Pest Control Solutions Inc Blog

Pests can cause a lot of damage and health-related issues. And oftentimes, when a pest problem gets bad, we look for ways to get rid of them. But nature also has its way of getting rid of and controlling pest populations. With every pest you can think of, there will be a natural enemy that can take them on.

Predators can help control the number of pests that populate an area. And there are many different types of predators from other bugs to birds. Here are some examples of common pests and their natural predators.

Aphids

Aphids are small insects that like to suck on plant fluids. They can really be a pest when they turn plant leaves black from their honeydew or distort plant growth. And they are usually found on plants where the temperature is fairly warm.

These insects can reproduce quickly and in large numbers. So although they are small, they can cause a lot of damage. However, they also have a lot of natural predators to look out for.

Pigeons are fun to watch as they fly through the air and perch themselves on tree branches, however, they’re less fun to watch while in your house defecating on your expensive furniture. Pigeon infestations affect homes and businesses all over the country and when a pigeon makes it way inside a building, it can spread dangerous germs, create foul odors and even lead to infestations of other pests such as fleas and flies. Luckily, some of the problems that pigeons can cause are also some of the ways you can tell if you have a pigeon problem in your home or business. Here are five signs that you have a pigeon control problem you need to deal with.

1. Pigeons Spotted Near Your Home or Business

The first way of telling whether or not you have pigeons within your property is obvious: You see pigeons fluttering around with your own eyes. If not a pigeon, then a nest is just as good of a telltale sign that there are birds nearby. Otherwise, if you see nests near your home in trees and bushes, that means that even though they’re not in your house, they might be soon.

2. Droppings

Small, white puddles on flat surfaces around your home or building is a good indicator that there are pigeons flying around where they shouldn’t. If you see this, clean it up thoroughly and call a pigeon control expert.

3. You See Other Insects

One reason why pigeons come inside buildings in the first place is to find some insects and bugs to eat. If you have a large amount of other pests in your building, pigeons may not be far behind.

4. Other Pests are Found

Just as pests can lead to pigeons, pigeons can also lead to pests. Birds aren’t known for their sanitation, and it's not unlikely that a couple of birds inside a building can create suitable conditions for other pests like flies and fleas, sometimes by carrying them inside themselves.

Ants are harmless individually, but an entire colony of them can cause some serious damage to your health and home. From spreading germs to destroying property to giving painful stings, the variety of ways an ant colony can mess up your life is considerable, and it’s made even worse by the fact that ant colonies are continually increasing in size through a queen who can live for 25 years.

While you can do your best to take on this problem by yourself, you may only be able to scratch the surface. Here is how Pest Control Solutions Inc. can handle your ant problem for good and why you should give them a call if the ants in your house are unmanageable.

The Hassle of DIY Ant Control

Anybody can kill an ant. Many people end up killing ants everyday without even realizing it. Single ants are rarely a problem; however, a colony with tens of thousands of them are. And no matter how many of them you step on, the queen can make more.

There are some ways to hold back an infestation, such as sealing off entry points to your house, setting up traps, and spraying store bought insecticides. However, these methods are mostly only for prevention. If an infestation is already in full swing, you may need to call for backup.

Why You Need Pest Control Solutions Inc.

At Pest Control Solutions Inc., we have the experience, knowledge and resources needed to take out ant infestations permanently. We track down the source of the ants and strategically spray insecticides in key areas to weaken the colony. The ones that survive will carry the insecticide with them to the rest of the ants, causing infertility and slowly reducing their ranks.

The fear of spiders, or arachnophobia, is traumatizing to some people. The reaction to the phobia may come in various degrees. The type of reaction may include running and screaming or may have a more paralyzing effect. No matter the degree of the phobia, meeting or thinking of a spider is the worst nightmare for an arachnophobe.

Crossing Paths with a Spider

Accidentally crossing paths with a spider can cause an arachnophobe to panic. The unexpected meeting not only startles the individual but is also one of the worst things imaginable. If the phobia is severe, the fear takes over causing the inability to move. That is why many individuals with the fear of spiders avoid areas or activities where spiders are present.

Walking into a Web

Another nightmare for a person with the fear of spiders is the act of walking into a spider web. Imagine just walking in your basement and all the sudden you feel the sticky web hit your face. The phobia takes over, your heart starts racing. The thought that pops into your mind is: okay here’s the web, now where’s the spider. Stress starts filling every part of your body and all you want to do is get away. But now all you can think about is where the spider is? Frantically you look to find an escape that is spider free.

Having a Spider Crawl on You

The ultimate nightmare for a person with arachnophobia is a spider crawling on you. Seeing a spider is enough, but having it on you is on a whole other level. The stress and panic that arise from the spider contact is tremendous. Trying to avoid spiders at all costs is a common goal for arachnophobes.

Symptoms from Arachnophobia

Any phobia can cause a variety of different symptoms. Some of the more severe symptoms include:

Keep vehicles safe from pests all year long with the proper precautions. Pest-proof your cars by following some of these helpful pieces of advice. A mouse can crawl into your car and chew on the insulation and wires. These repairs are expensive to fix, not to mention time-consuming. The risks are not only cosmetic; they can affect the structural components of the car. A rodent infestation can also put you at risk of potential illness, such as Hantavirus. You can help keep your cars clean and pest-free with some of these ideas.

Watch Where you Park the Car

If you can avoid parking in grassy areas, you will be able to prevent many insects and rodents. Wooded areas and tall grass are home to rodents and keep them from your car by not parking in these locations. Try to park the car on pavement or on gravel. You can deter mice by placing mothballs under it. Fox urine powder can also get mice away.

Don’t Store Food in Your Car

Keep pests away by not giving them a reason to come to you car. Keep food out of the car, and try not to eat food in the car either. You can keep a cooler in your home and bring it into your car for day use, but don’t leave anything sitting in your cars.

Remove the Mice

Setting up mouse traps in areas where the mice are will help you get rid of the mice. This will get rid of any rodents that enter. There are also sound repellers that will get them out of your car.

Open the Hood

Open the hood while the car is parked to keep mice away from nesting in it. A warm, enclosed hood is an ideal place for mice to nest. Keeping the hood open while you’re parked will keep the mice away from the car.

No matter how hard you try to keep your home pest-free, there are times when even the most stringent of defenses won’t be enough. So, what do you do when you come home and find your house has been invaded by bugs, critters or insects? The important thing is not to panic. As frustrating as it can be to watch all your hard work fly out the window, it’s best to tackle this problem smartly and efficiently. Here’s what to do:

Confirm

The first thing to do is try and confirm what, exactly, has invaded your home. If you actually saw it then this step has been taken care of already. However, there’s a good chance that you only saw its traces. This is where a keen eye and a bit of detective work come in handy. It’s important to know what different droppings and debris look like, so you can identify the problem.

For example: mice and rats leave behind little pellets that look like chocolate sprinkles or tiny seeds (sorry for the visual), and you can usually find papers and boxes that have been chewed up. Roaches leave behind what look like dark dots, and there’s a unique, tell-tale smell that goes with it. Termites leave piles of wings, sawdust and mud tubes that look like little trails.

Seal the House

In addition to identifying the problem, you have to figure out how they got in so that no more can follow. Inspect the outside and inside of your home, looking for cracks and holes. It doesn’t take more than a few millimeters of space for outsiders to gain a foothold into your living room or kitchen.

Once you find these openings, you have to then seal them up. How to do this will differ depending on what you find and where you find it, but closing off your interior is the only way to make sure that more nasty pests don't get in.

Cockroaches can run three miles per hour. That means they can spread diseases, bacteria, and germs throughout your house very quickly.

These pests have a determination to live through the most dangerous circumstances. It is significantly easier to prevent them from coming in instead of exterminating them from your home.

Strategies to Prevent Cockroaches

These tiny bugs can come through small cracks, vents, crevices, and sewers. The best way to keep them away is to make sure they can’t come in. A few tips:

• Store everything in sealable containers. If they can’t get to a food source, they won’t survive in your home.
• Avoid exposed liquids. This could be left out water, spilled liquids, any spillage from food preparation, water collected under sinks, or liquids inside of appliances.
• Seal garbage and compost containers. Much like with food, if your garbage or compost is in sealable containers, cockroaches won’t have access to them.
• Avoid leaving pet food out overnight. If it’s good for your dog or cat, the cockroach will think it’s good as well.
• Rinse all recyclables before putting them in a bin. Bottles, cans, or other plastic containers may still have residue after they’re empty. If you rinse them out, cockroaches won’t be attracted to them.
• Maintain an organized area. Old newspapers, magazines, cardboard boxes, etc. are all things that clutter up and provide the perfect latrine or shelter for cockroaches.
• Seal all wooden furniture. If you use varnish or paint to seal the wood, and then wipe them regularly, it can help deter them.
• Cockroaches love dark and damp areas, so pipes are the perfect entrance and shelter. Make sure all repairs are done, and you clean any blockages.
• As earlier stated, cockroaches can come inside your home through a plethora of small openings. Try to seal any you see. These could also be near walls, electrical sockets, skirting boards, bathroom cabinets, or under your kitchen sink.
• Keep overgrown vegetation to a minimum in your yard. Try to avoid any large plants or bushes away from any external walls or doors.
• Keep firewood as far away as possible. These provide perfect homes for a variety of pests to harbor in.
• Hire a professional exterminating company to regularly treat your home for preventative measures.

Pest Control Solutions, Inc.

Household poisons and DIY solutions don’t always work. They can contain toxic ingredients and can be harmful to your family. If you want to protect your family, hire Pest Control Solutions.

They are dedicated to providing the best service for you and are willing to work with you to create your personalized service plan. To schedule your first treatment, call Pest Control Solutions today!

Having a pest problem is nerve-racking enough. But when you need to find an exterminator for the first time, your nerves may get tested even more. If you do not know the right questions to ask or what the pest control company may ask you, the feeling of intimidation or confusion is not uncommon.

Questions from the Pest Control Company

When you call a pest control company, they will need some basic information. This information may include:

• Reason for the call - Why are you calling and what do you see?
• Is there a particular part of the house where you notice the activity?
• Do you live near woods or water sources?
• Are there children or pets living in the house?
• Do you have a crawl space or basement?
• Does your home have an attic or second floor?

Your answers to these questions help the pest control company estimate the amount of time the exterminator may need to investigate your pest problem. If there are more possibilities for entry points, the exterminator will require more time for inspection.

Ability to Answer all Your Questions

As you are discussing your pest problem, make sure that the pest company answers all your questions on the treatment, inspection, and any pretreatment requirements. Some of your questions should include:

• Is the treatment safe for pets and children?
• Do you need to keep pets and children out of the house for a specific amount of time?
• Do you need to move any furniture away from walls for the inspection?
• How long will the inspection take?
• How long does treatment last?
• Are additional treatments necessary?

Punctual and Professional

On the day of your appointment, you will want to make sure that your exterminator is punctual for your appointment. The pest control employee must be in uniform and professionally dressed. The exterminator should have his identification card visible. Do not let any worker into your home if they are not in uniform or they do not have an ID card. You need to call the company immediately if this occurs.

Bed bugs are some of the most unwanted pests around. They can pervade your home and make it an uncomfortable place to live. But are they actually harmful? Can they hurt you and your family? The answer isn’t as straightforward as a simple “yes” or “no.”

Bed Bugs Bite

Bed bugs are a nuisance in part because they bite and do so in places where you just want to relax. These bites can cause red bumps and welts on your skin, which usually appear within a few days of an attack. These bite marks look similar to those from mosquitos, but they last much longer. There have been reported cases of people having allergic reactions to bed bug bites, some of which are very severe. In most cases, however, the bites are not dangerous in and of themselves. Sometimes it takes longer for these symptoms to develop, but the fact remains that when they do, they tend to cause severe and prolonged itching. When something itches, we all scratch. That’s where the danger can set in.

All of that scratching eventually causes damage to the skin. When your skin becomes damaged, you open yourself up to allowing more infectious organisms to enter your body. These infections can range from relatively mild to very dangerous. That’s why it’s important to refrain from scratching any bite as much as you physically can. If you have persistent irritation or other indications of an infection, seek out a doctor immediately.

Interestingly enough, bed bugs as a species have not been found to carry diseases that are transmittable through bites. So, while you can get sick from a bed bug-related incident, you won’t necessarily get sick from bed bugs themselves.

Bed Bugs and Mental Health

While the presence of bed bugs might not be the sole cause of disease, that doesn’t mean an infestation isn’t harmful in other ways. Knowing that bed bugs are in your home can take a toll on your mental health. People have reported heightened levels of anxiety during an infestation. This anxiety can lead to physical symptoms that negatively impact your quality of life. One of the most reported symptoms is insomnia, which can wreak havoc on your daily routine. If you fear you have a bed bug infestation, don’t delay. Contact Pest Control Solutions Inc. today!

Finding a scorpion in your home can be extraordinarily frightening to a homeowner. And unfortunately, they often travel in packs. For every scorpion you see, five or six more may be hiding in your home.

In Nevada, there are about 25 different types of scorpions, and the Arizona bark scorpion is the most common. The bark scorpion is also the most venomous in the United States. Their very painful sting releases neurotoxins, and symptoms can include numbness, pain, nausea and swelling.

Although its sting is usually not fatal to a healthy adult, the scorpion’s sting can be medically-significant to small children, the elderly, those with compromised immune systems and family pets.

Keeping your home and your family safe from scorpions is important, and you may be wondering what attracts scorpions to your home. Here are some of the more common reasons those scorpions may be moving in.

Water and Moisture

Surprisingly, scorpions can go without food for several months. But lack of a constant source of water can be deadly to them. Look around the outside of your home. Standing water or a leaking hose next to the house can be inviting to scorpions.

Bees play an important role in nature, but that doesn’t mean they are welcome in your yard. When bees come around, they can ruin an otherwise pleasant time and prevent you from enjoying being outdoors with your family and friends. Follow these tips to keep your yard bee-free this summer.

Pay Attention to Plants

Bees are attracted to strongly scented flowers, so avoid planting things like lily of the valley, gardenia, wisteria and more. Consider the scent of any potted plants placed on your patio or scented candles used as a centerpiece on a picnic table. Instead, opt for plants that repel bees. Mint, marigolds and citronella are examples of plants that bees do not like. These plants will discourage bees from visiting your yard.

Keep grass and shrubs trimmed. Tall grass makes an inviting home for ground bees, while also making the nests harder to spot. Overgrown shrubs also create an ideal place for bees to build a concealed nest, preventing you from realizing it’s there right away.

Remove Feeders

Hummingbird feeders tend to attract bees. The sweet smelling, sugary food that brings hummingbirds around also brings bees around. If you find there are a lot of bees in your yard, then go ahead and remove any hummingbird feeders. By eliminating something that attracts bees, you will reduce the odds of these nuisance pests coming into your yard.

Clean the Grill

Food smells can attract bees. However, the sweet smell of barbecue sauce is more likely to bring bees around. Clean your outdoor grill after each use. Remove food particles and baked on sauces to minimize the food scents. Bring grilling utensils inside when not in use, so any lingering scents are removed and do not attract bees.

Have you ever had unwanted company come to dinner? It’s awkward enough when they show up uninvited, but then they continue eating until your pantry is almost empty. In some cases, termites can be those unwanted guests, and they may not limit themselves to the kitchen. Termites most commonly eat the wooden structures in your home, causing thousands of dollars in damage that may not be covered by insurance. Keep reading to discover if you have a termite problem.

What Are Termites?

Termites are tiny insects that are generally white with a box-shaped abdomen and four wings. They travel in colonies looking for dead or decaying plant matter to consume. Wooden structures are one of their favorite sources of food. Once they find a good food source, termites get to work quickly eating as much as one pound in one month’s span. As they only live underground in damp, cool places, it may be difficult to detect if your home has termite activity. It is recommended that you thoroughly inspect for signs of these pests once every six months. Keep reading for evidence that you may have termites.

How Do You Know if You Have Termites?

A common sign of termites is finding tiny clear wings near doors and windows, wood shavings and mud tubes on wooden structures or wood piles. Be aware of areas where termites may enter your home, especially wherever there are wooden structures. There are many ways where they can enter your home. Often times these pests will tunnel through your basement and eat through walls. However, they can also enter through windows and doors or infected firewood and wooden furniture brought into the home. It is important to keep an eye out for these signs, as termites are often hard to detect and can cause a lot of damage before becoming noticeable. This is why you should have your home inspected for termites by a professional pest control company at least once a year.

What Do You Do if You Detect Termite Damage?

If you suspect that you have termite damage, you should immediately call the experts at Pest Control Solutions, Inc. While there are do-it-yourself treatments available, it is wise to leave the treatment to Pest Control Solutions, Inc. as their treatment will be more effective and will prevent further activity. Do not hesitate. If you suspect that your home has termite activity, contact Pest Control Solutions today!

The most common household invader is also one of the tiniest - ants. While they aren’t the thing homeowners fear most in the bug department, they can be incredibly hard to get rid of once they’ve established themselves.

Like most pests, ants are attracted to areas with plentiful food sources, shelter, warmer temperatures and better conditions. Once they’ve homed in on an area, they take the word back to their colony. Following the scent trail, the entire horde will soon make its way back to the area.

You’ll most likely find ants where food is stored - namely, kitchen and pantry areas. Because these are areas where food preparation takes place and contamination is a factor, homeowners are understandably reluctant to use pesticides. Thankfully, if it hasn’t grown too large, you should be able to eliminate your ant problem rather easily.

Know What You’re Dealing With

Understanding what species you're sharing your home with is important some can cause harm to humans and should be avoided at all costs. Fire ants, for instance, will sting anyone they consider a threat to the colony. These stings range in severity from pain and discomfort to nausea and difficulty breathing and are generally best left to professionals.

Others, like carpenter ants, will chew through the structural wood of your home and cause severe damage. Using behavior and other cues to figure out what species you’re dealing with will help you find the correct solution.

Bees play a really important role in nature and produce delicious honey, but you don’t want to see them in or near your home. A bee infestation, while not as common as bed bugs or ants, is a serious problem. Honey-laden hives can cause structural damage and even collapse walls and ceilings. Carpenter bees can also cause structural damage and leave unsightly holes in wood. Africanized bees are the most dangerous since they will attack humans and animals aggressively if their hives are threatened.

Finding Bees Inside Your Home

One day, you notice one or two bees inside your house. You may think they have flown in through an open door or window. Over the next few days, you may notice a few more bees. It’s usually not just a coincidence if you see more than one or two bees in your home. They are more than likely from an infested nest inside your home.

Hearing Buzzing

A very common place for bees to nest is in the chimney. If you are noticing bees in your living room where your fireplace is, then you may have found the source. Turn off your TV, radio and anything else that makes noise in your home. Sit close to your fireplace and listen for buzzing. Do not try to look up the fireplace or open the flue. You definitely don’t want to disturb them and have the whole hive swarm into your home.

If it’s not your fireplace, they may be coming into your home through vents or cracks in your walls. Take a careful walk around the outside of your home and listen for buzzing near pipes and any vents coming out of your house. You can also use binoculars to take a look at the top of your chimney and see if you see bees swarming around the top. Binoculars are a great idea when looking around your home for swarms before you take a walk. Make sure to watch out for ground nests.

Check for Any Bee Entrances

Bees look for anywhere that they can easily make their nest. An undisturbed eave of your roof, an uncovered chimney or an uncovered vent are all common places that bees take up residence. Any vent, pipe or crack in your home is a possible place that bees could be hiding.

You unknowingly bring home some guests - bed bugs. These new residents generally need a little help getting into your home. At some point, you or something you brought into your house had to come in contact with the little pests. They can enter your home by either hitching a ride or finding a crack in the wall.

The bed bugs are small flat pests and reddish-brown in color. These bugs like to come out and play at night and hide - sometimes very well - during the day. The bed bug travels by crawling. They do not jump or fly.

Hitching a Ride

The bed bugs like to travel by attaching themselves to soft material. The pest grabs onto soft material like:

• Clothes
• Luggage
• Mattresses
• Bedding
• Furniture
• Purses
• Backpacks

Any soft material item is fair game for these pests!

Once they reach their destination, they spread throughout their new home. They will find other hiding spots and make themselves comfortable.

Ants are persistent pests. The most frequent calls we receive in both our Los Angeles, CA office and our service areas throughout Las Vegas, NV, are from clients who are frustrated with their inability to prevent and remove ants from infesting their home.

Ants typically enter a home in search of one of the following:

• Water: This is the factor that our clients find most surprising. Ants search for water, especially in dry, arid climates. You don’t have to leave excessive water out, either. Due to their small size, even tiny drops left in the sink are enough to be attractive to ants. Ensure that all of your faucets close completely and fix any leaks as quickly as possible. If you already have ants, taking a few seconds to dry your sinks and tub could be enough to make them pack up and leave.
• Food: It’s just a small crumb to us, but to an ant, it’s a feast. Regularly wipe down your kitchen counters and the interior of kitchen cabinets to ensure that you’re not inadvertently leaving a picnic for your visitors. Remember to use a cleanser that fully dissolves any sticky or greasy residue, as even a trace could be enough to encourage ants.
• Shelter: Once ants inhabit your walls, they’re tough to remove. Check your exterior and interior walls regularly and seal any cracks or holes that might be present. This will make it more difficult for ants to find their way inside and set up camp.

In addition to these measures, preventative maintenance is never a bad idea. Pest Control Solutions can pre-treat your home to deter foraging ants from moving in. Seasonal spraying of the perimeter and all access points is an important part of avoiding an infestation.

Pest Control Solutions wants to help our clients and others avoid the seemingly impossible fight against ant infestations by making them aware of what ants are most attracted to. If you know what might bring them into your home to begin with, you’re already well on your way to preventing an occurrence. If you have an ant problem that you’ve been unable to rectify, contact us. Our trained, highly skilled pest control technicians can help rid you of your ant problem for good. We offer around the clock services with eco-friendly, green pesticide solutions, so you don’t have to worry about anything.

Living in Las Vegas brings a variety of unique situations that aren’t found anywhere else on Earth. Having such a diverse and vibrant city in the middle of an arid desert can pose a few challenges, including pest control.

While everyone in the US has to deal with pests, Vegas residents can have to deal with critters that aren’t a problem elsewhere. Today we want to discuss five of the top pests that you may encounter when living in Sin City.

Cockroaches

All major cities have problems with roaches, but Vegas has four distinct varieties living here. The Oriental, Australian, German, and American cockroaches all call Vegas home, which is a testament to the diversity found here. These bugs are usually relatively small, although they can get up to three inches long.

Roaches love dark and damp places, such as basements, crawlspaces, and attics. They breed quickly and can spread disease, which is why you want to make sure that they’re not in your home.

Scorpions

Because Vegas is in the desert, scorpions are more of a threat than other parts of the country. These pests are not as abundant or as dangerous as rats or roaches, but they can pose a danger to you and your family. Since scorpions are poisonous, you want to avoid them at all times. Fortunately, they’re mostly a problem on the outskirts of town, not within the city itself.

A few pests may not seem like a problem, but those pests will multiply and turn into an infestation before you know it. Whether it's ants or roaches, it's important to take preventative steps before pests get out of control. If you want to keep pest insects and rodents out of your home every season, Pest Control Solutions has a few tips to get you started.

3 Pest-Prevention Tips for Your Home

Get rid of clutter.

Clutter acts as the perfect shelter for pests of all types. They can hide under or inside toys, boxes, trash and debris. If your attic, basement or other rooms have clutter, remove it before pests use it for shelter. You should also reduce the clutter outside to keep pests from invading your lawn.

Maintain your yard.

Pest infestations start in the yard and end inside your home. Therefore, it pays to maintain your lawn on a regular basis. Mow the lawn to prevent tall grasses and weeds, which pests use for shelter and nesting material. Cut back the bushes and overgrown tree limbs if they're touching your house. A pristine yard not only looks nice but also gives pests no where to hide.

Put away opened goods.

You should keep pantry items such as flour, sugar and cereal in sealed containers. Leaving opened bags and boxes on the shelves is one way to attract unwanted pests. Transferring opened goods to sealed containers keeps the contents fresh and prevents contamination from insects and rodents. If you don't have containers, move the opened items to the refrigerator until you have adequate storage materials.

A Pest-Free Home: Preventative Pest Control

It only takes a couple pests to start an infestation. Preventative steps such as getting rid of clutter and maintaining your lawn goes a long way in the battle against stubborn insects and rodents. If they've already invaded your space or you fear an infestation is right around the corner, Pest Control Solutions can help. Contact us to get a free estimate and to schedule an appointment with our technicians. We'll not only eliminate an infestation but also prevent another one from happening in your home.

Perhaps you were eating breakfast and saw a roach scurrying across the table or went to take a shower and found the unwelcome pest in your tub. If you encounter one of these creepy-crawly creatures in your home, it might have snuck in through a door or a window. However, it could be a sign of a more serious infestation.

Do You See Cockroach Droppings?

Cockroaches produce a large amount of feces. They can poop anywhere they go, but their droppings tend to remain close to their nesting or feeding areas. Roach droppings look like specks of pepper, coffee grounds or dark grains of rice.

The size of the feces is directly related to the size of the cockroach. Bigger insects produce larger droppings.

If you notice these dark grains underneath or inside cabinets, behind your refrigerator or in other cracks and crevices, you will probably be able to gauge the extent of your problem. You should clean them up because they can trigger asthma symptoms and attract other roaches. If you see cockroach feces, you might also want to contact an exterminator to get rid of the problem for good.

Have You Found Egg Casings?

Cockroach egg casings look like small, pill-shaped capsules. The egg casings may have recently been deposited by the female, in which case they may hatch soon. Older egg casings have probably already hatched. Guess where those cockroaches likely ended up?

If you have travel plans and don't want to invite bed bugs to come back home with you, taking a few proactive steps can do wonders. Reducing the risk is easier than you once thought possible as long as you follow a proven plan, and you can stay bed bug-free without much trouble. You can travel without stress because you will know that bed bugs don't stand a chance, putting your worries to rest. Taking a few steps to keep bed bugs out of your clothes and luggage will give you confidence and peace of mind.

Protect Your Belongings

Bed bugs could try to get into your clothes or bags when you arrive at your hotel, and you are unlikely to detect them at the start. Knowing how bed bugs operate gives you the tools to keep your clothes out of their reach. For example, placing your clothes and bags in the bathtub reduces the risk because bed bugs can't climb that surface. Place everything you have in the bathroom until you confirm the hotel room is free of the pests, and doing so is always a wise step in the right direction.

Inspect Your Hotel Room

Inspecting your hotel room before doing anything else is another smart move that will reduce the threat and safeguard you from harm. Using a flashlight, check the seams of your mattress and under the covers of your bed, and you should spot the warning signs if bed bugs are nearby. Since bed bugs can hide in the other parts of your hotel room, don't forget to look in and around your furniture for the red flags of trouble. If you spot bed bugs or signs that they are not far, go to the front desk to request a room on another floor.

Sanitize Your Clothes

Although taking proactive steps to reduce the odds of a bed bug infestation can do wonders, you can't eliminate the threat. Bed bugs can still follow you back home despite your best efforts to avoid them. Luckily, you can sanitize your clothes by sealing them in plastic bags before you go inside your home. Next, take your clothes directly to the bathroom and place them in the dryer on the highest setting for 60 minutes, and the heat will kill the bed bugs and their eggs.

Pest Control Solutions

Finding bed bugs in a home after taking all of the right steps is enough to make anyone feel discouraged and hopeless. If bed bugs have made their way into your home and you want to stop them in their tracks, contact Pest Control Solutions. Our team of professionals will look for and destroy any bed bugs that think of causing you harm. Once you pick up the phone and enlist our help, we will dispatch a caring expert to your door. Give us a call if you want to learn more or are ready to take action.