How Can I Keep Ants Out of My Kitchen?

No matter whether you have carpenter ants or common household ants, ants are persistent insects. They will send scouts into your kitchen in search of food and water. If they find what they are looking for, then you may start to see a steady stream of ants coming into your kitchen. There are steps that you can take to stop ants from becoming a problem before they start to come in.

1. Treat the Exterior of Your Home

Treating the exterior of your home with an inspect spray can stop the ants from coming in through cracks around your door or through your foundation and up into your home. Usually the treatment will need to be applied a few times a year. Since it is outside, you do not need to worry about it affecting your family.

2. Seal up Cracks

Check your window frames for any cracks. Consider adding caulking around the edges of your windows and seal any cracks that you see. There is stripping that you can add to the bottom of the door if it is not fitting tightly which can also deter ants from getting in.

3. Fix Any Leaks

Ants will come in looking for water, and if you have any leaking pipes, this will soon become a steady source for them. Check your pipes periodically to make sure they are not leaking under the sink or in other areas where you may not notice them. Be sure that the area is thoroughly dried after you make the repair.

4. Do Your Dishes

Ants will eat food that is left on the counter on dirty dishes or even what is left on the sink. As soon as you are done eating, take the time to do the dishes and wipe down the counters and tables. Sweeping right after will clean up any crumbs and deter ants from coming in looking for food. Be sure that dirty dishes are not left in other rooms of the home and try to keep all of the food in the kitchen.

5. Take Out the Trash

The final step is to take out your trash each night, especially trash in your kitchen or that has food in it. This will stop the ants from finding it or looking to it as a steady source of food. It takes just a few minutes to empty the trash and it is much easier than trying to kill an established colony.

5 Things That Attract Cockroaches

If you are worried about roaches in your home, or that you may get them in the future, there are things you can do to make sure that your home is not as attractive to cockroaches. If you get rid of these things, you can reduce the chance of having roaches in your home.

1. Leaky Pipes and Moisture

Cockroaches need easy and steady access to water. They tend to congregate in areas where there is water like your kitchen, laundry room and bathroom. Making sure to mop up any spills as soon as they happen or cleaning up after a bath or shower can help. However, fixing any leaking pipes can make a big difference. If you discover a leak, be sure that the area around it dries out completely.

2. Cardboard and Paper

Cockroaches eat cardboard and paper. If you are storing boxes in your home, you are more likely to attract cockroaches to your home, especially where you store things. If you use cardboard boxes to store old clothes or books, you can change the containers. Instead of holding onto moving boxes  you may want to recycle them or pass them onto someone else to use.

3. Food and Its Smells

Roaches are looking for food and so anything that is giving a strong smell may attract them. Food that is left out on the counters or in the sink can attract them as well as the trash that you leave in an uncovered garbage can overnight. You can remove these elements by doing your dishes as you use them and by taking out your trash each night. Be sure that you do not have trash especially with food on it around your home.

4. Pet Food

Pet food can attract a number of pests because it is made up of high protein. The best way to deal with this is to store your food in an airtight container. If you have a real problem with roaches, you may want to feed your pets and then put up their bowls.

5. Clutter and Mess

Cockroaches like places where they can hide and small spaces. Clutter can create that and make it easier for them to find places to hide. Clutter also makes it more difficult to keep a room or space clean. If you live in townhomes or apartments, you may be fighting off roaches if your neighbors have issues with too much clutter or a messy home.

Cockroaches are known carriers of diseases ranging from samonella to dysentery, so it"s important to exterminate them as soon as you notice them in your home.

5 Places You Can Pick Up Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are a growing problem around the United States. They are becoming more common in homes and in businesses. They are also hard to deal with because they have become more resistant to a number of chemical treatments, and they are very good at hiding. It"s important to know how to check for bed bugs since they can go up to a month without feeding which may make it difficult to determine if you have a problem initially. Here are five places you may inadvertently pick up bed bugs.

1. Hotels

Hotels are the most likely culprit of picking up bed bugs and bringing them home. It is important to check your room before you stay and your luggage before you leave and when you get home. Look at the headboard and the bedding for droppings and rust colored stains. If you travel a lot you may want to invest in a luggage heater that can eradicate anything you might have brought home from you on the trip.

2. Gyms

Gyms are another area where it is easy to pick up bed bugs. People will bring their gym bags into the gym and leave them in a locker, on the floor or even on top of the lockers. The bed bugs crawl out of their bag and into yours. Then you unknowingly bring the bed bugs home with you. If you hear reports of bed bugs around your gym, you may want to leave your gym bag at home and travel to the gym in your exercise clothes. Bed bugs do not travel on people so you should be okay.

3. Schools

There are have been reports of bed bug outbreaks at schools around the country. This is usually the result of one the students bringing bed bugs with them when they have a problem with them at home. The bed bugs wander out and then start infesting the building. Students may end up bringing them home in backpacks. Schools may put a ban on all backpacks to try to stop the infestation.

4. Second Hand Furniture

Another way that people end up catching bed bugs is after buying secondhand furniture. They may not realize that the furniture is infested. Bed bugs can also live in couches or hide in headboards or cracks in bookshelves. It is important to thoroughly inspect anything that you do buy second hand and possibly treat it before you bring it into the home.

5. Moving into an Infested Apartment

Another way that you may end up with bed bugs is if your new apartment or condo is already infested with bed bugs. It is important to check your home and especially the baseboards in the bedrooms before you move in. You may request that your landlord treat for them before you move in if you live in a part of the country that has a bed bug issue.

How Do I Prevent Mice from Getting in My House?

At one time or another, mice may be a problem that most homeowners may have to deal with. There are steps that you can take to prevent rodents from getting into your home. If you have recently noticed rodents in your home, you may want to take these steps. However, it is a good idea to complete these steps every year to stop any problems before they start.

Make Sure Mice Are Not Attracted to Your Home

According to the article What Attracts Mice to Your Home?, mice come into your home looking for food and shelter. They want an easy source of water and food. If you can store your food in your sealed containers, it is less likely that the mice will get into your home. Taking the garbage out on a regular basis will also eliminate the things that attract the mice to your home. Clearing out any clutter will also help prevent mice since it will be more difficult for people to hide.

Do an Inspection of the Exterior of Your Home

In addition to clearing out your home of things that may attract mice, you should take the time inspect the exterior or your home at least once a year. There are several areas that you need to check to make sure that rodents and other animals cannot get in.

• Check the foundation of your home. As you walk around the exterior of your home, check where the foundation meets the siding of your home. Look for any weakened or rotted areas that would be easy for a rodent to chew a hole into. Repair any of these areas. Mice and other animals may take advantage of weakness caused by termites, and you will need to repair that to avoid future issues.


• Check your crawl space if you have one. In addition to the foundation, you should visually check your crawl space if possible. The rodents may be making nests under your home and then crawling up inside of your home in search of food. Some crawl spaces make it easy to check, while others are more difficult. If you can check, you may be able to quickly identify the problem.


• Check pipes leading into your home. If there have been any leaks, it weakens the wood and makes it easy for the animals to get in. Repair the wood around the pipes and install deterrents like steel wool or traps to prevent the animals from getting in again.


• Look at your roof. If branches are hanging over the roof, you should trim them back. Be sure that each vent has a grate or screen over it that will keep rodents and other insects out. If you can see holes under your eaves protect them. Repairing any loose shingles will also protect your home.

Schedule a Professional Inspection

If you have completed this inspection and you are still having troubles, you may want to call a professional to have another set of eyes that can identify where the mice are getting in. An exterminator can help you clear up the problem and install exclusion barriers to prevent rodents getting in again.

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What Attracts Mice to Your Home?

Mice are wild animals that are looking for a way to survive. You may find that mice try to come into your home more in the fall or winter as they are looking for a warm place to stay. Once you understand what mice are looking for when they enter in your home.

Shelter

Mice may enter your home looking for a place to make their home. They will want a quiet place that is near a food source. They will build their nests out of shredded paper and other items. They may make their nests in the walls, in cupboards or in the corners of your garage. If they can find a safe place that is free from predators like a cat, they will quickly settle in for a long stay. Mice reproduce rapidly which means a few mice can quickly turn into an infestation. Once rodents have infested your home there are many dangers that come with them.

Food and Water

Mice will come into your home looking for food and water. They will quickly find food that you may have left out on the counter or the table. They want food that is easy for them to access, but once they have established themselves in your home, they will begin to chew through plastic and boxes to get into the food that they want. They like grains, seeds, oats and fruit. They are vegetarian. They may also eat your pet food and it is a good idea to keep this in a sealed container.

Trash and Clutter

Mice will also go after the trash that is in your home. They like the easy access to the food that you throw away.  Clutter is another factor that makes your home more appealing. It makes it easier for the mice to hide and gives them a place to nest or forage. The cleaner your home the less likely the mice are likely to find their way in to stay.

Keeping Mice Out

One key to keeping mice out is to put up deterrents in any areas where they can easily gain access to your home. Look for chewed up boards around pipes into your home, or around the foundation. You may also want to check out the eaves of your home and the attic. If you keep the food stored in airtight containers and take out your trash regularly, you are less likely to have to deal with mice in your home. If one does wander in, you will likely be able to spot it and take care of it before it becomes a serious issue.

How to Check for Bed Bugs

One of the best ways to prevent getting bed bugs is to check your hotel room for bed bugs before you unpack. If you suspect that you may have bed bugs, this process can help you confirm whether or not you have bed bugs at home. If you are in a hotel room, be sure not to put your suitcase on the floor or bed until the inspection is complete.  If you find bed bugs in a hotel room, take your luggage with you and request a new room. Be sure to complete the inspection again before you decide to stay in that room.

1. Check the Bedding

The first thing you should do is check the bedding. Bull the comforter or guilty all the way back and look at the sheets. If there are bloodstains on the sheets, this is a sure giveaway. You should also look for droppings, which are small and black as well as skin casings that they may leave behind.

2. Look at the Mattress and Box Springs

On the mattress and box springs, you may see rusty stains or the bed bug droppings. You may also see the bed bugs themselves or the yellow skins that nymphs shed. You may notice eggs which are very small or you may also see the bed bugs themselves. It is worth pulling the sheets all the way back.

3. Behind the Headboard

Another key place to look is behind the headboard and along the wall. You can also check behind the nightstand that is next to the bed. Again, you will be looking for the dark round droppings, the eggs and discarded skins as well as the live bugs. If you can shine a flashlight here, it may be easier to spot the bed bugs.

4. Bites

If you are worried that you may have bed bugs at home, bites are something that you should keep an eye out for. Bed bugs will bite you several times during a feeding, and the bites are usually in a straight line. Many people confuse flea bites with bed bug bites, but here"s an article for more information about fleas: Do Fleas Live on People? Whether you have flea bites or bed bug bites, you should call and request a free inspection from the professionals at EcoTek.

Characteristics of a Fire Ant

Fire ants are an invasive species that are spreading throughout the United States. They first arrived in Alabama during the 1930s. They caught a ride on boats from South America. They spread quickly and are quite an aggressive species. It is important to be able to identify the ants so that you can choose the right treatment for them.

Appearance

Fire ants are black and red in color. The worker ants have mandibles that they can use to bite victims. There is also a stinger on the abdomen. They have three clearly segmented. The fire ants are between to 2 mm to 6 mm in size, which is about a fifth of an inch in length. The fire ants also have large eyes and segmented antennae. There are three teeth on the front of the head.

Fire Ant Mounds

Fire ant colonies are quite large. They can be up to two feet in diameter and up to eighteen inches in height. They are different from other mounds because they will not have a hole in the top of the mound. They will enter through tunnels that are along the side of the mound. If you are treating the mound, they will leave through the tunnels, which can extend up to twenty-five feet away from the mound. They tend to be in a sunny area where they can find water outside. The colonies can include up to 500,000 ants. When the colony gets large, they may sound out new queens and males to establish a new colony.

Fire Ant Behavior

Fire ants will bite and sting when threatened. When they do this, they release a pheromone that signals there is danger and all of the ants will attack you. They can do this is a swarm, and the number of bites can cause a serious allergic reaction. It may seem like they have a signal to attack all at once, and in a way they do, though usually it is a self-defense attack.  They like to feed on dead animals, living insects and honeydew. They will also eat sweet foods, fats and proteins from your home.

Although fire ants can plague your yard, read some facts about carpenter ants and how they can be detrimental to your home.

4 Dangers of Rodent Infestations

Rodents are more than just an inconvenience. They can spread a number of diseases and create problems that can affect you and your family. Once you understand the dangers of a rodent infestation, you will understand why you must act quickly to deal with the infestation and prevent a new one from happening. Learn the five dangers of rodent infestation.

1. Rodent Bites

Although most rodents try to avoid humans, some can become aggressive. They may bite you when you see them and try to capture them or they can bite you when you are asleep. According to the CDC, the chances of contracting rabies from rodents is very low, but you can catch other diseases and the bites can become infected. If you are bitten, and you can catch the animal, you should take it in to get it tested. However, you should have a rodent bite checked by the doctor to make sure that there is nothing infected.

2. Damage to Your Home

Another issue is that the rodents can cause damage to your home. They may destroy items in your home including bedding and food as well as damaging your walls. They may leave holes in the walls or foundations that other animals can get inside. They may also chew up the furniture or insulation. This can be expensive to repair, and you may end up needing to replace a lot of items.

3. Fire Hazards

Mice and rats will chew through everything. They can also through electrical wiring, which can cause a fire hazard. If they make their nests in your attic or basement and it is an area that you rarely go, you may not notice the signs of an infestation until significant damage is already done and the fire hazard already exists.

4. Diseases that Rodents Spread

The biggest danger from rodents is the diseases that they can spread. Many of the diseases are in the urine or feces like hantavirus. They can also spread the plague, salmonellosis, tularemia, and rat-bite fever. They can also bring in ticks or fleas which also carry diseases that they can spread to you like Lyme disease, Powassan virus, scrub typhus and West Nile virus.

Find out how you can prevent rats and mice from entering your home.

Facts About Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are different from the typical household ants in a few different ways. If you have carpenter ants, you will need to take steps now to deal with them because they can cause damage to your home that is similar to the damage that termites cause. Here are interesting facts about carpenter ants.

1. Carpenter Ants Size

Carpenter ants are bigger than the ants you may normally see around your home. They are between a quarter and a half inch in length. Many of the other household ants do not get longer than one sixteenth inch in length. The size difference makes the carpenter ants appear gigantic in comparison.

2. Carpenter Ants Homes

Carpenter ants get their name because they build their homes inside of wood. They do not eat wood the way that termites do, but they will build their nests inside dead wood, and when they do this they can weaken the structure of your home. They can be difficult to find because the damage is done behind the drywall or in areas that you may not see. They will also build nests inside the wood a termite colony already ate through.

3. Carpenter Ants Strength

Carpenter ants can lift more than seven times their own weight. Some people estimate that it can be up to fifty times their own weight. Either way that is a massive amount of weight to carry. The ants can also work together to help move objects.

4. Carpenter Ants Have a Long Life

The queens can live up to twenty-five years. The longer the queen leaves, the bigger the colony. They will even create satellite colonies that can stretch over large areas. This means that they can overtake your entire home.

5. Carpenter Ants Can Bite

Some species of carpenter ants have venom and the bite can sting similar to that of fire ants. Even if the carpenter ants in your home do not have venom, the bites can still hurt and cause welts. They may offer spray a sort of glue if they feel threatened. The glue is toxic and can hurt other insects and may even bother you.

Learn the difference between carpenter ants and termites

Diseases that Cockroaches Spread

Cockroaches are often associated with dirt and filth. Many people freak out when they see a roach in their home, and there is good reason for this. Cockroaches multiply rapidly and one or two can quickly turn into thousands. They spread the diseases when they crawl over your dishes or get into your food. In addition to the diseases they can also aggravate people who have allergies or asthma.

Salmonellosis

Salmonellosis is caused by the bacteria Salmonella. People who have this will have cramping and diarrhea and a fever. The onset is usually within one to three days of being exposed and can last up to a week. If you have a healthy immune system, you will likely recover without any treatment, but if you have a weak immune system, you may need to visit a doctor. If you become dehydrated, you may need to receive I.V. fluids.

Typhoid Fever

There used to be regular outbreaks of typhoid fever in the United States. However, the incidence has been reduced due to better sanitation.  The disease is spread by ingesting the bacteria, which can quickly spread to an infection in the intestines that can spread to the gall bladder and spleen. The disease can take up to two weeks to develop and last for up to a month. People can run a fever up to 104 degrees, have a poor appetite and diarrhea. This can be treated with antibiotics.

Cholera

Cholera is an infection that causes water diarrhea. It is spread through contaminated food and water. It can take between 1 and 5 days to develop and it can kill within hours if the person is not treated. The dehydration can kill you, and it is important to be treated quickly. The key is to stay hydrated, and there are special solutions that you can take to help with that.

Gastroenteritis

This is what people commonly call the stomach flu. It occurs when the lining of your stomach or intestines become inflamed due to a virus or bacteria. It can cause fever, stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. It is easily spread from person to person and most people recover on their own. However, it is important to make sure the person stays hydrated throughout the illness.

Dysentery

Dysentery is spread through contaminated food or water. It causes bloody diarrhea that needs to be treated by a doctor. Symptoms also include fever and abdominal pain. There are a number of viruses and bacteria that can cause this, and cockroaches can carry those and contaminate your food or dishes when they crawl through them.

You can learn more about cockroaches by reading 10 Facts About Cockroaches

How Do Bed Bugs Enter Your Home?

Bed bugs are notorious for being difficult to get rid of. Plus, the idea of being fed on while you are asleep is definitely not an appealing one. Since bed bugs were almost completely eradicated in the United States for about forty years, many people do not understand the pest and how to avoid catching. The resurgence of the bed bug has been troubling. Here are the common ways that bed bugs enter your home and how to avoid bringing them there.

Bed Bugs Enter in Your Luggage

The most common way that people get bed bugs is by bringing them home after a business trip or vacation. They may stay in a hotel with bed bugs and not realize it. The bed bugs can easily crawl into your suitcase and catch a ride home with you.

To prevent this, you will need to inspect your hotel room when you arrive. Check the bedding and behind the baseboard for signs of droppings. Additionally, be sure never to put your suitcase or purse on your bed. The luggage rack is a better option since it sits up off the floor and it will make it more difficult to bring them home. Once you are home, inspect your luggage or treat with high heat before you bring it into your home. These steps should allow you to stop an infestation before it stops.

Bring Bed Bugs Home from the Gym

Your gym is another place that you my pick up bed bugs from. If someone brings in a gym bag that has bed bugs, the bugs can leave the bag and go looking for other places to stay. They may wander into your bag. Most people do not think of their gym as a place to worry about.

Be sure to keep your bag away from other people’s bags. Keep them off the carpeted floor and complete a quick check of your locker before you put your gym bag into it. This may be more difficult to prevent because there are not clear places where you can see signs of bed bugs.

Watch Out for Second Hand Furniture

Another common way to bring home bed bugs is through secondhand furniture. They may make their nests in the cracks in headboards or nightstands. They can also make a home in upholstered furniture. Bed bugs can be difficult to spot during the day if you do not have a trained eye because they are nocturnal.

It is important to completely inspect the furniture before you bring it into your home. If you suspect that there may be bed bugs, you should not buy it. You do have the option of treating it, but you can still run a risk of bringing them into your home.

Learn about The Eastern Subterranean Termite and how it can destroy your home.

How Can I Tell If I Have a Mouse or Rat?

No one wants to deal with a rat or a mouse running loose in their house. Both rodents can carry diseases and wreak havoc in your home. The treatments and traps may need to be different depending on the animal since rats tend to be quite a bit larger than mice.

General Signs of an Infestation

The general signs that you may have a rodent problem include scratching sounds late at night. The sounds may be in your walls or your ceilings.  You may see signs of droppings around your home, especially along the walls or near food sources. Another sign is chewed up boxes or bedding or even a whole in your wall. They are both voracious chewers as they create a nest to make their own.

Differences Between Rats and Mice

The most obvious difference between the two is their size. Rats can be up to eighteen inches long including their tail, while mice can grow up to seven inches long including their tail. While rats and mice can come in a number shades from light brown to grey, only rats are black. The tails are also different. A rat’s tail is longer and hairless while a mouse’s tail is covered in fur.

Sometimes it can be difficult to spot the offending rodent to make a visual confirmation of what you are dealing with. There are other ways to tell the difference. One is to look at the size of the droppings. A mouse’s droppings are shaped more like a grain rice and are black. A rat’s droppings are more similar to a raisin in shape and size. They also tend to drop fecal matter more often than mice, so you may see more of it.

Dealing with an Infestation

If you find out you have an infestation, you will need to act quickly to deal with it. Once you have identified the rodent, you will know what types of traps you should buy and use. However, if you are worried about your safety or your family’s safety, you should contact a professional who can sets traps that will keep your family safe and help with the decontamination process.

Find out How Do Bed Bugs Enter Your Home? and what you can do to prevent them from ever entering your home.

The Eastern Subterranean Termite

There are a wide variety of termites in the United States. However, in the southeastern portion, the majority of termites are the Eastern Subterranean termites. These termites have different characteristics than other termites. It helps to understand the termites and their habits.

These termites build their colonies underground through a system of tunnels. They rarely have the termite mounds, so it can be difficult to spot one in your yard. These tunnels can extend several feet from the primary nests and allow the works to go and find food and bring it back to the colony.

Eastern subterranean termites prefer to eat dead wood. This means they may be eating old trees or tree stumps on your property. They may also go after wood piles, which is why you should never stack a wood pile against your home. They will also eat the wood inside of your home.

Since they are eating the wood inside of your home and eating along the grain of the wood, you may not notice them right away. If you do notice damage it will be in long grooves that go with the grain. Other signs that they are in your home include the mud tubes that they build up the side of your foundation until they can reach the wood of your home. These tubes are about the width of a pencil and if you see them, you need to deal with termites right away.

Subterranean termite colonies will travel in search of more wood to eat. In addition to sending out winged termites to start new colonies, the entire colony will travel through tunnels to a new food source. Often the queen is carried by worker ants.

Termites are quite common in North Carolina and a study in 2008 showed that the average property in the state has about ten termite colonies in it. The key is to protect the termites from finding your home and making it their feeding ground. You can do this through several steps such as repairing leaky pipes, but the most effective thing is to monitor your property regularly and have a termite treatment if necessary.

Read How Can I Tell If I Have a Mouse or Rat?

How Are Termites and Carpenter Ants Different From Each Other?

Termites and carpenter ants are two different insects that can cause damage to your home. These wood boring insects can affect the property value of your home and can cause significant damage to your home. The treatment method is different for each of them and it is important to correctly identify them.

Characteristics of Termites

Termites tend to make their nests outside and come into your home looking for wood to eat. You may be able to spot a termite mound near your home or see mud tubes along your foundation leading up to your home.

Termites are black with segmented bodies, but they have thicker waists and look nearly uniform in size. The workers and guards look a bit different from each other. Termites come in a variety of colors from beige to black. When the termites swarm they have wings. These wings are about twice the length of the termite and are uniform in length. The antennae are straight.

Characteristics of Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants do not eat wood, instead they make their nests inside of the wood. This does mean that they may chew up the wood to make their nests. They may also take advantage of any damage left behind by a previous termite colony.

Carpenter ants look like a household ant except they are quite a bit larger. They are entirely black which makes them different from fire ants. The carpenter ants will have two sets of wings with the back wings being a bit shorter than the front wings. The antennae are bent.

Either pest can be a problem in your home and cause significant damage. In fact, one termite colony can chew through a pound of wood a day. This adds up quickly. If you suspect any of these issues, you should contact a professionals at EcoTek for a free inspection.

Learn 8 Facts About Ants

Can I Sell My Home After I Have Termites?

One of the biggest fears associated with termites is the damage it can do to your home, which is your biggest investment. Termites can cause thousands of dollars in structural damage. However, finding out that you have termites does not mean that your home will become unsellable. Termites are such a common problem that many people look at it as matter of when your home is infested by termites as opposed to if your home is infested by termites. However, once you have had termites you may have a few more things to check off when it comes to selling your home.

1. End the Infestation

The first step is to stop the infestation completely. This means professionally treating for termites. It is important that you keep the documentation from the initial findings, and the methods that were used to kill the termites. This document will also likely contain the areas that need to be repaired as a result of the termite infestation.

2. Repair the Damages

The next step you will need to take is to repair the damages that the termites have caused. You can take before and after photos. It is also a good idea to keep this information on file. The report should explain the damage that was done, what repairs were made and when. It should also include an subsequent inspections done to make sure the work was up to code.

3. Prevent Further Termite Infestations

Once you have had termites, you should have your property inspected each year. Keep a copy of warranties that you purchase with the termite control treatment. You can also show these warranties to the person interested in buying your home. Generally, it is good practice to have annual inspections and treatments done and be able to show that you have done so.

4. Disclose the Information when It Is Time to Sell

Finally, you need to disclose the information when it is time to sell your home. It is the law and failing to do so can have serious penalties. However, the record of the treatment, repairs and further preventative treatments will show that your home is fine. There are areas of the country where most homes have dealt with termites at one time or another. A home that has been treated and repaired should not drop in value. If the repairs are not done, then it will affect the value of your home.

Learn how to tell the difference between termites and ants by reading: How Are Termites and Carpenter Ants Different From Each Other?

5 Steps to Prevent Bringing Bed Bugs Home on Your Next Trip

There has a n increase in bed bugs throughout the United States in the last twenty years. There was a time when bed bugs were nearly eradicated in the United States. However due to the increased amount of travel, the incidence of bed bugs is increasing. The most common way to get bed bugs is to bring them home from the hotel with you. Here are five steps you can take to prevent bed bugs.

1. Inspect Your Hotel Room

Before you unpack or do anything, check your hotel room for signs of bed bugs. Start by looking along the headboard for signs of bed bugs which include the bugs, the droppings or shed skins of bed bugs. This will appear as small black dots.  Check your bedding as well, although this should be changed and it is not as likely to see them on the bedding.

2. Protect Your Suitcase

Keep your suitcase away from the bed. Use the luggage holding rack in your room to keep your suitcase off the floor and away from the furniture. You can also put your suitcase inside of a garbage bag once you have unpacked or when you are not using it as an added means of protection from the bed bugs. This will prevent the bed bugs from crawling into your suitcase and catching a ride home.

3. Keep Luggage and Other Items Closed

Keep any other bags you bring with such as your purse or backpacks away from the furniture as well. This includes the bed as well as any upholstered furniture. If you place them on the furniture or floor, you are more likely to pick up an unwelcome guest for the trip home.

4. Check Your Suitcase Before You Leave

As you are packing to leave be sure to thoroughly check your suitcase and any items you are packing for bed bugs. Be extra careful if you notice any unexplained bites that you have received during the trip. This safety check can help you identify if you need to take extra steps before you get home.

5. Treat Your Items When You Get Home

As a precaution, you can treat the items when you get home. Run your clothes through the hot water cycle and high heat on the dryer. This could kill all the bed bugs and their larvae. You can also treat the luggage with a special luggage heater. If you know that you do have bed bugs in the luggage, you may choose to dispose of the luggage and start fresh because the cost of luggage is usually less than treating your entire house.

If you do end up bringing bed bugs home, you should take the steps to treat them. It can be difficult to treat them on your own because they hide in small cracks and it can be difficult to find their nests. A professional can treat the bed bugs with either chemicals or heat. Contact the professional at EcoTek to learn more about the bed bug treatments available.

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