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:
- Check reviews: Before booking your stay in a hotel, check travel reviews. Look for any mention of bed bugs in guest feedback or other reviews. Avoid any hotel where they are mentioned.
- Check the room: When you arrive at your destination, you’re probably not thinking about bed bugs. However, try to make it a habit to check the bed frame, headboard and mattress for any signs of bed bugs. Look for the bugs themselves and for little brown spots that indicate they’ve been there. This search is well worth the time and effort if it prevents a bed bug infestation that could follow you home.
- Check your clothing: If possible, don’t store clothing in hotel dressers. Hang anything that can be hung. If you need to use drawer storage, inspect the furniture first before you unpack.
- Check your luggage: Keep suitcases on the luggage rack rather than on the floor or bed. This offers a safer spot to avoid bed bugs. When you arrive home, if you suspect you’ve brought bed bugs with you, unpack your suitcase outside the home. Disinfect it by sealing it in a garbage bag with no-pest strips for two weeks.
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.
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:
- Double up: This solution isn’t just for carrying heavy groceries. Double bag your garbage to prevent the scent from escaping. If they can’t smell it, they won’t search it out.
- Spray it: Spray Windex or other ammonia products on your garbage bags. This scent deters animals and will keep them from tearing into your trash bags.
- Mothball it: Spread mothballs around the exterior of your trashcan. Raccoons hate this scent.
- Tie it: Tie down your garbage can lid with a bungee cord. If you make it too hard to access your garbage, animals will move on to easier options.
- Light it: Where do you store your garbage cans? Are they near light? Consider setting up a motion sensor light to scare away night critters that try to approach.
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:
- Store it: Be sure all containers and bags are properly sealed. Open boxes of cookies or bags of chips send tempting aromas to insects. Use sealed containers and clips to keep food fresh and safe.
- Clean it: No one wants to start their year with spring cleaning, but it might be a good idea. As you pack away all the decorations, undertake a thorough cleaning of your home. Ensure no crumbs are left behind from holiday parties. The scent of cleaner will be much less appealing to pests than the smell of sugar.
- Clear it: As your gifts add to your collection of stuff, don’t let it pile up. Clutter is prime territory for pests. It might be a good time to take inventory of your home and donate, throw away or otherwise clear out any clutter that accumulated in the past year.
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!
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:
- They get into your home: Asian lady beetles are known for finding their way into people’s homes during the winter, seeking warmth. They collect around doors and windows, and fly around your home.
- They stink: Asian lady beetles secrete a yellowish, smelly, sticky fluid when disturbed or crushed. Not only does this fluid smell terrible, but it can also stain carpet, clothing and even furniture.
- They bite: Yes, that’s right. Unlike our friendly little ladybug, Asian lady beetles bite, and it hurts.
- They can cause health problems: Some people have an allergic reaction to the Asian lady beetle’s bite or the yellow fluid it secretes. Reactions can include eye problems, such as conjunctivitis (aka pink eye), hay fever, cough, hives or even asthma and difficulty breathing.
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.
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:
- Fix any plumbing leaks: Don’t allow a leaky faucet or standing water to turn into a water supply. Fix leaking plumbing, both inside and outside your home, to help prevent giving rodents the water resources they need to move in.
- Trim your trees and any house-climbing plants: Branches that are too close to your roof or windows make excellent bridges for rodents to gain access to your home. Climbing ivy and other plants can also help give rodents easy access.
- Store dry goods and pet food in metal or glass containers: Leaving dry goods like rice, oatmeal and even pet food in the paper containers they come in is an open dinner invitation to any rodents in the area. Protect your home by making sure to store any dry goods in non-chewable containers.
- Maintain a clean yard: Yard debris like leaf piles, branches and even the leftovers of your garden make the perfect hiding places for rodents. To help keep rodents far away from your home, be sure to maintain a clean yard.
- Store your firewood away from your home: People tend to stack their firewood close to their home for easy access, but rodents love to make woodpiles their home for the winter. If your woodpile is right next to your house, rodents are just one step away from getting inside.
- Check your home for holes or access points: Door and window frames and other areas of your siding or roof often have holes that will give rodents easy access to your home. Before the really cold weather hits, do a quick inspection of your home and plug up any holes bigger than ¼ inch.
- Put your trash away: Be sure to keep all your trash bags in a sealable trash can. Garbage is a number one attraction for rodents. Keeping your garbage put away will help keep rodents and even other larger, more robust animals from finding a winter meal among your leftovers.
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.
