Ants have now taken over as the number one pest in the country.  With careful planning there are some things that can help curtalil ant activity.  However, the best method is to call an Exterminator.

• Entry: Ants can enter through even the tiniest cracks, seeking water and sweet or greasy food substances in the kitchen pantry or storeroom areas.
• Scent trails: Ants leave an invisible chemical trail which contains pheromones for others to follow once they locate the food source.
• Nest locations: They can nest about anywhere in and around your house; in lawns, walls, stumps, even under foundations.
• Colony size: Can number up to 300,000 to 500,000 and whole colonies can uproot and relocate quickly when threatened.
• Colony Lifetime: A colony can live a relatively long lifetime. Worker ants may live seven years and the queen may live as long as 15 years.
• Do-it-yourself ineffectiveness: Most do-it-yourself ant control approaches only kill the ants you see. Some truly effective treatments can penetrate and destroy nests to help prevent these pests from returning. Also, home remedies don’t account for the fact that different kinds of ant infestations require different treatments.

• Acrobat Ant	Argentine Ant	Carpenter Ant	Harvester Ant
  Pavement Ant	Pharoah Ant	Fire Ant	Thief Ant

More than 100 pathogens are associated with the house fly including: Salmonella, Staphylococcus, E. coli and Shigella. These pathogens can cause disease in humans and animals, including: typhoid fever, cholera, bacillary dysentery, hepatitis,

ophthalmia, polio, tuberculosis and infantile diarrhea. Sanitation is critical to controlling these pests, but accurate identification is essential for successful fly control.

Here are some other things you should know about flies and fly control:

• Depending on the species, the life expectancy of a fly is eight days to two months, or in some cases, up to a year.
• Flies belong to the Order Diptera, meaning two wings. There are 16,000 species of flies in North America.
• Flies plague every part of the world except the polar ice caps.
• One pair of flies can produce more than 1 million offspring in as little as six to eight weeks.
• As many as 33 million microorganisms may flourish in a single fly’s gut, while a half-billion more swarm over its body and legs.
• Flies spread diseases readily because they move quickly from rotting, disease-laden garbage to exposed exposed human foods and utensils.
• Because they only have two wings, flies land often and therefore can deposit thousands of bacteria each time they land.
• U.S. Department of Agriculture sources reveal that flies contaminate or destroy $10 billion worth of agricultural products.
• For every fly seen, there are an estimated 19 more hidden from view. This means humans don’t even see most of the flies present at an infestation

Cockroaches can wreak havoc on your home. To win the war in cockroach control, here’s what you should know:

• Entry: Cockroaches can enter your home in many different ways, from the outside through cracks and crevices, vents, sewer and drain pipes. We even bring them in on products like grocery bags, boxes, purses and on our person!
• Ideal environment: Your home is an ideal breeding ground most species of cockroaches. With plenty of food, warmth, water and nesting sites, they can remain active all year round.
• Reproduction: Cockroaches reproduce quickly. For every one you see there can be many, many more hiding and multiplying behind your walls.
• Evasiveness: Because cockroaches are nocturnal, if you’ve seen one, you probably haven’t seen them all. The few cockroaches you see by day could mean they were likely forced out by overcrowding; a possible sign of severe infestation.
• Allergies/Asthma: The dust created by cast-off cockroach skins, dead bodies and droppings can aggravate allergies, especially in children and sensitive individuals.
• Do-it-yourself ineffectiveness: Cockroaches are better at hiding than you are at finding them, and their eggs are naturally protected from insecticides. Without special equipment, materials and know-how, cockroach control can be a losing battle.

German Roach	American Roach	Oriental Roach	Brown Banded Roach	Smokey Brown Roach

Rodents’ instincts make them difficult to control, and they present a serious menace to your home. If you’re in need of rodent control services, here’s what you should know about these pests:

Rats

• Instincts: Rats are instinctively wary of rat control measures such as traps and bait, and colonize in attics, burrows, under concrete and porches, in wall voids and other hard to reach places.
• Disease: Rats can harbor and transmit a number of serious diseases. They can also introduce disease-carrying parasites such as fleas, lice and ticks into your home.

Mice

• Access: They invade your home seeking food, water and warmth. Without mouse control intervention, one pair of mice may produce 200 offspring in four months.
• Contamination: Each mouse can contaminate much more food than it eats.