Now What?

Now What?

Now that you have discovered ants, your next move is to identify those ants. I can hear you now “why? An ant is an ant”. Wrong, the ant species has peculiar habits and biology that help you find the colony/colonies so that the most cost-effective control strategies can be implemented. This is where I recommend a Professional. A Professional can tell you if they are Carpenter ants (one node segment, 12-segmented antennae, no club) or Pavement ants (two node segments, 12-segmented antennae-segmented club). That is just an example of two species don’t forget about the dozen or more species you may encounter.

            So now you see that it’s not just about spraying ant killer (pesticides), there is a little work involved. Don’t kid yourself you cannot see the nodes or the segments on the antennae with the naked eye. If you still insist on taking care of those ants alone, Remember before using any pesticide, read the label and follow ALL directions carefully.

            Those noises you hear in the wall, mouse, and rat? Once again it’s not that simple. It could be a House Mouse, or a Deer Mouse. Unfortunately it could even be a Norway Rat maybe even a Roof Rat. When it comes to the habitat of the House Mouse & the Deer Mouse, we are talking about their nest being less than 30ft from a food source, Home Range 6-30 ft. from nest. Nocturnal mostly feeding 30 minutes after sunset and before sunrise Pretty much the same. The difference is Color a Deer Mouse is reddish-brown, golden brown, white feet, chest, with a bi-colored tail.  House Mouse, Grayish, Dusty Gray.  Another distinguishing feature are the eyes, Deer Mouse eyes – Large Protruding Black eyes.  House Mouse eyes- Small and somewhat protruding (color blind). I would like to leave you with a few common myths about mice.

Ø  Myth:   Mice grow to become Rats

Ø  Fact:     Rats and Mice are different species

 

Ø  Myth:   Mice consume bait and go outside to die

Ø  Fact:     If true, this would be convenient. There is no evidence that rodents will exit a structure seeking water and then die outside.

 

Ø  Myth:   Cheese is a Favorite Mouse Food (Great for using as Bait)

Ø  Fact:     A mouse’s typical diet consists of seeds and fruit. Although they will eat it if it is the only food available. The ideal baits are peanut butter (smaller than pea size amount), chocolate, and meats such as bacon.

 

Ø  Myth:   Cats and Dogs can control Mice

Ø  Fact:     Cats can kill the occasional young or old mouse, but they cannot control a rodent infestation.

Your chances of solving a mouse problem are greater than solving a carpenter ant problem. Evidence of mice in the house are noises in the walls, chewed up pantry items, and droppings. The traditional snap trap devices are pretty reliable, they now make them where u can set and empty with one hand.                                                                      

I like to use glue boards/glue traps, the most important reason is it tells me what direction the mice are traveling, and it is possible to catch/trap multiple mice in one trap.

            In conclusion the safest, surest way to control any pest/rodent problem is to hire a certified licensed professional. If you decide to tackle on your own, Remember before using any pesticide, rodenticides (mouse poison) read the label and follow ALL directions carefully.

You can always contact me (John) at 4brotherspest@gmail.com if you have questions on your particular situation.