We Have the Tools and the Expertise for All of Your Ant Problems
December 12th, 2010
Ants may enter your home looking for food or shelter, to solve your ant problem it is helpful to understanding the behaviour of ants.
Ants are social insects that live in colonies which include one or more queen ants, worker ants, eggs, larvae, and pupae. The worker ants maintain their nests and forage for food. Nests protect the ants against enemies and protects them against the elements; often nests are close to water and food sources. When worker ants find a food source, they lay down a trail pheromone that tells other worker ants where to find the food. Ants have a wide food range, feeding on sweet foods, protein foods, greasy materials, starchy substances. They may feed on and all kinds of plant and animal materials.
There are two types of ant treatment available based on the ant problem. Ants may live outside and forage inside your home or ants that already have a nest built inside.
Ants that live outside will travel inside the home to search for food. You will want to find access points such as cracks and crevices, which should be caulked and sealed. Also clean around entry points with a detergent and spray a non-repellent insecticide. The types of ants that establish colonies inside homes may be argentine ants, crazy ants, odorous house ants, pavement ants, pharaoh ants, thief ants, and carpenter ants. Spraying a residual repellent insecticide for ant control may only provide a short-term pest control. However, the use of ant bates can be extremely effective. The ants will feed on the ant baits and take it back to the queen, killing the entire colony
Ants may enter your home looking for food or shelter, to solve your ant problem it is helpful to understanding the behaviour of ants.
Ants are social insects that live in colonies which include one or more queen ants, worker ants, eggs, larvae, and pupae. The worker ants maintain their nests and forage for food. Nests protect the ants against enemies and protects them against the elements; often nests are close to water and food sources. When worker ants find a food source, they lay down a trail pheromone that tells other worker ants where to find the food. Ants have a wide food range, feeding on sweet foods, protein foods, greasy materials, starchy substances. They may feed on and all kinds of plant and animal materials.
There are two types of ant treatment available based on the ant problem. Ants may live outside and forage inside your home or ants that already have a nest built inside.
Ants that live outside will travel inside the home to search for food. You will want to find access points such as cracks and crevices, which should be caulked and sealed. Also clean around entry points with a detergent and spray a non-repellent insecticide. The types of ants that establish colonies inside homes may be argentine ants, crazy ants, odorous house ants, pavement ants, pharaoh ants, thief ants, and carpenter ants. Spraying a residual repellent insecticide for ant control may only provide a short-term pest control. However, the use of ant bates can be extremely effective. The ants will feed on the ant baits and take it back to the queen, killing the entire colony
Safely Remove Honey Bees from Your Home
November 25th, 2010
A large honey bee colony will sometimes divide itself, and a swarm may leave the hive. The new swarm will send out scout bees to search for a suitable place to build a new home. Usually scout bees will find a hollow tree, but sometimes they will find an opening in your home’s outside walls or foundation. Bees may nest in the walls, ceiling, basement or attic; often some distance from where they entered the house.
If you suspect you may have a colony of honey bees in your house, try to observe and note the opening in your outside walls being used by the bees. Look near the foundation line of your home, under your deck, in your attic rafters, any other areas that may provide a way for honey bees to get into your home.
Removing honey bees from inside any of the above spaces is a time consuming process that is best to have done by professionals. You can do it yourself, but only if you know what you are doing and use extreme caution.
It is important that all honeycomb and its contents be removed. Bits of wax left behind give off highly attractive odors that will attract other bees looking for a new home. If the nest is not removed, the wax cells may melt and seep through interior walls and ceilings, leaving permanent stains.
Contact us or give us a call and we’ll promptly be at your property with the industry’s leading products and methodologies to neutralize any threat that the bees may pose.
A large honey bee colony will sometimes divide itself, and a swarm may leave the hive. The new swarm will send out scout bees to search for a suitable place to build a new home. Usually scout bees will find a hollow tree, but sometimes they will find an opening in your home’s outside walls or foundation. Bees may nest in the walls, ceiling, basement or attic; often some distance from where they entered the house.
If you suspect you may have a colony of honey bees in your house, try to observe and note the opening in your outside walls being used by the bees. Look near the foundation line of your home, under your deck, in your attic rafters, any other areas that may provide a way for honey bees to get into your home.
Removing honey bees from inside any of the above spaces is a time consuming process that is best to have done by professionals. You can do it yourself, but only if you know what you are doing and use extreme caution.
It is important that all honeycomb and its contents be removed. Bits of wax left behind give off highly attractive odors that will attract other bees looking for a new home. If the nest is not removed, the wax cells may melt and seep through interior walls and ceilings, leaving permanent stains.
Contact us or give us a call and we’ll promptly be at your property with the industry’s leading products and methodologies to neutralize any threat that the bees may pose.
Ensure Scorpions and Pests Do Not Get Into Your Home
November 16th, 2010
It is often difficult to fully inspect houses, which is required when treating for pests in a home. To be 100% sure that pests do not have access to your home; furniture, stored goods, carpet, insulation, etc. would need to be removed, which is obviously impossible.
We use an Infrared (IR) Camera to locate areas that are hot or cool, allowing us to diagnose a potential issue before it becomes a serious problem. Concerning pest control, we utilize thermal imaging to discover gaps in your home’s envelope that allow pests to access the interior.
Thermal Imaging is the latest tool to aid the detection of accessible areas for pests in walls, under floors, and ceiling cavities.
Thermal Imaging Can:
Conduct non invasive, non-destructive inspections
Reduce time in trying to locate openings and threats
Allow the technician to pinpoint areas of suspicion
Assists in determining a more accurate treatment procedure
It is often difficult to fully inspect houses, which is required when treating for pests in a home. To be 100% sure that pests do not have access to your home; furniture, stored goods, carpet, insulation, etc. would need to be removed, which is obviously impossible.
We use an Infrared (IR) Camera to locate areas that are hot or cool, allowing us to diagnose a potential issue before it becomes a serious problem. Concerning pest control, we utilize thermal imaging to discover gaps in your home’s envelope that allow pests to access the interior.
Thermal Imaging is the latest tool to aid the detection of accessible areas for pests in walls, under floors, and ceiling cavities.
Thermal Imaging Can:
Conduct non invasive, non-destructive inspections
Reduce time in trying to locate openings and threats
Allow the technician to pinpoint areas of suspicion
Assists in determining a more accurate treatment procedure
Pet Friendly Pest Control in Phoenix and Across the Valley
November 7th, 2010
In the cupboard, carpet, or air; every house has unwanted pests and invaders. Pesticides are available to control pests, but these chemicals may be more harmful to you and your pets than your pests.
Some things you can do to control pests:
- Keep a clean home, this is the best way to keep pests away
- Clean up food and drink spills right away
- Remove clutter to reduce the places for pests to hide
- Seal food containers properly and put your pet’s dishes away overnight
- Keep trash in a closed container
- Ensure there are no water leaks
- Seal cracks and holes around baseboards, shelves, sinks, and bathroom fixtures
- Use roach baits properly and only if necessary. Good spots for baits are next to walls, baseboards, under sinks, in cabinets and near plumbing fixtures.
A safe alternative to traditional pest control is integrated pest management (IPM), which Cummings Pest Control uses to remove pests, like cock-roaches, mice, and rats from a home. IPM aims to:
Deny pests food, water, shelter and a way to enter the home
Use baits and powders, such as gel baits and traps
IPM is safer and does not use as many harmful pesticides as traditional pest control. Pesticides can contain long lasting, toxic chemicals or lung irritants. IPM strategies apply pesticides only as needed and use the least hazardous pesticides to control pests.
Integrated pest management is better than traditional pest control at keeping the roaches and other pests away for long periods of time. IPM works by addressing the cause of the problem and taking along-term approach to reducing pests.
In the cupboard, carpet, or air; every house has unwanted pests and invaders. Pesticides are available to control pests, but these chemicals may be more harmful to you and your pets than your pests.
Some things you can do to control pests:
- Keep a clean home, this is the best way to keep pests away
- Clean up food and drink spills right away
- Remove clutter to reduce the places for pests to hide
- Seal food containers properly and put your pet’s dishes away overnight
- Keep trash in a closed container
- Ensure there are no water leaks
- Seal cracks and holes around baseboards, shelves, sinks, and bathroom fixtures
- Use roach baits properly and only if necessary. Good spots for baits are next to walls, baseboards, under sinks, in cabinets and near plumbing fixtures.
A safe alternative to traditional pest control is integrated pest management (IPM), which Cummings Pest Control uses to remove pests, like cock-roaches, mice, and rats from a home. IPM aims to:
Deny pests food, water, shelter and a way to enter the home
Use baits and powders, such as gel baits and traps
IPM is safer and does not use as many harmful pesticides as traditional pest control. Pesticides can contain long lasting, toxic chemicals or lung irritants. IPM strategies apply pesticides only as needed and use the least hazardous pesticides to control pests.
Integrated pest management is better than traditional pest control at keeping the roaches and other pests away for long periods of time. IPM works by addressing the cause of the problem and taking along-term approach to reducing pests.
Deter Termites from Damaging Your Home
October 25th, 2010
Certain conditions make a location attractive to termites, reduce the chances of infestation by making the following steps.
- Keeping pipes and air-conditioning units in good repair as well as sealing pipes
- Keeping water away from the foundation and removing standing water from roofs
- Getting rid of excess plant cover and wood mulch around the house foundation
- Keep crawl spaces clear of lumber and paper and do not keep firewood around or outside the house
Obvious signs of termite infestation include.
- Wall cracks or blistered wooden areas in the home, like a floor, wall, window frame, or stud
- Narrow mud tubes along the base of the house
- Piles of seed-like pellets along a wall
- Termite swarms in or near a building, or shedded wings from flying termites
If Infestation Occurs, rely on Cummings Termite & Pest Control to assess and present the most effective treatment for maximum protection of your home.
Cummings utilizes non-repellant chemistry to control termites. Termidor®, the termiticide we utilize, is designed to sneak into the soil undetected by the termites. This allows the termites to move through the termiticide, picking up the active ingredient and carrying it back down into the colony, thus killing it from the inside out.
Certain conditions make a location attractive to termites, reduce the chances of infestation by making the following steps.
- Keeping pipes and air-conditioning units in good repair as well as sealing pipes
- Keeping water away from the foundation and removing standing water from roofs
- Getting rid of excess plant cover and wood mulch around the house foundation
- Keep crawl spaces clear of lumber and paper and do not keep firewood around or outside the house
Obvious signs of termite infestation include.
- Wall cracks or blistered wooden areas in the home, like a floor, wall, window frame, or stud
- Narrow mud tubes along the base of the house
- Piles of seed-like pellets along a wall
- Termite swarms in or near a building, or shedded wings from flying termites
If Infestation Occurs, rely on Cummings Termite & Pest Control to assess and present the most effective treatment for maximum protection of your home.
Cummings utilizes non-repellant chemistry to control termites. Termidor®, the termiticide we utilize, is designed to sneak into the soil undetected by the termites. This allows the termites to move through the termiticide, picking up the active ingredient and carrying it back down into the colony, thus killing it from the inside out.
