, and offer comprehensive pest control solutions designed to keep your home free from unwanted houseguests. Contact us today to get started!

How to Prevent Flying Termites

Flying termites in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

We all look forward to springtime, insects included! This is the time of year when many insects, termites included, become more active after the winter months. Amongst the many pests that are bothersome for homeowners in our region, termites are likely the most dangerous. While these insects are active throughout the year, spring is when they tend to swarm and infest new areas. Due to this, it’s important to keep an eye out for flying termites during this time of year and take the necessary steps to prevent them from getting inside your house.

Garrie Pest Control understands how stressful it is to deal with a termite infestation. Our experts are here to help—read on to learn everything you need to know about termite swarms.

What Are Termite Swarmers?

One of the termite castes is the “swarmer” termite, also known as an “alate” and most often called a flying termite. These termites are reproductives that leave their nest in the springtime to mate and form new colonies. Seeing these flying termites near your home can indicate a potential infestation, which is why it’s important to know how to identify them. Swarmers are black to brown in color and reach a length of 3/8 inches, including the wings. Their wings are translucent in color or slightly milky or smoky. Their wings may overlap and are typically as long as or slightly longer than their bodies.

In spring, swarmers move into structures around basement windows, doorways, near porches, or any other place where wood will come into contact with soil. A termite infestation can eat away at the very structure of your home before you realize it. In order to prevent them from coming in the first place, it’s important to take preventative measures.

Top Tips to Prevent Flying Termites

It’s important to pay attention to any signs of flying termites, particularly in the spring. There are several things you can do to protect your property from wood-destroying insects:

  • Routinely clean your yard of any rotting wood, trees, etc. Ensure your porch or deck is maintained.
  • Keep all mulch away from the foundation of your home.
  • Store all firewood above ground and away from the perimeter of your property.
  • Repair issues with your plumbing to avoid any leaks or moisture that could attract termites.
  • Work with a professional termite control expert to implement treatments that repel termites.

Think You Have Termites in Your Home?

If you are seeing flying termites near your home or have a termite infestation, you’ll need professional help. It is best to protect your home from wood-destroying insects by getting annual pest control inspections. The experts at Garrie Pest Control are ready to help—contact us today to protect your property from swarming termites!

How to Prepare for Spring Bugs

A technician performing pest control services in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

The beginning of spring comes with a sense of relief for many. The rains will help your plants recover from the blistering cold and you can enjoy outdoor activities again. However, spring is also the time when bugs come out of hibernation to nest, mate, and reproduce. So what can you do as a homeowner in Peekskill NY to prevent them from doing all of this in your home? Read on for expert advice on the best ways to prepare for pests in the spring with Garrie Pest Control!

What Spring Bugs Should We Be Expecting?

If there’s any season where we should be worried about pest infestations, it’s spring. While we’re on our way out of the winter where rodents run rampant, all kinds of tiny critters will soon be taking advantage of newfound sun and moisture to proliferate and thrive. Here are some of the most common bugs that we see in spring in Peekskill NY:

As you can see, there is a wide range of pests that dominate the spring. This means that we have to keep an arsenal of pest prevention strategies in our back pockets for when the season rolls around again.

How to Prevent Spring Bugs Before They Arrive

There are a number of strategies that you can take before spring or implement into your cleaning routine to protect your home from pest infestation during the spring. Here are our recommended methods of preparing for spring bugs:

  1. Declutter: Organize your home and consolidate loose items to prevent unnecessary hiding places.
  2. Seal cracks and gaps: Openings in your walls, windows, foundation, siding, and more can allow pests in. Inspect your phone to find these spots and seal them with a silicone-based caulk, steel wool, or otherwise as the surface calls for.
  3. Check plumbing fixtures: Beyond cracks in plumbing fixtures that allow pests in, leaky pipes can create moisture problems that attract pests. Make sure your plumbing fixtures are in working order.
  4. Store food properly: Make sure that your refrigerator and pantry are clean and your food is stored in air-tight containers.

Professional Help Preventing Spring Pest Infestations

If you have experienced pest infestations in spring year after year around Peekskill NY or just want an extra eye on your home before spring sets in, reach out to your local pest control company for an inspection. The experts at Garrie Pest Control are closely familiar with pest seasonality and habits in our region and can set up a plan to protect your home from its unique vulnerabilities. For a free quote, contact us today!