It is usually obvious when it is time to pick up the phone and call a professional pest service to solve a pest problem.   However, before a problem even appears is the best time to take some preventative measures that will help avoid bad infestations.   Hopefully these simple prevention ideas will help keep you pest free.  

 I.) Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are the most common damage-causing pests in the Portland area.  It is well worth your while to make your home unattractive to them.   Dead and rotting wood is the favorite habitat of carpenter ants, so scour your yard looking for tree stumps, large dead or rotting branches on the ground and even very diseased or sick trees.   Not all bad wood is in the yard, however, so check nearby woodpiles and even the crawlspace for old, rotten scraps of structural wood.   Also, check your exterior water faucets for leaks or sources of steady moisture.   A review of the foundation for cracks in need of sealing will also help prevent easy access by them.   Keep vegetation and branches clear of the structure.

 II.) Odorous Ants

The good new is that these pesky ants are not destructive.   The bad news is…well, they’re pesky!   Very pesky.   It is very common for an infestation to actually grow after being erroneously treated with over the counter pest sprays.   They try very hard to keep their colony thriving and any threat to this will make them try all the harder.   Also check for leaks, even minor ones, within your house’s plumbing.   Make sure that roof and gutter systems are working properly and are not causing excess moisture to enter the siding or foundation.   Moisture is the main attraction with odorous ants (often called sugar ants) so try to avoid excessive water buildup.   Also, make an effort to keep shrubs and vegetation away from touching the structures exterior.

 III.) Wasps (bees, yellow jackets)

Wasps and bees are attracted to proteins (earlier in the summer) and sugars (later in the year) so any reduction in these will help a lot.   First, looks to your landscaping and avoid planting heavy nectar producing plants and flowers too close to the structure, particularly doors and windows.   Bird feeders that supply sugary water should also be relocated.   Review outdoor dining and cooking areas for scraps of meats or grease spills.  If you spot an fresh nest that is still very small, determine whether you can safely knock it down with a broom or water from a hose.  If a bee or wasp shows any sign of aggression, quickly get everyone out of the area and call a professional pest control company.

 IV.) Mice & Rats

Start your rodent prevention by reviewing the surrounding areas of your house.   Try to keep woodpiles away for leaning against the house and even preferably 20-30 feet from the house.   Ensure ground clearance under the pile.   Garbage and garden supplies need to be kept secure and sealed with tight lidded containers.   Review all exterior door jambs, garage door seals and wall vents for gaps or areas of check through.  Foundation vents must be properly screened.   Do not leave doors open longer that a few seconds when entering and exiting.   Finally, be careful to clean up pet feeding areas of excess spilled food.

 V.) Moles

Moles will always reside where the food source is most pleasing and abundant.   An overabundance of worms, insects and grub in a lawn will most certainly be inviting.   While a proper amount of these is desired, excessive amounts will be a welcoming dinner table to a mole.   Your local garden center will carry treatments to carefully reduce these populations.   Physical barriers, such as mesh screening, sunk at least two feet into the ground work as a good method when you have raised beds of flowers or vegetables.

 As with most things in life, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!  We encourage you to spend a few ounces of effort this spring and early summer and maybe save yourself several pounds of cure (and maybe a few dollars too!)  However, it the problem is already there or if you still get pests even after these measures, we are always glad to come help your out.  You can contact or call us anytime at 503-968-5950.

Sometimes it is easy for homeowners to question which household problems are the ones to put to the top of their to do list.   Let’s face it – there is always an abundance of issues around the house that need attention.   It is common and easy to assign the occurrence of a few "little ants" to a spot lower on the list.   Heck, maybe they will even go away on their own!   Not likely with carpenter ants.

Unlike other household issues, carpenter ants actually have a purpose and are very determined to accomplish it.   Neither a dripping faucet, a drafty window seal nor some unsightly flooring have a purpose.    Carpenter ants do though, and it is to protect and grow their colony, almost always at the expense of your structure!   A carpenter ant problem will virtually never go away by itself and conversely, will almost always continue to get worse and cause more damage, whether you can see the damage or not.

Check out this linked video of nationally renowned carpenter ant expert, Dr. Laurel Hansen, on the Oregon Field Guide.   It will make you think twice about ignoring your "little ant problem!"

Portland’s carpenter ant season is just starting, and already calls are coming in fast and furious.

Carpenter ants mean business.   In just one year, a colony of carpenter ants could cause several thousand dollars of hidden, structural damage to your home.   That is really hard for most Portland homeowners to imagine since you usually never see more that a half dozen at a time.

The reason for that is because carpenter ants (camponotus) are nocturnal.   Go to the same location on your siding or foundation or wherever in the middle of the night and you will see quite a few more.   That being said, you still won’t see the full story because the ones you see will likely just be in transit.   They have a job and they are going about doing it.    If you could find and walk the entire trail (not likely since it is probably going through your wall) and end up at the nest, you would be appalled by the number of ants.

A Beautiful Carpenter Ant (well, as far as ants go!)

Always be on the lookout for signs of carpenter ants beyond just the ant.   They will leave pilings of a sawdust material after they have chewed through wood and this is a solid  clue to a nesting location.

And if you see a winged one, call All Pest Control ASAP.   Those foraging swarmers could just be scouting for a food source or a new sub-colony location, but they could also belong to an existing, well established colony in your home.   Colonies do not produce these until they are at least 3-6 years old, meaning if they did come from your house, they have been there for a long time and the damage could be significant.

Even your ears can help you detect carpenter ants.   A mature colony can create a gnawing or rustling sound coming from the walls.   Rest assured, one or two ants cannot make such noise by themselves.

No matter what the sign, the solution is the same.   Contact All Pest Control today for a free evaluation!

Photo credit to: Muhammad Mahdi Karim

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Some homeowners will immediately see them inside of their homes.

Others will first see ant activity (whether Carpenter Ants or Odorous House Ants) outside, then see them start to show up indoors.   Let’s briefly address ant activity that is currently only showing up outdoors.

First off, please keep in mind that even though you only see them outdoors, that does not mean that they may not be indoors.   Most homes have plenty of areas that are out of sight where ants can be colonizing.   Examples of such areas can be wall voids, cabinetry voids, crawl spaces and attics.

Regardless, if you spot ants near your house, consider doing the following.   Walk the entire house perimeter and look for areas where shrubbery may be touching the siding.   As a general rule, a two foot boundary between plants and siding is best.   Also look for tree limbs that dangle near the roof or gutter line.   All of these contact points can very quickly become a super highway for ants to travel into your home in high numbers.

The simple mechanical chore of trimming back some greenery goes a long way as a preventative method to avoid interior ant infestations.    Happy trimming!

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Heidi_Ball]Heidi Ball

Nothing is much worse than seeing a cockroach scurry across the kitchen.They have been shown to transport a number of bacteria and viruses on their icky little bodies. They can cause some serious health problems and should be eliminated as soon as possible.

Termites and carpenter ants are a significant cause for worry. While they don’t carry the diseases that cockroaches do, they can destroy buildings and crops. Termites especially as they live in colonies from several hundred to several million in number.

In some places the battle of ticks and fleas is ongoing. Ticks can be found in tall grass and shrubs where they wait for an unsuspecting "host" to attach themselves to. They can transmit Lyme disease which indeed can be very serious. Fleas live off the blood of mammals and birds. They are great jumpers and also a great source of disease. They can transmit things as serious as the bubonic plague and also as awful as tapeworms.

Mites and bed bugs can bite and create painful skin irritation. Scratching an itchy bite from a mite can lead to secondary infection. Bed bugs feed on their host while they sleep. They use a sharp beak to pierce the skin and then feed on the blood. A full grown bed bug will feed for as long as 10 to 15 minutes. As horrible as it may sound, bed bugs are most frequently found in hotels or shelters. They are not a result of poor housekeeping or bad hygiene, they are just around.

Especially with those with allergic reactions to bees, having hornets’ nests or yellow jackets around their dwelling can be scary and dangerous. Hornets will sting repeatedly if their nests are disturbed.  Carpenter bees can also be a problem as they can drill into wood and nest in the hole.

Rats and mice can be a problem both indoors and out. Some rats, like the Norway rat, can weigh up to one pound and can be up to 18 inches long. They can cause extensive damage to buildings and homes as they can cause problems with the foundation and some of their nests can cause electrical systems to short circuit. They are large contaminators of food and can transmit deadly diseases. Mice can cause some of the same problems on a smaller scale, but carry the same disease risks.

If you are experiencing any sort of pest problem, dqpestcontrol.com ( http://www.dqpestcontrol.com) can help with   Nassau County Animal Control.  Heidi Ball is a freelance writer

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Heidi_Ball http://EzineArticles.com/?Pests-That-Need-Control&id=2075044

Another common pest in the Portland area that in worthy of quick action is the odorous house ant.   While not an overly destructive pest, they can get out of control very quickly.   They usually start becoming more prevalent in the Portland area during March and April. – Tom

Usually, it is just one or two that you spot the first time that you see ants in your home. “What is an ant or two?” you might say to yourself as you either squish it, grab it with tissue is preparation for flushing or personally escort it to the back door. You might not even see any more signs of them for days or weeks.   How soon the next sighting is depends a lot on what the Portland Oregon weather is currently like.

But then there is that terrible moment when you round a corner, focus on something that doesn’t look right, and then suddenly realize that there are a dozen or two or three ants crawling all over something not intended for them! A quick rush for a can of bug spray, window cleaner or anything handy that has a list of chemical names on it is almost always the next step.

Let me suggest something different at that point. Resist spraying anything in you household cupboard on them. I know that you want them either dead, gone or both as soon as possible but believe it or not, spaying them with that handy household chemical is counter-productive. The vast majority of the time, it actually serves to make the problem worse.

The reason for this is that when you see a few ants, you are almost always only view the tip of the iceberg.

Rarely is what you see all that you have. Consider the visible ants to be the welcoming committee, announcing their presence with authority that they have moved into the house. Killing a few does nothing to solve the real problem – the nest.

Even worse, however, is that most household chemicals will form a temporary barrier. While this might sound like a good idea, in effect what is has the potential for doing is stressing the ant colony, making them work harder and eventually show up elsewhere in the structure with even more vigor. Some species, such as odorous house ants, actually respond by budding, creating an offshoot colony with its own queen. If you have ever tried holding a beach ball under water, you will soon realize a similar effect with your ant. They will just shoot up more elsewhere with more force.

The best plan of action is to call a professional pest control company by the second time you see ants.

This first time could always just be some “crawl-ins” from outdoors but if you see them a second time, they are there to stay. Services usually are very reasonable and the sooner you call, the smaller and more affordable the eradication job is. Additionally, the problem is addressed immediately and you can be back to having an ant free house instead of fighting a losing battle for a month before call for help.

If you live in the Portland Metro area and have seen an ant or two, please give us a call and we will be glad to help.

This is a good, general article, applicable for the types of ants we experience in the Portland Oregon area.   It doesn’t go into any depth in terms of the strategical processes a professional pest control technician would use for best results, but is is helpful for a obtaining base  understanding of problem. – Tom

On any given day, you may see hordes of ants, marching into your home. They may be searching for food and water, shelter from outside elements.

Here are some steps you can take to get rid of these industrious creatures.

1. Follow the ant to its source of entry, could be a window, molding crevice or floor crack.
2. With Boric acid, form a barrier at the source, or use laundry detergent, must be in powder form.
3. If they have attacked any food, remove it to a garbage container, outside your home.
4. If they have invaded your kitchen garbage can, take it outside, hose it out and wash with dishwashing liquid.
5. Put any food they have NOT found in zip lock bags, or in sealable plastic containers. or the refrigerator.
6. Ants can penetrate metal-threaded lids on glass jars. Glass jars are immune from ants, only if sealed with rubber gasket.
7. Once you have secured the food,vacuum up the ant line, along with some cornstarch( this helps to suffocate them inside the bag).
8. Use dishwashing liquid and hot water to wash the area around the ant line to erase any scent of the trail.
9. Seal the area where the ants entered; caulk windows and cracks and weather strip doors. Apply duct tape or petroleum jelly over holes as a temporary fix.
10. Go outside and see if you can find out where the ants entered the house. They may have used an overhanging branch to enter, if so, trim it off.
11. Check the area in an hour. If you see any single ants, or scouts searching the area, squash them( sorry!) but they are checking out the area for future invasions!
12. If you wish to wipe out the ant population, use ant traps that contain" Boric Acid". The returning ants poison the whole colony.

I would point out however, that in the garden, ants can play a beneficial role, so only use the above method if absolutely necessary
Here are some tips that may help;

Some natural ant deterrents include crumbled bay leaves, cinnamon, peppermint leaves and cayenne pepper. If an indoor plant is infested with ants, take it outside and flood it several times with a hose, to remove them.Insecticidal sprays kill only the ants that you spray, which will be a very small percentage of a colony, and won’t prevent future invasions. Please make sure, if you do use a spray, keep children and pets away.

In the house, I found that sprinkling the doorways with a powder cleaner ie, Ajax, kept the ants from crossing the line of powder and they did not enter the house.

One word of warning!! If you have Carpenter ants, which are a larger species, as they burrow into wood and cause terrible damage, do NOT keep any piles of decaying wood near your house, as this attracts them.

The methods I have outlined above, if used diligently, should go a long way to eliminate your pesky visitors.

Here is a helpful article about carpenter ants.   It is pertinent to anyone in the Portland Oregon Metro Area who suspects that they may have a carpenter ant infestation.   The article is written simply, without getting into too much technical trade and research jargon. – Tom

Carpenter Ants can cause a great deal of damage to your home.

These large brown or black ants live mainly in wooded areas but from time to time might try to enter your home. This article will help you identify carpenter ants and help you prevent an infestation.

There are many potential signs of an infestation that you can look out for.

1. Look for large winged ants. These are breeders and if you spot them, you probably have a colony nearby.

2. Examine your woodwork. Look for sawdust and small slits around and on your woodwork. This will show you where carpenter ant have been working.

3. Another sign of an infestation is clicking noises coming from your walls. The ants are so voracious that you can actually hear them working behind walls. it will sound like a quiet rustling noise.

So how can you keep from getting an infestation? There are several things that you can do.

1. Do not let wood become wet. Make sure that damp areas of your home have good ventilation so that they dry quickly. If you get a water leak, be sure to fix it promptly and dry the area.

2. Trim tree branches away from your home. A branch touching your house is a good way to give ants access.

3. Clear your gutters to keep them free of debris.

4. Lastly, set up a regular pest control program.

If you think you have an infestation be sure to call a local pest control service as soon as possible. You need to take care of the problem before they do major damage to your home. If you do not have a problem take action to make sure that these insects never get the chance to move in.

But that doesn’t mean that there is no pest activity during winter.   Particularly during untypically severe weather, some pests can be prompted into action.

As mentioned in the previous post, rodents are one of the most common critters to start showing up during the cold months.   Hey, they prefer the warmth just like us.   These months are a good time to check and repair obvious entry points such as loose exterior doors, damaged screens, and exterior insulation around pipes and venting.    Be sure to keep food tightly stored and avoid excessive clutter (I know that is hard to do right after Christmas and the holidays!)

By no means do rats and mice have the house to themselves, however.   Roaches can often show up during this time of year.   While they are much more common in restaurants (sorry for mentioning this – I don’t like considering this fact either) and higher traffic residences such as apartments or motels, they still show up in single family homes.   Being the prolific breeders that they are, finding even one is cause for taking prompt action.   Always give a good inspection to any used furniture, packages stored remotely for extended periods of time or large boxes for potential intruders.

Another group of pests not shy to show up in winter are "pantry pests", meal moths and other related species.   Like a roach, they can travel into your home via outside sources.   Keep an eye on dry goods such as flour and cereals, birdseed and other carbohydrate heavy food stuffs.   Also take quick action if you spot any webbing or larvae where you keep your food.

Finally, it is not unheard of to see ants, both Carpenter Ants and small ants (usually odorous house ants) during this season.   It will usually be the wetter parts of the home (kitchen sinks, bathrooms, and laundry rooms) where you will first notice them.