Pest Library
what you need to know about pests in pennsylvania
Are you tired of seeing rodents, insects, or arachnids moving in and out of your Pennsylvania home? We can help. Use our pest control guide below to learn more about our area’s most common pests, including why they want to be in your house and how to keep them out.
Ants
We all know that when ants are motivated, they can easily find their way into any of our homes. One of the most common species to enter our York County homes is the odorous house ant. They are small black ants whose most distinctive feature is the foul odor they produce after being squished. They live together in large populations and, once comfortable in an indoor or outdoor space, are frustrating to eliminate.
Ants are social insects, and the reason they are so successful and so challenging to control is because they have excellent communication skills. Ants create pheromone trails that lead members of the colony to and from their nest to a found food source. As ants move in and out of our homes gathering food, they contaminate your family’s stored food, spread bacteria, and become an overall nuisance.
To help avoid problems with ants on your property, make sure to rake leaves and mulch back from your foundation. Reduce excess moisture by repairing leaky pipes and ensuring gutters are in good working order. Remove food sources that keep ants returning to your property by keeping lids on trash cans and picking up pet food. Keep your kitchen clean and indoor and outdoor eating areas free of food crumbs. The best way to avoid problems with ants is to implement regular pest control services. Contact us today to see how we can help!
rats and mice
Many different pests frequent homes in our area, and the rodent happens to be at the top of the list. Rodents are quite capable of living on their own without the help of people but have discovered how beneficial it is to live near humans. Our yards and homes provide rodents with safety, shelter, food, and water. The most problematic rodents in our area are mice, Norway rats, and roof rats.
Things in most of our yards that regularly attract the attention of rodents are open trash cans, gardens, woodpiles, dense vegetation, yard clutter, and outdoor eating areas. Once rodents become regular visitors to your yard, it is only a matter of time before these crafty critters find a way into your home. Once inside, these prolific breeders make themselves at home and cause problems like introducing bacteria and disease-causing pathogens, causing structural damage, and contaminating food.
To keep rats away, make sure that your yard is as unappealing as possible and your home is secure.
-Keep lids on trash cans.
-Outdoor eating areas should be kept clean and free of food debris.
-Maintain your yard; cut back overgrown vegetation, keep the grass cut short, and trim shrubbery back from your home.
-Regularly check your home’s exterior, using caulk, steel wool, or another material to seal defects.
To learn more about partnering with Lemonade Pest Control to eliminate problematic rodents from your York County property, reach out today!
cockroaches
Two of the most common species of cockroaches that invade our York County homes are Asian and German cockroaches. These two species look very similar but have some significant differences.
-The Asian cockroach is a strong flier; the German cockroach is not.
-German cockroaches prefer to live indoors, while Asian cockroaches happily live outside in leaf litter and under mulch.
-Asian cockroaches have narrower wings than German cockroaches.
Something German cockroaches, Asian cockroaches, and all other cockroaches have in common is that they do not ever belong in our homes. Yet, much to the dismay of homeowners, cockroaches regularly find their way indoors.
Any house is subject to a cockroach infestation because they have so many entry points. Roaches can move inside through any small crack in a home’s exterior or get indoors inside food packages, deliveries, secondhand appliances, electronics, or firewood. Once inside, they quickly take over, hiding in hard-to-reach cracks, crevices, and spaces behind drawers and cabinets. Cockroaches are not only annoying to deal with, but they are dangerous. They spread bacteria, parasites, disease-causing pathogens, create foul odors, and stain fabrics and surfaces with excrement.
Controlling cockroaches begins with taking away their most common entry points. Repair any cracks or other openings in your home’s exterior. Keep mesh covers over vents or drains, and replace damaged weatherstripping and trim. Food and moisture are the two biggest attractants for cockroaches. Repairing leaky pipes, ensuring proper ventilation, keeping lids on trash cans, and maintaining a clean kitchen go a long way in preventing problems with roaches.
flies
Flies are small insects that make up the largest group of insects. What differentiates flies from other insects is that they only have one pair of wings instead of two. Having only one pair of wings makes them weak fliers. Flies can take over any space that provides them with food, moisture, and breeding sites, like trash, pet excrement, clogged drains, compost, outdoor eating areas, and decaying vegetation. They are prolific breeders and create large difficult-to-manage populations.
House flies, drain flies, and cluster flies are flies that regularly take over our yards and homes. Flies are most problematic when the temperatures are warmest; the warmer the temperature, the faster their eggs will hatch. In very high temperatures, an egg can hatch in only a few hours! Flies are not only annoying to have buzzing around your house, but they pose a danger. Flies come into contact with many unsavory pathogens, and as they land and feed, they spread bacteria and other illnesses to surfaces.
In order to avoid problems with flies, it is essential to remove as much decaying debris and moisture from your property as possible.
-Keep lids on trash cans.
-Pick up pet excrement every day.
-Keep outdoor eating and cooking areas free of food.
-Remove leaf piles and other yard debris.
-Repair leaky pipes and keep drains clear of debris.
If you are experiencing problems with flies, reach out to us, we are here to help!
stinging insects
Yellow jackets, carpenter bees, and paper wasps are all types of stinging insects that live in our region of Pennsylvania. They are pests that we can’t live without and can’t live with. When outside away from people, they are a vital part of the ecosystem aiding in some pollination and as fierce predators that help control populations of nuisance insects. However, when they decide to nest in our yards, they become dangerous and need to be removed.
Stinging insects pose dangers to people because their only means of defense is the stinger extending from the hind end. Unfortunately for us, just walking past a nest could elicit an attack. Stinging insect stings are painful and filled with venom. Depending on the person, a mild to life-threatening reaction could result. Carpenter bees pose another problem; they tunnel through wood and wooden structures to create their nests. If left untreated, carpenter bees can cause significant damage to structures in our yards and homes.
The best way to avoid problems with stinging insects is to partner with a professional and have routine inspections and pest control treatments. Stinging insects live and breed outdoors and will find their way onto any property that offers them their basic needs. Guard your family against problematic stinging insects by reaching out to us today and learning about our year-round pest control solutions!
ticks
Ticks are blood-feeding arachnids that live in large populations throughout York County. Our region’s many wooded areas, fields, and backyards are places ticks love to call home. One of our area’s most troublesome tick species is the deep tick, a tiny reddish-brown tick with black legs. Their preferred host is the deer, but they won’t hesitate to attach themselves to any warm-blooded mammal, including people who brush past them.
Despite their small size, ticks are dangerous to have in large populations in our yards. Ticks are slow feeders, which allows them to very effectively acquire diseases from one host and then spread those diseases to their next hosts. Deer ticks spread Lyme disease, which, if not treated, is quite serious and debilitating.
Ticks are regularly introduced onto our properties by their wild animal hosts. Making your property as unappealing to animal hosts as possible is essential to keeping ticks at bay. Keep lids on trash cans, remove bird feeders, pick up uneaten pet food, and maintain your yard.
e-lemonade these nuisance pests
Lemonade Pest Control is a local company that understands when pests are most active in our region and how to control and eliminate them. If you live in York County, PA, and want to learn more about our ongoing residential pest control service, please reach out to us today!