Pest Control and bed bug Extermination in Petersburg VA
No matter if you have bats in the attic, ants in the kitchen, raccoons in the trash or bed bugs in your mattress, we are eager to help with your pest problem! Give us a call directly or fill out the form to the right and we will get back to you right away. We will also give you a 10% extermination or pest control coupon (for first time customers only).
Thanks for considering asking Petersburg, VA Pest Control to be your pest control and elimination company for all pest troubles in Petersburg, VA. We want you to know that we are a company that cares about you, your family and your pet's health when recommending solutions! Bed Bug Company
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- Bed Bug Inspections are offered free of charge and commitment just contact Petersburg, VA Pest Control at (804) 735 - 7863
- Bed Bugs have made a huge comeback, in the states, since 2009 because of a new strain of pesticide-resistant bed bugs brought in by travelers, from other nations, that are difficult to kill. However, we do have effective methods to clear a dwelling: heat treatment and a newer pesticide that kills these critters.
- Our Inspectors will look everywhere these blood suckers can squeeze into. Bed bugs flat bodies can squeeze into very tiny crevices, such as seams along the mattress, in the box spring, within the folds of bedding, adjacent furniture (they like to stay close to a food source), behind wallpaper and behind baseboards. If caught early enough, they may be contained to the bedroom. Unfortunately in severe cases, the bugs can be anywhere in the home (probably even hanging out with your pets) so our technicians will check everywhere.
- Some signature signs of bed bug infestations are the bites themselves, rusty or reddish like stains on the bed sheets or mattress (this is the bugs excrement), yellow colored eggs and eggshells, the reddish-brown adult bed bug itself as well as the younger yellow nymphs. If you see any of these signs, contact us and we'll come quick and provide a free inspection and estimate for treatment.
- Exterminations and treatment are accomplished using a heat method and/or a spray:
- Heat method for killing bed bugs uses specialized equipment to raise the room temperature inside the dwelling to a kill temperature of at least 117 degrees Fahrenheit. This is best properly performed by a pest control technician who specializes in this heat method because they use sensors to monitor temperatures in all the nooks and crannies that a bed bug hides in which is very important to the success of the treatment. The heat is raised either with big electric heaters wheeled into the dwelling or with hot air blown through the duct work.
- Chemical treatment generally involves removing and bagging many household items that can’t be sprayed. Plus, clothing and bedding should be washed in hot water and dried with high temperatures. These steps are time consuming and inconvenient which is why most clients prefer using a heat treatment. Many Pest Control Companies will use a combination of heat and pesticides.
Termite Exterminator
- Termite infestations are frightening but the situation is far from hopeless: termite colonies can be destroyed and their damage repaired. It takes about 3 years for a colony of termites to destroy a home. And, “horror of horrors” this colony of termites would also have been breeding unmolested for this amount of time. A home in this situation would really have to be uninhabited for a great portion of these 3 years for the homeowners not to have a clue. Be smart, and engage a pest control company at the first sign of termite trouble.
- First sign of trouble could be visible termite shelter tubes rising up from a subterranean nest across the outside surface of foundation walls, up the walls inside your basement and from the ground in the crawl space to wood support beams. Termites need to stay moist to live which is why they build the mud like tubes out of their excrement to keep their bodies safe from the drying rays of the sun and wind as they forage for food.
- Other signs of termite infestation are:
- Once a colony gets too large, generally takes 3 to 6 years, the colony will send out a swarm of fertile insects to journey on a mating flight to find a new home in moist earth and start an offshoot colony. Instinct forces the swarm of termites toward light. This is why people will often see the presence of discarded wings on window sills or even dead termites if the swarm was loosed inside a home and the insects couldn’t make it outside to touch ground. Termites discard their wings to be better able to build a nest in the tighter confines of a moist earth nesting chamber.
- Piles of termite droppings around the wood moldings in your home is a sure sign of a rampant infestation.
- Don’t ignore symptoms of termite infestation- get help. We’ll inspect your home for free and provide a written estimate for treatment. Termites like dark damp places in your home so these places will be checked first during our introductory inspection and on a regular basis if you become a client. We’ll check everywhere termites can hide such as outside on the foundation walls, inside the crawlspace, or basement and we even tap the wood along baseboards and moldings to listen for a hollow sound that indicates a cavity of tunneled eaten wood.
- Treatment costs depends upon the severity of the termite infestation. Consider, the cost of not treating the infestation timely will be the condemnation of the entire structure which far exceeds any outlay you might have to make now to protect your property and family. Get the help of a professional like Petersburg Pest Control to discover how extensive a termite infestation is.
- We will show you the evidence of any infestations that may be in your home and, with your input, will develop a plan to kill the termites and repel future ones. No worries, our written estimates are firm. Click to call us at (804) 735 - 7863
Ant Exterminator
- More than a few ants in the home showcases the need for an inspection by a pest control company like Petersburg Pest Control to figure out what type of ant it is and how extensive the problem is. Ants are very active during the hot dry months between July and September foraging for food and water and some types of ants are harder to kill than others. Clients usually call us after the “kill all types of ants” solutions (sprays or bait stations) gotten from the home store has proven inadequate in killing the ants. Some types of Ants prefer to eat sugar, others prefer protein and still others prefer grease so it really helps to know which one you're dealing with. Also, some treatments seem to work for a while then lapses as new ant marauders march in. This is because steps haven’t been taken to discover where the ants are getting in and closing it down.
- Our free, no commitment, pest inspection will discover what type of ant is in your home and how they got in. Once we know what type of ant, we'll know what solutions to advise for extermination of the nest. And, we’ll also cut off the ants’ access points into your home. These pests usually make their way in through broken screens, left open garage door, poorly sealed entrance door and windows and unsealed penetrations where water pipes and cables enter the home. Caulk and expanding foam will, in many instances, fix the entry points, but badly fitting doors may need a carpenter to re-fit it.
- The common ants in Petersburg, VA that become pests in our homes are: the destructive carpenter ant and a few other mostly annoying ones such as Odorous house ants, Pharaoh ants, Pavement ants and a few other less common ones.
- Most people think carpenter ants eat wood, however they eat sweets, meats and other insects. They damage homes with tunnels they dig into wood to nest in. Usually carpenter ants will be attracted to moisture damaged wood just because it"s easier to chew up and spit out. The chewed-up wood debris is removed and piled outside the nest.
- Ants will build colonies where food and water are abundant so its important to stop the attraction. Inside the home they will build inside walls, under house foundations, inside rotten wood window frames and along foam insulation. They will also build their nests outside of the home yet close enough to regularly scavenge inside the home. They can be found nesting underneath tree stumps, wood piles, wood chips, potted plants or sidewalks.
- Treatment cost depends on type of ant in the home, how large the colony is and number of treatments needed to absolutely get rid of the ants. Afterwards, the client should consider periodic treatment to repel them from getting inside the home again.
Wildlife Removal
- Wildlife in your home can cause a lot of damage, such as soiling of insulation, chewing holes through soffits or fascia and bringing with them parasites (fleas, intestinal worms) and respiratory disease. A reputable Pest removal company performs an inspection to determine what animal is living in your home, all entry points as well as any possible future entry points, any and all offspring, provide proof of habitation (pictures of the pests), what has to be done to repair damage, how the pests will be removed and how to exclude pests from coming back.
- Each species of wildlife brings a different set of concerns and methods for permanent removal.
- Bats, for example, can squeeze through any gap of at least ½ inch, but they can't chew through anything even sealants. The bats that roost in your attic are most likely all females- they have found your attic to be a safe warm place to give birth and raise their young. The males will continue to roost outside in loose or split tree bark, woodpecker holes and thick ivy. They can’t chew through building materials and wires like rodents but they do drop a lot of guano and urine which rots wooden framework and ceilings. Once the guano dries it can release toxic fungal spores to the air that causes lung disease in humans. Don’t try and remove bats by yourself as they are carriers of rabies and can bite if trapped.
- Bat Removal: The most effective way to remove bats from your attic is with a live exclusion after all the young are able to fly. Bat pups are born in late April to early June, depends on species, the young are flightless till August and you don’t want to keep the mother bats from flying back into the attic while the pups need help otherwise the young will just die in the attic or crawl down the walls of your home and either die in the walls or find a way inside your rooms. Best to wait till they can all fly out through a funnel made of a flexible net that can be attached to the main entry point after all other access points have been sealed. Once they are free of the flexible net funnel they won’t be able to get back in. Once all the bats are gone and none can get back in, cleanup can commence.
- Removing rodents is effective by finding all entrances into the home and closing them off with something these pests can’t chew through. Then comes the trapping of the critters and cleanup of the mess left behind, such as soiled insulation, fecal matter and nest material. Finally, repairs to all damage wrought by these creatures will be completed. Damage, if the infestation has gone on for a while, can involve massive home repairs and attic cleanup. Because of the possible airborne pathogens involved in the cleanup of the pests' fecal matter, care must be taken to protect the cleaning technicians and the resident family.
- Nuisance wildlife removal of squirrels, raccoons, opossums and others requires specific training, licensing and insurance. Very few people can safely or even want to try and remove a litter of raccoons in a hot attic with a possible angry raccoon mother hiding nearby- this takes skill and special equipment to accomplish. Keep in mind all wildlife removals have their own set of circumstances so you really can’t get a good idea of the costs or extent of removal needs without an inspection by an experienced pest removal company. An estimate for removal costs depends on type of animal, how many, damage repair and what has to be done to keep the pests out.
Mosquito Treatment Solutions
- Mosquito-borne diseases in Petersburg, VA:
- West Nile virus a form of encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) is the most common transmitted mosquito-borne disease in the continental U.S. Other mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue, chikungunya and the dreaded new comer Zika were mostly infected (about 90%) in Latin America and U.S. territories. A very small number of people were infected in Florida, Hawaii, Texas and recently Alabama. Dog heartworm is another common mosquito-borne disease which is deadly to our beloved companions and very costly to cure.
- Mosquito rarely travel farther further than 300 feet from their birth place which is why you can pretty much knock them out for a while after spraying your yard. The Mosquito likes dark areas, such as within long grass, under shrubs, under leafy debris and Ivy these areas allow them to stay alive by ingesting some of the plant sugary nectar from flowers and plants they take a blood meal in order to lay eggs. Male mosquitoes generally live approximately 10 days. Whereas the females in some species can live about 2 months, other species have females who can live 6 months because they hibernate in holes during the winter in order to continue the population next spring and still others lay eggs in freezing water then die- once the temperature rises the eggs will hatch. Females will lay up to 300 eggs in as little as 1 inch of water up to 3 times before they die.
- Residential control services will use insecticides registered with the Environmental Protection Agency, like pyrethrins, derived from chrysanthemum flowers; and pyrethroids, synthetic chemicals that mimic pyrethroids, synthetic chemicals that imitate pyrethrins. These insecticides are being used more because the other organophosphate pesticides used against mosquitos are more toxic to birds and animals. Pyrethrin insecticides are a good choice for mosquito treatment for your family’s lawn. They are very low in toxicity, residual and odorless. The cost of services depends on the size of your yard and how dense the shrubs, ivy and undergrowth are. A good service will also knock out any mosquito breeding spots.
- If the Mosquitoes in your yard make it impossible to step outside without getting so many bites you can't stop scratching, just contact Petersburg Pest Control of VA- click to call (804) 735 - 7863 and we'll figure out where the mosquitoes are breeding and stop it.
Tick Yard Treatment and Control Solutions
- There are 4 types of ticks regularly found in Virginia Black legged or Deer Tick, Lone Star Tick, American Dog Tick and Brown Dog Tick. The only tick known not to spread disease to humans by their bite is the Brown Dog Tick.
- Lyme disease which is spread by a tick bite has lately been more prevalent in Virginia. This disease is spread by an infected blacklegged tick, commonly known as the deer tick- has to be attached for at least 36 hours to transmit the disease. Other diseases: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected American Dog tick that has been attached for about 4 hours. Ehrlichiosis is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected Lone Star Tick that has been attached for at least 24 hours. All Tick-borne diseases are debilitating and can lead to death so if you suspect your sick from a tick bite seek medical help as there are very effective treatments available.
- Living next to a wooded area coupled with swampy areas of your yard that never seem to dry out is prime real estate for ticks as well as mosquitoes and you may need some help to get these pests under control so your yard is not a living misery. Petersburg Pest Control will inspect your location for free and provide a firm estimate for treatment- you only need to click to call (804) 735 - 7863 Areas we concentrate on under porches and stairs as well as shady areas under trees and bushes. Sunlight is hazardous to these disease vector creatures so perhaps cutting back some shrubs and tree branches to increase the sunlight might help reduce the number of ticks. All of these circumstances will be discussed during our consultation as well as the best chemical solutions.
Cockroach Extermination
- Cockroaches are omnivores that are especially drawn to starch, sugar, grease, meat and cheese. Decaying food items send off a strong odor that will bring any cockroach that smells it running to feast. There are 4000 species of cockroaches in our world but only about 30 of them are considered pests. In Petersburg, VA, there are 4 subspecies of cockroaches that are most often encountered:
- The German Cockroach is the most common cockroach infesting our homes and businesses. These cockroaches are about a ½ inch in length, one of the smaller varieties, light brown with two black stripes located on their back. They do have wings but prefer to run away as they don’t fly very well. They are strictly an indoor subspecies who infest other homes by hitching rides to new homes through used furniture, luggage, electronics (they like the warmth in these devices), old books and bags or boxes. In multi-unit apartment buildings, they easily move between units following plumbing and cabling lines. Petersburg Pest Control knows how take control of these nasty critters and your home will soon be pest free- just click to call (804) 735 - 7863 for a free inspection.
- American Cockroach are large (about 2 inches) reddish brown and normally live outdoors in warm, moist and protected environment such as under mulch, ground debris, sewers and steam tunnels but will move indoors to escape the cold of winter to live in kitchens and bathrooms where food and moisture is abundant.
- Oriental Cockroach are shiny black or dark brown and 1 to 2 inches long and primarily live outdoors beneath mulch, leaf debris, rocks and garbage. Attracted indoors to sewage, moist areas like drains and leaking plumbing they will live in wall voids, crawlspaces, drains and sewers.
- Wood Roaches are not unlike German cockroaches in appearance but they are strictly outdoor dwelling under piles of wood, inside decaying logs and under loose tree bark. They normally accidentally fly into a home through an open door or window. They cannot withstand the lower humidity indoors and will quickly die within 24 hours unless they can get outside. If you see a cockroach flying around inside your home, it's likely a wood cockroach looking for a quick way out.
- Cockroaches: if you see one cockroach scurrying around in bright daylight you probably have several more that were quicker to get out of sight. Because they are normally nocturnal creatures, the only time they are out and about in the light is when the colony is so large food is scarce. A noticed cockroach is the absolute best time to contact Petersburg Pest Control for a free inspection.
- Controls and treatments suggested will depend upon the type of cockroach and the extent of the colony.