Tips to Prevent Termites from Getting Into Your Home

When it comes to pests in your house, there are few bugs homeowners worry more about than termites. These nasty little creatures can cause thousands of dollars of damage to your wooden furniture and, even worse, to the structure of your home. Thankfully, with a little help from a termite control service in Bartlesville, OK, you can eliminate the termite threat! Keep reading to learn more about what you can do as a homeowner, and what we can do as termite removal experts.

Identify an infestation

Wondering whether you have a termite problem? Here are some signs to watch for:

  • Dead termites: Termites are like most pests—they don’t live too long! Look around for bodies of dead termites; if you see a lot of them, chances are, you have an infestation. If you don’t know what a termite looks like, give us a call! We’d be happy to perform a quick inspection of your home.
  • Holes in the wood: Termites bore into wood to create a home for themselves and to feed on the cellulose. If you’re looking out for them, these holes are actually quite easy to spot. Call an exterminator as soon as possible if you see tiny little holes in the wood throughout your home.

Eliminate the termites

Getting rid of termites isn’t necessarily going to be a piece of cake, but there are some steps you can take to make the job a little easier:

  • Create a barrier: Your home is your castle, and you need to protect it with an effective moat. Speak to a professional exterminator today about spraying termicide around your home to block any termites from entering and wreaking havoc.
  • Bait the colony: Termites are like ants; they live in huge colonies. Killing termites one by one will take forever, and is a never-ending project. You can eliminate the problem once and for all by attracting the colony with poison and killing them all at the same time!

Prevent future infestations

Once you’ve gotten rid of your termites, you want to ensure they don’t come back. Luckily, there are preventative measures you can employ:

  • Get regular inspections: You know how to spot the signs of a termite infestation, but a trained eye can detect a termite problem before it turns into a full-blown infestation. It’s not a bad idea to call for a professional inspection at least once a year, especially if you live in a rural area where termites are more prevalent.
  • Be proactive: If you’re in the process of building a new home, talk to a pest removal company about pre-treating your home for termites. This process doesn’t take long and can make all the difference down the road. But you don’t have to be building a new house to be proactive! Consider removing any wood on your home that makes direct contact with the ground. This includes latticework, wood siding or door and window frames. Experts say that all wood should be at least six inches off the ground to help prevent termite infestations.

The longer you wait around with a termite infestation in your home, the worse your problem will be. Be sure to give a termite control service in Bartlesville, OK a call as soon as possible when you notice any of the signs above. As the leading exterminators in the area, you can count on the pros at Excellence Pest Control to take care of your termite problem once and for all!

Did Bed Bugs Come Home for the Holidays? Tips for Bed Bug Control in Bartlesville, OK

You took an amazing trip for the holidays. You had a great time. You and your family returned home… and the bed bugs came with you. If these critters came home with you after your holiday trip, you need effective bed bug control in Bartlesville, OK.

Fortunately, this is available through professional pest removal services. Properly trained technicians can rid your home of bed bugs and get your year off to a better start. Here’s how.

Inspection

A trained technician uses proper techniques to complete a detailed inspection of your home. Despite their name, bed bugs can be found in many other places. They feed on humans, so anyplace you spend a lot of time is a prime target for bed bugs. Furniture and linens should all be inspected for bed bugs.

Removal

If the technician determines you need bed bug control in Bartlesville, OK, the next step is to remove visible bed bugs and treat all affected areas. This precision process will eliminate hidden bugs and their eggs as well. Since bed bugs can live for up to a year, this thorough process is essential to eradicate the bed bugs from your home. Without professional assistance, this is difficult to accomplish.

Prevention

Of course, you don’t want a resurgence of bed bugs in the future. Your local provider of bed bug control in Bartlesville, OK can provide a guarantee as well as schedule regular service to prevent future infestations.

Additionally, when you travel, take the following steps to avoid bringing bed bugs home with you:

Put Your Pest Problems to Bed

If you need bed bug control in Bartlesville, OK, contact the experts at Excellence Pest Control. We will complete a thorough inspection, elimination and prevention process to rid your home of these nasty invaders. Contact us today with any questions or to schedule an appointment.

Prevent Rodents from Ruining Your New Year with Pest Control in Bartlesville, OK

What did Santa leave under your tree? Unless you were stuck with a lump of coal, you likely want to protect your new goodies from invading pests. As you finish up your holiday festivities, you probably have a lot of food in your garbage and stray fruitcake crumbs in your furniture. To keep pests at bay, use the following tips for pest control in Bartlesville, OK.

Protect Your Garbage from Pests

During the holidays, your trash cans may be extra appealing to animals. The scraps from your Christmas ham and the many New Year’s treats are very enticing to critters on the hunt for free garbage. Don’t start the new year off by getting animals in the habit of searching your driveway for goodies. Use these tips to keep them away from your trash cans:

Keep Your House Clean of Critters

All the extra food, guests and parties can leave your home set up as a smorgasbord for hungry critters. To avoid attracting pests, use the following tips for pest control in Bartlesville, OK:

Call the Pros

Sometimes, even the best home remedies for pest control in Bartlesville, OK are not enough. For reliable results to rid your home of pests, contact the experts. The professional technicians at Excellence Pest Control are equipped with industry-leading tools and techniques to ensure your home is pest-free for the new year. Reach out to our team today!

What Are Asian Lady Beetles, and Are They Actually Considered “Pests?”

There were swarms of them. Little black, orange and red spots creating a moving blanket in the light of the setting sun over the west side of the house. There appeared to be more beetles than there was house! “I’ve never seen anything like it,” said the homeowner unable to look away from the sight. And we had to tell him that, in all our years of pest control in Bartlesville, OK, neither had we!

Although the example above is one of our more severe cases of an Asian lady beetle infestation, it certainly wasn’t the first. These ladybug-looking creatures have made pests of themselves all over Oklahoma and across other parts of the U.S. as well. Unlike the actual ladybug, which is a beneficial creature, the Asian lady beetle is a pest and an invasive species.

How did they get here?

Unlike most invasive species that are introduced to a new environment by mistake, the Asian lady beetles were brought to the U.S. on purpose. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) thought that, like the traditional ladybug, Asian lady beetles would help control agricultural pests. So, in the early 1900s, the USDA introduced the Asian beetles to 10 of the 50 states. However, it didn’t take long for scientists to see their mistake. The Asian lady beetle was nothing like our friendly little ladybug.

How pesky are they really?

Since their original introduction nearly 100 years ago, Asian lady beetles have made themselves right at home in the U.S. Not only has the population of Asian lady beetles grown out of proportion and spread across the country, but the negatives of this cousin to the ladybug have become painfully evident:

What can you do?

If you’re experiencing an infestation of Asian lady beetles in your home, it’s best to look for professional pest control in Bartlesville, OK to help. Attempting to deal with the problem yourself is almost always unsuccessful and you may end up with the added problem of bites and the nasty effects of the yellow, stinky fluid the bugs secrete. At Excellence Pest Control, we have experience dealing with these pesky infiltrators and can help rid your home of the infestation with minimal disturbance to your home or your family.

Seven Tips for Keeping Rodents Out of Your House This Winter

Nothing beats coming home on a cold winter day to a nice warm home and being able to snuggle on the couch with a cozy blanket and a steaming cup of coffee or cocoa. Unfortunately, you’re not the only one who finds your nice, warm home particularly inviting this time of year.

Once the weather gets cold, rodents will be looking for a warm place to make their home for the winter. If you don’t want these uninvited guests infiltrating your home for the holidays—and we mean the rodents, not the in-laws—we can help. Here are seven tips from Excellence Pest Control, your local rodent control service in Bartlesville, OK, to help keep the rodents out of your home this winter:

By following these few simple steps, you can help protect your home from pesky rodents this winter. However, if you do find yourself having a problem with mice or rats in your home, call the team at Excellence Pest Control for rodent control service in Bartlesville, OK.