Prevent an Ant Infestation This Summer in 5 Steps

Prevent an ant infestation in Wisconsin this summer with tips from Batzner Pest Control

If you’ve had an ant problem before, you know what a pain they can be. During Wisconsin summers, ant infestations spike in numbers. There’s a reason why ants are considered to be the number 1 nuisance pest in the nation: not only are they annoying, they are infamously difficult to get rid of without the help of a professional! To avoid the frustration of ants to begin with, it’s important to learn how to prevent an ant infestation in the first place. The experts at Batzner Pest Control have years of experience controlling ants and are sharing their expert tips for keeping ants out.

Common Summertime Ants

Ants are a pest problem all year long. There are more than 700 types of ants in the nation, but thankfully, you’ll likely only encounter a few in your area. It’s important to know what type of ant you’re dealing with–different types of ants pose different dangers. Some of the most common types of ants you’ll likely encounter include:

6 Steps to Prevent an Ant Infestation

Once ants get indoors, they can spread easily. One ant colony can quickly turn into multiple! To avoid dealing with the distress of an ant problem, there are several things you can do to keep them out in the first place. Our expert tips for preventing ant infestations include:

  1. Keeping a clean home. Sweep your floors regularly to get rid of crumbs. Ants are attracted to sugary food sources and a few crumbs will keep them coming back for more.
  2. Storing food properly. Avoid leaving food out uncovered. Keep food in airtight containers or store them safely in cupboards and fridges.
  3. Sealing entry points. Ants can crawl through the tiniest of cracks. Inspect your property and use caulk to seal any gaps, holes, or potential entry ways.
  4. Avoiding excess moisture. Areas with standing water or leaks will attract ants quickly. Attend to broken pipes and clean up spills quickly.
  5. Trimming back trees and vegetation. Plants close to your home can encourage ants to come in. Make sure tree branches, shrubs, and bushes are trimmed away from the perimeter!
  6. Picking up your pet’s food. Crumbs and spills from your cat or dog’s food and water bowls can be a huge attractant for ants. Always clean up and store bowls between mealtimes.

Summer Ant Problems in Wisconsin

Preventing ants can seem difficult. Ants are pesky and will gladly enter your property to seek out food and shelter. If you’ve done everything you can to keep ants out and still are noticing the signs of an infestation, it’s time to call the Batzner ant exterminators. We are committed to providing you with ant-free living not just in the summer but all year long!

Fool-Proof Ant-Proofing Tips

Pick up pet food to avoid ants in your Wisconsin home - Batzner Pest Control

Ants are a fact of life in Wisconsin. Unfortunately, ant season is only just beginning. After a wetter winter, ant problems become a serious nuisance for homeowners. And if you’ve ever had ants before, you know they can be downright frustrating to get rid of. As the weather warms up, it’s important to know how to prevent ants in your property. Ant-proofing your property can work to keep ants from making themselves at home. Keep reading for expert ant prevention tips from the team here at Batzner Pest Control!

What Are Ants Attracted to in Homes?

Ants are like any other pest in that they are constantly looking for sources of food and water. They typically make their way indoors through cracks and crevices in your foundation, or through windows. Once inside, they are drawn to areas with excess moisture and will hide in crevices. Kitchens tend to be a hot spot for infestations. If you have crumbs on your counter tops, stove top, or floor, you can be sure ants will find them. They are also attracted to excess moisture problems–if you have a leaky faucet or pipe that causes a surplus of humidity or moisture, ants will likely be drawn to the area.

Best Ant-Proofing Tips

Ants are opportunists and infestations can be unpredictable. Thankfully, there are a few ways you can go about ant-proofing your property. Some of the best ways to prevent ants are as follows.

  1. Inspect the foundation of your home and seal any cracks or crevices using a silicone-based caulk.
  2. Keep any pet food bowls clean and always clean up after messes and spills. Pick pet bowls up off the floor after meal times.
  3. Make sure downspouts and gutters are all functioning properly so that water is flowing away from the foundation.
  4. Regularly check under sinks for excess moisture problems and repair leaky pipes promptly.
  5. Trim trees and shrubbery in your yard to be at least 6 inches away from the home.
  6. Wipe down any counter tops and sweep floors regularly to clean up spills and remove crumbs.
  7. Store food (including pet food) in airtight containers and refrigerate ripe fruit.
  8. Dispose of garbage on a regular basis and use trash cans with a tight-fitting lid.

What to Do When You Have Ants

You’ve done all you can to prevent ants but are still having issues with ant trails–what now? Although there are many store-bought and DIY methods to get rid of ants, your best chance is always to use a professional ant exterminator. At Batzner, our team can control any current pest problems you’re having as well as prevent future ones from happening with expert ant-proofing tips.

Springtime Pests to Prevent

Prevent spring pests by spring cleaning your New Berlin or Oshkosh WI home. Get tips from Batzner Pest Control!

Many rejoice the arrival of spring…pests included. As winter wraps up, many types of insects and pests will come out in search of food and to breed. Warmer weather encourages their activity, making it important to protect your home against the onslaught of pests now!  There are several things you can do to lessen the risk of an infestation in your Wisconsin home this time of year. Read on to learn more from the experts at Batzner Pest Control!

Springtime Pest Problems

While some of these pests are active year-round, there tends to be a peak in activity in the springtime. There are several types of pests in particular that cause property owners a lot of grief this time of year:

  1. Ants. With warmer weather comes hoards of ants in your home.
  2. Flies. In the spring and summer, flies are more active than ever and can be a big nuisance.
  3. Rodents. Although they’re active year-round, rats and mice are a problem in the spring.
  4. Stinging insects. Wasps and hornets are gearing up to build nests this time of year.
  5. Stink bugs. After overwintering, people report a resurgence in stink bugs.

Preventing Pests in the Spring

If you’re planning on doing some spring cleaning this year, it’s smart to implement pest prevention measures while you’re at it. Clean your windows and doors, and make sure there are no cracks or crevices. If there are, seal them properly. Consider deep cleaning your carpets by vacuuming, shampooing, or steam-cleaning them. Thoroughly sanitize your kitchen with a focus on your appliances. Crumbs and spilled liquids are easy bait for rodents, cockroaches, and more!

Remove debris from your yard, and trim back tree branches away from your home. Ensure your plumbing is working properly and fix any leaks. In general, tidy up your home. Clean under furniture, wipe down surfaces, and inspect areas of your home that need fixing up.

How to Get Rid of Seasonal Pests

If you’ve done all you can to prevent pests this spring but still are dealing with flies, rats, or stink bugs, it’s best to enlist the help of a professional pest control company. At Batzner, our exterminators will work with you to develop a custom pest control plan that will keep you and your family safe from pests all year long.

What to Do Once You Know You Have an Ant Problem

Learn what to do once you have an ant problem in Wisconsin - Batzner Pest Control serving New Berlin, Madison, Oshkosh, Racine, Green Bay and surrounding areas

If you’ve ever experienced an ant problem, you know how frustrating and seemingly never-ending they can be. Seeing just a few ants here and there can quickly turn to hundreds or even thousands—overnight! Ant infestations are overwhelming for any property owner, which is why it’s important to know what to do as soon as you suspect you have an ant issue looming. Bottom line, completely getting rid of ants often requires the help of a professional pest control company with experience controlling current infestations and preventing future ones.

Signs of an Ant Infestation

Just seeing a couple of ants every few days is a pretty normal occurrence for any property owner. So how do you know when you have an infestation on your hands? There are several things to look out for when it comes to dealing with ants:

  1. Ant trails: Worker ants will lay down a pheromone in their trail to a food source in order to lead other ants to the food.
  2. Ant mounds or nests: The appearance of nests can vary between species, but generally look like small piles of soil or dirt.
  3. A never-ending population: If you’re noticing more and more ants each day, it’s likely their colony has spread.

How to Get Rid of Ants

There’s a reason why ants are so dreaded by homeowners—they’re infamously hard to get rid of! Although there are a number of DIY solutions to ant problems, they work best for prevention methods only. Once ants establish a colony inside your home or business, they can quickly grow and easily resist any store-bought products you may use in an attempt to defeat them. For this reason, a professional is needed to treat ants. While you’re waiting for help, you can help reduce the conditions that encourage ant populations to grow by keeping a tidy home, wiping up spills, picking up pet food, and more.

Professional Help for Ant Problems

Your best bet at stopping an ant issue in its tracks is to call a professional pest control company as soon as you start noticing more and more ants in your property. A licensed technician will be able to identify the species you’re dealing with before administering effective, long-lasting solutions to resolve your ant problem for good. Contact the expert team at Batzner Pest Control for ant solutions you can count on.

Get Rid of Kitchen Bugs: Ants, Beetles, Flies

The kitchen is one of the most common – and frustrating – places for homeowners to find pests. Ants, fruit flies, and pantry pests are naturally attracted to your kitchen for the same reasons people are, but you might be surprised to learn what they’re snacking on.

Thoroughly Clean All Surfaces

In many cases of kitchen insect infestations, the cause is a missed spill or crumbs rather than food being left out or improperly stored. This can create a frustrating situation for homeowners who can’t get rid of fruit flies or ants even after they have removed all food items from their countertops and cabinets. If a problem persists, then the food source still needs to be found, and that can be more difficult than moving the fruit bowl from the island to the fridge. Nick Schanz, a Batzner Pest Control Service Manager, advises, “Inspect and be prepared to thoroughly wipe down every surface in the kitchen. This includes emptying out cupboards and cabinets and pulling out the oven and refrigerator to vacuum or sweep underneath them. Any residue left behind can attract pests, so make sure you clean it all!”

Clean all Appliances Regularly

Kitchen appliances also need to be cleaned regularly. This may seem obvious for appliances that have crumbs left inside them like toasters, ovens, and microwaves, but other appliances can also be appealing for pests. For example, the coffeemaker can be an attractant for ants. Steve Counsell, Batzner’s Training and Development Manager, explains, “They’re attracted to some of the heat sources. Plus, with the kitchen, it’s a nice area for them to grab food and water is plentiful. There’s really everything they need in order to establish a colony.”

One unfortunate woman from Somers, Wisconsin experienced ants making their home in her coffeemaker. Check out her story here!

Wipe Down Bottles

One additional food source that often gets overlooked is the spillage on the outside of bottles that are kept in the pantry. Some common culprits for having residue stick around on the container are honey, syrup, oil, and peanut butter. If you are having problems finding the food source of an infestation, wipe these down along with any other containers that might be prone to residue from drips.

Removing the food source should drastically reduce the number of insects in your kitchen, but the best way to keep any pest out of your home is through a comprehensive Integrated Pest Management program from Batzner Pest Control. Contact us today to sign up for our exclusive pestfree365 program or to learn about our additional service offerings!

What Spring Pests to Expect: Ticks, Boxelder Bugs, Mosquitoes and Ants

As the weather warms and the ground thaws, spring pests will start to emerge from their winter hiding places to enjoy all the good things that the season has to offer. The additional pest activity can be a nuisance for homeowners, so be sure to keep an eye out for signs of infestations. Insect infestations can cause issues inside and outside the home that can be annoying and expensive to fix. Here are some common springtime insect pests to watch for, and the potential damage that can be caused by letting their populations get out of control:

  • Japanese Beetles– Japanese beetles begin the spring in their grub stage, nibbling away at your lawn’s root system. This can lead to dead spots and bare areas in the lawn which require reseeding. When the temperature gets warm enough, the grubs emerge from the ground as beetles and feed on the leaves of plants and trees, including ornamentals like roses.
  • Ticks– Ticks start appearing in the spring, and can cause a number of problems if they are hanging out in your yard. Their bites, while occasionally very painful to people or pets, are usually just a mild annoyance. However, being bitten should be taken seriously, as ticks are known for spreading diseases such as Lyme Disease.
  • Boxelder Bugs– Boxelder bugs don’t typically cause extensive damage to homes or foliage during the spring. They spend their spring and summer feeding and reproducing on a select few kinds of trees, primarily female box elder trees, and only occasionally cause minor damage to fruits and leaves. Crushing them can release an unpleasant odor, and their feces can stain light colored surfaces. Allowing their population to go unchecked does create a nuisance in the fall, when they reenter the home in preparation for winter.
  • Mosquitoes– Mosquito eggs begin hatching in the spring, and reach their adult stage in less than two weeks. As with ticks, mosquito bites are mostly an annoyance, but they can also spread diseases such as West Nile and yellow fever.
  • Ants– Ants also emerge from their nests in the spring, and are often drawn into your home in search of a meal. In addition to crawling all over any food that has been left out, research has shown that ants can cause or exacerbate asthma, allergies, and other respiratory issues for those sensitive to such problems.

More information on these pests, including signs of infestations, can be found on the National Pest Management Association’s website. As with other pests, spring insects are best handled by a professional. If you see any signs of an infestation in your home or workplace, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

5 Reasons Your Home Needs Pest Inspections Each Year

Home maintenance isn’t just about checking for repairs and keeping your home clean and organized; it should involve regular pest inspections too. At a minimum, you should have your home inspected for pest infestations or threats every 12 months. And here’s why:

  1. Proactive Prevention – Properly taking care of your home and family often times means being proactive in home maintenance. Operations Manager, Dave Markee, explains “Because we live in a cold weather climate for part of the year, the foundation and building products of our homes expand, shift, and crack during colder weather. This creates openings for pests, especially rodents.” It is important to catch any pest activity before it gets out of hand and major damage is caused to your home.
  1. Financial Security – By using our pestfree365 program, you can feel secure that an infestation isn’t going to set you back financially. With BAN, a Service Specialist comes to your home once a quarter to perform services and keep your home pest-free. Some commonly unnoticed pests are carpenter ants, which can cause damage to window frames and foam board in siding without you noticing. Regular pest inspections can prevent your budget from taking a hit by catching pests like carpenter ants early.
  1. Value Preservation – If you are thinking of selling your home, you may want to consider having a pest inspection done before you put it on the market. If any pest problems are found, you can have them solved before you put your home up for sale. This will help preserve the value of your home with early detection and treatment. On the flip side, it is fairly common for people to call us and have an inspection done before they decide to buy a house. Better to be safe than sorry!
  1. Health Concerns – Health issues associated with household pests are wide-spread and range from chronic allergies to asthma. Cockroach allergens are common culprits for asthma in children. Making sure your home is free of pests can reduce or eliminate health issues you or your family may have.
  1. Peace of Mind – Pests are very small creatures, but they can cause headaches and impact your quality of life. At the end of the day, we all want to know that our family is safe in our own home and are protected from the effects of pests. Your home is one of your most valuable possessions and it should be protected from anything that could cause damage to it.

7 Tips for Preventing Ants from Entering Your House

a handful of ants in wisconsin kitchen

Spring is approaching and the temperature is on the rise. That always lifts your spirits after the long, cold winter. But green grass and flowers aren’t the only thing on its way. ANTS!

You may have begun to spot a few ants in your home or business. Don’t stress out! Here are a few simple prevention methods, and a solution if you believe you might have an ant infestation.

  1. Clean up any food or liquid spills immediately. Ants will most likely come into your home or business to look for foods, so you’ll find them most frequently where food is kept.
  2. Sweep up any crumbs or food particles under kitchen appliances. You know that toaster oven on your countertop that always seems to have crumbs hidden underneath? Or those mystery food particles lurking under your refrigerator?
  3. Store food in airtight containers. Believe it or not, ants certainly do have a sweet tooth. Leaving items like baking sugar or sweet cereal boxes barely closed is like a written invitation to ants and other crawling critters.
  4. Clean up any leftover pet food. Pet food dishes may also be the culprit of any ants that may have taken up residence in your home. If Fido hasn’t finished his meal, or made a mess, be sure to clean it up immediately.
  5. Seal up any cracks or crevices in doorways, windows and any other access points to the outside. That draft does more than raise your energy bill and give you a chill, it may also be an open walkway for ants into your home or business.
  6. Keep compost and garbage bins enclosed. Compost is an amazing source of nutrients for your growing garden, but it’s also a dream food source for ants.
  7. Inspect mulch, remove leaves in gutters and downspouts. On the exterior of your home, landscaping may play a role in any ant activity you may see in your home. Keep trees and shrubs from directly touching your home.

Keep in mind that once an ant has found a food source, they leave a pheromone trail behind them, alerting other ants within the colony that they’ve located food. It’s a strong possibility that if you’ve seen one ant, others aren’t far behind.

If you suspect an ant infestation, contact Batzner Pest Control as soon as possible to speak with an expert.

Batzner Explains Mysterious Appearance of Ants in the Basement

swarm of ants in milwaukee basement

Have you ever seen ants in your basement and wondered what in the world they were doing down there? And how they could have gotten there without you noticing them moving throughout your house? This situation is especially perplexing when it’s an unfinished basement with none of the crumbs and spills that usually cause ants to be present. In these cases, what you’re most likely seeing are pavement ants. Here are some common questions we receive regarding pavement ants and their basement-invading behavior:

How do they get in?
Pavement ants get their name from their tendency to make nests in the cracks of and underneath slabs of pavement. Unfortunately, many areas in close proximity to your home are prime places for pavement ants to colonize (if you have seen large groups of ants having territorial wars on your sidewalk or driveway, it is likely two rival pavement ant colonies). When the nest is close enough to your house, the ants will inevitably find entry points in your foundation. Usually, these entry points are either cracks in the basement floor or walls, which are present in houses of all ages as a result of the house settling over time. There are also many unavoidable cracks and crevices created during the construction of the home. Under front porch slabs is a hotspot for these points, which is why pavement ants in the basement are often concentrated directly beneath the front door. Pavement ants, being only 2.5 to 4 mm long, are easily able to navigate all these cracks to enter directly into your basement.

Why do they want to be in my basement?
When people see ants in their house, it is usually assumed that they are foraging for food – and in many cases this assumption is correct. With pavement ants, however, food is almost never the primary driving factor. Paul Matusiak, Associate Certified Entomologist and Batzner Operations Manager, explained, “Environmental stressors are the main causes that bring pavement ants into a person’s basement. When we get a lot of rain, they will seek out a dryer environment, and when we go through extended dry periods, they look for the damp conditions of a basement. The same goes for fluctuations in temperature and humidity as well. Additionally, in the late summer pavement ants may expand indoors simply because their current nest is not big enough to sustain the number of ants in the colony.”

How can I keep them out?
By far, the most effective method for keeping pavement ants out of your basement is regular inspection and treatment. There are simply too many cracks and crevices in your basement for you to caulk them all, and new ones will form as the house continues to settle. Pavement ants can also chew through most sealants instead of finding another route into your home. Paul explained, “Unfortunately, for newer houses, this will likely be a recurring issue due to the construction methods of the last roughly thirty years. The only real solution is to be extremely thorough, both in your inspection and treatment. This includes pulling away insulation and other barriers so you can be aware of the full extent of the problem and treat it as effectively as possible.”

This level of thoroughness is best achieved by a professional, so please don’t hesitate to call us at 866-591-3519 or contact us at the first sign of pavement ants in your basement!

Tips for Keeping Pests out of Firewood

pile of firewood, a target for pests

On a cold winter night, nothing beats curling up by the fireplace for a relaxing few hours of catching up on your favorite TV shows. For most of us, being able to do this requires maintaining a well-stocked pile of firewood. Unfortunately, firewood is the perfect Trojan horse for pests to invade your home!

Don’t let staying warm this winter open your gates to pests; use these tips to enjoy your fireplace without unwelcome guests.

DOs:

  1. Keep your firewood at least 20 feet from your home. Mice, ants, and many other insects can make their nests in wood piles and easily gain access to your home if the pile is nearby.
  2. Keep your firewood off the ground. Firewood placed on the ground is easier for pests to access, and often makes the bottom layer less likely to be used. Concrete blocks, bricks, or firewood grates can be used to keep the wood from directly contacting the ground. This also helps with the next tip.
  3. Keep your firewood dry. In addition to burning more easily, dry wood is less attractive to most pests. Maintaining airflow beneath the pile helps reduce moisture problems which attract insects, and placing a tarp over your wood pile is a cheap way to prevent rain or snow from adding moisture.
  4. Practice “First In/First Out” Rule. Use the oldest wood first, restacking the pile periodically if it makes it easier to access the older logs. This will help to keep pests at a minimum as you are not allowing infestations to build up. And it will help keep anyone from carrying infested firewood into your home.
  5. Inspect your firewood before bringing it inside. A quick look over each log for obvious signs of pest infestation can save you a lot of trouble later on. Before bringing wood into the house to use in a fire, inspect every log: look them over, shake them, knock them together. Get rid of the pests that are on the surface or beginning to emerge.
  6. Burn firewood immediately when brought indoors. Few insects are active outdoors during the cold winter months; rather they will overwinter in sheltered spots – such as within or between firewood piles. If the wood is brought indoors and not burned immediately, the insects can crawl out from the wood into the warmth of your home.

DON’Ts:

  1. Spray your firewood with pesticides. This won’t kill pests that have burrowed into the wood and can release harmful chemicals inside your home when the wood is burned.
  2. Buy your firewood non-locally. Buying firewood locally can reduce the chance of introducing invasive species to new areas.
  3. Never store firewood indoors. Firewood should not be stored indoors in any area – in the home, basement, or garage. Insects can emerge to take up residence within the structure, and the firewood pile can also provide attractive harborage for rodents or other wildlife or insect pests.

If you experience problems with pests, whether they have been brought in on firewood or otherwise, don’t hesitate to call us at (262) 797-4170 or contact us online!

Example of proper firewood storage:

As you can see, the firewood is away from the house, off the ground, and covered by a tarp to keep it dry. With an inspection before the wood is brought into the house, this will make it very difficult for pests to sneak in.

 

Example of poor firewood storage:

Here the wood is placed directly against the house, exposed to the elements, and directly on the ground. You can imagine how easy it would be for insects or mice to get inside, especially with that door open!