Merion, PA Pest Control
Merion, PA, tends to have hot, humid summers and chilly winters, which can lead certain pests to seek food and shelter in your home or commercial property. At Jones Termite & Pest Control, we want customers to be forewarned; that way, we can treat whatever pest problem they have when it's still in the early stages. Below are just three of the most common pests in this area.
Rodents
If you have holes in your roof or cracks in the exterior leading to your basement, there's a good chance that rats and mice will enter. They often enter homes in the winter to find a warm place to breed, and in the process of building their nests they can damage your insulation and tear at cardboard and other soft materials. They'll burrow into the rest of your home to forage for food, contaminating whatever they don't eat, and sometimes they'll bite you in your sleep.
These pests can carry hantavirus, salmonella, and fleas with plague. Coming into contact with rodent saliva, urine or feces can lead to the transmission of a range of diseases. If you inspect your property for rats, be sure to wear a mask and gloves. Search for urine stains that give off an ammonia smell, footprints in dust, and pellet-like droppings.
Roaches
Whether you meet with the reddish-brown American cockroach or the light brown German cockroach, the sight of a single cockroach means there's already a nest somewhere in your property. These pests enter through window crevices, leaks in drain pipes, and exterior cracks, breed in warm, damp places where there's little vibration, and like to occupy bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry areas. They'll eat whatever is available, whether it's meat, sweets, or cardboard. Though they don't cause any structural damage, they're known for triggering asthma and allergies and for spreading salmonella and streptococcus.
If you don't spot a cockroach during your inspection, the next best thing to go by is their feces, which look like black specks. A musty odor is another sign of a major infestation.
Termites
Subterranean termites, rather than drywood termites, are a major problem in this area. These are pests that live in moist soil and burrow up to feed on wet or decayed wood structures. Starting with your foundation, they'll move up by way of mud tubes, which they construct out of saliva and feces, to your walls and even to the attic. Every year, they cost homeowners in America more than $5 billion in structural damage.
Besides their mud tubes, which are often found in corners of walls and in the cracks of concrete masonry, there are several signs of their presence that you can look for. Shed wings would indicate that the termites have swarmed to another part of your property. Hollow wood is a sure sign; note that these termites have a preference for the soft, light-colored parts of wood and eat along the grain.
Contact Us
With Jones Termite & Pest Control, your pest problem will be taken care of right away. We can eliminate rodents with traps and rodenticide, exterminate roaches with baits and sprays, and install a Sentricon® system to slowly but surely kill off a whole termite colony. Give us a call today, and we'll inspect your property and provide a free estimate for the necessary service.
