Tips
Being bothered by pests is unfortunately a common problem; it can happen to anyone. Pests look for a nesting place near food sources, which are plentiful in every home. Therefore, it is not surprising that you can be bothered by pests. But how do you recognize which species is bothering you? Read below how to recognize and prevent them!
Recognizing your pests
Think you are suffering from mice? Recognize them by the following signs:
- Mice make gnawing sounds that you hear especially early in the morning and in the evening.
- In the constant search of mice for food, mice stand food packaging don’t get in their way, they make holes in them to get to the desired food.
- When you suffer from mice, the droppings scattered everywhere because mice eat in different places. The droppings are 3 to 8 millimeters in size and dark in color.
- The urine of mice causes a strong pungent odor, a combination of ammonia and musk, which becomes stronger as the mouse infestation approaches.
- To ensure that their teeth stay sharp and short gnaw mice constantly gnaw on wood, plastic and electrical wiring. Damage to these can even cause fires or short circuits.
Wasp nest
A wasp nest has reddish-brown paper-like walls. To find out where the wasp nest is hidden, you can look at the wasps’ approach route. Usually the nests are found in the attic, under eaves or in a cavity wall. At the end of summer, it is easier to find out the location of the wasp nest since during this time there are many wasps living in the nest.
Difference between wasps and bees
Wasps and bees are very similar, yet there are several distinguishing characteristics. Wasps are virtually bald, while bees have a hairy upper part. Bees are not aggressive while wasps can become very aggressive when they feel threatened. Bees leave their sting behind when they sting you so they can only do it once. Wasps, on the other hand, can sting up to 10 times.
Tip: If you are bothered by some wasps, you can try to keep them away by lighting unused coffee on a saucer.
Ants often walk in a long line behind one another, leaving a substance in places where they find food so that other ants can recognize the spot.
Ants Nest
Ants’ nests are mainly found between and under sidewalk and garden tiles. They can be recognized by the small sand piles with holes rising above the ground. You find them mostly in summer and spring, during this period the ant nest grows relatively fast due to the rising temperature. The ant nest can grow to hundreds of thousands of ants during this period.
Tip: Planting marigolds, barnweed, chives, lavender or marigolds in places where many ants can be found can keep the ants from showing up there. They don’t like the smell these plants give off.
It is often quite difficult to determine if you are suffering from rats since they are nocturnal animals. The following signs can help you with this.
- Rat droppings are 1 to 2 centimeters in size and in most cases are all lying together.
- Rats keep their teeth sharp and short by constantly gnawing on, for example cables, wood and plastic.
- The urine of rats causes a strong, ammonia-smelling, pungent odor.
- Rats, especially at night, make scratching noises with their sharp nails.
- When a rat runs close to the ground it leaves a brown to black running track, also called a belly grease called belly grease.
What are bed bugs?
Bed bugs are 4 to 5 millimeters in size and live off both human and animal blood. They have a flat body that allows them to fit through small cracks and crevices. Most bedbugs live around and in your bed. The CO2 in exhaled air, body heat and certain odors attract the bedbugs. Most bed bugs are particularly active at night; a few will emerge during the day.
Complaints of bedbugs
Bedbugs leave small itchy bite marks. The wounds disappear after a few weeks, leaving no scar. The wounds are usually in a row and turn red.
Cockroaches come to life at night so you will rarely encounter them during the day. Checking the following signs can help you recognize the infestation.
- Cockroaches cause damage to plastic, cardboard and food containers through their strong mouths.
- They leave an unpleasant odor that gets worse as the infestation grows.
- Droppings of cockroaches are mainly located near food sources or hiding places. They resemble ground coffee and are about one millimeter in size.
- Cockroaches leave molt skins behind and pack their eggs in egg packets. Both indicate a nearby established infestation.
Silverfish have a flat body, two long antennae and are about two inches long. The flat body allows them to move through small cracks and crevices. You often find silverfish in bathrooms and drains, where humidity is high. But you also find them in carpets and closets. During the day you often only see them quickly scurrying away, at night they go in search of food making it more likely you will encounter them.
Tip: Lavender oil and lemon juice can help you keep silverfish out. If you mix both and apply a few drops of it to areas where there are many silverfish, these areas will be avoided.
- The autumn fly is found mainly on fences, walls and fences, is black and has a yellow abdomen. The perspiration odor of animals and humans attracts the flies so you find them frequently near cows and horses. In spring, fall flies leave their overwintering place, cavity walls of tall buildings and attics, then spread through the rest of the building.
- A cluster fly prefers to live in cavity walls of tall buildings and attics and is golden in color. You especially encounter them when they are looking for a wintering place in the fall.
- The grass fly is shiny yellow to green and nests mainly in ivy against house facades and in tall buildings. Like the cluster fly, the grass fly is most commonly encountered in the fall.
- Sewer flies, also known as moth flies, are 1 to 5 millimeters in size. You encounter them mostly at night near murky, polluted water, near garbage or in organic materials.
- The flesh fly lives mainly on flowers, leaves and cadavers and has a bright metallic colored body. Flesh flies can grow up to 20 millimeters in size.
Tip: Water with whole cloves can help get rid of flies in the house.
Prevention of pests
Prevention is better than cure, and that includes pests. The tips below can help you with that.
Tips (permanent) prevention of pest infestation
- Make sure food is stored tightly sealed.
- Seal cracks and crevices so that no pests can get through.
- Don’t let the dishes wait.
- Clean up clutter and trash immediately.
- Regular cleaning of your home keeps many pests from nesting.
- Make sure there are no air holes, such as through mesh and screens.
- Look for food sources and try to remove or shield them.
- Seal small spaces between cabinets and baseboards/walls; this is a desirable nesting site.
- Ventilate your home so that you avoid moisture, by doing so you make it difficult for the critters.
- Store books and paper in lockable boxes, especially in the attic near a central heating boiler.
- See if you are dealing with large numbers; if not, you are probably not dealing with an infestation.
- If you want to use pesticides yourself always make sure you strictly follow the instructions for use. Using these agents can be very dangerous. You are better off leaving the control to a professional pest controller in most cases.
Before we visit
In some cases it is convenient for you to move furniture and/or belongings before our pest controller comes by. When you make an appointment with us, we will indicate when this is/can be the case.
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