Most common pest problems

Adult bed bugs are reddish brown and about the size of an apple seed, darker red after they have fed on blood. Newly hatched nymphs are much smaller, almost invisible to the naked eye, and they are excellent hitchhikers that transfer easily to people and pets. They are wingless but persistent, and they disrupt sleep. Look alikes such as poultry and bat bugs have to be ruled out first, because the treatment depends on which one you have. Clearing them takes a thorough inspection and treatment by a certified technician.

Beetles damage a home by feeding on wood or by infesting plants, herbs, spices and stored grain products. Even the click beetle finds its way inside with seasonal changes or an attraction to light. We inspect thoroughly, treat with environmentally safe materials inside and outside the structure, and show you how to keep them out, before the problem escalates.

Carpenter ants run from half an inch to an inch long and come in black, red and yellow. They damage wooden structures by tunneling and nesting inside them, which weakens the structure over time. They usually nest outside but move indoors looking for food and shelter. We examine the property for entry points and for wood that is already damaged or infested, show you practical ways to make the house less appealing to them, and build a treatment plan that deals with the cause.

In New Jersey the two most common types are the varied and the black carpet beetle. Some people react to the insects themselves, but the damage is the bigger problem: the larvae feed on clothing, carpets, furniture, and even human and pet hair. They arrive on plants, flowers or infested fabric, and adults mostly wander in from outside while foraging. We inspect, treat and prevent, and show you what to look for.

Centipedes and millipedes have segmented bodies and many pairs of legs, and centipedes are commonly called hundred leggers. They prefer dark and damp outdoor areas but find their way into homes, particularly basements and crawl spaces. We inspect the interior thoroughly, then treat and recommend the preventive measures that keep them out.

Clover mites are tiny, red, about the size of a pinhead, and they gather in large groups while feeding on plants. They are mostly a nuisance, but they do find their way into buildings by accident, and crushing one leaves a red stain that damages property. We are trained to handle them and we will come out and clear them.

A cockroach infestation is a health risk. They are not known to bite, but they reproduce rapidly, and their shed skin and excrement trigger allergic reactions and asthma attacks. They also carry harmful diseases such as E. Coli and Salmonella. New Jersey has the American, Brown banded, German and Oriental cockroach; the Pennsylvania wood roach is less of a concern because it stays outside in wooded areas. We clear them at the source and give you practical prevention steps.

Two types get into buildings: the house cricket and the camel or cave cricket. Both live in warm, dark and moist places such as basements, crawl spaces and laundry rooms. Depending on the species they spread disease through their excrement and saliva, and they can bite. They also feed on fabrics, including clothing and furniture, and on organic matter such as houseplants. Crickets almost always come in from the exterior, so we inspect thoroughly and recommend the preventative measures that stop it happening again.

Earwigs look intimidating with their pincer like appendages, but they are typically not dangerous. They come inside during a change in the weather and prefer damp, dark areas such as basements, laundry rooms and utility closets. We inspect thoroughly and build a treatment plan for them.

Adult fleas are hard to spot without magnification: about the size of a grain of sand, brownish red, and hard to crush thanks to a durable shell. They jump up to eight inches onto a host. They are a health risk to animals and people, they spread diseases and parasites, and their saliva causes allergic reactions. They usually arrive on pets or on people who have been outside, but they also attach to furniture an infested animal has touched. Because they hide in hard to reach places, clearing them takes a meticulous inspection, certified safe materials through the whole home inside and out where necessary, and guidance on preventing the next infestation.

We see house flies, fruit flies, the kind that hitchhike in on produce, and drain flies or sewer gnats. Flies carry bacteria and pathogens from unsanitary conditions, so left unchecked they are a health hazard. We clear them, then take out the breeding sites with proper sanitation and close off access to the structure. In commercial accounts we use environmentally friendly insecticides and fly lights as part of a full integrated pest management inspection.

Mosquitoes are a nuisance and a serious health risk. They spread bloodborne illnesses including Zika and West Nile viruses, malaria and Chikungunya. They gather wherever a property gives them what they need: nectar from flowering plants, blood for egg development, standing water to lay in, and shelter in gutters, downspouts and dense vegetation. We manage them, recommend preventative measures, and cover a backyard several ways: recurring barrier protection, special event sprays, all natural protection, and a combined tick and mosquito treatment.

Two types are common in New Jersey households. The Indian meal moth, the pantry pest, feeds on grains, pasta and spices, and enters on infested packages or products from warehouses and stores. It has a gray body and brown wings, and you usually see it flying around the food it has infested to lay eggs. The webbing clothes moth feeds on silk, wool, cotton, furs and synthetic fabrics, and produces the silk webbing patches it is named for. Proper sanitation and targeted treatment prevent both. We identify the source, show you the sanitation that matters, then spot treat and bait the infested areas.

We come across two kinds: mice and rats. House mice and deer mice invade buildings and damage the structure, utilities and personal belongings by gnawing them to build nests, which gets expensive fast. They also spread disease by contaminating food and surfaces with saliva, urine and feces: salmonellosis and dysentery from house mice, Hantavirus from deer mice. Roof rats are excellent climbers and enter from the attic or a roof line connected to a tree or a neighbouring building. Norway rats are poor climbers and burrow near the buildings they visit, usually at ground level near a food source. Both can bring fleas and ticks in with them. We inspect the property, identify entry points, recommend exclusion, and clear them at the source. Any rodenticide goes in a labelled, tamper proof station.

Silverfish damage personal belongings. They have silver and gray scales, they move fast, and they live in the damp and humid areas of a building. They arrive in infested boxes, papers or packaging, or through cracks and crawl spaces. We inspect to find where they are and treat the affected structure with certified materials where that is necessary.

Small ants are a common New Jersey problem, and there are several types: acrobat ants, odorous house ants, pavement ants, pharaoh ants and citronella ants. They contaminate food, emit unpleasant odors and even damage wiring insulation, and they gather around water sources in warmer weather. They usually live outside but come in looking for food and water. Pharaoh ants are the concern of the group, because they spread illnesses such as salmonella and streptococcus and will relocate the colony if the queen is threatened. We inspect first, then build the treatment and prevention around what your property actually needs, and show you what to watch for.

Several types of spider get into New Jersey homes: the house spider, the jumping spider, the wolf spider, and the black widow, which is particularly dangerous for its potent venom. They come in from outside to build webs and prey on the insects indoors. We power spray every vulnerable area outside and treat the problem areas inside.

The spotted lanternfly is an invasive species that has arrived in New Jersey and is doing extensive harm to crops and hardwood trees. They gather on vertical, sun warmed surfaces, and the spots on their wings make them easy to identify. Speed matters with these, so call as soon as you see them and we will treat for them.

New Jersey has three types of stinging insect: bees, hornets and wasps. They go after people and pets when they feel threatened near a nest or a feeding area, and they nest on or inside a building and damage the property. They are also essential pollinators, so the approach has to be measured: we inspect thoroughly, identify entry points, suggest exclusion, and clear them at the source without hitting the insects we are not after. If we find a honeybee colony we recommend beekeeping professionals who can extract the queen, hive and honey from the structure and repair the damage the nesting caused.

Shield or stink bugs pose no threat to people, but they are a nuisance, and their defense against a predator is a pungent odor. They are seasonal: they shelter in a structure through the colder months and come back out in the warm. We treat in the autumn with a thorough power spraying of the exterior, which is what keeps them out.

Termites do significant damage to the structure they infest. They live in subterranean colonies, and you can see them above the soil inside a structure in mud tubes, travelling toward their next meal, the building framing. Most property owners do not know they have an issue until a home inspection turns it up, construction work opens a wall, or warm weather brings swarmers out to drop their wings en masse. Subterranean termites feed on the cellulose in wood, and while foraging they get in through a crack in the foundation, then travel behind walls and under floors unnoticed until the damage is done. We inspect the premises thoroughly and show owners how to reduce the chance of infestation. Instead of injecting hundreds of gallons of pesticide into the soil, the traditional method, we use perimeter baiting systems and targeted liquid treatment, which work just as well with less impact on the environment.

Ticks of several species are prevalent in rural and suburban New Jersey, especially in overgrown vegetation and around common wildlife. Depending on the type they transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, ehrlichiosis, tularemia and Lyme Disease to people and pets. Treating the ground around your property and along the fence line is what brings the risk down. We inspect the premises, show you how to minimize the infestation, and provide several forms of treatment and prevention, including interior treatment where something has already got inside.