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Being a homeowner is challenging. One of the most heart-dropping moments for homeowners is when they find termites in their homes. Before you panic, it's important to verify that they really are termites.
Winged ants often get confused for termites. Do you know the difference?
Let’s look at appearances.
A subterranean termite and carpenter ant are each about half an inch in length, and the wings are similar in size.
Looking closer, flying termites have straight antennae and transparent, white, oval wings that are symmetrical and equal in length. They’re generally dark brown or black and have a wide body. You will often see them during the spring and summer as part of the mating season.
Flying ants can look like winged termites. However, flying ants have angular or bent antennae. Their wings vary in length and have a triangular point. The front wings are larger than the back wings. Flying ants are black, brown, or reddish and have pinched bodies with three obvious segments.
Next, let’s look at their habitats.
Flying termites and termites, in general, are found in and around decaying or dead trees, wood debris, and lumber. They’re part of a much larger colony. They feed on plant cellulose-based products such as wood and paper and can cause significant damage to your home.
Flying ants are seen in open areas and nest in damp or wet wood. Unlike termites, ants do not eat wood, and they usually forage on seeds, dead insects, and food debris inside and outside of residential structures.
Need Additional Help?
If you are having pest problems, contact the Rid-a-Bug team today. We can help you identify the uninvited guest that’s invading your home - and more importantly, throw them out for good.
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They’re wrong: it’s not the heat or the humidity that gets us in the summer. It’s the mosquitos! Enjoying a backyard get-together, playing a game of catch, or working on your lawn and garden can be challenging when these little winged pests are whining through the air - and looking for their next meal. Not only do they leave behind itchy bites, they are known to spread disease, such as Zika and West Nile Virus. If there is one thing that proliferates faster than weeds in your flowerbed, it’s mosquitos around your property. Rid-a-Bug is here to help attack the problem so you can enjoy the season.
Eliminating Mosquitos In Your Backyard
As you know swatting one or two of the pests does not resolve the itchy issue. Rid-a-Bug has developed an effective treatment designed to eliminate mosquitos at the source. We can rid your property of potential breeding areas, such as stagnant water, moist soil, storm drains, etc.
There are some easy DIY steps you can take to control mosquitos, including:
- Removing stagnant water
- Replacing water in birdbaths and wading pools once a week.
- Keeping trash tightly contained
- Using netting in mosquito-heavy areas
- Screening your windows and doors
- Using insect repellent
- Planting insect-repellent species, such as basil, garlic, bee balm, lavender, catnip, and citronella
Again, though, by determining the root of the problem and eliminating breeding grounds, you can make rid your yard of these troublesome pests. Rid-a-Bug offers ongoing maintenance and mosquito prevention in your choice of monthly, quarterly, or yearly plans.
Summer is too short to miss out on sun and fun. If mosquitos are driving you indoors, it’s time to contact Rid-a-Bug.
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It is hard to believe something that cannot be seen by the naked eye can cause so much aggravation in your household. Dust mites are just ¼ to ⅓ millimeters long, and you can’t spot them on your furniture, clothing, and other surfaces. But you may be able to feel them, especially if you have asthma or allergies. Dust mites are among the biggest triggers for folks with these conditions, and they can cause skin rashes that are itchy and uncomfortable. If you are suffering with these uninvited guests, contact Rid-a-Bug’s experts today.
Get Rid of Dust Mites in the Carolinas and Virginia
Dust mites love your house. This is because they have an endless all-you-can-eat buffet of their favorite feast: dead skin cells. Every day, an average person sheds about 1.5 grams of these cells, which can feed a million dust mites. They make themselves at home in furniture, bedding, carpeting, stuffed animals, and other similar areas, and can easily hitch a ride when you travel or visit other people’s homes.
Not only are dust mites allergenic, the fecal matter and skin they leave behind also trigger reactions. You may notice signs of an infestation such as sneezing, coughing, running/stuffy nose, itchy, watery eyes, red, itchy skin, and/or itchy throat. You can treat the symptoms with allergy medications, decongestants, eye drops, and cleaning - and you can also stop the problem at the source.
Dust mites are a pest, and you need them gone. Rid-a-Bug has extensive experience ridding your home of the most stubborn pests. Using proven, safe, and effective treatments, we can remove these allergy- and asthma-triggering problems so you can breathe easier.
If you have a dust mite problem - or you are experiencing symptoms we have described here - do not hesitate to contact us. We will properly diagnose the problem and develop an effective treatment plan. Nothing is more important to us than your comfort and safety.
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There are few pests worse than bed bugs. They are gross, annoying, and can even be painful. Bed bugs make your Carolina or Virginia home seem miserable and dirty, even if you are a super clean germaphobe. You may not know where they came from, but you know you want them gone as soon as possible. Rid-A-Bug Extermination can help you deal with bed bugs in western North Carolina, Virginia, northern South Carolina, and beyond.
Bed Bug Extermination – Send the Bed Bugs Packing
Bed bugs are tenacious little pests. If you’re sensitive to their bites, they can make your life miserable. They could easily be called “travel bugs” as most infestations begin when they hitch a ride in your clothes or suitcase when you return from traveling. Many of us will take trips and stay in hotels and vacation housing over the summer, so, unfortunately, there is a good chance of bringing bed bugs back with us. They are the souvenir that no one wants.
How can you avoid bed bugs?
The best way to avoid a bed bug infestation is to identify them while you’re traveling. Signs of bed bugs in your hotel include:
- Small brown spots and clusters of spots in sheets
- Tiny dried excrement
- Small blood spots
- A sweet musty odor
- Bites on your skin
Whether you suspect you have come in contact with bed bugs are not, when you get home from traveling it is a good idea to, immediately wash all of your clothing and other soft items (e.g. bedding, pillows) in hot water. Additionally, avoid taking mattresses or cloth furniture from the curb, and considering keep your suitcases covered in plastic and off the floor when you travel.
Bed bugs have been around for thousands of years and are commonly found in beds but can also be found in couches, chairs, and any other fabric. Once bed bugs infest, they can multiply very quickly; a good rule of thumb is that if you see one, there are probably already hundreds more. If you suspect that you may have bed bugs please don't hesitate; call us ASAP at 1-800-682-5901 for an inspection.
Our innovative treatment will have bed bugs taken care of with no harm or risk to your home or family in no time! Our treatment is safe to you but deadly to bed bugs! Contact us if you want to get rid of bed bugs.
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From spring through summer residents of the Carolinas and Virginia are treated to a special time full of color and wonder. For those who live in the foothills and western parts of the It is a season for experiencing the great outdoors. From the Virginia Creeper Trail and New River Trail in southwest Virginia to Stone Mountain State Park and the Blue Ridge mountains in Western North Carolina, there are many areas to explore. It is also the season for grilling, eating outside, or picnicking along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our region also has numerous waterfalls and swimming holes, or you can grab a kayak or tube and float down the river.
Mosquito Extermination in the Carolinas and Virginia
It is almost as if there is no reason to stay inside this time of year. However, there are a few things that make this place less than perfect, including mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are common in the Carolinas in Virginia and throughout the South. They are one of the most hated pests in the world. Their bite is worse than their bark, sucking your blood and leaving behind itchy sore red spots. They are not just aggravating, however, mosquitoes can spread ad sickness and disease.
The word “mosquito” is the Spanish word for “little fly”. However, as annoying as a little fly might be, a mosquito can do immeasurably more damage. They begin their lives as eggs and larva living on the surface of the water and feeding on algae and other organic material until eventually they grow and terrorize us. Adult female mosquitos have tubes for mouths used to feed on the blood of hosts, such as you and your family, in order to gather the iron they to develop eggs. Mosquitoes thrive when there is an abundance of stagnant standing water. When biting they can actually inject pathogens that they then spread to other hosts. In some parts of the world, mosquitos are the primary culprit for spreading infectious diseases.
If mosquitoes are threatening to ruin your outdoor experience, it is time to call for help. The expert team at Rid-A-Bug is here to help. We have decades of experience freeing people from mosquitos and helping them develop a plan to keep the little biting flies away throughout North Carolina South Carolina and Virginia. Contact us to help you in the fight to win back your yard and property from mosquitoes.