Day: March 12, 2019

Some people think that winter pests don’t exist in Charlotte, NC but they most certainly do, and infestations are no joking matter! It is much easier to prevent a pest problem than to face one head-on. Wintertime attracts termites, stink bugs, roaches, and other crawling critters into your home through the cracks and crevices in your walls, chimneys, and other entryways unless you take proper preventive precautions.Pests target the warmth in your home as a safe and appealing place to survive the winter. Here’s a list of destructive qualities of pests that you can avoid altogether this winter through prevention:
– Physical damage to the structure of your home and personal belongings
– Contamination of walls and surfaces
-Infestation of food products
– Adverse effects to your health by spreading germs and irritating allergies
– Disruption to your comfort and sense of well-being

Spiders, mice, roaches, termites, and more are some examples of the critters you could find in your family room, garage and basement so the best practice is to take action and prevent the problem before it starts. To safeguard your home from pests this winter, here are some pest control and prevention tips:

– Seal up cracks in the walls, ceilings, and flooring when the first cold hits
– Block entryways, fix window screens and chimney screens
– Maintain a clean yard free of debris
– Avoid leaving standing water or damp spots
– Clean up potential nesting areas and remove cobwebs

If you find unwanted critters like ants, roaches or mice have already entered your home to escape the cold, call a pest management company like Truly Nolen Charlotte who can end the infestation promptly and manage further prevention. If you would like to take precautionary measures to safeguard your home against pests, Truly Nolen Charlotte also specializes in pest prevention programs.

Homeowners will most often see mice scampering through their residences in the fall and winter seasons due to the cold; however, mice can live in homes year-round in North Carolina. If you see one mouse in your home, there is a likely chance that more have already broken in through openings and entryways and burrowed away in the walls, under the stairs, and in other warm crevices of your home. Mice are more common and cause significantly more damage than rats in a home. Rodents are known to reproduce quickly, and a female mouse can start reproducing as early as 2 months old, having up to 150 babies a year.

– Although small, mice can eat up to 20 times a day.
– Mice are good jumpers, swimmers, and climbers.
– A house mouse produces between 40 and 100 fecal droppings each day.
– Mice can survive in a lab for up to two years but usually only live for about five months on their own in the wild (mostly because of predators).

Bed Bugs Are Good Hitchhikers – Call Truly Nolen Ocean County

The assumption one must be a poor housekeeper or have poor hygiene to have bed bugs is simply untrue. Bed bugs are good hitchhikers and can easily be transported from place to place as people travel. They can hide in luggage, folded clothes, bedding, furniture, luggage, boxes, and other places. You can come in contact with bed bugs just about anywhere — in a hotel, on buses, and trains, and even in movie theatres. No business or residence is immune to a bed bug infestation, and they all need annual Bed Bug pest control inspections.

Although it can be difficult to eliminate bed bugs, it’s not impossible. Don’t panic. Don’t throw out all of your things because most of them can be treated and saved. Getting a Bed Bug pest control management professional involved as soon as possible rather than taking time to try to treat the problem yourself can help prevent the infestation from spreading. The best step is a thorough inspection and accurate identification by a qualified pest professional. Keep in mind that like most other insects, bed bugs will take harborage in any suitable crack or crevice offering protection. A cluttered home provides more places for bed bugs to hide and makes locating and treating them harder. Common harborage areas include mattresses, draperies, furniture, and unlaundered clothing. The best step is a thorough inspection and accurate identification by a qualified pest professional. Keep in mind that like most other insects, bed bugs will take harborage in any suitable crack or crevice offering protection. A cluttered home provides more places for bed bugs to hide and makes locating and treating them harder. Common harborage areas include mattresses, draperies, furniture, and unlaundered clothing.

Step 2: Cracks and Crevices.
Second, the technician treats all major cracks and crevices including the areas where carpeting meets the baseboards or wall surfaces, cracks around doorframes, and where crown moldings abut wall and ceiling surfaces.

Truly Nolen’s bed bugs pest control program features a high-pressure misting system that effectively pushes residential material into seams, cracks, and voids where bed bugs hide.

• Step 1: Bedding.
  First, the technician treats your bedding set including the mattress, box spring, and bed frame as well as the rest of the bed bug’s primary harborage areas such as the headboard, nightstands, dressers, armoires, and upholstered furniture.
• Step 2: Cracks and Crevices.
  Second, the technician treats all major cracks and crevices including the areas where carpeting meets the baseboards or wall surfaces, cracks around doorframes, and where crown moldings abut wall and ceiling surfaces.
• Step 3: Wall Voids.
  Next, the technician injects material into each wall void to treat the hiding bed bug population.
• Step 4: Aerosol Treatment.
  Finally, the technician treats any artwork or other moisture-sensitive items (books, etc.) in a plastic bag, by cinching the opening of the bag and emitting a one-second blast. The contents remain sealed in the bag to allow the material to eradicate any bed bugs.

Truly Nolen’s Ocean County, NJ Bed Bug pest control professionals recommend the installation of a mattress and box spring encasement system on each bed following treatment in order to prevent future bed bug infestations. It is a cost-effective alternative to purchasing a new bed set and is designed to protect you and your bedding. The system consists of a fully sealed cover for the mattress and box spring. The encasement system seals the bugs already in the mattress and/or box spring inside, where they will die in a few months. It also seals bed bugs out so the beds can’t be re-infested. A follow-up inspection will occur 7 to 10 days after the intensive service to ensure that the bed bug population has been eradicated. Re-inspection is required until the environment is pest free. Bed bug infestations usually occur near areas where people sleep. Fast-moving and nocturnal, bed bugs prefer the host’s head, neck, and upper extremities. The bugs feed for three to 10 minutes until engorged and then crawl away unnoticed. During the day, they hide in the areas around the bed such as the headboard, nightstand, etc. Bed bugs prefer a human host and are attracted by body temperature, natural body odor, and carbon dioxide the host exhales.

When a bed bug bites, they inject saliva containing an anesthetic that prevents a person from realizing they are being bitten and an anticoagulant to thin the blood and increase its blood meal. Most people do not realize they have been bitten until bite marks appear anywhere from one to 14 days after the initial bite. Having a bed bug infestation in your home can be more than just a nuisance and may cause some homeowners significant stress, resulting in many sleepless nights. Imagine how difficult or embarrassing it might be to call friends or relatives who recently visited to tell them about your pest problem! Bed bugs are not known to spread disease. However their presence may cause itching and lack of sleep. The bite marks are similar to mosquitoes and fleas – a slightly swollen and red area that may itch and be irritating however excessive scratching of the bite site can lead to a secondary infection. Those experiencing an allergic reaction may develop painful lesions and may require medical attention.