Unwanted guests in your home this winter. Let us help.

Are you dealing with mice in your home? Even with the unseasonably warm winter rodents are still trying to come inside. Here is some helpful information and tips if you have been battling mice in your home this winter.

Mice enter homes primarily looking for 2 things: a place to live and for food. The most common kinds of mice entering homes are the house mouse (gray in color) or the field mouse (brown with white bellies).

Mice are a problem in homes because they eat your food and leave their fecal material and urine where they travel, which can carry disease. They also reproduce at a rapid rate: they have 10-12 babies in each litter and can reproduce every 20-30 days.

In small infestations, traps are a possible means of control. If using traps, we recommend the use of the traditional snap trap. These will kill the mouse instantly and are the most effective. Glueboard or sticky traps are not as effective and are very inhumane. We recommend using peanut butter or chocolate as baits for the traps.

However, in moderate to heavy infestations the use of rodenticide baits and a professional’s expertise are necessary in gaining satisfactory control.

To control the mouse population in your home it is important to identify the areas the mice are traveling and to limit their access into and around the home. Due to their malleable spines they are able to fit their bodies through very tiny openings, about the size of a dime.

Removing and cleaning droppings is important. Their feces can carry disease including the hantavirus. It is important when cleaning up the droppings to wear a mask, wear gloves and to wet the droppings with a disinfectant and wipe the droppings up. Do not sweep or vacuum up droppings. If the particles from the droppings become airborne they can be breathed in where the greatest possible dangers exist.

If you have been battling a mouse issue and cannot get adequate control on your home lease, call Best Pest Control Services at 617-625-4850 or 781-641-4040 or fill out our contact form and we can help.

Buying a home in the cold winter weather can prove to be a challenge. The ground is frozen and often both it and the roof are covered in snow, making the condition tough to determine. And what about termites, carpenter ants and the like, how do you know if they are hibernating for the winter in your potential home?

So we went to the experts at Best Pest Control Services, owner Rod Kreimeyer and manager Matt Kreimeyer, for the answer to the 3 most frequently asked Buyer questions for pest inspectors in winter. Best Pest, located in Somerville, has been in business for 26 years and is the go-to company for many Buyers and Sellers in the greater Boston area. They are an authority on pest control, rodents and just about any insect you don’t want to find in your home!

We asked them to give us their professional opinion on the following:

1. If buying a home in the colder months with the ground around the property frozen , is it possible to detect active carpenter ants or termites?

Best Pest: It is a bit difficult to detect active carpenter ants or termites during the winter months as these insects are generally not active in colder winter months. However, there are visible signs of evidence and/or conducive conditions that can be searched for. For termites the signs to look for are mud shelter tubes, damaged wood and/or evidence of any prior treatments. The signs for carpenter ants that we look for are wood damage caused by the ant excavation, the presence of sawdust the ants have made and conditions within and around the structure that could be conducive.

2. What directive should a buyer give a home inspector in looking for possible rodent entry?

Best Pest: Mice can fit through the hole the size of a dime and a rat can fit through the hole the size of a quarter. Typical rodent entry points in a home are found at doorways where there is a gap between the door and threshold, through bulkheads, holes in the foundation and from gaps where pipes may enter the home.   Also, inspecting the exterior areas of the structure and property as well for any activity.

3. If some activity is found in a home during an inspection and treatment is recommended, when and how quickly should the treatment take place?

Best Pest:Treatment response depends on the pest involved. Rodents should be treated promptly. Ideally, a follow up inspection and service performed when the property is vacant prior to the new owners moving in. This would give the pest control company the greatest access throughout the structure to seal holes and resolve the rodent issue. Unless the carpenter ant and/or termite evidence is active the treatment should be performed in the Spring after the snow has melted and the weather has warmed up for a 2-3 week period.

Whether buying a home or selling a home start with a conversation with Avenue 3 Real Estate

Rats can enter buildings a variety of ways. They may enter through a hole or gap in the building’s foundation. They can fit under doors that are not properly sealed from the outside. Rats also live in the sewer system and may enter homes or businesses through open or cracked wastelines.

Many people in urban areas see rats traveling through their yards or exteriors of their properties. Rats are interested in 2 things, food and safe harborage areas. Property owners and resident should be sure to limit their access to food around the property by having trash cans made of thick heavy duty plastic and with lockable lids. Metal trash barrels work really well. The metal barrels and their covers are sometimes easily damaged with regular trash pick up and will cease to be able to close properly. To limit places in yards for rats to live try to refrain from storing items under porches and decks. Another helpful hint is to keep yards neatly trimmed and removed of any overgrowth. The overgrowth provides the rats with a safe area to travel through.

If you are having problems with rats and are having any luck on your own call Best Pest Control Services at 617-615-4850 or e-mail us at Contact Best Pest today

Carpenter Ants are a structure damaging insect.

Carpenter Ant Control

It appears the warm weather is coming this week, hopefully to stay. With the warm weather comes one of the major pests for homeowners, Carpenter Ants. Carpenter ants are the biggest pest ant problem we have here in the Northeast. Carpenter ants are a problem because they are a structure damaging pest. Carpenter ants get their name because they chew and excavate wood to house their ant nests. Carpenter ants are generally the medium to larger size black ants you find in your home. They are attracted to moisture damaged wood in the house. To begin Carpenter Ant parent colonies are found in trees, stumps, landscape timbers and other areas. Once the parent colony grows large enough they set up what we call satellite colonies in neighboring areas like your house. These satellite colonies may be located in one or more areas of your home.

Here are some areas to look for and prevent Carpenter Ants

• Identify areas around the house where there may be moisture damaged wood. Carpenter Ants are attracted to moisture damaged wood because the wood easier to chew. Also, the humid conditions during warmer months provide great conditions for the breeding and growth of the colony.
• Repair moisture damaged wood around the house. Also during repair resolve the reasons the wood became water damaged.
• Keep trees, shrubs and bushes trimmed off of and away from house. This limits the ant’s access to the structure. It also will help provide more sunlight to allow the house to dry out. Ants also feed on aphids found on most vegetation. Keeping vegetation away from the house helps keep potential food sources out of reach.
• Keep ivy and ground cover off of and away from house. Ivy and ground cover can be pretty invasive and begin to grow and separate shingles from the house providing easy access for ants into the structure.
• Eliminate wood to ground contact. This will help limit the ants and even termites access into the structure. Also when the shingles and/or siding are in direct contact to the ground the wood can draw moisture up from the ground and create ideal conditions for ants.

Carpenter Ants are a structure damaging insect. It is important to protect your home against an infestation. If you need help please call (617-625-4850) or send us an e-mail using our contact form here on the website.

Richard has 10 years of experience in the pest control industry. He has also worked in the construction field and brings that knowledge to every job he visits.

Richard is married and has one son. He enjoys the local sports teams and spending time with his family.

• Trim trees and shrubs away from house. Carpenter ants are attracted to moisture damaged wood. This will allow the home to receive more sunlight and stay dryer. Also ants feed on aphids which live on bushes and shrubs around the house so trimming will limit the ants access to their food source.
•Keep bark mulch below the lower shingles or siding line of the foundation to eliminate wood to ground contact. Termites need wood to ground contact in order to survive. Carpenter ants will also find it easier to infest your home when mulch is brought right to the start of the shingles or siding on your home.
•Mow your lawn regularly and prevent overgrowth of vegetation in your yard. Overgrowth may provide protected pathways for rodents to travel in and around your home.
•Remove all fallen fruits and vegetables from the ground. These fallen items are a great source of food for rodents, ants and stinging insects.
•Check all gutters to make sure they are functioning properly. With the severe winter we had it is important to check for gutter and roof damage. If damaged or not functioning properly this can lead to water damaged wood along the roof line which is very attractive to carpenter ants.
•Keep all firewood away from the house. Firewood stored next to the house or under a deck can become a source of ants and other insects. We recommend keeping it as far away from the house as possible.

We hope these tips help you in protecting your home. If you do have issues with Carpenter Ants or any other pests please give us a call or send us an e-mail using our contact form here on the website.

Unwanted guests in your home this winter. Let us help.

Are you dealing with mice in your home? This winter has been a terrible one, weather wise and rodent wise. Here is some helpful information and tips if you have been battling mice in your home this cold winter.

Mice enter homes primarily looking for 2 things: a place to live and for food. The most common kinds of mice entering homes are the house mouse (gray in color) or the field mouse (brown with white bellies).

Mice are a problem in homes because they eat your food and leave their fecal material and urine where they travel, which can carry disease. They also reproduce at a rapid rate: they have 10-12 babies in each litter and can reproduce every 20-30 days.

In small infestations, traps are a possible means of control. If using traps, we recommend the use of the traditional snap trap. These will kill the mouse instantly and are the most effective. Glueboard or sticky traps are not as effective and are very inhumane. We recommend using peanut butter or chocolate as baits for the traps.

However, in moderate to heavy infestations the use of rodenticide baits and traps are necessary in gaining satisfactory control. If deciding to use store bought rodenticide baits, read and follow the product label’s directions and restrictions.

To control the mouse population in your home it is important to identify the areas the mice are traveling and to limit their access into and around the home. Due to their malleable spines they are able to fit their bodies through very tiny openings, about the size of a dime.

Removing and cleaning droppings is important. Their feces can carry disease including the hantavirus. It is important when cleaning up the droppings to wear a mask, wear gloves and to wet the droppings with a disinfectant and wipe the droppings up. Do not sweep or vacuum up droppings. If the particles from the droppings become airborne they can be breathed in where the greatest possible dangers exist.

If you have been battling a mouse issue and cannot get adequate control on your home lease, call Best Pest Control Services at 617-625-4850 or 781-641-4040 or fill out our contact form and we can help.

The backbone of Best Pest, Nancy Wollenburg

Nancy is the backbone of the company. She runs the office and is often the first person clients will have contact with. Nancy grew up in the fine state of Wisconsin. When not working at Best Pest Control you will most likely find her with knitting needles in hand. She also enjoys kayaking, reading, basket making and doting on her two grandsons.

Look for an active web presence from Best Pest Control now and into the future, with blog posts and some Facebook activity.

Please leave comments or questions below.

Thank you,
Best Pest Control Services
Somerville, MA