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

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

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

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!

Signs of Pest Infestations

Inspecting homes for pest infestations before buying - Expert extermination, pest control and removal service by Batzner Pest Control, serving Southeast Wisconsin

House hunting is an exciting yet nerve-wracking endeavor. Among the numerous concerns like a leaky roof or faulty electricals, pest infestations might take time to come to mind. Yet, overlooking the signs of an infestation can lead to significant issues. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help identify potential pest problems when considering a new home.

What’s the Difference Between a Pest Infestation and a Couple of Bugs?

While spotting the occasional bug or pest is common, a full-blown infestation involves a larger, persistent presence of unwanted critters. It’s about the frequency, the extent of invasion, and the potential damage or health risks they pose. Here are the top ten signs that you’re dealing with an infestation:

  1. Unusual Indoor Activity: Keep an eye out for erratic movements of insects, especially around food sources or warm, moist areas.
  2. Traces of Excrement: Insect or rodent droppings, especially near entry points or common hiding spots like cabinets, often signal an infestation.
  3. Rodent Nests: Discovering nests made of shredded materials or finding gnaw marks on household items indicates a rodent problem.
  4. Foul Odors: A musty or foul smell, particularly in hidden areas, could indicate that pests like bed bugs or rodents are nearby.
  5. Property Damage: Many pest species cause damage to structures or personal belongings. Chewed wires, torn fabrics, or damaged furniture might suggest rodents’ activity.
  6. Unexplained Noises: While you may not notice the sounds of pests while inspecting a home, it’s worth listening for. Scratching or scurrying in walls or ceilings often indicates pests.
  7. Grease Marks and Rub Marks: Rodents and other pest species tend to leave grease or rub marks along their regular pathways.
  8. Visible Pests: Spotting mice, rats, bed bugs, or other pests during daylight hours could signify a significant infestation. 
  9. Nesting Materials: Discovering shredded paper, fabric, or insulation in unusual places could mean that the property has a large population of rodents or other pests nearby.
  10. Gnaw Marks: Many pest species, including rats and mice, chew on items while nesting or burrowing. Look for chew marks on furniture, wires, or stored items.

Signs of an Outdoor Infestation

It’s normal to come across bugs in your yard or garden. But, there are some circumstances where outdoor pest activity is abnormal and could pose a greater risk to your home. Here’s what to look for when inspecting your landscape:

  • Nearby Breeding Grounds: Assess neighboring areas for unkept spaces or stagnant water sources, and potential breeding grounds for pests like mosquitoes or rodents.
  • Damaged Plants and Lawn Patches: Inspect plants for signs of insect trails or gnawing. Uneven grass lengths or circular brown patches can hint at lawn pest infestations or mole activity.
  • Mole Holes and Ant Hills: Mole activity might present as raised ridges across the lawn accompanied by dirt piles resembling mini volcanoes. Look for ant hills along fence lines or in pavement cracks.

What to Do If Your Home Has Pests

When inspecting your property for these signs, focus not only on the obvious but also on less frequented areas like ceiling corners, under furniture, and within cupboards or pantries. Professional pest control technicians at Batzner Pest Control can thoroughly inspect and treat your home to prevent or address any pest problems.

5 Pest-Free Holiday Decorating and Storage Tips

In my experience, there is no season fuller of surprises than the holidays. From unexpected visits from relatives to getting that one present my mom swore she wouldn’t buy, there was always something surprising to make each year’s holiday season memorable. Fortunately, I’ve never had the surprise of opening a box of decorations to find a family of cockroacheshaving their own holiday celebration, but many people experience a similar situation every year. The dark, undisturbed areas in our attics, garages, and basements where decorations are usually stored are also the perfect winter habitat for many pests. Roaches, ants, centipedes, spiders, silverfish, and mice are just a few of the pests that find warmth, shelter, food, and space to breed in your home’s storage spaces. Make sure you watch out for these potential hideouts while you prepare your house this year!

1. Trees/Wreaths/Garland

If you are bringing a live tree or other natural plant decorations into your house, make sure to shake them out beforehand. Many different types of insects including aphids and beetles nest in Christmas trees and other holiday greenery, and while a good shaking might not get rid of all of them, it’s certainly better than not doing anything at all. Eggs laid in or on live plants usually hatch when they sense spring, and the temperature difference between your home and the outside can be enough to trigger hatching. Regularly check on any plants you’ve brought inside to catch problems early on!

For those who reuse an artificial tree/wreath/garland, vacuum the branches either before you assemble it or before you hang up your ornaments. Once it’s time for them to go back into storage, make sure to use a sealed plastic bag or storage container to prevent against pests, water damage, and humidity.

2. Boxed Decorations

The first step is to inspect boxes where they are being stored and look for any signs of a pest infestation. The last thing you want to do is take a box full of ants from your basement and plop it down in the middle of your living room! Things to look out for include spider webs, droppings, dead insects, and gnaw marks. Always use plastic bins that can be sealed rather than cardboard, as cardboard provides an ideal habitat for a variety of pests, especially cockroaches and silverfish.

3. Fabric Decorations

For fabric decorations like stockings, a cycle through the washing machine and dryer can help stop the spread of live pests. Storing them in plastic is also beneficial to prevent damage by moths and other fabric pests. To be extra careful, you can also wash and dry them before putting them back into storage, as any amount of germs or bacteria is more attractive to pests than none. This is especially important for table cloths, as even the smallest crumb can attract mice and ants.

4. Plastic, Metal, and Other Hard Decorations

Give any hard-surfaced decorations a cleaning using alcohol wipes or soap and water. Similar to the fabric decorations, a cleaning before going back into storage can also be beneficial.

5. Lights

Inspect your lights for things like spider webs and frayed wires before removing them from storage. For exterior lights, also inspect before putting them back into storage so you know if damage occurred outside of your home. If you put them away with no frayed wiring and the next year you notice damage while taking them out, it likely means that mice are present where you are storing your lights!

Perhaps the most important step you can take to prevent pests during the holidays comes at the end of each season, when it’s time to take down the tree and pack up the decorations. Store holiday decorations in hard, plastic bins with tightly sealed lids instead of cardboard boxes or bags that can easily be chewed through. Do not pile discarded live trees or cut firewood near your home, as this can attract mice, mosquitoes and other pests.

If any of your holiday decorations have signs of a pest infestation, or if you have any questions about identifying a potential pest infestation, please don’t hesitate to call us at 866-591-3519 or contact us online. We wish you all the happiest of holidays, and hope that they are full of surprises that don’t involve pests!

Don’t Let Pests Crash your 4th of July Party

Independence Day is a time for food and fun with family and friends. There are also some uninvited guests that will undoubtedly try crashing your party.

Common cookout-invading pests include mosquitoes, stinging insects such as wasps and hornets, pesky ants like carpenter ants and pavement ants. The combination of holiday cookouts and high pest activity can make for a less than enjoyable experience if you’re not properly prepared.

Before and during your 4th of July festivities, take the following measures for an enjoyable and pest-free* celebration:

  • Check your screen doors and patch any holes to keep pests out of your home.
  • Eliminate any source of standing water around the outside of your home to reduce the threat of mosquitoes.
  • Stinging insects love sweet treats and drinks. Keep food and beverages covered.
  • Consider using clear plastic cups for beverages. Cans and bottles make for great hiding spots for stinging insects.
  • Trash cans should be covered and kept away from the party area.
  • If possible, it’s best to serve food indoors and keep the outdoor space for eating.
  • Clean up any food or drink spills immediately.

Keep the bugs away and have a safe and happy 4th of July!

A Guide to Carpenter Ants

In the busy summer pest season, there is one pest that stands above the rest. Carpenter ants are a nuisance pest that many home and business owners have come to know all too well. They are relatively large when compared to other ants, ranging in size from 0.3 to 1 in., and are dark in color. The most common species found in and around homes in the United States is the black carpenter ant. Carpenter ants are vital to the balance of nature because they nest in dead wood and aid in the process of decaying. Although the carpenter ants play this important role in the natural cycle, they can become pests to home and business owners when they make their home in the wood structures of buildings.

What are carpenter ants?

Carpenter ants, one of the largest ant species found in the United States, reside both outdoors and indoors. They need a constant water source to survive and their habitat consists of moist areas or decaying wood. The carpenter ants can create elaborate passageways in the wood for nesting and movement throughout the colony, connecting them to different food sources. Although carpenter ants make their homes in decaying wood, they do not feed on the wood. Rather, their diet consists of dead insects, sweets, meats, and fats. Carpenter ants forage for food around their nest, carry it back to the nest, and share the meal with the rest of the colony members.

Although most carpenter ants do not have the ability to fly, there are winged male and female members of the species. In particularly warm and humid weather, these winged ants leave their nests to mate in a process called “nuptial flight.” After mating, the female seeks out a suitable place to create her nest and grow her colony. If winged ants have been located, it is possible that a new colony will be forming soon.

Signs of a Carpenter Ant Infestation

There are several signs that homeowners can look for that may signal a possible carpenter ant infestation. Areas around and under windows, roof eaves, decks, and porches are common areas of infestations. The most common method to identify an infestation is the sighting of carpenter worker or winged ants in the home. Although worker ants (ants without wings) can be seen in a home without an infestation, the identification of winged ants often indicates a mature colony that is ready to reproduce and form new colonies. Additional signs of an infestation can include the location of sawdust-like wood debris (frass) from tunnels created by ants. A rustling sound can also be heard as the ants build tunnels throughout the wood in a home.

Pest Control Tips for Carpenter Ants

There are several steps that can be taken to avoid carpenter ant infestations. Be sure to trim all trees and bushes so that they are not touching the house. Additionally make sure to correct all plumbing and flooding issues as soon as possible. These issues create moist wood that can attract ant colonies. It is also a wise idea to store and wire wood off the ground and away from the home.

If you believe that you have an infestation, contact your local pest control expert to safely and effectively eliminate the problem.

Centipedes and ants and bees, OH MY! 10 of the deadliest insects in the world.

Centipedes are a common pest in commercial properties in New Berlin WI - Batzner Pest Control

There are about 900,000 different kinds of insects in the world, making up about 80% of all of the world’s species. That’s right; insects far outnumber humans. The following list includes 10 of the deadliest insects in the world. While some are not the deadliest, they still have caused reported human deaths.

10. House Centipedes

Terrifying, I know. I personally turn right back into a two year old girl when I see one of these scurry across a wall or carpet in my house. Jumping on top of couches and throwing shoes, I can never seem to actually make the kill. Centipedes pack a painful sting, but it is usually nothing to worry about. However, every couple years, someone does die from a centipede bite, usually due to allergic reaction to its venom.

9. Fire Ants

I sat on a pile of these once; they are no joke. These ants kill their prey by stinging and injecting venom called solenopsin. When a human is bit and injected with a fire ant’s venom, it provides a burning sensation, hence the name. Around 5% of people bitten by fire ants die due to anaphylactic shock.

8. Siafu

What is that? They are similar to fire ants, and they are mainly located in Africa or Asia. They live in colonies of 20 million ants, and a group called soldier ants are the ones who sting to kill prey. Young and elderly people are very susceptible to the bites of these ants, and some have died due to complications. Around 20-50 people die every year from a Siafu bite.

7. Wasps and Bees

This sounds familiar. I feel like the bees were really bad this summer, at least here in Wisconsin. They are just about everywhere you go, and are attracted to sweet things. Most people have experienced a bee or wasp sting, which can be very serious if you are allergic.

6. Asian Giant Hornet

Keeping with the theme, the Asian Giant Hornet is the biggest hornet in the world at 2 inches in length and a wing span of 3 inches. The sting from its 1/4th inch long stinger has been explained as feeling “like a hot nail being driven into your skin.” Definitely not something I want to experience. The venom released by the stinger contains about 8 different compounds that can not only induce discomfort and damage soft tissue, but can release an odor to attract more hornets. Around 70 people die each year from either an allergic reaction to the bees or a direct result of a chemical called mandaratoxin.

5. Africanized Honey Bee

Yes, more bees. These bees hang around in swarms, so if you do get stung, expect to be stung more than once. These bees have been known to take down a horse.

4. Kissing Bug

I know what you’re thinking: “You’re kidding, right?” Nope. The name sounds cute, but they actually get the name because they typically bite people on their faces. There are around 138 known species in existence, most within the U.S. They are able to transmit a harmful parasite that can be fatal. Around 45,000-50,000 people die every year from kissing bug bites. The parasite that the bugs spread causes Chagas disease, which usually leads to death.

3. Tsetse Fly

House flies are annoying enough; a fly that lives off of human blood? No thanks! The tsetse fly is found in the Kalahari and Saharan deserts. Around 250,000-300,000 people die every year from a disease spread by the flies called sleeping disease.

2. Rat Fleas

Fleas can kill? I bet you’re wondering how your pets are even alive. Thankfully, these type of fleas only live on rats. They are known to carry devastating diseases and bacteria. The bacteria called the Yersinia pestis is responsible for killing around ¾ of Europe during the 14th Century. This was referred to as “the Black Death”, a plague that killed between 350-375 million people.

1. Anopheles Mosquito

Don’t get confused, it’s just the regular old mosquito we’re talking about here. They are everywhere, and much like the bees, they were abundant this hot and dry Wisconsin summer. Most mosquito bites only result in a small, red, itchy bump that goes away with a little lotion and time. However, sometimes a bite can lead to serious illness or death. The most popular diseases mosquitos can spread are Malaria and West Nile Virus. There are 1-3 million deaths from Malaria alone each year.