10 Tips for Backyard Pest Control

A backyard to be serviced in Wisconsin - Batzner Pest Control

Relief sets in across Wisconsin every year as the frigid winter recedes into spring. We’re all excited about spending more time outside, but unfortunately, so are the many bugs and wild animals living in our region. Looking to learn how to keep your backyard pest-free this spring and summer? Read on for 10 top tips we’ve gathered from our expert technicians here at Batzner Pest Control!

10 Ways to Keep Pests Out of Your Backyard

Even when it’s still cold and dreary out, it’s important to start pest-proofing your backyard to make sure it isn’t overrun with pests come spring and summer. We’ve put together our 10 best pest control tips for you to consider when getting your backyard ready for the warmer seasons:

  1. Trim your plants: When you let your trees, bushes, and shrubs grow out of control, you allow shaded hiding places to host pests like ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes. Take care of your plants to prevent unnecessary pest shelters.
  2. Look out for standing water: Pools of standing water often build up in our gutters, planters, divots in our landscapes, and more. If you find still water pooling anywhere in your yard, pour it out or cover it to prevent mosquito breeding grounds.
  3. Mow your lawn weekly: Lawn overgrowth can trap moisture and provide shelter, creating a bug haven below the blades. Mow regularly to keep lawn pests out.
  4. Dethatch your lawn: While a thin layer of thatch helps insulate your lawn, too much of it will choke out your grass and lead to pest infestations.
  5. Use garden netting: Your garden may be attracting more pests to your yard than you realize. Garden netting can protect plants and keep away bugs and wildlife looking for a free meal.
  6. Clear out yard waste: From heaps of leaves to stray sticks and branches, yard waste on the ground can create temporary shelters for pests. Make sure to clean up your yard regularly to prevent hiding places.
  7. Keep firewood elevated and distanced: Termite infestations often start when someone leaves their woodpile leaned against their home or back deck. Use a firewood rack or a makeshift platform to keep your firewood off of the ground and away from your wooden structures.
  8. Close your bins: From wasps to raccoons, all sorts of pests try their luck looking for food in our trash cans. Make sure your bins are closed and keep them away from your yard if possible.
  9. Water your lawn properly: Because both overwatering and underwatering your lawn can lead to pest infestations, it can be very helpful to rely on an irrigation or sprinkler system to keep your lawn healthy and pest-free.
  10. Hire an exterminator: An experienced exterminator can figure out why you’re dealing with pest problems and create a plan to put a stop to them.

Pest Control for your Backyard in Wisconsin

If you’ve tried everything you can think of and are still dealing with pests, tell your local pest control company about your problems. Our team at Batzner Pest Control can come out to assess your property for vulnerabilities and problem areas, putting together a plan to get rid of all active pests and keep them away for good. Reach out today for a free quote!

How a Dehumidifier Can Prevent Silverfish, Centipedes, and Cockroaches

A silverfish in Wisconsin - Batzner Pest Control

There are many reasons why a pest infestation might develop inside your home, but one of the main contributors to bug outbreaks is excess humidity. Some of the main culprits that hang around in humid environments are silverfish, millipedes, centipedes, and cockroaches. In extremely humid cases, mosquitoes and fleas could also start to breed in your bathroom, crawl spaces, or other places where standing water pools up. In addition to setting up a dehumidifier, having a pest control company come and treat your property is the best way to attack a humid pest breeding ground. Read on to learn more with the expert technicians at Batzner Pest Control!

How Does a Dehumidifier Help with Pests?

Humidity levels and excess moisture may increase the number of pests you see crawling around your house. This could come in the humid summers or the rainy winters. If you’re currently experiencing pest problems stemming from unknown causes, one thing you can consider is investing in a dehumidifier to keep the humidity level down in your house. Here are four things a dehumidifier will do for your home:

  1. Prevent mold growth inside your home
  2. Minimize condensation contributing to pest infestations
  3. Deter bugs that breed in standing water pools
  4. Alleviate allergies triggered by pests that moisture attracts

Professional Advice: Do Dehumidifiers Really Work?

Karl Rowell, Quality Assurance and Safety Manager, explains, “Moisture, in general, can be a very conducive environment for bugs. Running a dehumidifier reduces the favorable conditions in your home.” Placing a dehumidifier within your home can alleviate pest activity, especially in your basement, bathroom, and even crawl spaces. Dehumidifiers work to remove moisture from the air, creating a drier environment that is less conducive to pest survival. This will keep out pests like silverfish, roaches, and more that are attracted to moisture, and it will also prevent these pests’ predators from developing a presence in your home.

Moisture Pest Control in Wisconsin

If you’re dealing with pests and can’t figure out where they’re coming from, a likely cause of your outbreak is moisture buildup. If you can’t find your infestation’s source or your dehumidifier is failing to protect your home from pests, reach out to your local exterminators. At Batzner Pest Control, we train our technicians to conduct exhaustive inspections, checking for every possible contribution to your pest problem. For a free quote, reach out to our team today!

6 Ways to Keep Your Outdoor Space Pest-Free

Tips to stay pest-free in your Wisconsin yard - Batzner Pest Control

Are you spending more time in your backyard than ever this year? If so, you’ve likely noticed just how many insects are sharing that space with you! Mosquitoes in your pond, flies around your barbecue, or wasps building a nest on your deck can all quickly ruin your time enjoying your outdoor living space. It can be hard to avoid insects altogether outside, but there are a few things you can do to make your yard less appealing to pests. The experts at Batzner have gathered their top tips to keep your outdoor space pest-free. Read on to learn more!

Tips to Keep Your Outdoor Space Pest-Free

There are likely a number of things in your backyard that, unbeknownst to you, are attracting all types of pests. Each year, it’s important to implement a number of pest prevention methods to reduce the chances of an infestation inside or outside your property. These methods include:

  1. Getting rid of any standing water. Stagnant water is one of the biggest attractants for mosquitoes.
  2. Regularly trimming your lawn and shrubs. Ticks and mosquitoes will shelter in overgrown vegetation or tall grass.
  3. Keeping an eye out for ant hills. Even a tiny mound can contain thousands of ants inside.
  4. Inspecting all wood structures. Wood-destroying pests (carpenter ants and mosquitoes) will damage your wooden decks or porches.
  5. Applying an insect repellent. Most store-bought repellent containing DEET will help repel mosquitoes and ticks.
  6. Cleaning your patio or space regularly. Spills or leftover food will surely bring ants around.

What Pests Infest Your Yard?

Here in Wisconsin, we deal with many types of pests all year long. They are especially active this time of year, and may end up right in your backyard. Some can be dangerous, which is why it’s so important to learn how to keep them away. A few of the most common pests we get calls about this time of year include:

Need Outdoor Pest Removal?

If you’ve done all you can to prevent outdoor pests and still find yourself with an infestation, it’s important to act quickly. A professional pest control company can help get rid of pests in your yard and help you prevent future infestations from happening. Contact the residential exterminators at Batzner today to get started!

Can Mosquito Bites Transmit Coronavirus?

Mosquito bites do not transmit COVID-19. Batzner Pest Control in New Berlin WI.

At Batzner Pest Control, we are keeping up-to-date with the COVID-19 situation as it unfolds each and every day. Our team continues to be committed to the health and safety of our communities throughout Wisconsin. With so much misinformation about the virus out there, we’re here to help dispel one myth in particular about the transmission of coronavirus. Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that mosquito bites or ticks transmit COVID-19. Although these two insects are vectors for some very serious diseases worldwide, the current pandemic is not included. With information gathered from the CDC on vector-borne diseases, keep reading to learn why mosquitoes and ticks do not transmit coronavirus.

Do Insects Transmit Coronavirus?

Mosquitoes and ticks do not transmit COVID-19. These two are vectors for deadly diseases, but coronavirus is spread in a very different way:

  • Coronavirus is a respiratory virus that currently is spread from person to person, and is increasingly considered an airborne virus.
  • Research has shown that this virus spreads from droplets from saliva or nasal discharge, often generated when an infected person sneezes or coughs. It can also be spread through contaminated surfaces.
  • COVID-19 is best avoided by avoiding exposure with infected persons. This is the biggest difference between mosquito-borne diseases and coronavirus, which is very contagious.

Worldwide Diseases Spread by Mosquitoes and Ticks

Vector-borne diseases are different than coronavirus in several ways. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “vector-borne diseases are human illnesses caused by parasites, viruses and bacteria that are transmitted by vectors”. The most common vector pests are fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes, all of which can spread disease with their bites. Mosquitoes and ticks are especially concerning: mosquitoes have infamous transmitted malaria, Zika virus, West Nile virus, chikungunya, yellow fever, and more, while ticks transmit Lyme disease. Vector-borne diseases are very dangerous and have impacted nations worldwide.

Our Family is Here For You

Good news is that mosquitoes and ticks do not transmit COVID-19. However, they are still considered dangerous pests. Pandemic or not, Batzner Pest Control is here to provide you with pest control services all year long. We are proud to stay committed to our goal of keeping our communities safe and healthy by all means possible.

With the COVID-19 situation changing on a daily basis, we encourage our customers to seek more information and follow guidelines released by the WHO, CDC, as well as your state and local public health agencies.

Signs and Treatment of Fleas for your Pets and Home

Most pets love getting outside to enjoy the beautiful summer weather as much as their owners. Unfortunately, the excitement of exploring the outdoors and interacting with other animals comes with a risk. Each walk around the block, visit to the dog park, and afternoon spent in the backyard increases your pet’s potential exposure to fleas. These blood-sucking parasites can cause a variety of problems for you and your pets, and requires a targeted treatment to keep them under control.

Signs of Fleas

Excessive scratching is the most common and well-known problem caused by fleas. Not all pets will scratch, however. The scratching only occurs when a pet has an allergic reaction to the flea’s saliva. Because of this, pet owners need to keep an eye out for other signs of flea infestations and the more serious issues they can cause.

If a pet becomes unusually lethargic, has a decreased appetite, and/or has pale gums, a trip to the vet and a flea control treatment are necessary. These symptoms are due to the blood sucking nature of fleas; the blood loss can cause a host to become anemic. This can be a very dangerous condition for young, old, and sickly pets.

Also keep an eye out for segments of tapeworms in your pet’s stool, weight loss without a decrease in appetite, or an increase of appetite without any gain in weight. When a pet licks or chews at areas of its skin that have fleas, it may accidentally swallow a few. This can lead to your pet developing a tapeworm, as fleas often carry tapeworm eggs. Tapeworms cause their host to be deprived of nutrients, and can easily spread from pets to people.

Treatment

Unfortunately, if you discover that your pet has fleas, it is extremely likely that there are more throughout your home.

The first and most important step in getting the infestation under control is to get the pet itself treated. Batzner Operations Manager Skie Gierach stresses the importance of getting the pet on a treatment from your veterinarian, “Before any treatment to the house, the pet must receive a treatment with a veterinarian recommended flea control product. Not only will this help prevent future problems, but it speeds up the process of ridding the home of the infestation, as the fleas are no longer able to feed on the animal.”

For your home, there are many treatment choices, including do-it-yourself options. While none are as thorough and effective as having a professional treatment, you can have success if you are willing to put in the time and effort required to rid your home of fleas. Conversely, hiring a professional service provides for more guaranteed results, but also requires maintenance on the part of the homeowner such as daily vacuuming.

At Batzner, fleas are handled with a specific, targeted Flea Treatment. This involves a treatment of the entire carpeting, wood floors, baseboards, bottoms of furniture, underside of cushions, and underneath beds. Extra attention is paid to the areas where the pet spends most of its time, both inside and outside of the house. Additionally, the client is given a comprehensive education on what they can do to speed up the treatment process and to minimize their likelihood of future infestations.

If you find any evidence of fleas in your house or on your pets, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 866-591-3519 or contact us online. Our Flea Treatment will allow you and your pets to enjoy the beautiful summer weather without worrying about pesky parasites!

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.

Protecting your Pets and Home from Fleas

It’s a great time of year to enjoy the company of a dog (but then again, it always is). Late spring has brought warmer temperatures and nice weather – meaning it’s time for walks, dog park visits and generally more quality outdoor time with your four-legged friend.

Unfortunately, the more you and your canine companion are on the move; the more likely you are to encounter fleas. Contact with and exposure to other animals is the easiest way for fleas to be transmitted. The best way to stop fleas before they enter your home through a pet is to contact a veterinarian about flea control products.

However, dogs and other pets aren’t the only way fleas can enter your home. Once fleas are in your living environment, your dog could be at risk.

Signs of Infestation
Pet Scratching Typically, humans are alerted to a flea infestation by the way their pets behave, repeatedly scratching and grooming themselves on their necks, shoulder blades, and at the base of their tails. The flea activity causes discomfort as the adult fleas feed on the pet’s blood. Bathing pets and combing through the fur to look for black pellets or adult fleas is the best way to confirm the presence of the pests.
Bites People also may experience bites which leave behind a breakout of small, hard spots that are swollen, itchy and red along the ankles and legs indicates flea activity.
Feces Adult flea feces, commonly referred to as flea dirt, also can indicate activity. Flea dirt looks similar to coarse ground black pepper and may be seen in pet beds, carpets, rugs and other areas where the animal host rests.
Adult Flea Sighting Fleas are easiest to see in their adult stage, especially if the homeowner and their pets return to the house after a long vacation or other absence during which the resident flea adults were not able to take a blood meal. Upon returning, the homeowners are often greeted by fleas jumping around and trying to land on them and their pets.
Flea Eggs Flea eggs that were deposited by the female adult, fall off your pets as they move, allowing them to be disbursed throughout the environment where a pet spends time. Eggs are found in out-of-the-way places like:

  • Behind, under or in furniture
  • In a pet’s bedding
  • Inside cracks and grooves in the floors
  • In carpets
Damage

Both humans and pets have adverse reactions to the salivary secretions released by fleas when feeding, ranging from mild irritation and rashes to anemia in extreme cases. Flea saliva can cause skin dermatitis in humans, which usually appears on patches of skin as itchy bumps or a rash. Pets can also react to flea bites and will commonly develop a flea hypersensitivity or flea-bite dermatitis. As a result, animals may develop crusty lesions and may constantly scratch at their skin, often leading to fur loss.

Perhaps the most serious aspect of a flea infestation is the time and effort it takes to remove. Dealing with the problem requires treating infected animals, cleaning flea-infested areas, and taking preventative measures to keep the fleas from returning.

As with many pests, fleas are not a pest to handle alone. If fleas are introduced into your home, Batzner offers a flea service to eliminate the threat of fleas. Learn more about fleas in the Batzner Pest Library.