Category: Pest Control Tips

You head out into the kitchen for a midnight snack, and when you turn on the light, you see the unmistakable scurry of a mouse as it disappears behind your stove. You might even let out the classic squeal of surprise at seeing this tiny home invader.

These mice may have been in your home all winter, but now that it’s spring they are getting more active and getting ready to breed. That one mouse you saw has a family, and soon that family will double, then triple, and in a few months, you’ll have a mouse infestation.

Although mice are cute, they have no place in your home with your pets and family. Mice carry parasites and diseases such as salmonella that can affect and infect your loved ones. If you have signs of mice in your home, it’s time to take action to prevent the problem from becoming worse. If you don’t notice any mice, you’ll still want to take the opportunity to keep them out.

Environmental Pest Management has years of experience when dealing with mice in homes. Here are some of the best ways to get rid of mice this spring.

Prevent & Protect

Making your home inhospitable is the first line of both offense and defense in your mouse-banishing strategy. Mice are looking for food, water, and shelter. Cut off their access to these three, and mice won’t want to take up residence.

Clean

Spring is a good time for a thorough home cleaning. Make sure there are no crumbs or debris that mice consider tasty treats. Check the top of your refrigerator, the bottom of your pantry, and under and behind your kitchen appliances. Wash dishes quickly rather than leaving them sitting out.

Also Read: 3 Proven Ways to Get Rid of Mice Fast

Stop leaks

Even a tiny leak from an under-sink pipe can be enough to keep a mouse hydrated. They will also find water seepage in your attic or from pipes in your walls. Ensure your home is watertight and repair even minor leaks.

Fortify your home against mice invaders

Mice can get into your home the same way you do — through the doors. Make sure you have door sweeps to prevent them from being able to squeeze under them. Watch for small holes, especially around pipes and vents. Mice can get into your home via a hole the diameter of a standard No. 2 pencil. Invest in longer-lasting silicone caulk or use pieces of copper or aluminum wire pot scrubbers to fill the gaps and keep mice out.

Trap & Dispose

Unfortunately, there is not an effective way to remove mice from your home without killing them. Mice have excellent senses of direction. After all, they can find their way through the maze of your home’s walls and pop out for their favorite morsel. Mice that have been trapped alive and relocated doggedly find their way back to your home with their instincts and wiles.

The best way to get rid of mice is to use mouse traps. The standard wood and wire versions that have been around for decades are still a tried-and-true method. Try the professional grade traps for an improved catch rate. Newer plastic models that resemble binder clips work the same way as the standard wood and wire versions but are more expensive.

While mouse traps are relatively simple mechanical devices, there is a skill in knowing how to trap these sneaky rodents effectively.

Also Read: Winterizing Your Home Against Rodents

Location

Place traps in areas where there is high mice activity. Good places are along baseboards (mice don’t like to go out into open spaces), behind appliances, behind objects, and in darkened corners. Place traps perpendicular to the wall with the trigger end closest to the wall, or if parallel to the wall, set in pairs with the bait on opposite ends to attract mice coming from either direction.

Quantity

Be sure to use enough traps. Some will fail, some will have the bait stolen, some won’t be discovered, some will be avoided. Go for saturation.

Bait

Use a high protein bait, such as peanut butter, fried bacon, salami, or other mice favorites such as oats, and chocolate. The success of your bait depends upon the availability of other food, so be sure to clean thoroughly before setting traps. If you have multiple mice, setting traps with a variety of bait will attract differing palates. It’s also a good idea to use an unusual treat as bait, to entice them to investigate. If they are more accustomed to getting your fallen breakfast crumbs, for example, peanut butter or chocolate might be more attractive.

Take advantage of the first night

The first night you set traps will be the most productive, and your catch rate will go down from there. Who knows? Maybe mice who witness or survive spread the word? Have a plan for the first night and make an impact.

Secure traps to the floor

If a mouse is only trapped by their arm, leg, or tail, they can run off with a trap that isn’t secured to the floor. A sticky putty is an acceptable way to do this without using nails.

Consult a Friendly Pest Removal Pro

At Environmental Pest Management, we are ready to help you prevent or correct a mouse infestation in your home. As you tackle your spring cleaning, if you find evidence of mice taking up residence, give us a call. We’ll do an inspection and help create a plan to keep your home pest-free.

Do you think you might have centipedes in your house? These creepy creatures are continually finding their way into homes. Whether they are searching for food or warmth, your home looks like a desirable and safe place to centipedes and other bugs.

If you have seen a house centipede, there’s no need to worry. There are ways to remove them from your home and deter them from coming back. At Environmental Pest Management, we specialize in removing pests safely and keeping them out.

What Do Centipedes Look Like?

The common house centipede is a long and flattened arthropod with many legs. While they don’t have a hundred legs as their name implies, they do have one pair of legs for each body segment, up to 15 pairs of legs. In females, the last pair of legs is twice the length of their body.

The body of a centipede is about an inch to an inch and a half long, but that amount can triple when you include the antennae and back legs: up to three to four inches in length. Their legs are banded, meaning they alternate light and dark colored. Their body is a translucent yellow with three dark stripes down the length.

Larvae, or newly hatched centipedes, are very seldom seen. However, they only have four pairs of legs. As they molt through five stages, they will have five, seven, nine, eleven, and thirteen pairs of legs. Each centipede larva will molt five more times before it is considered an adult with all fifteen pairs of legs.

Centipedes are predators and feed on many other insects. Centipedes have poison glands and can inject venom with their bites, although they seldom do so. If a centipede bites you, you will most likely experience temporary pain localized to the bite location.

A female centipede can survive for several years and have up to 150 offspring during their lifetime.

The house centipede is thought to have originated in the Mediterranean area. The arrived in Mexico and the Southern U.S. through shipping containers, and are now widespread throughout North America.

Also Read: 5 Ways to Keep Your Home Centipede Free Through the Winter Months!

Where to Find Centipedes?

If you have centipedes in your house, you are most likely to find them under furniture or in places that are damp, dark, and protected. Outside your home, you may find centipedes under boards, logs, or rocks. They prefer to be hidden and out of sight.

Centipedes prefer to hide during the day. They will stay in a dark and moist location during daylight hours then come out at night to hunt for food. Their favorite foods are silverfish, firebrats, larvae of carpet beetles, cockroaches, and spiders. If you have an infestation of any of these other insects, the chances are good that you have centipedes as well.

Many homeowners report seeing centipedes dart across their floor. Because they are secretive and prefer their privacy, they hide most of the time. When they must move around, they do so quickly. This fast motion combined with all their legs is often scary to the humans who spot them.

How and Why Should You Get Rid of Centipedes?

It is important to get rid of centipedes because they can be harmful. While their bites are not extremely dangerous, they are painful. You do not want your small children coming in contact with them.

Centipedes in your house are often a sign you have other infestations. Because centipedes feed on other arthropods, their presence in your home means there is a food source. You will want to deal with the centipedes as well as what they are eating.

Managing and limiting the centipedes’ food source will drastically reduce any infestation you might have. Discovering their main meal ticket and dealing with that problem will often send the centipedes packing as well.

Ensuring your house is adequately sealed and protected will reduce both centipedes and everything they eat. Do a thorough inspection inside and outside your home. You are looking for cracks and crevices in your foundation or walls that would allow entry into your home. Sealing and filling these entry-points should keep out many of the problems.

Take some time to seal any covers to sump pumps or other openings outside your home with a screen and caulk. Ensure all your windows have screens, as well as floor drains. Pests are determined to get into your home and will do everything they can to find a way.

Because centipedes prefer dark and moist places, using a dehumidifier can help keep them away. Treating the soil around your home and ensuring there is no standing water near your foundation is also a good idea.

You can also look for a natural repellent that is safer to use. Both boric acid and diatomaceous earth pose minimal risks to humans and other mammals that might come in contact with them. You will want to know where centipedes are hiding in order to use these powders effectively.

Also Read: Secret Bug Breeding Grounds in Your Home This Winter

Call Environmental Pest Management

If you think you have house centipedes, call Environmental Pest Management right away. We ensure that every pest removal product we use is safe for families, has little to no odor, and is only used where necessary. Our staff is well-trained and dedicated.

We do a thorough inspection of your home to ensure we are treating your infestation completely and effectively. We will provide an inspection for free and go over our plan with you, so you know what you can expect.

If you’re struggling with skittering centipedes in your house, we will eliminate them from the inside, then ensure they stay out with natural repellents applied on the outside.

We customize our plans for each customer, taking their needs and budget into account. Call Environmental Pest Management today and let’s see how soon we can get rid of any pests in your home.

Little pesky ants all over your kitchen and bathroom counters are an unwelcome sight. No one likes to see that ants have found a way into their home and are taking up residence. Ants are not only annoying, but they can also get into your food and be hard to remove.

At the first sight of ants, you’ll want to take action. Once ants have scouted your home as a potential food source, you can bet that more are coming. Here at Environmental Pest Management, we are available to consult, prevent, and eliminate any pest problems. But until we can arrive, there are some effective natural home remedies we recommend.

Like all of our services, these home remedies are non-chemical and environmentally conscious. They are safe to use around your family and pets. Try out one of these methods to deter ants until Environmental Pest Management can remove them for good.

Vinegar – The Multi-Use Product

Vinegar is an excellent multi-use household product. From laundry to floors, kitchen counters, and more, vinegar is the perfect home remedy for a variety of needs. Another fantastic quality of vinegar is its ability to repel ants.

The strong smell of vinegar can deter ants from coming inside the home or bothering your garden. Mix vinegar with water in a spray bottle and spray areas where you find ants. You can spray it directly on ant hills in your garden, or spray your kitchen or bathroom counters, baseboards, and window sills. Just think, you can clean your counters with vinegar and keep the ants away at the same time!

Also Read: Natural Home Remedies to Get Rid of Ants

DIY Ant Bait

You can also make your own ant bait using some everyday items from your household cleaning cabinet and pantry. Many homes have borax on hand, whether as laundry powder, disinfectant, whitener, or kids’ slime activator. Borax, also known as sodium borate, is a mineral salt with a white, powdery appearance.

Among its other uses, borax is a mild pesticide. Once you determine the type of ants you have (ants that prefer sugar or ants that prefer protein), you can mix borax with honey, syrup, or jam (sugar-loving ants), or peanut butter (protein-eating ants) to create your own ant bait.

The ants will take the poisonous treat back to their colony, hopefully destroying them all. While borax is a naturally occurring material and toxic to ants and other insects, it is generally safe to use around the home — as long as you don’t eat it. Ingesting too much borax can cause nausea, vomiting, or a swollen throat. We recommend placing the bait behind appliances and in areas where your family or pets won’t be tempted to taste it. And if you’re not sure which type of ant invaders you have or what the appropriate dosing is, call in the experts at Environmental Pest Management.

Also Read: How to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants

Diatomaceous Earth – A Gardener’s Friend

If you are an avid gardener, you might already be familiar with diatomaceous earth (DE). This fine silicate powder is a natural insecticide and an excellent way to prevent ants in your garden or yard. Simply dust your plants with diatomaceous earth to get rid of ants, mites, and other pests.

Take care to buy food-grade diatomaceous earth to be sure it is safe to use in your home. You can sprinkle a thin layer wherever pests may hide, such as behind appliances, in cracks and crevices, in attics or basements, or around your garbage cans.

DE is a desiccant, depriving ants and insects of moisture and killing them. You can dust it directly on any ants you see. You can also brush it into your carpet and vacuum it up. You may wish to wear a mask, as diatomaceous earth can be dusty to inhale.

Garlic – A Favorite Flavor and Natural Pest Control

You’ve probably heard about the many health benefits of garlic, in addition to its delicious and distinct flavor. While the scent of garlic is pleasant to most humans, ants, on the other hand, do not like the smell. Try peeling a few cloves of garlic and placing them near the entry points of your home or wherever you’ve seen ants.

Natural pest repellent might be another great reason for growing garlic indoors. If you grow garlic in your kitchen, you’ll have it handy for dinner and as an ant repellent. You only need to plant a single clove in a mixture of dirt and sand to start growing garlic indoors. The green tops of the sprouted garlic in your pot also are edible and deter ants.

The Choices Are Endless

When it comes to home remedies to get rid of ants, there are many possibilities to try while you wait for professional services. From dish soap, lemon, cornmeal, coffee grounds, chalk, cinnamon, and peppermint oil, you have options for eradicating ants in your home or garden.

You can try any of these home remedies to get a jump on getting rid of ants. Keeping them away is a bigger problem, however. As a professional pest control service, Environmental Pest Management is a more permanent and lasting solution.

Also Read: Ant Control

Environmental Pest Management and Natural Pest Control

At Environmental Pest Management, we are ready to develop a plan for naturally ridding your house of ants and other pests. Non-chemical options are our first line of defense to safeguard your home against pests and insects.

If you are dealing with ants in your kitchen, bathroom, or yard, we can help you effectively eliminate them in a safe and environmentally conscientious way. Environmental Pest Management gives you the confidence you need to feel safe from pesticides and harmful ingredients, but also free from pests.

We strive to exceed our customer’s expectations and provide quality service.  Contact us today to evaluate your situation and create a plan to get rid of ants and other pests, and keep them out for good.

If you have a spider problem, chances are you checked out last weeks article, “How to Get Rid of Spiders in Your Home.” If you haven’t, we highly recommend taking a look. We know so many of our clients feel the same way we do about choosing more natural methods of pest management, so this article is for you!

Have you ever heard the statistic that there is a spider within three feet of you at any one time? Whether or not that’s true, the idea is a little terrifying. There is no doubt that spiders are everywhere.

These eight-legged creatures terrify many people, even though they are incredibly beneficial to our environment. While they are good to have around, that doesn’t mean you want them in your home.

If you think you have a spider problem in your house and are wondering how to get rid of spiders, call Environmental Pest Management. The professionals at EPM want to solve your spider problem quickly, safely, and in a lasting way that doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg, or eight of them!

Herbs and Essential Oils

If you want to get rid of spiders in your home but prefer not to use dangerous chemicals, you are in luck! There are a variety of herbs and essential oils you can use to remove spiders.

Natural remedies are centuries-old, and dealing with pesky spiders is no exception. There are some incredibly useful essential oils and herbs that spiders hate!

If you prefer to use dried herbs, make little sachets and place them around your home wherever you notice spiders. You can purchase these sachets, or bundle the herbs in a breathable material, or even paper towels or tissue paper.

You can also make a homemade spider spray with herbal essential oils and water or witch hazel. Place a few drops of the oil on a cotton ball and rub along door frames and baseboards where you see spiders most often.

Look for eucalyptus, citronella, lavender, peppermint, tea tree, cinnamon, citrus, or cedar essential oils or herbs. These concentrated oils will kill a spider on contact. Use one or more of these essential oils to make your own homemade spider spray and start repelling them immediately.

Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

Diatomaceous earth, or DE, is another natural way to treat a spider problem. DE is a soft, sedimentary rock that crumbles easily into particles or powder. It is also poisonous to spiders and insects and mostly harmless to humans and pets.

Diatomaceous earth can be found online or in a variety of stores. Just sprinkle a fine, even layer of DE in areas of your home where you see spiders. DE will slowly dehydrate the spiders, not kill them immediately.

Plants

If you have a green thumb or are just able to plant things, consider using plants as a defense against spiders. Placing certain plants inside and outside of your home can repel spiders and create a barrier around your home.

Planting lavender, lemon balm, lemon verbena, eucalyptus, lemongrass, and mint will help keep spiders at bay. Plus, many of them are beautiful and smell wonderful near your doors and windows.

Also Read: How to Get Rid of Spiders in Your Home

Nuts

You can use a variety of nuts to fight off spiders. Placing chestnuts, horse chestnuts, or walnuts around your home, under furniture, on windowsills, and outside your home can keep spiders away.

Get Them One on One

Maybe you don’t have an infestation yet. Perhaps you see one spider now and then. If this is the case, you can kill each spider you see with a shoe or newspaper.However, if you don’t like the idea of killing the spider, grab an empty jar and place it directly over the spider, open side down. Slide a piece of paper under the spider trapping it in the empty jar. Flip the jar over catching the spider inside, and release it outside AWAY from your home.

Tips To Keep Spiders Out Of Your Home

On top of taking steps to actively remove spiders from your home, there are things you can do every day that will deter spiders from ever coming inside. Taking a few extra minutes in your day will help keep spiders away.

First, leave the lights off. Spiders eat mosquitos and other insects. These same bugs tend to be attracted to lights. By leaving the lights off, you are keeping spider’s food away from your home. This is a win-win! Fewer spiders and fewer bugs.

Take away potential homes for spiders by removing piles of flowerpots, wood, bricks, or other items around your house. These collections attract spiders as safe places to build webs. Separate these items and store them farther away from your home.

Protect your home by sealing cracks or openings. In particular, look around the foundation, doors, and lower-level windows. These are the most accessible places for spiders to enter. As a bonus, this will help with your heating and cooling bills.

Keeping your home tidy by regularly vacuuming will make a big difference, as well. Ensure you focus on windows and baseboards. Cleaning thoroughly and regularly will remove spiders, their webs, and their egg sacs, preventing an infestation.

Beyond simply vacuuming, decluttering will also help get rid of spiders. Allowing any items, especially trash or recycling, to build up is inviting spiders to build a web. Clutter in attics, basements, garages, or closets attracts spiders. Remove clutter as often as possible.

Also Read: What To Do About House Spiders!

Call the Professionals at Environmental Pest Management

Now that you know how to get rid of spiders, you might want a little help. If all this advice seems overwhelming, call Environmental Pest Management.

We believe in Integrated Pest Management, which is a safe, effective, and environmentally sensitive way to deal with pests. We understand that, while frustrating to you, spiders play an essential role in our environment. Our solutions seek to balance the ecosystem while keeping your home or business pest-free.

We handle your pest problems safely, affordably, and in a way that poses the least amount of risk to you, your family, your property, and the environment. Call us today and see how we can help remove pests from your life — at least the 8-legged kind.

Creepy, crawly, spiders are not something you want to find in your house. Aside from giving you the heebie-jeebies, some spiders may bite. Spiders play a beneficial role in the ecosystem and are upstanding citizens out in nature, but they don’t belong skittering around your home.

Like insects and other pests, spiders find their way into your house seeking warmth. While these creepy arachnids are merely looking for a comfortable place to escape the elements, your home doesn’t have to be their sanctuary. When it’s time to get rid of spiders inside your house, Environmental Pest Management will remove them and prevent them from coming back.

Environmental Pest Management seeks the best solution for your pest problems with the least impact on the environment and your home. Whenever possible, we use non-chemical strategies to keep your family and home safe. If spiders are invading your home, we can develop a plan to keep your home spider-free.

To help get rid of spiders before a professional pest control service can arrive, try these convenient and safe home remedies.

Stop Spiders Before They Enter the House

To fortify your home against these creepy pests, look for spider entry points. The exterior of your home is a great place to start. Make sure to place mulch, compost, and wood piles away from your foundation. Spiders love to hide in these areas, and they can easily find their way into your home.

Check your doors and windows and make sure they seal tightly. Weather stripping or caulking can help correct any issues, making it more difficult for spiders to sneak into your home.

When you are doing your pre-winter home inspections to prepare inclement weather, the same techniques that stop cold drafts or moisture also help deter potential pests seeking warmth. Regardless of the season, start from the outside to prevent spiders from entering your home.

Also Read: What To Do About House Spiders!

Home Remedies For Getting Rid of Spiders

If spiders still manage to make it into your home despite your best efforts to seal all entry points, there are several remedies that you probably have available. Natural home remedies are convenient and safe to use.

Although a professional pest control service is the best way to get rid of spiders and keep them from coming back, these home remedies are a fantastic option for an immediate fix before the professionals arrive.

White Vinegar

White vinegar is an excellent product to have on hand for cleaning your home. Whether for floors, countertops, or many other uses, white vinegar is a versatile and effective cleaner. As a bonus, white vinegar can help get rid of spiders.

Between the strong smell and the acidity, spiders can’t stand white vinegar. Mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle and spray around your home, paying particular attention to baseboards, entrances, and cracks. Also spray on the exterior of your home, especially around windows and doors. Spiders won’t want to cross.

Also Read: Natural Home Remedies for Spiders

Cedar

Placing cedar wood chips around the outside of your home is a fantastic way to repel spiders. You can also use cedar inside your home, especially in your closets and crawl spaces. Most people enjoy the rich cedar scent, but spiders find it unpleasant.

Peppermint

Spiders are not the only pests to hate peppermint; most other insects do as well. Similar to the white vinegar technique, mix peppermint essential oil with water in a spray bottle and spray throughout your home. You can also place dry tea bags inconspicuously around your home. The fresh mint scent is a welcome bonus. Planting mint near your exterior doors is another smart way to deter pests.

Citrus

Spiders despise citrus. Adding orange or lemon peels to your vinegar and water mixture will make the vinegar smell more appealing to the humans in your household. Although the humans appreciate the nicer smell, the solution is still a strong deterrent to bugs and spiders.

You can even rub citrus peels around doors and windows to keep spiders at bay. This is a safe way to prevent spiders in your home while also cleaning your trim and making it smell refreshing.

Remove Cobwebs and Dust

Clearing your home of dust and cobwebs is a simple way to deter spiders. Spiders love dusty areas. By keeping up on your housework, you’ll make your home less appealing to them.

Choose an Environmentally Conscientious Pest Control Company

To keep spiders out of your home, or eliminate them if they make their way in, a professional pest control service is the best way to handle the situation. At Environmental Pest Management, we know the importance of safety for your family, and we strive to provide non-chemical solutions whenever we can.

With our expertise and exceptional service, we will develop a plan for your home. From preventing pests to removing them, we will keep your home safe and pest free. We work to always exceed our customers’ expectations with our prompt and thorough service.

Every pest-control plan we create centers around environmental safety. We offer many safe and effective solutions that don’t involve pesticides.

Contact us today for a free quote and to start your plan for a pest-free home. Our commitment to your home’s safety and our environment shows in everything we do. We look forward to working with you and keeping your home spider- and pest-free.