Environmental Pest Management

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How to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants

Carpenter Ants

Do You Have Carpenter Ants?

Do you think you might have carpenter ants? Do you know what they are and what they do? Why are they so bad? Many people are dealing with carpenter ants and don’t even know it. If you have them, you want to know how to get rid of carpenter ants.

What are Carpenter Ants?

Carpenter ants are often mistaken or confused with termites. Like termites, carpenter ants burrow through wood causing damage to structures. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood; they nest in the wood.

These pests are most noticeable in spring, and they prefer damp and decaying wood that is easy to excavate and burrow through. Because carpenter ants prefer rotting wood, they rarely damage stable structures as the wood is too firm.

Still, carpenter ants are terrible for your home, and you will want to get rid of them as soon as you realize they are present.

What Damage Can Carpenter Ants Do?

Carpenter ants can cause a significant amount of damage before you even realize you have them. Thankfully, they usually do not damage solid, sturdy wood because they prefer damp or decaying wood.

Outdoor storage, sheds, wood piles, or rotted trees, or firewood piles are all desirable locations for carpenter ants. If left unchecked, they will overtake many of these locations and cause them to be structurally unsound.

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

Herbs

What are Some Natural Ways to Get of Carpenter Ants?

Once you have confirmed you have them, you will want to know how to get rid carpenter ants effectively and safely. Before you buy a large bottle of pesticide that is dangerous to you, your family, your animals, and your home, know there are some environmentally friendly ways to attack these pests.

To be precise in your treatment, look for signs pointing to their nest. Carpenter ants will leave a trail of sawdust leading you directly to their nest. Once you know their home base, it is easier to remove them from your home.

Once you have found their nest, you will know where to focus your treatment. Here are several natural, home-remedies to try.

Sugar and Boric Acid Water

In this method, you will combine ten parts sugar water with one part boric acid and add this solution to the food you will use as bait for the carpenter ants. The ants will be attracted to the sugar water, and the boric acid will kill the ants and their nest. However, this method generally takes some time and multiple attempts.

Boric Acid Spray

A more direct attack method would be to spray boric acid directly on the nest, or areas near the nest where you have seen the carpenter ants moving. This method is useful but does require great caution. Avoid spraying boric acid where children or pets play, or near any wiring.

Diatomaceous Earth

DE is highly effective and safer than boric acid. DE is a soft, sedimentary rock collected from a fossilized plant that is similar to algae. You can purchase food-grade diatomaceous earth because it is safe for children and pets to be around it, and it works because the ants cannot digest the dust. Dusting the nest with DE or injecting it into the nest will kill the colony. However, it might take several attempts to ensure the ants are entirely gone.

Vinegar

Most people have vinegar in their kitchen and have no clue it is an effective weapon to get rid of carpenter ants. Mix equal amounts of vinegar and water and add peppermint essential oil to a spray bottle. If you want a stronger solution, you can add pepper, garlic, or cinnamon. Spray the nest and their trails, and you will immediately see the ants reaction to the spray. This method will undoubtedly take many doses if it ever completely gets rid of them.

Also Read: The Best Ways to Get Rid of Mice this Spring

spray

The Best Defense is a Good Offense

It is important to remember the best defense is a good offense, meaning the best way to get rid of carpenter ants is to keep them from nesting in or around your home in the first place. It is wise to focus on maintaining your house and all the structures around it.

Be sure there is no place for moisture to build up and create damp wood for carpenter ants to make their nest. If you already have damage to any part of your home that might be an inviting place for ants, repair it now.

When it comes to your yard and areas surrounding your house, make sure there are no rotting stumps or damaged trees that might attract carpenter ants. If you have a wood pile, be sure it is not touching your house, store it raised off the ground, and take extra measures to keep it dry.

If any branches touch your house, cut them back immediately. Maintaining pest control in your yard and landscaped areas help prevent carpenter ants as well as other pests. Seasonally spraying your yard is a great start.

What if I Can’t Get Rid of My Carpenter Ants?

Don’t worry! It is very common to have pesky ants that you cannot get rid of by yourself. It may seem like no matter what you do, they keep coming back. If you are having this problem and you don’t know how to get rid of carpenter ants, call the experts at Environmental Pest Management; they know how to get it of carpenter ants and make sure they stay gone.

Also Read: Ant Control

Environmental Pest Management is committed to solving your pest problems in an environmentally friendly and safe way, making sure they stay solved, and making sure you can afford it. They began in 1986 and have since been dedicated to using environmentally friendly products and use non-chemical products whenever they can.

Environmental Pest Management also prides themselves on their ability to find the best solution to the particular environment they are in. Whether fighting pests in homes, hospitals, or anywhere in between, great care is taken to ensure they use the best method. Call them today if you have carpenter ants and want to make sure they are taken care of correctly.

With some planning and awareness, you can be successful in your fight to get rid of carpenter ants from your home. With the right tools and knowledge, you can prevent a carpenter ant infestation, or treat one if they invade your home.

What’s The Best Method of Pest Control in Apartments?

Apartments

How to Manage Pests for Apartment Building Owners and Tenants

Apartment pest control. Sometimes just the term can make some manager shudder. Certain buildings can be challenging places to manage. Larger apartment complexes with multiple structures can make it more difficult, time-consuming, and costly to eradicate pest infestations once the they’ve taken hold. Upkeep and management of apartment pest control is already a big enough job with out having to worry about unhappy tenants complaining about mice, ants, or any number of other critters moving in.

A reputation for pest problems at an apartment complex can spread like wildfire to potential residents. That’s another problem you don’t need added to the challenges of maintaining an apartment building and keeping renters happy.

If you’re currently struggling to solve your apartment pest management problem, or if you’ve been less than enthusiastic about professional pest control services that you’ve dealt with in the in the past, take heart. There are solutions out there that can work for your property. Environmental Pest Management can help you keep your property pest-free and your residents happy.

Let’s look at some preventative steps you can take as a property owner or manager to lay a solid foundation to successfully manage any pest problem that may arise.

Getting your Apartment Pest Control in Top Shape!

Roche's

Cold, inclement weather can drive rodents and bugs indoors. Some of these common household pests include mice, ants, cockroaches, fleas, ticks, bed bugs, and stink bugs, among others. Here are some actions you can take to fortify your property against these unwanted intruders.

Seal cracks, holes and other points of entry from both the outside and inside. These areas can include leaky roofs, ceilings and floors, and walls. Tiny critters can get in through worn or missing weatherstripping and even in gaps under doors that aren’t sealed properly with a well-fitted door sweep.

Check plumbing to limit moisture in damp and dark places like basements and garages where leaky plumbing can cause condensation and moisture can accumulate. Like humans, insects and rodents need a steady supply of water to survive.

Maintain property grounds to keep the grass short and excessive foliage cut back and trimmed. Don’t give rodents places to hide and nest.

Standing water on the property can be a breeding ground for insects. Decorative bird baths, unattended individual wading pools, and even recurring mud puddles where water can sit for long durations can cause all sorts of pest problems.

Provide renters with a preventative checklist for their apartments and any communal or shared spaces on the property.

Partner with a reputable and professional pest management company that has a track record of success solving pest problems for small and large apartment buildings and complexes.

Also Read: The Best Ways to Get Rid of Mice this Spring

Steps Tenants Can Take to Manage and Help Prevent Infestation Problems

Just as renters can create pest problems, your tenants are vital to a concerted effort to solve them. They are also key in helping ensure pest problems are managed well in the first place.

A simple, easy-to-follow and thorough checklist of best pest management practices is a big first step to maintaining apartments free of insects and rodents. While experienced professionals like our team at Environmental Pest Management can help you create a concise list of preventative measures for your tenants, we’ll give you a few of the basics here to get you started.

In The Home  

  • Keep excess food, like leftovers or cooking scraps off surfaces. Dispose of them or put them away in sealed containers.
  • Keep kitchen counters, tables, high chairs, and other surfaces wiped clean of food crumbs, food stains, and spill remnants.
  • Seal foods and cooking ingredients kept in your pantry, cupboards, or countertops in plastic, glass, ceramic, or metal containers. Rodents and bugs can get into plastic baggies, especially if closed with nothing more than a plastic tie. Even paper-based containers like cereal boxes or some oatmeal canisters are susceptible to infiltration where bugs can die or lay their eggs.
  • Keep garbage can and compost container lids closed.
  • Keep your pet’s feeding and watering area clean and tidy.
  • Don’t leave doors and windows open for prolonged periods of time unless you have screens in place.
  • Check any dark and damp, out-of-the-way areas where bugs like to live and keep them dusted and clean.
  • Report big spills or liquid pools inside or under carpeting to your property manager or property maintenance office right away.
  • Report any noticeable areas of standing water on the property to your property manager. Insects can breed and thrive in stagnant pools of water under the right conditions.
  • Contact your property manager if you see any unwanted pests in your home or other areas of the building.

Getting Top-Notch Professional Help to Solve your Pest Management Problems

The best method of pest control for apartments is a concerted effort between the property owner, renters, and pest management professionals, led by a team of Licensed Master Technicians like the ones at Environmental Pest Management (EPM).

EPM has been serving families, residential homeowners, and commercial properties, including apartment buildings of all sizes, for over three decades (since 1986). Our commercial business service: Environmental Pest Management Services (EPMS) serves larger multi-housing projects, management companies, and small apartment buildings.

Why choose Environmental Pest Management over other pest management companies? “Environmental Pest Management” or (EPM) uses non-chemical means to solve your pest problems. In contrast, “Integrated Pest Management” or (IPM) employs the use of pesticides.

Our commercial clients enjoy a high rate of success in the management and eradication of unwanted pests when using our EPMS system. Our Licensed Master Technicians take a thorough and surgical approach to solving your pest problems.

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

Our system is built upon a solid foundation of sanitation and preparation on the part of your tenants. After providing you with a detailed list of steps to prepare the affected units, we schedule and perform two aggressive and detailed treatments. Our Master Licensed Technicians then provide a thorough inspection and monitoring of adjoining units as well as follow-up inspections of the treated units to ensure we’ve solved your pest problem.

We’re dedicated to helping you solve your pest management needs safely, long-term, and affordably. Call your trusted professionals at Environmental Pest Management today.

Rats! I have Rats.

Rats

Do you have a suspicion unwanted guests are infiltrating your home? Rats and rat infestation is no joke or small matter due to the damage and disease they are known to cause. Continue reading below for information on prevention, how to get rid of rats and contact Environmental Pest Management for expert help and service.

Rat Ruin & Devastation

Rats are known to cause vasts amounts of damage to your property. They can ruin your house interior, your roof and even bring destruction to your home garden and automobiles. Reportedly, rats cause approximately 50 million to 1 billion dollars in damage to home and properties each year. No surprise you want to know how to get rid of rats!

Damage Caused by Rats:

  • Insulation damage (chewing, trampling, defecating, removing for nest material
  • Furniture damage (chewing, gnawing)
  • Wall damage (creating cracks, holes and entry points)
  • Roof damage (chewing on eaves to create an entry)
  • Grease Stains
  • Electrical damage (chewing on wires, also creates a fire and gas hazard)
  • Automobile damage (nesting in engines)
  • Plumbing damage (chewing on pipes)
  • Water contamination
  • Garden & crop damage (eating bulbs and seedlings)
  • Biohazard (feces, urination)

If the threat of wreckage to your home isn’t enough, 50,000 people on average get rat bites every year. Rats are incredibly filthy, and they are prone to carry and spread diseases, which makes both people and house pets susceptible to them. By defecating all over your home, getting into your food or your pet’s food, or transmitted directly through contact (bite and scratches) they can cause several types of serious illnesses.

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

Rats

Diseases Caused by Rats:

  • Rat Bite Fever (RBF)
  • Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
  • Leptospirosis (Weil’s Disease)
  • Salmonellosis
  • Tapeworms
  • Bubonic plague
  • Tularemia

How To Prevent Rat Infestation

Before you whip out your poisons, rat traps, and baits, there are a variety of environmentally friendly solutions you can take first. Read below for a list of ways to either get rid of rats or how to rat-proof your home to avoid potential rat infestations in the future.

Sanitation

Maintaining a clean and sealed home reduces the risk of rats tremendously. Rats infest homes because they are searching for food, water, and shelter. They eat 1-3 ounces of food daily, so caution is required when it comes to food storage and cleaning up crumbs and spills.

  • Store bulk foods in metal canisters or glass containers with tightly sealing lids
  • Avoid leaving bulk food stored on the floor and near walls
  • Use metal bins with airtight lids for garbage and recycling
  • Vacuum, wipe and or sweep up crumbs and spills immediately
  • Clean up and put away pet food dishes and water bowls
  • Store pet food in airtight, sealable containers
  • Store dry goods (flour, sugar) in sealable containers on high shelves or in refrigerator
  • Maintain clean floors and countertops
  • Clean kitchen regularly
  • Removing clutter

Rats

Rat-Proofing Procedure

Besides taking precautions on how to store your food and the practice of maintaining proper house sanitation, there are also some things you can do to safeguard your home against a rat infestation. Follow these tips to prevent rats from entering your home, causing damage to property outside of it, and from creating a nest and populating near you.

  • Plug up and fix holes, cracks, leaks, gaps and entry points in walls, paneling, pipes, eaves, foundation, porches, decks, AC units, vent fans, joints around windows and doorsills, and crawl spaces
  • Use caulk, foam, and weatherstrip
  • Inspect weatherstripping around your garage door
  • Use window screens
  • Do not leave garage doors, patio or side doors open
  • Keep trees and branches at least six inches away from home
  • Plant new shrubs and plants at least three feet away from home
  • Keep lawn trimmed
  • Store wood, lumber and other materials away from your house
  • Maintain a clean lawn (clear away boxes, old tires, appliances, and other garbage away from your home and yard)
  • Place bird feeders away from the house
  • Inspect your car frequently (trunk and engine)
  • Keep car windows sealed
  • Cars infrequently driven should be checked more often and kept inside a closed and sealed garage

Rats

How To Get Rid Of Rats

So, you have managed to keep a clean home with all of your food properly stored, and all of the possible nooks and crannies have been correctly stopped up. But do you still find rat droppings, gnawed through wires or paw prints around your home? There are more permanent solutions to deal directly with a rat infestation.

Traps & Baits

There are a plethora of products on the market available for handling a rat infestation from poisons, sprays, traps, and baits. It all is a matter of preference. If you’re squeamish about finding a rat trapped, dead or alive, in your home, then using some human and pet-friendly poisons may be the solution for you. In that case, the rats digest them and then, days later, are exterminated outside of your home; out of sight, out of mind.

Also Read: The Best Ways to Get Rid of Mice this Spring

Let Environmental Professionals Handle It

Whether you have tried a score of rat traps and poisons with no results, or are merely uneasy about the entire process yourself, contacting Environmental Pest Management is the best solution for you. They are affiliated with the Minnesota Pest Management Association, the National Pest Managment Association, and they have been doing business for over 30 years.

Besides being local and experienced, Environmental Pest Management also utilizes IPM (Integrated Pest Management). IPM is a four-tier approach to evaluating, controlling, preventing and managing rats and other pests in the safest, most ecological and economical way possible. They combine current information and science on the pests (their life cycles and behaviors) with solutions that are the most benign and environmentally safe for a step-by-step procedure to control and eliminate pests.

Environmental Pest Management has high environmental standards that aim for the best possible solution for both people and the environment. Contact them today for an assessment, check out their website for more information and let these experts manage your damage.

Bed Bugs, Oh No!

Woman Fear

As much as we love empowering individuals to resolve their pest problem, if you think you have bed bugs, please, contact Environmental Pest Management. Bed bugs take the cake concerning the nuisance, the difficulty in eradicating, and the levels of anxiety and stress imposed on our clients. How to get rid of bed bugs is very challenging.

How Did I get bed bugs?

That’s what everyone will want to ask you. The reason people will ask is that no one likes to believe that sometimes bad things happen to good people, and for no reason. Don’t spend too much time wondering about how you caused this. Don’t burden yourself with guilt and shame.

Bed bugs are not attracted to dirt and grime. They’re attracted to human blood. They find it through carbon dioxide. If you exhale in the night, you’re fair game.

Maybe you bought a used mattress from Craigs List. Perhaps you stayed at a hotel. Heaven forbid you stashed your suitcase within 12 inches of the bed. It could be you moved, and the moving truck had bed bugs in it. Please, please, PLEASE! The problem will only get worse if you spend time worrying about what you did to cause it. Bed bugs are a growing nuisance. Period.

Also Read: 8 Steps to Bug Proof Your Home for Fall and Winter

bed bugs

Do bed bugs spread disease?

Bed bugs do not spread disease. They don’t carry disease. You can let that fear go. However, even though they are not carriers, most of us till want to know how to get right of bed bugs because the bites are so annoying.

How to identify them:

The easiest way to determine whether you have bed bugs is whether you have the tell-tale bites. Likely you will not see them or hear them. They sleep during the day. They’re attracted to carbon dioxide at night. So they’ll come out to feed while you’re sleeping. There are exceptions. But the exceptions are few.

In the morning, you will wake up and see a tell-tale row of bites on your upper arms, your lower legs, or your neck. The bites will look like Victoria Beckham’s neck tattoo. At first, you might think, maybe I have spiders? Or, perhaps a mosquito bit me last night.

But unlike mosquito bites or spider bites, bed bugs often bite in tell-tale rows. That is because they are very sensitive to movement. If you so much as shift in your sleep, they will stop feeding, make a lateral move, and resume feeding when you’re done moving. (Their sensitivity to movement is the good news; I’ll explain why later.)

You’ll notice the bites before the other tell-tale sign: drops of blood and fecal matter on your sheets and pillow-cases. Bed bugs will defecate before feeding. You won’t notice them, at first, because those drops of fecal matter and blood appear like the dots of a ball-point pen that has bled on your sheets. Without the bites to alert you to bed bugs, those pen pricks might seem like make-up on your sheets.

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

Scratch

Bedbugs vs. Fleas

Sometimes people will see a tiny bug crawling on their legs in the morning and think they have bed bugs. Bed bugs do not want to spend time on the human body. They’re cold-blooded. They want to feed and get the heck out of Dodge. They’re not going to be awake in the morning or afternoon and wanting to crawl on your moving leg. That’s not their style.

Bed bugs are dark. They’re quite large, very visible to the human eye. Think about a dark sesame seed. That’s roughly the size. If you see a tiny, hopping, translucent bug crawling on your leg at 9 am, that’s not a bed bug.

How Can I get rid of Bed Bugs myself?

Here are some things you can do to give yourself peace of mind until you can get to a phone to call us.
Seriously declutter your room. Bed bugs are not attracted to grime. They seek hiding spots. The ideal (hostile) environment for a bed bug would be a room with nothing under the bed, very little clutter around the room, minimal furniture, and a bed pulled away from the wall.

Pull your bed six inches away from the wall. Bed bugs can’t fly. The can’t jump. The only way they can get to your carbon-dioxide-emitting body in the night is to crawl to it. If you pull your bed away from the wall and no bedding or bed parts are touching the wall, the bed bug will need to travel along the floor. That brings us to bed bug traps.

Get bed bug traps for your bed legs. Go to your local home improvement store. Bed bug traps look like discs with ridges in them. Your bed legs sit in them. The bed bugs try to crawl up them and cannot. They get stuck in the ridges. You’ll want to check the traps each morning. You might find live bugs. Depending on your comfort level, find an appropriate way to…make sure they don’t reproduce.

House Cleaning

Vacuum regularly around and under your bed. Make sure to carry the bag or empty the canister outside.

Purchase mattress protectors. You do not need to throw out your mattresses. If you purchase dust mite and bed bug protectors (available everywhere), you will trap the live bugs inside. If they cannot get out to feed, they’ll die. You might want to put a piece of painters tape over the zipper to ensure that they don’t crawl through the tiny opening.

Examine your bed frame. The frame, more than the mattress, might be where they are hiding. You can use a brush with some detergent or bleach water to scrub in corners. You can also use a hairdryer.

Bed bugs are cold-blooded. They will explode when you turn a hair-dryer on them. You’ll want to pay attention to any cracks in the frame, whether through wood grain or where joints come together. That’s where you’ll find them colonizing. And if you want to prevent reinfestation, the bed frame is vital to check, according to the EPA.

You’ll want to wash your sheets and bedding in hot water and dry on high each week. So much vigilance is exhausting. But worth it. Bed bugs need to feed about once a week. They don’t procreate often. You will need to do this to catch the hatched or live bugs.

Also Read: Beg Bug Control

Sheet Cover

You could undoubtedly eradicate bed bugs yourself. But unlike so many pests, bed bugs hide well and sleep during the day. You might work for months and still wake up with the tell-tale bites on your arms and legs. There’s no shame in admitting defeat and calling us. We know how to find them. We know where they hide. Let Environmental Pest Management come to the rescue.

How to Get Rid of Moles and Voles

Moles

Think you have a pest problem in your yard or garden? You may have moles and voles. These pests can cause some serious outdoor damage and are especially disruptive if you’re particularly proud of your garden. Let’s talk about how to get rid of moles and voles and examine what kind of problems they can cause on your property. We know how to deal with these creatures at Environmental Pest Management.

Moles

What Are Moles?

Moles are mammals. They eat mainly insects, not your plants, so a mole problem often means your soil has a high number of insects. Although they don’t eat your plants, moles love burrowing under your garden, and this is what causes problems for the integrity of your plants.

Moles have potato-shaped bodies, small eyes, and pointy faces. Their front paws are kind of like flippers, feet with webbed toes. Their ears are internal and covered by fur. Their back legs are comparatively small, and their coat looks like velvet. They can handle higher levels of carbon dioxide than humans thanks to features of their blood. These features help them navigate in the underground tunnels they create.

Moles actually do something useful when they eat the grubs that can severely damage your garden, but too many moles are a problem. When they leave, your soil can collapse, leaving weird brown ridges in your lawn.

Rat

What Are Voles?

You might think voles look like moles, but don’t let the rhyme scheme fool you. They more closely resemble mice. Unlike mice, however, voles have hairy tails and stouter frames. With over 150 species, voles range from three to nine inches in length. Although they’ll eat most of the stuff in your garden, they also eat fruits and carrion.

What Are Signs of Mole and Vole Presence?

Moles leave large mounds where they burrow. Since they’re larger than voles, they leave more obvious evidence. Their hills look kind of like little volcanoes in your yard, though their tunnels are nearly a foot underground.

These critters are most active in the early morning and again in the evening, usually during spring and fall. They are ground-dwellers but may come above ground to search for a mate.

Voles leave much smaller snake-like tunnels, about two inches wide, on the surface of your yard. Since they eat veggies, it’s likely that the first evidence you will see is missing or damaged garden plants. Voles tend to have a population explosion every three to five years, so it’s likely you won’t have to deal with these pests every year.

Also Read: The Best Ways to Get Rid of Mice this Spring

Mound

Why Get Rid of Moles and Voles?

Moles don’t eat your lovely fruits and veggies in the garden, but they do chase insects under the soil and create problems by burrowing under your garden. Those tunnels damage the soil’s integrity and disrupt the distribution of nutrients. Moles also consume earthworms, which are necessary for healthy soil.

In addition, other rodents such as rats use mole tunnels to get access to your garden and other areas. And you don’t want those around. If you spot mice and rats on your property, it may be a sign of a mole problem.

Voles have a lovely habit called girdling. Girdling means they chew rings around a young plant or sapling’s small branches. This can kill the plant quickly. If you’ve just planted a tree in your yard, you really don’t want voles around.

Voles also love succulent roots, the arteries of medium-sized trees and large plants. Chewing away at those can cause significant damage to beloved trees. Although in labs voles have shown an ability to demonstrate empathy, you don’t want them forming a relationship with your garden.

Voletunnel

Cruelty-Free Methods for Dealing With Moles and Voles

Whether you are focused on prevention or are dealing with an existing problem, here are some techniques to try:

  1. Watch the water. Moles and voles adore moist soil. Avoid overwatering your garden so that the earth is less tempting for them.
  2. Employ cat and dog scents. When your pets mark their territory, moles and voles are less likely to invade the area. Although you don’t want pet waste in your garden, if your animals use the outside perimeter or other areas of the yard, it will help prevent rodents. The power of your pet’s urine and feces will let moles and voles know that this garden belongs to the canine or feline of the house, not to outdoor pests.
  3. Use common kitchen and garden items. Voles and moles are don’t care for the following substances, which you can sprinkle near their burrowing entrances or around your garden. If you try one of these deterrents, remember to reapply them after it rains:
  • Cayenne
  • Tobacco
  • Coffee
  • Walnut leaves
  • Garlic
  • Onion

Moles and voles have sensitive noses, so pungent foods are effective deterrents. Though some sources recommend using rotten dairy or fish, we caution against it because those substances can attract unwanted guests like flies and rats.

They could also harm your pets.

Also Read: Should Carpenter Ants Be On Your Radar This Spring?

Water Vole

Trap and Release Moles and Voles

One of the most effective ways to rid your lawn and garden of moles and voles is to catch and release them. There are several traps available for purchase at your local home and garden store, like Lowe’s or Home Depot, but the price can add up pretty fast. Depending on the severity of your problem, it may be more time and cost-effective to hire a professional pest control expert like Environmental Pest Management.

Either way, when you trap moles and voles, it’s essential to prevent those unwanted guests from revisiting or bothering your neighbors. Release them at least five miles away in a rural environment, away from other homes and gardens. Make sure you use safety gloves when interacting with trapped or caged wildlife and adequately prepare your vehicle for humane transport.

Need Help? Environmental Pest Management is Ready to Assist

At Environmental Pest Management, we believe the best way to rid your garden and lawn of moles and voles is to trap and release. We’ll assess the situation, set traps, and regularly check them to remove these problem pests from your property. Give us a call so we can start with an assessment and action plan today.

Volebranch