Q. I hear rodent activity spikes this time of the year, how do I protect my house from rodent activity?

Answer: As colder months come up on us, rodents will seek into warmer areas. It is important you examine potential avenues of entry around your house to exclude these commensal creatures. Openings around garage doors, pipe chasings and foundation cracks can provide access. Seal these openings! Establishing bird houses or feeding bread to birds within 25 feet of your home will attract rodent activity. Do not store bird feed, dry dog food or any other type of feed in bags. Transfer the contents of these products into plastic storage bins if kept under your sinks or in basement areas.

As winter nears, your home needs the protection of a full service pest solutions program.

Q. How do I best prepare my plants, arbors and shrubs for the blustery winter months ahead?

Answer: Winter temperatures and weather can wreak havoc on your arbors. Deep root fertilization aerates the soil and constructs a pathway of vitamins and nutrients directly to your arbor’s root system. Your trees and shrubs will retain these essential nutrients in its root system, pulling it from them when required, for early spring growth.

Q .What are the benefits of lime applications to my lawn?

Answer: Weeds grow best in acidic soil while grass benefits from a neutral base. Lime neutralizes the soil ph and mitigates any adverse reactions to organic fertilizer. Making a long story short, healthy soil leads to healthy grass. Healthy grass combats weed development. You cannot get any greener than that!

“There’s no weapon like experience.” JP McHale Pest Management Inc. is a family owned and operated pest management company since 1971, we are one of the top 50 largest pest control companies in the United States. Please contact us if you are interested in learning more about the services we offer.

License photo credit: ezioman

As winter draws closer and closer by the day, your family won’t be the only one that will want the warm comfort of your household. Pests such as insects and rodents will want to share the warmth of your house. Mice are the most common of household pests that find their way into your house. Mice with their small frames and slippery movements can creep and crawl through the smallest of holes and cracks that are in your house (half inch). With the capability of carrying tons of different bacteria and diseases, mice are a rodent that you should be concerned about.

Prevention is the key for keeping these uninvited guests out of your house and in the wild. Make sure you inspect your house occasionally for any open vents, open crawl space doors, and any type of small cracks or holes near the bottom of your outdoor siding. This will keep out most of the bigger rodents out, but this wont be the only type of pest that will try and enter your home. Insects will try and get in as well, any cracks in your house’s siding is a great place for flying insects such as ladybugs, to try and nest and hibernate during the winter months. Keep brush and logs away, these are great spots for animals to find refuge from colder days. Bugs such as the Western Conifer Seed bug (stink bug) love this type of habitat and they will find a way into your house if you do not prevent such un-natural habitats near your home.

Again, rodents and insects are pests that you need to keep out of your home to prevent unsanitary conditions as well as damage to your home. Rodents will leave droppings all around your home, finding their way near children, pets, and can even find their way into your food supply. Take the necessary precautions to avoid pests problems during the winter season and you will find your self having quite a pleasant winter session. Please contact us for a free inspection of your home.

Any type of infestation that can take over your house always will present problems as a homeowner.  Rodent problems present themselves with many different sanitary problems causing illness to fall upon your loved ones if the situation is not in control.  Here are some steps in the preventing a rodent infestation:

Step 1:

Look for rodent droppings.  Droppings will usually be located near food and water sources.  For instance, check under the sink where there is lost of moisture as well as where most families keep garbage pales.  Check cabinets, drawers, and cupboards as well, again they will be scurring around for found sources.

Step 2:

Check outside your house for any signs of damage, usually larger rodents such as opossums, raccon, and larger rats.  Roof overhangs, overhanging shingles, and even chimney vents are entry points for these animals to seek refuge, especially in the winter.

Step 3:

Look for evidence of small rodent nests (mouse or small rat).  Old clothes in the basement or garage are prime location for mice to nest.  Make sure insulation is well maintained, old insulation creates great nesting grounds.

Step 4:

If you think you have a problem, try checking food containers for signs of entry.  Gnawing and chewing are great strength of mice, check any carboard containers such as cereal and granola boxes for signs of entry.

Step 5:

Any pungent smells that you might sense around the house are causes for more observation.  Check dark hidden places first, the smell is a musky smell that can be very identifiable.

If you spot a possible rodent infestation, and would like a free home inspection please don’t hesitate to contact us. We offer full rodent management programs for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Common entrance area for rodents

It was a very busy summer for us here at JP McHale Pest Management. We had tons of calls for carpenter ants, bed bugs and wasps. Now that the summer has come to an end, and the colder months are moving in, we will see a change in pests infestations because of the colder days. Mice and Rats are going to begin to look for homes that are vulnerable to stay in because of the warmth.

Prevention of Mice and Rats is possible though a service called rodent exclusion. Our technicians will come in and do a full interior and exterior inspection of your home. We will then proceed to seal any cracks and crevasses that could allow an entrance for rodents. Many of our long term customers have had this service done, and have seen a huge decrease in rodent populations in their homes.

As always, we offer out Home Pest Prevention program which in addition with the rodent exclusion, will take care of most common pests that are found in home in the tri-state area, mice and rats included. We can use a variety of control methods including traps, baits, gels and tracking powder to keep your pest problem under control.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for a free home inspection, at (800) 479-2284 or shoot us an email at sales@nopests.com. Our inspectors have many years of experience and are all certified with the states they work in.