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Carpet Beetles Eat More Than Rugs

Sunday, January 16th, 2011

At first, you may think you have moths in your home. But if you are finding damaged clothes, carpet, upholstery and other items, it most likely is carpet beetles.  These little pests are more common than most homeowners realize. They can be very destructive, and to make it worse, they are quite difficult to control. You may find one or two beetles or the evidence they leave behind, but the problem can grow if not handled properly and quickly.

Besides feasting on your belongings, carpet beetle larvae shed small hairs which can cause allergies. Infestations of these pests have been linked to the spread of infectious diseases, like Anthrax.

Part of the problem with controlling carpet beetles is that they live in many areas of a home and eat more than carpet. They consume anything containing organic fibers and organic products. Here is a sampling of the preferred carpet beetle buffet:

Household Items

  • Carpets – Most synthetic carpets contain some organic materials
  • Rugs
  • Drapery
  • Furniture
  • Clothing – especially cotton, silk and wool
  • Household linens – tablecloths, dishtowels, sheets, towels

In the Pantry

  • Cereal
  • Corn
  • Flour
  • Grains
  • Nuts
  • Pasta
  • Seeds
  • Birdseed
  • Pet Food

Misc.

  • Hair (pet or human)
  • Animal Fur
  • Animal hides
  • Taxidermy animals
  • Dead animal carcasses

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Posted in Asian ladybugs (Asian lady beetles), Blog Posts, Carpet Beetles, Massachusetts, Pest Control, Slider, Uncategorized | No Comments »

House Crickets – Melodious or Maddening?

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011

“To find a cricket on the hearth is the luckiest thing of all.” This is according to Charles Dickens in his 1845 novella “The Cricket on the Hearth: A Fairy Tale of Home.” Having a cricket on the hearth has been a sign of luck for thousands of years all over the world. In China and Japan, crickets have been brought indoors to delight inhabitants for almost 1000 years! Valued for their song, crickets were kept in small cages of bamboo. House crickets are often associated with the new year and good luck.

But to many homeowners, a cricket on the hearth, or under the floorboards, is nothing but a nuisance due not only to the noise they make, but the damage they can do.

House crickets make a distinctive chirping noise. It is loud. It is continuous, often for hours at a time. And it occurs at night since crickets are nocturnal and do their feeding and singing when it is dark outside. Some say they sound like new born chicks.

The male cricket is the one that sings, doing so to attract the females. He sets up his own little home (on the hearth or another location of his choosing) and makes his sound by rubbing his wings together. Crickets become louder and faster as temperatures rise. In fact, scientists can measure temperature by calculating the frequency of cricket chirps. Male crickets also emit a sharp piping note when another male cricket attempts to enter his territory.

A love-sick cricket can sing for hours at a time, making as many as 10,000 chirps in one hour.  The larger the cricket, the more frequent the sound. In the Imperial Palace of ancient China, ladies kept crickets in small golden cages on their pillows, so that they might fall asleep to the song.

Crickets are a noisy house guest, but they are relatively harmless unless there is a large infestation in a home. Because they eat just about anything, crickets have an abundant supply of food in most homes. They prefer soft plant matter, but will also eat other live or dead insects, silk, wool, synthetic fabric, paper, wood, rubber, fruit, vegetables and other foods.

A favorite cricket delicacy is wallpaper. They love to eat the glue that holds paper to walls. They will then continue to eat the wallpaper itself.

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Posted in Blog Posts, Crickets, Massachusetts, Pest Control, Slider, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Unwanted Roommates: Dealing With Bed Bugs in College

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

News reports about bed bugs are all over the place today, and most of them address the issue of dealing with them in your home or hotels. But the tiny pests are showing up somewhere else that’s causing a great deal of stress: college dorm rooms.

Higher education is stressful enough without worrying about bloodsucking insects. Unfortunately, there are several factors that make dormitories prime breeding ground for bed bugs.

First is the sheer population of people – thousands of students congregating from different cities, states, and even countries makes a college campus extremely vulnerable. As recently as a few years ago, bed bugs were most likely to come in with students from abroad, but the recent surge of infestations in the U.S. means that just about any of the incoming pupils might be bringing uninvited guests.

So the fact that bed bugs are generally more prevalent now in the United States than before makes colleges highly susceptible to the hitchhiking bloodsuckers. But the social dynamics of college itself also gives bed bugs lots of opportunities to spread around.

Typically, students are paired with at least one other roommate. Any bed bugs brought along with one student are almost assured to spread out into the clothes, bedding, and other belongings of all that person’s roommates.

The risks of a dorm room’s close quarters can be applied to a dorm or even a campus as a whole. In other words, large numbers of people sharing a small space increase the likelihood of a widespread infestation. Couple the concentration of humans with the social activities that students engage in – going to other students’ rooms to party, watch a movie, or even (occasionally) study – and you have a perfect commuter system for bed bugs.

There is no evidence to suggest that bed bugs transmit any diseases to humans when they feed at night. But just because they don’t pose a health threat doesn’t mean these creatures can’t cause trouble and distress to the college students who unwittingly let them crash in their room.

Bites from bed bugs are small, red, and often itch. They feed once a night, usually just before dawn, then retreat back into hiding to shed their skin. This cycle repeats five times, and then the bugs are ready to lay eggs. All this means that a few bites on a college student’s skin can quickly multiply into many as the bugs feed and breed. Moreover, the stresses of academic and social life are likely to be much higher priorities than the origins of the irritating bumps on their back. This makes it easier for bed bugs to escape notice before they can feed several times and lay their eggs.

There’s also a potential element of embarrassment in admitting that you have bed bugs. Even though the cleanest of houses can become host to them, there’s still a social stigma that someone who has them must be dirty – filth by association. This myth is gradually disappearing, but any negative judgment, real or imagined, is bound to add to the stress of a student’s life.

Most of all, because bed bugs are so resilient, the extermination process can seriously disrupt the already hectic life on campus. Depending on the method of treatment (pesticides, extreme temperature manipulation, etc.), students may have to evacuate their dorms for up to several days while the pests are eliminated.

Come summer, you can always hear students singing “no more pencils, no more books.” Let’s hope that we can add “no more bed bugs” to the list soon too.

Posted in Bed bugs, Blog Posts, Massachusetts, Pest Control, Slider | No Comments »

Bed Bugs and Pets: How to Keep Your Animals Safe and Happy

Monday, December 13th, 2010

As America’s bed bug infestation continues to spread, families across the country wonder what it could mean for their pets.

First the good news: nature seems to be on your side. Bed bugs are not known to carry any diseases transmittable to mammals. Additionally, studies indicate that these nasty parasites prefer the blood of humans to those of household pets. This means that the health risks to your dogs or cats are relatively low.

However, that doesn’t mean that your pets are immune. When humans aren’t an available menu option, bed bugs will feed on the blood of other mammals. They can also use pets to hitch a ride and spread to a new location.

Here are a few tips on keeping your furriest family members safe.

Prevention: The Best Defense

You can save yourself the headaches of dealing with a bed bug infestation by taking some preventative measures.

There are some pet medications that protect cats and dogs from bed bugs (in addition to the usual ticks and fleas). If your pet is currently on meds, be sure to check the label. If it doesn’t list bed bugs among the pests it protects against, assume that it doesn’t repel them.

Perhaps the best way to protect your pets is to protect your home. One of the easiest things to do? Open the curtains and windows. Bed bugs hate fresh air and sunlight, so let in as much as you can. Making your bed in the morning will also help circulate air through your sheets, as well as let you check for any signs of an infestation.

Beyond the bed, make sure to vacuum at least every two days, keep clothing off the floor, and tend to dirty laundry promptly and often. Most importantly, keep your dog or cat off the bed – their fur will attract bed bugs to the mattress like a magnet.

What To Do If You Have an Infestation

If you see bites on your pet, inspect them closely. Bed bug bites are tough to distinguish from the marks of other insects, but they are usually small, red, and appear in a line instead of scattered. If you’re not sure, check your linens (and your pet’s bedding) for small spots of blood, feces, or shed skins the bugs may have left behind. If the results are still uncertain, take your pet to a veterinarian.

If you do find hard evidence of bed bugs, gather the linens in a plastic bag for transport, and then empty the bag into your laundry machine. Wash and dry at the highest temperature setting.

It’s also a good idea to call a pest control service if you suspect your home has bed bugs. A professional exterminator can provide a thorough examination of your house and take the necessary steps if you do have a problem. But when making an action plan, be sure the exterminator knows you are a pet owner, so that no harmful pesticides or chemicals are used. Don’t forget this, because bed bug extermination often requires more than one visit.

In the end, knowledge is your best weapon against bed bugs. Knowing what to do will save you lots of mental energy. With these tips in mind, you can keep dog tails wagging, cats purring, and safely cuddle up to your pets without worry.

For a free estimate, give us a call at 781-986-0701 and mention that you found us from this article.

Tim Taylor, President of Heritage Pest Control in Randolph, MA, is an expert in pest control, with more than 20 years of education and experience in residential and commercial pest control.  Tim has an extensive background in entomology, and is a member of the National and New England Pest Management Associations and the Randolph Chamber of Commerce. Tim is also a 29-year member of the National Guard and is active in national and community activities including Pop Warner Football. Heritage Pest Control serves the greater Boston area including the suburbs of Brookline, Cambridge, Brighton, Allston, Milton, Quincy, Braintree and Canton. For more information, or to contact Tim, CLICK HERE to send a note to Tim or call him at 781-986-0701.

Posted in Bed bugs, Blog Posts, Massachusetts, Pest Control | No Comments »

How to Get Rid of Drain Flies

Friday, December 10th, 2010

You can kills dozens of drain flies and still not be rid of the problem. Since a drain fly can lay anywhere from 10-200 eggs in the sludge that builds up in your drain, you will have a continuous population of flies until you take away their breeding grounds. Follow these steps to remove the source of your drain fly problem:

  1. If you have a hair catcher on your drain, remove and clean it. This may involve loosening screws to release the grate.
  2. With the hair catcher off, use a pipe brush to clean the goop that is serving as the nest for the drain fly eggs off the sides of the pipe.
  3. Once you have scraped a much of the pipe debris off, use a plumbing snake to pullout clumps of hair or solid matter. You can rent a drain snake or buy one at your local hardware store.  This can be a slow process if you want to thoroughly clean your pipes. It’s also messy and not for the squeamish. Don a good thick pair of rubber gloves.
  4. Even with the snake, you probably will not be able to scrape out all of the gunk attracting the drain flies. Use an entire bottle of a strong drain cleaner, allowing it to sit for the maximum time suggested on the direction label.  Follow up with a second bottle if necessary.
  5. Unfortunately, you’re still not finished. You need to get every bit of the organic matter out of the drain.  Run lots of hot water to make sure you’ve cleared away the drain cleaner. This will help clean the drain and protect you from dangerous chemicals splashing in the next step.
  6. Get a plunger with a good seal. They are inexpensive enough to buy a new one for this job. After all the drain cleaner is flushed, plunge until you have cleared the pipes as much as possible.
  7. Finally, boil water in the largest kettle or pot you have and pour that down the drain. Your drain flies will no longer have a happy home – but you will.

For a free estimate, give us a call at 781-986-0701 and mention that you found us from this article.

Tim Taylor, President of Heritage Pest Control in Randolph, MA, is an expert in pest control, with more than 20 years of education and experience in residential and commercial pest control.  Tim has an extensive background in entomology, and is a member of the National and New England Pest Management Associations and the Randolph Chamber of Commerce. Tim is also a 29-year member of the National Guard and is active in national and community activities including Pop Warner Football. Heritage Pest Control serves the greater Boston area including the suburbs of Brookline, Cambridge, Brighton, Allston, Milton, Quincy, Braintree and Canton. For more information, or to contact Tim, CLICK HERE to send a note to Tim or call him at 781-986-0701.

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Posted in Blog Posts, Drain Flies, Frontbox, Fruit Flies, Massachusetts, Pest Control, Slider | No Comments »

Are They Drain Flies or Fruit Flies?

Friday, December 10th, 2010

If you are finding fruit flies in your kitchen, especially around your sink or fridge, they may not be fruit flies at all. You could have an infestation of drain flies. A drain fly differs in appearance from a fruit fly in that a drain fly, also known as moth flies or sewer gnats, is fuzzy with a smaller body and larger wings than a fruit fly.

Drain flies, as you may guess by the name, congregate around kitchen drains, laying their eggs in the organic matter that collects in the bottom of your garbage disposal or pipes. One drain fly will lay 10-200 eggs in the build-up of hair, grease, food, etc.  In about two days, the eggs hatch and the drain fly larvae thrive on that same waste in the drain. They emerge as adults in nine to 15 days.

You may see drain flies on walls and flat surfaces during the day. At night they feed and fly in and around the drains. A drain fly lives for about two weeks. You may be able to kill a good number of the flies during the day, but the drain fly larvae can live in the drain and reproduce endlessly. You must get rid of their breeding ground to be rid of them.

It’s not difficult to kill a drain fly. They are rather clumsy and slower than the average house fly. Your best defense is to track the flies back to their source – usually a drain – either in a sink, washroom or basement floor. Cover about ¾ of a drain opening with a piece of tape, sticky side down.  Check it for the next day or two and if that drain is the source of the problem, you will have flies stuck to the tape.

Stay tuned for tips on how to get rid of and prevent drain flies…

For a free estimate, give us a call at 781-986-0701 and mention that you found us from this article.

Tim Taylor, President of Heritage Pest Control in Randolph, MA, is an expert in pest control, with more than 20 years of education and experience in residential and commercial pest control.  Tim has an extensive background in entomology, and is a member of the National and New England Pest Management Associations and the Randolph Chamber of Commerce. Tim is also a 29-year member of the National Guard and is active in national and community activities including Pop Warner Football. Heritage Pest Control serves the greater Boston area including the suburbs of Brookline, Cambridge, Brighton, Allston, Milton, Quincy, Braintree and Canton. For more information, or to contact Tim, CLICK HERE to send a note to Tim or call him at 781-986-0701.

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Posted in Blog Posts, Drain Flies, Frontbox, Fruit Flies, Massachusetts, Pest Control, Slider | No Comments »

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in Your Home

Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

The good news is that fruit flies are easy to trap. If you find fruit flies in your house, it is important to find where they are coming from and eliminate their breeding areas. Otherwise, no matter what you do to kill the flies you find, your problem will continue.  Fly traps will show you if you have flies, but not necessarily where they are coming from. And, if you leave a fly trap out too long, it can become a breeding ground for the flies itself. Here are some homemade alternatives:

Make your own “catch and release” trap. Put a bit of fruit, wine or cider vinegar in the bottom of a bottle or jar. Roll a piece of paper into a cone and set it on top of the bottle like a funnel. Place the homemade trap wherever you see fruit flies.  The bottle or jar will attract the flies very quickly. You can then take them outside to be killed or released.

For hidden breeding sites such as garbage disposals, drains and areas behind appliances, you can check for fruit flies by putting a tiny bit of fruit in a clear plastic food storage bag and taping it over the entrance of the opening overnight. If flies are breeding in these areas, the adults will emerge and be caught in the bag.

You can also make a froth of dish soap suds in a bowl and set it on your counter. The flies will land in the suds and die.

Since fruit flies congregate, you can use your vacuum to suck up and dispose of flies. However, make sure your vacuum is powerful enough to gather them without them scattering, and make sure it has a good filter (i.e. such as a heap filter).

To avoid fruit fly infestations, I suggest you follow these rules:

In the kitchen:

  • Eat produce before it has a chance to ferment.  If fruit is getting past its prime, refrigerate it or discard it in sealed garbage bags.
  • Cover your fruit bowl or store fruit you wish to keep in the refrigerator.
  • Put new soft fruit in a brown bag to help it ripen and also keep the fruit flies away from the easiest targets. You can leave out fruit with harder skin.
  • Avoid cracked or damaged  pieces of fruit and vegetables. If you discover damage once you empty your shopping bags, cut away and discard the wounded areas to avoid eggs or larvae hiding there.
  • Put a household fan near fruit bowls or food left out for a buffet. Keep the fan blowing across the fruit, since flies cannot land in a cross wind.
  • Never leave out plates of leftover food. Flies can find it in just a few seconds.
  • If you see a plate of food with fruit flies around it, don’t eat it. You may not see anything on the food because the germs and bacteria are microscopic.
  • Drink sweet drinks like soda, milkshakes, sweet tea, etc. in a timely manner. They are fruit fly magnets.
  • If you can your own fruits and vegetables, or if you make wine, cider or beer, make sure your containers are tightly sealed.  Fruit flies will lay their eggs under the lid and the tiny larvae will enter the container upon hatching.
  • Wash all dishes promptly. Run enough water to make sure drains and garbage disposals are clear.
  • Do not put food garbage into waste-paper baskets.
  • Take out your compost and keep your collection bin covered and food additions to your pile buried beneath yard waste.
  • Clean the openings of bottles containing fruit juice, fermented or vinegar products, including ketchup and cooking wine. Make sure caps are sealed well, and keep these items in the refrigerator if possible.
  • Promptly wipe crumbs and spills from your cabinets, counters and floors.
  • Wipe down the rubber seals of your refrigerator door, and clean the evaporation pan underneath.
  • Clean under and around your dishwasher and stove.

Around the house:

  • Launder or wash dishrags with soap every day. Rinse them well and wring them dry before hanging them up. Don’t leave them in the sink.
  • Fit all windows and doors with tight-fitting (16 mesh) screens to help prevent adult fruit flies from entering from outdoors.
  • Take out all trash daily, do not re-use the plastic liner garbage bags, and store trash in a covered bin.
  • After you dump mop water, clean the pail and launder the mop.
  • Remove damp lint from the laundry room.
  • Do not use manure or lake water for fertilizer near the house.

For a free estimate, give us a call at 781-986-0701 and mention that you found us from this article.

Tim Taylor, President of Heritage Pest Control in Randolph, MA, is an expert in pest control, with more than 20 years of education and experience in residential and commercial pest control.  Tim has an extensive background in entomology, and is a member of the National and New England Pest Management Associations and the Randolph Chamber of Commerce. Tim is also a 29-year member of the National Guard and is active in national and community activities including Pop Warner Football. Heritage Pest Control serves the greater Boston area including the suburbs of Brookline, Cambridge, Brighton, Allston, Milton, Quincy, Braintree and Canton. For more information, or to contact Tim, CLICK HERE to send a note to Tim or call him at 781-986-0701.

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Posted in Blog Posts, Fruit Flies, Massachusetts, Pest Control | No Comments »

What’s Flying Around Your Fruit Can Make You Sick: The Hidden Truth About Fruit Flies

Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

Fruit flies are annoying, but they can also make you sick. Like regular flies, fruit flies breed bacteria.  They transport more than 200 types of bacteria and other organisms and deposit it on fruit, or whatever else they land on. This can cause a host of illnesses including food poisoning and respiratory infections. Senior citizens, infants and people who have compromised immune systems can easily contract these diseases.

When a fruit fly sits down to dinner on your bowl of fruit, it has to liquefy the food before ingesting it. The pest places its spongy mouthparts on the food and secretes saliva or other regurgitated food on it. Humans get sick when they come in contact, or eat, food that has been contaminated through this food-liquefying process or from fruit fly defecation.

Adult fruit flies are about 1/8th inch long, tan and black with red eyes.  They live only 10 days, but they can do a lot of damage in that time. They can travel up to 10 miles in just a couple days, spreading whatever germs they find along the way. They are attracted to decaying plants, food and animal waste.

One piece of rotting fruit in the bottom of the bowl, a single onion hiding in the back of a bin, or a small puddle of fruit juice spilled under the fridge breeds thousands of fruit flies. One fruit fly can lay 500 eggs, which turn into larvae (also known as maggots) and then into adult flies in about a week. The following are the most common sources of fruit fly infestation in your home:

  • Ripened fruits and vegetables
  • Damp flour or food spilled into cracks in the floor or crevices between appliances
  • Drains and garbage disposals
  • Empty bottles and cans
  • Trash containers
  • Mops and cleaning rags

NOTE: They can also fly into your home through inadequately screened windows and doors.

I’ve also written a separate article called “How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in Your Home.” If you think you may have fruit flies or just want to learn more, look for that article online for more information.

For a free estimate, give us a call at 781-986-0701 and mention that you found us from this article.

Tim Taylor, President of Heritage Pest Control in Randolph, MA, is an expert in pest control, with more than 20 years of education and experience in residential and commercial pest control.  Tim has an extensive background in entomology, and is a member of the National and New England Pest Management Associations and the Randolph Chamber of Commerce. Tim is also a 29-year member of the National Guard and is active in national and community activities including Pop Warner Football. Heritage Pest Control serves the greater Boston area including the suburbs of Brookline, Cambridge, Brighton, Allston, Milton, Quincy, Braintree and Canton. For more information, or to contact Tim, CLICK HERE to send a note to Tim or call him at 781-986-0701.

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Posted in Blog Posts, Fruit Flies, Massachusetts, Pest Control | No Comments »

Travel Tips to Avoid Bed Bugs

Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

It sounds like a math story problem. There are 40 bed bugs in a hotel room on June 1. If room temperature is 70°F, how many bed bugs will be in the same hotel room six months later on December 1? The answer is 5,905 bugs! According to the National Pest Management Association, of which Heritage Pest Control is a member, bed bug infestations have increased more than 1,000% in the past three years. They say the increase can be blamed on inadequate pest control methods, failure to detect early signs of infestations, and ignoring infestation reports from guests.

This shocking fact illustrates how a bed bug problem can quickly grow into an infestation. Hotels are especially vulnerable because guests unknowingly carry in bed bugs that have infested their luggage, clothing, blankets, and pillows. Even if a room is inspected and bed bugs are eliminated, it can become reinfested with the next traveler who brings in pests. That’s why hotels with high occupancy turnover rates find there is little that can be done to prevent bed bugs. Their only defense is to do daily  inspections, which is rare. That means, if you travel and stay in hotel rooms, there is a very good chance you could bring home bed bugs. All hotel rooms, even upscale ones, are susceptible to bed bugs. So are movie theaters, dorm rooms, restaurants, and offices – but that’s a topic for another article.

It is very hard to get rid of bed bugs, since they have evolved into very hardy pests, immune to many modern pesticides.  Bed bugs hide from light, coming out in the dark to feed – on human blood. You can be bitten up to 500 times in one night if you are in an infested room. If you wake up with red bumps or flat welts that are itchy, you may have been bitten. Even if you don’t notice any bites, they can climb into your suitcase or cling to your clothing for the ride home. Here are some precautions ou can take to avoid bed bugs, and what to do if you find you have brought home the pests from your latest roadtrip.

  • Before you hit the road, check www.bedbugregistry.com to see if the hotel you plan to stay in has had any recent reports of bed bugs. You may also find this info in user reviews on websites like tripadvisor.com. This is still no guarantee that you won’t find bed bugs in the room you stay in, or that previous bed bug problems have been corrected. More important than reports of bed bugs is the feedback travelers leave regarding how hotel management responded to the report.
  • As you pack for your trip, put everything in plastic bags with zip lock seals. Keep the bags sealed while you are in the room. Old fashioned hard-sided luggage with latches rather than zippers offer more protection from bed bugs, since they don’t have the folds and seams where bugs can hide.  Lighter colored luggage will not attract bugs as easily as darker colors, and any bugs that do try to hitch a ride will be easier to see.
  • When you get to your room, leave your bags in the hallway, put them up on a luggage stand, or on the bare bathroom floor.
  • Conduct a room inspection, looking for signs of bed bugs. You may see tiny black spots – this is bed bug excrement. There might be translucent light brown skins or eggs. You may see tiny red or brown blood stains. Or if there is an active infestation, you may see live bugs, about the size of apple seeds. The critters don’t like light, so you are more apt to see the other signs than the bugs themselves. You may also smell a telltale sweet or musty odor.-
  • Take down the bed sheets. Check the mattress along the upper and lower seams, and look under the mattress tag — bed bugs often hide there. Also look where the headboard meets the mattress and check pillow case coverings and dust ruffles.
  • Look for signs of bed bugs in the bedside table drawers. If you see powder in the drawers or on the headboard, this is probably from previous treatment for bed bugs by an exterminator.
  • Check the edges of carpet, wall trim, and behind any loose wallpaper.
  • Check out furniture near the bed, behind picture frames and mirrors.
  • Continue your inspection by examining any furniture or other items near the bed. Pay attention to seams in chair upholstery. The majority of bed bugs live within close proximity to the bed. If you are able, inspect behind the headboard, which is often mounted on the wall in hotel rooms. Also, look behind picture frames and mirrors. Pull out any drawers, using your flashlight to look inside the dresser and nightstand.
  • During your stay, don’t put any clothing on the carpet or upholstered furniture. Undress in the bathroom which has bare floors and bright lighting.
  • If you find any signs of bed bugs, report it immediately to hotel management. Take a picture with your cell phone of the bugs or the evidence they were there. The hotel should move you to a new room immediately, and offer to launder any clothes that may have come in contact with carpet, bedding or upholstered furniture.
  • To make sure you don’t take home undetected bugs or their eggs, inspect your luggage and each item as you pack it. Put clothes in garbage bags and seal them tight.
  • When you get home, do your laundry using hot water (about 120 degrees F.)  Then dry on low heat for 20 minutes to kill any bugs that have snuck inside your bags.  Items that are not washable can be frozen. Keep these items in sealed plastic bags in the freezer for at least five days.
  • After emptying your luggage, look at all the zippers, lining, pockets, and any piping or seams. Steam clean soft-side luggage andwipe down hard-sided pieces of luggage.

For a free estimate, give us a call at 781-986-0701 and mention that you found us from this article.

Tim Taylor, President of Heritage Pest Control in Randolph, MA, is an expert in pest control, with more than 20 years of education and experience in residential and commercial pest control.  Tim has an extensive background in entomology, and is a member of the National and New England Pest Management Associations and the Randolph Chamber of Commerce. Tim is also a 29-year member of the National Guard and is active in national and community activities including Pop Warner Football. Heritage Pest Control serves the greater Boston area including the suburbs of Brookline, Cambridge, Brighton, Allston, Milton, Quincy, Braintree and Canton. For more information, or to contact Tim, CLICK HERE to send a note to Tim or call him at 781-986-0701.

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Posted in Bed bugs, Blog Posts, Massachusetts, Pest Control | No Comments »

The Right Way to Get Rid of Termites

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

In states like Massachusetts where termites are fairly active, it is essential to maintain an effective termite prevention and control program. If you own a home in Massachusetts, talk to your termite control expert about methods to help protect your home from termite infestations and damage. The techniques and materials used to control an infestation vary based on the type of termite, home construction and extent of infestation. The following are the typical ways that professionals use to prevent and treat termite infestations:

Termiticides – This is a chemical spot treatment used for subterranean termite. Termiticides can also be used for complete treatments on all potential entry points and infestation areas around a home.

Termite Monitoring & Bait Systems – This method consists of multiple stations that each have small amounts of poison. Therefore, this treatment is less environmentally invasive than soil treatments. Bait and monitoring stations can be used to detect potential infestations, as well as giving you long-term control for large populations of termites. However, this method is slower-acting than termiticide treatments.

Fumigation – Fumigation is used on large, widespread and deeply hidden drywood termite infestations.Fumigation is very effective in the short-term, but does not protect against reinfestations.

Heat, Cold & Electronic Treatments – Small, localized drywood termite infestations, especially in furniture or out-structures,can be treated with heat or extreme cold. Electronic and microwave treatments also may be used. None of these treatments prevents future infestations.

Green Termite Control – There are several non-toxic or “green” options to get rid of termites. These methods include boric acid, orange oil and biological controls, which include introducing other pests that eat or kill termites. These methods can be less effective and should be done by a pest control expert that is well-versed in green treatment.

If you find that you need a whole-house treatment, it you need to hire a professional since it is complicated process that can use chemicals that cannot be obtained by homeowners. Your home may be infested from underneath, particularly if you have a home on a slab. Termites can live undetected for long periods of time, slowly eating away at any entry points they can find. An exterminator has the tools and expertise to drill through slabs and put poison in to areas under a slab, as well as any of the other entry points termites can squeeze through — which is anything 1/64″ or more. This includes cracks, areas around pipes and cables, expansion joints, etc.

Smaller local pest control companies will often charge less and will do as good a job, if not better, than the large national pest control chains. Ask your neighbors for referrals and check the Better Business bureau before hiring a company. Ask about warranties and how they handle reinfestation. When getting a whole house treatment, a standard unconditional 1-year guarantee against re-infestation is the norm. Many pest control companies offer annual maintenance and retreatment as part of their initial cost, or as an add-on contract.

When Heritage Pest Control treats a house with termiticide (a liquid chemical that gets pumped into the ground) we give a five-year warranty against termite re-infestation.  When we use a combination of termiticide and bait stations we give a one-year warranty which can be extended indefinitely as long as a contract is signed allowing us to come by and inspect and/or re-treat each year.  If we use only bait stations no warranty is given since it can take several years to totally eradicate an infestation using bait stations only.

For a free estimate, give us a call at 781-986-0701 and mention that you found us from this article.

Tim Taylor, President of Heritage Pest Control in Randolph, MA, is an expert in pest control, with more than 20 years of education and experience in residential and commercial pest control.  Tim has an extensive background in entomology, and is a member of the National and New England Pest Management Associations and the Randolph Chamber of Commerce. Tim is also a 29-year member of the National Guard and is active in national and community activities including Pop Warner Football. Heritage Pest Control serves the greater Boston area including the suburbs of Brookline, Cambridge, Brighton, Allston, Milton, Quincy, Braintree and Canton. For more information, or to contact Tim, CLICK HERE to send a note to Tim or call him at 781-986-0701.

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