No matter whether it is rats, ants or termites invading your home, it’s essential that they be dealt with quickly. Although DIY solutions such as moth balls or bug spray may temporarily reduce an infestation’s presence – permanent solutions must be found soon after!
Some pests can be particularly dangerous due to their stings or bites, while others cause structural damage and spread diseases. Here are some emergency pest control solutions.
Stinging Insects
Bees, hornets and wasps pose serious health risks to homeowners due to the health risks posed by their stings. Each year over half a million people seek emergency room treatment due to reactions caused by bee and stinging insect venom – such as urticaria, vomiting, tachycardia, angioedema or respiratory arrest – including systemic reactions like urticaria, vomiting tachycardia angioedema respiratory arrest etc. Additionally stinging insects can irritate skin causing redness, swelling and pain – something which cannot be caused by bee stings!
Stinging insect nests or hives can often be found in hollow spaces like tree stumps, logs and piles of wood. They may also form in eaves, under porches and other locations. Removing these nests on your own can be dangerous as removing them may release an army of insects who attack and sting you – it is recommended to contact a pest control expert instead.
Step one of stinging insect prevention involves identifying its species. This will enable you to determine whether professional assistance is required. Alternatively, try to stay clear of areas or nests as much as possible to minimize chances of getting stung.
Keep in mind that stinging insects only sting in response to feeling threatened or protecting their home, so it is wise not to wave your arms about in an attempt to scare away stinging insects – this will only provoke them and increase the odds of an unexpected sting!
In addition, when working around stinging insects it is wise to wear long sleeves and pants along with closed-toe shoes or boots, and avoid leaving food out or leaving garbage cans open as this will attract them. Furthermore, using power tools such as lawn mowers, weed eaters or chainsaws near bees, hornets or wasps may further agitate them leading to more stings from them.
Should you become stung, seek medical assistance immediately as some stings can be life threatening. A bee, hornet or wasp sting typically produces an itchy urticaria rash with swelling around the affected area and itching of skin; however, people more sensitive to their venom can experience more serious reactions.
Rodents
Rodents make up the largest order of mammals and encompass families such as Rattinae (rats and mice), Muridae (voles and pocket gophers), Cricetidae (beavers and porcupines), and Caviidae (South American rodents encompassing five genera and 23 species). Rodents share one feature common among all these mammal families – sharp, rootless incisor teeth on either the upper or lower jaw.
Rodents play an essential role in natural ecosystems by feeding on native vegetation and preying upon other animals, serving as food sources for predators and scavengers alike. Unfortunately, non-native rats and mice can create problems for people’s homes and gardens when they invade from outside, potentially contaminating food supplies, damaging crops and spreading pathogens through direct contact or the consumption of insects that feed off infected rodents.
Animals that inhabit burrows not only thrive from an abundance of food sources, but they also require shelter. Burrows, rock crevices, tree holes, mounds of cut vegetation or simple nests made from leaves and sticks provide homes for these creatures while some remain active all year while others enter periods of dormancy or deep hibernation – their reproductive systems produce prolifically; some species even producing up to 14 litters annually!
Mice and rats are two of the top reasons for emergency pest control services to intervene, as their infestations often require immediate attention. Mice chew through electrical wires, cause considerable damage to buildings and landscaping, spread disease through droppings, enter homes through walls allowing access into living spaces causing physical hazards for residents, as well as create health threats by damaging wiring infrastructures. They can even penetrate homes to enter living spaces presenting dangerous situations for residents.
Keep these creatures away by depriving them of what they need for survival, like short grass cutting and clearing away piles of debris that they tend to congregate around. Furthermore, ensure your garbage can is secure with a tight lid, and report conditions like leaky pipes or soffits allowing water into your house immediately to your landlord or building manager so they can be promptly addressed and avoided as a source of future emergency pest control services. Taking these steps will reduce costly emergency pest control services in the future.
Termites
If a termite infestation goes undetected for too long, serious structural damage to wood structures within your home could occur. Unlike stinging insects, rodents, and ants, termites have the ability to chew through untreated wood items in search of food – from books and wood flooring to drywall panels and even books!
Termite infestations are typically found in homes and businesses, though they can also occur in barns and warehouses. If you suspect termites infesting either, professional pest control services are highly trained in identifying their species as well as treating it quickly to ensure its treatment goes unabated.
Reticulitermes speratus is the most frequently seen species of termite throughout the US and typically swarms between March and April. Subterranean termites travel underground via mud tubes they create that protect them from predators while providing foraging workers with an easy means of returning with cellulose food sources to their colonies.
Once at their destination, foraging termites feed their entire colony by regurgitating any cellulose they consume – this process is enabled by flagellate protozoa living within their gut and which converts their digested food into shareable sustenance – this relationship has enabled termites to thrive for millennia.
If you suspect termites, it is important to contact a professional for immediate inspection. If the infestation is severe, fumigation may be recommended as one option to control it; any attempt at self-treating by you could lead to costly wood damage and costly repair bills.
Your perception of an emergency with regard to pest problems depends on their type and your level of sensitivity to them. While it is generally best to act quickly when faced with an infestation, especially if allergic, staying calm and taking your time when making decisions in a pest control emergency will prevent any rash decisions that exacerbate the issue further. The same holds true in other forms of infestation emergencies as well.
Bed Bugs
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are reddish-brown insects that feed on human blood while people sleep. Although they most commonly inhabit people’s bedrooms, bed bugs have also been known to infest hotels, schools, offices, retail stores and public transportation systems. Though bed bugs usually prefer living in people’s bedrooms they are known to infest any place humans gather such as hotels schools offices offices retail stores public transportation systems etc… Once an ideal host is identified it takes only about three minutes for the bed bugs to pierce skin penetrate skin pierce skin pierce skin pierce blood collection resulting in extremely itchy bites which may lead to skin rashes insomnia psychological problems
As soon as a bed bug problem arises, it’s vital that you contact a pest control service as quickly as possible, especially after office hours and during weekends when infestations often take place. Since most infestations occurs outside regular business hours, pest control experts must respond immediately when called out after office hours to manage an outbreak.
Before inviting in a pest control technician, extensive preparation may be necessary. Clutter and belongings should be cleared away to remove hiding places for insects; once cleared out, items should be bagged up and either washed in hot water and dried on high heat or dry cleaned as necessary. Vacuuming regularly and keeping items in sealed storage containers or storage areas will help stop further spreading of these pests.
Due to close quarters in apartment buildings and condos, bed bugs are more prevalent. To combat them efficiently and thoroughly, an inspection and treatment program are imperative as bed bugs can easily travel between units to establish themselves there.
As another precaution, it is wise to avoid secondhand goods that could harbour bed bugs such as mattresses and sofas, and run all clothing purchased from thrift shops through the dryer before bringing them into your home. Furthermore, keeping records throughout this process of eliminating an infestation will make determining whether pests have indeed been eliminated easier.