All posts in Tips

How Do Pests Get Inside Your Home or Business?

by Mr. Little on April 9, 2013 in Bugs, Tips with No comments

Pests can gain access to your home or business in more ways than you think. In fact, there are times when we make it just too easy for creeping, crawling and sometimes flying invaders to join us.

I’ve always been more than willing to open my doors to guests but this is ridiculous! Mi casa es su casa does not apply here!

How do pests gain the inside track to your home or business? The experts at Western Exterminator have identified some of the leading pest highways and byways, and came up with tips to help slam the door, window or screen shut on pests!

Structural Weak Spots

While some pests are quite industrious in their own right (ever see the fascinating webs spiders weave in what seems to be no time at all?), others are actually just down right lazy. They are strictly opportunists when it comes to gaining access to a structure in search of the holy grail of food, water and harborage, and unfortunately we often unknowingly leave the welcome mat out.

Pests will forage patiently for just the right location to make their move and enter your home or business. Some of the most common entry points in and around structures include:

Cracks along the exterior foundation – an easy way for ants, cockroaches and mice to enter.
Holes in the roof where roofing materials are not properly installed or have worn away. Vents and screens in heating and air conditioning units installed on the roof can be common access points for pests such as roof rats.
Exhaust vents and utility openings, especially if screens are torn or the caulking around the vents has chipped away afford pests an opening to enter.
Missing or torn screens in windows or windows left open for ventilation provide nuisance birds and even wildlife with a route inside.
Loading dock doors are one of the most vulnerable spots in a commercial structure. Because of the constant activity doors are left open and pests of all types can make a grand entrance.

Hitching A Ride

Excluding pests from a structure is a practice homeowners and commercial building managers must manage closely but crafty pests are also adept at hitching a ride into homes, restaurants, food processing facilities, hotels or office buildings.

Think of the number of shipments that come in and out of bakery on a daily basis. Think about how many “shipments” come in and out of your home each day. Then think (I know it’s not a pleasant thought) about the number of opportunities pests have to sneak in the back, front or side doors. Yuck!

In a bakery, for example, pests can be transported in the raw food materials (i.e. flour, sugar, grains, etc.) much to the chagrin of the unsuspecting quality assurance manager.

Remember the great family vacation you went on over the holiday break? Well, you may have brought home more than a t-shirt from the hotel gift shop; you may have brought home pests.

At home, pests such as mice, cockroaches and bed bugs (ugh!) can be carried in inside the packing material of your new end table or in the backpack of your high school student, or yes, your luggage from that vacation.

Fleas and ticks can hitch a ride on your pets and the beautiful plants you bring indoors in the winter or buy from the local garden center can also be a source of pests.

How can you prevent these unwanted visitors? Put on your Sherlock Holmes hat and perform a thorough inspection of the packages coming into your home for signs of pest infestations. Properly dispose of boxes and shipping materials immediately, and clean out luggage, backpacks and lunch boxes on a regular basis. Or ask my colleagues at Western to come by and give you an assessment of places around your home that need to be rodent or bug proofed.

Do you have questions on how to prevent pests from invading your home or business? Send your pest questions to AskMrLittle@WesternExterminator.com and I’ll be sure to get back to you right away with the information you need.

Until next time, thanks for making Western Exterminator “The Final Word in Pest Control®”

Have a pest free day!

Celebrating National Pest Management Month

by Mr. Little on April 3, 2013 in Bugs, Tips with No comments

April is always a time for boundless optimism.

Baseball fans head off to Opening Day knowing their favorite team is in first place (at least for a day!) and say, “This could be the year.” Unless you are a Chicago Cubs fan, of course.

Homeowners start their spring cleaning and get rid of all of winter’s clutter, and the project list for things to do in and around our home and yard get longer by the minute.

April is also National Pest Management month and my optimism about keeping your living or working environment pest-free is more than a glass half full – it’s overflowing!

The highly trained and knowledgeable pest management professionals from Western Exterminator Company know a home or business is no place for annoying and potentially harmful pests.

To celebrate the valuable services the men and women of the pest management industry provide to customers across the United States, my colleagues and I at Western Exterminator want to share some important information on how pests can go from a nuisance to a hazard faster than a hot dog vendor spreads mustard on an LA Dodger Dog!

Feeling the Pressure! Pest pressure increases significantly in spring and summer, which is why simple measures like sealing cracks and crevices around the home, keeping kitchen counters and floors clean and free of crumbs, sealing garbage cans and eliminating sources of standing water on your property can go a long way in preventing pests from making a home in yours.
Taking a Bite Out of Your Home! Some pests, including termites, rodents and ants can cause costly damage to the structure of a home. Termites and carpenter ants have the ability to chew through wood beams, walls, floors and even wallpaper. Rodents can start house fires if they gnaw through electrical wiring or build nests close to heat sources.
Get A Termite Inspection. Termites can pose a major threat to the structural integrity of your home or business but according to a recent National Pest Management Association report, 52% of homeowners have failed to have a proper inspection done. Yikes – no wonder termites have the attitude of invincibility!
Public Health Threats. Commonly encountered pests such as cockroaches, mosquitoes and stinging insects pose health threats to humans. Cockroach allergens are known to trigger asthma attacks, especially in children. Mosquitoes, meanwhile, can carry West Nile virus and stinging insects send more than half a million people to the emergency room every year. Ouch!
A Pest That’s Itching to Bother You. Bed bugs are highly mobile and highly annoying to customers who have suffered through an infestation at home or while traveling. Bed bugs are active at night and bite you while you are sleeping, leaving small red bite marks and an annoying itching sensation that will have you seeing red!
Pests Are Bad for Business. If you own or manage a restaurant, bakery, hotel, healthcare facility or grocery store, you know pests are bad for business. Pests such as rodents, flies and stored products pests can spoil food, introduce deadly bacteria to your facility, and lead to significant financial losses and extensive damage to your reputation.

Protecting the public health and structures from the harmful antics of pests is what the professionals at Western Exterminator Company do on a daily basis. We couldn’t be prouder of the important role we play in keeping your family and customers safe from pests.

If pests are a problem in your home or business, the team at Western Exterminator can help. Send me an e-mail at AskMrLittle@WesternExterminator.com and I’ll be sure to get back to you right away with an answer to your pest problem.

Until next time, thanks for making Western Exterminator “The Final Word in Pest Control®”

Have a pest free day and Happy National Pest Management Month!

Being Alert To Termite Awareness Week

by Mr. Little on March 26, 2013 in Bugs, Tips with No comments

The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) has designated March 25-29 as Termite Awareness Week. But before you rush out and buy hats and noisemakers to celebrate, you might want to rethink the party. My knowledgeable termite colleagues at Western Exterminator Company want to make you aware of exactly the kind of pest we are dealing with!

Termites are the most economically important pest California, Arizona and Nevada consumers face. The damage caused by these silent but very destructive invaders can literally eat away at the structural integrity of your home or business if they are left to their destructive ways.

Termite damage – estimated at nearly $5 BILLION annually in the U.S. – gives homeowners something unpleasant to chew on. Termites will attack floor joists, support beams, fence and deck posts, kitchen cabinets, door and window framing, benches, and furniture in their quest for nourishment. And if those aren’t available, anything made of cellulose – a good book perhaps – will do.

There are more than 2,500 species of termites around the globe and while 17 species have been identified in our market area, the threat for California, Arizona and Nevada comes mainly from three types – subterranean, dampwood and drywood termites.

Subterranean termites attack from below the ground and enter a structure through untreated wood that has come in contact with soil. These nasty, destructive pests can form colonies that exceed two million members! That’s in excess of two million mouths chomping away on your home!

Dampwood termites nest in wood that is buried in the ground like old tree stumps or leftover construction materials. Like their name suggests, and just like their subterranean brethren, they thrive on moisture.

And just like dampwood termites like damp wood, drywood termites infest dry wood, including structural lumber used to build homes as well as dead limbs of trees, utility poles, posts, and stored lumber. Unlike their soil loving cousins, drywood termites do not attack through the ground. They take a more direct approach and will fly right up to a structure to find an opening to gain access.

In the spirit of the week, we put together the following tips to help you prevent destructive termites from eyeing up your home or business for their next meal!

Keep shower pans free of leaks and all plumbing in good repair – termites are attracted to moisture.
Routinely fill in any cracks in your masonry or concrete; make sure there are no entry points to your attic.
When watering your lawn, don’t sprinkle stucco or wood siding.
Keep your gutters and downspouts in good repair and clean. Wet leaves provide moisture and food.
Keep foundation air vents fully exposed; don’t let them become overgrown with shrubbery.
Avoid moisture accumulation around the foundation of your home.
Remove old form boards, grade stakes, etc., if they were left in place after the building was constructed. Also, don’t store firewood on the ground next to the house.
Remove old tree stumps and roots around and beneath the building.
Eliminate any wood contact with the soil. An 18-inch gap between the soil and wood portions of the building is ideal.
Avoid planting trees to close to the house. Trim trees and shrubs when necessary. Keep them from touching your house since it provides an easy pathway for termites.
Keep the exterior of your home well painted and in good repair. A good coat of paint acts as a barrier for drywood termites.
Have your home inspected by a licensed termite inspector every two to three years. Early diagnosis of a termite problem will help prevent expensive treatment measures.

Do you think you might have termites? If so, the team at Western Exterminator can help. You can send me an e-mail at AskMrLittle@WesternExterminator.com and I’ll be sure to get back to you right away.

Until next time, thanks for making Western Exterminator “The Final Word in Pest Control®”

Have a pest free day!

Cockroaches, Asthma and Allergies – Not A Good Mix

by Mr. Little on March 20, 2013 in Bugs, Tips with No comments

When most people think of asthma and allergies they typically think of fresh cut grass, flowering plants or allergic reactions to peanut butter and shellfish. Chances are cockroaches are not top of mind, but they should be!

The American Lung Association provides these eye-opening facts about asthma:

Asthma is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children under the age of 15.
Asthma caused 774,000 emergency room visits for children under 15.
Asthma is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism.

There are multiple triggers for asthma in children and one of the leading ones is cockroaches. Yes, those creepy crawlies that gross us out when we find them in our food can also, just by being there, cause our families to be sick! Cockroach feces, saliva or body parts trigger asthma since they contain certain proteins that can cause allergic reactions or trigger asthma symptoms.

First reported back in the 1940s, cockroach allergies are most common in urban areas. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation estimates 23% to 60% of urban residents with asthma are sensitive to the cockroach allergen.

To put those startling numbers in perspective, if you took the City of Los Angeles with the current population of an estimated 3.8 million people, anywhere from 878,000 to 2.2 million people could potentially be allergic to cockroach allergen. Those numbers make my top hat spin!

Cockroaches are one of the oldest and toughest (think $3 steak!) pests our Service Technicians come across. The most common variety is the German cockroach but residential and commercial customers may also encounter the American and Oriental cockroach. They sound so worldly but they are far from it!

These disease carrying critters live both inside (German) and outside (American and Oriental) structures and will thrive when they have access to food, water and a dark harborage spot.

Their tastes in food run the gamut and then some. Cockroaches eat just about anything including decaying matter such as food, garbage, feces and the like. They also enjoy strength in numbers; did you know a female German cockroach can produce over 30,000 little cockroaches in one year!

The allergens these filthy pests leave behind in homes linger in the air or, even if your home is sparkly clean, settle in house dust. They become airborne when the air is stirred up by movement like children playing or running through the house.

Diagnosing to determine if a person with persistent asthma is allergic to cockroaches can only be made by a skin test. A doctor will scratch or prick the skin with cockroach extract and if redness, an itchy rash or swelling appear then it is likely the person is allergic to cockroaches.

If someone in your family does have asthma or an allergy, studies are finding that treatment should begin in the home rather than the hospital. NPR recently reported on a program called the Community Asthma Initiative that the Children’s Hospital in Boston recently began to work with patients in their homes to eliminate or reduce their exposure to triggers at home. In the 7 years the Initiative has been active, ER visits have been reduced by 56% and hospitalizations from asthma have dropped a whopping 80%.

Western Exterminator Company has years of experience effectively eliminating cockroaches from homes and businesses. From our work in the trenches, we offer you the following tips to keep cockroaches out of your kitchen cupboards, laundry room or kitchen:

Rescind Their Invitation

Cockroaches can sneak in with paper products, packaging and used appliances. Inspect bags or boxes of groceries brought into your home or shipments brought into your business.
Regularly vacuum or sweep areas that might attract cockroaches.
Seal cracks and openings around or inside cabinets.

Cut Off Their Food & Water Supply

Store food in sealed containers. Never leave food, crumbs or trash uncovered anywhere.
Clean up any food debris or spills right away; do not allow any food or spills to sit overnight; do not leave uneaten pet food out overnight.
If you must leave dirty dishes, put them in the sink and cover them with soapy water.
Use trash cans with tight fitting lids. Avoid placing trash under the sink. Empty trash cans often. Put garbage in sealed plastic bags.
Fix leaky faucets and drains.

Do you have questions about eliminating cockroaches or any nuisance pests in your home or business? If so, the team at Western Exterminator can help. You can send me an e-mail at AskMrLittle@WesternExterminator.com and I’ll be sure to get back to you right away.

Until next time, thanks for making Western Exterminator “The Final Word in Pest Control®”

Have a pest free day!

Turn Out The Lights On Pests

by Mr. Little on March 18, 2013 in Bugs, Tips, Uncategorized with No comments

We all watched with bemusement and maybe a little annoyance when the lights went out at the Louisiana Superdome during this year’s Super Bowl.

While the nearly 34 minute delay on football’s day of days did put a temporary damper on the party I attended, it did allow me the chance to refill my plate with some tasty appetizers so not all was lost!

When the lights came back on it seemed to reenergize the San Francisco 49ers and they almost pulled out the win. The same, however, can’t be said of the pests who want to set up shop in your home or business; when you turn a bright light on them they tend to fumble!

As you have read in my previous blog posts, most pests don’t like the spotlight. Pests do almost anything they can to avoid the light and prefer to carry out their unhealthy and destructive behavior in the dark. (My mother always warned me that nothing good happens after 11 pm.)

Some of the nastiest pests the service professionals at Western Exterminator Company encounter are rarely seen in the light of day. Bed bugs, rodents, cockroaches and termites much prefer the cloak of darkness to do their “work.”

Bed bugs emerge at night from their harborages in mattresses, bed frames, picture frames, drapes and luggage to bite unsuspecting homeowners, hotel guests, hospital patients or dormitory-dwelling college students.

The nasty evidence bed bugs leave behind after their night time escapades include:

Rusty-colored blood spots due to their blood-filled fecal material that they excrete on the sheets, mattresses or furniture (it’s very apparent on light colored sheets and fabric).
A sweet musty smell.
Tiny bite marks on their victims.

The bite marks are similar to that of a mosquito or a flea bite with a slightly swollen and red area that may itch and cause irritation. One note on bed bug bites: It can take as long as 14 days for bites to develop so be on the lookout for other signs of infestation.

Rodents also enjoy the shroud of darkness and the protection it provides. They are burrow-dwelling pests who love the dark; when was the last time you saw a floor lamp in a rodent burrow?

Rodent activity spikes during the late evening and early morning hours when humans are less likely to be around to interrupt them while they tear through garbage bags and dumpsters behind a restaurant or sneak inside through an opening in the weather-stripping on the bottom of your garage door in search of food, water and shelter.

Darkness also provides the cover that cockroaches prefer. Cockroaches thrive in dark, moist, undisturbed locations in wall voids, inside equipment, basements and crawlspaces, and in cupboards, too. It doesn’t take much to create a potential harborage location that can support an entire city of cockroaches.

That’s why you will hear Western Exterminator Company’s highly-trained residential and commercial Service Technicians talk about “crack and crevice” treatments. They aren’t talking about spelunking but about getting to the source of the infestation and applying the appropriate product directly where cockroaches live.

The last (but certainly not the least annoying or costly!) darkness-loving pest is also the most destructive. Termites are a pest rarely seen and heard by consumers; evidence of their unwelcome presence usually comes well after the harm has been done in the form of damaged wood framing in and around structures.

The team at Western Exterminator can help “turn out the lights” for good on bed bugs, rodents, cockroaches, termites and other annoying and potentially dangerous pests that want to invade your home or business. Give us a call; we’ll leave the light on for you, and put the un-welcome mat out for pests!

Send your pest questions to AskMrLittle@WesternExterminator.com and I’ll be sure to get back to you right away with the information you need.

Until next time, thanks for making Western Exterminator “The Final Word in Pest Control®”

Have a pest free day!

Rodents: A Threat To Public Health and Property

by Mr. Little on January 23, 2013 in Tips with No comments

Rodents are a doubleheader of trouble for consumers. Not only do they present a threat to public health as a transmitter of harmful and dangerous diseases, they can also do significant damage to the structures they choose to infest. Talk about a double-dose of badness wrapped into a furry, greasy body!

The rodents consumers most often encounter are the Norway rat, roof rat and house mouse. This “trio of trouble” are not at all like the cute cartoon characters developed by Disney or DreamWorks. These troublesome pests know no shame when it comes to trying to invite themselves into your home or business.

They are sneaky but patient creatures that wait for any opportunity to get inside a structure through an opening in the foundation or door frame, inside a packing crate destined for a grocery store or inside a shipment of grain headed to a brewery.

Rodents are first-class vectors for disease and destruction. Since rodents are frequent visitors of sewers and other filthy, nasty areas where dangerous bacteria are present (they are disgusting creatures!) rodents are ideal transporters of bacteria such as salmonella.

These filthy pests can easily spoil prepared and stored food by eating, chewing or coming in contact with it. They are not picky about what they eat and can quickly turn your next feast into their next feast without even asking.

Another disease traced to rodents is rickettsial pox. This disease is transmitted by mites who live on infested mice and it produces chicken pox-like symptoms including rash, fever, and headache (another reason to dislike these guys!).

Noted rodent researcher Dr. Bobby Corrigan found that rodents can be the carrier and delivery vehicle for up to 55(!) different diseases. Needless to say, rodents are not something you want your family and friends, customers or employees exposed to.

The harmful effects of rodents extend beyond contaminating and spoiling food, they can also take a chunk out of your home or business – literally. Rats and mice can chew openings on wood siding, door and window frames, and roofs to gain entrance to a structure.

They also chew and gnaw on phone, computer and electrical wires, and thereby are capable of starting fires. The National Pest Management Association notes that about 40% of home fires of unknown origin are attributed to rodents chewing through electrical wire insulation.

How do you know if you have a rodent problem? Here are some telltale signs to look for:

Rodent Droppings. Rodent droppings and urine are some of the first signs you have rodents. Look for rodent droppings near food sources such as pet feeding areas, in storage areas and recycling bins. The droppings sort of look like a fat piece of rice and are usually black in color and ¼ to ½ inch long.

Chewed Electrical Wires. Rodents will chew almost anything and electrical wires are a popular “snack.”

Entrance Points. Openings as small as ¼ to ½ inch in diameter provide rodents an entrance into most any structure. Remember to look high and low for openings including the foundation, around door and window frames, garage doors, vents and roofs.

Unexplained Damage. Rodents are prodigious gatherers of “stuff” when building a nest. They will chew on carpet, upholstery and drapes for nesting materials, and have been known to chew through screens to gain access – talk about pushy!

A good rodent access inspection, followed by completing the recommended rodent proofing, is the best way to keep these pesky varmints on the outside of any structure. Eliminating any attractants or harborage areas in your yard will also help send them packing—at least to the neighbors!

Do you have questions on how Western Exterminator can help keep unwanted rodents or other pests out of your home or business in 2013? If so, I want to hear them. You can send me an e-mail at AskMrLittle@WesternExterminator.com. I’ll be sure to get back to you right away with an answer.

Until next time, thanks for making Western Exterminator “The Final Word in Pest Control®”

Have a pest free day!

Mr. Little

New Year, Same Old Pests

by Mr. Little on January 7, 2013 in Bugs, Company, Tips with No comments

“Should old acquaintance be forgot.” That is a line from the classic New Year’s Eve song Auld Lang Syne and it reminds me that, wish as I might, my old acquaintance, Menace Mouse, never seems to be forgotten!

He keeps turning up every year with his crew trying to gnaw or sneak their way into homes or businesses in search of food, water and shelter. Rodents are one of the top pests the pros at Western Exterminator are called upon to eliminate from customer’s homes and business.

These prodigious breeders have just one instinct – survival. And that means they will seek out any available shelter or food source they can lay their grubby little feet on. Rodents are not only a nuisance to homes and business owners but are a potential health threat by spoiling food and they have an annoying and dangerous habit of chewing on electrical wires that can start a fire!

Rodents are, however, not the only pest that consumers need to be on the lookout for in 2013. There always is an “in season” pest that wants to spoil the party and cause headaches for our loyal commercial and residential customers.

Argentine Ants – These visitors from a faraway land are known to show up during the rainy season (January and February in Southern California) in search of food to satisfy their hunger. Argentine ants establish shallow nests in the soil near moisture sources, such as along sidewalks, under rocks, between plants, near water pipes, in potted plants and wall voids. They will aggressively forage and feed on oil, protein foods, fat, and meat and build amazing looking trails along sidewalks, up sides of buildings, along branches of trees and shrubs. They do the same thing inside, along baseboards, up sink plumbing and under edges of carpets.

Termites – Certain species of the ever hungry and destructive termite usually swarm in the spring of the year and are always on the hunt for a tasty wood snack. Unfortunately, that snack can be the support beams of your home, your kitchen cabinets or the patio deck off the back of your restaurant! Our highly trained termite inspectors will exam every inch of your home or business for signs of termite infestation and if we find them, we will make treatment recommendations and can resolve most issues and put an end to their feeding frenzy.

Bed Bugs – One of the most disgusting pests you’ll encounter, these tiny (and I mean tiny!) pests hide in dark places such as bed and picture frames, draperies, luggage and cracks and crevices in walls and electrical outlets. Heck, they’ll even call your shoes or the cuff of your pants home! Highly mobile and hard to detect, using one of Western Exterminator’s canine bed bug inspectors is the best way to sniff out bed bugs and get a treatment program started.

Mosquitoes – These pesky critters usually make their presence felt around the 4^th of July when they dive bomb the guests at your backyard barbeque. Eliminating standing water is the key to keeping these biting, blood thirsty critters in check.

Do you have questions on how Western Exterminator can help keep your home or business pest free in 2013? If so, I want to hear them. You can send me an e-mail at AskMrLittle@WesternExterminator.com. I’ll be sure to get back to you right away with an answer.

Until next time, thanks for making Western Exterminator “The Final Word in Pest Control®”

Have a pest free day!

Mr. Little Shares His New Year’s Resolutions

by Mr. Little on December 31, 2012 in Company, History, Tips, Uncategorized with No comments

As the ball drops on 2012 and we usher in a New Year, I would like to extend, on behalf of the entire Western Exterminator Company family, a happy, healthy and, above all, pest-free 2013 to you and yours!

We appreciate that our customers have entrusted us to protect their homes and businesses from unwanted, unhealthy and at times destructive pests. Creating a safe and healthy environment where pests are not welcome is the goal my colleagues at Western Exterminator and I dedicate ourselves to each and every day.

Celebrating a New Year also means making resolutions. And while I do resolve to ride my new mountain bike more often in 2013 (not just up and down the driveway!) here are my New Year’s resolutions for keeping your home or office free of things that fly, crawl and sting:

Reintroduce our residential customers to our W.E.Care™ Service Program which we have in place at all of our residential accounts. We believe it’s important for everyone to know that through our W.E.Care™ program we have reduced the use of traditional pesticides at homes by nearly 70%. Designed in-house by Western Exterminator’s Technical Division, this program is invisible to our clients but relies on low-impact products, primarily botanicals, that effectively eliminate pests while respecting the environment at the same time.
Make certain that all of our customer’s know that Western is a ‘full-service’ pest control company. What does that mean? Well, if it’s a nuisance pest or even nuisance wildlife, Western has a program to protect your home or business. You’d be surprised at the number of times we hear long-time clients say, “I didn’t know Western handled termites!” If it’s a structural pest, Western can handle it all!
Inform everyone that bed bugs are back (ugh!!), and the most effective high tech inspection tool is a canine noise. Our bed bug sniffing dogs have performed hundreds of successful inspections. If these blood-sucking pests are present those sensitive canine noses will find them and our bed bug specialists will work with you to get rid of them fast. We’ll even give you tips on how to help avoid bed bugs in the future.
Work every day to help our customers live a pest-free life. We believe education is important, and an educated consumer can help keep their environment bug-free. Of course when needed, we stand at the ready to yes, get the bugs out! Whether it’s eliminating cockroaches or mice out of a commercial kitchen, a yellow jacket nest out of the backyard or nuisance birds off a sign in front of your store, I will be sharing tips throughout 2013 on how to live a pest-free life.
And finally, we want to make sure we continue to “walk the talk” when it comes to delivering exceptional customer service that exceeds your expectations. Western Exterminator built its reputation by delivering reliable, effective pest management services at a fair price. It’s been a Western family tradition for nearly a century. If for some reason you aren’t satisfied, I want to hear about it and we’ll get it fixed ASAP.

Do you have questions about pests and how Western Exterminator can help prevent them from becoming a nuisance in and around your home or business? If so, I want to hear them. You can send me an e-mail at AskMrLittle@WesternExterminator.com. I’ll be sure to get back to you right away with an answer.

Until next time, thanks for making Western Exterminator Company “The Final Word in Pest Control®”

Have a pest free day and Happy New Year!

Tis’ The Season For Pests

by Mr. Little on December 24, 2012 in Bugs, Tips with No comments

Amid the hustle and bustle of last minute gift shopping, holiday parties, and getting the house ready for guests and out-of-town relatives, it’s easy to overlook the “giving” nature of pests that want to share your holiday season.

While I don’t know of a single pest that has sent out as much as one Christmas card or that can belt out a traditional yuletide carol, I do know they will devour your favorite holiday fruit cake (Yes, it confirms the myth that pests will eat just about anything they get their tiny little mouths on!) or any other tasty treat that adorns your holiday buffet.

Pests like rodents, flies, spiders, bed bugs, termites and cockroaches don’t actually know it’s the holiday season, they just think it’s another day on the hunt for food, water and shelter. And if your holidays are anything like mine, there is no shortage of food that could attract them.

Pests can infest and spoil food in your home’s kitchen and pantry, at your favorite restaurant or from the banquet kitchen at a local hotel. They aren’t picky eaters and are opportunists when it comes to helping themselves to the ingredients from ginger bread cookies to homemade dinner rolls.

Most nuisance pests do not bound down the chimney with care to visit your home or business, except raccoons; they stage their invasion through chimneys that have broken caps and allow easy access but that’s a blog for another day. If you encounter a raccoon eating Santa’s cookies, be careful; they don’t have a very good sense of humor!

Pests in general, whether they be bugs or critters, are a sneaky lot. They can make their way into your home from unexpected places such as inside bags of flour or cereal boxes from the grocery store, the FedEx package that arrived from Aunt Millie with your gift (socks again!), in the firewood you are using to build the perfect holiday backdrop, or in the two tons of laundry junior brought home from college that hasn’t been washed since the third week of the semester!

Pests can hide in the smallest and most unlikely of places from inside your pants cuff to inside the packaging of the super duper doll house you bought for your daughter that requires “some assembly” (translation: you need an advanced degree in mechanical engineering to put it together!).

What can you do to prevent or remove pests that are putting the Scrooge on your holidays? First, check out my “Living Pest Free Tips” on Western Exterminator’s website at: http://www.westernexterminator.com/assets/pdf/quickTips.pdf, or if you feel you can’t handle the problem yourself, call the experienced and knowledgeable “elves” of Western Exterminator and have them drop a little “pest elimination coal” in the stockings of your unwanted pest guests!

Western Exterminator has a complete line of “gifts” for any nuisance pests that dare enter your home or business. Our “catalog” of services includes a collection of “Un-Welcome” mats no pest should go without this holiday season.

Our highly trained Service Technicians will deliver the following pest management services to your home or business:

“Best in the West” residential pest management services featuring our W.E. Care™ Service Program using low-impact products to eliminate pests and respect the environment at the same time.
Complete termite management services, including wood repair for termite damage and Western Exterminator’s Homeowner Protection Plan that gives you peace of mind that termites won’t be taking up residence. Comprehensive termite inspections and reports for real estate transfers are also services we can provide.
Rodent exclusion and control programs for homes and businesses.
The latest in bed bug detection, management strategies and inspection services with the finest, four-legged inspector in the West, Honey, our bed bug sniffing canine expert.
Nuisance birds of a feather do not flock together when Western Exterminator is on the job designing exclusion and management strategies that deliver results.
Stinging insect solutions including bee and wasp control and nest removal.

Do you have any questions about pests, nuisance wildlife or any of the pest management solutions Western Exterminator offers? If so, I want to hear them. You can send me an e-mail at AskMrLittle@WesternExterminator.com. I’ll be sure to get back to you with an answer and you’ll be on your way to a solution right away.

Until next time, thanks for making Western Exterminator Company “The Final Word in Pest Control®”

Have a pest free day and Happy Holidays!

Extra, Extra Read All About Headline Making Pests

by Mr. Little on December 18, 2012 in Tips with No comments

By the looks of it members of the pest community must have a darn good PR person or possess one uncanny sense of timing! While most pests including bed bugs, rodents, and cockroaches are not fond of a well-lighted environment, they sure seemed to enjoy the bright lights of publicity in 2012.

Pests were media darlings (and devils in some cases) this past year not only in California, Arizona and Nevada, but across the country. Since I enjoy scouring the headlines for pest control news each and every day during my lunch break on my iPad, I thought I would share some of the most interesting, and yes humorous, pest headlines I came across this year.

West Nile Virus Largest In U.S. History

Ouch! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the number of cases for West Nile virus to be the highest since the disease was first found in the U.S. in 1999. More than 5,000 cases and 243 deaths in 48 states, including 584 cases spread across California, Arizona and Nevada, have been reported as of December 1. The mosquito – both the northern and southern house breed – is the primary vector of the West Nile virus and the elimination of standing water in and around your home, even in small plant saucers, is the best way to prevent an infestation.

Deer Mice Spread Hantavirus in Yosemite

Very sad. Three persons died and 10 became seriously ill after being exposed to Hantavirus following camping trips at Yosemite National Park this summer. Hantavirus is a rare air-borne virus transmitted by deer mice and occurs when the infected mice shed the virus in their urine, droppings and saliva, and people breathe in air contaminated with the virus. While the majority of our customers don’t have to worry about deer mice, it is important to keep rodents out of your living and working environment and the experts at Western Exterminator know just what to do. Check out our Tips on dealing with rodents on our website at http://www.westernexterminator.com/assets/pdf/RodentCustomerBulletin.pdf

A Stinging Issue

On the lighter side, a Delta Airlines flight from Pittsburgh to New York City was delayed in August when a swarm of 10,000 honey bees decided to go “stand by” on the plane’s wing! According to airport officials, swarms of honey bees, some numbering upwards of 25,000, are common along the runways – talk about frequent fliers! I wonder if they were charged for their second piece of luggage?

Picking A Winner

The New Jersey Pest Management Association held its 16^th Annual Cockroach Derby in August and this year’s contestants were racing for the White House! Two giant Madagascar hissing cockroaches “representing” this year’s presidential candidates – challenger Governor Mitt Romney and incumbent President Obama -raced a six foot track to see who would be the new resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. In this contest the giant cockroach didn’t quite get its prediction right as Governor Romney’s Madagascar took the win. No word on if Romney’s Madagascar is seeking a re-match in 2016!

Take The Redline To Bed Bug Heights

Bus drivers for the Detroit Department of Transportation complained this summer that bed bugs were taking over their buses. Drivers complained they had suffered bites from these nasty, blood sucking pests that can easily be transported in shopping bags, clothing, bedding, backpacks and briefcases. The city indicated it would fumigate infected buses to remove the bed bugs. With more than 100,000 passengers traveling the system each day, the department would realize a whole lot more fare revenue if these freeloaders paid for their ride!

And that’s only scratching (no pun intended) the surface. Bugs are everywhere and many of them affect us adversely, which is why my colleagues and I at Western Exterminator Company are on the job 24-hours a day.

Call us if you have any pest control problems you can’t solve in your home or business, or you can send me an e-mail at AskMrLittle@WesternExterminator.com. I’ll get back to you right away with answers and solutions to eliminate the pests and provide you with a pest-free living or working environment. Trust me; it’s a lot more fun to not be plagued by these unwanted devils.

Until next time, thanks for making Western Exterminator “The Final Word in Pest Control®”

Have a pest free day!

All posts in Tips

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Celebrating National Pest Management Month

Being Alert To Termite Awareness Week

Cockroaches, Asthma and Allergies – Not A Good Mix

Turn Out The Lights On Pests

Rodents: A Threat To Public Health and Property

New Year, Same Old Pests

Mr. Little Shares His New Year’s Resolutions

Tis’ The Season For Pests

Extra, Extra Read All About Headline Making Pests

Don't let the pests pester.

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