The two most common pest species are black in color. These pests are most active at night-time and a homeowner may not know they're present until heavy damage has already been done. Damage from a carpenter ant may appear similiar to that of a termite. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not actually eat the wood. They instead excavate straw shaped, smooth chambers into wood that serve as nest sites. Each colony will have more than one nest site. And if thats not bad enough, each house may have more than one colony! Damp wood, as one might imagine, is easier to carve into and is prefered. This can also make a house more succeptable to wood-rot. By destroying the wood, the framing and integrety of the house can be comprimised. Contrary to popular belief, carpenter ants are still active in the winter. However, their activity is limited to warm areas surrounding the nest - i.e. your house.
Carpenter Ant Damage
Excavated Sawdust or "Frass"
Termites & Termite Swarmers
Termite swarmers differ from flying ants in that they have four wings of equal size--ant wings are two different sizes--and they have straight antennae and a wide waist. Termite swarmers may appear every year. Termite workers, however, are smaller, white and rarely seen. Damage from termites generally occurs in the recesses of the wood. Just prior to the adult stage, a termite can turn into any stage of termite: a worker, a soldier or a reproductive! A colony doesn't even need to send out "swarmers" to reproduce (swarmers are flying termites whose sole purpose is to find a mate and reproduce). Colonies can create "secondary reproductives" (reporductive termites without wings), which makes an infestation even more difficult to identify! A tell-tale sign of damage is straw shaped tunnels filled with sand or mud. One quick way to check for termites is by looking into the wooden framing in your basement. Any out of place mud or mud tubes will indicate termite activity. However, a house can be infested for years by the time a homeowners even notices. Termites are one pest that needs to be identified by a professional. As with any pest, we offer free home inspections and quotes.
Termite Damage, Mud Tubes
Termite Tunnels
Bed Bugs Our bed bug calls are up over 500% this year. Nationwide, bed bugs are the fastest growing segment of the pest control industry. We are finding these pests in some of the local four star hotels to middle class households to apartment complexes. They have nothing to do with cleanliness. These pests are amazing hitchhikers and can hide just about anywhere. They can be picked up in hotels, motels, public transportation systems, airports, movie theaters, furniture, etc... Unfortunately, bed bugs are not easy to spot. They can hide in the smallest of spots. We have found bed bugs living in objects like television sets, inside switchplates, in wall voids and otherwise inaccessable places. Bed bugs are creepy, blood-loving pests than can live for longer than one year without feeding. Bed bugs can range in size from the head of a pin to the size of a tomato seed - adult bed bugs are brown, flat and oval. Proper ID and treatment is critical and best left up to the professionals. We have run into numerous accounts where homeowners have mistaken bat bugs for bed bugs. While similar in appearance, each species requires a different treatment approach. To make the identification quick and easy, we have 6 trained professionals, monitoring equiptment and an independent on-call bed-bug sniffing dog.
Common Adult Bed Bug
Bed Bug Lifecycles
Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite
Bees, Wasps & Hornets Fall is the season when wasps and yellow jackets are the most aggressive. Their are two different types of nests that most home owners face, external (like a football or softball) and internal (where wasps enter a part of the house like siding or roofing through a gap or an opening). All nests should be approached very carefully and treatment should be left up to the professionals. One mistake we see all the time is from homeowners trying to treat an internal nest by themselves. People run into problems when they treat with the wrong spray and repel the wasps directly into their home, or they block the hole which forces the wasps inside. Every year they'll create their nests on the eves of your house, underneath the siding, in the ground, on a tree nearby or inside your attic. We've even found wasp nests in barbaque grills, hot tubs, childrens' playsets and undearneath the lip of swimming pools. Nests grow fast, too and the end result is a surprise you don't want to experience. The best offense is a good defense for wasps. Have a trained professional visit your home regularly and use preventative measures to dispell any potential public health threats.
Western Conifer Seed Bug This invasive species has been drastically increasing in numbers over the last few years. It didn't take them long to infest our area. Our company has seen increases in calls since we first began servicing the Western Massachusetts area. As the name suggests, these bugs originated from the west. They feed on the seeds of conifer trees. Every fall these bugs get much more active and congregate outside of buildings and homes (sometimes even making it inside). They are typically pregnant females in search of overwintering sites (places where they can "wait out" the winter season). In the spring, they reemirge and search for food (in this case the seeds and pines of conifers). They are often mistakenly called the stink bug because of the pungent skunk-like odor they emit when disturbed. Hey, at least they don't bite or sting...
Scratch and sniff
Boxelder Bugs These little fellahs are another seasonal pest, similar to the western conifer seed bug. They are generally not a pest until the fall when they congregate on buildings and houses in search of overwintering sites. As the weather cools, they crawl into the cracks and crevices of buildings and houses. Every year we find a few new customers with large masses of these bugs while the houses next door are virtually pest-free. Funny how that works...
...Time to hire a professional
Mosquitoes
We have received many mosquito service inquiries over the past few years. There is no mosquito control district in western and central mass, leaving the public unprotected. Our services provide protection with new and varried mosquito control techniques. We can effectively minimize the threats and annoyances posed by these pests. With residential and commercial applications, on a regular or one time basis, we can help control your mosquito nightmares. This service is great for outdoor birthday parties, weddings, graduation celebrations and etc...
Pavement Ants Pavement Ants are regular pests of buildings throughout the northeast to the midwestern United States. This ant is also found along the west coast from California to Washington. Unlike the carpenter ant, these ants do not excavate tunnels in wood. Pavement ants are also known as mound building ants or sugar ants, and their mounds are almost always associated with the destruction of lawnscapes. These ants crave sugars and proteins at different times in the year, earning them their other nickname: the sugar ant. These common household pests are small enough to easily find their way into your food storage cabinets. Baits sold over the counter targeting these pests may not be as effective as advertised, due to their food source requirements (craving sweets in the spring and protein in the fall). Even over the counter exterior sprays can be ineffective, as we have personally found pavement ant mounds in cracks in the foundation in the basement and in slab (thus preventing the ant from venturing the outdoors)!
Beetles There are oh-so-many beetles that can be considered as pests in Massachusetts. We have carpet beetles, june or may beetles and powder-post beetles just to name a few. Each pests targets different parts of your home. The larva of carpet beetles damages carpeting, clothing and animal hides. June or may beetles make their way into homes each year, but their larva feed on and destroy the roots to your ornamentals and lawns. Finally, the larva of powderpost beetles tunnel into wood leaving behind nothing but... you guessed it, powder. As you can see, the proper identification of each of the beetle species is necessary in treating and preventing them.
Powder Post Beetle
Exit holes from the larva
Damaged wood - remnants of an infestation
May Bug aka June Bug
Carpet Beetle
Fleas This blood-sucking little pest is usually brought in by our own pets. They're hard to see and even harder to kill. They don't just stop at dogs and cats, though. On humans, they may produce hives, itching and rashes (see picture below). They carry a multitude of diseases like typhus, cat-scratch fever and plague. If you notice your pet excessively itching itself or see little jumping bugs, give us a call. Our best advice in handling flea infestations is to hire a professional as fast as possible. Heavier infestations may take several booster visits - so think fast.
Blood glutton
Culprit at large (...or small)
You don't want to wake up to this, trust us!
Ticks Ticks are yet another species of blood sucking insects. Their appearance can be similar to that of bed bugs. However, ticks tend to stay attached to their victim longer and can carry several life-threating or debilitating diseases. Ticks are typically more active during the spring and fall. They come out during wet weather periods as opposed to dry. They wait for a warm-blooded mammal patiently on grasses and low-lying vegetation. Massachusetts has several species of ticks, most common are the deer tick and the dog tick. We suggest you travel into the woods in light colored, tight fitting clothing exposing as little skin as possible. However, what do you do at home? If ticks are a problem, we now offer a service that effectively creates a barrier around your yard, keeping your children and pets safe.
Deer tick
Dog ticks
Lyme disease "bullseye" rash
Premier Pest Control, Inc. Granby, MA 1-800-540-0241
