5 Preparation Steps for Rodent Control Service

A mouse in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

All homeowners dread the moment that they see a mouse or a rat scurrying across the floor. Unfortunately, where there is one rodent, there is almost always a family of rodents. This means that when you find one, your best option to get rid of them quickly is to contact a local mouse or rat exterminator.

If you’re expecting a visit from an exterminator soon, you might be wondering how you can get your home ready for your appointment with the technician. We’ve laid out our 5 most important steps to prep your home for professional rodent control! Read on to learn from our experts at Garrie Pest Control. 

How to Prepare for Rodent Removal

Your rodent exterminator will be able to work most efficiently if you take a few steps to help them with their process. These 5 steps will let you and your technician find all of the rodents on your property quickly and easily:

  • Prep the kitchen: Rats and mice are always out for a meal, so preparing your kitchen is a crucial step. Make sure that all of your food is sealed and securely stowed away in your pantry or refrigerator. Throw out any damaged or rotten food items and clear out the spaces on top of and around your fridge, stove, and sink.
  • Clean up trash and boxes: Sweep, vacuum, and clean all around your house next. All of the trash should be taken out and you should place lids on your trash bins, both indoor and outdoor. Boxes, bugs, and other storage items should be folded or closed and stowed away to prevent any unnecessary hiding spots. This will give your exterminator the best opportunity to lay effective bait.
  • Seal visible cracks and holes: Walk around your home and inspect all of the walls and baseboards. Look for small holes, cracks, and spaces that do not seal correctly. Mice can fit through gaps as little as a quarter of an inch, and rats can fit through spaces measuring one-half of an inch, so fill and repair these cracks if you can, or report them to the landlord if you live in an apartment.
  • Take notes of rodent sightings: Write a list of all the places where you or anyone in your family has seen rodents or noticed signs of them. Let your technician know where the rodent sightings took place, along with the evidence of rodent activity in particular locations. The technician will then be able to target their search to the areas where the rodents are likely active.
  • Safety prep: If you find any rodent urine or feces around your house, depose of it quickly and carefully, being sure not to touch it with bare skin or prolong your exposure to it. Rodent waste can carry many diseases and should be dealt with delicately.

Ready for Rodent Control in Peekskill NY?

If you’ve seen or noticed signs of rodents around your property recently, it’s time to reach out to your local rodent control company. Given the many dangers and constant nuisance that rats and mice pose, it’s important to have any infestations dealt with swiftly and professionally. For a free quote, contact our rat and mice exterminators today!

Guide to Finding Bed Bugs in Hotels

A close up of a bed bug in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

A bed bug problem in their establishment is the last thing any hotel manager wants to hear about. If a hotel guest finds bed bugs before management can hire exterminators to get rid of them, they can expect to see an influx of bad reviews, lost service, and even the possibility of a closure. If you work in the hospitality industry and you’re looking to find the best way to make sure your building stays bed bug-free, keep reading. Here at Garrie Pest Control, we’re proud to employ the best bed bug removal team in Peekskill NY, and we have some advice from our team to yours about checking for bed bugs.

Why Do Bed Bugs Like Hotels?

There are a few reasons why hotels are the perfect places for bed bug populations to spread:

  • Hotels are quite busy. With people coming in and out all the time, bed bugs always have the chance of finding a new host to feed on.
  • People bring belongings in and out of hotels. When you store your luggage on the floor, bed bugs hiding in your hotel room have an easy opportunity to climb inside and travel to a new location.
  • There are tons of hiding places in hotels. Beyond your mattress, a hotel room is filled with possible hiding places for bed bugs everywhere you look.

5 Spots to Look for Bed Bugs in Hotels

It is crucial to be exhaustive in your bed bug inspections—these are tiny critters that are expert hiders. These are the 5 areas to look for bed bugs in your hotel:

  1. Mattress, box spring, and bed frame: Bed bugs have an easy time hiding in the zippers and seams of mattresses and mattress covers, as well as the joints and slats of bed frames.
  2. Furniture: Bed bugs prefer any kind of upholstered material with seams and joints to nestle into. Check your chairs, couches, ottomans, and similar furniture, being sure to lift up pillows and inspect any crevices.
  3. Wardrobes, dressers, and baseboards: The places where your dresser meets the wall might leave enough room for bed bugs to find a good hiding spot. Also, check within all drawers and cabinets.
  4. Nightstands and wall fixtures. Anything at all that touches the wall might create a good bed bug hiding spot. You should even check behind clocks and paintings that are hung on the wall.
  5. Closet items: Wherever guests store their luggage, there is the chance that you’ll find a bed bug infestation. Luggage stands and shelves might have picked up bed bugs from someone’s suitcase.

You can read our full guide to hotel bed bug inspections here >>

Professional Bed Bug Inspections in Peekskill NY

To be sure that you’re providing a bed bug-free environment for all of your guests, you should team up with your local pest control company. At Garrie Pest Control, we train our bed bug removal team in all kinds of extermination tactics, from targeted spot treatments to holistic heat treatments. We have the ability to collaborate with you to create a plan that will tackle any bed bug problem, no matter how big or small. For a free quote, get in touch today!

Warning Signs of Rats and What You Can Do About Them

A rat on the street near Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

There are many reasons why you don’t want to deal with rats in your house. They cause a general disruptance, spread filth, chew through wires, and cause property damage. They can even pose a health risk by carrying diseases! What’s worse, they are active all year long in Peekskill NY. Because their activity peaks in the colder months of the year, we have to be on high alert against rodents during the winter. If you think you might have a rat infestation in your home and you’re wondering what to do about it, read on. The rodent control technicians at Garrie Pest Control have put together advice for recognizing signs of rats and keeping them out of your home.

Common Signs of Rodents in Peekskill NY

Unfortunately, rats tend to stay in the structures of our homes, crawl spaces, attics, and other hidden places, so it can be harder to tell if your home is infested than with some other pests. Hearing scratching noises in your walls is a good indicator of rodent activity. You might have also found rat droppings in corners of your home, rub marks where rats run along your walls, or nests in your attic made of shredded cardboard insulation, or similar material. 

If you’ve noticed any of these signs, check around your home for holes that rats could have squeezed through. Keep in mind that they can fit through gaps the size of a quarter! Here are some things to check for around the outside of your home:

  • Cracked foundation and siding
  • Broken pipes and gutters
  • Broken or loose shingles
  • Gaps around windows and doors

How to Prevent Rat Infestations

Whether you’ve found rats or you’ve found ways to get in, it’s time to seal off these entry points. Here are some important ways to go about this: 

  • Use a silicone-based caulk to seal cracks. Small gaps in your foundation or around your windows are easily dealt with using a bit of caulk.
  • Block off large holes with sheet metal. Larger openings that need repairs can be temporarily covered up with sheet metal and screws.
  • Use lath screens for irregular holes. If you have an odd-shaped hole that sheet metal can’t contort to, lath screens are a pliable option.
  • Complete general repair work. The present is always the best time to handle repairs. Especially in the winter when the threat of a rat invasion is looming, you should take care of any exterior issues.

Professional Rodent Protection

If you have rodents in your home that you can’t get rid of or you’re just looking for a professional touch for your rodent prevention this winter, reach out to your local pest control company. The rat exterminators at Garrie Pest Control are experts in both rodent removal and prevention—we have been assessing homes in Peekskill NY for rodent activity for almost 50 years. For a free quote, contact our team today!

How Quickly Can Rodents Reproduce?

Group of mice in Peekskill NY home - Garrie Pest Control

Many pests are just that—pests—due to the fact that they can get inside your home and reproduce at a rapid rate. This is especially true for rodents (mice, in particular), whose rapid reproduction rate can quickly turn a small mouse problem into a full-blown infestation. Mice have a life cycle that enables them to reach sexual maturity at just four or so weeks of age. Needless to say, this means just a couple of mice in your property can turn to dozens or even hundreds in a short period of time. For this reason and more, it’s imperative to learn how to keep mice away from your home in the first place. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know with the experts at Garrie Pest Control!

Mouse Reproduction Cycle

To understand how severe a rodent infestation can be, it’s important to know just how quickly mice can reproduce. It only takes a single male and female mouse to ignite an infestation. Here’s what to know:

  1. A young female mouse can begin mating and reproducing at just 4–6 weeks old.
  2. One mouse can give birth to 5 or 6 babies after just a three-week gestation period—and can do so up to 10 times a year.
  3. Right after giving birth to one litter, female mice can begin the cycle right over. This means mice can birth a second litter in as little as 25 days after the first. 

Rodent reproduction infographic - Garrie Pest Control in Peekskill NY

Rodent Infestations Inside Your Property

The life cycle of a mouse makes it easy to see why these rodents are such common pests in our region. On average, mice live about a year when they live outside. However, they can live for nearly 2 or 3 years in an indoor environment. Living indoors also enables mice to breed more rapidly, as they are unable to reproduce in the winter if outdoors. Inside the comfort of your home, rodents are safe from predators like owls, hawks, and cats. This is why a small rodent problem inside your home or business can quickly become something much more serious if action isn’t taken.

Preventing Mice From Reproducing Indoors

If you don’t want mice multiplying by the dozen inside your property, you need to make your property less attractive to them in the first place! Even more important is learning how to recognize the early signs of rodents in your home—noises, droppings, and more. By stopping a small mouse problem, you can avoid the inevitable infestation. The rodent exterminators at Garrie Pest Control are happy to help by implementing the best rodent exclusion tactics. Get started today!

How to Get Rid of Mice This Winter

A mouse found in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

As we start to approach the coldest months of the year here in Peekskill NY, it’s important to start taking precautions against the pests that come with the season. Mice are one of the most common winter pests that we deal with at Garrie Pest Control, and we meet people every year that can’t seem to figure out why their mouse problem started. One of the smallest and sneakiest rodents, mice are well-equipped to sneak into our homes and nest undetected. To avoid mouse problems this winter, read on for our technicians’ best advice for at-home mice exclusion!

Why Do Mice Infestations Happen in the Winter?

Like all other wild animals around Peekskill NY, mice need to make sure that they have sufficient access to necessary resources to last them through the winter. They usually find everything that they need in our homes, and they’re able to sneak in with ease. When they break into your home, mice are looking for:

  • Warmth: First and foremost, mice sense the dawning of winter and scramble to find a reliable source of warmth. Living in our insulated walls suits them perfectly.
  • Shelter: Due to the rapid turnaround of their reproductive cycle, mice need to build nests in safe areas. They use scrapped paper, fabrics, and similar materials to build nests inside our homes.
  • Food: Mice love to sneak into our kitchens and trash cans to find any grain-based foods, produce, and more. They are able to stay adequately hydrated through their food consumption.

How to Keep Mice Out of Your Home

Mice are one of the hardest pests to get rid of on your own once they’ve established a nest and a breeding population. This means that you must put proper exclusion strategies in place to defend your home from the initial infestation. Here are some ways you can do so:

  1. Inspect your home for gaps and close them off. This could mean sealing cracks in the foundation and walls, covering vents, windows, and doors with screens, and more.
  2. Cut out their access to food. This means washing dishes promptly, cleaning up spills right away, taking out your garbage often, and using sealable trash bins.
  3. Keep your yard in proper order. By keeping your grass trimmed, yard waste cleared away, and mulch far from your home’s foundation, you can prevent mice from living in your yard, which is usually the first step to a home infestation.

Starting Mice Control in Peekskill NY

There is no better time than the present to start mouse-proofing your home. If you’ve taken all of these steps and mice are still invading your home, reach out to your local pest control company for help. At Garrie Pest Control, we take pride in our holistic rodent removal process—a complete property inspection to find all weak spots, safe and efficient mice removal work, and a full report identifying what has been done and what you can do to avoid further problems. Contact us today for a free quote!

Expect More Fall-Winter Pest Activity

What rats look like in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

With each passing season, a whole new group of pests passes through the area around Peekskill NY. New York is infamous for its unpredictable weather, and changes in rainfall, sunlight, and even barometric pressure all affect the active pest populations in the region. This means that pest prevention is an active and never-ending process for local homeowners.

If you’re looking to get ahead of our usual winter pest issues, read on. Garrie Pest Control’s technicians have some advice to share on recent weather patterns, how they have altered active pest populations, and what you can do about it!

Fall and Winter Pests in Peekskill NY

Have you noticed an increase in rainfall this autumn? With scattered waves of precipitation starting earlier in the year in 2021, certain pest issues have inflated, the most notable being mosquitoes and ticks. These blood-suckers thrive in warm and wet environments, so summer and early autumn rain allow them to sustain their breeding populations for longer than they usually would.

However, once temperatures drop to a consistent level of 50 degrees or below, rodent infestations become the primary problem. We expect to see consistent snowfall starting earlier this year, so rats and mice will be quick to look for homes to hide in for warmth and shelter during a long winter. Rodents are able to squeeze their bodies through smaller holes than an inexperienced homeowner might expect.

The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) has put out their biannual Bug Barometer for Fall & Winter of 2021. You can read the full report here.

2021 Bug Barometer - Garrie Pest Control

How to Prevent Pests in the Colder Seasons

As the temperatures drop, and especially as snow starts to fall, we have to adapt our pest prevention strategies to keep up with pertinent pest pressures. Here are three important ways to reduce your chances of an infestation this fall and winter:

  1. Make sure there are no gaps through which rodents can enter your home. Look around your home for cracks in the foundation and walls, broken vents and roofing, or gaps under windows and doors.
  2. Be careful with food and trash. Make sure you clean up promptly after your meals, sealing your food in airtight containers. Additionally, use sealable trash bins and take your garbage out often.
  3. Maintain your yard. Piles of firewood and yard waste will create temporary hiding places for rats, mice, and other pests. Also, keeping your grass cut short will prevent standing water from pooling up in your yard. This will limit mosquito and tick activity.

Need Help with Pest Control in Peekskill NY?

Whether you’re having trouble keeping pests out of your home or you’re not sure if you’re taking the right steps to prevent pest problems, the technicians at your local pest control company can help. Our techs at Garrie Pest Control can help you inspect your property for vulnerabilities, complete any necessary pest extermination or removal, and follow up with preventative treatments as necessary to keep your home clean all year long. Contact us today for a free quote!

Do You Know How to Prepare for Fall Pests?

A rat in someone's home in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

When the weather starts to cool down for the first time in many months, all sorts of pests begin their preparations for a harsh winter. Looking for warmth and shelter from our chilly New York winters, countless kinds of insects and rodents try to take refuge inside our homes and on our properties. If you’ve lived around Peekskill for a while, you know how susceptible to pest problems our homes can become. Looking for a way to combat them? Read on for advice from our expert technicians at Garrie Pest Control!

Common Fall Pests in Peekskill NY

All sorts of pests live in New York, but there are a few to note that commonly cause trouble for homeowners come autumn. Here is our list of pests to watch out for this fall:

  • Roaches: Cockroaches make their way indoors when the temperatures start to drop. The problem with roaches is that you may not notice that your home is infested until the size of the outbreak grows quite large.
  • Beetles: Ground beetles, powderpost beetles, and carpet beetles are all more prominent in the fall. These beetles can cause all different sorts of slow-developing damage to your property.
  • Spiders: Spiders get into our homes looking for cluttered places to hide and insects to eat. Having an infestation of smaller pests can quickly lead to a spider outbreak, too.
  • Rodents: Most infamously, rats and mice love to get into our walls, attics, and crawl spaces to take shelter and forage for food during the fall.

How to Pest-Proof Your Home for Fall

Once a pest infestation is already underway in your home, you won’t find much success getting rid of them without professional help in most cases. The best way to enjoy a pest-free fall and winter is to take steps beforehand to reduce your risk of an infestation. There are several ways you can prepare your home for fall:

  1. Close any gaps that pests could get through. This could mean weather stripping your doors, fixing screens on your vents and windows, sealing cracks in your pipes, fixing broken roof tiles, and more.
  2. Keep your yard tidy. By clearing out yard waste promptly, cutting your grass short, reducing standing water buildup, and more, you can reduce the number of pest hiding places and food sources.
  3. Clean up promptly. Wash all of your dishes after eating, clean up spills when they happen, and store your food away in airtight containers.
  4. Seal your trash. Use trash cans with lids that seal or close tightly. Also, be sure to take the trash out of your house often and keep your bins as far from your home as you can.

Professional Help with Fall Pest Control

If you’re already mid-infestation in your home in Peekskill NY, you can count on your local pest control company to handle the problem. The expert technicians at Garrie Pest Control are well-versed in the particular pest pressures in our climate and have been removing pests from local residences for almost half a century. For a free quote, contact us today!

There’s a Mouse in the House!

A mouse found in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest ControlAs the weather starts to become less and less forgiving, all sorts of animals start looking for places to spend the winter. Here in Peekskill NY, this means the start of rodent infestations of all kinds. In particular, we have talked to lots of people year after year about not being able to figure out the sources of their problems with mice. Since they are so small and even more nimble, it can be quite tough to figure out how they are getting into your home. To learn more about how they do so and what you can do to stop them, read on for advice from the Garrie Pest Control team!

Why Do Mice Come in the House?

Mice are just like any other wild animal; they have to make sure that they are set to last through the winter with everything they need to survive. Unfortunately, our homes usually have all of those things, and if mice find your home suitable, they will not hesitate to invade. Mice are on the hunt for these three things:

  1. Food: Although it’s commonly believed that mice love cheese more than anything else, they actually prefer foods that are rich in carbohydrates. However, mice will eat just about anything that’s left out in your home.
  2. Shelter: Mice play a vital role in their ecosystems as prey for all sorts of predators. To keep safe, they have to find a reliable shelter.
  3. Warmth: Because mice do not hibernate, they need to find a consistent source of warmth during the colder winter months.

How to Keep Mice Out of Your Home

Mice are one of the stealthiest and most adaptable pests in Peekskill NY. This makes DIY mice control quite difficult, but possible if you are diligent. Here are our top tips for at-home mice control:

  • Seal any holes that could give them access to the inside of your home. This could mean installing brush strips on doors, screens on windows and vents, and sealing holes in your roofing or plumbing.
  • Store and seal your food as soon as you are done eating, and be sure to clean dishes and spills promptly after meals.
  • Maintain your lawn to keep the grass short and yard waste cleared. Mice can find hiding places and food to eat in your yard.

Rodent Control for Peekskill NY Homeowners

Do you know what to do if there’s a mouse in the house? In the fall here in New York, one mouse probably means many more. The larger the infestation, the harder it is to tackle it on your own. That’s where the rodent control experts at Garrie Pest Control come in. With top-tier tactics crafted to handle the specific rodent issues that we’ve seen dozens of Peekskill residents face, we promise to have your home mouse-free before the winter sets in! For a free quote, contact us today.

6 Things to Know About Stink Bugs

Stink bug in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

No one wants any type of pest or bug in their home, especially stink bugs. These pests are very common in the fall months here in New York, making it important to learn everything you can about their behaviors. While mostly harmless, stink bugs can be a big nuisance and—of course—quite odorous. To ensure you keep them far away from your property this fall and year-round, the experts at Garrie Pest Control are here to share all you need to know about the stink bug. Read on to learn more!

What to Know About Stink Bugs in New York

1. What Do Stink Bugs Look Like?

The full name of stink bugs is the brown marmorated stink bugs. Stink bugs haven’t been in the United States for long since they’re not a native species. They were accidentally introduced from Asia in the late 1990s and can now be found all over the country. They are a brownish-grey color, have six legs, and have a body shaped like a triangular shield. They’re usually less than an inch long.

2. Dangers of Stink Bugs

Stink bugs pose more of an annoyance issue than any real danger. They don’t bite humans or damage your home like termites and other bugs can. They tend to invade in large numbers, which mostly just makes homeowners uneasy. Although stink bugs don’t pose a danger to humans or pets, in high numbers they can destroy crops and damage fruit badly enough to make it impossible to sell.

3. Stink Bug Odor

Stink bugs got their name from the foul odor they emit when they feel threatened or when they’re crushed. The odor can vary, with some emitting a cilantro-like smell and others smelling similar to a skunk. The odor comes from a chemical secreted from glands on their stomach. Another odor the stink bug can emit isn’t detected by humans but can be recognized by other stink bugs. Stink bugs release a certain pheromone when they find a safe place to hibernate for the winter. Other stink bugs recognize this specific pheromone and join so that they can hibernate together throughout the winter.

4. How Do Stink Bugs Get Inside?

Unlike many other pests, stink bugs don’t breed in your home because they go into a hibernation state during the winter. That means that while they will try to find a cozy spot in your home to hibernate, they won’t be laying eggs and producing a larger infestation for spring. They won’t begin to reproduce until the weather warms up. That’s why you typically won’t notice stink bugs in your home during the winter, but you will see them in the fall when they start looking for a warm place to hibernate. You’ll also notice them in the spring when the weather warms up and they begin to stir.

5. Stink Bug Prevention

Stink bugs enter your home through small cracks and holes, so the best way to prevent them from getting in is to thoroughly inspect your home and seal all cracks around windows, doors, pipes, electrical outlets, and underneath the fascia on the roof. Replace damaged screens on windows and doors as well.

6. How to Get Rid of Stink Bugs

If you’ve done everything you can to get rid of stink bugs and still notice them in or around your home, it may be time to get in touch with a professional pest control company. At Garrie Pest Control, we know that no one wants to share their home with these small and smelly bugs.

Our experts can thoroughly inspect your property to determine where they’re getting indoors and implement steps to keep them out for good. Contact us today to get started!

Your Leaky Pipes May Be Attracting Pests

Cockroaches are attracted to plumbing fixtures in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

Having leaky pipes or plumbing issues in your home is bad enough without the added bonus of a pest infestation. Unfortunately, pests love excess moisture and will readily infest a home that is experiencing a plumbing problem. This is why it’s crucial to stay on top of plumbing repairs in your home. When you don’t, you run the risk of potentially leaving yourself vulnerable to pest infestations. The experts at Garrie Pest Control are here to help. Read on to learn everything you need to know about preventing pests and leaky pipes in your Peekskill NY home!

Moisture-Loving Pests

Pests are drawn toward areas that provide them with their main sources of survival: food and water! This is why pests are commonly found in bathrooms, crawl spaces, laundry rooms, and more. The most common pests that are going to be attracted to areas with excess moisture are as follows.

  1. Termites: If a broken pipe has caused water damage in the very structure of your home, you can be sure termites are to follow. Subterranean termites in particular are attracted to moist wood and soil. When there are unattended-to leaky pipes or plumbing issues, you could be leaving your home vulnerable to termites.
  2. Ants: These tiny pests will appear seemingly out of nowhere when excess moisture is abundant. Leaky faucets or spilled water from a pet’s bowl can bring ants out in the hundreds. In addition to your typical house ant, water can be a main attractant to the wood-destroying carpenter ant as well.
  3. Cockroaches. Roaches may be known for their resiliency, but they aren’t as strong as you’d think. Without water for a week, a roach will not survive. Cockroaches also love to linger inside of pipes and plumbing fixtures. An issue can quickly introduce roaches into other parts of the house.
  4. Rodents: Rats and mice alike are always looking for a water supply. Leaky pipes or broken faucets in your crawl space or laundry room can provide a haven for rodents. The last thing you want is rodents scurrying around when you have a plumbing issue, making it important to prevent them.

How to Prevent Pest Infestations From Leaky Pipes

Leaky pipes or plumbing issues can quickly bring a plethora of problems into your home. This is because almost all pests are attracted to water. In fact, some will die without a source of water within a few days. If you want to help prevent pests in your home, the best thing to do is keep an eye out for leaks and address any issues right away. Regularly inspect to ensure your faucets aren’t dripping, your drains aren’t clogging, and there are no leaks from your fridge, washing machine, or dishwasher.

Dealing With Pest Problems in Your Kitchen or Bathroom?

If you’re already noticing the signs of pests from a plumbing issue or leaky pipe, it’s important to contact your local exterminator for assistance. At Garrie Pest Control, we will work hard to get rid of any pest problems and provide you with tips to prevent future ones.