Excluding rodents from a home is possible.

I am often asked if it is possible to exclude rodents from a home. The answer is sometimes, maybe and yes.

The reason why rodent exclusion is difficult is not only that finding all the holes is problematic, but rodents also find entrances into homes by chewing their way into previously closed areas such as through garage weather stripping.

Rodents also have the uncanny ability to exploit human inefficiencies such as when a garage door is mistakenly left open all night. If these two problems were able to be solved you would find that rodents gain entrance into areas that are easily found and in some cases obvious if you know what to look for. Here are some of the most common entrance points for rodents:

1. Utility entrances ( example: central air pipe drilled through an outside wall)
2. Water damaged areas in doors, rim joists and sills
3. Areas where dormers attached to a home (remember rodents can climb)
4. Under the sill plate if it is raised
5. Bilco basement doors
6. Foundation irregularities
7. Broken or poorly fitted basement window frames and doors
8. Broken vent pipes.

Once the areas are found, they are best plugged with a material such as steel wool or stuff it (tm). In addition to these materials, a homeowner can also use weather stripping, caulk, sheets of tin or wood if the area is badly damaged.

In the end rodent control is difficult even for a pro. The best way to approach this type of work is with a multi step program that includes baiting , trapping, exclusion, harborage and food removal and exterior baiting.

If you need help or have questions about rodent control, we can be reached at 1-888-879-6481

Flea treatment?

Tis the time of the year when fleas start making an appearance. So far this year we have gotten more calls than the previous 2 years combined. Here's what you need to know.

Fleas have what is called complete metamorphosis. This means that they have 4 stages to their lifecycle, they are egg, larva, pupa and adult. If your reading this I imagine you are being eaten alive by the adult stage. Not to worry, flea treatments are common and safe.

Before any treatment takes place there is prep work that the homeowner must complete. It is as follows:

1. Vacuum all floor surfaces to stimulate the pupa to hatch and suck up as many adults as possible.

2. Clear all the floor space of items that are able to be picked up and put on a table as 100% of the floor surface will be treated. Don't forget under the bed

3. Empty all closets

4. Wash all bed coverings yours and your pets.

5. Cover all fish tanks and turn off aspirator

6. Specify to the pest management pro if it is a dog or a cat that brought the fleas in. It makes a huge difference.

7. Have your animal professional dipped on the day of the treatment.

8. Make plans to be out of your home for 4-6 hours or until the floor surfaces are dry.

The treatment is completed by applying a light application of a liquid insecticide mixed with an insect growth regulator Together these products will break the life cycle of the flea.
This application is made to all areas of flooring , upholstered furniture and areas the pets frequent throughout the home.

AFTER THE APPLICATION YOU MUST VACUUM EVERY OTHER DAY FOR 1 WEEK AND THROW AWAY THE BAG. This will again stimulate the flea pupa to hatch. The pupal cacoon is imperviuos to the products we use.

Hope this answers your questions, we can be reached at 1-888-879-6481 of at envirocarepest@gmail.com if you assistance.

Bat exclusion process.

Bat exclusions are set to begin next week and we are all set to go. I get asked all the time so I wanted to give our customers and potential customers a quick overview of exactly how we do bat exclusions.

First and foremost we do not kill bats. The entire process is centered around excluding them from the structure. Our rule of thumb is if a pinkie finger can fit into the gap so can a bat and it must be sealed. Our process goes like this:

1. We perform a complete roof top inspection, including all fireplace frames, shutters, gutters, vents etc.

2. After we have identified entrance areas we place a one way door over the gap that will allow the bats access out, but not back in. (One way doors are 3'x3' netting secured to the home on
3 1/2 sides. This netting is NOT permanent)

3. We then seal all the remaining gaps with black expanding foam at the exterior perimeter so the bats do not re-locate to another area. (the foam is invisible from the ground if done correctly)

4. The one way doors are left up for about 7-10 so that we are sure all the bats are gone.

5. We return after the 7-10 days have expired to remove one way doors and seal the gaps that are left.

The procedure takes about 6-10 man hours to complete depending on the size of the home.

If you are in need of our services or have further questions, we can be reached at 1-888-879-6481.

Bat guano or mouse droppings?

I received a call from a homeowner today that really had a problem. Mrs. X was perplexed as to how rodents and bats could be so different, yet their droppings were the same. Mrs. X is wrong here's why.

This is a common identification problem that has an easy solution. The difference between bat guano and rodent fecal droppings is as follows:

1. Rodent fecal matter when squashed will stay mostly solid, unless it very old.

2. Bat guano is different in size, but when it is squashed is breaks into dust. The droppings after broken into pieces will also have a metallic look to them. This is do to their insects laden diet.

This method of I.D is the one all pest management professionals use on a daily basis. It's quick, easy and right every time.

If you have a pest problem, we can be reached at 1-888-879-6481

We still have bats in Connecticut

I'll make this short and sweet. I know lots of bats are dying in winter tabernacles in the northeast, but we still are getting complaint calls about bats in peoples homes. If a bat ends up unannounced in your home here is what to do:

1. Don't call the police they are burdened as it is, you can do this on your own.
2. If possible, confine the bat to a single closed room, open the windows (and screens) and allow the bat to exit.
3. If the bat is in an open room, trap it under a container after it lands. Then slide a piece of paper or cardboard under the container. Gently, flip the container over and let the bat go outside.
4. Don't harm the bat (if possible) in any way as they are good for the environment.

If you can't find the bat, you must look everywhere including under drapes, window frames, storage, furniture etc. They can be almost anywhere. I you handle a bat, it must be done with a thick glove as the bat will try to bite.

If you suspect or know that someone within the home has been bitten or scratched you MUST get the bat to the DEP virology lab. While only less than 1% of bats have rabies, if you contract it it's fatal.

After this incident ends (which unfortunately is usually at 3 am) call us and we will be happy to perform a full inspection as well as give a free estimate for bat exclusion. Exclusions are best done after August 15th when young bats are able to fly.

If you need our help call 1-888-879-6481

Yellow jackets in your home?

We received a scary call yesterday. A customer stated she had no less than a few hundred yellow jackets flying around her office. Now, this is a problem under any circumstance, but especially while she is occupying the office. Fortunately, this client was only stung several times before we arrived. It certainly had the possibility of being much worse. Here is what happened and what we did.

Upon arrival at the home the client was not exaggerating, she certainly did have several hundred wasps in her office. This is scary but true, the secretions from the colony soaked the drywall ceiling to the point that the colony fell through the ceiling.

The wasps made their entry into the building around the soffit area of the home and then into the ceiling cavity. If this is happening at your home you must remember that yellow jackets nest in cavities and it's very common for this situation to happen. Things you MUST NOT DO:

1. Do not plug the hole from the outside
2. Do not treat the nest yourself during the day
3. Do not open the wall OR push on the drywall where you hear a tapping noise. That noise is the wasps and your hand will go straight through if you push hard enough.

Our solution in this case was to put on a bee suit and enter the room with a pyrethrin to kill existing wasps and then physically remove the remainder of the nest. We then treated the exterior with an insecticidal dust at the entrance point to kill returning wasps.

The procedure is different if you are just hearing the tapping noise in your ceiling. Please do not attempt this type of service on your own. It's dangerous and best left to a pro.

If you are in need of our services, we can be reached at 1-888-879-6481

Bed bugs and german roaches at hotels?

Well, I just returned from a relaxing vacation in Ocean City and I felt compelled to tell the world about the first thing I did upon arrival in our suite. I looked high and low for bed bugs and roaches. As you may or may not know one of the most common places to pick up insects is at hotels. The reason, communal living and roaches and bed bugs are the best hitchhikers the world has ever known. The more people that are put under one roof, the greater the possibility of insect infestation. This is especially true for the aforementioned pests.

Now this may sound crazy , but I am a fanatic (almost obsessive) about bringing things into my home. I have not slept in a hotel in the past 16 years w/ out doing a complete inspection, PRIOR to bringing my bags into the room. In another article I will go over the biology of these pests, but here is how you can do a quick inspection on your own PRIOR to bringing your bags into the room.

In general these techniques will suffice for both bed bugs and german roaches:

1. Strip the bed to the mattress and look for blood stains and or black pepper looking spots at the bed tufts.
2. Look for live insects at the metal frame, box spring and head board.
3. Remove the drawers from the nightstand and check for pepper stains at the 90 degree angles in the drawer and the stand itself, flip it upside down if you must.
4 Get on your hands and knees and look for dead insects under the bed and furniture.
5. Inspect the large dresser the same way as the night stand.
6. If the room has a kitchen, pull out the fridge and look under the sink for dead insects, pepper stains at the corners etc.
7. Do the same in the bathroom.

*There is no guarantee that even with this inspection that you will find everything every time, but think of how much better you will feel.
* For the record, the pepper stains are obviously not pepper, but blood and or fecal spots from roaches/bed bugs.

Luckily, I didn't find a single insect. I feel comfortable telling you the hotel was The Carousel in Ocean City, MD. I'm sure they have had or will have pests at some point in the future, but for 5 years straight I have yet to find anything (believe me, I look). On a side note this hotel is great for families, especially with small kids. I can be contacted at envirocarepest@gmail.com for more comments about The Carousel. It's outside bar is the best on the strip!!!

Happy bug hunting on your next vacation. Please, take my advice about the inspection I have met too many people who have picked up insects at hotels. I don't want you to be the next.

If you need help with a pest problem i can be reached at 203-879-6481