06.19.11
Posted in DYI Tips at 6:00 pm by Administrator
Hello again pest control customers of A.N.T.T.S = (A North Texas Termite Specialist)! We try to keep our pest control clients from Tarrant County, TX (Keller, Southlake, Grapevine, Colleyville, etc ) posted on the different pest control seasons and the pest and termite control specials we are running at the time. Well with this hot and dry weather fleas are on the rise! If you pet goes indoors and out then you are just waiting for a problem. Fleas love to jump on pets and use them as a blood host for reproductive purposes. The they come in and lay their eggs in your carpet or under couch cushions. I you happen to leave with your pets for a few days then come into the home by yourself you will be swarmed with fleas trying to take a blood bath. How else can one get fleas well we recently had a customer who was only taking their cat to the vet for a cleaning and a trim but ended up with a huge flea problem days later! How you ask ? Well I can tell you from personal experience from treating many vet clinics and none in particular that the area of the office where they do the flea dips and shampoos is loaded with fleas and flea eggs! So if they do not have that area treated monthly then chances are they will pass from the vet dipping area to your pet. Then a month later you will be paying that same vet to dip your pet! The best way to treat them at your home is to have it done professionally. You can try on your own and many have but without a real success rate. The reason being is fleas have a 4 stage life cycle. Egg, larvae
, pupa and adult. So if you fog your home with a store bought flea & roach fogger you will kill some of the adults but most of the flea population will still be at large. When we treat we use a combination of professional pest control products which include a long residue and growth regulator to inhibit reproduction. Things you can do to help are keeping grass cut to a few inches, washing all floors and cleaning all carpets. It does not hurt to vacuum inside couch crevices and clean up crumbs from couch potato activity. We at A.N.T.T.S Have a real good success rate and do not charge for retreats after the initial pest control flea treatment. So remember to check your kitty at the vets exit door for unwanted free riders before you leave the office. Have a safe summer.
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05.08.11
Posted in DYI Tips at 5:49 pm by Administrator
Hello again from A.N.T.T.S = A North Texas Termite Specialist. As we have said many times before we are not just termite control specialist we specialize in all pest control problems and one main one is ant control. After the heavy rains a week ago all ant species become more active and swarm just like termites! But like the ole saying goes ” If it looks like a ant it is most likely a ant”. We do get a lot of people calling thinking they have termite swarms when in fact it is just carpenter ants, Argentine ants (black ants). The ant like most other insects main goal in life is to reproduce and expand their colony so they swarm when conditions are right such as after rain or when it warms up. Early to mid spring is a great time to protect your home from the pest. Although they do not do much damage if not any ? They can be a real pain to live with. Nothing worse than crunching into that late bowl of cereal only to find 3 bites into it that it has little protein snack additive ants walking around in it. Now on the other hand Carpenter ants can do damage if left untreated but nothing compared to termites. Carpenter ants do not eat the wood for food but can chew out cavities to make room for their eggs and the rest of the colony. Back to the black ants which have been a real problem in the last few years. The Argentine ant is fairly new to the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The Pharaoh ant (red ants) have been a pest for longer but will address them later. The black ants are real tough even for pest control professionals to treat. We can tell you up front when quoting a price to treat them that a return visit is likely ? But we always go back if need be. First off you the home owner can help aid in us getting a better grip on the situation. You need to remember that the ants you are seeing are foragers and they are in fact looking to feed their brothers and sisters by taking food back to the colony. So try to have food droppings (crumbs) cleaned up and counters free of sugar and other sweet or greasy substances. We use baits a lot and try to use their hunger to feed their
colony against them so the less food competition the better. We also will scout and inspect the outside perimeter to see where they are trailing into the home ? sometimes we have found them going around 3/4 of the base of the slab foundation to find one crack to enter a home. They can also come up through a pipeline or electrical entry point. Theses are areas we treat with a residual pest control product on the perimeter and we like to treat the indoor plumbing entries also. Now with the black or red ants we have found that a pretty good baiting system available to pest control professionals has been working well. We have gel, powder and liquid baits available. Each home and ant to be controlled is different and sometimes it may be a trial and error situation until we nail it on the head. I can tell you that within your warranty period with A.N.T.T.S
we will go back as many times needed as long as you give it a initial period of 7-10 days for the products to work. All we need is a call and we will come back and do whatever needs to be done to get rid of you ant problem. Other things you can do to help us out is trim all foliage from touching the house. Clean floors, counters and back splash as much as possible. When we are scheduled to come out remove small items from floor and clean out all plumbing areas (under sinks, etc). All this helps us to be able to reach the areas needed to get best control. We do ask that small children and pets be out of the treating area even though the baits we use are pretty much odorless and real safe to use indoors. If you are having a ant problem and have spent money with no success give us a call 817-366-3130 and we would be happy to solve you ant problem for good. Have a safe and happy summer!
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01.23.11
Posted in DYI Tips at 5:56 pm by Administrator
Bed bugs (Cimicidae) blood sucking parasites that feed on human blood preferably but will suck on any warm blooded animal. A long time ago these bugs were a huge problem around the world but with the introduction of sanitation and pesticides they were brought under control for the most part. I myself have been in the pest control business for almost 30 years and can honestly say we never had any dealings with them until about 2 years ago. They are easily taken home by piggy back in your luggage, pant leg etc. Many hotels and motels have reported infestations of bed bugs recently and finding them in your home is becoming all to common. They are reddish-brown oval and wingless, not totally nocturnal but do like to feed at night and like to live close to their blood source hence the name bed bug. Bed bugs can go a year without feeding but like to feed about every 8-10 days so this is why they can survive so long and go undetected. Bed bug detection can be easy if you know what and where to look. You want to check every hotel room before you lay down for the night! I always search for bed bugs before I unpack in my room. If I see one sign I go right back to the desk and request a room far away from the original one and if the next room has signs I get my money back and start searching for another hotel. What you want to look for is blood smears on the sheets. Pull the head board of the wall if possible and look for actual bugs and egg casings. They love to be in tight crevices so look at mattress seams and lift mattress to inspect supports and baseboards under bed.
If you do find out you have brought home this blood sucking parasite (bed bug) then you really need professional help! Some pest problems can be tackled on your own but bed bugs are even giving pest control exterminators a tough time. Once you find a local pest control company you want to get your home ready for treatment for the best results. Strip and wash all bedding and wash all clothes in hot water. Empty all dresser draws and put them where they can be easily treated. Remove all small items from the floor and wash them prior to the treatment, you don’t want to be washing floors after the pest company comes for at least 2 weeks. Ask your treating company for a prep sheet and ask many questions to speed things up when they arrive.
Our company A.N.T.T.S has treated many homes with success but there is sometimes a 2nd and 3rd treatment involved in some cases due to the nature of the bed bug. They can be tough buggers to treat but with cooperation from the homeowner and using the right products you can be successful in eradication of bed bugs in your home or business!
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07.26.09
Posted in DYI Tips at 3:47 pm by Administrator
Hello Dallas/Fort Worth, TX! Sorry it has been months since our last post but we have been running around the Metroplex doing so much pest and termite treatments it’s not funny! Along with the ant, carpenter ants, spiders, termites and rodent pest control treatments we have been doing a ton of WDI Termite inspections for FHA & VA loans and refinance. Summer 09 has been great for A.N.T.T.S = A North Texas Termite Specialist. Although the economy is tough, people still need pest & termites controlled. Normally we are here to give tips on helping you do your own pest service, but I have to tell you that this summer even professional exterminators like us have had a tough time with some certain pest like the new Argentine ants that have recently arrived in the DFW area. We have tried many different products on them but they are strong little buggers! We have found that there is one product we can buy at our local pest control company distributor sells that has been knocking them dead. I believe it was the heat and the uncommon rainfall we have had that is keeping the ants coming back so when we treat we are sure to not miss a crack or crevice to insure no call backs. We can tell you to prepare for a heavy flea & tick season due to all the rain and high temps recently. They to are one pest you do not want to try to get rid of on your own with store bought pest control products. Fleas have a long life cycle with eggs, larva and pupa so you need something that will last minimum 60 days. Most products we use should have a 90 day residual and should last long enough to prevent a return trip. There are a few things that can help with success when you have your home treated by a pest pro, vacuum all floors and wash every baseboard plus keep grass cut low, these things make life easy on your pest control technician. Have a great summer Dallas/Fort Worth and we will be back with some fall pest control tips soon! A.N.T.T.S 817-366-3130
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09.28.08
Posted in DYI Tips at 4:10 pm by Administrator
Hello again from A North Texas Termite Specialist = A.N.T.T.S! We would like to talk about pest control tips for fall clean up around your home. About this time every year we get calls from Dallas / Fort Worth area residents that have a abundance of pest and rodent activity around their home due to the removal of clutter from the yard and garage. These cluttered areas are a great hide out for mice, rats and roaches. Stored wood against the house can also attract termites. We are happy to see you removing the clutter, but would like to help you protect your home at the same time of this clean up. First thing you want to do is wear gloves and a dust mask! This is very important when dealing with rodent droppings due to the diseases they carry and the dust particles in the air can get into your lungs and cause a variety of problems, some deadly! While moving clutter you may see rodents running away from the pile and towards your home, this is why you should purchase some good snap traps and glue boards and place them along the side of the wall. Rodents are pretty blind and use whiskers to run the sides of walls and will run right into your trap. Another good thing to do before you start your project is to buy some Ortho Boric Acid and dust the cracks and crevices including pipe lines so when the water bugs (American Roach) try to enter your home they will track trough the dust and it will kill them later on. Be sure to use the Boric acid lightly so they will not avoid it and run right through it. Lastly after you have removed all clutter from the side of your home you should maybe consider hiring a professional pest control company like A.N.T.T.S to put down a long residual pesticide that will ensure nothing left over from that debri pile will live long enough to enter you home. Hope this is helpful for you Dallas / Fort Worth Residents. If you ever have a pest control question that needs attention feel free to give us a call at 817-366-3130 A.N.T.T.S = A North Texas Termite Specialist.
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09.02.08
Posted in DYI Tips at 5:40 pm by Administrator
Hello again from A.N.T.T.S = A North Texas Termite Specialist. Don’t let our name fool you! We have been dealing with every pest control problem for many years around the Dallas / Fort Worth area. If it’s ants, roaches, spiders, fleas, ticks or termites we have treated them with success. Today we would like to help the good people of the DFW area with upcoming fall rodent & roach prevention. You can do many things to exclude these pest from entering your home or business. The first and most important thing is a in depth inspection to identify your pest problem and how they may be accessing you home. Things to look for when walking the outside perimeter is any hole the size of a dime. Rodents and roaches among other pest can gain access through these openings. Most pipe and wire entries are a good place to start, these areas are usually sealed by the builder but after time the caulk drys and opens up. Look at your eves and around the roof flashing, these are other areas that over time through natural movement cracks and crevices appear. After you do a full inspection you need to determine your pest problem. We suggest you where rubber (latex) gloves for this part. You are no going to become a pest poop professional. Yes pest poop! The best way to determine a pest problem is sometimes through fecal identification. When dealing with rodents you want to know if you have rats or mice ? Roof Rats are most common in this area and there feces will be much larger than Field mice, the fecal matter will be about 1/2 inch long and pointed unlike the Norway rat which is much larger. If you are dealing with mice the droppings will be much smaller about 1/8 and smooth
with pointed ends. This is good to remember because American Roach droppings are about the same size but are more block like and have flat ends with striations down the sides. Once you identify which pest you are dealing with you can start your exclusion. with rodents you may also want to look for rub marks along the walls and pipes. these greasy trails are from their dirty hair rubbing on the path they take to get in. After you find all dime size holes you need to take a trip to your local hardware store and pick up some caulk, stainless steel wool, and some Ortho Boric Acid. In some cases you may need some chicken wire for large openings. Take these materials and caulk the smaller holes use a little of the boric acid first this will help with roaches and other insects. Then stuff the larger holes with the steel wool, again dust a little boric acid first. Any large gaps should be closed by any means possible. If you take these steps and be diligent in doing so you will have great success in stopping these pest before they get out of hand. If you try all this and still have a problem we are always available for service anywhere in the Dallas / Fort Worth area! Call 817-366-3130 or visit one of our websites at www.anttspestcontrol.com or
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