The freaks come out at night, and so do the cockroaches -– and lots of other pests. More than half of U.S. homes used insecticides to get rid of the buggers. But did you know those sprays can harm human health, pet health, and the environment? Umbra shows you how to kill the buzzing -- without being a planetary buzzkill.

LINKS on Grist:

Grist's guide to non-toxic pest control

http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-09-guide-non-toxic-pest-control

Umbra on live trapping (for mice)

http://www.grist.org/article/a-better-mousetrap

Umbra on mosquitoes
http://www.grist.org/article/umbra-mosquitos

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Termites are every homeowner's nightmare, but there's another insect that should also strike terror into the heart of the homeowner. Carpenter ants cause millions of dollars a year in damage to houses throughout the country, but they're not as well known as termites. If you live in an area that often has wet or damp conditions, or if there is a damp spot in your home, your house could be at risk from carpenter ants.

What Are Carpenter Ants?
Carpenter ants are insects that live in hives. Their life cycle is similar to that of any other type of ant - they have queens that lay eggs. When the eggs hatch, some of the ants will be drones, some will workers and some will be queens. What makes them a danger to your house?

Despite popular belief, carpenter ants do not eat wood, but the do tunnel through it. They move through wood and create tunnels and galleries in their search for food and to create nests. In the process, they weaken and eventually destroy the wood in which they are nesting. If that wood happens to be a part of your house, your house is being destroyed. It's not unheard of for nests of carpenter ants to destroy structural support beams on which your house depends. The longer a carpenter ant colony remains in your house, the worse the damage they can do to your house.

How do you tell if you have carpenter ants in your house?
The most obvious signal that you have carpenter ants, of course, is seeing them, but it's not always a reliable sign that you have nests of carpenter ants in your house. Since the damage to your house is caused in tunneling to build nests, your biggest concern is whether or not there is a nest in the house. Carpenter ants nest both inside and outside a house, and they'll travel as much as 100 yards from their nest in their search for food. If you're only seeing the occasional carpenter ant in your house, particularly if it'd during the late Spring or Summer, there's a good chance that it's just a worker wandering far from his nest.

On the other hand, if you're seeing carpenter ants inside during the winter or early Spring, it's an almost sure bet that you have at least one nest indoors. Carpenter ants typically go dormant during the winter. If the nest is indoors, it may be warm enough to wake up the ants, or prevent them from going into dormancy at all. Since ants are most active at night, it's not uncommon for a homeowner to enter a room, turn on a light and see ants scurrying for cover. The most common places to find carpenter ants are places that are moist - cabinets, sinks, rolled up towels, tubs and areas around the toilets.

How to Keep Ants Out of Your House
Prevention is always better than trying to cure a problem that has set in. The best ways to keep carpenter ants from setting up shop in your house are:

-Eliminate high moisture conditions that attract them. That means fans in bathrooms, and dehumidifiers in rooms that have a high moisture quotient, especially in regions that are moist to begin with.

-Replace moisture-damaged and rotted wood before ants are attracted to it.

-If you store wood or lumber near the house or in a garage, be sure that you keep it dry.

-Stack firewood away from the house outside to prevent ants from migrating from the woodpile to the house.

-Remove tree stumps and roots.

-Keep trees and bushes near the house pruned and trimmed to eliminate ‘highways' that invite carpenter ants into your home.

Where are they nesting?
Before you can eliminate a nest of carpenter ants, you have to find it. The easiest way to find the nest is to follow an ant home. One way to make it easier to follow the ants home is to give them food. They're particularly fond of tuna packed in water. Set out little flakes of tuna, and then watch for ants. The tuna will actually make it easier for you to follow the ant back to its nest.

Controlling Carpenter Ants
While it's possible for a homeowner to control carpenter ants on their own, it's not an easy task. It's better to contact a professional. A homeowner can still play a vital role in eliminating carpenter ants by providing as much information about the infestation as possible.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/all-about-carpenter-ants-what-they-do-and-how-to-avoid-them-403291.html

Author: Stephanie Larkin

About the Author:

Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about large businesses for home owners such as Orkin and Terminix

Technorati Tags: Carpenter Ants, Exterminator, Home Maintenance, Home Values, House Maintenance, Infestations, pest control, Pests, Termite Services, Termites

 

They might be cute, or they might be big and ugly, but their incessant need to chew is not helping your home. Rodents can do serious damage to your woodwork, wallboard, insulation and siding. The mess they leave in your kitchen cupboard is frustrating, sure, and with the costs of food going up you can't afford to fork out for your furry friends' dinners as well as your own.

Tackle the rodent issue as soon as you spot signs of their encroachment - don't wait until you find yourself leaping onto a chair to avoid that rat racing across the kitchen. At that point, you'll be waging a war rather than just defending your borders.

Popular Rat Catching Devices:

Black Hole Rodent Trap

Rat Zapper

Havahart 1020 Two Door Cage Trap for Mice and Rats 10 x 3 x 3

If you've copped on to the presence of critters early enough, you may be able to use non-lethal force. It may be a matter of blocking their entrances and encouraging them to go elsewhere. Fill any holes they might be entering through and caulk cracks. Screens and steel wool (which can't be chewed through) are good deterrents.

If you have children or pets you may want to try natural rodent repellents. Some people suggest putting cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil near openings and in areas rodents frequent. Others swear by keeping little bowls of black pepper near food areas. Bunches of mint and/or lavender may be another way to deter the little (or bigger) critters. Another solution is an odor based repellant - these use the odor of predatory animals to frighten rodents off.

Keeping in the humane vein, live traps can be effective, but only if you take your unwanted tenants far enough from home that they can't find their way back. Also, be aware that rodents spread disease, which you may want to think about before you go ferrying them around town. The regular, lethal traps are probably a safer, more effective choice. Think about the placement of your traps. Most rodents have poor eyesight and keep close to the walls, only venturing into open space when necessary so set your goods in their passage, not in the middle of the room.

For others who want to keep their hands clean, or who have a reoccurring rodent issue, getting a cat can be an excellent solution. But remember, not all cats are born mousers and you may inevitably need to step up your game. Depending on where you live, you may want to reinforce the perimeter of the property by building nest boxes to attract natural predators such as barn owls.

When all else fails (or if you haven't the patience to wait that long), it's time to turn to poison. The nature of rodents means that they will eat a little, wait and if they don't get sick, return for another meal. Prior to using a poison, you may want to leave out regular food for a few days, so that the rodents learn to trust the food source before adding poison.

There are many reasons you may not want to use traditional anticoagulant poisons, the main ones being that the poison can cause toxicity in children and other animals. Unintended death is a possible outcome depending on the type of poison and how quickly the patient is treated - be sure to keep the poison out of reach of family and pets. Some animals can get secondary poisoning by eating the poisoned rodent, which can happen when the toxic rodent goes outside to die. If you have other pets and children you should be careful that they aren't in contact with the bait or the deceased animal.

When you have finally won the battle, try to avoid round two: make an effort to keep food stored in sealed containers and be aware of pet food, composts and other possible lures. Use bird feeders that recapture any unwanted seed, rather than allowing it to become snack food for unwanted pests. By removing the food incentive you can forgo inviting those rascally rodents for a return visit.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/get-rid-of-rodents-once-and-for-all-396372.html

Author: Mike Magner

About the Author:

Learn more about issues in the Boston MA real estate area at MikeMagner.com. This website has details on home styles throughout the city, neighborhood information on spots like the Roslindale real estate area, and a free property search.

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