Don’t Feed the Cockroaches – How to Keep Cockroaches Hungry

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house kitchen cockroach

house kitchen cockroach

 

Cockroaches are omnivorous scavengers, which means that they eat virtually anything they can get their mandibles on. They are also highly resilient insects, being able to live for months with a minimal food supply and go weeks without water. When attempting to rid your home of cockroaches, it is therefore crucial to keep both their food and water supplies to the absolute minimum by following the steps outlined below.

  • Refrigerate – Any food in the house should ideally be kept in the refrigerator. The refrigerator is a self-sealing environment, and a cold one. As cockroaches prefer warm to cold and can fit through cracks as small as 1/16 of an inch wide, the freezing and thoroughly sealed space inside the fridge will effectively keep them from surviving on your groceries.
  • Seal – Any food that you do not wish to keep in the refrigerator should be kept in tightly sealing plastic containers. This goes for bread, fruit, and any other food product that you might otherwise leave sitting on the counter. Though you may not see roaches going for these food sources during the day, roaches (being nocturnal creatures) will happily creep out at night to munch on them as a midnight snack.
  • Vacuum – Keeping your floors free from food particles and the other insects that such particles attract subtracts both crumbs and bugs from the cockroaches’ potential menu.
  • Wash – Washing dirty dishes and wiping down surfaces with anti-grease solutions after meals is essential in keeping cockroaches from thriving in your home. The fact that a cockroach can survive for up to a week on a single greasy fingerprint is a good incentive for keeping your dishes, tables, chairs and counters clean.
  • Dry – Water (and juices that contain water) are better than food for a cockroach, as cockroaches can survive with water but no food for months on end, while given food but no water they can only survive for about a week. Drying up spills, toweling off the sink and/or tub after you shower or bathe, and plugging up the drains will keep roaches from finding the water that they need to survive.

If you are successful in keeping both food and water entirely inaccessible to your roaches, they can be dead within a week. However, because cockroaches are so resilient and require so little sustenance to survive it can be highly difficult to be vigilant enough to exterminate them yourself.

If your roaches have persisted despite your best efforts to eliminate their food and water supplies in your Philadelphia tri-state area home, you can save $50 on roach extermination treatment by calling Green Pest Solutions today.

Should You Be Worried About Hantavirus in Pennsylvania?

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Mouse-eating-bread

No one wants to deal with mice invading their property. Mice carry serious diseases, like rabies, and the idea that these rodents could be running around inside of your home is a scary one.

But it’s not just bites that humans are at risk for. Mice also carry diseases in their saliva and urine, and if you come into contact with these fluids in any way, you could be at risk for catching those diseases.

Hantavirus: A Deadly Mouse Urine Disease

Hantavirus is a potentially fatal disease (actually two diseases that are closely related) that can lead to severe shutdown of the kidneys and/or potentially fatal lung disease. Both diseases start with flu-like symptoms, but quickly become more severe, and if left untreated may be fatal.

Hantavirus also incubates for 2 to 4 weeks after exposure, which makes it harder for doctors to diagnose the disease and treat it accordingly. Human beings can also catch Hantavirus by simply breathing in particles of mouse droppings or coming into physical contact with mouse urine.

Hantavirus in Pennsylvania

There have been reports of Hantavirus in Pennsylvania, and in many of those cases the results have been fatal. Hantavirus is a very real problem. So if you live in Pennsylvania and may have been in contact with mice, how nervous should you be?

Thankfully, the answer is “not very.” Hantavirus is a very rare disease. Since 1983, only 585 people have been diagnosed with Hantavirus in the entire United States, and Pennsylvania (along with New Jersey and Delaware) are some of the least common states for this type of diagnosis.

Mice Control With Green Pest

Still, even though Hantavirus isn’t prevalent, you should still exterminate mice when you believe they’re on your property. Mice may be infected with numerous other bacteria and diseases, and one of the reasons that Hantavirus hasn’t spread is because of the diligence of those that contact rodent control companies like Green Pest Solutions.

Contact us today to get $50 off of your first treatment for mice (excludes one-time service), and keep you and your family safe from any type of rodent disease.

Did You Know You Can Be Allergic to Cockroaches?

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American Cockroach

Cockroach invasions are a nightmare. These pests are oversized and overabundant, and as soon as you see one it’s not uncommon to find dozens more – many of them scurrying across your carpet or lying upside down by your food.

Cockroaches are not simply an invasive pest either. They may also be a dangerous one. Cockroaches can trigger what’s known as a cockroach allergy – an allergy attack that can affect your skin and your lungs, and in some cases may require hospitalization.

Allergies to Cockroaches

Cockroach allergies are uncommon, but they’re not rare. Contact with any part of the cockroach, including its sweat and feces, can be enough to trigger a reaction. Cockroach particles are also easily bothered, and may float up into the air and get into your nose and throat simply by rubbing your shoes across the carpet.

It seems that those most prone to cockroach allergies are those that seem to suffer from other forms of allergies. Cockroach allergies can cause:

  • Stuffy nose
  • Skin rash
  • Red eyes

But perhaps most importantly, cockroaches can trigger asthma – in some cases that asthma may be severe. Asthma and allergy symptoms also increase depending on the number of cockroaches inside of your home, so the worse your infestation the more dangerous it can be.

If anyone in your family has allergies or asthma, and they appear to be worse when cockroaches are present, it’s possible that they’re having a reaction the cockroach presence and only by eliminating the roaches can you hope to give your family relief.

Cockroach Extermination for Asthma and Allergies

There are many different cockroach control strategies that are effective for ridding your home of roaches, and if you’re someone that suffers from asthma, removing the roaches may be an important way to avoid triggering a dangerous attack.

Cockroaches almost never invade alone and breed quickly. If you live in the Pennsylvania tri-state area and need cockroach control services, contact Green Pest today. We’re happy to inspect your home for free and give you $50 off your first treatment. Contact us today to find out more.

DIY Anti-Roach Potions

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German Cockroaches

Cockroaches are highly persistent bugs. They can survive for months on nothing but water, weeks on food alone, and cannot easily be crushed or killed due to their resilient exoskeletons, not to mention their ability to regrow lost limbs.

Though cockroaches are notably difficult pests to exterminate yourself, the following anti-cockroach solutions that you can mix up at home may help you at least to cut down on their numbers, and potentially drive them away completely.

  • Catnip – Cockroaches seem to be as repelled by catnip as cats are attracted to it. Scattering dried or fresh catnip leaves around the house, or boiling the leaves for tea and using it as a spray are safe and environmentally friendly methods of working towards exterminating roaches.
  • Rosemary Oil – Rosemary oil added to water and sprayed around your home is another herbal and non-toxic way to drive roaches away. Pay special attention to the kitchen and dining area, and wherever else you see them most often.
  • Water and Alcohol – Mixing water and alcohol in a spray bottle and applying it directly to a roach can effectively kill it. Be careful to spray each roach plenty of times – a cockroach that flips onto its back is not necessarily dead yet.
  • Diatomaceous Earth – Diatomaceous earth is an organic powder made from seashells whose rough granules cut up the exoskeleton of a roach, eventually causing it to die. Sprinkle it thoroughly around your home to ensure that the cockroaches are forced to walk through it. When working with diatomaceous earth in close quarters it is important to wear a mask to avoid breathing too much of it in yourself.
  • Baking Soda Dough Balls – Tricking roaches into eating baking soda makes them dehydrated. Since water is the substance that roaches rely most heavily upon to survive, dehydrating them can significantly shorten their lifespan. Mix baking soda into a combination of flour, sugar and shortening and place it anywhere you frequently see roaches.

Killing roaches can take time and quite a bit of effort when doing it yourself, but can be worthwhile once you stop seeing these nasty insects scuttling around in unexpected places. If you want them gone faster and with less effort on your part, you can also call Green Pest today to get $50 off your first cockroach extermination treatment.

Rat Urine: More Dangerous Than Rat Bites?

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Rat-in-Home

When you see a rat in your home, it’s a good idea to try to avoid their bite. Some rats carry diseases, like rabies, and it’s important that you stay away from rats as best you can to avoid any risk of series infection.

But rats are also very scared of humans, and the chance of them carrying diseases – like rabies – is slim. Rat bites may lead to infections, but those infections can generally be treated with generic antibiotics.

The problem is that staying away from rat bites isn’t enough. You also need to avoid rat urine, and unfortunately it’s not uncommon to come into contact with rat urine even when you don’t realize it.

The Disease of Rat Urine

Within rat urine there is a bacteria known as Leptospira, and if you come into contact with the urine in any way, you catch an infection known as Leptospirosis. Rat urine is filled with these bacteria, and the bacteria is a strong survivor. As long as there is still a bit of moisture left, the bacteria can continue to thrive. Leptospirosis causes:

  • Flu like symptoms, including fever and chills.
  • Headache
  • Nausea

Afterward the disease actually goes away temporarily, and then comes back and causes more significant symptoms including severe vomiting, muscle aches, jaundice, abdominal pain, fatigue, and even renal and liver failure. Because of the similarities to other serious diseases, Leptospirosis can be hard to diagnose. Because it could be deadly, the difficulty of diagnosing the illness can be very dangerous.

Dogs come into contact with rat urine from licking grass or puddles where a rat has urinated. Human beings generally come into contact accidentally, from splashing water or getting a small amount of dirt in their mouths while gardening. When rats are in your home, contact with rat urine is at higher risk.

Get Rid of Your Rat Problem

Leptospirosis is a serious problem, and one that makes it harder to live with a rat infestation. If you have rats in your home, make sure you call your local Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey exterminator. At Green Pest, we service the entire Tri-State area, and are happy to provide you with $50 off of your first rodent control treatment. Contact us today to find out more.

How to Ethically Remove Mice

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Mouse in home

Mouse in home

A mouse infestation can be a pain. Mice will chew through your belongings, leave their droppings all over your house, and dig holes in the walls to make their nests. However, getting rid of these cuter-than-average pests doesn’t have to be a pain—for either you or the mouse. Here are some methods for humanely discouraging mice from moving in with you.

  • Clean Your House – Mice are attracted to clutter and food particles that they can use to hide and thrive. Keeping your house clean by sealing food, regularly taking out the trash, promptly washing dishes, vacuuming and picking up your floors will make your home less attractive to mice.
  • Trapping – Trap rodents with this simple fast and quick approach such as using snap traps.
  • Get/Borrow a Cat – Cats are the original mouse exterminators. Mice will register the threat either by smelling the cat or being chased by it. If a mouse gets caught, it provides sustenance for the cat and does not die needlessly. If you don’t have a cat, you can ask a friend who has one if you can borrow him/her for a week. (Try and pick a cat that is young and active to chase mice).
  • Block Doorways – You can keep your doors closed to mice by placing kitty litter boxes near entrances to your home. The scent will help to warn mice away. Steel wool can also be used at the “doorways” to mouse holes, preventing them from chewing through it to get inside.
  • Catch Mice in Boxes – Box traps, as well as actual boxes can be used to catch mice without killing them. Once you have caught your mouse/mice, it is recommended that you drive about 1 mile away from your home before releasing them.
  • Exclusion – Seal all Rodent entry ways on the exterior of the house to prevent mice and other rodents from entering in the first place.

Killing mice can be gory and unpleasant. Mice don’t need to live in human homes and will survive just as well in the wild, so don’t feel bad about driving them outdoors. If you want your mouse problem dealt with ASAP, call Green Pest today for $50 off your first mouse extermination treatment.

How to Prevent Pests From Invading in Winter

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Keeping Winter Pests Out

Because of the sheer number of insects and animals that breed and roam in summer and fall, it often feels as though warmer weather is prime pest season. The warmer months are when there are so many different bugs and rodents around that many of them do end up inside of your home, scaring your children and messing up your food cabinets.

But winter season is when many pests actually “invade.” That’s because as it gets colder outside, pests look for places that they can keep warm – and in most cities and towns, that means your well heated home.

Winter Pest Prevention

Once these pests invade, you may need to find pest control experts that know how to locate these pests and remove them. But before that happens there are often a few tricks that you can try to prevent these pests from finding their way into your property.

Close All Holes/Entryways

While this task is often best left to trained experts, those with a keen eye should review their home for any opening that could invite pests inside. Check all doors and windows for even the smallest of cracks. Seal up any and all air spaces you can find until you have blocked nearly all possible entryways.

It can be a difficult task, especially since pests can sneak into areas that are nearly invisible to the naked eye, but if you’re willing to take the time you can locate as many hiding spots as possible, seal them, and make it much more difficult for these pests to enter your home. Don’t forget to install a screen for the chimney as well.

Clean the Moist/Food Areas

Food and hospitable environments may also be difficult to find in the winter weather, so pests may be looking to find what they need inside of your home. Make sure you’re cleaning up any dirty food, picking up clothing piles, and drying up any moist/warm areas. The less clutter, water, and crumbs there are in your home, the fewer insects will find your place to be as great an environment.

Move Your Firewood Stack

Everyone loves sitting by an open fire during the holiday season. But you need to be careful about where you keep your firewood. Areas with a lot of wood – like firewood – are a common place for pests to hide, both inside and outside of your home. The best place to keep your firewood is far away from your home, so that pests would need to travel a great distance to reach your home from any wood hiding spot.

Call Professionals to Winterize Your Home

Protecting your home from pests can be a difficult task, but with the above tips you should be able to decrease the number of winter pest invasions. Still, if you’re in the Greater Pennsylvania area, you may want to consider calling professionals to prepare your home for winter pests.

If you’re in need of trained pest control experts to prepare your home for the winter, call Green Pest today. We have several specials available to help you save money on your first pest control treatment, and offer free inspections for those with specific pest problems. Contact us today to find out more.

Winter Pests and Where to Find Them

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Firewood: Where winter pests hide

Winter is a quiet time for pests. One reason for this is that many insects go into hibernation in the cold weather, huddling under the bark of trees, underground and in the warm crevices of human homes, waiting for warm temperatures to return. However, some pests remain active during the winter and will happily come into your home where they can stay cozy. The following are places you will almost certainly encounter pests during the winter.

Firewood

Firewood makes an excellent home for pests, and for some, a food source. When firewood is stored close to your house, mice may use the small warm crevices created by it to build homes. Meanwhile, both carpenter ants and termites will remain active in winter if they are kept warm enough, and bringing your firewood inside can be enough to wake these pests up (unless you burn it right away).

Try to store firewood away from the walls of your home and up off of the ground to discourage these pests from making their winter homes there. If you bring pieces of firewood inside during the winter, burn them as soon as possible rather than letting them sit inside.

Garbage Cans

Mice, rats and cockroaches will be drawn to the smell of garbage cans, particularly when they are set near the house. Though cockroaches usually hibernate in the colder months, they will remain active if they find a warm enough environment. Rodents and roaches will take the smell of garbage as a sign that your home contains food and move from the trash to inside, if they possibly can.

Keep garbage cans indoors as empty as possible and store garbage outside and away from the house to avoid attracting these hungry critters.

Cardboard Boxes

Some spider species hibernate in winter, but other species will actively make their way into your home in order to stay warm. Spiders’ blood matches the temperature they are surrounded by, so when spiders notice the weather getting colder they will often look for somewhere warmer to live in order to stay more comfortable.

Spiders seem to love wood-based products and can often be found stowing away inside cardboard boxes. Consider getting plastic boxes with tight fitting lids to replace any plastic storage boxes you may have.

Attics

Squirrels and beetles both enjoy attic space during the winter. Beetles mainly stay in attics and walls of houses during winter as a safe place to hibernate and probably won’t bother you. However, if a squirrel has made your home the location of his winter stash of food, you may hear him (or her) scampering and munching incessantly above your head.

If you have squirrels – or any wildlife in your attic – call wildlife control. If you live in Pennsylvania and any other pests who have decided to move in with you this winter against your wishes, you can call Green Pest today to get $50 off your first pest control treatment.

Recognizing Common Household Rodents

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Household Rats

Household Rats

If you are constantly hearing scampering, scratching or gnawing sounds with no visible source, noticing places where your home appears to have been chewed on and finding pellets in dark corners, chances are that you have a rodent infestation.However, when you can’t see the source of the problem, it can be hard to identify what particular type of rodent is responsible. You can distinguish between these three common rodent-variety pests by the characteristic patterns of behavior described below.

When Mice Move In

Mice are harder to spot and in some ways harder to catch than rats, though they leave many of the same telltale signs when present in your home. They are smaller and faster, and generally more fearful of humans than rats.

Mice, like rats, will leave small holes in your belongings, especially in packages of human or pet food. When inside a residence they tend to travel exclusively by running along wall edges so as to go unnoticed by larger creatures. They like to nest in warm spaces and will often burrow into wall insulation. One of the most identifiable characteristics of a mouse infestation is the look of their droppings, which are smaller than rats’ (1/4 of an inch) and often more numerous, with pointed rather than rounded ends.

Rat Residents

Rats are larger, cleverer, braver and often dirtier than mice. While mice may leave smudges on the walls, rats can leave greasy trails where they walk and bring an unpleasant musky odor with them when they move in in large numbers. They are wary of traps, and their young can fit through holes in the walls the size or a quarter.

Rats like to gnaw on wood and plastic and can often be heard gnawing within the walls when an infestation is underway. They often leave visible paths in grassy areas when they travel outside to forage commonly referred to as “rat runs.” Their droppings are larger than those of mice, ½ to ¾ of an inch, and have blunted rather than pointed ends.

Squirrel Stowaways

Squirrels, unlike mice and rats, are considered more of a wildlife issue and usually make their homes nearer to the treetops where they spend most of their time, in the attics of homes rather than within the walls or basement. They are rarely seen but can be easily heard, both running around in your attic and chewing on wood and plastic substances, which many rodents do to keep their teeth in good shape.

Urine stains seeping through from the attic to the ceiling and sightings of squirrels eating from bird feeders and bowls of pet food are good indicators that a squirrel has decided that your home is also their home. If you have a squirrel infestation we recommend going on Angie’s List and locating a Super Service Awarded wildlife company.

Call Green Pest Today

If you think one of the above types of rodents has made its home in yours and could be causing expensive damages, as well as costing you your peace of mind, call Green Pest today to get $50 off your first rodent treatment.

Green Pest Solutions Earns Esteemed 2013 Angie’s List Super Service Award

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Green Pest Solutions and Green Lawn Fertilizing have earned the service industry’s coveted 2013 Angie’s List Super Service Award for the second year in a row, reflecting an exemplary year of service provided to members of the consumer review service in 2013.

2013 Angie's List Super Service Award Winner

2013 Angie’s List Super Service Award Winner

“We are quite privileged to represent America’s private sector and are honored to be mentioned on the consumer review service. From day one, our mission was to become a leading independent green industry company by providing superior customer service,” says Matt Jesson, President of Green Pest Solutions, Green Lawn Fertilizing.

“Only about 5 percent of the companies Green Pest Solutions and Green Lawn Fertilizing competes with in the Philadelphia tri-state area are able to earn our Super Service Award,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “It’s a mark of consistently great customer service.”

Angie’s List Super Service Award 2013 winners have met strict eligibility requirements, which include an “A” rating in overall grade, recent grade, and review period grade; the company must be in good standing with Angie’s List, have a fully complete profile, pass a background check and abide by Angie’s List operational guidelines.

Service company ratings are updated daily on Angie’s List. Companies are graded on an A through F scale in areas ranging from price to professionalism to punctuality. Members can find the 2013 Super Service Award logo next to company names in search results on AngiesList.com. 

Green Lawn Fertilizing and Green Pest Solutions is an independent lawn and pest control company that was founded in 2004. Under the leadership of Matt Jesson, President and Owner of Green Lawn Fertilizing and Green Pest Solutions, they are dedicated to becoming an industry leading company in the Lawn and Pest Industry. The company is currently ranked 16th in the country by Landscape Management Magazine, August 2011. In 2012 and 2013 the company received the Inc. 5000 recognition for being one of the 5000 fastest growing private companies in the US. They perform lawn fertilizing and integrated pest management services for residential and commercial clients. They are active members of PLANET, National Landscape Association, and NPMA – National Pest Management Association. 

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Angie’s List helps consumers have happy transactions with local service professionals in more than 720 categories of service, ranging from home improvement to healthcare. More than 2 million paid households use Angie’s List to gain access to local ratings, exclusive discounts, the Angie’s List Magazine and the Angie’s List complaint resolution service.