Spring Pests are coming!
With warmer weather approaching insects of all kinds are preparing to invade our space in the Shenandoah Valley. Spring in Virginia is a wondrous time, with the mountains turning from a brown or snowy white to bright green speckled with the vibrant colors of dogwood and redbud. But spring in Virginia also brings a wide variety of pests ranging from swarming termites, ants, mice, wasps and eventually mosquitos, to name a few. Brown Exterminating is well prepared to help you with any of your pest needs utilizing pest management programs design exclusively for your pest issues. Our methods are safe around pets and children as we have organic, all natural, low odor and low toxicity options to suite all of your pest management needs. Call today for a free quote.
Termites Swarm in the Spring
 Termites top the list for spring pests. The issue with termites is they swarm in the spring. The swarm itself is not so much pestering but the fact that now you realize they are colonized in your home or office. Termites typically live in the ground and eat cellulose which is found primarily in wood or wood products. They can live undetected, at least until they swarm. Only mature termite colonies swarm and it takes 3 to 5 years in Virginia for a termite colony to mature.
A termite swarm is an event in which the environmental conditions, Springtime here in Virginia, trigger winged termites to simultaneously fly from their nest to mate and find new nest sites and food sources. It can be a dramatic event especially when they are swarming out of a window sill or from under your porch by the hundreds. Although the swarm may be an inconvenience they are harmless compared to the damage the established colony living in your house is causing.
At the first sign of a termite swarm call the pest management professional at Brown Exterminating Co. to properly identify them as termites and provide a free inspection and quote. Your home is the possibly the largest investment you ever make and a termite can eat it right out from under you. Feel free to contact us for a free inspection before you see a swarm and ask about our warranty, which can cost less than 30 cents a day, to protect your home long into the future. More about termites and Brown Exterminating's termite and wood destroying insect services, click here.
Ants
Ants are a huge nuisance and an insect world favorite. Highly organized and efficient, you can chase them around all summer and never get rid of them. Queen ants have been known to live as long as 20 years and single ant colonies are inhabited by as many 100,000 ants. The four most common ants in Virginia are Carpenter Ants, Little Black Ants, Odorous House Ants and Pavement Ants. Carpenter ants are the biggest threat as far as doing real damage to your home although they are all a huge nuisance when they are trying to live in your home. Ants baits can be effective but can take weeks to work as a colony may actually take the bait and store it for weeks instead of eating it right away. Also ants are highly sensitive to chemicals and avoid many of them. Brown exterminating can use non-repellent barrier chemicals in conjunction with baits to provide an effective treatments for most ants. Call today for a free inspection and quote.
Rodents
 Rodents, such as mice, can also be a problem when the weather turns warm. This is their mating season and soon they will be looking for a nice protected place to have their babies. Since they can squeeze though small gaps in foundations or even around the edge of a garage door mice can get into your home. We get inquiries all the time when the weather turns warm about mice infestations. If the appropriate measures are taken, mice can be taken care of with little problem. Mice may become visible in living quarters where you will either notice where they have eaten, gnawed on something, droppings or actually see a mouse running along a wall and hiding. A mouse may be perfectly happy in a crawl space or attic where you do not ever see them. This is another reason a winter inspection is a good idea.
Mosquitos
Mosquitoes are insects belonging to the order Diptera, the True Flies. Female mosquitoes are the ones that bite. Male mosquitos have feathery antennae and mouthparts not suitable for piercing skin, they prefer sugary snacks. The word mosquito is Spanish for Little Fly.
There are more than 3,500 species of mosquitoes and there are over 750,000 fatalities reported each year do to mosquito bourne disease, the planets most deadliest animal. Most species spend their first 10 days in water and then emerge to ruin your picnic.
As of recent Zika virus, transmitted by the Aedes mosquitoes has become a bit of a concern. Although cases of Zika virus in the U.S. are primarily from individuals who have traveled to South America, Asia and regions in the pacific, groups watching this virus are concerned it may become an issue in the U.S. in the future. Individuals who contract Zika virus may have symptoms that can include mild fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, body discomfort and or headache. Symptoms normally last for 2-7 days. Zika virus can be transmitted from a pregnant woman to her fetus and has been linked to microcephaly, a serious birth defect of the brain. Center for Disease Control recommends regnant women consider delaying travel to areas with Zika.
To reduce mosquito populations please do the following;
- Empty standing water (bird baths, gutters, flower pots etc).
- Make sure your window and door screens in good working order.
- Fill or drain puddles, swampy areas and tree stumps.
- Report abandoned pools to your local health department.
- Keep your grass short.
Brown Exterminating Co. can control obnoxious mosquitos with the use of a pest management program. First we will assess the environment to see where the mosquitos are coming from, then we will limit as much of that environment as possible. Then we will treat areas which are prone to mosquitos to cut down the populations. A typical mosquito treatment will also have an adverse effect on ticks as well as cluster flies and to an extent stink bugs.
Spring Pest Prevention Tips
Spring pests become a nuisance when they begin to make themselves at home in your home. The best practices to reduce spring pest infestations is to make the environment that they need to survive less hospitable. By removing food and water sources you can greatly reduce spring pest infestations yourself.
- Keep soil away from wood and siding to reduce pest access.
- Eliminate damp conditions, increase ventilation.
- Use crushed rock around flower and shrubbery beds instead of mulch.
- Keep gutters and roof lines in good repair.
- Seal openings at plumbing, electrical, and telephone line entrances to reduce access for carpenter ants, bees etc.
- Reduce plant coverage around the foundation.
- Trim bushes and trees away from building at least 1 foot
Call Brown Exterminating
Call Brown if you have any pest issues in your home or business. We will schedule one of our trained and licenced technicians to inspect your property, identify the pest and provide you with options to manage your pest issue. We can provide immediate and long term solutions to keep your business or home pest free and safe from unhealthy or potentially damaging pests. We serve Martinsville, Danville and the Henry county and Pittsylvania county Va area and provide free inspections. Call today. |
