Probably since the beginning of human existence, rats have been with us. These opportunistic feeders will eat just about anything, which is why they tend to be around humans. They are useful in that sense, being that they will eat our trash. Rats prefer grains, seeds, nuts, fruits, and vegetables, but they are not picky.

Safety Fumigant Company serves the South Shore of Massachusetts with the best pest control and wildlife removal services, including rodent control. We are a third-generation, family-owned business that’s been serving the residents of Massachusetts for over 90 years. Our experience and know-how with eliminating your pests cannot be beat. Below, we’ll take a brief look at the importance of rat catchers throughout time, and why you should call us should you see one of these pesky rodents near your home or business. Call for rodent control today!

THE IMPORTANCE OF RAT CATCHERS THROUGHOUT TIME

Rats and mice have always lived near humans. However, the problem with this is that rats and mice don’t discriminate in food, meaning they will eat our grains and more that is for human consumption and not just the garbage. The other problem with rats is that they carry fleas that can cause diseases in humans, most notably The Black Plague that killed millions of people from the 16th to the 18th century.

Enter the rat catcher. Rat infestations in big cities such as London and in Europe was a huge problem. With the rise of Industrialization in the 1800s, the rise of sanitation did not accompany it. This meant that the environment of trash in the streets was ripe for rat populations to soar. This was also a time of incredible poverty in Europe, so humans earned a living as they could, one being rat catchers.

Rat catchers would chase down rats in sewers and in the streets, capturing them with their bare hands, with traps, or by using terrier dogs. This helped to control the rat population and the spread of disease.

In essence, anytime there is a great abundance of food, rats congregate. Another example of a rat problem was in the trenches of World War I. They would eat discarded food, rotting bodies, the leather straps of guns, anything. They spread diseases with their fleas and urine, bit people, stole food, and disrupted sleep. Terriers and ferrets were in high demand.

Finally, as sanitation improved throughout the world, rats retreated back to their natural environment, eliminating the need for rat catchers.

CHOOSE SAFETY FUMIGANT IN HINGHAM TODAY FOR ALL YOUR RODENT CONTROL NEEDS

Safety Fumigant in Hingham offers both residential and commercial rodent control services. Our team is well-versed in rat behavior and with over 90 years of eliminating rats, we have what it takes to get the job done. Our rat removal team will perform a thorough inspection of your home or office. Then we’ll set our traps, catch your rodents (don’t let their faces fool you!), and take them away for you. Sign up for our recurring pest control services today!

The post The Importance of Rat Catchers Throughout Time appeared first on Safety Fumigant Company Pest Control Services.

In our most recent blog, we told you all about termites and how they can cause destruction of your property. Since most houses are built with wood frames, termites in the United States have no problem taking up residence in your home and destroying it from the inside out. In short, having termites in your home in the Hingham area means it’s time to call for termite control.

To tell the truth, it can be very difficult to discover you have termites. You never really see the frame of your house unless you’re in the attic, and termites don’t tend to get that high up. They’ll simply hide out behind your walls, slowly eating your house and damaging the structure. Calling a professional termite exterminator is the best way to investigate your home and look for those destructive pests.

But if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t deal with a problem until they see it themselves, we have a few things to look for to tell you that it’s time to contact a termite exterminator.

Flying Termites

Most termites never have wings, and those who do often lose them after traveling a short distance and starting a new colony.

But there is a short time when termites will gather outside of their nest in order to “send off” the next generation. These flyers, called alates, are males and females who are heading off to find a new burrow and start making termites of their own. The most common time you’ll see this is right after a rain, as termites are big fans of humidity. If you see these termite alates — or their discarded wings — be sure to call termite control for a more thorough investigation.

Hollow Wood

As we’ve already mentioned, termites are often behind walls. This often means that you’ll never see the damage they do as a structure falls apart around you.

But even if you could see the lumber that makes up your house, you might still be unaware of the damage. That’s because termites eat wood from the inside out, so you might not see many entrance holes on an exposed 2 x 4 but the entire inside might be hollow.

If you come across a piece of wood that sounds hollow when you tap on it, or you can literally poke a hole through it with your finger, you should call a termite exterminator. This wood might not necessarily be a part of your house, but if you find that your wood fence has been infested, it’s very likely that they’ve moved into your house as well. Remember the alates!

Noise In The Walls

We don’t have to tell you that noise coming from your walls is a good sign that you need to call pest control of some kind. While it could be mice or rats, there’s also a good chance that you have termites to deal with.

Termites are surprisingly noisy eaters, as they have incredibly strong jaws. While you might not be able to hear the sound of just one termite eating, you can probably hear the sound of hundreds as they gnaw on the frame of the house. Simply put your ear up to the wall, and call for termite control if you hear a constant chewing sound.

Call Us For Pest Control!

If you have any inclination that you have termites, never hesitate to contact a pest control expert. The fate of your house might be on the line, so contact Safety Fumigant!

The post Signs That Mean It’s Time To Call Termite Control appeared first on Safety Fumigant Company Pest Control Services.

Just hearing the word “termite” probably fills you with dread. While some people around the world have no problems using termites as a protein source in their meals, termites in this country tend to mean one thing: structural damage. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a termite exterminator keep watch over your home and other buildings on your property.

Sure, other insects might bother you because they look disgusting and freak you out. Others might pose a health concern to you or your family. But termites are the ones that can cause extensive damage to your home, damage that might go unseen for years until there’s a significant structural problem. Let’s learn a bit more about why pest control services in the Hingham area are so important when it comes to exterminating termites.

What Are Termites?

While termites might look quite a bit like ants, they’re not. In fact, ants and termites are bitter enemies in the wild, with ants often coming out on top. Termites are actually closer to cockroaches than ants, which makes them even worse to most people.

Termites aren’t just one creature. In fact, there are more than 3,100 species of termites identified so far across the globe. If you take human interests out of the equation, termites are actually incredibly helpful to the environment. Termites are detritivores, which mean they recycle detritus such as dead wood and animal feces. Essentially, they’re excellent recyclers and composters.

Why Are They So Destructive?

You might be surprised to know that most termite species aren’t harmful to human dwellings. In fact, of the more than three thousand species, only 183 are known to cause damage to human habitats. And of those 183, only 18 are in America. Still, if you need a termite exterminator, it really doesn’t matter how few of them are destructive…you want the ones in your house taken care of as quickly as possible.

Termites are so destructive because they use wood as a food source. They harbor protozoa and microbes in their guts that allow them to break down the cellulose in wood and turn it into energy. Unfortunately, wood-frame houses are the most common type of building in the country, and the 2 x 4s used to construct your house aren’t really any different from dead logs that termites would normally digest. To them, dead wood is dead wood.

Termites cause extensive damage throughout the world to human-made structures, including homes, garages, decks, outbuildings, and even hardwood trees. It’s estimated that termites cause about five billion dollars in damage in the United States each year.

What Can Be Done?

You can’t just “wait termites out” until the nest goes away. Termite queens just so happen to be the longest living insect in the entire insect kingdom, living for more than 30 years!

In our next blog we’ll discuss the signs to look out for when it comes to termites. While there are some things you can do, the best course of action is to call a professional termite exterminator to have them inspect your buildings in Hingham, Dorchester, Westwood, Weymouth, and the surrounding areas. Give us a call today!

The post How Termite Exterminators Can Save Your Home appeared first on Safety Fumigant Company Pest Control Services.

Of course, not all of these insects were the same. While they’re often lumped together — and feared equally in some cases — there are actually some big differences between insects that are often labeled as bees. As you local pest control service, we’ll handle them all if they get to be a nuisance, but we also think it’s important for us to educate you as much as possible.  

Bee Removal

Bees are fuzzy and awesome. We say that because, compared to the next two entries on this list, they’re much more docile than wasps and hornets. Honey bees, for instance, seldom sting unless you handle them extensively or step on them. In most cases, they’ll just land on you and then fly off again. Sweat bees are one of the few exceptions, since they’re actually attracted to human sweat.

There are many types of bees, such as honey bees, bumble bees, and carpenter bees. What they all have in common is that they’re fuzzy. Bees are incredibly important to the environment because of the pollination they perform, and the fuzz on their body helps with this.

In general, we like to leave bees alone. But if they start building a nest inside a house, that’s when we need to get involved.

Wasp Exterminator

Okay, now we’re getting into “insect jerk” territory. Wasps, which include yellowjackets, seem to be flying around just looking for a reason to sting you. Wasps are larger than honeybees, and the primary difference is that they are omnivores. While they do very little pollination, they do spend quite a bit of time around fruit (and soda) in order to get sugar. But they also eat other insects, or, if you’re trying to have a picnic, hamburgers.

Wasps are not fuzzy, and, like we said, they tend to be jerks. Yellowjackets will also build their nests just about anywhere, including the eaves of houses and the posts of decks. If you need a wasp exterminator, our pest control services are ready to help.

Hornet Exterminator

Hornets look big and bad, but they’re usually not as aggressive as wasps. Part of that reason could be that they’re primarily carnivores, specifically insectivores. So while a wasp might fight you for your turkey sandwich, a hornet won’t bug you unless you’re chowing down on some cockroaches.

Need Pest Control?

If you need pest control services to get rid of stinging insects, safety fumigant is ready to help. Contact us today!

The post The Differences Between Bees, Wasps, and Hornets appeared first on Safety Fumigant Company Pest Control Services.

But today we’re not going to deal with anything that has fur. Yes, some of them might have hair (wasps and spiders have certain types of hair, after all), but today is not the day to talk about mammals. Today we’re going to talk about our role as bug exterminators, and the specific reasons that people contact us so often. After all, some bugs can be seen and escorted outside. Some can crawl behind the piano and you don’t really mind letting them go. But these bugs…these are the bugs you want dead.

We Handle Cockroach Control

Is there any bug more hated than the cockroach? While there are more disgusting bugs out there…oh, who are we kidding, there aren’t really any bugs out there more disgusting than cockroaches. The presence of cockroaches are pretty much shorthand for “this place is dirty.”

Why do people want to get rid of cockroaches so much? Well, first of all, they just seem to be able to survive anything, so it takes a professional to really make sure they’re gone. They come in all sorts of sizes and can flatten themselves to get into nooks and crannies that are hard to get to. Of course, their interest in moist places means that they often show up in places that we want to keep clean. Those clean dishes in the dish dryer? They’re there. The bathroom sink and the toothbrush next to it? Yup. Plus they have the annoying habit of hanging out while it’s dark and then scurrying when the lights go on. In other words, you just know that they’ll be coming back the moment you turn the lights back off.

Oh, and some of them can fly. So yeah, they’re horrible.

We’re Your Termite Exterminators

There are some pretty bugs out there, so long as you don’t get up really close. Butterflies are beautiful, beetles can have iridescent green and blue shells, and ladybugs are actually considered cute. (They have really good PR people.)

Termites, on the other hand, are just plain ugly. They are a sickening semi-translucent white or orange, a weird body shape that is far from cute, and have mandibles that look pretty dangerous. Oh, and they tend to stick together is big writhing clumps.

Of course, the worst of it is the damage they cause. Termites might be beneficial in breaking down dead logs out in the forest, but they also want to start eating the dead lumber that makes up the frame of your house. In doing so, they cause billions of dollars in damage in our country per year. We’re more than happy to help get rid of them and protect your house.

We Provide Tick Prevention

People hate blood suckers for some reason. Bed bug, mosquitoes, and ticks are simply some of the most despised creatures on the planet, those “nobody would miss them if they were gone” sorts of critters.

Here’s one way in which ticks are actually less bad than mosquitoes and bed bugs: ticks stick around. While bed bugs attack you when you’re sleeping and mosquitoes inject you with anesthetic so that you don’t feel their bite until they’re done, ticks will latch on so that you can exact revenge on them with your opposable thumbs (didn’t see that coming, did you, Mr. Tick?!) Unfortunately, by the time you find them on your body (or a pet’s), they’ve already transmitted any diseases they might have. Bed bugs might be cowards, but at least they don’t give you Lyme disease.

What’s the best way to stop ticks from getting you or your loved ones sick? Tick prevention. We can treat your yard so that it’s a dangerous place for ticks, wiping out them and the future generations they would have created.

Let Us Handle Your Pest Control

If you have any of these tiny monsters in your home or yard, we’re ready to help you get rid of them. Not only are they disgusting, but your health — or, in the case of termites, the health of your home — might be at stake. Contact Safety Fumigant today and we’ll take care of your insect problem!

The post The Most Common Bugs That Bug People Into Calling Pest Control Services appeared first on Safety Fumigant Company Pest Control Services.

When you look at the world, you can see how just about every creature has its place (except for yellowjackets). An animal either makes up an important part of the food chain, or they provide some service that benefits everyone (except for yellowjackets). When these creatures are outdoors, there’s really not much need to call for pest control or an exterminator (unless you have yellowjackets).

The fact is, most of us love nature. We like getting out onto a hiking trail or taking a trip to the park, and we generally don’t mind the insects we see along the path. In fact, we might even enjoy seeing certain bugs out as they go along their business. It can be fascinating to watch a line of ants head from one place to another and take food back to their nest. Seeing a tiny mouse out in the woods will bring a smile to most people’s faces.

Of course, once they get into a house, all bets are off!

There aren’t many people who will suffer bugs once they cross the threshold to the home. And when it’s mice and rats, there are health reasons (not to mention protecting the integrity of your home) to call an exterminator. Here are some of the creatures we deal with every day that just aren’t welcome in the average person’s home.

Ants

There are over 12,000 species of ants on Earth, and they play an important part in the ecosystem. While some can be destructive to other ant species or can damage some plants, most of them are benign. Ants are excellent garbagemen, cleaning up the messes that insects, animals, and humans leave behind. They’ll often remove dead insects and other organic matter, as well as crumbs you leave behind after you have a meal out on your deck.

Of course, it’s a different story entirely once they get into your house. If just one ant finds their way in, they can leave a trail for other ants to follow. Before you know it, there are ants in your pantry and crawling over your sink. Once you have them, they can be hard to get rid of; contact an ant exterminator as soon as you see signs of them.

Termites

Termites are one of the most destructive pests in the world, causing billions of dollars in damage each year in the United States alone. Termites have special bacteria in the stomach that allows them to digest the cellulose in wood, and that’s a problem considering that most homes in the US are wood-frame houses. Termites can cause great destruction in a home even before you know there’s a problem, so it’s important to know the early warning signs of having a termite problem.

But can termites offer the world anything? Well, they obviously ate something before all this wood was being used to build houses. The most common termite in the US eats dead wood, not living trees, and they simply don’t know the difference between the dead 2 X 4s in your home and a rotting log in the forest. But out in the forest, they do play an important part in breaking down dead plant matter and “composting” it, making new soil and clearing space for new vegetation to thrive.

Spiders

Of all the creatures we deal, our role as spider exterminators can make us think twice. Yes, we understand why people don’t tend to like spiders; their movements are completely foreign to us, and most of them certainly aren’t cute (though jumping spiders come close…) But there are very few poisonous spiders in the entire United States, and your chances of running into a black widow or brown recluse are pretty slim. In fact, most spider fangs aren’t even strong enough to pierce human skin.

Spiders can be beneficial because they are often eating other more destructive or disgusting bugs. In fact, they’re probably eating other spiders, so that one that you see probably prevented you from seeing ten more.

Still, we understand. While seeing a spider now and again isn’t a big deal, there are times when a spider infestation can get out of hand. If you’re seeing too many, we’ll be your spider exterminators.

We’ll Help You Get Rid of Unwanted Houseguests

No, we’re not talking about your brother-in-law who has overstayed his welcome. We’re talking about the creatures you’d be perfectly happy seeing outside but have no interest being in your house. While they might be an important part of nature, we won’t blame you if you don’t consider your house part of nature. You’ve got electricity, you’ve got plumbing, and the most nature you want inside are some nice houseplants. Creepy crawlers should stay outside.

If you’re ready to say goodbye to annoying or destructive insects, we’d love to help. Call your local exterminators and we’ll handle your pest control in the safest way possible. Contact us today to let us know what you need!

The post Aren’t Some of the Insects That Exterminators Deal With Beneficial? appeared first on Safety Fumigant Company Pest Control Services.

Everyone has their line in the sand when it comes to pest control and the killing of any animal, whether it’s an insect or mammal. Some people will see a spider in their house and help it outside, while others have no problem with an exterminator killing a wild animal that’s been terrorizing their backyard dog. Pest control and wildlife removal can be a tricky balance to keep; why are we rat exterminators but squirrel removers?

You can imagine that we’ve had to make some interesting decisions here at Safety Fumigant Company. We have to balance what the bulk of customers want, what’s best for their home, and what’s most efficient for us when it comes to pest control. Let’s take a look at how our live trapping works and why it’s so important.

To Kill Or Not To Kill?

In most cases, people don’t have a problem with our exterminator services when it comes to insects and other creepy crawlers. But it might seem like an odd distinction to make to put out killing traps for mice and rats while live-trapping squirrels and possums. After all, some rats can get as big as squirrels!

Part of the difference comes down to something simple: public perception. “Having rats” or “having mice” in a home is seen as something to be ashamed of. While an infestation can happen to anyone, people tend to be much more uncomfortable with a mouse in the house than they are with any wildlife problems (even though mice and rats are just as much wildlife).

Perhaps the most important reason that mice and rats have to be dealt with so directly and harshly is due to their reproduction rate. Just two mice can produce hundreds within a year, while a squirrel in the attic will probably be alone and have, at most, six young a year. You’re just not fighting a population boom with most wildlife, but mice and rats have to be dealt with quickly before they take over a house.

How Is Live Trapping Done?

We use Have-A-Heart traps at our pest control company in Hingham. These are live-capture traps that catch problem animals without harming them. Yes, they might not be happy to see us when we arrive to pick them up, but they’re perfectly safe!

We then take the animal to a better area and release it far from your home. While homing pigeons and dogs might have the instinct to return home, most creatures we trap are perfectly happy to stay where they are once we let them go.

What Do We Trap?

The three most common animals we trap are squirrels, possums, and raccoons. If you have some other animal that’s been sneaking into your house or hanging around your yard and animal control won’t intervene, give us a call and we’ll see what we can do.

Why Is Trapping Necessary?

There are two primary reasons why residents of Hingham and the surrounding area call us for wildlife removal: wild animals in the house and wild animals in the yard.

The most common animal to make its way into the house is a squirrel, and they’ll often end up in the attic due to their instinct to build nests high above the ground. Squirrels can chew through wood siding and then make their nest from the insulation. Squirrels are also commonly found in roof returns, plumbing vents, pipe openings, foundation grates, attached garages, and even dryer vents! Both squirrels and raccoons can also make their way into outbuilds like sheds and detached garages, and we’re more than happy to remove them for you.

People are more likely to call us about possums and raccoons because they are causing problems on the property. Both can be aggressive creatures and often don’t show fear around humans, and their presence keeps some people from going out into their own backyard. Pets can also be terrorized, which leads many people to contact us for our wildlife control services.

We’ll Handle Your Wildlife Problem!

For over 90 years, our pest control company has been handling the problems that area citizens bring to us. We’d love to see what we can do for you, whether the problem is inside or outside your home. Contact us today to see what we can do for you!

P.S. We’re posting this on Groundhog Day. Do we deal with groundhogs? Click that link above to give us a call and find out!

The post Humane Wildlife Removal As A Form Of Pest Control appeared first on Safety Fumigant Company Pest Control Services.

In our most recent article, we discussed some of the things to look out for in order to decide if it’s time to call a rodent exterminator. We discussed the way that rodents destroy food containers in a pantry to get at what’s inside, as well as the way that you can look for tracks in the dust or sugar that they have gotten into. Of course, rodent droppings are also an excellent sign that it’s time to contact someone about rodent control. We also discussed the importance of not ignoring your senses when it comes to rodent control, such as hearing the scurrying in the walls and seeing the rodents outright.

But those aren’t the only five ways to keep an eye (and ear) out for rodents. Today we take a look (and a smell!) at some more ways to discover if you need to contact a mouse or rat exterminator.

Strange Pet Behavior

Pets are pretty much guaranteed to have at least one sense that’s better than yours. While standard human vision might beat the average dog’s, the dog is certainly the champion when it comes to smells. Cats can hear better than humans and dogs, and they’re much better at pinpointing where a sound came from.

If you have a rodent problem, it’s very likely that the sounds of smells of the mice or rats will cause your pets to act strangely. They might be clawing at the baseboard or concentrating on a spot on the wall. But they know something is there, so be sure to watch out for strange behavior in your pets.

The Smell of Urine

Your pets will almost certainly be able to tell that you need rodent control thanks to the smell of urine from the mouse. But if the smell gets too bad — which usually means a large infestation — humans can smell it as well.

It’s unlikely that the smell is the first thing you’ll notice if there are that many rodents in the walls. But if it’s just one more sign that you can’t ignore, call a professional mouse exterminator right away.

Home Damage

Here’s something that’s probably pretty obvious: Rodents don’t care about your home. They don’t care if they have to chew through wood to get somewhere else in the house, and they don’t care if they have to chew through the electrical wiring in order to wear down their ever-growing teeth. If they want to make a nest, they’re not going to think twice before tearing apart your antique quilt.

Not every mouse hole is a perfect little arch like you’ll see in a Tom and Jerry cartoon, so you’ll have to look in less obvious places where rodents can slip in and out of the walls. When you do, you might find…

Grease On The Baseboards

Rodent hair is full of grease, and it often rubs off as they move through the tiny spaces in a home. This can cause discolorations on any wood that they rub up against. If you find grease near the floor in the kitchen, don’t automatically think it was from a cooking mishap.

Do You Need Rodent Control?

If you’ve run into any of these problems, it might be time to contact a pest control expert. Give us a call and we’ll get rid of your rats and mice!

The post 4 More Signs That It’s Time To Contact A Rodent Exterminator appeared first on Safety Fumigant Company Pest Control Services.

Until they actually see a mouse or rat scurrying around their home, most people don’t think that they have a rodent problem. They might see some mouse droppings in the pantry and think that the bag of brown rice spilled. They might hear scurrying noises and dismiss it as a squirrel scampering on the roof. And if there’s a strange smell in the house, it’s easy to blame it on the pets.

People will come up with excuses to ignore the real problem all the time for one simple reason: having rodents in the home is considered socially unacceptable. For many people, admitting that they need rodent control means admitting that they have a dirty house. The fact is, pests can get into any home new or old, messy or clean. Most of the time, it’s just bad luck that allows a rodent to set up house in your own house.

With so many people unaware of the signs of a rodent infestation, we thought we’d spend the next couple of articles telling you all about the things to look for when you have an inkling that you might have to call a mice or rat exterminator.

Damaged Food Containers

One of the first signs of rodents that people notice is damaged food containers. Rodents will eat just about anything, and they’re often not just content to take the crumbs that fall to the floor of the pantry…they want the whole pantry!

Rodent teeth are incredibly sharp, which means that a cereal box and the bag inside can be compromised in under a minute. If you notice any sort of chew marks on your food containers, don’t ignore them; call for pest control right away. And be sure to check for…

Droppings

Droppings, aka rodent feces, are fairly easy to identify. Like we said before, it kind of looks like uncooked black or brown rice. Besides the obvious “yuck factor” of having their feces so close to your food, please know that rodent feces can also carry disease, so rodents might make you sick even if you never see them.

Tracks

When most of us think of tracks, we imagine an animal that has left foot indentations in mud. Since there’s no mud in your kitchen, how can you look for tracks?

The most common place to find rodent tracks is in the mess that they’ve already left. For instance, if a mouse or rat chews through a bag of powdered sugar, they might leave their telltale prints on the shelf or take the sugar with them on their feet and end up leaving the tracks on the floor. You might also be able to find tracks in very dusty areas, such as a cellar floor.

Scurrying Noises

Don’t dismiss scurrying noises in your house. Rodents often make their way through a house by moving inside the walls, so if you hear scurrying noises it might be time to call a pest control expert.

Visual Confirmation

The most obvious way that most people know that they need a pest control expert is when they see the little rodents with their own eyes. Don’t wait for the second sighting before calling for rodent control!

Do You Think You Need Pest Control?

If you’ve experienced any of the points above, it might be time to call pest control. And be sure to come back next time to discover five more signs that it’s time to contact a rodent exterminator.

The post 5 Signs That Tell You It’s Time To Call For Rodent Control appeared first on Safety Fumigant Company Pest Control Services.

While we’re sometimes called to perform wildlife removal when a critter is outside of the home — squirrels in a detached building, or a raccoon that won’t leave the family pet alone — most of our pest control services all take place in the home. Whether it’s about mice removal or termite control, many of our visits are about eliminating the pests that are in someone’s home.

But that raises a very big question: “How are these pests getting in your home in the first place?” It’s a very important question, because, except for houseflies, few of these insects or rodents are getting into your home because you left the front door open for a few seconds. Let’s take a look at the structural problems of your home that could be inviting creatures in, and what you’ll want to do in order to keep them out in the future.

Siding Cracks and Gaps

Siding is absolutely amazing. It holds up to the harsh Massachusetts weather and takes years before the cold and UV radiation cause it to crack.

But nothing lasts forever, and siding will eventually crack and become brittle. When that happens, it’s exposing the interior of the house to exterior forces, and that includes pests. Insects can crawl in, because many of them enjoy the conditioned air that we’ve created as much as we do. They’ll also find food, whether it’s the crumbs you leave on the floor, the wood that’s in your house’s frame, or other bugs that have found their way in. Suddenly the outside ecosystem becomes an inside ecosystem.

Cracks in the siding can also let mice and rats in. Remember, some of these creatures can crawl in through a hole as small as the diameter of a dime, so when your siding starts to crack it’s a good idea to get it repaired as much as possible. Once these critters get into the corner posts and J-channels that form the windows, they have access to just about any part of the house.

But it’s not just old siding that can cause problems. Gaps can also appear at the bottom on new siding, usually caused by…

Foundation Problems

Foundation problems can happen to just about any building, large or small, new or old. Foundation problems are often caused by a failure to compact the ground properly before the building was built. If the ground continues to give way after the foundation is poured, there’s less support under it and the concrete can crack. This can also happen if water washes away the dirt from under a foundation.

There are many ways in which a damaged foundation can create problems that eventually lead to the need for pest control. If a garage floor starts to tilt, the seal at the bottom of the door and the flashing might no longer prevent creatures from getting in. Small bugs get in and set up house, followed by larger bugs. Eventually, snakes, mice, and rats come in.

But it’s not just a tilted garage floor that can cause problems. Ants are notorious for finding the tiniest little cracks in a foundation and getting into a home. Sometimes it means they invade the first floor of a home, but tiny creatures also get into basements.

Garage Doors Are Notorious

What’s the biggest moving part of your home? What’s the largest door you own? What lets mice and rats in with ease?

We bet that the answer to all of these questions is “the garage door.” But the problem is that garage doors are meant to move and let things in, such as vehicles and people. We can’t tell you to always keep it down, because that would be incredibly impractical. But there’s no doubt that garage doors let in a lot of stuff you’d rather keep out, and it’s going to happen when you’re fixing a car or tinkering at your workbench.

The best way to keep critters out is to make the garage as unfriendly as possible. Keep some mousetraps loaded at the entrances, and take away any food sources — such as bulk foods from big box stores or bags or birdseed — out of reach or in a different place.

Why Do You Need Pest Control?

You might never know the exact reason you need pest control, but the fact remains: If you need it, you need it. Contact Safety Fumigant Company at the first sign of trouble!

The post Need Pest Control? Your House Could Be Letting Them In appeared first on Safety Fumigant Company Pest Control Services.