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When to Call an Exterminator for Mice

When to Call an Exterminator for Mice

by | Feb 14, 2023 | Rodents

Mice infestations can be a significant problem for homeowners, landlords, and businesses. Not only are they a nuisance, but they can also cause damage to your property and pose health risks. If you suspect a mice problem in your Portland, Oregon, or Vancouver, Washington area property, it is essential to take action quickly. 

But how do you know when to call professionals? This article will inform you when to call an exterminator for mouse control. In addition, we will share our expert insights and tips to help you eliminate mice and keep them from returning.

Signs of a Mice Problem

Several signs may indicate a mice problem on your property:

  1. Sightings: Seeing a mouse in your home or business demonstrates that you have an infestation. Mice are active at night, so you may see them scurrying around after dark.
  2. Droppings: Mice leave behind small, dark droppings wherever they go. These droppings may be found along walls, under furniture, and in cupboards and drawers.
  3. Gnaw marks: Mice have constantly growing incisors, which they use to gnaw on various materials. Look for small, precise gnaw marks on wood, plastic, and other materials in your home or business.
  4. Nests: Mice build nests using materials like shredded paper or fabric. You may find a nest in a warm, secluded area such as inside walls, attics, or under floorboards.
  5. Strange smells: A mice infestation may produce a musty or musky odor, often due to the presence of urine and feces.
  6. Damage: Mice can cause damage to your property by chewing on electrical wiring, which can be a fire hazard. You may also notice holes or damage to walls, floors, and other surfaces.

If you notice these signs, taking action as soon as possible is important to prevent the infestation from worsening. An exterminator for ice can help you identify the extent of the problem and provide a solution to get rid of them.

Health Hazards of Mice Infestation in Your House

Mice are parasites and disease carriers, posing several health risks, especially in the house. Their urine and droppings can contaminate food and surfaces. 

Here are some ways mice can affect your health:

Disease Transmission

If mice infect your home, they can transmit diseases through a variety of ways, including:

  • Direct contact with mice or their urine, feces, or saliva
  • Consumption of food or water contaminated with mice droppings or urine
  • Bites from infected mice
  • Inhalation of dust or particles contaminated with mice urine or feces

These pests can carry and transmit several diseases, including hantavirus, leptospirosis, salmonella, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV). 

Allergic Reactions

Mice can cause allergic reactions in some people due to proteins in their urine, saliva, and dander. Symptoms of a mouse allergy may include sneezing, coughing, wheezing, itchy eyes, and a runny nose. Some people may also develop skin irritation or rashes after contact with mice or surfaces contaminated with mice’s urine or feces.

Asthma

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition that causes airways to narrow and inflame, making breathing difficult. Allergens found in mice urine and droppings can trigger asthma symptoms in people who are sensitive to them. 

Measures to Avoid Mice Invasion

There are several measures you can take to avoid mice invasion in your home and minimize the associated health risks:

  1. Seal up entry points: Mice can squeeze through small openings, so it is essential to seal up any cracks or holes in the exterior of your home, including around windows, doors, and pipes.
  2. Store food properly: Mice are attracted to food, so it is important to store food in sealed containers and keep your kitchen clean and free of crumbs.
  3. Remove sources of water: Mice need water to survive, so you should fix any leaks and remove sources of standing water, such as clogged gutters or dripping faucets.
  4. Keep your home clean: Mice are attracted to cluttered and dirty areas, so it is important to keep your home clean and clutter-free.
  5. Use traps: If you have a mouse problem, it may be necessary to catch and remove the mice. Be sure to follow proper safety precautions when using traps and dispose of the mice safely and humanely.
  6. Use repellents: Some natural repellents, such as peppermint oil, can help deter mice from entering your home.
EcoCare Pest Control Van

Exterminate Mice In Your Portland, Oregon, or Vancouver, Washington Property With EcoCare Pest Control

As a property owner in Portland, Oregon, or Vancouver, Washington, it is important to protect your home and family from the health risks and damage caused by mice. You should call an exterminator for mice if you have experienced any of the following:

  • If you have tried to get rid of the mice using traps and other methods, but they keep coming back, or the infestation has worsened
  • If you have a significant infestation and cannot control it on your own
  • If you are unsure of how to safely and effectively get rid of the mice

EcoCare Pest Control is a trusted and reputable exterminator specializing in humane and eco-friendly pest control methods. We have the expertise and equipment to effectively remove mice from your home and prevent them from returning.

By calling us, you can rest assured that your home will be safe and protected from the health risks and damage caused by mice. So don’t wait until the problem worsens – contact us today to protect your home and family.

Featured Image: Sergey Zaykov / Shuterstock

Best Ways to Prevent Pest Infestations

Best Ways to Prevent Pest Infestations

by | Dec 8, 2022 | Pest Control

Many pests can invade your home, from insects and spiders to rodents. These pests could end up causing a lot of damage and could also be hazardous to your health. At EcoCare Pest Control, we have extensive experience with all types of pests commonly found in and around your home, and we know just what to do to keep you and your family safe. 

Signs that Confirm You Have a Pest Infestation

All the pests that come into your home will do their best to stay out of sight. Most of them have small, agile bodies that allow them to squeeze into some of the most hard-to-reach places of your home, like behind your walls and above your ceiling. However, even if you cannot spot these pests with your own eyes, there are a few clues they will leave behind. Here is a look at how to identify common pest infestations.

Image Credit: torook / Shutterstock

Rodents

Mice and rats will commonly try to come into your home in search of food and water. Also, they do not like colder temperatures, so in the winter, they will sneak into your home to escape the frigid temperatures. 

If you have rodents in your home, you may find:

  • rodent droppings
  • chewed paper or cardboard
  • holes in your walls and cabinets
  • gnaw marks on your furniture. 

The teeth of mice and rats will continue to grow for their entire life. To keep their teeth from growing too much, they will chew and nibble on anything that they can get their mouths around.

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs were once thought to be extinct. However, in the mid-1990s, they made a comeback. Today, these tiny insects can be found in a wide range of residential and commercial locations. Some of the telltale signs that you have a bed bug infestation include:

  • Dark smear marks on your mattress, sheets, furniture, and walls
  • Specs of blood on your sheets
  • Tiny and itchy bug bites on your skin that will usually form a straight line
  • Bed bug eggs that look like tiny grains of rice found under your mattress or in the crevices of your furniture

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are filthy insects that can carry and spread a wide range of diseases and viruses. Some of the most common signs that you will find in your home if you have a cockroach infestation include:

  • Cockroach droppings that usually resemble ground black pepper
  • A small, dark, rectangle-shaped egg sac called an ootheca
  • Cockroach skin casings
  • A foul odor that has a damp and musty smell

Ants

Carpenter ants and small black ants are the most common types of ants found in a home. Like termites, carpenter ants like to consume wood and can cause structural damage to your home. Black ants can spread a wide range of illnesses to you and your family, including salmonellosis and E. coli infections.

Some of the clues to look for if you think you have an ant problem include:

  • Seeing a line of ants walk through your home
  • Wooden beams in your home become hollowed out or brittle
  • Discarded wings on the window and door sills.

Image Credit: Africa Studio /Shutterstock

Preventing Pest

The best way to achieve total pest control in your home is to prevent them from coming inside your home in the first place. Some of the best ways to keep your home pest-free include:

  • Dispose of Trash Regularly. You should also keep a tight lid on your outdoor trash cans and place them as far away from your home as possible.
  • Identify and Block Potential Entry Points. Pest can come into your home through the tiniest cracks and gaps around the exterior. Use caulking or some other type of durable material to seal up the gaps around your windows, doors, and vents around your home.
  • Keep Food Stored in a Sealed Container. All food should be stored, including pet food. Also, if you think you may have rodents around your home, make sure that the container is made of metal or glass.
  • Maintain Your Lawn. Keep your grass cut short around your home. You should keep the bushes, shrubs, and trees properly pruned and cut back away from your house.
  • Keep Your House Sanitized. Sweep, mop, and vacuum the floors in your home regularly to ensure no food particles are left around the house. Also, remove any old boxes, toys, clothing, and other items that can clutter up your house and act as a hiding space for pests.

Following these tips can greatly reduce your chances of having unwanted pests in your house.

Best Pest Control Methods

There are many do-it-yourself pest control solutions available on the market today. However, the problem with DIY pest control is that many do not target a specific area. There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to eliminating pests in your home. Every infestation is different, which means that every infestation has a unique solution. 

Another problem with DIY pest control methods is that they can be dangerous. Some of the chemicals and pesticides you can buy in stores can be extremely dangerous if you do not know how to dispense them properly. For this reason, many people choose to leave their pest problems to professionals.

Contact The Pros At EcoCare Pest Control For Customized Pest Control Advice

If you think you have a pest problem in or around the Portland, Oregon, or Vancouver, Washington areas, give us a call today. We offer affordable, customizable, and eco-friendly solutions to help eliminate the bothersome pests from your property. Contact us today for a free estimate!

Featured Image: janews / Shutterstock

Where to do Pest Control Spray in Apartments?

Where to do Pest Control Spray in Apartments?

by | Nov 22, 2022 | Pest Control

Are you tired of the annoying bugs in your apartments? Are you wondering how to keep your home bug-free? Well, we are the experts to call. While it’s not unheard of to encounter household bugs, no one likes these unwelcome guests.

Aside from causing property damage, most bugs, such as fleas, rats, cockroaches, and mosquitoes, are disease carriers and impact your overall well-being if their presence is overlooked. More often, household pest control can be challenging with multiple residents living close by. 

Fortunately, here at EcoCare Pest Control, we know how to deal with household pest invasion in a way that minimally impacts the environment and the tenants’ lives. Our well-trained team can help you reclaim your space and restore normality to your life.

How to prepare your apartment for pest control

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How to Prepare your Apartment for Pest Control Spray

While a household pest invasion is stressful enough on its own, a visit from our EcoCare Pest Control technicians should not cause the slightest bit of concern- especially when moving heavy furniture or appliances outside. This is because our pest control treatment technique mainly uses targeted applications and occurs at the edge of your apartment.

However, there are things you should do to help optimize the success of the treatment process.

Image Credit: Cherkas / Shutterstock

How to Prepare for Ant and Cockroach Treatment

  • Move furniture away from the wall for easier inspection.
  • Prepare your kitchen by cleaning it thoroughly and ensuring all the food items are placed in airtight containers.
  • Provide enough access by removing unnecessary items that might be taking up space.
  • Leave the doorways, closets, and drawers open. It allows the technicians easy access.
  • Remove all the toiletries in the washroom.
  • Take the garbage out if there is any.
  • Clean all the appliances.
  • Pull large appliances out of the way for more accessible applications.
  • Empty the countertops and all the cabinets and drawers.
  • Seal big aquariums with wet towels.
  • Take the pets with you when you leave the house.

How to Prepare for Flea Treatment

  • Put all the food items in an airtight container.
  • Wash all pet bedding with hot water.
  • Vacuum all the carpets and thoroughly clean the house.
  • Move the furniture away from the wall for easier application.
  • Clean the furniture thoroughly.
  • Once you are done using the vacuum cleaner, empty the content into a container and close it thoroughly before throwing it away. When using a vacuum cleaner with a reusable canister, you should wash the canister with hot water to eliminate the fleas.
  • Take all the pets to the vet for flea treatment.
  • You should feed the fish and cover the tanks with wet towels if you have aquariums.
  • Remove caged pets, such as birds, from the apartment.

How to Prepare for Termite Removal

  • Store edible items in airtight containers.
  • Beddings should be removed and washed.
  • You should remove mattress protectors to allow quick fumigant aeration.
  • You should turn off the gas line to your apartment before fumigation.
  • Turn off electrical appliances.
  • Vacuum and clean the sofas and all the carpets.
  • Cover the fish tanks with wet towels.
  • Remove all the toiletries.
  • Clear the drawers, cabinets, and closets.
  • Take the pets away with you.

How to Prepare for Bed bug Treatment

  • Put all the food items in airtight containers.
  • Remove items from the top of appliances.
  • Move the furniture at least 2 feet from the wall and remove items on top of the couch.
  • Take all the bedding and wash them as soon as possible with hot water for at least 30 minutes.
  • Do not make the bed until the treatment is done.
  • Sweep or vacuum – clean the entire house before the treatment begins.
  • Remove all the toiletries.
  • Take the towels and the bath mats in the bathroom and wash them immediately with hot water.
  • Do not put clean towels or mats back until the treatment is done.

Image Credit: Sunwand24 / Shutterstock

What to expect

The pest treatment process is usually quick and lasts about 15 minutes. First, the technician will go around your apartment spraying all the potential hot spots of bug infestation. In addition to spraying, the technician may set baits and traps for bugs like cockroaches or ants. 

Depending on the severity of the infestations, the pest control team may come back in a few weeks or even twice a year.

If you are pregnant, have breathing problems, or have young kids, staying away from your apartment for a minimum of 12 hours is advisable. After the bug treatment, you should keep the windows open to keep the apartment well-ventilated.

Where do Pest Control Companies Spray in Apartments?

Most apartment owners often find themselves concerned about exposure to toxic chemicals, something we understand at EcoCare Pest Control. 

We are an eco-friendly pest control company and exercising caution is our priority. Therefore, our trained pest specialists can safely administer the treatment while you are still at home. 

When our team comes to your apartment, they start by spraying it outside to keep the critters from getting in.

If you request inside pest control service, they will spray the following areas:

  • The entrances
  • Cracks and crevices
  • Spaces between the wall and cabinets, appliances and furniture

The main reason for spraying these areas is because they are the common hiding place of common household pests, and it’s the most effective way to eliminate the pests in your apartment.

Pest Control In Apartments

Image Credit: Chutima Chaochaiya / Shutterstock

Why Choose EcoCare Pest Control

When it comes to pest control, don’t take chances. Instead, hire professionals to do the job for you. At EcoCare Pest Control, we are an A+ accredited business and the premier eco-friendly pest control service provider in the areas of Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington.

With more than 20 years of experience in the industry, we understand the challenges of pest infestation. Our well-trained team is friendly and knowledgeable and can help you reclaim your space and restore normalcy in your life.

Call us today for more information.

Featured Image Credit: Elnur/ Shutterstock

What is Integrated Pest Management?

What is Integrated Pest Management?

by | Oct 17, 2022 | Pest Control

When pests such as cockroaches, rats, mosquitoes, ticks, and stinging insects infiltrate our homes and businesses, they pose significant health risks to our communities. Cockroaches, for instance, can transmit 33 different types of bacteria, including salmonella. In addition, rats may contaminate food and transmit various diseases. Since 1999, mosquitoes have been the vector for the West Nile virus, which has infected over thirty thousand Americans. Each year, stinging insects drive more than 500,000 people to the emergency rooms.

Fortunately, there are several measures that homeowners can take to safeguard their families from pests. The most effective strategy for preventing pests from entering your house and property is to engage with a certified pest professional to execute integrated pest management or IPM. IPM is a common-sense approach to pest management that employs sound solutions for treating and controlling pests.

 

What is Integrated Pest Management?

Creating an environment free of pests requires effort and proactivity. Integrated pest management aims to prevent infestations from occurring in the first place rather than reacting to a pest issue that has gotten out of hand. IPM is based on conventional agricultural pest management strategies. Its fundamental concepts include reducing environmental impact and operational expenses by closely monitoring insect levels and pesticide usage.

IPM is not a single pest control solution. It is a series of evaluations, decisions, and methods and includes using green and organic insecticides, exclusions, trapping, and other methods. The strategy is to integrate pest control factors into your area’s pest issues and situational factors. It uses scientific research and the most effective, low-impact pest management and prevention methods. You can protect your house or company against a pest infestation with just a few easy techniques.

While there are several IPM options, the first step in managing any pest issue is identifying the individual pest problem. Then, you may utilize a mix of IPM approaches and practices, such as removing access to possible shelter or food sources, adjusting cleaning routines, or using mechanical controls such as traps to capture rats, ants, or roaches. IPM also involves using predatory insects in urban or agricultural contexts, such as ladybugs or small wasps. IPM is a method for controlling pests sustainably.

 

Implementation of IPM practices

To start, caulk or seal any cracks and crevices around door and window frames and other entrance points. Ensure that all window screens, door sweeps, and weather stripping are in good condition to prevent pest entry. Apply long-lasting pesticide dust to your wall openings to remove insects that may be dwelling in these locations.

If you have mulch heaps, be careful to turn and rake them at least 6 inches away from buildings to create a dry zone. This will deter insects from traversing the area and provide the optimal environment for applying pesticide sprays. Every 30 to 90 days, spray outside your house with a residual pesticide to keep roaches, ants and other insects at bay.

Keep shrubs, bushes, plants, and trees trimmed back so they do not touch your home. Also, eliminate as much yard debris as possible, such as leaves and branches. You should relocate firewood stacks away from structures. In yards, eliminate stagnant water that might serve as mosquito breeding grounds by draining excess water in all pots, toys, and items in the yard.

Remove tree trimmings and fallen fruit that attract a myriad of insects. Remove pet droppings from the grass and yard. In the house, ensure that kitchen counters, floors, and other surfaces are clean and devoid of any food that may attract ants or cockroaches. To prevent insects from entering the house, seal any exterior-facing holes and cracks in the inside walls, floors, and ceilings. Use a pest control treatment labeled for the pest and the intended usage area when necessary. For pests that are difficult to manage, consider contacting a professional. 

People who own a garden and grow vegetables may also adopt IPM. They can practice crop rotation and other natural pest control methods.

 

Benefits of IPM

Integrated Pest Management has many benefits; IPM is:

  • Cheap and affordable
  • Easy to implement
  • Protects the environment
  • Anti-resistant 
  • Reduces hazards of pesticides

IPM will continue integrating new information and technology in pest management and disease control since it is a continually changing practice.

However, the cornerstone of integrated pest management (IPM) remains unchanged: if you restrict the pest’s access to food, water, and shelter, you control the pest, and by managing the pest, you may minimize human exposure to health concerns associated with their existence.

 

Choose A Professional Team to Institute IPM at Your Home

EcoCare Pest Control has protected human health and the environment in the Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington areas for over two decades. When you choose integrated pest management from EcoCare Pest Control, you can expect thorough seasonal inspections from our seasoned experts, who look for any emerging signs of pest problems. We can even come for follow-up visits if needed.

We will reinforce your pest defenses where necessary and provide customized recommendations to continue reducing the danger of infestations. You will not only be less concerned about a possible infestation getting out of hand but also save money since we often use the least invasive techniques to keep pests under control.

Contact us today to book a home or business inspection and to inquire about our customized integrated pest control solutions.

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