When Are Mosquitoes Most Active and How Can You Prevent Them?

Mosquitoes are among the very peskiest insects that we have here in New Jersey, which is why Precise Termite & Pest Control offers backyard mosquito control services to our local customers. Since mosquitoes are picky about temperature, location, and even the time of day, it’s important to be aware of their habits so that you are best prepared for them.

Here is some information about when mosquitoes are most active and how to prevent them from laying eggs on your property and putting your health at risk.

Dangers of Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are notorious for causing itchy, red, and irritating bites that make you very uncomfortable. However, they also pose greater risks because of their disease-carrying and transmitting capabilities. Mosquitoes are known to carry Zika virus, malaria, West Nile virus, yellow fever, tularemia, and other diseases.

When Are Mosquitoes Active?

Contrary to popular belief, mosquitoes are not seasonally specific, but they do prefer temperatures consistently over 50 degrees. Here in New Jersey, this typically means they are most active in the spring and summer. Meanwhile, more southern regions of the U.S. often see mosquitoes sooner in the year.

Some species of mosquitoes are more active during the day, while others are more active at night. In general, the dusk hours around sunset tend to be the most active time for mosquitoes in our region.

Where Do Mosquitoes Lay Their Eggs?

Mosquitoes often lay eggs in places where there is standing water, which is why ponds, bird baths, and pools often pose mosquito problems for homeowners. This is also true for rain buckets and puddles after spring storms. Mosquito eggs usually hatch within one to three days after being exposed to water. Female mosquitoes can make up to 500 eggs in her first brood and have as many as 10 broods during their lifetimes to create offspring.

How to Prevent Mosquitoes from Laying Eggs During the Active Period

Curbing mosquito breeding is an essential component of mosquito control so that an existing pest problem does not become exponentially worse. Especially once our temperatures warm up as winter transitions into spring, eliminate sources of stagnant water from your yard and promptly throw away yard debris. You can do this by repairing leaks, cleaning bird baths each week, maintaining your swimming pool, and keeping rain gutters clean. It also helps to keep bushes trimmed, grass mowed, and to plant mosquito-repelling plants, such as lavender, marigolds, and citronella.

Help with Mosquitoes in New Jersey

The exterminators at Precise Termite & Pest Control are your local experts in mosquitoes and understand these insects’ patterns and susceptibilities better than anyone. We are fully licensed and insured, we offer free pest control inspections, our results are backed by a warranty, and we offer seasonal pest control packages.

Where Do Ticks Go in the Winter, and Can They Survive the Cold Months?

Most people think of ticks as a summertime problem, and it is true that most tick bites and tick infestations occur during times of warm weather. However, ticks don’t completely disappear when the seasons change, and winter tick issues are very possible as well.

Here is some information about the lingering dangers of ticks during the winter and how you can prevent and treat winter tick issues that arise in your home.

Do Ticks Live in the Winter?

Although some insects die off during the cold months of a New Jersey winter, ticks are one of the few resilient species that hangs on and continues to thrive all year long. Ticks survive frigid temperatures in a few different ways, such as temporarily going dormant or attaching themselves to a host.

When snow falls, it provides insulation to dormant ticks lying in brushy areas and leaf debris in a yard. Meanwhile, adult deer ticks stay active all winter long and often latch onto pets in the yard.

Where Do Ticks Go in Winter in a Home?

Since ticks love wooded areas, they often take up residence on firewood stored outside. When you bring wood inside to burn in the fireplace, ticks can hitch a ride and come into your house as well.

Otherwise, ticks commonly enter a home by latching onto a person or pet, either on the skin or on a piece of clothing. You may also find ticks in the winter in damp environments around your home, such as piles of wet clothes or in laundry hampers.

Prevention Tips for Ticks Around in the Winter

Tick-borne illnesses in humans and pets are year-around concerns, especially if you enjoy hiking in the woods and spending time outside regardless of what the weather is. Stick to established trails instead of venturing through untamed brush, and keep your dog on a leash so he/she doesn’t venture off of the trail and into tick territory. Check yourself and your dog after winter hiking trips, including all layers of clothes where they might be hiding.

Inspect firewood before bringing it indoors to use. Also for your winter firewood, keep it away from the house, away from dog play areas, and out of brushy areas.

Getting Rid of Ticks in Your Home This Winter

Not only can tick bites cause symptoms and disease, but ticks can also lay thousands of eggs at a time and create a serious infestation problem. Our NJ tick control exterminators can eliminate ticks from your home and property to help your household stay disease-free. We can also do a thorough evaluation of your home to identify tick entry points and problem areas in the yard where ticks can survive in the winter.

At the first sign of a tick problem, please call us at 866-971-2847 and we will be happy to come out for a free home inspection.

Diagnosing and Solving Animal in Attic Issues During the Winter Months

Even the biggest animal lovers in New Jersey don’t want stray animals and pests seeking shelter in their homes during the winter months. Not only are animals in attics and basements a nuisance, but they can cause significant home damage and cause disease.

Why Animals Seek Shelter in the Winter

Animals seek shelter wherever they can to stay warm during the cold winter months in New Jersey, and the best places are often right inside your home. Animal intruders commonly move into attics and basements to burrow, nest, hibernate, or simply to escape the harsh elements of nature.

Signs an Animal is Seeking Refuge in Your Home

One of the biggest telltale signs that an animal is taking up residence in your home is scratching and scurrying noises above you, below you, or inside your walls. In the attic, you may see animal droppings, nesting materials, or items that have been chewed through. Other area of a home that may show signs of animals are chimneys, trash cans, roofs, siding, trim boards, and the foundation of your home.

How to Tell What Kind of Animal Is in My Attic?

Feces is one of the best indicators of what type of animal is living in your attic. Every animal’s feces looks a bit different, although you may not have any desire to learn about these differences first-hand! The noises you hear in your home and the damage left behind are also hints at how to tell what kind of animal is in the attic.

These are some of the most common animals that a homeowner is likely to encounter in the home during the winter months:

How Animal Pests Get into Homes

Regardless of how new your home is or how clean you keep it, animals can still find ways to enter your home in the winter. Mice, for example, only need a hole the size of ¼ inch to gain access. Common entry points include roof joints, attic vents, dryer vents, foundation joins, wood trip, and the chimney flue.

Damage Caused by Animals in Attics and Basements

Animal pests in attics and basements can chew through wires, destroy insulation, and leave larger holes in your home that attract even more pests. They also leave droppings around that can harbor diseases, such as salmonella and hantavirus. These droppings can get into food sources in your home and cause health risks for family members and pets.

Animal in Attic Removal Cost and Solutions

The best way to determine an animal in attic removal cost is to contact Precise Termite and Pest Control for a free inspection and estimate. We are a top pest control company in Bergen County and specialize in all of the types of pests that invest homes during New Jersey winters.

Call us at 866-9771-2847 for effective, prompt, and affordable pest control to address the strange animal sounds and sightings you’ve been noticing!

The Environmental Impact of Pest Control and Our Green Pest Control Solutions

No one wants pests living inside or around the home, but an increasing number of homeowners are making a point to avoid chemicals around the house as well. Fortunately, green pest control options are available that are safe and effective to give you peace of mind.

Here is an overview of our environmentally friendly pest control services and how they can protect your family and the environment.

Risks of Chemical Pest Control Methods

Certain types of harsh, chemically based pesticides have been linked to health hazards, such as headaches, respiratory symptoms, and hormonal changes. These are mostly the types of pesticides used in agricultural settings to reduce crop disease, but the household pest control chemicals used by some companies can be concerning too.

Effectiveness of Green Pest Control

At Precise Termite & Pest Control, we know that harsh chemicals are not necessarily the best or most effective way to get rid of unwanted insects, rodents, and other pests. Environmentally friendly pest control methods are often just as effective as traditional methods, but they use biodegradable and less-toxic materials to keep pests away.

Our technicians are highly qualified and specifically trained to work with environmentally friendly pest control equipment to get the job done right. Some green pest control methods include using baits because they pose low toxicity risks for humans compared to sprays, insect growth regulators, and boric acid for use in buildings.

Kids and Pets Around Pest Control Environmentally Friendly

One of the best reasons to make the switch to green pest control is because you have kids and/or pets in the house. Kids and pets tend to put things in their mouths and get into areas where they aren’t necessarily supposed to be. To keep everyone safe while controlling pests, we can use non-toxic products that are low risk, naturally based, and made with organic compounds.

Our Green Pest Control Services

Precise Termite and Pest Control provides pest control environmentally friendly solutions for both family homes and private businesses to help you embrace the “go green” movement. Not only do we specialize in green pest control for all of the types of pests that affect New Jersey, but we will also help you take preventative measures to protect your home from more pests in the future. These measures may include keeping garbage cans tightly sealed, fixing leaky plumbing so that water doesn’t pool up, sealing up cracks, and reducing clutter from areas that are attractive to pests.

To learn more about the green pest control services we provide and our eco-friendly methods, please contact us at 866-971-2847.

Where Do Ticks Live and How to Rid Your Home and Yard of Ticks

Many people are aware that ticks can cause Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Q fever, hemorrhagic fever, and other transmittable diseases. Yet homeowners are still often don’t know where to look for ticks in their homes and yards and how to prevent them in these places.

Here are some details about where ticks live and how to keep your family and pets tick-free.

Where Do Ticks Live in Your Yard?

Ticks love areas of a yard that are full of moisture, but you don’t have to go hiking in a remote part of the backcountry to get a tick. In fact, most people actually get ticks right around their very own houses.

Ticks often take up residence in border areas of your yard where you’ve been collecting tree branches or don’t mow as often. Ticks are also common in dog runs, around driveways, around play structures, and surrounding tree houses.

Where Do Ticks Hide in House Areas?

Ticks frequently move from these yard areas to the damp interiors of homes, especially in basements, attics, and wall spaces. Cracks and crevices are favorites areas to hide among ticks, and certain types ticks can lay thousands of eggs very quickly to create serious problems for homeowners. Tick eggs may be found around windows, near baseboards, and around curtains and rugs.

How and Where Ticks Attach to Your Body

Ticks are parasites and require blood to survive. They attach to the body of a person or a family pet and burrow their heads into the skin to suck out blood.

Ticks can attach to any part of the body, but they are very common under the arms, in the groin area, behind the knees, inside ears, and inside the belly button. These are all naturally warm areas where ticks thrive.

How to Prevent a Tick Infestation

The first step to preventing ticks around the house is to reduce clutter and keep your lawn trimmed and neat. Keep weeds and brush away from your home and keep the environment as dry as possible. Create a barrier with gravel or wood chips that spans about three feet between recreational areas of your yard and wooded areas.

Also, check your pets regularly for ticks, and make sure everyone in the family showers and puts their clothes into the laundry with hot water after going for a wooded hike.

Precise Termite & Pest Control Your New Jersey Tick Issues

At Precise Termite & Pest Control, we’ve seen a lot of ticks over the past 25 years, and we know exactly how to handle them in yards and homes in New Jersey. If you are experiencing an issue with ticks, please call us at 866-971-2847 for a free inspection, and one of our experienced tick control experts will be happy to schedule with you.

Bat Disease Concerns and How to Protect Your Home from Bats

While some types of household pests are only a mere annoyance, others can seriously put your health at risk and even lead to death. For example, bats are well-known disease carriers that can transmit sicknesses and parasites to humans, such as rabies, histoplasmosis, ticks, and mites.

To help protect your family, here is some information about bat rabies, other types of bat disease, and how to prevent bats in your home and yard.

The Prevalence of Bats Rabies

According to the CDC, bats cause approximately 70 percent of the rabies deaths in people who get rabies in the U.S. About 55,000 people in the U.S. seek treatment for potential rabies exposure each year in the form of post-exposure prophylaxis. Without this treatment, rabies is almost always fatal.

Bats and Histoplasmosis

Another common bat disease is histoplasmosis, which can be caused by exposure to bat droppings, or guano. Humans and pets can be affected by histoplasmosis through an airborne fungus that rises from soil contaminated with these droppings. Histoplasmosis is particularly concerning because you don’t even need to come into physical contact with a bat to get this disease.

In humans, histoplasmosis infects the lungs and is common in the Mid-Atlantic (including New Jersey), Southeastern, and Central parts of the U.S. Common symptoms are shortness of breath, fevers, joint pain, red bumps on the legs, and excessive sweating. If left untreated, histoplasmosis can affect heart functioning, cause meningitis, and affect hormone production.

Other Health Concerns with Bats

In addition to these two types of bat disease, bats can also carry parasites, such as ticks and mites. Parasites carried by bats can bite and cause irritation to both humans and pets. Bat guano and urine attract roaches, mites, and other insects. It can also cause your home to develop a foul odor.

Prevent Bats in and Around Your Home

Because bats are such a common source of rabies and histoplasmosis, the best ways to prevent the spread of these diseases is to make your home unattractive to bats. Seal up holes that might invite them inside your home and cover outside entry points, especially the chimney.

In many instances, a person contracts a bat disease by attempting to handle a bat infestation alone without proper safety training. For this reason, it is always best to call a professional exterminating service to address a bat situation in or around the home.

Precise Termite & Pest Control specializes in safe, humane, and effective bat removal, and we’re committed to keeping New Jersey households free of bats. At the first sign of bat droppings, bat sightings, chirping sounds, wall stains, or unexplained smells, contact us for a free inspection or emergency treatment.

What Does Termite Damage Look Like & How to Know If You have Termites

Perhaps you have noticed some structural damage around your home but aren’t sure what’s causing it. It could be due to a water leak, pests, rodents, or insects, but you’re not a pest control expert, so how should you be expected to diagnose the problem?

Here is some information about what termite damage looks like what to do if you suspect that termites are causing structural changes in your home.

Different Types of Termites

There are actually dozens of species of termites that exist around the country, but for non-pest control professionals, the distinction can be narrowed down into four categories. For example, subterranean termites live in soil, build large nests, and cause most of the termite damage in New Jersey.

There are also drywood termites that are less of a problem in homes because they prefer to live in even moister wood conditions in the outdoors. Meanwhile, drywood termites love hardwood floors and dead trees because they don’t need soil to thrive. Their damage can be severe but often happens slower than with a subterranean termite infestation. Formosan termites are very destructive and often inhabit live trees and boats, but they are less common in New Jersey than in other parts of the U.S.

Damage Termites Cause

The damage that termites cause is much more than just cosmetic. Termites eat the structure of your home, moving from wall studs to support beams, ceiling joists, and even furniture. Termites may also feast upon metal siding and insulation, causing even further damage to more than just the wood.

What Does Termite Damage Look Like?

Subterranean termites cause damage that looks like water damage, such as swollen floors and buckling wood. With drywood termites, you may not notice the damage until it becomes so bad that cracks appear and the termite tunnels underneath the surface become visible. Termite damage can also look like mud tubes that appear as veins or clumpy lines.

If you see an insect in your home and aren’t sure what it is, inspect it as closely as you feel comfortable with. Termites’ appearance differs from ants and other insects in that they often have pale yellow-colored bodies, straight antennae, two sets of same-sized wings, and no noticeable waistline along their bodies.

Who to Call for your New Jersey Termite Control Needs

The professional exterminators at Precise Termite and Pest Control are your local experts in all things termites, and we know what it takes to keep New Jersey households termite-free all throughout the year. Termites can cause thousands of dollars of damage in a home, so it is in your best interest to keep an eye out for termite damage or call a professional for help if you’re not sure what you’re looking for.

Contact us today at 866-971-2847 for a free termite inspection and to learn more about the early warning signs of termite damage.

How to Prevent a Carpenter Bee Infestation at Your Home

Carpenter bees are unlike other types of common bees in that they bore into wood and are not social insects. Instead, these bees build their nests individually and can cause damage to the structure of your home.

To help you prevent a carpenter bee infestation, here are some details about these insects, where to find their nests, and who to call for extermination assistance.

Where Carpenter Bees Make Nest

Carpenter bees love to build their nests outside in trees or in the eaves or frames of houses. The bees do not live in these nests but rather just use nests to store pollen here for when the weather turns cold.

You may notice smooth and round holes bore into the wood of your home if you have a carpenter bee infestation. The bees prefer bare wood to stained wood. Places to check around your home for carpenter bees are eaves, boards, siding, rafters, decks, and outdoor wood furniture.

Damage Caused by Carpenter Beers

Although carpenter bees are wood-boring insects, they typically don’t cause as much damage as termites. However, they are still a big nuisance to homeowners because they cause wood structures to retain moisture and become prone to rot and decay.

After these bees create tunnels in the wood, woodpeckers are known to become attracted to these new holes and create further pest damage. Only female carpenter bees are capable of causing painful bee stings because males have no stinging capability; however, it is recommended to steer clear of all stinging insects.

Preventing a Carpenter Bee Infestation

The best way to prevent a carpenter bee infestation is to inspect your home regularly for strange holes and seal up cracks and crevices that you notice. Use a silicon caulk to seal up any holes and repair screen tears in windows and doors too.

Insecticides can deter carpenter bees from expanding their wood tunnels. After using insecticide, seal up the hole so that the bees can no longer access the tunnel. Carpenter bee traps may also be used by experienced professionals to curb a household bee problem.

Carpenter Bee Infestation House Help

At the first signs of holes or tunnels in the wood of your home, contact Precise Termite and Pest Control for a free inspection to assess the extent of your carpenter bee infestation house issue.

We specialize in all types of New Jersey bee removal and have the knowledge and experience to safely and humanely remove bees from your home so that your home and family are no longer at risk. A carpenter bee problem will only get worse if you ignore it, so don’t delay calling us at 866-971-2847.

5 Pests That Cause Fire Optic Cable Damage & How to Stop Them

Fiber optic cables aren’t cheap, and a lot of planning goes into installing these cables for your network. These cabling systems deliver telecommunications and high-performance data networking across long distances and are useful for the devices we depend upon. However, pests can damage these valuable cables and cause severe fiber optic damage. Here are five pests that cause fiber optic damage and how to stop them effectively.

1. Squirrels

Since fiber optic cables are often mounted onto poles and towers, they are easily accessible for squirrels that are expert climbers. There are theories that suggest squirrels like chewing through these cables because of the peanut oil used in manufacturing or to sharpen their teeth. Whatever, the reason, squirrels cause a significant amount of the damage to the home and fiber optic cables in elevated locations.

2. Mice

Fiber optic cables are also attractive to mice, which are known to chew through various types of wiring. Many people wonder why do rodents chew wires at all, and no it’s not out of spite for high-speed technology! The teeth of mice and rats are growing constantly, and wires help to keep those teeth trimmed and effective for eating food.

3. Termites

Termites are best known for eating wood, but they can also do damage to fiber optic cables. These cables can be installed in the ground, which is where termites live and thrive.

4. Birds

Birds can also cause fiber optic cable damage to cables hung above the ground by simply sitting on them in mass numbers. You’ll often see large flocks of birds sitting on overhead cabling, and the grip of their feet can lead to cable failures, as well as their combined weight from nesting on the poles. A bird infestation can cause many home damages, do not let them damage your fiber optic cable as well.

5. Gophers

Another animal that is known to defy even the best fiber optic cable protection strategies is the gopher. Gophers are resilient and have not always been scared away by poor-tasting additives put on wires to deter mice. Gophers commonly damage fiber optic cables that are buried underground.

Fiber Optic Cable Protection

If you are concerned about pests around your property and fiber optic protection, Precise Pest Control can help. We are experts in all of the types of pests that infest New Jersey, and we’re committed to protecting what’s important to you and your family. If you notice fiber optic cable damage, pests could be to blame. However, various forms of extermination, pest relocation, and preventative measures can help protect the fiber optic cables that you depend upon. At the first signs of damage, call us at 866-971-2847 or contact us online to look into the situation for you during a free inspection.

House Plant Bugs Identification & How to Get Rid of Them

Houseplants bring life and color inside our homes, but something else they can bring is unwanted pests. Certain types of insects thrive on indoor conditions and the nutrients that houseplants provide, putting your beautiful leaves and flowers at risk. For purposes of house plant bugs identification, here are the most common types of indoor plant bugs and how to rid your home of them.

Spider Mites

Spider mites are common in New Jersey and a type of arachnid that are very tiny and often go unnoticed to the human eye. They eat plant matter to survive and may leave tiny spots or tight webs behind under the leaves. These pests usually live in colonies under leaves, which will turn yellow and fall off after being feasted on by spider mites.

Aphids

Aphids are among the most common indoor plant bugs, which are about 1/8-inch long, have pear-shaped bodies and secrete a sticky fluid as they feed on plants. Most aphids don’t have wings, but they do have two antennae on their heads and cornicles projecting from their backsides. Plant leaves affected by aphids will develop a black mold growth because of this fluid, which is called honeydew.

Scale Insects

Scale insects are common on houseplants, as well as on outdoor trees and shrubs. Some have a hard shell that serves as protection, while others are categorized as soft and release a waxy substance. These indoor plant bugs range from ½ inch to 1/8-inch long and cause plant leaves to turn yellow and die.

Whitefly

Whiteflies are commonly found around plants in homes and greenhouses, and these pests eat sap from the undersides of leaves. They look like moths, are about 1/16-inch long, and have white wings that are easy to recognize. Whiteflies are particularly fond of poinsettias, tomato plants, and citrus plants.

Getting Rid of Tiny Bugs in Soil of Houseplants

Many homeowners start with DIY solutions and natural remedies when they notice indoor plant bugs, and some of these strategies are quite effective. For example, you can spray a mixture of an ounce organic neem oil with a gallon of water on houseplants to control houseplant bugs. Other methods involve wiping infested leaves with a mixture of dishwashing soap with water and also using a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol to spot-treat portions of leaves that have been affected by pests.

If these DIY approaches don’t work, then it may be time to call in the professionals to save your houseplants and prevent them from moving elsewhere in your home. Precise Pest Control has been keeping New Jersey pest-free for over 25 years and specializes in the types of indoor plant bugs that affect our region. If you suspect pests eating your houseplants, contact us today for a free inspection.

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