Invasive Fall & Overwintering Pests
Signs Fall has Arrived: Orange Leaves, Pumpkins & Invasive Fall Pests
As the weather cools, the sun sets earlier and the leaves turn beautiful shades of yellow, orange and red, we welcome fall and all of its changes. While it is a favorite time of year for many enjoying apple cider, pumpkin flavored coffee and hayrides, pests and bugs also very much enjoy this time of the year. Leaves, not to mention popular fall décor items like fresh pumpkins and gourds, are a breeding ground for pests. Common fall pests like spiders, crickets, cluster flies and stink bugs begin to migrate from your yard into your home in search of food and a place to overwinter. Read more about the 5 most common fall pests and easy prevention methods.
5 Common Fall Pests & Prevention Methods
Stink Bugs: These are by far the most common invasive pest you’ll see in and around your home once autumn arrives. Attempting to find shelter for the winter they gain entry through windows, door trim, exhaust fans or lights in the ceiling.
Prevention Tip: Inspect all entryways for cracks or gaps, these should be sealed immediately. Further, caulk around windows and doors and repair any tears in window & door screens.
Bed Bugs: As travel ramps up for the holidays beware of these opportunistic bloodsuckers! Not only do they infest mattresses, but also love hiding in baseboards, cracks in walls and electrical outlets.
Prevention Tip: Leave suitcase in the garage or away from the main house for 2 days before unpacking. Wash all clothes in hot water before returning to your closet & drawers.
Spiders: As with most fall pests, a variety of spider species are looking for a home to spend the winter.
Prevention Tip: Power spray treatment around the perimeter of your home and seal all cracks, especially in the foundation.
Squash Bugs: Fresh pumpkins and squash make great decorations for Halloween and Thanksgiving but turn into a feeding frenzy when they begin to rot. Squash bugs, beetles, slugs and snails love to feed on rotting pumpkins and squash.
Prevention Tip: Throw your fresh fall decorations away before they begin to rot.
Boxelder Bugs: After they’ve spent the summer feeding on tree leaves, boxelder bugs are in search of a warm place to spend the winter. They especially like homes with a lot of sunlight.
Prevention Tip: Exterior power spray treatment is necessary in the early spring then again right before fall starts, which is their most active life cycle.
Year-Round Bug & Rodent Control Services
Richmond Pest Control provides year-round prevention and control services for residential and commercial properties in Atlantic City, NJ and the surrounding areas. We offer power spray services, exclusion services, treatment and extermination. For an on-site consultation, call our Atlantic City, NJ office at 609-266-4200.
Household Fly Prevention Tips for Summertime
Fruit Fly & House Fly Prevention in the Summertime Season
Summertime is the prime season for flies and maggots in your home, backyard and swarming your garbage & recycling cans. While they cause little harm, it is unsettling and disgusting to have flies buzzing around your house, disrupting BBQs and social gatherings. While an open window and rotting fruit are the easiest ways for these pests to enter your home, there are many other factors that draw flies in the first place. Richmond Pest Control in Atlantic City, NJ is here to provide simple summertime fly prevention and control tips for your home.
6 Easy Summertime Fly Prevention Tips
Eliminate Breeding Sites: To prevent flies from invading your home you must first eliminate breeding sites. Breeding sites include spilled food and organic materials where flies feed, procreate and lay eggs.
Control Moisture: Flies require moisture to thrive in any environment. Be sure to clean spills quickly, fix drips and eliminate any areas with excess moisture – inside and outside the home.
Restrict Food Access: Fruit flies seek out over-ripe or rotting food to nibble on the fermenting sugars of moldy vegetables and to lay their eggs. Make sure fruits and veggies are regularly checked and discarded properly if rotten. Trash bin lids should be tightly closed.
Clean Up Outside: Keep your outdoor area clear of trash, piles of cardboard, dog feces, rotting fruit from trees and other fly attractants.
Regularly Disinfect Garbage/Recycle Bins: It is no surprise that flies are attracted to filth and your recycling/garbage bins are a major attraction! Especially in the summertime, garbage and recycling cans should be rinsed out and disinfected.
Repair/Inspect Window Screens: Even if your house is spotless, flies will still sneak in through even the smallest holes in your window and door screens. Inspect them regularly throughout the spring, summer and fall seasons and repair any holes you find.
House Fly Pest Control
If you find flies are persistent in your home no matter how much you clean, disinfect or spray insecticides, a professional pest control inspection is necessary. Our expert extermination professionals can identify where flies have been laying eggs, remove & clean breeding sites and apply bait, traps & commercial-grade insecticide.
Visit our Pest Library to see all the pests and rodents we can expertly eliminate and prevent in your home or business location. Richmond Pest Control serves Atlantic City, NJ and the surrounding areas. For more information or schedule your service call 609-266-4200.
Pest Control Tips for Winter & Cold Weather
Reasons to Invest in Pest Control During Winter Season
Almost all home and business owners associate pests, insects and rodent infestations with the warm weather. However, what people tend to forget is that when the weather begins to turn cold pests will seek shelter – usually in your warm home. For this reason, winterizing your residential or commercial property is a very important part of pest control. Richmond Pest Control has highlighted several DIY winter pest control methods that are very effective at keeping insects & rodents out of your property.
10 Easy Tips for Effective Winter Pest Control
Store Firewood 20+ Feet from Home: Termites, squirrels and other insects use wood piles to nest and mate. If this wood is close to your home, pests can easily gain indoor access through cracks & holes in your siding or foundation. Keep wood piles at least 20 feet from any entry point.
Frequently Vacuum Around Windows & Doors: This allows you to catch and trap spiders, silverfish, earwigs, beetles & pest droppings.
Eliminate Moisture: Cockroaches and other pests love moisture and will actively seek out damp spaces in your home or business. Regularly inspect for and fix leaking pipes, clogged drains and excess moisture throughout the property.
Store Food Properly: Uncovered or improperly stored food is the #1 reason bugs & rodents are attracted to your home. Leftovers should be tightly sealed & put away immediately. Further, daily vacuuming of your kitchen ensures there are no crumbs left behind.
Read More: 5 Reasons Pests are Attracted to Your Home
Keep up on Landscaping: Give your grass one last cut before the temperatures drop significantly. It also helps to clean up fallen branches and keep shrubbery & trees trimmed away from your home.
Regularly Inspect for Bugs & Rodents: The eye test never fails. Look for droppings, dead insects and the obvious signs that pests are present in your home.
Invest in Year-Round Pest Control: Don’t just call in the professional exterminators when there is a current pest problem. Invest in pest control & prevention services all year long to stop invaders before they take up residence.
Seal Cracks & Holes Outside of the House: Bugs and mice need only a tiny opening to sneak into your house. Cracks and holes in the foundation, windows, utilities and pipes leave your home susceptible to an infestation. A thorough inspection should be done yearly, using a high-quality caulk to properly seal all openings.
Screen Vents to Chimney: Chimney guards and screens stop persistent birds, squirrels and other pests from living in your exhaust vents.
Replace loose mortar around the basement foundation and worn weather stripping around windows.
Professional Exterminator Services in South Jersey
As the temperatures drop in the early fall months, bugs, insects and rodents are preparing for a chilly, frigid winter ahead. Winterizing your home in preparation for the cold is a vital part of pest control. Following the tips we’ve highlighted above will help reduce the chance of your home experiencing pest and rodent issues. When you put in the effort to keep winter pests outdoors, your home becomes a healthier, more comfortable space to host the holidays with your friends, family and loved ones.
If you suspect you have an issue with pests in your home, it is best to contact a pest professional right away. Richmond Pest Control provides year-round protection against pests for both commercial and residential properties. Our technicians proudly service Atlantic County, NJ and the surrounding communities. For winter pest control or any of our other prevention services, call 609-266-4200.
Fun Facts about the Honey Bee
Fun, Quirky & Scientific Honey Bee Facts
While we celebrate the honey bee each year on August 3rd for World Honey Bee Day, we feel these fascinating insects should be honored every day. Best known for their pollination powers and the delicious honey we love to enjoy, there is so much more to learn about the honey bee. In order to promote the protection of these precious insects, Richmond Pest Control outlines 10 fun and interesting honey bee facts you probably didn’t know!
10 Amazing Honey Bee Facts
Honey Bees Have more than 2 Eyes: In fact, they have five eyes! Besides their two large eyes, they also have three smaller eyes in the center of their head. These small ocelli eyes help them to detect when darkness is approaching, as well as identifying the horizon.
Average American Eats 1.7 Lbs. of Honey per Year: Commonly used in teas, dessert recipes and to heal burns, honey is the ideal sweet because of its eternal shelf life!
Over 211,00 Beekeepers in the United States: A highly important job that takes patience and a very particular skillset.
Honey is 150 Million Years Old: There are reports of honey being found in Egyptian tombs that date back several thousand years!
Honey Bees do not Die in the Winter: These genius insects store extra honey to live off of during the frigid winter months. Further, they huddle into a close cluster to keep the colony and the queen warm.
Plant Blue Flowers to Attract Honey Bees: They are unable to detect red colors, but are sensitive to the blue end of the light spectrum.
The Queen Bee can live up to 5 years while the average worker bee lives for just 5/6 weeks.
Honey bees are Great Dancers: Worker bees share information to the rest of the hive through waggles and figure-of-eight movements to point to the direction of a food source.
Male Honey Bees do not have a father: The male bee technically only has a mother – the Queen Bee. But they do have a grandfather!
The Honey Bee is the only insect to produce a food eaten by humans.
While the honey bee is a highly fascinating insect, the reality is that colonies are disappearing and scientists cannot figure out the cause. Under no circumstances should you kill or harm a single honey bee or an entire colony. If there is a hive too close to your home, please call a professional pest control company for a safe and humane removal & relocation in order to protect and preserve these great insects.
Insect Facts you Probably didn’t Know until Today
Insect Facts we Bet you Didn’t Know
Insects are a widely diverse group of critters which include ants, bees, flies, cockroaches, beetles and more. While you don’t want them invading your home there’s a lot of insect facts to learn about these six-legged bugs. No matter what species they all have a 3-segment body (head, thorax & abdomen) which is encased in a hard exoskeleton. However, insects are also extremely different and unique to their own habitat. Richmond Pest Control, pest exterminator in Southern NJ, highlights 25 cool insect facts you probably didn’t know!
25 Cool & Interesting Insect Facts
- Ants can live up to 30 years giving them the longest lifespan of all insect species.
- Dragonflies have existed for over 300 million years.
- Bugs have extremely strong wings made of cuticles, the strongest natural material in the world.
- Butterflies taste their food using their feet.
- A honeybee colony can make 220 jars of honey in a single year.
- Over 3,500 species of mosquitos exist in the world.
- Cockroaches can live up to 1 week without their head.
- Caterpillars have more muscles in their body than humans.
- Fruit flies were the first living creature sent to space in 1974.
- Fleas can jump up to 13 inches.
- Mosquitos are attracted to stinky feet.
- Grasshoppers existed before dinosaurs walked the earth.
- A ladybug can eat up to 5,000 insects in its life.
- Spiders are not insects.
- Only male crickets have the ability to chirp.
- All insects are cold blooded.
- Some queen termites can lay up to 40,000 eggs per day.
- Bees are found on every continent, except Antarctica. Learn more Interesting Bee Facts.
- Ants can lift and carry up to fifty times their own weight.
- Insects have existed for 350 million years, while humans have only been on earth for 300,000 years.
- There are more kinds of beetles than all known species of plants.
- Ticks can grow from the size of a grain of rice up to that of a marble.
- On a gathering trip, bees can fly over 60 miles in a single day.
- To survive on frigid nights, may inspects can replace the water in their body with glycerol, which acts as an antifreeze.
- The oldest fossil discovered dates back 400 million years and is an insect known as a springtail.
Tips to Identify a Residential Rodent Infestation
Rodent Infestation: How to Spot one in Your House
Rodents, including mice and rats, are known to fit through the tiniest holes, cracks and crevices to seek food and shelter. They almost always make themselves known and evidence of a rodent infestation will be very apparent. It is best to catch mice before they begin to nest and mate. Look for these six signs below to identify a rodent infestation in your home. If you think you have a problem, call a professional exterminator right away to identify the source of the issue and safely remove them and prevent future pest issues.
6 Sure Signs to Identify a Rodent Infestation
Gnaw Marks: Inspect your cabinets and pantry for bite marks on food containers and boxes. If you find any immediately discard the food and wash the container with hot soapy water. Pantry items like chips, cookies, grains and other items should be stored in a thick plastic container with tight fitting lids.
Fresh Droppings: This is the most common and easily noticed sign there are mice present in your home. Take notice of where these droppings occur and how often, if you see them daily call a pest control company immediately. Always wear gloves and a face mask when cleaning up rodent droppings and wash your hands afterwards.
Daytime Activity: When rodents freely move around your home during the day it means their nest is to the point where they no longer scavenge for food at night. If you see a mouse or hear scratching, scuffling noises during the day you have an infestation on your hands.
Smells: Usually your pet will pick up on the smell first, but over time you will start to notice a sour odor coming from a hidden location. This is a sign of either a dead rodent or the presence of urine/feces.
Holes in Walls or Flooring: Determined rodents will resort to chewing holes into your walls or floors to access a food source.
Rodent Nest: A nest is the largest and most obvious sign of a rodent infestation and must be addressed immediately. They are made using cardboard, packing material, fabric and other materials rodents can find. Look for these in dark secluded places like your attic or basement.
Mouse Prevention Tips
There are several DIY rodent prevention tips you can try including cleaning up any food debris & crumbs right away, laying down traps and sealing all holes and cracks throughout the interior & exterior of your property. Learn some interesting rodent control facts that might help you learn why your home is attracting these pests. Following our Spring Pest Control Tips can help safeguard your home through the warmer months. Finally, call in a professional pest control company to humanely remove the rodents and prevent future infestations.
Spring Pest Control Tips
Essential Tips for Spring Pest Control & Prevention
The arrival of spring doesn’t just mean longer days, warmer temperatures and the beginning of a new bloom of flowers; it is also the return of hungry pests emerging from their winter slumber. When putting together your yearly spring cleaning list, pest prevention should be a top priority. The expert exterminators from Richmond Pest Control provide a list of essential tips for spring pest control and prevention. Spring and summer are known for the breeding and infestation of ants, flies, hornets, mosquitoes and ticks. Safeguard your home by following our easy spring pest control tips below.
6 Spring Pest Control Tips from the Experts
Inspect & Repair your Roof: Damage to your roof provides easy access for a variety of pests to mate and invade. Stinging insects will begin to build a nest, mice will use your attic to store food and termites can eat away at the vital woodwork in your roofing system. Call professional roofers for a full inspection at the beginning of the spring season. They will check for missing or cracked shingles, leaks and overall roof damage and make all necessary repairs to safeguard your home against pests.
Install Fly Screens in Windows: Fly screens offer extra protection against flies, mosquitos, stink bugs and most other flying pests. They’re affordable, fit most standard residential windows and are very easy to install in just a few minutes.
Outdoor Upkeep: Exterior and yard maintenance are vital to the prevention of pests all year long, but especially in the spring. As the snow melts all of fall and winter’s nuisances are exposed: fallen branches, damp wood and dead leaves, which are prime areas for spring pests and should be cleared right away.
Control Moisture: Stagnant and standing water are a breeding ground for mosquitos. Remove old water from bird baths, unclog the gutters and check for puddles. Keep up on this spring pest control tip throughout the summer and into fall as well.
Monitor Food & Garbage: All food inside your refrigerator and cabinets should be kept in airtight containers. Outdoor garbage and recycle bins should be located as closely to the street at possible and sealed tightly. See more reasons why pests are attracted to your home & how to prevent it.
Schedule a Pest Control Inspection: Regular inspections from a professional pest control company are necessary to spot problem areas and implement effective prevention tips.
Effective Pest Prevention Solutions
Following these spring pest control tips provide effective solutions to prevent an infestation from common pests including ants, termites, mosquitos, stinging insects and rodents. If you believe you are experiencing a pest control issue in your home, contact the professionals at Richmond Pest Control for fast & efficient service in Southern, NJ. Call our office in Atlantic City, NJ today at 609-266-4200 to speak with a friendly representative.
DIY Pest Control Methods that Won’t Work
Common Pest Control Methods that don’t Work
If you’re facing a rodent or pest infestation issue in your home or business you’ll want to act immediately in order to quickly remove these unwanted bugs. Fast action usually requires a trip to the store in search of traps, baits, sprays and a plethora of other DIY pest control methods. While some of these can be temporarily effective, often times they are dangerous and can leave you in a worse situation than dealing with the unwelcome guests in your home or business. It is best to always call a professional pest control & extermination company at the first sign of an unwanted intruder. We’ve highlighted the most common DIY pest control methods that simply do not work against eliminating the problem.
3 DIY Pest Control Methods that don’t work
Setting off bug bombs: An age-old method for a variety of pest control problems, bug bombs are outdated and, quite frankly, extremely dangerous to your health and that of your pets & family. The sprays and methods used by a professional extermination company are eco-friendly, much more effective and safe to use with children, dogs & cats in the household.
Using bait & pesticides (but nothing else): While bait will lure the pests from hiding and the pesticides will destroy them, if you don’t find & resolve the root of the problem you will be spending money on these pest control methods for the rest of your life. There are many reasons pests are attracted to your home, these issues should be addressed to keep your space free of pests.
Thinking the problem will resolve itself: If you’ve been consistently dealing with the same pest or rodent issue for months on end and none of your DIY pest control methods are working you may be dealing with a much larger problem that needs to be resolved by a professional. Ignoring a pest control problem can not only lead to an infestation, but also severe damage to your home and can also negatively affect your health. The longer you wait, the more serious the issue will become.
Effective Extermination Solutions
Do not try to handle a pest control or rodent problem on your own. If you’re still on the fence, allow us to debunk common pest control myths. At the first sign, no matter how minor it may seem, we highly recommend a phone call to our professional extermination company. Serving Atlantic County, NJ for over 25 years, Richmond Pest Control provides a variety of safe and highly effective pest control methods for residential & commercial properties. Call 609-266-4200 to schedule your free inspection today.
Top Reasons to Hire our Extermination Company
Why you should Hire our Pest Extermination Company
If you suspect your home or commercial property has a pest or rodent problem, it is always a good idea to hire a professional extermination company at the first sign. But with so many options and competition, it is hard to know if you’re selecting the best & most competent business. Richmond Pest Control is based in Brigantine, NJ and boasts a long resume with thousands of satisfied customers over our 25 years in the industry. To offer you peace of mind about hiring our extermination company, we’ve highlighted the top 5 points that make us standout from other pest control businesses!
5 Reasons to Hire our Extermination Company
Extensive Treatment Plans Provided: After our free initial inspection, our professional exterminators will provide a detailed treatment plan for your approval. The plan includes our findings, extensive treatment plan information and suggested follow up appointments.
25 years of Professional Experience: With over 25 years of professional industry experience, we’ve seen and successfully treated a wide variety of pest and rodent problems. From relocating wasp nests to removing a termite colony or eliminating bed bugs, our exterminators are highly trained in all areas of pest control.
Safe & Highly Effective Treatment Methods: At Richmond Pest Control we only use the highest quality, industry standard products to ensure their effectiveness in eliminating your pest problem. Furthermore, many of our products and methods are natural and eco-friendly, safe to use around your family and pets.
Utilizing IPM: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques are long-term, eco-friendly strategies that focus on biology and habitat manipulation for effective pest control solutions.
NJ Licensed & Insured: Never hire an extermination company that does not the proper licenses and insurance papers – don’t be afraid to ask and see them. All of Richmond Pest Control’s technicians are EPA and NJ DEP certified and we will present proof.
Professional Pest Control Services
There are many things to consider when choosing a quality pest control company, from years in business to Google reviews, personal referrals and more. At Richmond Pest Control we offer each of our clients superior and highly effective solutions for their unique pest problems. For more information on how we can help, visit our pest exterminator services page. Similarly, our pest control FAQ guide is helpful to answer your most common questions. To schedule your free, no obligation pest inspection call 609-266-4200 today!
Bed Bug Prevention Tips and Tricks
Bed Bug Infestation Prevention Steps
Bed bugs remain one of the most difficult pests to treat. Therefore, bed bug prevention is much easier to handle than a full on infestation. Once your home has a bed bug outbreak, it takes a professional pest control company several treatments in order to manage and fully stop the spread. To protect your home and family from these creepy invaders, there are several steps you can take to prevent a bed bug outbreak. Richmond Pest Control has outlined the 5 best prevention tips to stop bed bugs from invading your home.
5 Easy Bed Bug Prevention Tips
Avoid Curbside Furniture: While that free loveseat sitting on the side of the road may seem like the perfect addition to your apartment, chances are it is already infested with bed bugs. Curbside and secondhand furniture are common breeding grounds for bed bugs and when you bring it inside your home an infestation will quickly grow out of control. If you really cannot resist, Richmond Pest Control recommends treating furniture with an insecticide thoroughly, a few treatments is best.
Encase Mattresses & Box Springs: Invest in a high quality bed cover with a zipper to prevent bed bugs from infesting your mattresses and killing any that are currently there.
Be Diligent While Traveling: The most common way a home becomes infested is bringing these nasty pests home with them from a vacation. In order to prevent this from happening to you, be diligent while traveling. Inspect the mattresses, don’t leave anything on the floor and thoroughly wash & clean everything as soon as you get home.
Know how to Spot Them: While following the above bed bug prevention steps will offer protection, it is important for you to be able to identify these pests so you can quickly stop an active infestation. An adult is usually reddish-brown, flat and oval shaped, while the eggs are small, over and white.
Call the Professionals: Finally, call for professional pest control services if you suspect your home has been invaded by bed bugs. Store-bought treatments and DIY methods are not strong enough to handle these pests. Read more about why DIY pest control methods don’t work.
Pest Control Services in Atlantic City NJ
With over 25 years of professional experience, Richmond Pest Control is equipped to handle all of your bed bug pest control needs. From infestation treatment to bed bug prevention & maintenance, we’ll safeguard your home & protect your family. For bed bug and other pest control services in Atlantic City, NJ – call 609-266-4200 for an appointment today! For pest control services in Staten Island, NY, click here.