Hotel clients are using internet tools like Bed Bug Registry.com to make decisions on what hotels to avoid when they are on the road. This one tool alone has over 12,000 different websites linking to it from popular online resources like Wikipedia , from comments on HuffingtonPost, the Travel Channel  and USA Today. Not only will you find many older run down motels, inns and apartment buildings but you will be surprised by how many upscale hotel properties in Philadelphia are on the list. Atlantic City casino hotels and lower Bucks County hotels with bed bugs are also on this list. Your hotel, apartment building or rooming house is not immune to this growing epidemic.

Eliminate Bed Bugs in Your Hotel

You see, bed bugs are great traveler and hitch a ride to your hotel property or someone’s home by clinging onto an unsuspecting traveler’s luggage or the cuffs of a business man’s pants. College dormitories and student housing complexes in Philadelphia and South Jersey are also great breeding grounds for a bed bug infestation. The only real defense against this problem is a continual maintenance and a bed bug treatment program. Because of the transient nature of the hotel business, it is difficult to prevent the problem entirely. Lucky for you, we at Northeast Exterminating have a special recipe for you to stay out of the news and to avoid tarnishing your good reputation for cleanliness. Invite us in for a consultation and we will share our secret for your success against bed bug bites with you. For obvious reasons, we will not share it for our competitors to read…it is that good!

Treating Bed Bug Bites at Home

HealthNet is a great resource for those that already have been bitten or are looking for a home remedy for getting rid of bed bugs. You will find some quality information to help your friends and guests treat bed bugs in their own homes. Remember that they got to your property by hitching a ride from somewhere. Let’s do our best to inform travelers on how to best eliminate bed bugs in their own homes and identify the signs of bed bugs on their mattresses.

Hotel Bed Bugs Exterminator

Contact our bed bug exterminating team today for a free consultation help you avoid getting your name listed on the bed bug registry in Philadelphia.

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West Nile Virus Control in Pennsylvania

It has been over a decade since West Nile virus has been identified for the first time in the state of Pennsylvania. Older people and Delaware Valley residents with compromised immune systems have the highest risk of developing severe illness. However, anyone can get the virus. Since the summer of 2000 when the first of 4 dead birds tested positive in Bucks County and Delaware County PA, the state has been investing significant funds to prevent an outbreak from ever occurring. Most of the cases in Pennsylvania occur between July through early fall, although mosquito season is usually April-October. Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, and Delaware County are all located in Pennsylvania’s High Risk areas for West Nile virus.

About 20% of the humans that do contract the illness from an infected mosquito may experience a fever, headache and body aches. Only a very small segment of these people end up with the more severe West Nile encephalitis. Use this West Nile virus fact sheet to help you better understand the complications and how to protect yourself and your family. The state of Pennsylvania is very aggressive in their prevention program but it is important that you take an active role in protecting your family.

Mosquito Control at Home

It is important to minimize any opportunity for mosquitoes to breed and their favorite places to congregate are stagnant water. Clogged gutters, recycling bins, bird baths, garden ponds or anything that collects water after it rains may be considered a breeding ground. So get in the habit of walking your property after it rains and pay attention to the water collectors. You can drill holes in garbage bins , turn over wheelbarrows, and remove old tires from your property. If you have a pond on your property or a more severe mosquito control problem, give us a call and with a trained eye we can add biodegradable mosquito dunks that are safe for your plants, animals, fish and family. Mosquito traps and ultra violet zappers strategically placed can do wonders for reducing the adult mosquito population.

Natural Mosquito Repellants

Deet is the chemical found in most over the counter insect repellants and has proven itself very effective at warding off insect bites. Activists have done their best to bring safety issues of this chemical to light and in 1998 after exhaustive studies, the EPA rules that Deet was a safe insect repellant when applied according to directions. There are many natural mosquito repellants on the market today that have proven their effectiveness and many of these products use at least one of these essential oils that repel insects.

One of the easiest ways to address your mosquito problem is to invite your Northeast Exterminating team out to your property in the early springtime and allow us to set up mosquito spraying program designed to kill mosquito larvae before the grow into biting adults.

Without a magic wand as a spider repellent or a flying car to help you escape the dreaded brown recluse spider as Harry Potter used in the Chamber of Secrets Spider Scene, what is a Bucks County homeowner with arachnophobia to do?

For the most part, all spiders have a set of jaws, fangs and can inject venom into their prey although it is rare that Pennsylvania spiders will prey on humans and if you do get bitten by a spider, the venom would have little effect unless you have a weakened immune system. Needless to say, spiders do freak people out and harmless or not, our clients want us to get rid of their spiders when they find them. The common house spider will build her webs in the corners between walls in damp areas such as basements or barns. Finding the female before she lay’s her eggs is the goal since each egg sac can result in 150 – 350 baby spiders…then we have a bigger issue.

Here are a few more spider pictures and some help identifying Pennsylvania spiders.

Spider Control & Repellants

Often we will use our special spider dust in the specific areas where we find the webs for our unique style of spider control, doing our best to avoid using this pesticide where your pets or children will come in contact with our dusting. Some other spider repellants we have tried are Eucalyptus leaves, Baking Soda and Oil of Pennroyal and each has been effective when used in the right amounts while targeting the right areas of a home. The more common natural spider repellants are homemade mixtures of Vinegar water (50/50 mix) with a few drops lemon oil and lavender oil. Place this mixture into a spray pump bottle and apply it to the areas that you fear your spiders are frequenting.

Most spiders are very beneficial to the environment, the ecosystem they are found and when they are found out doors, we will do our best to trap spiders and relocate them away from our clients home where they are no longer a nuisance but can still serve their purpose in insect control.

Spider Bites

Spiders will only bite you if there webs are continually disrupted and you come in direct contact with an adult spider that may feel threatened. Insect and spider bites often cause minor swelling, redness, pain, and itching. These mild reactions are common and may last from a few hours to a few days. Home first aid treatment is recommended in most cases. If you are allergic, be sure to wear clothes like long sleaves and protective gloves when gardening or working is undisturbed areas of your home. Try to either capture or at least visualize the spider so the culprit can be identified. Monitor the area of the bite and if it appears to get extremely worse quickly, seek immediate medical attention.

Respect our eight legged partners as they too are helping us control the insect population. If you find them in your home or close to where children play, give us a call to get rid of your spider problem. Otherwise, let them be and chances are they will not harm you.

Who is winning the battle in your home? Most clients come to an all out war against a nasty Gang of Roaches ill prepared.

For many, just the thought of creepy crawlers scurrying around your kitchen and bathroom floor while the lights are out can cause nightmares, or worse, insomnia! Understanding the enemy is always a good first step in anticipating and getting rid of roaches. Let’s get to know who we are dealing with?

The German Cockroach

Certainly the most common species know to invade homes in Pennsylvania and New Jersey is the German Roach. The life cycle of these pests is only 6-7 months but they are very prolific breeders. Most adults are ½ inch to ¾ inches in size but they did not start out that way. Females can carry about 40 eggs and she can produce 3-4 egg capsules in her life cycle. Multiply that by 50 females and …wow that is how an infestation of roaches can get out of control very quickly. How did German cockroaches get into your home? Well they didn’t take the bus but they probably did hitch a ride from an unsuspecting box you “borrowed” from a grocery store, your kids pant’s cuff or a bag of hand me downs from someone else’s home.

Is Boric Acid Good DIY Roach Control?

German roaches are not often a pest that homeowners have success getting rid of themselves. People have been using boric acid to fight roaches for over a century and if used properly it can be very effective. Unfortunately most people use it incorrectly. It should really be used in combination with roach baiting techniques. Apply a very thin layer to your “High Traffic Areas” near a food source like garbage cans or under kitchen cabinets where the kids drop crumbs. Never apply boric acid to countertops or eating surfaces. This white inorganic powder does not repel the insects from coming back so although effective at killing roaches, they will most likely come back. ALWAYS read and follow labels and safe use of any pesticide.

Cockroach Baits and Gels

The key to success is finding where the prime locations are. Most cockroach baits contain a slow acting insecticide that the critter ingests and then hopefully carry’s back to the nest and dies. We do recommend you keep the roach bait you purchase away from pets and children as they can be harmful, but most often not lethal. Black Flag and Raid both make an effective product for most homes.

The Roach Killers

Of course the most effective way to deal with your roach infestation is to call your friends at Northeast Exterminating and allow us to break out our sure fire seven step method for ridding your home of German cockroaches.

Wood Eating Ants in the House – Oh My!

You need more than the powers of deduction to find and get rid of an ant colony in your house. Your own Dr. Watson might be helpful and together you should start looking for the tell tale signs of a carpenter ants infestation. Follow the sawdust is a good start to uncovering their secret hiding spot. Less than 5% of these black ants will be out and about. Using ant spray on the visible workers may give you piece of mind but the other 95% of the colony will seek different routes to the ant nest in your house.

Unlike their distant relatives, carpenter ants do not eat and digest wood like subterranean termites. But they do love to set up their nest in wooden structures (like your wooden house) found in densely populated damp climates as we have here in the Philadelphia region. More than 90% of the homes in the US are wood framed homes. Most masonry homes offer wooden accents, support beams and wooden utility sheds. Carpenter ants can do significant structural damage if left untreated. Homeowners make the best detectives if you know what to look for. When you spot solitary worker ants, Control yourself…Do Not Spray them. We need them to lead us to the Queen and the rest of the colony.

It is better to feed the lone worker ants with honey, jam, Karo syrup or some other ant bait that is sweet & sticky and watch them bring these goodies back to their nest. Look for the ant “Windows” or doorways into their hidden passages. These will be small slit like openings that these wood eating ants cut into damaged wood. Ants are nocturnal so get out your flashlight for this nighttime detective work. Ant Swarmers or “Flying Ants” are often good clues to the nest location. Look for them trapped in spider webs, on window ledges or in light fixtures. Spring time is when you may see these winged carpenter ants.

Get Rid of Ants – Call in the Black Ant SWAT Team “ANTZ”

When you think you are getting close to locating the ant colony, you can try a few DIY Ant Treatments. The best products for dusting are not readily available in a typical garden center…so you may have to do some searching for products like Drione® (pyrethrins), Tempo® (cyfluthrin), Deltadust® (deltamethrin). Remember that you should be treating the nest and not the random worker ants. The best way to get rid of ants in Bucks County homes is to call our Black Ant SWAT team we affectionately call the “ANTZ” team. Call us today at (215) DEAD-BUG

Squirrels can definitely be frustrating creatures. If taken lightly, they can be very annoying and destructive. Are you struggling to get a good night’s sleep because of the ruckus these critters are causing your attic? Once your new tenants have started nesting and have gotten comfortable in their new home…your home, you may never be able to get rid of them without a few key ingredients. If you ignore them too long, they will be sneaking into your living space to seek out new food sources, often the kitchen garbage or your child’s half eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwich left under his or her bed. Bird feeders and the spring vegetable garden certainly are prime feeding grounds for these unwanted pests. Initially you may think they are cute but attitude soon changes when your song birds choose not to return and your garden is all dug up.

Hav-a-hart Traps & our Secret Squirrel Bait

There are a number of ways to get rid of squirrels; naturally and effectively. Our most successful treatment for your squirrel over population is to use Havahart traps specially designed for squirrel trapping. Using humane traps to capture your critters keeps the neighbors from calling the animal control board and protects you from the sometimes harmful effects of squirrel repellants or poison. The process consists mainly of placing squirrel traps in strategic locations where they usually enter and exit your home. Our secret squirrel bait is no more than bird seed, peanuts and a few drops of anise oil for flavor. We have found that the Havahart traps are better designed than some of the other squirrel traps found on the market today.
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Squirrel Removal Requires Caution

Now that you have caught one or two of these squirrels, chances are that they may be angry or even vicious as you approach the cage. An experienced squirrel removal service is always your best option for getting rid of your squirrel problem. Our team members wear protective gloves and even goggles for the task of catching, transporting and releasing squirrels being extra careful and avoiding direct contact if at all possible. Choosing a wooded area away from populated areas is very important. You don’t want anyone else to have your squirrel problem. In most cases when released, the squirrels scurry off with no implications. There are those occasions that these rodents get protective or carry rabies and may attempt to attack the captor. Always be on your guard.

Our Wildlife Trapping experts are always on call ready to serve homeowners in Philadelphia, Mercer County NJ & Bucks County communities like Bensalem, Langhorne, Levittown PA.

There are a number of significant signs that indicate that your home may be infested by termites. You might notice some holes in your wall posts with tiny grains falling on the floor, or you may hear hollow sounds when you knock on these wooden posts. If being left unattended, termites can literally bring your house down. Here is some helpful information about the two common types of termites and the corresponding actions to take in addressing the problem. 

 Termite Inspection Service Experts

According to our termite inspection service expert, subterranean termites are the dominant species found in our region. The eastern subterranean termite normally feed on wood by way of eating the grain in between and then fill the hollow space with dirt. Their need for moisture requires their nest to be in close contact with the soil. The drywood termite species on the other hand make their homes above the ground and prefer more tropical climates near the southern coastal areas where the temperature is warmer.

For the most part, termites prefer to be hidden inside the walls and wooden flooring of a home and therefore difficult to detect with the untrained eye. Termite swarms occur only when the more mature termites are seeking to start new colonies and in search of a new food source. Termite swarmers often indicate that you may have a large termite infestation problem that has been building for years and now is time for them to divide and “spread their wings”. If you see swarmers, don’t hesitate to get an experienced termite specialist out to investigate as soon as possible.

Termite Control Company

Only an expert exterminator in Philadelphia will know how to handle the complexities of your termite infestation. With specialized detection equipment like soil treatment rods and masonry drills, termite treatment specialists in Philadelphia will be able to locate the subterranean trails for the colony of these pests. Northeast Exterminating is licensed to use the most advanced treatments and trained how best to apply the appropriate quantity of Termidor for termites without causing damage to the eco system around your home. We also offer pest management inspections for business that will treat termites and other pests found in and around your place of business.

Has everyone seen the billboard on 95 at the Cottman exit? Featuring protecta- bed mattress covers for bed bugs. These little blood sucking creatures seem to be very popular these days.

Defend yourself from bed bugs!  The Philadelphia Free Library is sponsoring anti bed bug self defense sessions.  A call to your local branch will let you know the current schedule.

 These dates are scheduled of this writing:

Tue. 10/19 6:30 PM Katherine Drexel Branch  11099 Knights Rd. 19154

Tue. 10/26  6:00 PM  Richmond Branch 2987 Almond St. 19136

Wed. 11/10 6:30 PM  Torresdale Branch  3079 Holme Ave. 19136

Wed. 11/17 2:00 PM  Kensington Branch  104 W. Dauphin St. 19133

Mon.  11/29 6:30 PM  Tacony Branch  6742 Torresdale Ave. 19135

Wed.  12/1   6:30 PM  Wynnefield Branch 54^th & Wynnefield 19131

Wed.  12/8  5:30 PM  Durham Branch 3320 Haverford Ave. 19104

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