During the next few weeks, Raleigh, NC residents will begin to see large, noisy insects hatch from the ground. These red-eyed bugs are called cicadas, and they can be seen in swarms from mid-May until July. It’s all part of an insect cycle that occurs ever 17 years. Here’s what you need to know:

Noisy Cicadas To Hit North Carolina

From Connecticut down to North Carolina, residents are bracing for the swarms of cicadas that are about to hit their quite neighborhoods. It’s an insect lifecycle that occurs every 17 years. You will be seeing hoards of these cicadas on everything, from your home, to your cars, and especially in your trees.

Back in 1996, when gas was only $1.20 a gallon, and President Bill Clinton was doing his thing, swarms of these cicadas laid their eggs in the soil. There they lay for 17 years, growing. Then, when the temperature of the soil reaches about 65 degrees (which should be about any day now) these eggs will hatch. The scene will look like something out of a horror movie. The ground will appear to be boiling as these young cicadas crawl out like reanimated zombies.

Clusters of these Brood II cicadas, ranging from a few thousand to millions, will begin buzzing around. Not only will you be able to see the bugs stick on your home and trees, you will be able to hear them. The noisy buzzing sound can be as loud as a lawn mower; or 100 decibels.

After hatching from the ground, they’ll climb up your trees, shed their skins, and then transform into loud, obnoxious adults. They’ll lay their eggs in the ground and repeat the life cycle. After about six weeks they’ll be gone. You won’t see them again until 2030.

North Carolina Cicada Q & A

Question: What Do The Cicadas Look Like?

Answer: The Brood II cicadas that are about to take over North Carolina will reach lengths of two inches in length. They black with red eyes that are wide set.

Question: Are The Cicadas Dangerous?

Answer: No. Cicadas do not sting. They do not bite. You do not need to be afraid of these insects, despite their menacing appearance.

Question: How Long Will I Be Seeing The Cicadas?

Answer: The cicadas will hatch mid to late May, when the soil temperatures reach about 65 degrees. By Independence Day you will likely be seeing the last of the cicadas (until 2030)

Question: Can I Prevent The Cicadas?

Answer: Short answer… No. Unfortunately, this cicada hatch is going to happen whether we like it or not. The good news is that the cicadas will not intentionally enter your North Carolina home. Just keep your doors and windows closed to keep a cicada from stumbling in.

Question: Will Pest Control Help With The Cicadas?

Answer: Yes, pest control will kill the cicadas when they come in contact with the pesticide. Since there will be millions of these cicadas, they will be difficult to eliminate for the duration. They will keep coming in waves. Remember, the cicadas will die off after six weeks.

Pest Control in Raleigh, NC

If you are having problems with pests like roaches, spiders, or ants; get Raleigh pest control.

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For the avid gardener the fight to keep their produce free from garden pests is an eternal battle.  Just as they think their fruits and vegetables are doing well they discover that there is an infestation of one type of bug or another.  In order to be able to enjoy the fruits of your labours there needs to be a way to eliminate these pests that actually works, without having to fill your garden full of poisons and other harmful substances.

Using Beer and Predators to Control Your Pests

Beer traps are well known for putting pay to slugs and snails.  They are lured by the smell of the beer and meet their end by drowning if the liquid is deep enough.  Beer can be placed in partly submerged containers or left around the garden on plates or in bowls – they will go to the containers, drink their fill and be too drunk to get back out again.  If your garden is one that attracts the occasional toad, place some mesh over the top of your beer traps as this will stop the toads getting in and reduce the risk of the pests getting out.

Having a bird feeding table is also a good idea as birds are excellent at keeping the pest count low.  They will also enjoy the slugs and snails that you have so thoughtfully collected for them.  If you have fruit plants that you are worried that the birds may take a liking to instead, simply cover them in bird netting to protect them.  You could also grow some berry bushes in order to feed the birds, such as mulberry as this should be enough of a distraction to keep them from your fruit trees.

Large Four Legged Pests

A good garden fence can go a long way towards keeping out larger pests such as dogs, deer or anything else that roams free where you live.  Buy the best fencing that you can afford and make sure that it is strong enough to do the job at hand while not stopping any animals that are beneficial to your garden from getting in, such as hedgehogs who just love a fat slug or snail for their suppers.  If you want to keep some beneficial beasts in your garden be sure to set them up a suitable habitat, such as a pond for a toad or a nesting box for a hedgehog and make sure that they have plenty of foods and drink available to them to make them want to stay.

Rats on the other hand will need trapping.  If you have a problem with rats coming into your garden you should call in the professionals and get some advice on how to deal with the problem.  The last think you want if is for a garden past to make its way into your home.

Pest Resilient Plants and Helpful Insects

There are some plants that the bugs simply don’t like.  Try scattering some marigold seeds around your garden – once the plants have grown they will keep the pesky bugs away but attract a whole range of beneficial insects into your garden such as butterflies and bees.  Ladybirds are excellent for keeping down the aphid population but if no ladybirds are available, a strong water spray will also do the trick.  Dowse the plants several days in a row and the aphids that haven’t drowned will be put off coming back.

It can take a bit of imagination to deal with all of your garden pests organically rather than reaching for the insecticide and pesticide option, but it can be done.

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•  License: Creative Commons image source

Although as an experienced home and gardens blogger Jamie is aware of pest treatments like liquid pesticides supplied through liquid filling from Neatcrown, he believes that sometimes Neatcrown is best kept as a last resort with the natural pest control methods being the gardeners’ first choice for perfect home grown produce.

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Guest Post Published by Bulwark

Fire Ants (Photo credit: Marufish)

One of the most destructive, malevolent, and impactful pests in the United States is the Red Imported Fire Ant. Here are ten reasons why:

1. Painful stings

Fire ants are labeled as a social menace because of their notorious sting. These stings are painful, and usually come in bunches. By the time a you feel the first sting; numerous ants could be on your body, all stinging at once. Once stung, your body will feel like it’s on fire. You’ll also experience redness, blistering, itching, and even vomiting.

2. Fire Ants Displace or Eliminate North Carolina’s Unique Native Species

The aggressive fire ant can take down frogs, lizards, and even small mammals. They will also dine on other native insects. These bully ants will drive out other animal and insect species—especially other ants.

3. Mounds Destroy Property

Fire ant mounds serious problem in lawns, sporting fields and golf courses. The mounds can reach two feet high, and three feet in diameter. The can also reach depths of over six feet. These mounds also destroy tree and plant roots—destroying them!

4. Damage Electrical Equipment

Fire Ants are attracted to electrical equipment. They crawl into electrical wiring and air conditioning units, shorting them out. In fact, fire ants are the leading cause of traffic light shorts in the Southern United States.

5. Economical Impact

The FDA calculates that $5 billion is spent every year on medical treatment, damage, and control in fire ant infested areas across the country.

6. Impact Outdoor Lifestyle

Fire ants have the potential to impact North Carolina resident’s outdoor lifestyle. If fire ants are infesting your parks or backyards, there goes your outdoor recreational activity. No more running barefoot through your yard. No more picnics in the park. If you like to lie in the grass and watch the clouds go by, forget about it. You will be stung!

7. Harmful To Pets

Fire ants are equal opportunity offenders. They will sting anybody, and play no favorites. They will even sting your pets. Pets can be stung and injured; and may have allergic reactions. Worst case scenario, your pets may be blinded by exposure to the fire ant venom; or even die.

8. Harm Agriculture Industry

The agricultural industry is also affected by the red imported fire ant. The FDA figures that the ant causes $750 million in damage to agricultural assets—mainly crop loss, livestock loss, and vet bills. Newborn livestock are prone to fire ant attacks, which can lead the death of the livestock. The ants are drawn to an animal’s eyes, nose and mouth. When they sting, it causes an animal’s nose, mouth, and throat to swell up. The animal suffocates. Fire ant mounds also demolish farming equipment, machinery, and irrigation systems that affect harvesting operations.

ant mounds (Photo credit: bart_drees)

9. Environmental Impacts

The fire ant’s ability to damage trees and plants cause significant changes in ecosystems over time. This is done by tunneling through the plant’s roots. The ants also attack and drive out other native species or animal and insect.

10. Difficult To Eliminate

One of the most challenging pests to eliminate is the Red Imported Fire Ant. When treated with traditional insecticides, the ants will just spread out and wait for the poison to dissipate. They will then return. Furthermore, when a colony feels threatened, the immature queens will suddenly become mature—leaving the hive and starting new colonies. They spread even more rapidly.

Raleigh Fire Ant Control

As previously mentioned, fire ants are extremely difficult to control. Do not try to take on these malevolent pests yourself, and don’t risk a painful sting. Get help controlling the fire ants near your home or property. Get professional ant control!

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Nobody wants a home or yard invaded by pests. Fortunately, there are many ways to make sure your backyard is free of pests and safe for use by the family. But can the job eliminating backyard pests, and keeping out future infestations be properly done as a do-it-yourself project?

Why Do You Want to Play the Part of the Terminator?

The obvious reason for wanting to do the job of pest terminator on your own is to save money. But this is a job that is deceptively complex and potentially harmful to your health and that of your family. Unless you have specific experience working as an employee for a pest control service, it is doubtful this is the right job for you. Here are the reasons why.

What is the Definition of a Pest?

Most homeowners have no idea of the many different types of pests that can invade a backyard. Depending what part of the country a home is located, there could be as many as sixty different back yard pests to contend with. Another problem is the point of view of the homeowner. The animal, or plant, pest that you want to get rid of might be one your neighbor encourages to thrive. Deer are an excellent example of this situation. Most people love to see deer in their area, but for homes that have deer destructively invade their backyard definitely consider them pests.

Types of Backyard Pest Control

There are different ways to get rid of the many types of pests. Some methods of pest termination utilize traditional, relatively safe, materials and methods. In general, most pests that are difficult to control require more lethal means. This means the use of chemical sprays or poisons placed out in the open. In addition to needing knowledge of the pests in your geographical location, there are, at least, five types of pest control products to understand and know how to use.

One group of chemicals regulates the spread of insects by choosing the most vulnerable point in that particular pest’s cycle of life. This may involve adult sterilization for one type of pest. For another, it might mean stopping adolescent pests from making it to the stage of an adult. It is doubtful the average homeowner knows which method is correct for each type of pests in the yard. While there are natural pest control products on the market, knowing which product to use is the problem. Since your goal was to save money, it is probably less expensive to call an expert.

Some pests require the use of traps. These are often dangerous to use. In some areas and city locations the trapping of animals is a sensitive issue. Another interesting problem is control of pests in the shrubs and trees of the backyard. Many homeowners fail to look up to see the pests in the trees.

Decision Time

All things considered the effective, proper and humane way to get rid of pests in the backyard is best left to a professional pest control service.

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•  License: Image author owned

Josie Redmond knows the effects that pests can have on your home if left alone for too long. That is why she recommends AAA Affordable Wildlife Control for all of her pest control needs. To learn more, visit their website http://www.affordablewildlifecontrol.com/.

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Guest Post Published by Bulwark

You may see products in your local hardware store, drugstore, or supermarket promising to get rid of bed bugs. And you might think to yourself that if you have bed bugs, you can get rid of them easily, just the way that putting out some Roach Motels and using some bug spray could get rid of some roaches.

Bed bugs require unique treatment

But here’s the thing – a bed bug is not a cockroach. It is an insect that has its own way of operating and getting around. And over-the-counter treatment for bed bugs doesn’t work. For one thing, bed bugs are much more secretive than roaches are. The pests generally only move around between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m.  While it is easy to know whether you have roaches in your home – you will see the insects crawling around – you may not even know whether you actually have a bed bug problem until you have a bed bug expert, along with a bug-sniffing dog, check out your premises.

In addition, bed bugs are small – an adult bed bug is only about the size of an apple seed, which is considerably smaller than the typical roach. So they’re not exactly easy to find.

So that means that when it comes to a can of bug spray, or even using one of those popular at-home bug bombs or foggers, that chance are that all the chemicals will do will get the bugs to spread around further in your home or business. Not exactly comforting words!

Not only that, but the foggers, in particular, can be extremely dangerous and flammable.  Do you know that people have had their homes literally go up in smoke because of spraying for bed bugs?

After all, the over-the-counter methods involve chemicals, and spraying chemicals around your home could also literally make you sick. Sicker than you already are about potentially having bed bugs!

What does work in getting rid of bed bugs

The best treatment for bed bugs is getting a bed bug professional to show up at your home. Companies like Bed Bug Finders LLC will first use a bed bug dog to determine if you have bed bugs, and where they are in your home. Then they use safe, effective and non-toxic methods to get rid of bed bugs. This means you will have the peace of mind of knowing that your bed bugs have taken a permanent vacation without the treatment causing damage to you and your home.

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• License: Image author owned

Lisa Swan writes for sites like Bed Bug Finders LLC.

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Raleigh Woman Brings Home Bedbugs From Charlotte Hotel

eaten alive (Photo credit: The Guncle)

Imagine being on vacation with a good friend. You’re in your hotel room when you start to notice tiny reddish-brown bugs crawling next to you on the hotel couch. Before long, you notice red welts appearing on your legs. Well, that’s exactly what happened to a Raleigh, NC woman recently.

Stephanie Eason of Raleigh, NC reached out to Channel 9 News about being attacked by bloodsucking bedbugs while staying at Homewood Suites Hotel in Charlotte. Eason, who was in town for CIAA weekend, reportedly brought the bedbugs back to her Raleigh home as well.

After noticing the bedbugs crawling on the hotel room furniture, Eason reached out to hotel management about the possible infestation. Management sprayed the room for bedbugs, but it was too late… Eason had bedbug bites on her legs.

After the experience, Eason called the Mecklenburg County Health Department. Before the Country Health Department arrived, the Homewood Suites Hotel had treated the bedbug infestation. The room had been closed down, along with three other adjacent rooms; they all were treated by pest control professionals.

In order to eliminate the bedbugs from her Raleigh, NC home, Eason also sought the services of a Raleigh pest control professional. She is seeking compensation for the unfortunate bedbug incident, and working with the hotel’s insurance company to take care of the bill.

Bed Bug, motel in Mississippi (USA) (Photo credit: TomSpinker)

Bedbug Identification

Bedbugs are malicious pests that feed on your blood while you sleep. They are a copper color, about 3/8 of an inch long, and are wingless. They are a flat oval shape, kind of like an apple seed. The presence of bedbugs in your hotel room may be accompanied by a sweet odor in the room.

Bedbug Detection While On Vacation

So you’re going on vacation, but worried about bloodsucking bedbugs hiding in your hotel room. Detecting these bedbugs before getting bit is no easy task because of the bedbug’s secretive and cryptic nature. They have a propensity to hide in very narrow areas that are not visually readily accessible.

Before you bring your luggage inside your hotel room, check it over thoroughly. Look inside the furniture, along baseboards, and in the carpet. Pull back the bedding on your bet. Inspect the seams of the mattress. Do the same to the box spring.

If you feel like your hotel room is bedbug free, store your luggage above the ground on the luggage racks provided. Doing so will help prevent the bedbugs from getting in your clothes; and help prevent them from being brought home.

If you suspect your room may have bedbugs, asked to be moved to a room far away from the original. Repeat the process.

Raleigh, NC Pest Control

If you fear that you may have brought bedbugs home with you from your vacation or travels, get professional pest control.

General Pest Control

Bedbug Control

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cockroach (Photo credit: Squallwc)

It is often suggested that cockroaches will “inherit the earth” if humans end up involved in a nuclear war. They are known to be able to survive in very tough conditions, and breed quickly. They can survive being underwater for 45 minutes and can survive on surprising sources of nutrition, including the glue from a postage stamp. When you get cockroaches inside your home it can be a difficult problem to sort out, so keeping the place clean and checking the house regularly is the best way to keep them out. This article explores some of the ways you can deal with unwanted cockroach populations.

Different Species

There are over four thousand different species of roaches on the planet, with around 30 species commonly found in homes and commercial properties.  They live for around a year, but have been known to live for longer. Females can lay up to 400 eggs in one year. Some will lay eggs in hiding places, some carry their eggs on the surface of their body while others carry their eggs internally until they are ready to hatch. Cockroaches carry an allergen which has been linked to the development of asthma in humans.

Infestation

If you’re worried about a cockroach infestation, then get cleaning! All areas where the tiniest pieces of food can accumulate should be cleaned thoroughly. This could include cutlery, the sink, food stuffs, furniture and any other areas in the home where food can end up. It’s dinner for your roaches, so keeping these areas clean can force them to look elsewhere for food. It’s important that food waste is adequately protected from the hungry pests, and that this waste is removed regularly. The same applies to back gardens and yards – if you invite cockroaches into your garden it won’t be long before they move into your house.

To stop cockroaches getting inside your house, check the exterior of the property for cracks in the foundations, walls, floors and ceilings. Any cracks are potential cockroach-entry points, so get them sealed up ASAP. Quick-seal products are available on the market which can fill a crack in seconds. It’s also worth checking around plumbing fixtures and electrical outlets for cracks and holes that could be used as entrances by roaches.

Control and Solutions

Cockroach-killing powders are available, usually with boric acid as the main ingredient. This powder can be left behind electrical appliances, in cracks or other cockroach entry points. When the cockroaches make contact with the powder, which could take a few days, the powder sticks to their body and poisons them. Ensure that the area is well out of the way of children to avoid ingestion.

Another way to poison the pests is with spiked food. Products like these usually come in the form of gels or pastes. Cockroaches are attracted to the substances as they contain digestible materials as well as the poison that will kill them. It works well because you don’t have to find the cockroaches hiding place in order to rid your home of them, they will find the bait because they think its food.

There are a number of DIY solutions to a cockroach problem, but if they’re not working it’s time to call in the professionals. A good pest control company will deal with the infestation properly and despatch the pests efficiently. Remember that the longer you let cockroaches infest your property the worse the problem will become.

Alan Derry writes on a number of subjects including pest control for keeping chickens. 

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Guest Post Published by Bulwark

Termites (Photo credit: Gnilenkov Aleksey)

Termite damage is no joke. These tiny little terrors can destroy massive buildings much larger than your home. The worst part is that often, you will never know they are there, eating your home like coffee cake on a Thursday afternoon, until it is too late. Yearly termite inspection might not be on the top of your list of “must haves”, but preventative measures taken to protect your home are worth it once you consider the possible alternative: termite infestation. Yuck!

We encourage home and business owners to be proactive and get a professional termite inspection at least once a year. In between your yearly inspection there are some things you can be on the lookout for yourself. Here’s a list of 5 things to watch (and listen) for:

1) Take A Listen

Guess what, you can actually hear those pesky critters! That’s right, despite their small size, termites are actually quite noisy if you’re listening for them. Sure, they won’t be screaming or playing sirens, trying to grab your attention, but if you hear sounds of faint movements and frequent tappings emanating from your walls, chances are, you have a termite infestation.

2) Look For The Poop

Termites are impeccably clean creatures. Who knew, right? They will not defecate in their newly built home (i.e. your wall) and prefer to deposit their waste outside of the walls and in plain site for you to observe. In addition to having a high value for cleanliness, termites are decidedly unceremonious in disposing of their fallen comrades, so keep an eye out for termite corpses lying about alongside the feces.

3) Pay Attention To The Color & Feel of Your Wooden Pieces

As termites increase the damage to your home, dark spots and soft places will begin to manifest in your walls, decks, ceilings, or anywhere else comprised of wood. You can perform a basic termite inspection yourself by combing over these vulnerable areas. If you see any spots that are significantly darker than the surrounding areas, or feel places where the wood is unusually soft, this may be an indication that you have a termite infestation.

Worker termite (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

4) Look For Small Holes, Tunnels, and Piles

If termites are tearing up your lovely abode, there will be signs. Look for small holes appearing in your walls. This may seem obvious, but these holes will not be very large at all; it will look like a woodpecker has been kissing your wall. And then there will be the tunnels, tubes, and piles popping up around the foundation of your home. If you see tiny little mud tunnels or tubes with little mud piles sitting next to them all around your house, you will probably want to call pest control professionals immediately.

5) Look For Wood Damage and Wall Ripples

If termites are eating your home, the damage will become apparent and one point or another, and hopefully in a noticeable, isolated area. You may see ripples appearing in your walls, or the ceiling might start to sag. You might find sawdust in areas where your husband has definitely not been building all manner of manly things (like your living room, hopefully). Or it may be something as simple as discoloration for which there is no alternative explanation. Occasionally tapping around for exceptional hollow sounds in your wood can help you notice this damage before it gets really bad.

Tiffany Olson hails from California where she works at a small web company as communications manager. Her primary job is to inform people on a wide array of topics including termite inspection in Fremont, CA.

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Guest Post Published by Bulwark

Roaches & Romance Don’t Mix

Attempts to put romance into your relationship can be nullified by an encounter with a creepy crawly. A cockroach can pull the romance out of you evening so get Raleigh Roach Control.

Roach Control Raleigh, NC 

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Published by Bulwark

Raleigh Come In At 15TH For Top US Bedbug Cities

Bed Bug(Photo credit: TomSpinker)

They’re creepy. They’re crawly. They feed on your blood; and Raleigh, NC is full of them! They are bedbugs, and Raleigh was ranked as the 15th most infested bedbug city for 2013. This is up four spots from last year’s ranking.

The dubious ranking is determined from the list of cities with the most frequent bedbug reports between January and December of 2012; and took into account the Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville, NC areas. Charlotte, by the way, happens to be way down the bedbug list at number 43.

It’s not a claim that any city wants to have, but the truth is bedbugs continue to be a big problem in the United States. Pest control professionals have reported a 32 percent increase in bedbug activity compared to the 2011 infestation numbers. Scary!

Read more about the growing bedbug epidemic here.

The Top 10 Bedbug Infested Cities

1. Chicago
2. Detroit
3. Los Angeles
4. Denver
5. Cincinnati
6. Columbus, Ohio
7. Washington, D.C.
8. Cleveland/Akron/Canton
9. Dallas/Ft. Worth
10. New York City

Bed Bugs

bedbug (Cimex sp.) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bedbugs continue to be on the rise in the United States, and they are one of the most challenging pests to control. They are most commonly found in beds or bedding, but can also hide in your furniture, baseboards, carpet, and even on your walls and ceiling.

Bedbugs are a reddish-brown in color, and can grow to 3/8 inch in length. These pests are nocturnal feeders, which feed on the blood of human hosts. During they day, bedbugs will look to hide along the seams of your mattress, or any other out-of-site crakes, crevices, or holes.

Bedbug Control

Raleigh, NC exterminators are up to date on the most recent methods and pesticides used to control bedbugs. Quality pest control companies will first inspect your home or apartment for bedbugs. Some may even employ the help of a bedbug dog that can sniff out an infestation.

Avoid using foggers, aerial pesticides, and bug bombs to eliminate these bloodsuckers. They do not work and can even endanger your health. The Federal Trade Commission is even taking action against unproven bedbug treatments. Read more here.

Pest Control Raleigh, NC

Bedbug Control Raleigh, NC

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